Where is the biggest gathering of JRE supporters?

[OneGrassRoot]

Including delegates, perhaps?

Does anyone know if they're planning anything big for the convention to bring attention to JRE's message of poverty? Something to get the attention John never got and shine light on the humiliating truth of how many of our citizens are suffering needlessly?

I don't even know where to post things for Edwards supporters to read any more. There are so many blogs and sites and it's confusing me...lol

[Catchawave]

1. Did you see benny's announcement about the new blog here?

In case you missed it,

here's a peek....mostly dkossacks, JREbloggers from the campaign, a several DUers!

Enjoy a taste of heaven, from last night's open thread:

http://www.eenrblog.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=92

and do take a tour of the new website, hope you join! :hi:

[midnight]

18. This site looks very compressive of all the issues that

are vital to strengthening equality in America for everyone.

[Andrea]

2. How dare you suggest that???!!!!

That will not completely and immediately solve the problem of poverty. It's just a stupid muddleclass ego stroke for you and your "liberal" friends.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:


Seriously, though, I'd like to know because I'd like to participate in any big event/protest at the convention.


:hi:

[Two Americas]

3. sigh

This saddens me.

[Andrea]

4. First word I've had from you in over a week.

?

[Two Americas]

5. likewise

I haven't gone anywhere.

[Andrea]

7. Nor have you replied at all

I can't deny I'm disappointed in that.

[Two Americas]

9. sorry

I didn't mean to ignore you and didn't realize that I had left any messages from you unanswered.

[Two Americas]

11. a little more on that...

This might be helpful. I will post it in public for the simple reason that I think there is a lot of pm-ing going on behind the scenes with possible rumor-mongering and gossip as always and it is best to get things out in the open when possible - but please feel free to speak with me privately at any time on any subject. I intended to leave the door open in my last message to you. Cliques are forming feelings are hurt and all of the rest. People who were not so long ago on good terms are at each others' throats. I can't keep track of who is on whose side and who is mad at whom.

Here is some stuff that is going on that I am aware of. I am in computer hell with both my machine screwed up and something going on with the server. At the same time the demand for responses from people has increased by like ten fold. So it has been difficult to get threads to load, especially the long ones, and respond to everyone. Getting email to load has been a problem as well. I have concerns about the server and that has eaten up time.

Also, a whole bunch of people seem to have flipped out at the same time the last few days. I was being pulled several directions by different people and factions among the Edwards supporters, with one group wanting to rush ahead and another wanting to slow down.

On top of that we have some big disagreements about political issues that have erupted all over the place.

Don't know if any of that helps, but I have been reacting to events and not able to get ahead of them. I am trying to not burn any bridges with anyone.

[Andrea]

13. Well I've been there

You have my sympathy regarding computer hell.

As to the rest, there is an announcement from me in the admin section on the other site, posted 2/22/08 with the title Good Morning All, which you never responded to. Judging by the number of views, I think you've probably seen it, but I could be wrong.

[Two Americas]

14. I see

Yes, sorry I had missed that. Announcements I am in the habit of skipping over, since they were coming from us, not to us - if that makes sense.

Well I don't have any demands, complaints, expectations or questions, and I wish you the best. If ypu announce the end of an association, that ends the association.

[Andrea]

16. Actually, no, it doesn't make sense

Anything in the admin forum should have been attended to by all of us. I'm sure you must have been expecting something after the changes you and Rocky made without discussion with anyone else. It's water under the bridge now, but very disappointing.

[Two Americas]

17. sorry you are disappointed

I don't know what you want. Rocky announced his decisions, and they were news to me the same time they were to you.

[Andrea]

19. Thank you

Judging by what part of the discussion we could see, it seemed to me that you two had changed the name, the scope and the mission. That rendered my contribution moot, as well as all the work I had tried to do to that point. If that was not the case, I guess something could have been said to the contrary, but you did not read the post (to my surprise) and I have no idea if Rocky did. I heard from the other three, but not you two. I don't want anything. The whole situation is just sad.

[Two Americas]

25. ah thanks

I didn't see it as an either/or and tried to find ways to accommodate the different directions people wanted to go.

