I personally do not know a single "left" thinking person

[G_j]

that hates Obama! I know a lot of people
who don't agree with various policies, who are disappointed, some are even very angry. But they don't hate him! Hate is not our thing.
Hate is for the Tea Party!
Repeat: Hate is for the Tea Party!

Hello?! Hate is for the Tea Party!

Fox etc. have been calling us haters since Bush. So let it go already! Please stop accusing the left of being haters. I don't know any who are, and I know a fair number of peeps. Just look at the Tea Party rallies etc. compared with recent Rallies in Wisconsin and NC, for example. Hate is a vital component for the TP. Our most basic ideal is love. Love for people that they receive health care, love for children to educate them and not bomb them, etc., etc., etc.




can you please try to grasp that?

[KoKo]

1. I wouldn't apologize...(nice that you reached out to them) but, this is just

RW Disinfo that their OP's think up doing this "Hater Thing." It's the same group here as we see if we go to the Nation, Common Dreams, Nation of Change, Truth Out, Firedoglake and the other minor bloggers on the Left...where the comments are filled with "Yahoo Types" posting "Haters, Firebaggers, Commies...Red Lines" and the crap they pay their Ops and Trolls to do every day all over the Internet.

There's no HATERS...there's deeply despondent Democrats who put that guy into Office with Overwhelming Majority...and they are in pain...and thinking that Obama can STILL Come Round to deal with the issues he ran on. We were so hopeful for his Second Administration when he was freed of the strictures of having to run again after 2012...When HE OWNED the PRESIDENCY!

We are all WORKING to try to GET HIM to UNDERSTAND his Position......We've got three and a half years more of his Administration and he can do WONDERS in that TIME.

IF...PBO is WILLING...It's starting to look like a BIG "IF"...about his being willing. This is NOT "Hate" its disappointment and DIGGING IN to WORK HARDER to PUSH HIM!

[G_j]

5. At least when Bush was president,

they weren't right here on DU doing it.
In those days it was Rush spewing his crap that it wasn't Bush policies, it was simply our irrational hatred of the man.

[KoKo]

9. We were Definitely Much More United then...

but...to be honest...there were "others." You might have missed some of them...

I think you've been here long as I have...I remember your Environmental Posts...and maybe you didn't catch some of the ugliness that was here...but...there will always be ugliness..and I don't think that we need to accept it...or the Labels they throw our way...and that we are in this for the Long Haul...they are there (many) for the Yucks...and care little as long as there is a paycheck...or hope for eventually getting a paycheck for malevolent disinformation...and exploitation that somewhere down the road...a few will regret. But, they did what they had to do..

[liberal_at_heart]

13. our problems didn't start with Obama, Clinton, or either Bush. It started with Reagan.

[KoKo]

25. it's been a long time since Reagan though and those of us who saw that

worked harder once the "Internet" gave us a voice to DISCUSS. So...I think those of us who were horrified with Reagan promoted and were thrilled when Bill Clinton gave his incredible speaches about "THE MAN FROM HOPE ARKANSAS!" He was Charismatic ...just as Obama was. We Democrats had been losing so long we were ENTHRALLED with the "Democratic Leadership Council" that would bring Big Business into support Labor and Social Causes. We had such huge DREAMS for HIM and for his Wife who was a Strong Female (remember Women's Rights was still a big issue in the late 80's Early 90's and that Clinton promised much to Labor...if they could work with Big Business.

We didn't realize that "Labor Working with Big Business" would mean the END OF LABOR...at that Time because we were Caught up in the Clinton DLC...THE NEW WAY for DEMOCRATIC PARTY that we sort of took a Pass on what that Declaration by Clinton/DLC might MEAN...DOWN THE ROAD!

NAFTA and DEREGULATION followed his Election. I think Clinton might not have wanted to do what he did...but MONICA came along...and the Powers That Be...got him by his balls and they TWISTED....so we got Reagan II instead of the Progressive MAN FROM HOPE, Arkansas.

There was other stuff...I'm not into doing an historical analysis...but, the Clinton TODAY?

I don't know WHO THAT GUY IS...but he MAKES MILLIONS for SPEACHES...and did some BAD STUFF IN HAITI...and NAFTA/GATT/WTO ...were the ISSUE from DEM PARTY...the Repugs LOVED IT...but DEMS worked hard at getting THEIR PARTY...on BOARD with help from ROBERT RUBIN, ALAN GREENSPAN and the REST of the CORPORATOCRACY...who are STILL in Power.

