We need to declare a truce between moderates and liberals here on DU

[Perky]

Look people we just skunked the GOP. We were all instrumental ind decimating the despotic regime. They have been vanquished.

So how do we celebrate. We start with the sniping.....at each other. Are we so in need of a villain that when we dispose of one... we set upon each other?


Look we have jointly..JOINTLY.... earned the right to govern and make this next two years valuable to our nation and our kids. But only if we work together for the common good. That means Evangelical and Atheists, Moderates and progressives.

Can we all try to be "Above Ground" Democrats instead of arrogantly claiming who had the right to call themselves a Democrat and who doesn't.

Look at the the self destruction going on in the GOP right now. Lets not let the same thing happen here...WE WON for CRIPES SAKE. Everyone helped and everyone is important to growing and sustaining the Democratic coalition.


Enough sniping and claiming victory for one faction or another...We all won.....Now lets govern.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

1. People can fight here on DU...but in DC they better work as a unit

And find common ground as Democrats...don't let the repugs divide.

[Kiouni]

16. well said

[williesgirl]

2. Couldn't agree more. Less drama, more honest debate in order.

recommended

[William769]

3. I totally agree! The problem though is

Some people don't think "We all won".

[mainegreen]

4. We need to argue. That's how we hash things out around here.

This ain't sesame street. Our leaders need to work together but DU would be boring an uninformative without debates, heated or otherwise.

[Perky]

6. Maybe just for a couple of weeks

We should savor these moments.

[mainegreen]

12. DU does not really have any authority to do anything. It does inform and motivate.

That's its power.
And we are all in agreement to fight for whats right.

Edited to add:
I would be nice to see a lack of *certain* threads in GD for a while though!

:hi:

[me b zola]

63. Well...

It would be good to see a lack of "sit down & shut-up" threads in GD--for a long time.

[me b zola]

62. Well, Rahm et al didn't get the memo to "savor these moments" for a couple of weeks

I fight back against bullies.

[kster]

35. ..

:thumbsup:

[upi402]

46. no we don't. no it isn't.

just trying that whole 'arguing it out' thing for myself. seems to work alright.
Thanks!
:toast:


:rofl:

[elocs]

68. Let the debates be heated,

but how about showing some respect for other people's opinions? Isn't tolerance supposed to be a noble quality of Democrats? A debate that degenerates into "fuck off" or "you're a freeper" is a sad excuse for a debate and certainly lacking in intelligence.

[Cha]

5. I have NO PROBLEM WITH

moderates. Don't get me started on neo-con dinos.

[mvd]

9. Same here

If they listen and don't get rude. But I had to put someone on ignore tonight - something I rarely do.

[AntiFascist]

67. Same here...neocons are often called "radical" for a reason n/t

[longship]

7. I am a liberal. No problem for me.

I think that people need to stop taunting each other on these forums. Too many are posting threads which are designed to bait an argument rather than to promote rational discussion.

We all know them when we see them. I think we need to start alerting them as they are clearly against the rules.

[CAG]

8. How about starting by having some atheists stop amusing themselves

by posting belittling comments about the faith of others - I'm sick of having some people throw all christians in the camp of the christian right, and making destructive comments about how "stupid" and "gullible" people of faith must be.

These comments always just have to be big winners to independents who come over here to DU who inevitably take away the impression that dems are all a bunch of elitist christian-bashers.

Just my two cents....

[Kiouni]

19. Agreed, Tolerance is a two way

street. I think the image that atheists are given is wrong as well as the meaning of the words too. Technically buddhists are atheist, did you know that? I brought this up at one of my discussion meetings and they were offended! The term atheist is not negative but people see it as that, but the funny thing about stereotypes is that they started some where and we atheist (including buddhists) have a lot to work through, just please be patient some of us are easily excited and forget that we should be supportive of all peoples paths in life.

[SidDithers]

24. ...

:nopity:

Sid

[CAG]

58. While you're so slyly playing your violin, you might want to think about

all of those independents who swung our way this midterm.... if you want to hold on to them for more than one election cycle, all I'm saying is that I'd propose toning down the nearly constant descriptions of people being stupid, moronic, backwards, etc, just because of their religious beliefs.

