What does "a Democratic blog" mean? (with poll)

I've seen this thrown around a lot, lately. DailyKos is "a Democratic blog, a partisan blog."

I can live with that.

But does that mean I have to support every Democratic candidate in the primaries?

I don't think so, and I'll explain why below the fold. (Hint: Think "Joementum".)

Here's the relevant quote from the FAQ:

This is a Democratic blog, a partisan blog. One that recognizes that Democrats run from left to right on the ideological spectrum, and yet we're all still in this fight together. We happily embrace centrists like NDN's Simon Rosenberg and Howard Dean, conservatives like Martin Frost and Brad Carson, and liberals like John Kerry and Barack Obama. Liberal? Yeah, we're around here and we're proud. But it's not a liberal blog. It's a Democratic blog with one goal in mind: electoral victory. And since we haven't gotten any of that from the current crew, we're one more thing: a reform blog. The battle for the party is not an ideological battle. It's one between establishment and anti-establishment factions. And as I've said a million times, the status quo is untenable.

OK, that's clear enough. "We", and that "we" includes me, BTW, want a Democratic majority, and "we" will accept more conservative Democratic canddates from more conservative states to achieve it and subsequently holding onto control of committees, supboena power (that "we" seem not to realize 'we" have, but that's for another day), which bills get to the floor (see "subpoena power", but again that's for another day), and so on.

But doesn't this also imply that during the primaries, when we're trying to choose between more than one Democratic candidate, this "rule" doesn't apply? I say it does, and I'll give you some examples.

Remember Ned Lamont running against Lieberbush in the primaries? Don't even begin to think that I supported Joe, then, even though he was a Democrat. I was big on Lamont, JUST LIKE MOST EVERYONE ELSE ON THIS SITE. Turns out we were right, too, because look what whiny old Joe did when he lost the primary: he took money from the GOP to run AGAINST the only Democrat in the race, and his voting record since he won that seat again infuriates the majority of us.

OK, so we're OK with supporting some Democrats and not others in the primaries, but "we" are more than likely going to vote for the Democrat in the general. Again, I can (mostly) buy that.

But isn't this also a DEMOCRATIC site, that also OPPOSES the DLC? Take a look at Kos' front page post tonight. Do you get the sense that Kos, the owner of the site, is a big fan of the DLC?

Are you?

Or do you, like me, see the DLC as a toxic, negative influnce on the direction the Democratic party needs to take if it's to be effective at turning back the very real threat posed to our country by the GOP? Do you see that it's the DLC that's responsible for the "spinelessness" of the Democrats because of their neurotic need to triangulate every issue?

What say you, Markos? Is this an "anti-DLC site", or not?

Lacking an answer to that question I realize I'm going out on a limb, here, but I'd venture to say that at the very least Markos, and most regular posters, are opposed to the DLC when possible, at the very least. IOW, if the choice is between a "real" Democrat and a "third way Democrat", we're going to support the former over the latter every time. (On a personal note, I'm from Delaware and I will do everything in my power to see that Tom Carper doesn't represent me again after his next election in 2012. He's HORRIBLE as a "Democrat", and he's so slimy the way he tries to hide his "weaselliness", like voting to invoke cloture on that piece of human excrement Alito then voting against his confirmation. That alone makes me want to puke whenever I hear the name "Tom Carper".)

So, here's the point:

Should someone who's supporting a DLC candidate be surprised when they face strong opposition, here?

I'd like to know, because the DLC disgusts me.

Am I welcome, here?

(Edited to fix a couple of minor typos.)

•  Yeah, I know...

  ...too long, and too likely to start a war.

  But I really want to know.

  by Timbuk3 on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 07:24:16 PM PDT

•  Daily Kos is home to the Democratic Luntz Club.

  If you can't stand them, you should probably take a hike :)

  by DemocraticLuntz on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 07:31:26 PM PDT

  •  so that is what everyone means

    when they refer to "DL" ;-)

    by clammyc on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 07:33:41 PM PDT

    •  To the DLC. It means they hate my posse.

      by DemocraticLuntz on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 07:35:26 PM PDT

  •  Right now

    There are more votes for "Dude, you should really take a hike" than anything else.

    But I suppose I should wait for a few more votes before I say goodbye.

    by Timbuk3 on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 07:37:03 PM PDT

    •  "Dude" always wins

      If Kos added "Dude" to the straw polls, it would beat out all the primary contestants.

      by opendna on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 08:50:10 PM PDT

      •  I dunno

        I think people think they're voting for Lebowski when they click that option.

        by keirdubois on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 09:51:53 PM PDT

        •  And why not?

          Lebowski would really hold the party together.

          by opendna on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 09:58:24 PM PDT

          •  Plus he hates the Eagles

            I'll vote for anyone who says that and admits they actually have bad days.

            by keirdubois on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 10:00:06 PM PDT

•  Speaking just for myself

  non DLC Dem trumps DLC Dem
  any Dem trumps any Republican period.
  Lieberman is such an odd business it serves as an example of nothing, besides this site was behind Lamont almost to a person both times out so where is the issue?

  I have found no major contradictions between my views and those stated in the FAQ.

  Supporting Democrats does not mean or even imply never being critical of a Democrat.

  Think it's called nuance.

  by stevej on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 07:36:41 PM PDT

•  This is a site for all Democrats,

  meant to elect Democrats. So yes that means that there will be "Democrats" that some people here may not like.

  by oceanstar17 on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 07:46:10 PM PDT

•  In My Opinion It Is th Private Property of Markos

  and so he gets all the votes on what it's for.

  by Gooserock on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 07:48:10 PM PDT

  •  If Democrats win a sweep...

    ...I predict DailyKos will become "a dissident Democratic blog".

    That's how Kos rolls.

    by opendna on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 08:39:52 PM PDT

•  It's a pooty site.

  Oh sorry phillygal, it's a pootie site.  Pooootie.  

  by boran2 on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 08:00:26 PM PDT

  •  I like pooties

    I have 10 of them.

    Seriously.

    by Timbuk3 on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 08:01:32 PM PDT

    •  Ten?!!

      It's a good thing that you like them.  ;-)

      by boran2 on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 08:03:39 PM PDT

      •  LOL

        Ain't that the truth!

        It's a long story that started with an all-night flight from CA to the east coast with two cats in carriers, continued to purchasing a house with a woods (and a feral female) behind it, lots of vet bills, and 10 spayed or neutered cats who know where the food is.

        Two more feral females and one $800 dollar C-section later, we have 10 cats and several more placed in GOOD homes.

        I like animals better than people.

        Although I think the people in the bathroom at the Vegas airport thought I was torturing one of them. (The reverse was true. ;-> I had to stay awake all night because she had figured out how to open the carrier. I didn't think the rest of the passengers would appreciate a cat that was foaming at the mouth running up and down the aisles. My wife had the big male, who slept like a baby all night.)

        by Timbuk3 on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 08:10:20 PM PDT

  •  No, its a poetry site.

    Roses are red,
    Congress is yellow,
    It's damn near enough
    To piss off a fellow!

    by John Poet on Fri Dec 07, 2007 at 01:04:56 AM PDT

•  This isn't complicated

  Democratic nominees should win in November.  Democratic candidates should be as progressive as is feasable for any given seat.

  It means we don't make it harder for a Democratic nominee to win a seat.  If we don't like a primary candidate, we couch our opposition in such a way as to affect that candidate's chance at the nomination, but not our nominee's chance at election.

  "But does that mean I have to support every Democratic candidate in the primaries?"

  Not only would that be fundamentally impossible (hence the word "primaries," as in "intraparty contest for dominance"), but it wouldn't really jibe with, you know, Kos appearing in Lamont commercials and all that jazz.

  by JR on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 08:05:32 PM PDT

  •  So far

    I like your answer the best.

    by Timbuk3 on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 08:11:25 PM PDT

•  Hey Timbuk3? (re tags)

  Could I ask you to replace "way too serious snark" with just "snark" and remove "what does it all mean?"

  Otherwise someone's going to have to come along later and change them, and the Tag Librarians have enough one-off tags to deal with already.

  by opendna on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 09:04:51 PM PDT

  •  I saw this too late

    Someone had changed them.

    Since "Dude..." didn't get the most votes I'll still be posting, so I'll try to keep that in mind in the future.

    by Timbuk3 on Fri Dec 07, 2007 at 04:28:18 AM PDT

•  It's not a DLC site

  It's an NDN site.

  Yeah, yeah, but those differences matter to some peeople.

  by keirdubois on Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 09:53:29 PM PDT

  •  What is "NDN"?

    I don't know.

    by Timbuk3 on Fri Dec 07, 2007 at 04:29:03 AM PDT

    •  New Democrat Network

      here

      by keirdubois on Fri Dec 07, 2007 at 07:18:42 AM PDT

      •  Thanks

        I'll read it.

        by Timbuk3 on Fri Dec 07, 2007 at 10:40:04 AM PDT