I think I am outta here until the first primary is over

[artr2]

I am so sick of all the fucking bullshit going on in here. I know politics is a dirty game but the intellectual dishonesty around here makes me think I am at free republic. As you can see buy my avatar that I am for Dean. I see others who support other candidates, just throwing so much shit at my guy, and most of it is either not true or finding the .0000000000000000001% of a statement that doesn't match a statement he made in high school to smear him.Now he's become a serial exaggerator ala Al Gore. Well, screw all of ya'all. I'm going to spent the time that I used to spend here and go out into my community and get my guy elected. I hope that the rest of you continue to keep your ass firmly sitting in front of your computer screens arguing about how great you guy (or lady) is and what an asshole the other candidate is. That way the hundreds of thousands of us that are laboring for our guy will put him in the white house.

<:hi:>

Edit: missing word

[ShaneGR]

1. I feel pretty similar

This board has become a mess.

[Mass_Liberal]

50. I agree %100

its gross, how much negative crap comes up on this board. I feel like there is 0 unity and goodwill. C'est mal.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. I wish you the best. I am considering the same

Although DU is a big forum, this is a source of distress for many of us and admin refuses to address it so it is only going to get worse.

I'm not even in Kerry's camp and I find myself defending him and his service against paranoid schizophrenics posting from rubber rooms wearing reynold's wrap as an accessory.

[Cappurr]

6. Actually....I think Admin has addressed it

Repeatedly. If posting rules are broken, hit alert. The offending post will be removed. However, the First Amendment is alive and well at DU. I can't stand all the silly bickering over this candidate or that one. This country has much bigger problems to deal with, believe me.

You can't change posters who want to call another candidate a "poo-poo head". But you can change your own behavior. Simply refuse to take the bait. The children will stop playing when you stop playing with them.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. I can and do hit the alert

If the goal is to beat Bush then I don't see how posting propaganda from right wing web sites of unconfirmed trash regarding Kerry forwards that end. I also don't see how posting pro-recall propaganda helps get rid of Bush but I deal with it everday on DU.
If we have assassinated our candidates character before the right wing even gets a hold of them and they then USE a LEFT WING web site as evidence that it must be so..that is not groundbreaking ingenuity...that is more of the same and it is bound to produce the same results. Remeber, the LOVE CANAL rumor about AL Gore came from the LEFT not the right but the right was happy to adopt it and raise it as one of their own.

[Bandit]

13. Occasionally a little common sense is written here

Thank you :thumbsup:

[Julien Sorel]

24. LOL

Well said. I've also been railing against the insanity, and gotten absolutely no where.

But it is ridiculous. Not only does the craziness make the board seem like it's populated by a screaming bunch of lunatics, but it also provides a handy hook 'disruptors' can use to start flame wars and fling mud. Hey, want to discredit those loony lefties? Start, or contribute to, a thread alleging Kerry had a secret plot to assassinate Gore, or Clark has a secret plot to assassinate Dean. There are several people guaranteed to pile on and agree to any accusation, as long as it defames another candidate, or is seen to help their own. No accusation is too insane or scurrilous to be overlooked by these folks, but reasonable people looking at those threads must cringe.

[seventhson]

34. You talkin' about ME??? YOU Talkin' about MEEEE???

Listen, nothing shocks me,

The elites know a thing or two about black ops and propaganda.

Little slurs like this just go to help the rich and powerful when folks who are politically aware talk about controversial issues.

Most of America is so dumb on these subjects (2/3's of Dems could not name ONE candidate for Prez) that I am not surpirised that you are uninformed enough to call others paranoid etcetera when they discuss things which for any political science undergrad or history student is well known.

But I must take umbrage as I have many times in the past.

If you want to help the reich and powerful and BFEE's of the world go right ahead. Insut people. Demean their beliefs.

Just PLEASE don't try to argue the facts.