However, if some on DU want to continue to have lonely fun behind their keyboards making fun of people of faith, and perpetuate the propaganda that all democrats are scum-sucking satan worshippers who want to eat children and steal americans hard- earned money to give out condoms to all 5th grade boys, they probably need to start coming up with all of the excuses of why the independents go back to the repukes as the dems lose in '08.

[immoderate]

37. How about a good word for the "constructive" atheists?

--IMM

[NoSheep]

38. LOL! How 'bout start by stopping your instant condemnation of the irreligious!

[CAG]

57. "instant condemnation of the irreligious"?????? Making a statement

about wanting "SOME ATHEISTS" to pipe down their rhetoric about how stupid and gullible those of faith are is "instant condemnation of the irreligious"???

Exactly whose painting the broad brush here?

[originalpckelly]

10. Personally I think people will like us more now that we have condems...

and modems.

[sandnsea]

11. Didn't Vilsack announce today?

Partisanship within the Dem Party has already started, it started before a vote was cast. That's politics. You celebrate 5 minutes and then get back to work. Far left or corporate Dem, pick your side because they are.

[TheBaldyMan]

13. Good luck with that ... it'll never happen though, DUers love a debate

they're not really happy unless they've got someone to argue with, you just don't get it on a Republican board. If you want to start a raging argument try:

• Gay rights
• Guns
• bi-partisanship
• dogs are better than cats as pets

:hide:

[Perky]

17. How do you balance that with being the party of tolerance? The party of the Big Tent?

[TheBaldyMan]

26. Do you come from a big family? If you did, you wouldn't have to ask that question.

It is a big tent, so big there are several shades of opinion on each issue. We don't kick people out of the tent for minor differences, we tolerate quite big differences of opinion.

Really the most incendiary of those issues is the cat/dog supremacy thing - don't even go there.

You have been warned :D

[Lindacooks]

44. You can't 'tolerate' intolerance - you have to fight it

tooth and nail. Intolerance and wanting to deny others equal rights isn't a Democratic position. So anybody who wants to deny gay rights, for instance, is going to get bashed on this board, with good reason.

The 'big tent' is inclusive of all people. We just don't want those who would deny others rights: to vote, to marry, of privacy.

[TheBaldyMan]

48. How do you feel about cats?

I have to agree with you on the tolerance aspect, I'm really expressing my impression of the posts I've read in GD rather than my own views.

I have read in other posts that it was possible to be a liberal but still be against gay marriage. I couldn't agree with that myself, I live in Britain and we've had civil partnerships for a few years now. No signs of civilisation collapsing yet. The OP did get smacked down severely by some respondents and supported by others.

If we were all in lockstep this wouldn't be DU : we'd be republicans parrotting today's talking points.

on edit:link to the post I mentioned above http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2646299#2653544">lander's :Stop, look & listen

[Lindacooks]

43. Hey!

Cats are better than dogs!!

;-)

[TheBaldyMan]

64. HERETIC !

:P

[donco6]

54. Hey look! We've taken the lead!

Way to go gays . . . I mean guys.

[Sapphocrat]

60. Enjoy it while it lasts.

:rofl:

[Actionman]

14. PLEASE!!!

when are you going to have time to argue... your mission now is to save the blind followers of the party that has wash their brains and have them believing in the LIES that they spread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2666866

[TwentyFive]

15. I'm athiest who supports Hillary for 2008 - and I support all Dems joining together.

United we stood...and won! So, United we shall stand to win again in 2008!

[American Jesus]

18. I can deal with moderates. I can even deal with true conservatives

Anyone who wants to restore this country to a constitutional democratic republic is fine with me. We can argue about the details later.

What I cannot and will not tolerate are corporatists and warmongers. Especially those who fraudulently claim to be on "our side".

And we all know who they are. If you use the letters "D" and "C" around me, there's only one letter that goes between them, and that's an "N".

[wyldwolf]

29. well, it is fortunate you're not "the decider".