Whatever....

[G_j]

16. I do remember, certainly the situation

was different. Back then the vitriol was aimed at Nader (some things don't change lol) and McKinney and Kucinich to a lesser extent I suppose. But the only people actually accusing me, or anyone, of being a hater were Rush and Friends.
I think the most significant point for me is that hate in not one of our values, and this theme was manufactured by people who really do hate...us.
There are always conflicts here, of course this is just another. Just had to say something.

[KoKo]

34. "Hate" was certainly NEVER MY VALUE when I joined DU in 2001!

So...I can understand. But, what I posted seemed to always come across as "Controversial" when I joined. I never was a Lounge Person....and I think it "marked me" as TOO SERIOUS. LOL's...But, it's TRUE..what I think, anyway.

[Cali_Democrat]

4. Do you think joking about the assassination of President Obama is funny?

[millennialmax]

11. Hopefully he gets a knock on the door for that shit.

[freshwest]

31. He just got banned for that shit. Thanks, MIRT.

[7962]

37. Ive said some crap folks here havent cared for, but THAT is way over the line.

Although I've seen some close ones when the name "Dick Cheney" pops up!

You dont joke about killing a president. And you dont use someone like Hinckley to do it.

[Tien1985]

38. Not surprised MIRT

Got him. I've seen him a few tunes this week saying some nasty stuff but I think people were giving him the benefit of the doubt.

[freshwest]

40. He had a thing about insulting those he didn't like as being in 'drag.' I didn't like that, myself.

Some DUers don't think that's appropriate, but some must think it's funny. He'll return to push the envelope, just as he did on several threads in different ways.

[Number23]

44. Little shit couldn't even make it a week.

But I'm sure the birth of little Kois2 won't be too far along. He'll have lots of company in GD.

[freshwest]

47. What's the meme? 'Better Believe It'? A particularly vicious example of the species.

[sheshe2]

51. Pizza~

For meat!

[freshwest]

52. Gonna have Greek pizza tomorrow!

With lots of spinach!

[Number23]

45. I love that the SECOND post in this thread just completely disproved the ENTIRE thesis of this OP.

[liberal_at_heart]

3. The closest thing I have to hate is the contempt I have for the corporations that have taken over

this country. I don't hate Obama. I am angry at the fact that his policies help corporations more than average working citizens, but I don't hate him. I will do everything I can to help vote in politicians who are willing to fight for the people, for the 99%. I do not think Obama fights for the 99%.

[Hydra]

6. The people calling us "haters" are trying to prove that we're on the right

Really believe that we have to be on the right to criticize Obama.

Hint: There IS a functioning Left in America. Hard to believe, but true...and we are NOT happy with where this Admin is standing on the Right/Left Authoritarian/Libertarian Axis.

[KoKo]

36. Agree...we can contort ourselves to try to counter the attack..BUT

We still here KNOW our OWN History...and we shouldn't just "Give Up" (which is what "they" want) and should reaffirm who we are and what we are fighting for..

WE are NOT the SLACKERS...it's the Disinfo Crowd and the Trolls and such who disrupt wherever they see a place to worm it where it's vulnerable.

Dems are often ...well really usually ...vulnerable to such infiltration...because we try to see "Both Sides of Issues" and are Not Doctrinaire. It leaves us vulnerable.

[PowerToThePeople]

7. Hate, no. Disappointment, betrayal, and regret.

[hobbit709]

8. There's a difference between not having a great deal of enthusiasm for

and hate but some here seem to equate the two as being the same.

And I really don't care what those think about me.

[Union Scribe]

10. When people try that "hater" nonsense

I just chuckle and know I don't have to take that person seriously anymore. It's like, "hey thanks for letting me know you have the mindset and rhetoric skills of a Belieber."

[millennialmax]

12. President Obama made me a Democrat. eom

[NorthCarolina]

23. What were you before Obama?

Just curious.

[millennialmax]

24. One of those cynical 'both parties are the same' conspiracy theorists.

I won't go into further details, because it's horribly embarrassing.