I really did miss that post. Ironic that "announcements" which are supposed to get more attention, caused me to skim past it. Same as here at the Edwards forum at DU - the same announcements at the top of the forum are always there and pretty soon I tune them out and skip down to the "actual" posts. I don't know what Rocky is up to since his announcement as I haven't hear from him.

I didn't see your work as moot, I just wasn't sure whom to take directions from or how to reconcile the different opinions - I was reluctant to throw mine in and further complicate things - and I thought that I could go ahead and set up what Rocky was itching for without that precluding what anyone else wanted to do.

Up to a point everyone was communicating with me a lot, and that suddenly stopped. It went from 20-30 pms a day to zero overnight. Wasn't sure what to do at that point or how to interpret that.

[bobbolink]

33. How very .....compassionate of you.

Man, what happened to you?

You, the one who said you cared so much about poverty?

What happened?

[bobbolink]

43. No reply. I'm very glad you have honestly put yourself out there, for all to see.

Now we know where you stand.

It ain't where Edwards stands.

[kelligesq]

6. REV

best not to talk about that on du threads

one of the blogs is getting ready for something of that nature. and you're a member there

[ChiciB1]

8. QUESTION? Are there Now THREE Blogs For JRE?? The Edwardians...

The Edwards Movement continues and this one??? I'm confused, AND I must admit I haven't spent much time at the two I mentioned because THEY are confusing to me. Partially MY fault for sure because I haven't been able to spend as much time as I had anticipated due to some personal problem with my mother-in-law.

So which PLACE do any of you suggest to be the MOST active??? As I see it right now, The Edwardians seem to be more active, but that's only my opinion from a cursory glance.

Thanks... I'M still around too and am STILL fully supportive of John AND Elizabeth Edwards.

I'll check in later... And Andrea... I still have a list.

[shimmergal]

10. My question--

Where do you find the Edwardians? Nothing came up in a Google search--just the historical era.

[ChiciB1]

12. To Be Honest.... Even Though I Originally Signed On With Them....

I don't know what the status is anymore. It was my understanding that the people who decided to set this up were going to be making changes to the site. I see it's still the same and I have only posted a couple of times. I had been waiting to hear more, but never did. I don't KNOW what is happening there now. But I do have a link.

I'm thinking I'm going to go with the EENR now, but still musing about where to go.

Here's the link... http://winetourfeasts.com/edwards/index.php

I did see some action going on, but as I said I don't know what up right now.

[Two Americas]

15. hi ChiciB1

There are no longer any plans there that I am aware of. I am leaving it open for awhile so people don't get disconnected from each other. I don't know what happened or where people went.

[Catchawave]

20. I'm so sorry to hear that :(

I've been checking in everyday, now I know why it pretty much screeched to a halt. Too many chiefs, not enough indians? That happens a lot starting new communities, I have the scars to prove it :silly:

I'll still keep checking in at your site and look for updates :hi:

[balantz]

21. For some reason my computer wouldn't allow me to post there for awhile.

That seems to have fixed itself for now. I think the "Edwardians" site is a good group of Progressive/populist, Edwards supporters, and I hope it continues. I just posted there again after about a week of not being able to. I hope to see some of you there.

[Andrea]

22. Perhaps it can continue as is? n/t

[balantz]

23. I'm kind of in the dark still about how all of the administration stuff went down.

I would like to see a little more radical-activist (though constructive) discussion go on there. Things need to be kept alive.

[Two Americas]

24. thanks balantz

Thanks balantz, catch, time and Andrea.

I can leave that board up, and feel free to ask for anything you need.

The main problem is that Rocky and Andrea were the two people who I was trying to respond to, and Rocky wanted to move quickly and Andrea wanted to spend time planning. I was ready to work in a subordinate role to either, but I couldn't go both directions at the same time. Then I tried to push my ideas - that was a disaster lol - too radical and whatever and that went over like a lead balloon.

FWIW a few observations...

I noticed that it is almost impossible to keep personal issues, organizational issues, and political opinions separate. If people disagree politically, there is a great danger of it becoming personal. Building an organization requires that fist and foremost the personal issues are handled, and that makes it very difficult to discuss or reach understanding and agreement on organizational or political issues, since expressing a contrary opinion on either of those can cause a breakdown in personal good feelings and that then causes the community to break up.

