Why did you join DU?

[MadHound]

We've got when floating around out there, perhaps a more important question is why.

[proud patriot]

1. I voted fight fight fight , Right wing wackos

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I was looking for something, I didn't know what...

But when I found DU, and started making friends....

I knew I'd found it.

DU is my electronic home...

Oh, and on edit: "other"

[lonestarnot]

5. My dearest Peggy,

That would be about why I'm here, an electronic home with dems. Are we allowed to say blue dogs any more? I still hate them. :evilgrin:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. I hate those damn blue dog dems too.

I am saddled with one here in my Congressional District: Jane Harmon.

[lonestarnot]

11. All we have here are pugs. Only Terry Goddard is a dem. Sure hope he is our next gov. He's a

truly wonderful man. He stood with my Mom and I when she fell and broke her hip until paramedics came. Now that was a story.

[PSzymeczek]

29. Love Terry!

I have voted for him every time he's run.

[PSzymeczek]

26. My critter - Gabrielle Giffords -

self-identifies as a Blue Dog, but actually votes on the progressive side of the issues most of the time. I can live with that.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

27. You lucked out!

Ours once claimed to be the best Republican we ever had...:-(

[Systematic Chaos]

3. Dubya made me.

Back when, shortly after 9/11, he was on TV telling Americans to "not believe any of those rumors on the internets!"

Or words to that effect, anyway.

So that night I end up online looking for those horrible "rumors", and by way of a liberal site parodying The Drudge Report -- called The Grudge Report, interestingly enough -- I ended up linking to here. I lurked for some time and then joined early in 2002.

[hlthe2b]

4. I'm betting the 2001 crowd came largely to be with like-minded

refugees attempting to survive (and make sense) of the Bush* debacle. While that made a Democratic board a natural (and I'm a life-long Democrat), I'm guessing many of us would have been here, even had the site been designed for lefty independents that were likewise appalled at the RETHUG takeover.

[Art_from_Ark]

37. I'm one of the 2001 crowd

I was angry about the 2000 election debacle, and found this site about a day or two after it was established, through a link at another site (maybe Buzzflash or the parody site gwbush.com)

[hlthe2b]

38. As am I... luked on inauguration day, 2001; registered in May 01

I came for sanity. ;)

[Art_from_Ark]

40. I remember some of the really early posters

like the moosedogs and OSD. The first discussion I got into was with Lydia Leftcoast about the Japanese education system. And of course, the Conservative Idiots column really helped to relieve stress. Good ol' days, and bad ol' days.

[Jamastiene]

6. I like the layout of the board here.

None of the others I've visited have had the format this place does. It's the best format (layout) of a board I've seen. It's easy to navigate. I can find my way around here better and keep up with the conversation better.

Also, I loved reading Kitchen Witch's posts. Originally, I signed up to talk to her and to meet other friends who share my values...and that, I did.

Now, it's an addiction. I tried quitting, but came back for the best roundup of the news and to K&R some really good OPs.

[onehandle]

8. To swim in the same pool as people who agree with right-wing GOP memes.

Apparently.

[YOY]

9. 1 & 2 at the same time.

So sorry for those with a problem with it. I don't buy the BS anymore. Not from the other clowns and not from aqnyone else.

[depakid]

10. I certainly didn't join to support Republican policies

or to be the recipient of one line snark from those who don't support traditional Democratic values.

Not that I care about the latter- juvenile is as juvenile does- but others on the board do have a problem with it and have expressed legitimate concerns.

[Barack_America]

12. Honestly? To commiserate Bush's re-election with people who understood my pain.

November 2004. Dark days.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

51. That's when and why I joined.

[Skittles]

13. Democrat living in Texas

need I say more?

I was outraged by the Supreme Court installing bush - I wrote them a letter telling them they were a disgrace - I couldn't find people in real life who were as outraged as I was

[lutefisk]

Because I knew that upon the 10th anniversary of a member's sign up date...

...said member will be rewarded with 100 shares of stock in a forthcoming DU initial public offering. Or at least that's my dream.:shrug:

What a great idea... :hi:

[grantcart]

14. My friend - a liberal Democrat - was irritated that I was bothering him with

so much in the run up to the primaries.

He said I should check this place out - they could handle the load from my incessant comments on the day's event.

He's right so far the server's have held.

[cliffordu]

43. Not really, mostly you just hallucinate posts.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. So I could hook up with liberals who live near me, like MadHound

:)

[one_voice]

16. I used to post at another site...

a lot. It was fun, there was the complete spectrum, from the most liberal to the most conservative and everything in between. I loved debating with the other side, I had many good debates, and believe it or not, made some friends that I had little in common with politically but had other common interests. Good, civil debates, it was fun. There was some "poo" throwers, but they were pretty much ignored.

The site went down hill really fast after Obama was inaugurated, nothing but freeper/kkk/baggers. Wasn't fun anymore.

I lurked at DU for prolly 2 years before I joined. I realized there were enough different kinds of Democrats, that I could have a good discussion here without being called every name in the book. I enjoy politics, and enjoy hearing other views, so hear I am. And I'm very happy that I joined. :-)


Also, I've learned a lot since lurking/joining, that's always a plus. And the lounge is fun

[sandnsea]

17. To expose Bush's war lies

and put his administration in jail.

That'll surprise a number of people.

[Oregone]

18. I never did join. DU purchased my posts from Facebook

So here I am.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

19. I joined to fight the fraudulent election system.

I stayed for the free pie.

