When will we stop fighting each other?

[Leftist78]

I know many people here feel the same way I do, and I understand that many other people are pointing out policy differences, but I'm a little worried that we're dividing ourselves so much that we won't rally behind the nominee once there is one.

Personally I'm a former Dean supporter and current Edwards supporter with Clark as my 2nd choice, but I would enthusiastically vote for whoever the nominee is when the time comes, and I'm not willing to spend hours of wasted energy fighting other Democrats who want basically the same things I want. That's basically why I've been hanging out in the lounge so long. I just get the feeling that the freepers that are sure to be lurking around here love to see us fighting this way.

I'm idealistic and truthfully none of the candidates are far enough to the left for me, but I'm also practical enough to see that another 4 years of Bush would be a disaster, and I'm willing to compromise to make sure that that disaster doesn't happen.

Isn't it time we support our candidates, and hold nothing against those who support others. Shouldn't we be coming together as a party to fight the REAL enemy? Or should I just go back to the Lounge and hunker down till this is all over and hope that there's enough fight left in us to fight the real battle?

[xultar]

1. I agree! I do hope we are all listening! n/t

[onecitizen]

2. I just don't see it that way........

this is only my personal opinion BUT this is the primary season. This is pretty normal for the primary season at least what I'm used to. While I don't agree with everyone or their views, it's their right to say what they think and feel like they feel. I learn alot from everyone that contributes here. If I doubt something I check it out on my own. I'm pretty sure come election time, the one group of people I know I can count on to do the right thing to get bush packin' back to Texas will be these folks on DU. But in the meantime, they ain't going down easy.

[chimpymustgo]

3. This is the time to argue, debate, persuade. But

too many threads devolve into - and too many posters fall back on - he voted for the war! he's a war criminal! he's a pink tutu! - and that's the end of any meaningful discussion.

[onecitizen]

4. Well, I probably said........

he voted for the war a time or two myself. :)

[Leftist78]

8. I undestand

there are going to be some disagreements on policy among the different candidates and their supporters, and that's fine. What I'm talking about are the personal attacks. Not the ones by the candidates. I expect that. I'm talking about the fighting we're doing.

We're attacking each other and many of us are growing to hate another person for the candidate they support as well as the other candidates themselves. I just wonder if the people who are participating in this sort of thing really can just forget about it if their guy doesn't get the nomination.

I know everyone has a right to do this sort of thing, but just because you have a right to do something doesn't make it a good idea to do it.

Just say for example that there's a person on here (and I'm sure there's more than one person) who has spent most of the last few months attacking Dean for everything that comes out of his mouth because they support someone else. As a result that person has their candidate attacked by Dean People. This person grows to hate Dean more and more with every post. Now let's say that Dean wins the nomination. I believe this person who has come to hate Dean will be less likely to vote for him in the General, and will either go 3rd party or not vote at all.

I believe that's a dangerous prospect, and I don't think it's all that far fetched. That is what scares the hell out of me. I don't want this fighting to lose us the Election.

[onecitizen]

17. I suppose there are some..........

people that petty around but I don't think there are that many. Maybe I'm just not around enough to even realize it may be a problem. But don't ya think that most everyone here is an adult and can be trusted to do the right thing? I dunno. I'm probably naive.

[Leftist78]

19. I hope so

maybe I'm overreacting, but I see a lot of animosity in here :shrug:

[Ksec]

5. Im tiring of it

Its inevitable but its getting monotonous.

[woofless]

16. Hear, Hear

Hopefully this will all calm down after the convention. In the meantime I religiously stay away from the candidate flaming threads. Surely we all have just about made up our minds by now and all the sniping is not going to change anyone's mind. Thanks for the call for civility.

Woof

[LuCifer]

6. MY THOUGHTS

ANYONE, and I so do not care who it is, who is a Democrat, who gets the nomination, I will work until my damn bones of my fingers break through my skin. Mr. DUMBya NEEDS to go. DUH. So can we PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU, no matter who support, and that is fine, it IS your RIGHT, do not dis anyone else who supports Y candidate, hey, stop and thing, A) WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, B) ANYONE IS BETTER THAN THIS PENIS WHO IS KILLING US ALL.....YEAH YOU HEARD ME.