Name calling and insults just make you look like a stupid jerk

and you will then have no real credibility which is oaky with me.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

38. No I wasn't posting about you, funny you should think you were the subject

[molly]

39. Alrighty then.....

"Name calling and insults just make you look like a stupid jerk"

[dsc]

49. I rarely do this

but I do have to ask. Have you ever apologized for the thread in which you called Dean supporters new comers out to disrupt the board? Some of us considered that name calling.

[Julien Sorel]

53. I'm sure no one would dream of calling you paranoid:

I started my crusade with respect to Kerry when I thought he was gonna be Al's VP replacement for Holy Joe and Al then might get JFK'd.

NOW I say NO to Kerry for President OR the VP slot!!! That would place Dean (or whoever) in grave danger.

THAT is why I am so vehement.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=294998#295515

Paranoid, the person who wrote that? Perish the thought.

[TheYellowDog]

60. Even if she was talking about you,

it would be a correct assessment. You're a Nader socialist and half the information that you post isn't even true. It's kind of sad, really, but I guess you don't know much about politics. Perhaps you could read other sources besides Michael Moore books? :shrug:

[oasis]

3. Getting into a political campaign is a positive alternative. Check in

from time to time. The windbags will be posting and reposting to themselves before long because they can't offer up anything new.

good luck :hi:

[TSElliott]

4. This board is just a mirror of the party.

And right now it’s a Three Ring Circus.

But don't go stick it out once there is just 1 candidate the unity will be back.

[artr2]

5. Oh, I will be back.

After the first primary. I will vote for whoever is our nominee. Even Joe!

[G_j]

9. there are other 'rooms'

I find LBN, activism, editorials quite good in staying 'hip' to whats going on out there. GD is where most of the angst happens, though if you skip the candidate battles there is some great info available here also.

Still getting out and doing stuff for the cause is best.

keep on keeping on!

[qanda]

7. I wish you the best.

I have stayed out of the fray, because I am an Independent and really have no allegiance to any particular candidate. Hope you'll come back once the nominee is chosen and help us in our battle to beat Bush*. Good luck fighting for what you believe in!

[xJlM]

8. I think it's funny as hell

I see folks over in the Lounge saying, "God, stay out of GD!", but I think it's funny for the most part.

Of course there's bound to be disputes in the months leading up to the primaries. That's kind of what politics is all about. You have to be able to look past most of that shit, unless something is ringing true too much. And that's a good thing, looking openly and honestly at ALL of the candidates and how their actions match their words. The ones who make the most sense to me - Kucinich, Sharpton, and Mosely-Braun - are pretty much regarded as "unelectable" by the machine I see working. Only time will tell, but I think there may be a few surprises in store for everyone.

[kwolf68]

10. You know

John Kerry supporters could have made this post 3 months ago.

[molly]

12. Yep - but we're fighters!

[kwolf68]

15. Damn right

The Kerry people are so much more reserved (other than me). I was disgusted with the way the Dean people went after Kerry.

I ignored it for the longest time and at some point you crack. I just got to the point one day I had had enough and would defend Kerry and go after Dean where I thought appropriate.

No more free passes for these people. Now we see what happens when they get a dose of their own dung...They run like scolding children.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

21. No more free passes?

Uh oh!

[w4rma]

26. I think it's pretty stupefying that you support Kerry and you say

Dean isn't anti-war enough for you, Kwolf68.

See multiple kwolf68 posts on this thread for context:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=327341

[kwolf68]

42. Uh oh...

I don't get on him because he is NOT anti-war, but becuase he duped people into believing it so much.

I am anti-war, and I would support Dean inspite of his stand on the war (just as I support Kerry inspite of that stance...something that I informed them about when I sent a very small check to his campaign...I said it would have been MUCH higher had he NOT given pre-auth to chimp)....

My problem with Dean is NOT the war, its his other issues. I dont trust him to advocate for the issues that matter to me (globalization, death penalty, guns, environment). I like his health care plan, I like what he says about a lot of things, but...I don't like other things.