Also, I think that we - just about the entire population - has lost the ability to form organizations, reach consensus, or put democracy into practice. One particular model for leadership and organizations has come to dominate every aspect of our lives, and has driven out all alternatives. We gravitate to the strong personalities and to the money, and everything revolves around those two things. So setting up a money driven petty dictatorship is very easy and people will feel comfortable with that - in fact they get angry and uncomfortable in the absence of that. The leadership model requires a certain sugar coating of flattery and pandering and paying some lip service to democracy - in liberal organizations one must be a dictator while not looking or sounding like a dictator.

Once the strong personality of Edwards was no longer in place, and the top-down model of organizing - all dependent upon money, of course, in our political system - was no longer there, people find themselves at sea and confused. I was surprised to see people scatter and so many differences arise so quickly after Edwards dropped out.

People are "waiting for something to happen" and impatient with anything else. The only way that something could magically happen would be for someone to become a petty dictator, flatter people into participating, and throw money at the project. This would then give people the "something" they hoped for, or not - they would be free to merely choose to participate or not depending upon whether or not it met with their tastes - without having to commit to anything.

[balantz]

26. Well that didn't last long, I can't post at the Edwardian site again.

I will have to be limited to posting from the library when I visit there once or twice a week because I don't want to screw around with my friend's computer here. It was challenging for me to be unable to post at the Edwardian site because (a) I don't know computers very well, and (b) it really kicked up my paranoid conspiracy tendencies. Especially after I put a Karl Marx quote in my sig.:scared:

[Two Americas]

27. damn

Why are only you and I having problems and only at that site?

[balantz]

28. Are you still having problems?

Do you come up with that same page we were talking about when you try to post? Kinda weird, huh? Coincidence? I'm not worried about it or anything, just a little frustrated. What do you suppose is happening with that?

[Two Americas]

29. no

Not since I got rid of a trojan on my machine. But could it be that coincidentally both our machines had the same infection? I had confidence in the security of the machine you are using from what you told me about it.

[balantz]

30. No other problems.

And as I said, this system is automatically scanned every night.

[Two Americas]

31. ok

I think there is a possibility that the particular trojan I found may be on that machine as well. It is very new, and there is always a lag between the appearance of a virus on the 'net and the ability of virus scanners to identify and locate them.

It is still a mystery. Why only the two of us, and why only at that site?

[balantz]

32. ?

[Andrea]

34. Is it possible you two are

the only ones using a particular operating system or some other program that had a vulnerability?

[Two Americas]

36. hard to say

I have been playing musical computers and am on the third PC and 5th configuration in the last 60 days. I did use IE on this machine briefly right before this happened, and that always opens up vulnerabilities especially if ActiveX is on. Still, why that would affect someone else's machine in the same way (coincidence?) and only cause problems with one site (this is getting weird now) and not affect other users (we are now in the twilight zone) remains a mystery.

[balantz]

38. I just did a successful post from the University library.

I only have problems at that one site from the computer at home.

[Two Americas]

39. there you go

It therefore has to be our two machines. I have been over and over everything at the server and the registrar and nameserver. Everything is clean.

[balantz]

41. Hey Andrea, I'm able to post again at the Edwardian site.

Give your opinion & etc. on the Party split thread there, if you feel like it that is.

[Andrea]

35. It's a difficult time

I think many of us are more emotional than usual. I know I am. I am desperately worried that we are falling into fascism. Perhaps we are already there and we don't know it yet. I feel like I am grieving the death of my country. Tomorrow is election day here and I am not looking forward to it at all. I just pray that somehow - third party, brokered convention, or whatever - we get a candidate that I could vote for. McCain, Obama, Clinton - toss them in a hat and pick one out. There's no difference. I've never before felt that there was no difference between the parties, but I do now - I'm certain of it. It's very, very sad. Reluctantly and with great sadness, I've begun making plans to leave the country.

You said:

I noticed that it is almost impossible to keep personal issues, organizational issues, and political opinions separate. If people disagree politically, there is a great danger of it becoming personal. Building an organization requires that first and foremost the personal issues are handled, and that makes it very difficult to discuss or reach understanding and agreement on organizational or political issues, since expressing a contrary opinion on either of those can cause a breakdown in personal good feelings and that then causes the community to break up.