[American Jesus]

32. I'm Jesus. I get to decide a Hell of a lot more than George does.

And a lot more than your leader Mr. From does as well. He may think he's God, but I know better. :)

[wyldwolf]

47. do you prnounce "Hey-Zues?"

So... just out of curiosity, how much more do you decide than Bush or From?

[NancyG]

20. Amen

translated into all religions and religion-neutral versions.

[Pushed To The Left]

21. K & R! Liberals and moderates are on the same side now!

Both liberal and moderate Democratic candidates had amazing victories in this election! The right wing suffered a major defeat, and we could not have done it without both liberals and moderates voting, volunteering, and running. We won this round, but we still all need to stay banded together agaisnt the far right!

[Green Mountain Dem]

22. Never has my....

tag line been so appropriate.... and with unity we shall bring forth even greater changes.

[Matariki]

23. I asked this on your other thread, but there were too many posts by then

What do you mean by moderate and liberal? Specifically, give me examples of which policies these two 'sides' support.

thanks.

[Perky]

28. I do not even really know

If either group has the ability to define itself. Because most of us are 80% moderate and 20% Liberal or vice versa.



If I were to feine liberal by agenda items I would get flamed for trying anf flamed for pidgeon holing.

[Matariki]

56. i don't know either - and i kind of suspect many people using those terms don't

it's really getting pounded by the media though - that the 'moderates' won. but i don't know what they think they mean by that. that some anti-abortion faction of the party actually carried the day? or what?

[MGD]

49. We're all liberals here to varying degrees I think but some of us who claim to be moderates

or centrists retain a few semi-conservative views here and there yet. 2nd amendment rights for example. I for one never forget that it was liberals who declared American indipendence from Britain in the first place. The conservatives of that day were the loyalists. The moderates were the people caught in the middle who didn't want to get involved either way (and there were plenty of them).

[Katherine Brengle]

25. Amen! (nt)

[SwingVoter2006]

27. Another great post, perky!

Agree 100%

[Rebellious Republican]

30. I am a moderate and have enjoyed this forum for its healthy ....

debate. It produces great compromises, that generally benefit the the good of all. Let me qualify that by emphasizing HEALTHY!

I can personally say that I have had people here correct me and provide a different perspective that I had not thought of. Lots of these exchanges were all very cordial, or at least ended up being cordial. I have been able to see things in a different light and have changed my position as a result.

It is not the true DU'ers that I worry about, rather it is the freeper trolls that come in here to stir things up. Often they disguise themselves as one faction or another. Some can be seemingly very innocent sounding, but using the right hot buttons touch off a flame war among all.

You get my vote, just be wary or ROVE's warriors, they are not just going to slither away. Here is a toast to unity, it will take work and patience, and keep keen eye to spot troll disruptor's, they can be very stealthy. But hey what would I know, being a former republican?
:toast:

It is with great pleasure, that I retire my distress flag gif


And with great pride, hoist my new flag in honor of our new direction

[On the Road]

31. The Truce Should Consist of

arguing on the merits of positions rather than making personal attacks.

Anyone who makes peronsal accusations against other DUers is poisoning the well. No matter whether it's attacking someone's morality, intelligence, honesty, or sanity.

Sites that allow free range to that kind of "discussion" quickly deteriorate. They drive away thoughtful posters and meaningful discussion and becomes haunts of trolls and extremists. There are many, many sites like this. DU is the exception because it pays close attention. But it's very difficult to draw the line when so many posters are pushing it.

This election was a perfect example of different wings of the party working together and doing what they do best. If the party degenerates into internicine warfare, it will not stay in power, regardless of whether it happens in Congress or among party members.

[JudyM]

41. Well-spoken. We can express differences without venom spewing. nt

[MazeRat7]

33. Well I am getting a little sick of eating popcorn..... (n/t)

[davidinalameda]

59. I have some cheeetos

:bounce:

[Dr Fate]

34. I think all the internal name calling & insults should be banned.

Shit like "you are the looney left" should be banned just like "You are a Bush lover" is.

I think a lot of the flame wars get out of hand b/c of the name calling & insults.

Who is with me?