The war thing was just a mis-leading stance. If I was voting SOLEY on the war vote, I would have no choice but to go with Kucinich.

[Nazgul35]

28. try taking off the blinders for a second....

your use of the term "Dean people" is exactly the kind of thing that only encourages this kind of nonsense...it's really very similar to the I/P problem, spiraling decent into anarchy because a few agent provacators from every camp....there are as many Kerry asses as there are Dean asses...but I guess it makes sense...since we are the Donkey party!

Really, we have as many nutos as the right does...the only thing is it manifests itself in different ideological clothing...

[liberalnurse]

27. You are bitting the hand that feed ya.

We have the same mission, to evict *bush. I'm not your enemy but your associate.

[AP]

14. good luck trying to have an informed decision based on media interpre-

tation of the facts.

[liberalnurse]

16. Do you think the flame posters, the ones

who can fly under the wire, are repukes in disguise? It feels awful and I'm not able to detatch so well. I've never interacted with fellow democrats like what I see here. The way these flame posts are generated, one has to wonder.

[kwolf68]

17. Great question

So thats what it was? For the past 6 months John Kerry has been called every name in the book, ripped and bashed on this forum...Must have been Republicans, or better yet Libertarians.

NOW...we have an anti-Dean vibe happening and the world is turning a dark, dark black.

[Old and In the Way]

23. Sure, think about it.

Pick one candidate and kick the shit out of him. Then pick another....knowing that the supporter's of #1 will pile on too. Then pick a 3rd and repeat. It is so obvious that there are people on this board who couldn't give a "rats ass" about "their" candidate. That MO just provides cover to make what would otherwise be an obvious attack by those that are working to get Bush re-elected.

Gee, what's so hard about figuring that out? I support them all, they all have unique strengths and leadership skills that this country needs. You will never, ever see me smearing one candidate because I'm a "big fan" of another.

[liberalnurse]

25. I truely believe that we all want

a democrat to take the Whitehouse. Trashing the candidates solves nothing but it does feed into dividing the party. I admit, I react to mean posts and replies....some have been yours and I apologize...

I like most all the 9 and maybe 10 candidates. (I dislike Lieberman). I think collectively they have got the ball rolling to attack the real enemy, *bush. Bravo!

Our passion to win the Whitehouse and recover our losses are probably the catalysis to the bickering. I want to remind myself, most everyone here, with the exception of undetected freepers, that each one of us has selected a potiential leader. We fear that the other candidate won't muster up to the occasion and we repond with a fight.

I really want to discuss things freely and without prejudice.

[kwolf68]

32. LiberalNurse

I respect what you say and you know what...I agree 100% with you.

The only issue I have is why didn't we have this conversation 4 months ago when John Kerry was getting "the shit kicked out of him" on here?

Senator Kerry? Who has a record in the Senate that should make ANY Democrat/Liberal be absolutely proud. OF course, theres a vote here and there that bothers me, but he has actually done the job in the Senate.

For his service to our party and this nation IN ACTUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS he gets lambasted by what were mostly Dean (I suspect good quality Democrats) people.

NOW...Some of us Kerry supporters are firing back. We've had enough of it. These people trashed our guy...Now it was time to figure out what Dean was all about.

Of course it gets hot and it gets heavy, but the crux of the discussion is it was DEAN getting the boot on his ass for a change and the Dean people can't handle it. Let me rephrase...Some of them can't handle it.

We can have a debate about the war, death penalty, guns, health care, environment and compare the candidates. I trust we will do that in good faith, but lets not pretend that what some Dean fans think DU has become was not anything other than them reaping what they sow.

[liberalnurse]

41. So, has peace been negociated?

Oh, Dean was being bashed by the draft Al Gore folks back 4 months ago. I don't really recall Kerry bashing threads then. I'm not disputing the occurrence.

I would like all dem's to think about what one posts. We know we are not freepers, this way we can weed out the disruptors and put them on ignore. I have one Kerry flamer on ignore who is just mean to the bone. I doubt this person is a real democrat but hides behind Kerry as an MO. That individual has been a divider. He/she instigated much of the bashing...a response and fight back attitude.

