Novel idea: Rather than bitch about Nader, lets DO something positive!

[Cuban_Liberal]

It's all well and good to bitch, whine, piss and moan about Ralph Nader on some message board, but does it actually ACCOMPLISH anything? Has it ever occurred to y'all that maybe the better response would be to turn your comp off, grab some campaign literature and head down to the mall and hand it out?

Which would do our party more good: typing 1114 rabid, slavering rants about Ralph Nader here, or going over to the local Democratic headquarters and make some phone calls?

Have you even DONATED to our party, or to the candidate of your choice? Have you gone to visit that neighbor of yours who is so dis-spirited that they don't even bother to vote anymore, and asked them to support Candidate X in the primary?

Did you call your election authority and ask what the requirements are to become a deputy registrar, so that you can register new voters? Did you check out your local College Democrats group, and ask them if they needed some help, and offer some?

All the adults who are ready to accept some personal responsibility for the outcome of this election, you know what you need to do. The rest of you can stay here and piss and moan like 3rd-graders about Ralph Nader.

Thank you.

Edit: typos

[Walt Starr]

1. If everybody on this board got 5 non-voters to vote for the Democrat

We would completely nullify the Nader effect.

Think about it. That's all it would take for Nader to be shut down completely and have exactly zero effect on this election.

[Cuban_Liberal]

3. I know.

We lost 2000 because Democrats DIDN'T vote-- not because Nader voters DID.

[Anwen]

2. That IS a novel idea!

:D

[Cuban_Liberal]

5. Amazing, isn't it?

I'll bet that the biggest rabble-rousers here have never gotten off their asses to help a single candidate in ANY way.

[Anwen]

12. I would bet on that!

I'm sure you are most correct in that assumption. :)

[meegbear]

4. What about the people who whine and attack ...

the other candidates since Dean dropped out? Does this apply to them as well?

[Cuban_Liberal]

6. The thread's about the Nader whiners.

Start your own, if ya want.

:hi:

[jonnyblitz]

10. and what about people who only post to attack Dean supporters

them too?

[meegbear]

13. Them too JB

them too.

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. Yes, let's rev up the Any dem But Bush engine

and get a move on already. No time to lose. The $hrub's war chest is huge and his folks own the media.

[Cuban_Liberal]

11. Yep!

Demonizing nader isn't help us a damned bit, and all the Greens I know personally intend to vote 'D' on the Federal level this year, so alienating them makes about as much sense as pissing on an electric fence...

[boxster]

8. I agree, but wouldn't that apply to much more than just the Nader rants?

I think your point is very valid, but in a lot of ways, it applies to much more than the rants about Ralph Nader.

I think we all know that DU is a small percentage of the voting public, and only a very small percentage of this DU community is open to changing candidates. Very few are undecided.

With that in mind, all of our candidates would be much better served by following your suggestions than by rehashing the same topics over and over, whether it's discussing Nader, Skull & Bones, Edwards' pats on the head, Dean's semi-withdrawal from the race, or Clark's poor decision to skip Iowa for the 3000th time.

The real world is where the real battle for the Presidency is to be fought.

Edit: fixed word

[Cuban_Liberal]

14. I agree.

When the line at DU becomes blurry, and people begin to confuse DU with the real world, it's time to turn the power switch to the 'off' position. :)

[boxster]

20. True. Maybe we need DUA.

Democratic Underground Anonymous. :silly:

We could do public service commercials.

"Can't stop yourself from clicking on threads in GD2004?

Do you think that your life just won't be complete unless you can post just one more poll?

Well, don't despair. Now there's help! DUA." :)

[Cuban_Liberal]

22. *grin*

Would we have our own 12-step program? :P

[boxster]

24. I think that those people whose candidates are no longer in the race

have already been through a 4-step program:

shock, denial, anger, acceptance

Though, the jury is still out on how many people have reached step 4. Steps 2 and 3 still seem quite popular, however. :evilgrin:

[Cuban_Liberal]

25. True.

I think most are either at step 4, or are approaching it in their own unique ways. That said, 2 and 32 DO seem to remain popular choices! :P

[HFishbine]

9. But, but...

Get off my ass? Damn, is democracy supposed to be that hard?

