The biggest problem with becoming a Kerry supporter

[mrgorth]

seems to be other Kerry supporters. Didn't they ever issue you folks a memo about not gloating? Jesus Christ, you'd think Dean was still campaigning. Kerry is winning just about everything. How about if you (we) just let snide remarks roll off your backs, or is winning the nomination not good enough for you?

[BL_Zebub]

1. They haven't won dragon shit yet

They just think they have :evilgrin:

[Cuban_Liberal]

2. No. Some WILL have their 'pound of flesh', come hell or high water!

That's pretty obvious.

[KC21304]

3. Are these bona fide Kerry supporters ?

I avoid all the " polls", but haven't seen a lot of what you are referring to.


The snide remarks are against Kerry ? Just let them slide, but no gloating. Gotcha.

[Cuban_Liberal]

5. Actually, I'd have to say 'no, to be honest about it.

There are a FEW long-time Kerry folks who partake in it but, on the whole, most of the truly vicious ones are your new allies from the other aborted campaigns...

[KC21304]

8. Thanks for the clarification. I try to avoid anything that looks

too inflamatory.

[Cuban_Liberal]

11. Most Kerry supporters are like you.

In fact, most of EVERYONE'S supporters are basically decent, but there are a few 'red-meat/scorched earth/take no prisoners' posters here who give EVERY campaign a bad name. It's virtually impossible to have a civil discussion with them.

[atre]

38. That would probably describe about 95% of them, though

There was a time when Kerry had no following here whatsoever. I'd assume nearly all of his supporters are converts from aborted campaigns.

[mitchum]

39. At the risk of sounding like your girlfriend...

"Not so fast there, atre!" There have been many Kerry supporters here for a long long time. Granted, a few of us can be rude or vicious, but I guess you know that.

[mrgorth]

6. I don't want to imply

that all Kerry supporters are being small but it seems like a vocal minority at least. Why would you shit on the supporters of other candidates, even if their being jerks. Why not just let them heal and come around? It makes no sense at all.

[Cuban_Liberal]

7. I agree that it makes no sense.

I personally can't understand WHY it's so 'neccessary', especially since one would want THEIR votes in November, too...

[KC21304]

17. I understand what you are saying.

Only once have I said anything negative about any candidate and even then it was very mild. When Gov. Dean went down to visit Jimmy Carter's Sunday school class, I said maybe he could learn from the children down there about the book of Job.

But boy did I get clobbered. The first reply said they expected such vicious stuff from a Kerry supporter. That was my first and only experience dissing another candidate. Anyone can check and find at least 100 times I have said the other candidates are all great.

Now I have to admit I've gotten a little carried away with some of their supporters. Especially the S&B manure spreaders.

[BL_Zebub]

10. I have a pretty good idea whom he's referring to.

And most of them do indeed wear the Kerry tag, which would imply they are Kerry supporters. It's entirely possible they could be something else. There's one in particular who is definitely, oh how should a Devil put this..... an "ambassador" from another cyber kingdom which you could arrive at by taking a hard right turn.

(that should be ambiguous enough not to offend anyone :evilgrin: )

[Cuban_Liberal]

12. LOL! Clever and well put!

There is ONE poster in particular that I am aware of who is STILL the same flaming jerk now that he supports Kerry that he was when he supported a since-departed candidate. :evilgrin:

[emulatorloo]

4. I think you are over-generalizing the actions of a very very very very few

but that's just my opinion. I've seen the kinds of posts you are characterizing from a very very very small # of supporters of all the candidates. Any way, best of luck on your thread.

[mrgorth]

9. Read #6.

[emulatorloo]

16. I try to take really negative snarky posts from any candidate supporter

w a huge grain of salt. I am never sure what the motivation is for those kinds of posts, and I try to avoid replying to them (even though I do sometimes against my better judgement.)

On the other hand I don't think I would hold the posts of a really virulent poster against a candidate. Haven't so far, don't see doing it now.

Because there is a good possibility that some of these nasty "supporters" are indeed GOP operatives. The repugs are so all about "Divide and Conquer," and I believe a lot has been done here to divide the Kerry and Dean and Clark camps. It seems like there is an effort now in high gear to divide Kerry and Edwards camps.

Do I know it is repug operatives? No. But it is a theory I'm ok with. Do I think all neg snarky posts come from repug operatives? No, I'm not totallly tinfoil yet.

[cally]

13. Well, I think the few who supported Kerry from the beginning

have a right to gloat a little. I'm still shocked at his success when many assumed his candidacy was over. Still, we all need a chance to mourn when out candidate withdraws and gloating just alienates future supporters. I took awhile after Clark withdrew to support Kerry.

[progressivebydesign]

14. Thanks for bringing that up.. I've been getting that vibe, too.

You know, I had thought to support Kerry now, as it's obvious he's going to be our nominee... regardless of the worthiness of other candidates. So.. I thought I had better try to get excited about this, and try to see what was appealing to the Kerry supporters. I signed up for Kerry's weekly emails.. and even thought to attend a Kerry meetup here in my area. BUT.. I decided against it. Why? Because at my caucus, the Kerry supporters were pushy, rude, insulting, and frankly.. rather republican in their attitudes. Do they think that I'd like to be involved with them after they attacked Howard Dean in front of his supporters. It was not them saying what they liked about Kerry.. it was saying that Howard Dean and Kucinich were "spoilers, just like nader!", and saying Dean was a loser. Didn't really draw me to Kerry's group of supporters. The kept yelling, KERRY is the ONLY one that can beat Bush!. So.. I guess I'll vote for Kerry if he's indeed the nominee, but I won't get involved in the local campaign. I just disliked the majority of his supporters there. The nicest people there, besides the Dean people?? Edwards! Absolute sweethearts. (and there was one Dean person that was pretty obnoxious.. not me, though).