So, we know how things evolve, lets get back on track.

Peace to all democrats and lets all take back the Whitehouse.

[kwolf68]

46. Absolutely...

Other than constructive critiques of Mr. Dean I won't jump him so much, but please keep in mind the impetus was not just some rabid hatred for Dean. I like the guy. I think he's cool. He's sharp and smooth and aggressive, passionate and strong....So I don't take any joy in bashing him, if thats what I am doing.

The reason I have come after him is because of the attacks on Kerry. I held off for a long time. I didn't post much (and didn't make any posts about me leaving the boards or whatever). I just gave it a small rest, but everytime Id come in and Kerry was dog shit.

I would try to post things like, "Dudes...We can't bash each other." Lets just campaign, decide and go beat Chimp. I liked what Raygun said never for Reps to bash each other. Good plan.

However, after so many posts ripping a man who has championed so many things important to ME...I could stand by no more. Kerry isn't my perfect candidate. Paul Wellstone was. But this is life and reality and our political process, one I respect, will be decided in the coming months. Hopefully, whoever we decide on we can all get behind him and kick that shithead out of the White House he illegally occupies.

I understand if we tear each other up, we won't have the same passion to get together when that decision is made. Just an idle hatred for Bush isn't enough.

[Old and In the Way]

33. Me? I don't think I've ever insulted or said anything derogatory

about any of our candidates. Ralph Nader, now that's a different story... :-)

[G_j]

19. what I long for are people without an axe to grind

providing objective information on candidates, report cards so to speak, voting records etc.etc.
It's hard not to be put off by people who obviously have an agenda which is more important to them than helping to objectively educate their fellow DUers.
There are some here who do this and I tend to read their posts and avoid the others.

[Clete]

20. I think a lot of them are.

But there are also those who are just crazy about beating up on any candidate that isn't theirs. This is my feeling about it. I think the Repub infiltrators come in and put up a post that is worded to incite a flame war. Then all they have to do is sit back and watch the fun as the rest of us eat each other. That's why I don't participate unless it's something that really concerns me like health care and social security.

[no name no slogan]

40. Never been to a county or state convention?

I'm assuming you live in a primary state, or are not active in your local Democratic party in some way. This sort of "flaming" is par for the course at almost EVERY precinct caucus, county convention, district convention or state convention.

And there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, as long as it does not get personal.

I've been involved in Democratic politics at the local and state level for fifteen years now, off and on, and the only thing that changes are the faces. Even many of the arguments are the same.

But at the end of the day, we're all still Democrats, and we'd all sooner vote for a yellow dog as for a Republican.

[liberalnurse]

48. I started attending this year.

I go monthly to our local headquarters and attended the State Convention in May. I did not experience the discord as of yet. It may become more evident in the next month or so.....Ohio is a Primary state.

[otohara]

18. Do What I Do Lately

Maybe it's because I'm a new volunteer mod for LBN. It keep me busy when I'm on, so I haven't been posting much. Just reading and keeping a more open mind on the various cadidates.

I am hoping that who ever it is, we will enthusiastically support the democratic candidate (except LIeberman) with enthusiasm work to get out the vote, speak with one voice, volunteer if possible, donate money if possible.

The real goal is to unite after the winner is chosen by the voters (hopefully) and we are then completely committed as one, to expel the group of dangerous lunatics in power out.

I want my country back!

Anybody But Bush!

P.S.
Art2 you need to be informed to be an effective contributor to volunteering to get your guy elected.

Where else get up to the minute hourly atrocities committed by the Bush Crime Family all in one easy site?

[imhotep]

22. the "anyone but bush" crowd

should leave. They have closed their mind and said if there is a (D) next to a politician's name then they will vote for them. Why watch the news or follow campaigns or go to DU? Why would any partisan for that matter, even bother following politics? Your mind is made up so fare thee well.

