... of assholes.
Gods, I really do love you all. Even those of you I can't fucking stand. Lemme explain.
My very first interaction with any of the blog big leaguers occurred when Armando and Markos had their epic meltdown. I've thought Armando was a world class prick since I first read him. Smug, dismissive, and just damned brilliant. When he left, I certainly felt the loss to the site. Btw, it's good to have ya back, BTD.
And Markos. Wow. Another brilliant, sarcastic bastard. Always felt like I almost oughta genuflect before even addressing him. His disdain toward those who would make the perfect the enemy of the good was palpable.
I've been registered here about eight years, lurked for awhile before that. Some things, just never change. And I'm ok with that. I never liked MSOC, and I've never been a huge fan of OPOL. I consider their insight to have been invaluable through the years. Ray Pensador irritates me beyond belief, and probably always will. And that's ok. I need people to challenge my beliefs and assumptions, else I'd stagnate.
What I'm getting at, I suppose, is that I don't need to like you to respect you. I like this place because it isn't an echo chamber. It's a sprawling, messy, free for all, aimed at correcting some of the terrible things in this country, and its chosen vehicle is our Democratic Party. I need you all, fighting and cursing, coalescing and dividing. I need your passion and your pragmatism. All of it.
It's gonna be ugly sometimes. Primary wars, anyone? And it's gonna be jubilation and kumbaya sometimes.
What it's never gonna be is an echo chamber.
Anyhow, that's my $.02. I've had a rotten day, buried a cat that we've had for fourteen years, so if my venting pissed you off, well, sorry 'bout that. Whatever you do, don't let it stop you doing what you do. Because at the end of the day, like I said, I need you.