I was never crazy about Greenwald, and don't care for Snowden. But some of you make me a fanboy

[grasswire]

130. A long time ago, when Bill Clinton was president...

....I started paying attention to the attacks that were being carried out against him. Meanspirited, ugly, personal, incessant. I wasn't particularly political then, although a Democrat.

As time went on, Monica appeared on our televisions. In hours, a full cast of characters were deployed on television to ratchet his up and drive the scandal. Kellyann whatshername. The diGenova couple. Ann Coulter. The Goldbergs, older and younger. Many, many of those people. Insulting, degrading, lying, exaggerating, hammering hammering hammering.

And then I started monitoring freerepublic. The hatred there was absolutely thick. I saw threats against friends of mine who are investigative reporters/journalists. I reported those threats to friends. The bitter bile of the hatred was soul sickening.

And then Bush was selected. The hatred for Democrats on freerepublic became coupled with rigid, maniacal defense of Bush, and cult like adoration of him. The same bitter bile boiled up to attack any critics of Bush, and any criticism of his policies (no matter how obviously odious those policies were).

What I see here seems to be the same sort of mindset. Must protect dear leader! Must attack any critics with bitter words meant to wound, or to score some kind of perverse points. Some of the exact same behavior I witnessed against Clinton and in defense of Bush.

I voted twice for Obama. I shed tears for America's progress when I cast that vote in 2008. I was proud to cast that vote. Today, I stand disappointed in some of his policies.

And I think his band of ardent followers here have done him no favors. If any minds are being changed by the constant fighting, those are minds being driven away from supporting Obama.