[Old and In the Way]

30. You are funny.

"They have closed their mind and said if there is a (D) next to a politician's name then they will vote for them."

Absolutely right. Because any of the 9 candidates are superior to Bush....what's so hard for you to understand about that? Unless of course, you are insinuating that only 1 or 2 of our candidates would be better than Bush....

In fact, it's the ABB's that have the most open minds.....we will listen to all the candidates and CONSTRUCTIVE input on the board to formulate our decision and vote.

I will decide when the time is right (probably as I'm walking into caucus) who I will support.

[dsc]

31. that is assine

Just because I will vote for anyone but Bush (and you bet I will) doesn't mean I don't prefer one candidate (hint look at the avitar) over the rest.

[IranianDemocrat]

36. You are crazy.

By saying that you're saying that you wouldn't mind if Bush stays in office.

[OKNancy]

45. As long as we are bitching

That kind of condesending comment that you spew along with a few others ( and my one and only person on ignore) pisses me off.

THERE is nothing wrong with being a partisan. I'm a Democrat and damn proud of it. I believe in the principles and the history of the Democratic party. I think your mind is closed as well as your eyes. We must get rid of Bush.

Anybody but BUSH!!!!
Anybody but Bush!!!!

These are trying times indeed.

[blm]

57. They made their decision based on information.

They know that ANY Democrat is superior to Bush. What's NOT informed about that decision?

Hell, I'll work my ass for my least favorite candidates, Dean or Lieberman, if they are the nominee.

To paraphrase Carville: It's the CABINET, stupid.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

29. If u can't take the heat

dont stand by the fire.

[kwolf68]

37. He probably doesn't mind the fire...

As long as he is the one with the gasoline.

[Rose Siding]

35. I REALLY don't blame you

Sounds like a good plan. Campaign HARD- I will too and don't be a complete stranger.

Dean in '04 :hi:

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dsc]

43. I have to admit

that I agree with you. I hope the mods read this thread and think long and hard about what this forum is becoming. They are allowing a handful of utterly obnoxious posters for each candidate turn this forum into a toxic mess. Kerry has been my second choice for over a year but I have to say that I am starting to waiver thanks to three Kerry supporters here who hold not just my candidate, the truth, but supporters of my candidate in utter contempt. And there are some Dean supporters who I am sure have the same reaction in the Kerry camp.

I have offered my suggestions to clean this place up before it needs Superfund. I hope they end up not only being considered but enacted. I think all of our current candidates should be treated like President Clinton is here but realize that is unrealistic. Failing that I have suggested a reasonable alterntive. There is a cancer on this forum. We need to excise it.

[mkregel]

47. just remember...

ANYONE BUT BUSH!!!!!

[EarlG]

51. Perhaps I should add my two cents here

This is directed at no-one in particular, by the way.

What I find particuarly interesting is the number of people willing to decry the "bashing," yet who then turn around and say "the (insert candidate name here) bashing is getting out of hand." Because I think many people are of the opinion that the bashing of their candidate of choice is always SO MUCH WORSE than the bashing of other candidates.

We (the Admins) are in a very difficult position here. We made the decision to not endorse a candidate because we did not want to influence the debate at DU. We currently allow candidate threads to run out of control because we don't want to open ourselves up to accusations of bias. We are now at the point where some people - and while freeper accusations are becoming more common, I'm convinced the vast majority of these people are honest-to-goodness Democrats - are scraping the bottom of the barrel for ammunition to use against their opponents. This is what free speech looks like, and it's ugly.

I don't know if anyone's noticed, but Skinner has been away on vacation all week. When he returns on Monday, I'll be having a long talk with him about the current situation, and the result could be a tough crackdown on the candidate threads. I hope everyone understands that there is a distinct possibility that we will have to enforce anti-candidate-bashing rules completely arbitrarily and subjectively. That's something we've tried our hardest to avoid, but I think it is becoming inevitable. Of course, we will then face the ire of an entirely different group of people who are pissed off that we're squashing their "right" to bitch about their opponents.