SO, IN CLOSING...STOP THE IN-FIGHTING...UNITE!!!!! As Bill Clinton, our last ELECTED president said best "IT IS OK TO FALL IN LOVE, BUT WHEN THE NOMINATION COMES UP, FALL IN LINE!!!!!" With me so far? That's why since my fellow Floridian Bob Graham dropped out, I haven't supported any of them individually...ya know why? Simple! I SUPPORT THEM ALL!!!!! ANY...YES...ANY...ARE BETTER THAN "President" Bozo! Let's get with it.

ANYONE who trolls this board trying to start crap, as in, if you are being payed by say NewsAss, or Faux, or whatever, beware...we see throught your CRAP. So try try all you want...it has NO USED! HA HA!

Lu Cifer

[Zynx]

7. What I hate is that some people pretend other candidates are like Satan.

They slash and burn with vicious slurs like calling Clark a "war criminal", or digging up everything little thing Dean has ever said or done and making a huge deal about it when most of it is either minor or untrue, or something that I am also guilty of and calling those who voted for the IWR resolution "spineless" and "cowards". I have already tired of the primary season. All of these vicious attacks have taken it out of me.

[CWebster]

9. My favorite part is the bit about being a former Dean supporter...

Seems to be quite a bit of that around here lately...Like all at once, almost as if it was planned strategy, hey? Sort of like the "can't we all just get along part" is just a false premise to obscure a more subtle suggestion.

Edwards? what would make him the preferred choice from anyone who leaned Left? His vote to invade Iraq? His part in the Patriot act?

[chimpymustgo]

10. He's not a liar?

And they're off!

[Leftist78]

12. I'm sorry you don't believe me

but that's not really my problem. I have no reason to lie about who I support. I'm also not getting into my reasons for changing candidates. The last thing I want to do is turn this thread into another candidate bashing fest.

[Scott Lee]

15. You noticed that too! I thought there was an awful lot of....

sudden "well I have this friend who..." type anecdotes pop up.

Also don't you find it humorous that these "one time Dean supporters" speak of their former sentiments like it were alcoholism or a drug addiction?

"Ah wuz a Dean Supporter....needed Dean every day, every hour. Dean nerely distroyed mah life. But then ah found Jeezus."

[burr]

11. I know what you mean...

and I have also spent more time in the lounge recently.

Lounge is a great place to go for light internet reading, but not much dialogue occurs there. I come to DU to find out about other Democratic views and participate in political discussions, however the relaxed subjects in the lounge hardly amount to dialogue.

One could post all day in the lounge without getting a single response. And I notice that in the lounge, people are terrible about talking past each other. But the jokes only get worse as people stop listening. :silly: It makes me wonder how much of what gets posted in the lounge is ever read!

But I think the internal battles in other forums will continue through the primaries, so brace yourself! :scared:

[UTUSN]

13. WITcha! Sign in Here for Stopping the Bloodletting

I try to skip the bloodletting threads, but just a sampling yields a sense that healing after the primaries is going to be near-impossible for a significant number of people HERE at least. Shrub, with all the pillaging and damage he has done to the country, will probably get ELECTED for the first time. What's sad is that so many DECENT, WELL MEANING people jump down others' throats. It might be "just the primaries" and "the way Dems are" but it's still there.

[Leftist78]

14. and to top it all

when someone (me in this case) tries to make an appeal for a more peaceful and less personal debate on here. That person (again me in this case) is accused of lying and having some sort of secret motivation for wanting to calm things down a bit. I was under the impression that shouting down people you disagree with and calling people liars were tactics of the right. Maybe I was wrong.

[UTUSN]

20. Hear Ya

I was called a (Candidate X)-HATER and a (Candidate X)-OPHOBE in way-different threads and over time, when NOT attacking that candidate, just opinionating on policy (over months). (This is an opinion place, no?) Time passes. When a thread for discussing the hostilities surfaced, I said THIS, that X's supporters tended to ATTACK personally with the HATE and -OPHOBE words---------and here's the kicker----an X-supporter immediately posted that I was a liar about this. Since I personally was called those things, I should know.

[meisje]

18. D.U. is a good example of why Repubs are winning elections

They are focused and undivided. The democrates tend to waste time attacking each other and seem rather lost as far as a cenral message goes. I see a one party system in 20 years or so.