[NorthCarolina]

26. You should never be embarassed about being right though.

Anyway, I'm glad to see an ever growing number of those "conspiracy theorists" every time I log in to DU.

Thanks for your response, and best of luck to you on selling the Liberals = "conspiracy theorists" spiel.

[millennialmax]

33. I never said that liberals = conspiracy theorists.

A strong majority of liberals are rational-thinking individuals.

Conspiracy theorists infect the entire political spectrum.

[liberal_at_heart]

46. funny, it wasn't until Obama that I woke up to the fact that both parties are the same.

It didn't start with Obama, but he is the one who dissappointed me badly enough to wake up and realize what was going on.

[TransitJohn]

61. Clinton ending welfare and exacerbating poverty while signing NAFTA to enrich corporations did it

for me.

[sulphurdunn]

73. I was thinking the same thing.

I am in his debt for opening my eyes.

[freshwest]

55. For you, Millennialmax:

[Capt. Obvious]

64. George W. Bush made me a Democrat

[KG]

14. not fan of the guy myself.

my hate is reserved for truly evil bastards like dick cheney

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. As Mike Malloy says,...

"Have I said yet tonight how much I hate these people?"

Or, as I preserved for all time:

http://server4.whiterosesociety.org/content/malloy/MalloyMemories/How_deep_is_my_hate.mp3

http://server4.whiterosesociety.org/content/malloy/MalloyMemories/How_long_will_my_hate_last.mp3

But then,...consider his fan mail...

http://server4.whiterosesociety.org/content/malloy/MalloyMemories/Fan_Mail.mp3

[nevergiveup]

17. I know a couple of "left thinking" people

who also have racist tendencies and they totally despise Obama and have so from the beginning. They are older FDR type liberals and if you sat down and had a political conversation with them you be convinced they are far left in their political thinking until the conversation comes to race and then you are blown away. I am not convinced that people like this are all that rare but maybe I am wrong.

[RedCappedBandit]

20. I honestly don't see how a lefty could BE racist.

Two diametrically opposed values.

[PETRUS]

27. Yeah, I agree with you.

That statement is a crock.

Then again, lots of people have different (or simply mistaken) ideas about what it means to be a lefty.

[LWolf]

22. I'm an old FDR type liberal,

and I have no racist tendencies.

I am not now, and have never been a fan of Obama, but I don't "hate" him, and it has nothing to do with race. It has to do with his neo-liberalism.


Speaking for myself and my fellow FDR type liberals, you are wrong.

[nevergiveup]

42. I didn't say FDR type liberals

had racist tendencies nor did I intend to imply such. If so I would be implying that I too am a racist and I do not believe I am. If you took it this way I certainly apologize as it was not my intent to insult anyone. I was speaking to the OP and merely pointing out that I know a couple of older people of my generation who are FDR Democrats who are very liberal until you get to racial matters. Hating Obama and not being a fan of Obama are not the same thing. I am sorry if I offended you.

[LWolf]

59. Accepted.

I'm not used to thinking of myself as an "older" generation, until I remember that so many younger voters today weren't alive, or were too young to remember, the years before Ronald Reagan. I was born into a time of social revolution and change for the better, and to see the nation regress is painful. You might find some older liberals who don't seem as liberal about race. They might be very liberal for their generation. It can be difficult to shed your conditioning.

For example, my mom, who is 74, is not at all racist. She is a life-long liberal and a long-time Democrat, but the values and ideas she was raised on still show through on some issues. She was a poor working single mom, worked her entire life, and is now struggling on SS. She still has very strongly negative ideas about "taking charity," and about "not working for what you want or need." And yes...she's working a part-time job to supplement the SS.

[Hydra]

41. That's more than a little weird

Sounds more like "Reagan Democrats" like my grandparents were. They bought into the Red Menace(TM) and were listening to Rush Limbaugh at the end of it all.

It's good to have a minority President. I've heard JFK was the first Catholic? I just wish he'd protect minorities better. He seems to think the Grand Old Perverts are his peer group.

Why he would want their approval is just beyond me.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

69. I know a few that are bitter that he won and not Hillary.

[Tiredofthesame]

74. Hit it on the head,

and no they are not rare. I've ran into tons of old Kennedy, Johnson, FDR guys that are incredibly racist. Progressive on everything until you start talking about anything to do with race. Especially African Americans, and now Muslims. It blows me away the percentage of older men who consider themselves progressive and listen to Blowhard Rush. It's astounding.

