An apology to the Naderites who co-inhabit DU...

[Obamarama]

Last evening I created a thread in which I more or less assigned as much blame to Nader voters (primarily in 2000)as Republicans for Bush being in power today.

Today I come to apologize for that post.

If you didn't see it, it devolved into quite a flamefest in pretty short order, as you can well imagine.

My only explanation is that I am drunken with rage. I want to lay waste to anyone remotely responsible for allowing this man to be in power today.

I have been indignant so many times these past few days over the "we shouldn't be pointing fingers" line being spouted by Bush apologists.
I'll point my finger at the responsible fingers, and I'll point them NOW.

Having said that, in retrospect, I beleive I was in error for pointing the finger at those who voted for Nader. Scapegoats are for facists and neocons, not liberals.

Whichever votes we cast in 2000 & 2004 are now water under the bridge. I am ashamed that I spent so much time and energy villifying people with whom I should be united in rage against the heinous leadership of this country, and I extend to you my apology.

And while we may not see eye to eye on how things transpired in past elections, for what it's worth I do think there is room for more than two ideologies in our political system. I don't think it will come soon enough, but I hope you do beleive me when I say that I do admire the tenacity with which you continue to promote your ideals and goals.

Peace.

[glitch]

1. Good. If we're stuck with a 2-party system I look forward to when it's

Dem v Green. (aka win/win)

[Moderate Dem]

2. Also, if the far left

had allied with the Greens instead of giving Karl Rove a golden opportunity to make all Democrats look like extremists, I think that Kerry would have won by taking more of the middle.

Fully half of the centrist people I know (that weren't immersed in politics) got really bad feelings about Kerry due to his far left "allies".

Argue all you want, but at least in Virginia it hurt Kerry very badly.

[Zhade]

12. You wanted Maoists and Stalinists to ally with the Greens?

What possible difference would that tiny far left percentage have made in the election?

(EDITED to correct verb tense.)

[PunkPop]

17. Huh??

It's kind of hard to control what dumbasses will believe.

Kerry was hurt by a lot of things. I don't think perceived alliances with extreme leftists was one of the bigger ones.

The only people that believe that crap are, well, like I said, dumbasses. Bush pretty much had them in his corner from day one.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Thank you. We're all very angry right now, but we can't turn on

each other regardless of the differences we may have. It's going to take every last person we can get from all parties to band together and denounce this junta. If ** has united anything, he's drawn the left together.

And now, we're gonna :kick: his arse outta office.

:hug:

------------------------------------------------------
Save the Gulf:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=106&topic_id=22507&mesg_id=22507

Then save the nation!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[ClassWarrior]

4. Beautiful sentiment.

It's compassion and understanding of this sort that makes me glad I'm one of the (Dem/Green) "good guys."

Peace + NGU.

[Obamarama]

5. NGU?

What's NGU? Never seen the acronym before.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Never Give Up

------------------------------------------------------
Save the Gulf:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=106&topic_id=22507&mesg_id=22507

Then save the nation!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[Obamarama]

11. Thanks. Familiar with the phrase, of course, just not the acronym.

[walldude]

6. Takes a man to admit when he is wrong

too bad you aren't in office.

I vote we start a new party. The Olberman party. Olberman for Pres and Bob Costas for V.P. These former sports guys seem to have the best grasp of reality on TV.

[Beaver Tail]

7. I might get flamed for this but

I hold those with the power to vote who DO NOT VOTE of their OWN FREE WILL to be held accountable as well.

For Christ sakes if you don’t vote just because you can’t be bothered or you don’t think your vote won’t count GET OFF YOUR FUCKING ASS AND VOTE YOU S.O.B!!!

[meganmonkey]

8. I missed all the excitement, I guess,

but thank you. While I don't consider myself a 'Naderite', I did vote for Nader in 2000 in a safe state, and I offer no apologies for that decision. But like many others, I have come to realize (thanks in part to DU) that the people who consider themselves democrats are much like me, although many of the democratic politicians may not be. I have learned that it is more productive to work toward turning the democratic party into what it should be.

So I have chosen to participate actively in the democratic party for the time being, and I am so grateful to have learned that democrats are a lot like greens when it comes down to it.

Thanks for recognizing that those of us that are here at DU are on the same side as you, because we are. We are more similar than different, and we are working towards the same goals, more effectively every day :)

[AtomicKitten]

10. The Nader blame ship has sailed.

Ancient history. We have a new beginning ahead of us. I hope we have it within us to work together.

[Zhade]

13. Classy! Good show, my friend.

At least you realize and apologize for the ridiculous notion that Nader's run was more detrimental to democracy than the actual illegal coup that took place.

Not a Naderite, but I appreciate this post.

[IChing]

14. OK, apology accepted

Although I am not a Naderite, but very Pro Green, and a member of the Democratic Party

We sometimes hurt the ones we love and eat our own.

[yodermon]

15. By expressing remorse

for your post and accepting responsiblity you have displayed more honor in your little finger than in this entire neocon clusterfuck of an administration.

:toast:

[noiretextatique]

16. if only some others had your wisdom and grace

i missed the flamefest too, but your apology is gracious :thumbsup:

[stevedeshazer]

18. You know what? That that takes guts.

You're the first anti-Nader poster I've seen here in four years to have the guts to say what you just did, and I salute you for it. I understand the anger, and as a former Nader supporter, I've come to realize that we want pretty much the same things.

:patriot:

I voted for Ralph Nader twice, in '96 and '00. I'll never vote for him again. And I didn't cost Al Gore the election. He won fair and square. He should have been President, and still might be had the Republicans not stolen the election, twice.

Whenever confronted with a choice between a Democrat and a Republican, I always vote for the Democrat. I registered as a Democrat in 1974, and I still am a Democrat.

But what I learned from Naderites is the same thing many are now learning for the first time: That millions of Americans, a sure majority, are disenfranchised and angry. Many of us were ahead of the curve and felt this way when Clinton and the Congress passed NAFTA and GATT and DOMA.

We felt abandoned; we still do. Democrats and progressives of all stripes have been marginalized and ridiculed. I could tell from your post last night that you have the same white-hot anger that I've had for years, well before the debacle that is the Bush Crime Family.

I join you and others united in your aforementioned rage, and together we'll prevail. I want a free and fair America. Let's join and fight for it.

:toast: peace

[lateo]

19. Excellent Post KzooDem

Greetings from South Bend!

[TahitiNut]

20. 96% of the 'blame' must go to those who voted for Smirk & Sneer

The other 4% can be shared between SCOTUS and election fraud. If there's anyone next in line, it's the Democratic Party "Leadership" for not taking a firm and principled stance on standing up for the "bottom 99%" of America - its workers, its women, its seniors, its school-age children, its veterans, its gays, its minorities, and its sick and injured who need medical care.

George W. Bush, in any sane world, should be the easiest corrupted piece of human shit to defeat, even in an election for dog catcher. There is one and only on reason he wasn't beaten: slavish and obeisance to the "top 1%," whether by toadies, Quislings, house servants, imbeciles, or bought-and-paid-for political whores no matter the party label.

[anarchy1999]

21. How incredibly gracious and consider yourself forgiven.

Peace back at you.