I have been reading, with increasing amazement, the reactions of persons who post here to various
Democratic politicians, many of whom are
very progressive.
Why should any politician come here to Daily Kos and discuss any matter with persons here?
Below the fold
I believe that politicians should come here, but the amazingly vituperative and juvenile reactions to politicians means that, in a very short time, none will come here.
Treatment of politicians varies of course.
Jane Harman came here occassionally (or her surrogate - on Daily Kos, no one knows that you are a dog). She was treated pretty badly. Russ Feingold comes here, and is treated well. Barbara Boxer - BARBARA BOXER - is being shamefully dissed. She herself (or surrogate) has come occasionally, but will she in the future?
I, for one, believe in several things:
1) Politicians THAT I CAN VOTE for owe me an explanation of their votes. However, I need to treat them respectfully, because they are in fact real people, and work hard for our votes. They don't need obeisance, but they do need respect. Even Republicans.
2) Politicians that I do not vote for owe me nothing. They don't work for me. They could care less about my opinion of them, and they don't need either my good or my bad notion. If treated respectfully, they may choose to respond to my questions.
3) The degree to which some require that politicians, even progressive ones like Boxer, toe this line of purity is ridiculous. Boxer needs to appeal to many constituancies, and the Daily Kos one is unusually different from most.
Thus, in my opinion (which you will disagree with), we could deal in a far more polite way with politicians who do take a few minutes out to talk to us. If I were an elected official who was treated as badly as Harman was, I wouldn't come back. Most people here are not in her district - what's in it for her? If she got good ideas and some helpful feedback, she might dialog here. She is a very influential person, and will be re-elected. If we kept her as a friend, we might have influence.
But, the poisonous atmosphere here in which the ambush interview OF FELLOW DEMOCRATS is celebrated is just over the top. Yes, Lieberman needs to be defeated. However, what if he is not, and the very negative reaction he gets in many quarters alienates him from our issues?
By alienating the politicians who do come here with strongly negative comments and reactions, we gain nothing but a sophomoric triumph of the student over the teacher. Such triumphs are very short-lived, and do nothing good in the long run. That's the seeds that the negative and nasty reactions sow.
What is the problem with being somewhat more polite?