[Cuban_Liberal]

15. LOL!

The sacrifices we must make for our liberties... ;)

[Cuban_Liberal]

16. Kick

[WitchWay]

17. ...now that's the ticket

GREAT IDEA!

Keep this thread going, cuz this is the way to REALLY get things going. Talk to people about becoming active in our democracy, register them, get them to vote and to care.

And in the wee hours of the night, or when you otherwise are not working on actively working for campaigns or registering voters,

read on on the environment, the news, issues, history, bios, even things like (ugh) bush's platform, etc. so that you can really start making political discussion an integral part of your lives. Brush up on your political knowledge. This way, think about how much information you can generate.

I'm game!

[Cuban_Liberal]

18. I'll try to keep it going, but if you could help me keep it kicked...

Great suggestions in your post, too!

:hi:

[kaitykaity]

19. Excuse me while I put this sanctimonious garbage where

it belongs. :puke:

Ralph Nader has learned nothing. He is beneath contempt. I know that message cannot penetrate the massive fog of ego around the man, but it still needs to be said because it's the truth.

I know, truth can be inconvenient. And our rage at Nader's newest bid is justified. I have been on this board since the beginning, and I participated in the Dem/Green feuds back then. We all decided we needed to bond together to defeat a common enemy, and became friends again.

Now here comes Nader trotting out the same old bullshit as if the past three years had never happened??

[Cuban_Liberal]

21. Every voter you convince to vote 'D' in November....

cancels out a 'Nader vote'. There are LOTS more of US than there are of THEM, so what's the more productive use of our time?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

23. Amen to this.

We can be in denial all we want, but Nader being here sucks and he's a horribly egomaniacal man for running. The only positive thing we can do is steer his campaign tour bus off a bridge.

[Cuban_Liberal]

26. That's ALL we can do, huh?

I'll just save time, then, and don my sackcloth and ashes now... :eyes:

[kaitykaity]

27. No that's not 'all' we can do.

But telling us not to be mad at Nader for being a dickweed egomaniac is like telling us not to be mad at Bush for being a fascist psycho. It might sound good, but it has no connection to the reality of the situation. Nader needs to understand where he stands with us. His commentary thusfar indicates this is not the case.

[Cuban_Liberal]

28. That's not what my initial post suggests.

I didn't say 'Don't get mad' anywhere. I said don't be impotent with your anger. DO something positive with all that negative energy, instead of JUST bitching about Ralph Nader, which is what it seems like most are doing here...

[kaitykaity]

39. Yeah, and the tone of the original post is so

'teacher knows best' that it #1 put me on the defensive, and #2 made me feel like I was being lectured. Not exactly 'productive' ways to get me or people like me to do what you suggest.

I will grant that using anger productively is a good idea. However, venting is in and of itself sometimes a healthy thing to do. Maybe you could recognize that as well.

Peace.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

29. Nice phrase

"Dickweed egomaniac". I like it!! :headbang:

[kaitykaity]

40. Why thank you.

:hi:

[Cuban_Liberal]

30. Guess that threads have to bash Nader to be sexy, it seems...

:shrug:

[Iverson]

31. too sensible

You were supposed to denounce Nader with real heartfelt feeling, but I can't find a denunciation anywhere in your original post. You're not with the terrorists, are you?

[PVnRT]

32. I think he must be a spy

ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN A NADER SUPPORTER?

[Cuban_Liberal]

34. "I have in my hand a list..."

I'm really beginning to wonder how 'democratic' some of my fellow, self-propclaimed Democrats really are, frankly...

[Cuban_Liberal]

33. Guess that makes me an 'enabler'.

I'll reserve my cell at Gitmo now...:P

[Cuban_Liberal]

35. Kcik for sheer stubborness...

[Cuban_Liberal]

36. Another kick for sanity

[Padraig18]

37. More people need to get this message

The POSITIVE things that can be done--- not only the ones you mention, but other, like reaching out to Green Party voters--- would be monumentally more important than all the whining ever done here at DU about Nader!

Well said! :)

[Padraig18]

38. Kick for the evening shift.

[ulysses]

41. much agreed.

Not that it'll do any good, but much agreed.

[Padraig18]

42. Hi, ulysses!

Did ya get my e-mail? :hi:

[scarletwoman]

43. Excellent points!

Action is EMPOWERMENT! The very antidote to anger, outrage, frustration and despair!

sw