We've hit bottom.

[sfecap]

*The following is my opinion, and there is no warranty implied or otherwise, your mileage may vary, void where prohibited by law, do not remove tag under penalty of law.*

Well, I guess we've hit bottom.

There are TWO threads in the last 24 hours in which the poster(s) either directly accuse or imply that Gov. Howard Dean and/or Wesley Clark are racists, or they promote racism.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=108&topic_id=58862&mesg_id=58862

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=108&topic_id=58498&mesg_id=58498

This would almost be a joke if it were posted elsewhere. But this isn't elsewhere. This is a special place. this is Democratic Underground. To charge that any Democratic candidate is a racist is a very, very, serious thing, IMO.

This is beyond pathetic. It is beyond the pale. It is simply beneath contempt. It goes far beyond bashing. It is a smear of the most scurrilous kind.

I don't care what people think of Howard Dean's policies, statements, positions, hair cut, tie length, or neck size. Fair game. But to accuse him of racism is deplorable in the extreme.

None, and I mean NONE of the 9 Democratic candidates running for the nomination are racists. Not one of them. To post this type of crap at DU is appalling. There is certainly nothing wrong with vigorous debate, differing opinions, heated and flaming arguments between supporters, but this is simply too much. This is a new low. I have done my share of bashing here, but I hope I would never sink low enough to use the racism attack.

Our candidates are DEMOCRATS. Our party is not about racists!

I'm going to say it again:

Not one of these candidates are racists. Not Clark, not Kerry, not Edwards, not Sharpton, not Mosley-Braun, not Lieberman, not Gephardt, not Kucinich, and not Dean.

Disagree with their campaign rhetoric, their records, their votes. Fine. Criticize their party allegiance, their tie length, their neck size, their hair cuts, thier wealth, their wifes hairstyle, the car they drive. Fine.

But call them racists? That is simply unacceptable and abhorrent.

That crap is freeper behaviour. It doesn't belong at DU.

I am sickened by this stuff. I'm ashamed that Democrats(?) are doing this.

I am proud to be a Democrat. This party and the people in it have fought against bigotry, racism, exclusion, and injustice for as long as I've been alive. I am a Democrat because it is our party who believes in equality, justice, and what is right and good.

Every one of the candidates represent those values.

None of our candidates deserve to be called a racist. Ever.

Shame on you.

[JCMach1]

1. I agree and it is especially unappealing to those of us who are

undecided.

[Booberdawg]

2. Saw that. It looked like deliberate flame bait to me.

It was out of line, trash, drivel. But it's no surprise to me that we have individuals here who's intentions are not entirely honorable or consistent with any reasonable degree of integrity.

[A_Tra]

3. I dont believe

that all progressives are infallible or perfect, and it is pefectly possible that those two men are bigots. We cant prove it one way or the other. I have tremendous respect for men like Senator Byrd, but I think that he is a racist, he was a member of the KKK, and he used the "N-word" on national television.

[kaitykaity]

4. Locking.

Please see rule #4 here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=463744

4. If you wish to start a vanity thread (ie: a discussion thread in which the sole purpose is to share your personal opinion) you must state your opinion in a non-inflammatory manner which respects differences in opinion and facilitates actual discussion.

Also, the thread in Ask the Administrators is completely
appropriate to discuss these issues.

Thanks,

kaitykaity
DU Moderator

[Ellen Forradalom]

5. Hurrah. Well said.

It is easy to slap that term on a candidate for the smallest of imagined slights, without stopping to think of what that really means. And the stakes are too high this time around for anyone to indulge in this thoughtless behavior.

[burr]

6. I also have low tolerance for such postings.

Dean and Clark are among the primary candidates I am presently considering, who I have finally narrowed down to four.

But the one thing I have less tolerance for is overbearing rules. I believe we already have rules that deal with freeper postings, and with inflammatory postings which resort to untrue personal attacks.

These rules are rarely enforced, and when they are enforced it is done in an inconsistant and unclear manner. Some posters get mixed signals, while others keep on posting such garbage without penalty.

I prefer my approach. If you don't like it, don't respond. Then the post will be somebody else's problem.