[BL_Zebub]

21. Rather Republican, you say?

Do you have same day registration in your state, by chance?

[emulatorloo]

23. It just sort of depends on your area I guess - at my caucus

(I caucused for Kerry,) the Dean supporters tried to shout down the kerry' guys speech. All other supporters applauded the opposing supporters speeches, but the Dean supporters just crossed their arms and wouldn't applaud for the Edwards or Kerry speeches. And as I say, tried to disrupt the Kerry speech.

I didn't hold it against them -- it was an exciting night, and they were excited about their candidate. I certainly didn't hold it against Howard Dean. . .and I would have been happy to get out and work for him if he was the nominee.

[BruinAlum]

15. I've seen far more Kerry hating here than I've seen gloating, so that cuts

both ways. I also see positions taken against Kerry to the point of absurdity that are not taken against Edwards when their positions are essentially the same, and similar to Deans for that matter.

[Cuban_Liberal]

20. "The quality of mercy is not strained"

At some point, it will inure to the benefit of Sen. Kerry for his supporters to become magnanimous, and simply not respond to the stuff that is posted about him. Some of those folks who supported other candidates are still grieving their losses in a very real sense; left alone and dealt with kindly, they'll come around.:)

[mrgorth]

25. My thoughts exactly.

[emulatorloo]

30. read post 16

I think the majority of posters are magnanimous. . .I think at least a percentage of the nasty ones are GOP operatives doing the "Divide and Conquer" thing

[BruinAlum]

34. Yes you're right. And I'm not here often enough for it to get to me. But

some of the swipes are really taken to the extreme and Kerry supporters are human too.

[Protagoras]

18. Pretty broad generalizations here

I'm pretty new to these boards (longer than my post count however)...and I'm somewhere in the ABB camp...I have positive feelings about all the current candidates and also liked Dean and Clark...I contrast them with Bush and find they all shine as a result.

However, if Kerry is the frontrunner, I can accept that without qualm. Still, I know things can change so I'm not waving his flag or anything. Still, in my scanning of these boards 90% of what I've seen lately is people attacking Kerry and then a few people trying to defend him. I don't see that as being their problem. I see that as a problem with people who would rather engage in sour grapes politics. Sure there are a couple Kerry Jerks...but they are more than balanced by the rabid "Kerry is a Loser/Devil/Republican" jerks who seem to delight in tearing everyone in the front down unless, perhaps, it is their one chosen icon of perfection.

It's politics...no one...and I mean NO ONE in politics is perfect. I see too many stones being thrown by people in all sorts of glass houses.

[sangha]

19. IMO, a bit hypocritical

since I have a folder full of links to Dean supporters declaring themselves victorious

[Cuban_Liberal]

22. 'Tit for tat', or 'mercy and magnanimity'?

Which policy do you think will likely yield more enthusiastic Kerry supporters, long-term?

[emulatorloo]

27. I see very little "tit for tat" from Kerry supporters

only in a very very few posters. One? maybe two or three? You are right, one is too many. But at least most have tried to be compassionate w supporters who have lost their candidate to the primary season.

[Cuban_Liberal]

32. I agree.

The vast majority have. 'Revenge' at this point might well be satisfying, short-term, but it's suicidal, long-term.

:)

[sangha]

37. I see very little gloating from Kerry supporters

I do see some sharp elbows, but I've never complained about that. I have seen gloating, and most of it has come from Dean supporters. Kerry supporters seem to understand that Kerry is still a ways off from clinching the nom. Even if it does seem likely, very few think that Edwards has no chance.

[KittyWampus]

24. There Was A Huge Amount Of Gloating From The Dean Camp

and some really nasty shit flung DAY AFTER DAY at Clark while he was running.

Right now, when I talk about Edwards, it is as someone with no dog in the fight. It comes from a massive distaste for someone who, IMO, has little going for him except an ability to manipulate people.

[mrgorth]

28. The Clark/Dean wars

were, indeed, brutal. As a Dean supporter I can tell you that I, along with others, were driven from the board by the negativity. That was a different time. Kerry practically has the nom. sewn up. There is no reason at all for them to diss other supporters. It only behooves them to bring people in.

[indigo32]

40. Amen MrGorth

Amen

[bigtree]

26. Dean supporters kicked my ass when I first stuck my head up here

Kerry was trailing bad and wasn't even mentioned in news reports on the race. I live in a constant state of agitation over every slight: Warmonger, womanizer, establishment, republican-lite, are among the snide labels attached to my candidate that I endure here. And the weirdest phenomena are the right-wing attacks from the left. I mean you have to go to the republican archives to find serious dirt to throw at Kerry.

I want to express my pride in my choice, and celebrate his record success, but so many here with small feelings about their own candidate are too willing to slap me down rather that give me the skinny on their guy. Tell me about your candidate. I'll listen.

[mrgorth]

29. Revenge is stupid at this point. Unite or die.

[bigtree]

33. Who said anything about revenge?

I've seen everyone savaged at some point here. I want unity, but I realize that some here are still fighting hard for their guy. Tell me about your candidate. I'll listen.

[LuminousX]

31. Ah yes, the shove you received yesterday justifies your actions today

[emulatorloo]

35. I'm not on DU 24/7 but

I don't believe bigtree is guilty of trying to get revenge or tit-for-tat. I have seen him/her push hard to counteract misconceptions or distortions re JK, but I don't recall gloating etc etc etc.

OTOH, I know it is easy to get pushed into that. . .I know I have made some snarky replies to what I felt were snarky posts. . .even though I want to avoid that.

[KC21304]

36. Very true. I know that my name has drawn more

nasty replies than I would have gotten with another, but darn it I have had this name here almost 2 years and I too am proud of that.