[flvegan]

20. I was the first round draft pick in the 2004 Internet Draft.

DU got me, it felt like home. I stayed.

[Lisa0825]

21. Robb is a dingbat. nt

[Robb]

22. Does the Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy count as an Alphabet Agency? nt

[obxhead]

23. I'm a liberal and fighting to bring the dems back to the left

is the only legitimate option we have imo.

I have learned a lot on this site and value the input of the DUers that have provided so much information to me over the years as well.

[Odin2005]

24. I was pissed off after DimSon stole the 2004 election!

[orleans]

25. du was an outlet i really needed. thank god i found it. n/t

[doc03]

28. I live in a red state hell and it is nice to converse with someone

you can agree with sometime. Example everyone denied there was a recession until the day Obama was inaugurated then it became your boy Obama's recession.

[necso]

30. I suspect that physiological changes

played a key, but general role (I'd have a hard time describing exactly what these changes are: however, I know that at some point I started doing things I never used to do).

The particular choice was probably arbitrary to some degree (I made no study of options); but the format appeals to me, and it's a good match for my poor typing skills, slowness of composition.

A strange answer, I suppose. But you have to follow the quest for understanding wherever it takes you (within principle); even if it's somewhere you'd rather not go.

[Spazito]

31. After being led here by the posting of the "The Top Ten" on Buzzflash...

I lurked for a bit and found that not all Americans were in love with Bush as CNN, etc, had been working very hard to sell, was relieved my neighbours to the south had not lost their minds. I found the research done by DUers to be incredible and learned much that was not to be found on any of the news sites, Canadian or American, and was immediately captivated by the spirit, humor and intellect of the posters. By and large, I am still captivated by the same.

[TexasObserver]

32. "I'm a Democrat and I want to participate in a discussion board for Democrats"

That's it exactly, for me.

I don't want to talk to some jackass right winger. That's what I have family holidays for.

However, it has been a shock to find out so many Democrats don't embrace the values I have always believed were liberal guideposts. I lived a life believing certain tenets of being a progressive were essential, among them opposition to the death penalty, protection of the rights of the accused, fair treatment for the incarcerated, rehabilitation, not punishment to the extent possible, opposition to war, support of full gay rights, support of women's rights, opposition to corporate excess, support for unions, and devotion to egalitarian ideals.

I accept that not everyone here agrees with me on all those topics, and that the rules of this site allow such differences of opinion. It's still weird to me, even now, to see people relish the death penalty and other retributive actions. Oh, well.

[niceypoo]

33. Other

I joined because GW Bush was a fascist

[A-Schwarzenegger]

34. To perform secret mind experiments.

:*

[petronius]

35. I thought I was signing up for a newsletter on consensus-based caving

I'm still a bit confused, actually...

[EFerrari]

45. . . .

:spank:

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. I know this is not scientific but I still find it

interesting.

[TheKentuckian]

39. Other: To learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi, like my father before me

I think that's my motivating factor for anything in life once "for the money", "for the women, or "it gets you sooo wasted" don't really fit but is too concrete or serious to respond with "for the shits and giggles".

[WCGreen]

41. For the Chicks, man...

Seriously, for gathering with like minded people in a dark dark time for our country....

[laundry_queen]

42. other

stumbled upon it through another website in the crazy lead up to the iraq war, and I was hungry for opposing voices. Lurked for awhile, then joined on election day 2004 so I could get in through the traffic. I stayed for the left-ish discussions. That and DU is always wayyyy ahead on everything.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

44. It beats working for a living.

[quakerboy]

46. I would love to have discussions

But that dosn't seem to happen much, so I settle for collecting information, observing the occasional witty snark, and hanging out in the lounge.

[old mark]

47. Other...I thought there would be free donuts....

I'm still waaiting for mine....they were supposed to be in the mail....


mark

[ismnotwasm]

48. I was a third party voter

Socialist, mostly. Sometimes I wouldn't vote, thinking 'they are all the same', or do a write in. If I wasn't feeling too cynical, and a viable Socialist wasn't available, I'd vote Democrat--Until 2000. I never would have believed that motherfucker bush would have made it to the primaries. Once he did, and was installed in office, I knew he would start a war. "Knew" was just an instinct, a gut feeling, based on what I knew about him that proved correct with time. Anyway for a few years I'd go to DU's front page, Mediawhoresonline and Bartcop. In 2004, my daughter was deployed to Afghanistan. I stopped lurking and signed up.

I decided I'd never 'waste' a vote again, and while, in my opinion, our political systems are fundamentally flawed, perhaps even broken beyond fixing, I'd work with what we have. I never want to see another bush in office. I never want to see one even close enough to steal an election.

[H2O Man]

49. other

the Plame scandal

[gleaner]

50. I took "Best going"...

A liberal friend who posted with me in 2004 arguing with Freepers about the upcoming election recommended it to me. She is still a member and she was right. I like DU very much. At the time it literally saved me from busting a gut.;)

[era veteran]

52. Thought I'd join before I got drafted

Oh, that was the Army....... To fight the overlord class.

[yellowwood]

53. Beause I Saw General Opposition to Invading Iraq

The opposition to militarism seems to have blunted here thrugh the years. That's disappointing.

I still find it a place where people place news items that I might not have seen elsewhere.

One of my first priorities is still opposition to our continuing military involvement.

[kgnu_fan]

54. Same here

[Dogtown]

55. "Hope"

I joined out of a desperate need for change.

That hope has dwindled, sad to say.

One day I'll fade away, as well.