Will the far left cost the DNC in this years election?

[Lyion]

Good write up from NR:

Two items from prominent opinion journalists point to a meltdown in the Democratic base even as they close in on a vulnerable GOP in midterm elections. Jonah Goldberg and Richard Cohen have one thing in common: irrational e-mail. However, while the conservative Goldberg received one ludicrous rant regarding the Jewish conspiracy to control oil, Cohen received thousands of hysterically angry e-mails denouncing him as an administration stooge -- for writing that Stephen Colbert bombed at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Cohen responds in amazement in today's column, "Digital Lynch Mob":

It seemed that most of my correspondents had been egged on to write me by various blogs. In response, they smartly assembled into a digital lynch mob and went roaring after me. If I did not like Colbert, I must like Bush. If I write for The Post, I must be a mainstream media warmonger. If I was over a certain age -- which I am -- I am simply out of it, wherever "it" may be. All in all, I was -- I am, and I guess I remain -- the worthy object of ignorant, false and downright idiotic vituperation. ...

But the message in this case truly is the medium. The e-mails pulse in my queue, emanating raw hatred. This spells trouble -- not for Bush or, in 2008, the next GOP presidential candidate, but for Democrats. The anger festering on the Democratic left will be taken out on the Democratic middle. (Watch out, Hillary!) I have seen this anger before -- back in the Vietnam War era. That's when the antiwar wing of the Democratic Party helped elect Richard Nixon. In this way, they managed to prolong the very war they so hated.

The hatred is back. I know it's only words now appearing on my computer screen, but the words are so angry, so roiled with rage, that they are the functional equivalent of rocks once so furiously hurled during antiwar demonstrations.


Perhaps the Right got this insane during the Clinton presidency, but I doubt it. When we disagreed with columnists who overall remained sympathetic to conservatism, we didn't send hate e-mail (or regular mail) by the thousands accusing them of being Clinton stooges. There was certainly a segment of irrational people involved in the debate, but they didn't control it the way that the analogous segment on the Left appears to do now. We see it in the rise of MoveOn and International ANSWER as significant political forces on the Left. Now Cohen has felt its power, and he sees its danger.

It occurs in the blogosphere as well. Many on the Left have well-written and provocative arguments, sometimes overheated but usually not irrational. However, a large segment rely on nothing but schoolyard namecalling (as I noted here) and a deep, unrelenting anger colors all of their discourse. It's not just the blogs, either. Not a day goes by when I don't receive some meandering and hyperbolic rant from anonymous individuals with fake e-mail domains like "bushboy.org" who appear to lack the courage of running their own blog. These inevitably wind up in my spam folder, as they come to me via mass e-mail addressed to an ever-increasing number of conservative writers. I'm not sure what purpose these misspelling-filled missives serve, but they certainly provide entertainment, although of a different sort than its senders intend.

The irrational Left appears more enthusiastic about venting than argument. Cohen, a liberal columnist, found this out when he dared challenge the Colbert orthodoxy. Instead of reasoning with a columnist that they should consider a political ally, they filled his mailbox with hatred, venom, and ridiculous accusations of war-mongering. As Cohen writes, it's difficult to see how this will convince anyone of the rightness of their cause, and this impulse to vent rage instead of offering argument will backfire in November. If all you give is rage, then eventually people assume you have no argument, and vote accordingly

[Vincenti]

Sorry Lyion I am not prepared to believe (or even read) anything you have to say about the "far left". You are so far right in your professed beliefs that I can't believe you haven't (yet) advocated extermination of Arlos. It would be like reading Hitlers views on Jews.

Open your mind and your legs will follow

Hillary doesnt stand a chance regardless, it has nothing to do with her beliefs or even her politics. Hillary doesnt stand a chance because no one is going to elect a bull-dyke who's husband had to go get head from someone who looks like Monica Lewd-skin-ski. Conservatives professing that liberal media is imploding the GOP is just stupid, I have said it before and I will say it again, this time in caps so it might stick with you

THE MEDIA IS NOT LIBERAL THE MEDIA IS NOT CONSERVATIVE THEY ARE CONTROVERSIALIST, THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY BY STIRRING SHIT, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO STIR SHIT AS LONG AS THE SHEOPLE (read you) CONTINUE TO BUY PAPERS AND WATCH NEWS PROGRAMS, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE MEDIA THEN STOP SUBSCRIBING TO THEIR BULLSHIT AND LETTING THEM GET YOU WORKED UP. STOP WATCHING TV, STOP BUYING PAPERS, STOP BUYING MAGAZINES. NOT JUST THE ONES YOU DISAGREE WITH, STOP BUYING ALL MEDIA HYPE. with any luck they might just go away, or god forbid start publishing responsibly.

Read a fucking novel for chrissake. worry about your little part of the world, take an interest in the local economy, coach a little league baseball team, clean up a highway if you feel a social obligation to society, but most importantly stop believing every dumbass thing some media mogul spoon-feeds you. It doesn't matter whether you subscribe to Fox or CNN, by perpetuating one side or another you are perpetuating the whole mess. Shut the fuckers down. You might be surprised how much happier you will be when some dickhead in New York or Washington isnt yanking you around by a leash wrapped around your penis.

[Arlos]

Lyion considers anyone slightly to the left of Pat Buchanan or Newt Gengrich to be a "Far Leftist"

-Arlos

[Lyion]

Except I didn't write that. It's from NR and the Washington Post.

This is about the possibility of the inept DNC with their anger issues snatching defeat from the jaws of victory from a corrupt GOP due to the vitriolic and nasty front they seem to be presenting to people who do follow current affairs.

Stirring the pot is fun. Especially with all the unmitigated rage and anger at our markedly democratic process that isn't fair because people are elected who others do not like.

