DU Left Bashers have one good point about us(but it applies to them too)

[Ken Burch]

We need to find less venemous rhetoric at times(as do they.) I've been guilty of this at times, and I'll try to change.
Can we all agree to try to show some more discipline in what we say?

Let's try to find alternatives to reducing ourselves to our enemies' level on our tone.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. But, it's therapeutic...

And THEY suck. ;-)

[Ken Burch]

5. Therapy is all well and good. In private

What we are trying to do here also has a public objective, to win support for a broad progressive, even possibly radical, program of political change in the Democratic Party and outside of it as well.

We need to stop using terms like, oh, say "coprowhore" and comparing people to Hideki Tojo. There are other ways, better ways, for us to express our anger at the mistakes and poor choices of the politicians we engage with.

And We don't need to give people like Benchley any real ammunition to use against us.

[Redstone]

2. Well, maybe WE should tone it down, but the elected Dems in

Congress and the Senate NEED a bit of venom. Or Wizard-of-Oz-type Instant Courage.

Or maybe just one gut?

Redstone

[SushiFan]

4. Yowza Redstone. I am rarin' to go on

Impeachment. I'll do everything in my power to get this done. But I can'r understand the Demo convoluted strategy of not striking while the iron is hot. This is how, I feel, they have consistently lost to nazilike repugs for years now.

It's like they're coddling the Chimp. Giving him his every wish. I mean, he's weak now. Their sad party is weak now. You kick a man when he's down in order to finish off the fight. But these dems on Capitol Hill seem like they're afraid of their own shadow and absolutely cringe when the WH orders Frist to squelch dem strategy, or lack of strategy.

I'll fight for impeachment anyday. But without true leaders to look up to for guidance, I'm getting very burned out on Dem royalty being cowardly and timid.

[Ken Burch]

6. Good post. and that's the kind of tone and language we need to try to use.

Hold their feet to the fire, but don't lose your dignity while doing so.

[The Magistrate]

3. It Is True Enough, Sir

That people are not likely to be swayed to one's side by insult and disparragement. these simply make people angry, and people very seldom warm to people they find infuriating.

[Debs]

7. I will when they do

I spent many years answering slander with reason and saw the left called weak and watched the Limbaughs and Coulters flourish. At this point I start out with reason, but if they want to take the debate into the mud I will follow them there.I am tired of taking dignified discourse to a knifefight

[Jeffersons Ghost]

8. there you go debs

Now it's time to bring a gun to the knife fight. In one on one conversations with reich-wingers, I'm diplomatic enough but when I write online I want them to feel revolution rising in my every word. Neocons SHOULD be afraid... BE VERY AFRAID

[No Exit]

9. They deserve every word of it!

And, sheesh, NOTHING seems to get through to the Bush cultists! So naturally the frustration of sane people is going to increase to the point where they finally end up just screaming at those idiots.

And furthermore, the left side of politics has gained some converts, you see. I am one of them. To my eternal shame, in 2000, I voted for (cringe!) IT (Junior Bush). We convert types have unfortunately brought our hysteria with us. And unfortunately our temperament is such that we are not the type to want to be soft and nice with those who just don't get it. Screw Bush and Cheney!

[wyldwolf]

10. Ken, clarify your post for me

When I first read it, I understood it to mean that the Democratic "faction" wars on DU get a bit too heated.

Some of the replies seem to have interpreted it differently - that DU's rhetoric aimed at the GOP is too heated.

[Ken Burch]

11. I meant the faction wars on DU, not the rhetoric towards Republicans

Our campaign against the right needs to become much MORE impassioned and much more populist and progressive.
We need to focus on bringing out a huge national progressive constituency to the polls, so that even if GOP gerrymandering gives them
continued control of Congress, we will then clearly be able to build a resistance campaign based on the fact that that majority will have no legitimacy.

I was trying to get us to be more civil with each other. Democrats will always be an internally passionate group, but this passion must be expressed fairly and with as little personal rancor as possible towards each other. Some on the progressive side have been inappropriate and offensive in their posts(I've done it too, and I'm trying to change that)and others on your side (mainly Mr. B, unfortunately)have been so on the more moderate side.

Some rules of engagement I'd suggest.

1)Everyone posting here shall be assumed to be a loyal Democrat(unless they identify themselves as members of other parties)and all shall be assumed to be anti-Republican.

2)No references shall be made to how anyone smells(at least how any Democrat smells).

3)In general, try not to use bad language(at least towards each other).

Let's try to keep our discussions focused on the ideas and the merits of each idea. Focus the more uncontrolled anger towards the right. If you are genuinely enraged towards other posters or Democratic politicians, at least try to express this in terms of arguement rather than namecalling.

Also, there are the regular DU guidelines.