Touchiness
Although I have been a member of the board for more than a decade, I have never posted all that much and I missed the memo when the rules of the Groups like this one were established. So I was not even thinking about which Group I was posting in when I saw a thread on the front page whose title was something like Obama is Greatest President Ever. That struck me as a pretty over the top assessment, and out of curiosity I read the OP. It was a quote from a GQ article that, in my opinion, did not even try to make the case for the President's place in history.
I'm like a lot of DUers, I was enthusiastic about his candidacy; I was ecstatic the night he won, but I slowly became more and more disappointed with him. I like his personality and I think there are several good things that he has done as President. I think the best case for him is that he was dealt a tough hand to play and that he handled the adversity better than most politicians could or would. I cannot find anything in the record of the last seven years to call great -- but that is just my opinion.
The quoted portion has full of gloppy prose about how totally fabulous Barack is without specifying anything he did besides basically being awesome. So I wrote this:
Maybe so, but if it takes six paragraphs to get limbered up enough to say why -- I have a hard time believing this person's opinion to be persuasive. . . .
Yup -- just read the article. Lightweight substance free idolatry.
This response takes no position on the President's place in history. He may well wind up being considered good, great or greatest.
But this shallow little essay sheds no light on the subject whatsoever.
After posting it, I noticed for the first time that it was in the Obama Group. I thought, shit -- I don't think I said anything bad about Barack, but I should not have posted it there. My fault for not paying attention.
A few hours later, I got blocked from that Group. Since it was the first time I ever posted there, and even I thought it was a mistake, it is certainly ok with me never to post there again. But I am nevertheless puzzled.
Why are people SO damned touchy? I was snarking at GQ, not the President. That was close enough, I guess. But that shows an incredible lack of confidence to me.
My question -- Is this the standard at DU? In a group, you cannot even criticize anything at all?
Second question -- anybody else getting blocked for such trivial reasons?
= new reply since forum marked as read
dedicated to Barack Obama. Either gush, or stay away. There is the BOG, and then there is what I consider the Swamp, or maybe, like on the old maps - a place labeled "Here there be dragons". Also - only gushing and nasty cracks about Bernie allowed.
Knowing this, I am amazed, really, when anyone is upset about being blocked. You can still read it. You cannot refute a single lie or change a single mind. Don't disturb the nest, is my philosophy. I have those groups trashed, don't even see them. 