The news will never change. Asking the media not to promote Dirty Laundry is like asking Mindia to calmly post rationally. Or the idiots in New Orleans to not live in a pit and re-elect Ray 'Mr Chocolate' Nagin.

Arlos talking about another being partisan is akin to Paris Hilton making fun of Anna Nicole Smith for being a Ho.

[Spazz]

I think thats true arlos

[mofish]

Be prepared for the right to attempt to paint any democrat presidential nominee, no matter how moderate, centrist, and competent, as a radical.

Bill Clinton was a better Republican than actual Republicans. But he was a radical according to the entire GOP base.

Im willing to accept competent Republican leadership. But most right-wingers actually feel hatred for Democrats. Its hilarious. And sad.

[Harrison]

Here we go with the faggotry that is the Right Vs. Left shit again...

"My side are angels"

"No d00d, your side sux cawk"

"Nuh uh, you're so far <insert direction here> that <insert inane blabber here>"

"My side is definitely more angelic than yours"

"lolz no u sck"

[Vincenti]

I am not partisan, I am anti-establishment, I think liberals are idiots, and I think conservatives are idiots in power (currently) Both sides are idiots, the only chance I believe this country has of avoiding complete and total meltdown is violent revolution, or going back in time about 150 years and making a three party system so we have a choice other than Monkey-boy #1 or Monkey-boy #2.

The bottom line is that at this point the corporations are running everything and padding the pockets of both sides of the fence to make sure that they got their bases covered. Until we (Average American Joe's who work for a living) get off our respective duffs and make a REAL difference in how we are governed vs just sitting around talking shit about the "opposing" side, we are doomed to wandering aimlessly from guard-rail to guard-rail. Like Parv said in another thread, I am ready to just leave all you fuckers to your deserved fate and go live my life somewhere where people actually think for themselves instead of re-posting the same shit over and over (which some cocksucker probably spoon-fed you on TV) and calling it original....or at least going somewhere that I don't have to listen to one side "pwn" the other in a bullshit battle of redundancy

[Vincenti]

Asking the media not to promote Dirty Laundry is like asking Mindia to calmly post rationally.

This made me lawls

If you know that the media promotes dirty laundry then why is God's name do you buy into their bullshit?

[mofish]

Slight derail, but Im beginning to see the real flaw is the 2 party system.

With only 2, you have one guy on top of the hill, and the other guy's only goal is trying to slit his throat.

With say, 30 parties, they would have to form alliances, listen to each other, and play nice to acquire any power at all.

We dont need a 3rd party. We need 3rd-30th parties.

[Harrison]

Why even have parties at all?

People are people, and I fucking hate those that try to label everything with their own brand of bullshit.

[Vincenti]

Correct,





















but violent revolution would be much more fun

[Diekan]

Be prepared for the right to attempt to paint any democrat presidential nominee, no matter how moderate, centrist, and competent, as a radical.

Bill Clinton was a better Republican than actual Republicans.

I don't like the "right" or the "left." I'm so sick of both sides acting like a couple of crime families fighting over who gets control on the neighborhood.

I'm sick of the "left" trying to take God out of every single aspect of American life. I'm tired of the "right" stealing our personal freedoms in the name of security... on and on.

We need someone who's not affraid to admit that this country is completely and utterly fucked up beyond belief and to actually DO something about it. We need someone to face the fact that our schools are pumping out complete morons faster than Bush's dick gets hard at hearing the word "oil." We need someone to face the fact that we're spending WAY to much fucking money on bloated social programs and not enough on science and technology. We need someone ... ahh fuck it... Americans are to fucking stupid to understand or even care about what happens in DC to put anyone of any value in office. They're more interested in who wins American Idol then who wins the White House.

Each and every year I grow more and more tempted to move to Europe.

[Harrison]

Because Europe is the epicenter of all that is right in this world

I vote private island refuge.

[Lyion]

Ressurect the Bull Moose Party!

I'd love to see several more viable large parties formed, but I don't see it happening.
Also, how will more political parties lessen the effects of special interests? You still need the same number of votes and the same small cliche's are running the show.

We're stuck with a two party system for the forseeable future. However, our government seems to function better with balance between the two parties. With Reagan and O'neil in the 80s there was balance. Likewise, with Gingrich and Clinton things were smooth.

I'd like to see the DNC retake the House and provide some balance to the ludicrous GOP spending going on, but with Howard Dean and his cadre of moronic PR folks with people skills that make Forest Gump look like a God, I see them screwing up.

Unbalanced anger and silliness pushes the moderates away, as it did in 04. However, I see unhinged attacks continuing and the completely partisan 5% of die hard supporters cheering and pushing for more of it as the majority center voters shifts and pulls the opposite on the ballot box.

[Yamori]

I think all it would take to put 3rd parties into actual influence is to get them onto the televised debates...

The public response to (gasp) actually hearing real ideas instead of the same nothing they've been hearing for years would likely be sizable.

Ross Perot is a pretty good example of how getting into the debates can up vote counts.

Imo the media is horribly guilty for much of the entrenched mediocrity we've got in politics today. :/

[Harrison]

Fuck the public, they're clueless!...

[Zanchief]

I had a brilliant reply, but Lyion deleted it because he's afraid of my superior Canadian intellect.

Suffice it to say, I owned this thread and there is no longer any reason to continue this discussion.

[Lyion]

Can't argue with the Canadian voters, for sure!

[Zanchief]

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[Snero]

canadian voters did not vote for harper, they voted against the existing government, and even that was almost not enough. Harper almost lost another election that had no buisness being even close.

No system is perfect, you can easily have major issues with a multi party system when sides get polarized and nobody can play nice with the other kids