I think that is very true. As volatile as things are now, it's difficult to build trust. There was more that contributed to our problems, many things common to the start up of organizations, but without solid trust we couldn't overcome the problems.

[Two Americas]

37. well said

I think you are perceiving this accurately. Good post.

[ChiciB1]

40. Shall We All Just Correspond From Here Now? I'm A Little Torn Between

the THREE sites now. I have no problems connecting to any of them, but what kind of dialog are we going to be having. I AGREE with what is being said here and how tumultuous EVERYTHING seems to be. As I've stated many times before, my activist role has diminished greatly because of what I have seen and lived through just this past year. What I see and have been seeing has turned me against so much I thought "we the people" of America stood for. No longer do I recognize so much of what is going on.

I recently got a PM from an American living in another country, an Edwards supporter who seems new to DU and I just got finished asking about what THAT country perceives about America. I'm interested in hearing the answer. One thing I would really dislike is for those of us who have stood SOLID for Edwards to lose site of his idealism... but as several of you have said what we are seeing these days are OMINOUS at the very least.

I'll be back, my dog needs to go to the doctor for her yearly check-up. I love MY DOG too! Can't help but brag about her, she's a Chocolate Lab named Shawnee (after the Indian Tribe) but what is most important is that she has been my "stabilizer" throughout so many times I found myself DOWN IN THE DUMPS!! I know so many of us have been "down" many many times!

[Greylyn58]

44. I have to agree with much of what you said

and I also wanted to say I feel the same about my dog. My boy Sheridan has been with me through thick and thin over the last few years. He just turned 12 in Dec and though getting older, he still acts like a puppy. He is a very good listener when I have no one else and I don't know what I would do without him.

[ChiciB1]

45. Is That Sheridan?? Adorable, Adorable! He Looks Like He Can Give

lots of BIG SLOPPY Kisses! I know Shawnee does! There ARE times when the kisses aren't as welcome, but I never turn her away! You know the ones, right after they lick their butts!!

:rofl: :rofl:

Glad he's still acting frisky especially since he's a larger dog! I keep telling myself to get over to photo-bucket and LEARN how to insert her picture with my comments! Several people have volunteered to help, but I really should learn on my own simply because it's the BEST way to go about it!

[Greylyn58]

48. Yeah, my Golden boy can give lots of kisses

and they are sloppy. :evilgrin:

[ChiciB1]

50. My Daughter Has Two Goldens.... Great Dogs. Labs & Goldens... Great Dogs!

I've always had large dogs and have had to put some to rest in the past. Now there's a loss! Each time I say, not again.... BUT Heeeerrrree's SHAWNEE!!

Guess I check to see what happened with the candidates now! That's says much too much about my interest in the OTHER TWO these days! I feel rudderless!

[Greylyn58]

54. I will probably come unhinged the day...

I have to make that decision. With Sheridan getting older, those thoughts are never far from my mind. Thankfully, he is healthy--no signs of arthritis, still loves to play fetch and run around, but I have to admit to keeping a closer eye on him.

I feel rudderless too. Since John's departure, I've lost all enthusiasm for the elections in general. I am just fed-up with the vile, nasty behavior going on between both Dem camps right now. Neither of them talk about what they want to accomplish, how they want to fix the problems Shrubby is leaving behind in DC. They just hurl accusations about each other back and forth.

When John Edwards suspended his campaign, the real grown-up truly left the building--cause the children are continuing to act-up and fight.

[Two Americas]

42. at your service

I will help in any way I can with anything anyone here wants to do.

With the wisdom of hindsight, I think there is one thing I cannot do - try to herd the cats - and two things I will not do - set myself up as petty dictator, and not express my political opinions for fear of harming the group or a project.

[ChiciB1]

46. Okay....What's that Saying?? Can't We All Get Along?? You Seem To Be

trying to "reach across the aisle" and in THIS case I concur! I haven't posted over there much because it was confusing to me. But, that's MY fault... just didn't take the time to jump in and get acquainted. I did sign up and do check the comments. I did think it was undergoing changes too, but wasn't exactly sure what they were.

As far as I'm concerned, I want to stay connected with the rest of my fellow Edwardians! We were/are such a GREAT group of people and I know other Du'ers often said we rarely attacked others unless provoked. What I see going on now is so much blatant nastiness at GD:P and prefer not to jump into the fray! But there were times when we did have to stand our ground. I think most of us simply wanted to promote John Edwards and his Populist/Progressive message. Even if I consider myself a bit more Liberal!

That says a lot about us and for that I'm PROUD!

[Two Americas]

47. I failed

I am saying that I failed.

[ChiciB1]

49. But YOU Tried Too!!! That's More Than Many Can Say! I'm Not Sure

how you define failure, but beating yourself up won't do you any good. I once read some statistics about people who try to go into business for themselves and I think the failure rate was something like 75%. I don't know where I got the numbers but I can't say it surprised me. My own son failed at it too and my husband and I tried to help out financially and now know that sometimes it's better to throw in the towel early in the game.

I know it may not change what went down, but you seem to be giving it a lot of reflection and in the end you may have learned a LOT along the way. Seems there were some others who aren't even bothering to talk about the whole thing. I have wondered where "some" went and that bothers me too. Again, I'm only speaking for myself because I KNOW I wasn't all that active there, but did want to help.

However, if you feel you failed.... YOUR FAILURE doesn't come close to the failure we are experiencing here in America! This country has FAILED it's people and now many of us who have had so much "passion" feel we have been kicked to the side of the road and mowed down by our OWN Democratic Party.

I really wish I could rid myself of this ever present "sinking" feeling I've had for a very long time about the future of this country. I still have too many questions and see NO answers that are forthcoming.

Perhaps in the haste of trying to "do something" many mistakes were made. I think I recall reading a post about too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, but wouldn't that be more about ego than failure? But to say you won't voice your opinion anymore is a bit silly and actually will be very difficult to do regardless. Everyone generally has an opinion about something! Try to remember what it is you think you failed at and make the necessary adjustments. JMHO! There I go with opinions again.

:shrug: :crazy:

[Two Americas]

51. thanks ChiciB1

By the way, I said I won't NOT voice my opinion (sorry for the confusing double negative there) - in other words, I won't be quiet or tone down my opinions for the sake of keeping the peace. You didn't think you were going to get me to be quiet, did you? :)

The value in acknowledging failure is that you can learn more from failure than from success often, as you mention, and because it frees you up to try new approaches.

Too often I hear people on the left say "well sure we lost, but we looked so good doing it!" or "remember, we may lose, but we are right!" and "keep trying people!" as we use the same tactics again and again and again no matter how many times we fail. People are resistant to hearing that - "we are failing" - because they think that is disloyal or invalidates the righteousness of the cause, or they even take it personally and get offended and defensive. That keeps us locked into the same methods and approaches that have not and will not work. Keeping the faith, being true to the cause, or having hope will not magically change that.

Audacity will. That is what the Republicans have. They don't worry about mistakes, they can overcome those by relentlessly fighting and never letting up. And there is no such thing as audacity that is found in hope. Audacity is the opposite of hope. Hope is the least audacious thing one can do. And change we can believe in? The Republicans force the changes they want to see, and they measure success by seeing the changes, not believing or hoping in them. Hoping and believing are for children who have no power, and no expectation of having an impact on the adult world.

[ChiciB1]

52. Now There's The Spirit & I Just Posted Something About Repukes

and THEM being called "sheeple" by us! Kind of makes you wonder now doesn't it???

[balantz]

53. Failure is just a word. And a beginning.

[iris5426]

55. I don't think that's true.

It was a group failure, and almost more of a dissolution than a failure...I think we bit off more than we could chew, and more importantly like you said, there was disagreement about how quickly we were trying to do something and how broad a purpose it would have. I hadn't even considered the whole thing over and done with, much less failed yet, I've been hoping we might regroup and try again, maybe not setting our sights so high initially...but I think that you did/are doing a lot, we would have never gotten anywhere at all without you, so you certainly haven't failed.

:hug:

[Two Americas]

56. thanks

Thanks for the kind words.

[iris5426]

57. Not just kind words...

I mean it! :)