How relevant is DU to the Democratic Party leadership?

[Philosoraptor]

Do we here represent the mainstream Democratic party, or are we truly an underground outfit? Is there anyone from our party on the hill who is like us? Do they think like us? Do they represent us? Do they even hear us?

[H2O Man]

1. DU

is part of the democratic party.

[sandnsea]

2. The leadership hears us

Maybe not all of it, but most of it does. I know it for a fact. No, we are not likely their highest priority, I don't believe so anyway. But they do hear, and they do care.

[bunkerbuster1]

13. "Ah hear the voices. But Ah'm the Decider."

I think that's how they "hear" us, mostly.

[sandnsea]

30. They hear millions of other voters too

Sorry that so much of DU is so out of step with the rest of the country on so many issues. Hearing DU isn't the same as being whipped by DU.

[Double T]

3. Politicians don't like to hear the truth.

[deacon]

4. It will matter when we "impeach" them with our votes n/t

[Philosoraptor]

7. I remember all the headlines, 'Voters send message to end war'

Seems like ancient history now.

[napi21]

5. Not nearly as important as they should be.

I know I spread the info I get from DU to a lot of other people who never visit DU, and I'm sure many of you do too.

I would say the info and opinions reflected here could easily be the same as double, triple or quadruple our membership. Tjat qiote a large number of voters folks, and they are all people who actually VOTE!

[Philosoraptor]

6. I believe there are MILLIONS of 'us' in America.

I think that each voice here represents multiple thousands of other voices. I agree, it is a think tank that has a far reaching scope.

[Tyler Durden]

8. The delusional often ignore the "Reality Base."

Do I feel anything in common with the DNCC or DLC? Nope. Not in the least.

Do I think they feel that they should REALLY pay attention to anything we, or AFTERDOWNINGSTREET, or TPM, or Huffington says?

Questionable in the extreme. If one doubts this, then just look at the management of wherever they might work. Most of them are in the 28%. Is this rational? No. Is it delusional? One might argue so. Why should the DNCC be that different?

On either side of the aisle, we are talking about rich, isolated individuals who likely know as much about the daily life of the "proles" as GHW Bush knows about Grocery store bar code readers.

[wildhorses]

9. i wish i could believe that. i am afraid it is more like what tyler

says in the next post though.

[Warren Stupidity]

10. We are Democrats, that would struggle to care less

what we thought. It is pretty clear that the leaders of the Democratic Party have other concerns than what we think here on DU or what the Democratic voters think.

[JNelson6563]

11. Other

I don't think anyone on the planet will ever think of DU as important as many DUers do.

I see this on all the forums I frequent. All seem to think Dem leadership should highly value their posts.

Considering how little many on-line "activists" actually know of how things work, I am not at all surprised the leadership doesn't participate. They'd have to spend all their time explaining things.

Julie

[Missy Vixen]

20. Thank you

>Considering how little many on-line "activists" actually know of how things work, I am not at all surprised the leadership doesn't participate. They'd have to spend all their time explaining things.<

I seem to remember a thread I authored awhile back. ONE of those answering me had ever run for or held political office. Of course, they were all experts on how things should go.

It's time to stop leaving it to others and get our hands dirty. IMHO, YMMV, and thanks for a great post.

Julie

[JNelson6563]

25. Yes, and one who is Big time DU personality

lost very badly in the election they ran in. Seems nasty smears and all around snarkiness doesn't play well in the real world. Funny that.

Julie

[fasttense]

12. Seems to me most, not all, people who post on DU

represent the liberal base of America. But the Democratic party, right now, does not cater to its liberal base like the repukes do. So I think they hear our concerns but they don't really care.

[MonkeyFunk]

14. I voted for your last option

but not because I think Dem leadership purposely shuns DU, but because DU isn't nearly as important, or as reflective of Democrats as a whole, as many here believe.

[Skidmore]

15. They don't give a damn about the basehas to say but they sure want our

contributions on a regular basis.

[jody]

16. Your question focuses on Dem "leadership" and IMO the answer is no. DU is effective in sharpening my

knowledge of both sides of divisive issues and in that sense invaluable to me when I write letters to the editor.

A LTTE may be read by 50K to a million people and is often limited to 100 to 250 words. It's important therefore to make every word count and avoid ad hominem attacks.

When I have a LTTE published, I know DU has indirectly contributed to its publication and for that reason I say "Thanks DU!"

[Gman]

17. DU is a worst case scenario of herding ADHD cats!

How can DU represent anyone when there never is a consensus on damn near anything?

[hlthe2b]

18. Given our attributed notoriety of calling Cindy Sheehan a

"attention whore," percolating throughout the national MSM, I can't imagine many DEM politicians giving us a second glance.... Thanks to a few, DU now has the infamy of being among the blogs driving Sheehan out of the anti-war movement..

Why would any mainstream Dem politician give us a second glance? We are now famous (infamous) for "eating our own," (a pattern repeated throughout recent months with respect to Conyers, Pelosi, Reid, Murtha, and so many others who have brought momentary disappointment), rather than for being "in the fight for the long haul".... :eyes:

[bryant69]

19. Indirect influence at best

But in fairness, what more do you want? If we wanted political power we would have to follow the path that leads to political power, not just sit out here and write in a few posts a day.

I do think we do have influence among the Democratic Base though, and as such have indirect influence.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[L. Coyote]

21. Cherry Pickers, I suspect.

How relevant are the posts and threads at DU to everyone?

How big a tent is DU? The OP infers it is not a big tent.

To some degree, DU is the media the media reads, due largely to the breakneck rapidity with which news gets hashed and rehashed here before the ink dries on the story. Doubtless, the politicos, esp. aides, are watching the bytes cool here as the ink dries.

[hiaasenrocks]

22. Virtually irrelevant. Having worked in the Kerry campaign and

also the Jim Webb campaign, I can tell you that while DU is interesting and the occasional breaking story comes from this site, the majority of people here represent a fringe that is not taken into account.

[sandnsea]

29. Too bad for you

They heard me.

[Matsubara]

23. Your post has two very different questions.

"Do we here represent the mainstream Democratic party?"

Yes. I'd say we are overall ever so slightly to the left of the average dem, but more or less mainstream.

"How relevant is DU to the Democratic Party leadership?"

I'd say not at all, and that goes for Kos or any other progressive online community.

Because of the anonymity and various other things, I don't think forums in general are taken seriously.

They care a little more about voters, especially when they call and write en masse,

but sadly, I think most dem politicians are most responsive to their biggest donors more than the voters...

(EDITED to change "care about" to "more responsive to", which is more accurate to what I'm trying to say.)

[The Backlash Cometh]

24. I disagree with the majority in this poll. I KNOW that the big Dems

are dying to get their hands on the phone list on DU. It's all about the money.

[bdamomma]

26. I am sure someone listens to us, and we would probably be

the first they cut off if things get to the stage of stopping us from communicating with each other.

[Philosoraptor]

27. ...........

[notadmblnd]

28. They avoid us like the plague

and I've noticed that they will go to great lengths to avoid giving DU credit for any breaking news story that this site has been ahead of the curve on. I feel that we are a threat to them.

On edit: I'm not talking about people like our Conyers' and Edwards', people who seem to be working very hard for the average American. I'm talking about those who often speak only because they've become so self important that they can't shut up an listen for a moment. We see them almost weekly on the same Sunday news shows, whining, placating the current administration and do nothing but promoting themselves.