Virtual race war erupting on ABC blogs

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Sunday October 19, 2008 · 1:54 PM PDT

2008/10/19 · 13:54

For some reason I have continued to comment on the ABC.com websites for the past year, even though it is mostly a space used for spin, talking points, and other rants. The racism is usually covert, with most people finding other reasons to bash Obama (even if fabricated). In truth it is hard to tell which ones are anti-black rather than anti-liberal (often both).

But what I have been seeing today is different, and somewhat frightening. It seems to have been triggered by the Powell endorsement, but may also be just the desperation of people frustrated that no "legitimate" arguments are working. But people are starting to sound not only openly racist, but unstable and potentially dangerous.

jockyoung

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Thursday August 28, 2008 · 9:48 AM PDT

2008/08/28 · 09:48

ABC now has an article article up linking Joe Biden to the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) of 2005. I agree that Biden should not have championed this bad bill, but that is not really the point here.

There are several points:

jockyoung

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Friday May 16, 2008 · 7:15 PM PDT

2008/05/16 · 19:15

With the Montana primary approaching, I just received an anti-Baucus push poll that was fairly well disguised as a legitimate poll. It wasn't particularily nasty, but with standard push poll types of questions like "Would you be more or less likely to vote for Baucus if you knew he voted to raise your taxes over 200 times?" Has anyone else in Montana received this call yet?

All I could get from the questioner was that he was calling out of New York and worked for "Central Research." I don't know if the fact that he had trouble reading the questions had anything to do with the nature of the outfit. Has anyone heard about this? Is this sufficiently egregious that we should look into it, or has this become standard campaign fare?

More details below...

jockyoung

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Monday September 03, 2007 · 7:32 PM PDT

2007/09/03 · 19:32

Labor Day is always a good time to reflect on not only the fundamental role that labor plays in a healthy economy, but also the critical role that Labor interests play in progressive coalitions. When Labor unions are strong, and when pro-Labor politicians are numerous and powerful, all progressive causes usually benefit. Advancement of a progressive agenda requires broad political coalitions and Labor will always be a major anchor for any such movements.

As an environmentalist, I am keenly aware of the need for making Common Cause with Labor, and with the attempts by business and free-market idealogues to drive a wedge between our groups with the "jobs vs. envirnoment" trade-off myth. At no time will the need to bridge this gap be greater than in the coming debate over climate change policy.

jockyoung

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Tuesday August 21, 2007 · 7:28 PM PDT

2007/08/21 · 19:28

Fire season in Montana can be an intense experience, especially if it is a very active one like this year. The wildfires dominate the local news, and the announcements of evacuations scroll across the television screen all evening. Even in Missoula, a mid-size town where we are safe from the fires themselves, we have to endure the thick layers of smoke, which constantly irritates the eyes and casts a dirty-yellow light over everything. There’s no better way to keep an issue literally "in your face."

Fire is a truly terrifying phenomenon. These big forest fires can burn with a speed and intensity that is overwhelming. Check out the video in this diary to get some idea. A lot of people around here either know someone who has fought fire, or know someone who has had to evacuate their home. It is understandable that emotions can get a little raw. Unfortunately, those emotions can be exploited, by people who really want there to be simple solutions, and someone to blame.

So how do environmentalists get blamed for this?

jockyoung

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Friday August 10, 2007 · 10:52 AM PDT

2007/08/10 · 10:52

Sorry for a relative newbie to be doing meta, but this has been really bugging me:

I would like to draw attention to a possible trend on DailyKos that I find troubling. I have seen posts on this web site that look like they could be part of an organized propaganda campaign. I want to admit up front that I have no real evidence of this, it is just a concern I would like to make people aware of. Insiders have probably already discussed this sort of thing, but I'm curious to hear what people think. If no one else is worried about it, then I'll drop it.

I am not talking about honest "cheerleaders" for candidates. "Cheerleaders" may get a little over-zealous at times (OK, sometimes really annoying), but they usually write substantive diaries and often on other subjects. As long as they are honest and civil, we should probably just "let be." Much annoyance for everyone might be avoided if people just keep in mind these "Rules" of primary campaign blog discourse posted by kos.

I'm talking about something potentially a little more dishonest:

Poll

30 votes Show Results

What do you think should be done about this?

30 votes Vote Now!

What do you think should be done about this?

Chill out and let everyone think for themselves

15 votes

Keep an eye open for possible mischief

6 votes

Consider some kind of warning system

2 votes

Leave it to kos and the other good DK folks to deal with

4 votes

Harass suspects until they go away (not recommended)

2 votes

Ban everyone who has already picked a candidate (kidding, obviously)

1 vote

Sometimes we just need a place where we matter

jockyoung

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday August 05, 2007 · 10:31 AM PDT

2007/08/05 · 10:31

In light of Markos' keynote speech and all the recent discussion of what has made this website successful, I wanted to express my feelings of why this site and the netroots are so important, and to encourage our renewed efforts.

We all have limited time to do the things we know need to be done. We know we have a lot to contribute; if only we had the time; if only we knew where we could make a difference. We are always looking for a place where the little time we can spend will be well spent. Where the things we say will be listened to. Where others can take up our ideas and help build on them. Where what we do matters.

Is this the place?

jockyoung

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday November 01, 2006 · 6:23 PM PST

2006/11/01 · 18:23

Tonight on Montana Evening Edition, the local PBS news broadcast, News Director Sally Mauk interviewed Senator Conrad Burns. This interview had to be one of the most hilarious (and sad) example of clueless right-wing rhetoric that I have heard all Fall.

Unfortunately, the broadcast is not available online until after midnight. You can check it out then or I can try to Update this diary: http://www.mtpr.net/...

I wanted to get this message out, however, because there was an especially newsworthy episode when Burns insisted that Saddam Hussein was involved in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

More notes below the fold:
Read More

RSS

Virtual race war erupting on ABC blogs

Biden and Bankruptcy (and Obama and McCain?)

MT-Sen: What do we know about anti-Baucus push poll?

Labor and Climate Change

Fire

Cheerleading or propaganda?

Sometimes we just need a place where we matter

MT-SEN: Burns says Iraq behind Sept. 11