[usregimechange]

36. I agree.

[yurbud]

39. define "moderate" i have no trouble with moderate ideas, but...

what I and most others here have trouble with are corporate owned democrats whoi don't acknowledge facts or even addresss some critical issues because it would offend their corporate sponsors.

Those who continue to support the war or on;y go as far as to say the war was run badly are a case in point. They know every poll of Iraqis has shown they want us to leave, and the war has made us even less popular in the Arab world. Therefore, if they are talking about staying it is because they are putting the business interests of oil companies and scammers like Bechtel ahead of the general public good, and even ahead of the lives of Iraqis and our troops.


That is not moderate. That is prostitution.

[roamer65]

40. The implosion of the Rethug party will test the unity of the Democratic party.

Most of these "refugees" will come in as DLC'ers. I'll do my best to be tolerant, but DLC'ers like Rahm do need to knock off the anti-liberal rhetoric.

[angry_chuck]

42. an agreement to stop

arguing is silly in that arguments ultimately lead to resolutions. If you stop arguing you bottle up your anger until you illegally invade Iraq. We don't like the idea of unity and equality because deep down most people are selfish and believe themselves to be better than everyone else. We need evil to define good, hate to define love...

Since we are collectively a competitive group of a**holes why don't we unite to build a spaceship that can blow up an asteroid that comes close to Earth, then space-vacuum the resulting bits, space-process them and use the materials (diamonds? coltan? iron? what is in those asteroids anyway?) to bling out the green gal. That way we can have the cake and eat until we explode.

Space is so vast it will be years until we f**k that up half as bad as we have fu**ed up earth. Plus, without knowing the actual boundaries of space, we could invoke some bush-style math, count to infinity, and pretend we weren't screwing anything up at all.

Building new technology to maintain our current rampant consumption is the only viable solution. Stop using so much oil? In the words of Dick 'I own you' Cheney, "Go F**k yourself!"

Plus all this space research could lead to something actually useful, like space-oil? No! like a big, bad ass, publicly funded space-stadium in which to move the global elite into once the rapture comes.

We will be stuck here to argue about Repugs and Dems whilst they bask in the glory and opulence our silent acquiescence has provided them. Just silly...

[American Jesus]

66. I'll take a couple bong hits of whatever Chuck is smoking

Asteroids? Space-vacuum? bling out the green gal?

Farrr out man! :hippie:

[antonialee839]

45. I don't have a problem with anyone here.

[MGD]

50. Me neither. Arguing amongst ourselves is how a cohesive platform evolves. It's a good thing imo.

[BelgianMadCow]

51. Agreed - hop on over to my civil debate thread!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2671496

[OnionPatch]

52. Is there some sort of test?

Because I don't know if I am a moderate or liberal Democrat. :shrug:
I have some very moderate views and some very liberal views. Maybe the thing to remember is that we're not all going to be on the exact same page on every issue. Democracy is very much about compromise, whether some like to hear that or not.

[helderheid]

53. absolutely. The tent is big enough, now let's enjoy this victory!

[sweetheart]

55. the war on drugs is already against us

As much as your political optimism in theory, on the ground, a war is waged on most of us,
a relentless war of bipartisan stupidity, and with the bipartisan back in power, what
is there to expect but more war like they always do.

I can return to my clinton period feeling of being not in government, and not a republican,
and the corporate center can get back to cloaqued imperialism through financial warfare and
a wicked scourge of a drugs war... what victory for progressivism... :sarcasm:

No, no, i won't be pessimistic. I'm sure there is no war, and i'm just making it up, and
that nationalism and stupidity are still not rife across all aisles.

[Ksec]

61. We won. all of us.

I hate the sniping and I have better things to do than worry about offending one sensibility or another.

The party is what it is, like it or not. The proof is in the new candidates.

[W.E.B. Du Bois]

65. Great post

Yup, I think that this is not juat a matter for the DU but a national matter as well. Liberals and moderaters on both the GOP and DNC need to get along. I think GOP and DNC moderates actually might get along easier than moderate dems and liberals do.

Well, if we fail to get along then we'll just have to get slammed in 2008 and it will be back to square one.