What is DU's public image?

[HEyHEY]

Lately there has been alot about DU in the press and on radio shows - right and left wing. I'm sure many have no idea what this site is about. And I'm sure many people are well versed on it. I mean over 40,000 members....that's pretty good.

So, with that high amount of members, plus the coverage...what do you think the image of DU is like to a non-duer of any politcal standing?

[dolo amber]

1. Limited

:D

[DarkPhenyx]

2. Depends on who you ask...

...wether or not they even know it exists, their plitical leanings, and the most recent events of any note and our responses to those events.

I don't think most people really give a rats ass.

[Shredr]

5. On the contrary

A lot of Right Wing websites -- Ann Coulter's chat room for instance, rabbidly monitors DU and reporst back on a lot of the topics here. I hate AC and was spying on her website which was actually how I found DU.

They loathe DU, are probably really afraid of the volume of members, and rant on and on about posts from here.

[DarkPhenyx]

6. We do the same about FR.

My point was that the country as a whole could probably care less about either of these boards.

[Catshrink]

8. Welcome to DU Shredr!

I hate AC also. She has a chatroom? Does she actually have adoring fans? cringe in horror!

[Shredr]

20. She does

And they do (adore her). They discuss her books and columns in depth and go on and on about how brilliant and beautiful she is.

They're far-right right-wingers, too. Violently anti-gay, anti-abortion. I was booted from the board for posting an anti-Ann post (which I thought was pretty mild).

[tnlefty]

9. Hi Shredr

My hat's off to anyone who can lurk at Annthrax's chat room.

edit - typo

[newyawker99]

15. Hi Shredr!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Shredr]

21. Thanks!

This is such a breath of fresh air, after being in Coulter country. I thought I could make a difference and honestly debate those people, but they just viciously attacked me then booted me off the board.

They spennd most of their time giggling over John Kerry pictures and drooling over Ann, anyway. It got pretty boring and monotonous.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

19. DU "nest of vipers"....is what ive read.

Ive seen this mentioned by some right wingers. One called it a nest of vipers...but the right wingers are always trying to bad mouth liberals or democrats so fuck-em. I dont really care what they think as they are going to find fault anyway.

[Az]

3. Strong opinions rattle most

To the right we are the loony left fringe. The DLC wishes we would just pipe down and follow their lead. The left that is aware of us is probably here already. The general public sees us and the Freepers probably in the same light. To radical for their taste.

[LittleApple81]

4. What matters is the ones that participate. I LOVE DU. Some threads

and posts I don't like, so I just ignore them. But for the most part, I have found DU a source of real information and shared beliefs. THANKS DU AND DUers.

[ElectroPrincess]

14. Never stop telling the truth ...

If you fold and listen to the lies of the Corporate Media, you've given up the good fight ... skip to the last page of 1984 and kiss your personal freedoms good-bye.

I could care less what the Corporate Media says ... I will listen to BBC and World News International. The USA media deviates greatly from "world opinion."

Do you want to help your fellow Americans regain their democracy? Would you rather worship "Big Brother" (the corporate media and *some* of the DLC leadership)? Are you willing to believe all the skewed prime time political polls and the snippets preached to you by talking heads like Wolf Blitzer?

The World Community is hoping that those of us representing the majority of Americans (not serving large corporations, Wall Street, or the Ultra-Wealthy) regain our voice. I'll do my best to ignore the USA Media Whores and tell the truth.

Reagan was a man, not a saint. He doesn't deserve this hyper-focus even if we all thought he was a great president. Soldiers are continuing to die in Iraq and CSPAN put on that PNAC propaganda monger Bill Crystal to help rewrite history. We are in crisis. If you have reservations, join the right wing boards and republicans on the other side.

The moralists and right wing apologists here are beginning to IMHO "Love Big Brother." If one is worried about the DNC, Rush, Wolf, etc., then maybe they are not a liberal or as self-righteous as they think. I do know, for a FACT, that your whining is pleasing the hell out of the right wingers on other sites and in the corrupt USA media. And that's pathetic.

[banana republican]

7. A very *GOOD* source of real news.

LBN has many good posts and I especially like the links to the original article. 15 or twenty minutes in LBN and you have an idea of what is happening in the world.

Plus you get unfiltered talking heads that make excellent comments.

[hlthe2b]

10. I think we are being painted as extremist, even by other Dem groups....

(those in the mainstream), who are terrified of controversy... I'm sure many are in agreement with much that is said here, but recognize the potential to turn off moderates among Libs, Dems, progressives, independents, libertarians, and even the rare rational centrist republican.

I'm not saying that the venting that goes on here is wrong-- it is extremely honest, after all. Given what has transpired this past 3 1/2 years, DU has served an extremely important function. It is democratic UNDERGROUND, after all. But, the cost is that we will not be able to attract many that we would like to participate--whether as members or in invited web chat interviews.... However, there are other forums that can make that possible. Thus, maybe it is appropriate that we maintain a "renegade" type of function--where even extremely tenuous conspiracy theory and empassioned disdain for our opponents can be freely aired-- at least for the near future.

Thoughts?

[Robbien]

11. It is a good sign they are attacking DU

DU is small potatoes. DU matters to DUers, and except for moral support, DU has not really become an organized political power,,,yet.

And the RW attack machine is stumbling around these days trying to find a LW target and not being able to find any major player, it is wasting its energy on DU.

I say fine.

[MoonRiver]

12. Who cares?

If it's such a problem then the adms. can hide the message board from all but members. Smirking Chimp did that. I don't like that idea, but if we have to put up with some worrying 24/7 about what the 'Jones' think maybe we should really go underground. Otherwise no discussion which might offend our rightwing spies will be tolerated here. Isn't that going on right now? :eyes:

[VolcanoJen]

13. I still like to think of us as the "Underground."

For that reason, I guess that our public image means absolutely nothing to me.

It's a good and valid question, but I prefer us to stay "Underground."

:D

[Stuckinthebush]

16. I've been here since we had a handful of members

It has served as a very meaningful home for me during these awful 3 1/2 years. Frankly, I don't give a damn what outsiders think about my home - it is home for me.

I am an upstanding citizen in my community. I serve on a city Board by appointment of the mayor. I am a respected social scientist in the state. I have many friends and relatives who cover the political spectrum but who respect me for my views. In short, I am not a subversive radical living on the fringe of society. I know my fellow DUers are very much like me in that regard. If someone wants to paint us with that brush, so be it - we know who we are and what we fight for.

Thank you Skinner and crew for making this home for me and other DUers!

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

17. MY opinion is that its Free Republics alter ego

....or Free Republic is DUs evil twin sister.

There are similar rhetorical excess and conspiracy theorizing on both sites....but on different sides of the political spectrum. I think thats just the nature of this site..the kind of dynamic that will develope if there is more or less "one side" represented. We screen out right wing views or opinions, they do the same to the left. So theres a bit of an echo chamber effect, plus a bit of paranoia, operating.

While FR isnt "Stormfront", DU isn't equivilant to some revolutionary maoist or anarchist site either....so they are not necessarily the extremes of there respective wings.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

18. Read Skinner's comments above.