I was stunned that more didn't know about Democratic Underground

[trumad]

I was in NY during the weekend and talked to a whole bunch of folks there for the Anti-War protest.... Each and everytime I propped Democratic Underground and not one person mentioned that they heard of the site....

It got me wondering just how Underground we really are? I personally think that DU is one of the greatest think tanks on the net. Sometimes here at DU, I get the feeling that we are "word" to everything politics... We're not.....apparently :shrug: ..

[rucky]

1. Where's NY?

is it anything like Democratic Underground?

[Beam Me Up]

23. CHOKE!

Just spewed my smoothie alover my keyboard!

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[goclark]

6. That is Terrible

What jerks!

Sad to say but bigots come in all colors and march in all parades.

[DarkPhenyx]

3. No, of course we aren't.

I also don't think we are a "great think tank". This is a good thing of course. :)

I know that I learned about DU from a bumper sticker. Some of us actually learned about DU from Rush Limbaugh. Considering that I don't think Skinner has an advertising budget we do pretty good.

[proud patriot]

4. Same in SF ....

I think Air America will bring droves to DU .

We must be calling into the shows the first days
of Broadcast ...Cause you just know the pukes are
planning to do the same that tried with DU when
it first started . We must Support Air America.

[Misinformed01]

5. Michael and I had the same experience

in Asheville, NC. Couldn't believe the Kucinich folks hadn't been on DU--

However, we did hang out with G_j----very cool! Sorry his partner had to miss it!

Stephanie

[Gman]

7. I wouldn't call DU a think tank

as much as I would call it an information exchange forum.

[Free_Thinking1]

15. A think tank?

As much as I like this forum (I have been lurking for a while, just got the courage to register and post) I wouldn't call it a think tank. It is a nice place to come and share ideas with like minded people, but a true think tank would not ban or flame those who post ideas that differ from their own. No, I'm not a "freeper" or a troll or anything but go ahead and flame at will if you feel it is needed.

[RandomKoolzip]

18. No, a true think tank.....

is something like the Heritage Foundation or the Cato Institute. DU is a message board.

Remember, Free Republic bans users whose ideas differ from the stated objectives in their rules, as well. And FR is NOT a think tank, either.

[Free_Thinking1]

21. Exactly my point

[papau]

19. information exchange forum.- but also a bit of a "think tank"

Folks over estimate what goes into a CATO paper.

Much of the research done for posting on DU is as good as any done by a CATO fellow.

We may lack access to the latest computer models - or not :-) on good days! - but the data gathering and implication analysis is not that bad!

:-)

[trumad]

20. Agreed

100 percent

[NewJeffCT]

8. never heard of it until September/October of 2003

I eventually found it (thanks to Stewert of "O'Reilly Sucks" fame)... but, I got here after the Fox News lawsuit against Al Franken inspired me to buy his book. Eventually, I figured that there had to be other like-minded people out there, found "O'Reilly Sucks" and then came here and have put up more than 1000+ mostly sarcasm-laden posts in that time.

[WoodrowFan]

9. we mention it all the time

My wife and I try to recruit (even though she doesn't read it, she likes hearing me tell her about it). I have the bumperstickers on both of our cars..

[tobius]

10. well, some of the people at those protests are....challenged.

[bearfartinthewoods]

11. considering we number in the low thousands, i'm surprised that

you are surprised.

[H2O Man]

12. I found out about d.u. from one of my nephews.

It's funny how life unfolds. My sons and nephews often say that they see me as, though not conservative, not as radical as they would wish. And I explain that it comes down to definitions. For example, is this a "think tank"? Interesting question. I suspect it can be fun to debate the significance of a poll on "which is your favorite color," or do you prefer Tommy Roe's classic "Dizzy" or Gomer Pyle, USMC? But it is not (in my humble opinion) part of a democratic underground. Next, we have some great discussions on serious issues, and there are many people who TALK very radically indeed. But social progress comes not by talking to people who already agree with you. It may occure by discussion and debate with others in a different public format. It does come from voter registration drives. Change does come as a result of public education. This forum has the potential to serve as an organizing force in that effort. If it should reach even 50% of its potential to do that, then it is actually a think tank. Until then, it is a pleasant chat line.

[Mecil]

13. top 10 got me here

First heard of the underground around Xmas 2002, and that was only because someone had linked to the top 10 conservative idiots page.

I finally took the step to register much later (lurking rocks:-)

Think that the underground is a great forum for people who have an interest in politics, and of course are liberal/progressive.

Best bit IMO is the editorial forum, a great way to keep up to date with everything, without having to trawl the various newspapers directly.

[k in IA]

14. I just discovered DU a couple of months ago. I haven't had

the Internet at home. I have 3 little kids and am staying home with them. We just were able to afford the Internet at home. I found it by first looking at Drudge (only because I had heard of it and discovered it was nice to not have to look at every news web site yourself) but its such RW trash and it links to all those RW sites I had never even heard of. Found the Smudge Report from the Drudge search and DU was a link from it. Its like I discovered a whole new world - thank god.

[HydroAddict]

16. Since we're all doing "How I found DU" stories...

Start of Iraq war, I was information starved and tired of the BS on the dumb-box.

I will give credit to a website that I've followed for years for pointing me to DU...

www.DailyDirt.com

Alright, I'll admit, it's a semi-porn site, but it has some of the best political writings on the net, IMO.

The main author there is also a poster here who I don't think wants to be outed. So I won't. He has mentioned starting a PG-version blog.

(edit: arrgh, grammer..twice today now)

[lapislzi]

17. Surprised we didn't run into each other, trumad

I was also shilling for DU and had the same experience. But a few did promise to visit the site.

[anarchy1999]

22. We found DU through Bartcop, summer of 2001.

DU has been for us a godsend. We are getting better all the time. Thanks to Skinner, Earl and the other founders.

[Beam Me Up]

24. I had a whole bunch of people over for the release of "Uncovered"

the moveon.org documentary and the Iraq lies. Most all these people were progressive types already. NOT ONE OF THEM had heard of DU! This is the San Francisco Bay Area.

Are we an OPEN SECRET.

Maybe we WANT to stay that way??