I have been advised to not take this down.
That said, I have decided to cut the content here because much of it is in the contents.. repeated over and over again, and give a quick summary in the body here so this isn't long winded.
A Front Page article discussed a general strategy for a state wide election which involves significant efforts of a campaign, other groups and a little bit of luck. The article was well researched and very informative.
I disagreed with the idea of putting the article out there - in the harshest of terms on multiple points.
They were:
* The terminology used is most often used by groups that refer to others as cheating, doing bad things, etc. The terminology used within the article, no matter the intent to me sent the wrong message and framed an issue to provide ammunition to Republicans within the state used as an example, who have accused the candidate named within that article of many things in relation to that specific election.
* Because the candidate, pacs, unions and all groups involved have spent a lot of time (2 years plus) going on the radio, in town halls and elsewhere refuting this point, I disagreed with the acceptance of this point or praise for the use of the strategy. No matter what people say privately, or how much we may believe something, it is my goal to back my candidate and my party against what I feel our spurious accusations. The diary in question also noted that the campaign denied this occurred, while arguing how it succeeds.
* I feel as though groups I work with and for have really struggled with voting rights issues in our two states. By my count, I have written at least six diaries I know of on how since 2012, the Republicans in both states have made efforts to change the voting laws.. from a 2-tiered voting system in Kansas (http://www.dailykos.com/...) to an end to early voting through a ballot measure in Missouri ( http://progressmissouri.org/... ). For many of us who live in these two states, the ability to vote is really at stake in elections upcoming, and they rely on state house races.. detailing a strategy such as was detailed her in positive terms not only suggests that their party was lying, candidates were lying, I felt as though it gave oxygen to a story that everyone I know of in every single organization has been putting down.
* I feel as though the documentation of the strategy doesn't really benefit any democrat anywhere.. outside of the negative opinions, very few Kossacks are in any position - with millions to donate or running a statewide campaign - to make use of said information, so it was inside baseball that I felt only in the end served to hurt and provided no tangible benefit to anyone here in relation to 2014.
Finally, I'm re-writing this not only to be more calm but to say a bit of a mea culpa: I can get very zealous and at times too much so when I feel as though an argument makes no sense to me. Many of the commenters below and in the other article are fine to refer to myself, and others who believed on this issue as we do as 'fools' 'naive' 'losers' 'whiners'. I took umbridge, and that fueled a lot of commentary that wasn't appropriate for what my goal here on DailyKos is. I can't change comments, so yes there are moments that I lash out.
We all want the same thing. We want to win. I disagreed then and disagree now on the purpose of running said article and that isn't going to change. But I figured, rather than take this diary down, if it is going to stay for all eternity I will let the vitriol stand in the comments and I will take a much more calm tone here and say: I disagree.
Carry on.
To Mods: If commanded, I saved original text and would restore. I felt doing this met both of our goals.