[David__77]

77. FDR supporters maybe, but not FDR type.

FDR was no racist, though he pandered to them of course. My grandfather was an old New Deal Democrat, but also supported Jesse Jackson for president, twice. That was the continuation of the New Deal, so far removed from today's democratic party.

[RedCappedBandit]

18. I don't hate him.

Doesn't mean I respect him like I used to.

[heaven05]

19. I don't

hate him. Just disappointed. Yet every politician since Nixon has been a disappointment. 2000? Huge disappointment. and there was some hate there.

[LWolf]

21. Thank you. nt

[99Forever]

28. Hate?

His really shitty policies and capitulating, spineless mamby-pamby, weak brand of "leadership"? Yep.

The man. Nope, I actually like the guy, he's just plain out of his depth.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

32. I don't think he's out of his depth, but the MIC is unfathomable.

I'm convinced that the MIC is what we hang our economic hat on. Eugene Jarecki's "Why We Fight" is too powerful to ignore.

[99Forever]

35. If he can't take on and restore sanity to MIC spending...

.. then he is, by definition, out of his depth. His incomprehensible need to please the fucking rightwing and the military/police thugs and the 1%er bankster crooks is what his legacy is.

[Enthusiast]

57. Pluuuus one.

Nice.

[leftstreet]

29. Guess I'm a hater. I hate GOP policies

Regardless of which party or person in office pushes them

[SleeplessinSoCal]

30. I hate Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, and all those who lied us into war . . .

Somehow hating Bush seemed futile. He just seemed so dumb.

[Hydra]

43. Bush Jr wasn't the Architect

But as some have said, he's at least worthy of scorn and possibly worse. He may not have the capacity for great evil, but he has wrecked the lives of various people in the pursuit of whatever lifestyle he's trying for.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

49. I Hated him and his smirk for 8 years. But it didn't last, like the hatred for Cheney.

Last edited Fri Aug 9, 2013, 10:04 PM - Edit history (1)

and those who promote a 24/7 war footing.

[thesquanderer]

76. Heck, I didn't even hate Bush until he went into Iraq.

I never liked him, but I didn't hate him until then.

[DainBramaged]

39. Hate of the President is disgusting

Those who spew he's no better than Booshe should ask how many wars has each started, how many Americans, Iraqis and Afghanistanis have died under each, and how many terror attacks we've had that we've lost lives too.


And who gave us the first hope for universal health care since I was a kid.


I have no patience for the haters anymore. And I'd sooner put them on ignore then feed their hatred.

[KoKo]

48. I don't think I'm a Hater...and there are many sincere Democrats here who

want him to address the issues he ran on. I don't see them as haters. But, I do see a group that I had to reluctantly put on Igore who seem to HATE those of us pushing POB to do what he promised us. They are the folks I see as "Haters" because they are so convinced that to remind our President of his Promises and ask him to at least try to understand why we are concerned over the Endless Wars, Drone Killings, Attacks against Whistleblowers , lack of transparency in NSA, DOJ, lack of Wall Street Prosecutions, RW Cabinet Picks that are former Bushies or tied to Corporations like Monsanto or Wall Street Revolving door...and on and on.

We Re-Elected him....It's time for him to Break from trying to Court Repuglicans who want nothing to do with him and undermine him at every step in legislation.

So..."WE" urging POB to stand by the issues and promises he made as Candidate are not the "Haters"...it's those who don't WANT us to Urge POB to do what he Promised that somehow seem to "HATE US for Prodding him!"

But, that get's old fast and I've put most of them on Ignore.

[DainBramaged]

50. Me wuvs yu haz a cup of kitteh

[Enthusiast]

58. LOL!

I want a cup of kitteh!

[DainBramaged]

62. How 'bout a glass?

[Enthusiast]

72. Taking pictures of cute kittehs is a new and expanding profession.

[KoKo]

65. DB..

And thanks for the Cuppa Kitties..

[DainBramaged]

79. Always

[freshwest]

54. +1

[nyquil_man]

53. They're going to accuse of us hate no matter what we do.

Yeah, it's called projection.