We tried a "good conduct" experiment in GD a few weeks ago and the results of our poll afterwards implied that a majority of people approved of stricter rules regarding the candidate threads and GD in general. I guess the way the board has been run for the past couple of weeks has also been an unintentional experiment - to see whether DU members can discuss the candidates without the discussions disintegrating into complete chaos. The result? It is becoming increasingly apparent that we simply cannot allow the members to police themselves.

I must stress again that if we choose to put a stop to the way candidate threads are currently discussed at DU, a lot of people might not like the way we do it. What it's ultimately going to come down to is this - do you trust the DU Admins to fairly judge what is or is not acceptable when it comes to criticizing candidates, and abide by our decisions whenever we pull threads or delete posts? I'm pretty sure that many members do not trust us to make these decisions, which is a shame, but understandable I suppose. Bear in mind that we're not going to be able to crack down on threads if we have to stop every five minutes to answer the multitude of complaints which will be posted in the Ask the Administrators forum.

I guess all I'm trying to say is that while I fully understand everyone's frustration, at the same time there is no easy solution to this problem. We can't just wave a wand and make it go away. That is, we kinda can, but thre's a good chance it will simply be replaced by an entirely different problem.

EG

[EarlG]

52. By the way

I just want to add that I'm sorry if we've given the impression that we HAVEN'T thought long and hard about this problem. I can assure you that we have.

[David Zephyr]

54. This Same Thing Happened Before the Midterm Elections 2002

The posters here at the DU gravitated towards two distinct poles whether they want to admit it or not. Certainly, there were some in the middle, but the friction was there. It was inevitable.

Essentially, a substantial percentage of DU Posters stood by the Democratic Leadership of Tom Daschle, Dick Gephardt and the majority of Democrats who had given Bush authority for the War in Iraq and the Patriot Act and Homeland Security Act. These posted in defense of the Democratic Leadership saying it was pragmatic to do so because it was election time.

A second, and I would say, larger percentage of posters had felt betrayed over and over again by Daschle and Gephardt. Many were hurt by Kerry's support of the war. These tended to want the Democrats to challenge Bush more, to "stand up" to him as Robert Byrd and Paul Wellstone had. Many who are more to the left, Greens and Socialists here were appalled at calls for pragmatism to win an election. Clearly, I was of this thinking and wrote before the election that I saw that such compromising as a ticket to losing the Senate and more seats in the House.

The communications here got pretty heated, to say the least. Once the election was over (and we did indeed lose the Senate and more seats in the House), a harmony of sorts naturally developed. After all, George W. Bush was taking the nation down into whirlpool of shit.

Now the Primaries are beginning to get close.

The Candidate Debates have begun.

And some candidates are clearly falling further and further behind and are running out of time to turn things around. It’s just the way it goes. And the guy on top gets attacked the most.

No one could have ever foreseen a single candidate stealing all thunder so early in such a crowded field. It has never happened before. A single candidate is running ahead in every poll in all three early contests (Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Artr2, I hope you'll stay around. I am also working with the Dean campaign and hope to meet him on September 30 here in L.A.

I think almost everyone here is dedicated to seeing George W. Bush and the crooks and warmongers that surround him defeated next year. This is what we all have in common.

And while we may not be together now, if Bush and Company get another 4 years, we will all be together in that miserable boat whether we like it or not.

