The Left, Online and Outraged

[kurth]

The Left, Online and Outraged
Liberal Blogger Finds an Outlet and a Community
By David Finkel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 15, 2006; A01

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. -- In the angry life of Maryscott O'Connor, the rage begins as soon as she opens her eyes and realizes that her president is still George W. Bush. The sun has yet to rise and her family is asleep, but no matter; as soon as the realization kicks in, O'Connor, 37, is out of bed and heading toward her computer. Out there, awaiting her building fury: the Angry Left, where O'Connor's reputation is as one of the angriest of all. "One long, sustained scream" is how she describes the writing she does for various Web logs, as she wonders what she should scream about this day.

She smokes a cigarette. Should it be about Bush, whom she considers "malevolent," a "sociopath" and "the Antichrist"? She smokes another cigarette. Should it be about Vice President Cheney, whom she thinks of as "Satan," or about Karl Rove, "the devil"? Should it be about the "evil" Republican Party, or the "weaselly, capitulating, self-aggrandizing, self-serving" Democrats, or the Catholic Church, for which she says "I have a special place in my heart . . . a burning, sizzling, putrescent place where the guilty suffer the tortures of the damned"? ...

These are mean times. "I just want to see these swinging from their heels in the public square," reads a recent comment from someone named Dave in a discussion about the Bush administration on a Web site called Eschaton. Crude times, too. "Laura Bush Talks; No One Gives a ," someone who calls himself the Rude Pundit writes on his Web site, and he continues: "The Rude Pundit doesn't give a retarded dog drool what Laura Bush has to say about the Olympics." Loud, crass and instantaneous. "I feel like I'm being molested everytime I hear his voice," one person writes on the Daily Kos Web site while watching a Bush news conference.

What's notable about this isn't only the level of anger but the direction from which it is coming. Not that long ago, it was the right that was angry and the left that was, at least comparatively, polite. But after years of being the targets of inflammatory rhetoric, not only from fringe groups but also from such mainstream conservative politicians as Newt Gingrich, the left has gone on the attack. And with Republicans in control of Washington, they have much more to be angry about. "Powerlessness" is O'Connor's explanation. "This is born of powerlessness." ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401648.html

[Me.]

1. "I'm insane with rage and grief"

Says it for me.

[spag68]

2. anger

It's about time the dems. showed some emotion and backbone. You have to remember that this can not be allowed to affect your own balance in life, as it is not good to be so angry as to hurt yourself. If we have to resort to the rethugs tactics to win then we have already lost.

[kentuck]

3. That's enough for them to declare a victory...

Screw the country if they can piss off the "liberals"...

[NotGivingUp]

4. Wow...I could truly identify with everything she is feeling!

[movonne]

5. Good article...voted on this one and hope it gets on the front page..

[boobooday]

6. The anger is utterly rational

Considering what is at stake.

Thanks for posting this.

[gizmo1979]

7. Now I know I'm not the only one

who feels angry and powerless.How is it that our extreme feelings don't make it to the media or our lawmakers.They just go about there business as usual.Have we trully become the fringe?