Wow, kinda like old home week, here...
So, many recognizable names from DK.. right off the bat, I see diaries from divineorder, dkmich, gulfgal98, and more with comments from PhilJD, Tomp, gjohnsit and my very favorite DallasDoc. Although we've never met or communicated - DallasDoc is a far better writer and of everyone on DK I think I have agreed with his opinion 99.9% of the time. Thanks, Doc! Oh, I've missed so many important names, including Meteor Blades!!! But, I'm glad to see you all and be able to rec or comment, however infrequently without worry.
Here I can be the independent I am without having to buy the Establishment line. On DK in a comment, I made it quite clear after the disappoint of Pres. Obama's policies I would never, again, vote for a Neoliberal Democrat, particularly one with a Neocon bent. I refuse to continue with the status quo and be bled out slowly.
What I can say here and have my doubts I could say on DK is that here in Colorado, my vote and other independents like me matter perhaps more than registered Democrats or Republicans. We constitute one-third of the vote in this state. We will determine the outcome of the general election here. Registered party members get their say in the caucuses without our input but independents in Colorado and other Western States will determine the general election. That's a fact Democrats and Republicans must deal with, no matter which candidate they field.
Democrats including Pres. Obama lied and screwed us over causing a backlash in 2010 they are still seeing today. While I did not and will not vote Republican and continued to vote a straight Democratic ticket, I will not do this in the upcoming General Election, at least for President.
In my view, Pres. Obama and mainstream Democrats did exactly what the Establishment needed done which was continue the Rightward policy shifts in economics and foreign policy (hell, he even strengthened many Bush policies) while pacifying the Democratic left to remain the boiled frog. No rocking the boat, just make it drift a bit slower while disarming the Left.
I refuse to vote for such policies. If Bernie is not the candidate, there are 3rd parties out there and I will cast a protest vote that has meaning for ME. Yep, I'm pretty much a purity troll as far as "pragmatists" are concerned. Pragmatism has shifted us ever rightward moving the overton window until we witness the likes of Trump and Cruz.
I used to think I was way outside the mainstream public but now I know my so called "purity" is more mainstream than the pragmatic policies brought to us so far by a Democratic Congress or the President. Oh, NOESSS, Republicans, you say? Supreme Court, you say?? Yeah, got it. Been there, done that still got fucked over. WE either change the entire ship of state or we hit the rocks. Changing just the ever politically minded navigators is at best a momentary solace and stopgap.
Ah, well, enough for now. I am not a diarist nor do I even comment frequently. I read and appreciate. I really just wanted to thank you all for being the people you are and making the diaries and comments you do. I have learned a great deal from all of you, even when we disagreed.
Comments
thoughtful
My first time here, after becoming thoroughly demoralized over at DK. Plan on making this my new go-to site for progressive discourse.
Uberediter
Refreshing!
And, thanks!
J.M.F.
Welcome, J M F
Your vote is your voice. Your voice will speak volumes. That's my motto!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Thank you!
Great motto!
J.M.F.
Third Party, Write In or Stay Home? decisions decisions
The real issues are not being debated (conveniently), mostly for me it's the relentless wars of aggression that the U.S. has gotten into. First candidate who wants to challenge the MIComplex and use those trillions to resolve THIS country's needs gets my vote.( hope hillary doesn't read this cause she will say anything to get FakeNew's vote...)
If that candidate doesn't appear - then? well we will see what we will see. I'm sure there will be more surprises in store before I need fret about it.
peace
FN
"Democracy is technique and the ability of power not to be understood as oppressor. Capitalism is the boss and democracy is its spokesperson." Peace - FN
The decision will be evident soon enough.
The actual issues are rarely debated much less covered by the media. Agreed, we will see what happens.
J.M.F.
WElcome....
The freedom to speak your truth with civility and take the oppressive weight of dkos off your shoulders. Poke around. Do a search for #meta #dreaded, and you will get the admins point of view on what this site is all about.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Thanks so much!
I was happy to see you here, dkmich! Blue collar, lunch bucket guys!
J.M.F.
Yes, it's a nice comfy place...
No loyalty oaths here.
Which reminds me, I'd better nip over to the Great Orange Hillary and rec the BNR.
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...Phew!, made it back in one piece.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
Lol, lucky you!
I am even hesitate to rec anymore given the climate. I used to rec even things I vehemently disagreed with simply because I thought they were interesting or the overall comment discussion was interesting but no longer.
J.M.F.
A breath of fresh air!
Prompted by a thread at Kossacks_For_Sanders I took the Briggs Meyers, and it accurately described how I'll sometimes make an argument that I might not even believe, just to air out aspects of a debate that aren't being covered or to learn what shortcomings I might have missed so I have them to use later (I've called this "building up argument anti-bodies"). I have friends who are trial lawyers, and one a CEO of an ideation/research firm, and I have a love/hate relationship with their ability to grill me mercilessly on weak points in any of my arguments. I get that it doesn't mean they disagree, they're just professionals at developing the best arguments for or against anything and don't let me get away with weak or sloppy defenses of any issue.
I used to appreciate Kos for not being a complete echo-chamber, where I could free-form riff on ideas, good and bad, that strike me without fear that saying the wrong thing was punishable by admins or that I'd be gang tackled as if I waved a Clinton Banner at Red State.
I originally left Kos the first time when the subject of Black Box voting became verbotten, when even trying to make the argument that regardless of whether anyone is hacking the voting machines our elections should be open source and transparent and that no private company should be allowed proprietary counting codes was jumped on as supporting CT and bannable. A lot of good writers left at that time over that issue to.
So after a long break I came back this last summer, and while people have drawn parallels to the Clinton/Obama battles of '08 I see a closer parallel to the '04 electronic voting arguments a tKos, where just like now where pocketing millions in speaking fees should pose obvious conflicts of interest, any argument against unverifiable electronic voting machines was met with OH YEAH? WELL PROVE THAT THE VOTE WAS STOLEN OR SHUT UP!!!
Kos didn't shut down arguments and run open purges in the '08 Clinton/Obama battles, but he did in the electronic voting machine arguments, and this issue died and we're still stuck, 12 years later, not knowing if our votes are being honestly tabulated or not. And now, with an FBI investigation under way we're supposed to shut up and get in line. Fuck that noise.
So, I just wanted to say how glad I am to be here, where I can risk sounding like an idiot while I mine my psyche for gems.
"Polls don't tell us how well a candidate is doing; Polls tell us how well the media is doing." ~ Me
Exactly!!
Being the Devil's advocate is often necessary to extend debate and learn the ramifications of an argument. When subjects become taboo to the point of fear or even hesitance to participate then we have lost an important learning tool. When even reccing a contentious point you may disagree with is taken as an offense then it is time to move on.
J.M.F.