[artr2]

62. It's hard to stay away

I loved it when we could debate our position with courtesy (most of the time!) Our passion to remove the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. knows no bounds. We feel that we must present the best possible candidate to win the next election. Being Democrats, we insist on thinking (!) about who we think would be the best candidate. We don't do things in mindless lock step the opposition does.
Healthy discussion is a must for a healthy democracy. We don't do that now. We have 500 channels for our own little niche and we don't even need to talk with one another. We must for our own survival begin to talk to each other. We must come together as progressives, dedicated to improving the condition of our fellow citizens. We must say to the world that LIBERAL is not a dirty fucking word and to be called a liberal is praise and not a putdown.
I am proud to be a liberal. I can't imagine having the empty life of a brain-dead, marching in lockstep conservative. That the only way to feel validation for your own life, as a conserative, is to make other lives as miserable as you can. And I know as sure as I am sitting here, there are "freepers' here throwing rhetorical bombs and starting "discussions" with the more passionate on this board. The task is to find them and promptly put them on ignore. You have an icon to press and you will never hear from that person again.
My .02

[LittleApple81]

55. I sent this message to the Administrators:

PLEASE CREATE A FORUM FOR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CANDIDATES!

I LOVE DU... I get most of my important news and comentaries here.

I have learned a lot since becoming a member...I lurk more than I post and I like it that way. There are so many interesting people that have their feelers all over the country that we DUers don't miss much.
However, there is a high level of animosity when candidates are being discussed. We need to discuss the candidates, but we are losing track of important news and opinions. They disappear from the pages of the General Discussion Forum so fast you don't even have time to read them. We are doing a disservice to the cause if we miss the important because of the candidates' flaming posts. I try not to read those but I still miss the ones I might like to read.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE: A FORUM FOR CANDIDATE DISCUSSION. I will go there to check it out but I don't want all that flaming and repetition to crowd other stuff that is more GENERAL DISCUSSION.

THANKS.

Maybe if other people write the administrators for this we could have a place where people that are so passionate about each candidate that they cannot refrain from getting into a flaming war have a place to call their own. And we could still go visit and participate, without missing on other stuff such as news, BBV, civil rights, misinformation, etc. What do you think?

[progressivebydesign]

56. Another Silent Deanie here..

I have grown tired of DU lately. I have more than 1,000 posts.. so I'm not a newbie, by any means. I've grown sick of the attacks and infighting, all to promote someone's choice for Democratic nominee.

I support Dean right now.. I haven't attacked other candidates. I attack Bush and his cronies all the time on DU. BUT.. the one thing that SO MANY Dems and DUers don't get.. is that the infighting is what is wrong with this party!! Unlike the stepford republicans, we constantly shoot ourselves in the collective feet by in-party character attacks on our leaders. Like it or not, the repubs have the ability to really keep their dirty laundry to themselves.. and unite under one or two leaders.

I'm sorry that people are so angry here at DU, and that the anger appears to be mostly aimed at fellow DUers. It's made DU not a fun place to be anymore.. too many attacks. Remember when the Republican party used to be the party of angry white men?? We have more diversity, for sure.. but we're rivalling them in the anger department.

I have spent much more time on the www.deanforamerica.com site, than I have here.. it's a much happier place. :)

[burr]

58. We'll miss ya...

hope you consider posting occasionally. Maybe once a week, twice a week, three times a week?

At least send us some messages and enjoy life. For me my work, my hiking, and my politics is my life. Maybe I should also cut back a little on the politics.

[LeftCoast]

59. Here's one possible way to police ourselves

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=328308

and another good idea that could help:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=120&topic_id=3709

[KoKo]

61. Things were more civilized with the 5 sentence rule, BUT it was hard for

all of us in some instances to find the 5th sentence. Maybe 4 sentences?

And, the idea of a candidate forum might work. There are just so many "partisans" on DU who feel they must defend their own candidate against any whif of bad news that it gets to be like sports here. It turns alot of people off.

If people want to be partisan then maybe a separate forum would be helful. GD is cluttered with too much candidate news with many separate posts about the same candidate with charges and countercharges.

The Senate and House are taking up issues this Fall which will affect us all. General Discussion is the best forum to reach people on immidiate issues that are coming up which have nothing to do with the Candidates but everything to do with our lives. The legislation and Iraq/Bush/Patriot Act news is getting passed by because of so much candidate clutter.

Just my 2 cents. Bring back a sentence rule with 4 or even maybe 3 sentence minimum and institute a Candidate Forum. :shrug: