Is DU the largest Democratic board out there? Is there another one BIGGER?

[HardWorkingDem]

As far as anyone knows, is there site out there that has a larger group of followers than this one?

I'm just curious because it seems like there is not one Washington insider, strategist, tactician or ANYONE in Washington that seems to be even paying attention to the perception every day Democrats are starting to have toward Washington Democrats.

It's like these people are willing to build a wall around themselves and only give a shit if they keep their own jobs.

[Luminous Animal]

1. I don't know. What's the traffic stats on DKos?

[HardWorkingDem]

4. I mean the type of board like DU...

Where regular people can come and easily post their thoughts and feelings. Something like a message board like this one.

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. 'Regular people' can come and easily post their thoughts and feelings on DKos too

The format is slightly different, but it's open to anyone to join and have a diary and respond to anyone else's. Or, in one case I know, to have 2 IDs there, respond to your own posts as if you are a different person, and get away with it.

[defendandprotect]

2. You're right .... elites/corporate $$ buys silence ...

[hlthe2b]

3. Some lurk here... Obviously not enough come here or any other

progressive site, but I know reporters and some congressional aids do... Some pols themselves do (most recently Congressman Alan Grayson).

[pnwmom]

5. You're assuming it's a Democratic board.

Big assumption these days.

[Luminous Animal]

6. True. Some people think it is turning into a secret Muslim Socialist board.

[orleans]

9. lol. n/t

[Scurrilous]

11. Heh.

Huge assumption. :thumbsup:

[jannyk]

14. It was, and now it can be again! nt

[NYC Liberal]

18. It's not.

DU used to be a place for Democrats to "get a break from the constant attacks in the media against our candidates and our values" but no longer.

Even non-constructive attacks against Democrats are allowed as of yesterday.

Oh well.

[Renew Deal]

24. Then why are you here?

[davsand]

28. Do you think DU has changed in tone in the time you have been here?

I do. I'm not whining, I'm not being "the old fart grumbling in the corner," either. I am saying, however, that DU has shifted an awful lot over the years. There are people who have had some very real issues with the attitude changes here.

I think that the shift of power--from the Dubya regime to the Obama administration--has left a lot of posters on here without the same sense of direction that we used to have. It used to be that we were all united in our dislike of the policies coming out of Washington. Now that we lack that common enemy, we are busy chewing on each other because progressives really ARE a very diverse group of special interests.

It ain't bitching, it is just an observation...


:shrug:



Laura

[Renew Deal]

29. Not much

I got here in 2003 and at the time old timers said DU had changed. I've been here 7 years since and people say DU has changed. DU has changed in some ways, but not in it's politics. DU was, is, and will continue to be to the left, supportive of gay causes and issues, anti-wars, supportive of Democratic candidates, full of "gun nuts" and "gun grabbers", and a site with a sense of humor most of the time.

The one big thing that has changed on DU and has changed the tone for the worse is "unrec." I think unrec has been harmful to discussion and community. People are distrustful of each other after seeing seemingly non-controversial stories getting unrecced by "members."

But pnwmom's ridiculous statement that people are "assuming DU is a Democratic site" is half baked bullshit. If she really believes that DU is no longer a Democratic site, then what is she doing here?

[davsand]

30. Maybe we differ on the definitions?

To me, this is a "democratic" site--meaning not exactly aligned with the Dem party, but still democratic. "Democratic" to me, carries an association with the DNC and the whole party 'thang. Small d vs Big D, I guess...

Hell, I remember the early Green wars on here where the "Naderites" were being screamed at by the mainline party Dems. It was ugly as a ten day plate of pasta, and the venom would almost drip off the screen. Finally, at one point I think I remember that the lads (Skinner, Earl, and Elad) finally locked it down to dem ideals and started clamping down on party stuff other than the Dems. Later that kind of softened to "Progressive" ideals, I think.

UnRec really does bother me, too, however it is there and I'm not the owner of the site. (Hell, I threatened to leave when they brought advertising banners in here--so you know just how much of a malcontent I am...)

I think that DU has grown WAY beyond what it started out at, and I think that with effort and a deliberate choice we can all continue to benefit from our participation here.

Peace to you.



Laura

[Renew Deal]

32. I wasn't here for those early wars.

I guess that's why Skinner decided to align the site more with the Democratic party in the early years. It gives a clarity of purpose. I agree that DU is far larger than what it started with. There were only a few forums when I got here. I still remember most of them:

LBN
GD (no GDP)
Lounge
Meeting Room
Articles
Justice
I/P
ATA
Bush/Conservatives
Politics and Campaigns
And whatever they called the gun forum those years

That was pretty much it. I got here during the primary wars of 2003-2004. I still they those are the worst period on DU. It was brutal.

[davsand]

31. Duplicate post. Please delete!

[Rex]

7. It is not just Dems, it is all of Washington. They are above failure

can't go wrong or make any mistakes...and if they do it is all denied or covered up to the fullest extent. It is a disease of 'can do no wrong' that our fed govt seems to be suffering from since...ohh...forever?

We the People = can do all kinds of wrong and punishment is severe.

