General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDeja Vu: It's Starting to Feel Like 2004 Around Here Again
Most of us who had gathered here the previous 3 or 4
years had come to commiserate and vent over the 2000
election, or Supreme Court appointment, of GWB.
During those early years, very few posts exhibited
the acrimony present in today's DU, and being snarky was,
well, frowned upon, and some considered bad form.
Hey, we were the good guys and gals, and we needed
to stick together.
Then, the Democratic primaries started and all gloves were off!
Howard Dean supporters ruled the roost for awhile, much like
Clinton's early support, although Dean supporters were more
of a populist thing, like Sanders. Along with many others, I supported
Gen. Wesley Clark, and while meeting him was a thrill, he
was better equipped to be a general than a candidate.
Others supported Edwards, Graham, Kucinich, etc., and each
was passionate about his/her candidate. We were in the throes of
the first GWB presidency, and a second term was unimaginable, so
we were getting pretty desperate. I remember thinking when
the posts were getting quite nasty between supporters that perhaps
it would cause too much damage, and that we were doing the job
of the Repukes by denigrating our own. During the primary,
it seemed impossible that the same people who were at each others'
throats over who was the best candidate would come together later to fight
the evil GOP. But for the most part, WE DID! And we will again,
after the primary.
So don't think this is the first time one group of Democrats has bad-mouthed
another Democratic candidate, or as I did once, believe that by not supporting
either the frontrunner, or the upstart, you're doing the job of the GOP.
A healthy and even contentious discussion of issues and the candidates will only make
her, or him, stronger. So please get passionate and support your candidate, and while a somewhat civil discussion is unlikely today, it would be nice if people would make
some attempt to be courteous, or at least show a little respect for alternative views.
Aw, F*#@ that, screw Hillary-GO BERNIE! (Kidding)
NaturalHigh
(12,778 posts)I had lurked a little but didn't join until after the primaries that year. I was here for 2008, though. That was brutal. There a still some obvious hard feelings.
shenmue
(38,506 posts)I remember it got so bad, the fund drive raised like four dollars. People were going to whoop ass like nobody's business.
ScreamingMeemie
(68,918 posts)It wasn't just 2004. It was also 2008.