[DeSwiss]

56. You're right about Obama, of course. But not about the hating.

''To fight the empire is to be infected by its derangement. Whoever defeats part of the empire becomes the empire; it proliferates like a virus... thereby it becomes its enemies.'' ~Philip K. Dick

- Hating always comes back at you.....

[center][/center]

K&R

[Martin Eden]

60. Is all hatred irrational, unhealthy, and counterproductive?

If someone or some group/organization intentionally with coordinated planning causes the deaths of thousands of innocent lives and great harm to our country, is hate not the natural and appropriate human emotion in this circumstance?

The administration of Bush/Cheney ignored dire warning of an impending terrorist attack on American soil, then exploited 9/11 to launch an unprovoked war against a nation that had nothing to do with it. The American people stood behind the president in the wake of a national tragedy, then he and his administration manipulated the public's fear, anger, and patriotism in a war of choice based on a pack of LIES. I think it is entirely accurate and fair to characterize this as the most egregious betrayal of public trust by a president in our nation's history.

More than 5000 American soldiers died, and perhaps a million Iraqis (sectarian violence & bombings continue today). Our treasury was drained while their cronies got rich(er). Bush entered office with a healthy economy and a budget surplus, and left it in shambles. His administration approved torture and other war crimes that brought shame upon our nation while he divisively proclaimed you're either with us or you're with the terrorists.

I hate them for what they did to the country I love, for all the innocent people they killed, and for all the people still suffering (physically, emotionally, economically) as a result of their premeditated crimes.

I hate that they have escaped justice and in fact enjoy wealth, privilege, and the honors that come with the prestige of their office.

I hate that We The People are becoming more and more accepting of this, and that I'm told to let it go already!

I will not let it go until justice is served.

Why? Because when crimes in high places go unpunished they receive tacit approval, and the probability of future crimes by our government in our name is greatly increased. If you don't care about what happens to these criminals, you should at least care about their victims and the next generation that will be victimized by the failure of the American people to insist that we live up to the principles our country ostensibly stands for.

Hatred need not be a blind, consuming, rage. Put in its proper place with clarity of thought and purpose, hate can provide sustained motivation. I am not the Tea Party. Facts, reason, and logic prevail. I would not Hate if I did not also Love the people and the principles which I believe are perpetually endangered while we let the horrible crimes of Bush/Cheney go unpunished and we become more and more accepting of it. Nothing to see here folks, move along!

No, sorry. Passion is required here. Suppression of rational human emotion for crimes against humanity is counterproductive. Real change is absolutely necessary.

I wish I could believe John Lennon. All You Need Is Love. We need that more than anything, to be sure. Our love must be stronger than our hate, and both governed by our rational mind. And I do say both.

[hfojvt]

63. welcome to DU

hate is not our thing?

You must be new here if you believe that.

Hate is even MY thing, although I usually preach against it and am widely reviled for doing so. But it is hard for me to practice what I preach.

I do hate Governor Sam Brownback. I think he is evil. His policies are bad for our state, and Brownback is not honest in promoting them. How is that not evil?

But I also hate Obama and think he is evil too. He's simply lied to me too much. He promotes bad policies, evil policies, and then lies to sell them. Why am I supposed to NOT be pissed off about that? Am I just supposed to say "eh, what's a little inequality, what are a few lies among friends? It's all good. No big deal."

[Bake]

66. I don't think anybody here hates Pres. Obama.

But a lot of us are surprised and/or disappointed in him, and don't believe him anymore.

Bake

[WillyT]

67. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[Skittles]

68. only the swooners cannot grasp that

and they are NOT CREDIBLE

[zipplewrath]

70. Have him over for dinner

The wife and I do alot of dinner parties. She has mentioned many times that she'd love to have the Obama family over for dinner. The funny part is, I suspect he'd make a great dinner guest. And I'd probably talk about everything EXCEPT my disappointment and disagreement with him. I don't "hate" the guy and I suspect his life experience would be interesting to hear. I suspect it would be interesting to talk to his daughters as well.

I'd probably just have to tell him not to bring up politics.

[azmesa207]

71. Liberaldont hate obama

But Bush was very easy to hate ..

[Zorra]

75. Well said, and true for me too. Thanks. nt

[David__77]

78. You think leftists didn't hate Bush?

I do see a difference, but there was plenty of personal, gut-level revulsion with Bush. It's faded in memory perhaps.