Our Govt = doesn't make mistakes or ever commit crimes.

Big Business = too big to fail? no crime committed.

[sabrina 1]

They don't care what ordinary people think.

They are so far removed from the people that we are probably the equivalent of aliens to them.

They are mostly RICH except for a very few. And that's what's wrong with our government.

We need more ordinary working class people in Congress and the WH. Teachers, Firefighters, Nurses, P.O. workers etc.

Our government is no longer representative of the people because it costs so much to run for office no ordinary person can afford it. And we have far too many lawyers in DC also.

[cutlassmama]

10. +1

[billlll]

13. holland, last i heard, media run by citizen groups

Each getting a group of pgs in the paper according to size.

That might have made campaigns there

"Cash free campaigns".

Not clear if it did tho.

All yrs back... Anyone know if so now?

Superb model to get here for many reasons... Talk radio for instance.

[Tx4obama]

12. Well....

Considering that the main job of the Congress is to write bills, read bills, hold investigative hearings, review judicial nominations (in the senate), etc. it does help for the folks in Congress to have a legal education/background.

[sabrina 1]

15. They can have lawyers to consult Congress. Also,

since most of them do NOT read bills, I'm not sure that having a legal background is necessary. Also, bills should be short and readable to the general public. With less lawyers writing them, there would be less need for lawyers to interpret them.

None of us are lawyers, but when we need one we find one. Not to mention the fact that people can learn the basics, as many members who are not lawyers, have done.

We have members of Congress who can't tell the difference between the Constitution and the DOE, people like Boehner eg.

And we have had presidents who know nothing about the Constitution or the rule of law, with lawyers surrounding them, giving them 'legal advice'. I have had elementary students who would have know that torture is against the law for instance, yet with all that expensive legal advice our entire government doesn't seem to realize it except for Jerry Nadler.

We need to simplify the language in legislation. It is deliberately written in legalese in order to discourage people from actually reading it.

[Individualist]

23. Agree. Government of, by and for the corporations has replaced government of, by and for the people

[closeupready]

26. Sabrina, this is so incredibly simple and truthful. +1000

It is NOT THAT COMPLICATED, folks.

Congress people are protecting their own wealth and high incomes, and those of their patrons.

[KharmaTrain]

8. You're Small Change...Literally

We just went through the most expensive mid-term election ever and it appears to be 2012 will make this year look like chump change. Every congresscritter is looking at their campaign coffers...the money that keeps them in their jobs...and see they will need at least 2 million or more for each House seat and upwards of $20 million for the Senate (and I'll bet I'm lowballing these numbers). Add to this the perception that the GOTB won so big...mostly through their drunken-sailor spending (especially by the 527s). There was Russ Feingold...one of the greatest Senator's of my lifetime...who refused to take the big money and see what happened? You better believe Democrats in the beltway did. Your vote means little right now cause without the big money these politicians can't keep their gigs to survive the primaries yet alone the general. Your vote only matters AFTER the money is collected...usually the last weeks of the campaign when you're promised everything only to be dumped when they look at their checkbooks again.

[FBaggins]

16. It isn't the size of the board that matters... It's how we use it.

If you're satisfied... Isn't that enough?
:-)

[HardWorkingDem]

25. No, it's not enough...because...

it's like those people in Washington are in an impenetrable bubble of comfort that needs punctured big time. The sad thing is that it is going flat on the Democrats but they don't seem to realize that WE are the ones that are going to be hurt the most, not them.

[old mark]

17. I doubt size or numbers matters to the Democrats in Washington...

The liberal/left/progressives are so far out of tough with the Democratic Party as it exists today, we are completely irrelevant to them - they want us to vote for them, and piss and moan when we say we won't, but they have no intention of doing anything for us - they are too busy chasing the right and becoming GOP lite.

I am very interested in the split between the President and Reid and Pelosi, who sudenly are revealed as strong Democrats against the Presidents conservatism. It will be an interesting month for the Lame Duck Congress.

mark

[Kaleva]

19. Every day Democrats?

DU, by design, is a forum for the liberal wing of the Democratic Party and for progressives and liberals. Thus, no one reading here can assume what is said is an accurate representation of rank and file Democrats as a whole. There are also many members who are not Democrats.

[The Uncola]

21. Don't lnow for sure about ..

.. which "Members" here aren't Democrats, but there's a shitpot full of chumps in DC with Ds behind their names, that sure don't fight for Democrat values. A good portion of them work at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

[HardWorkingDem]

22. Unless it is on purpose.....

The Washington Dems seem absolutely tone deaf and unless the disconnect is on purpose, I just don't get it.

It's like they really have not taken anything away from this last election. And to even float and idea like renewing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy in these terrible time makes no sense at all - again, unless it was on purpose.

(Now, possibly their strategy is to throw them out there and let congress stir it up were it becomes a middle class tax renewal vs a wealthy one, but it's just not clear).

[jtown1123]

27. Trust me, insiders are paying attention. The question is

will they let this unrest deter them from alienating their base?

[NJmaverick]

33. This is not a Democratic board