Prolonged Contest Good for Democrats, Good for America

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

Tuesday April 08, 2008 · 4:20 PM PDT

2008/04/08 · 16:20

Last week I spoke about some tactical reasons why the protracted nominating contest is a good thing. Today, I want to talk about the quality of excitement in this contest, and why it means we're doing good for ourselves as a party.

I noticed this afternoon that DHinMI is in his front-page pulpit again, going on once more about how this prolonged Democratic primary is somehow a bad thing. He couldn't be more wrong.

I was an Obama delegate at the 43rd Legislative District caucus in Washington State this past Saturday. The turnout was huge--historically huge. Like US Representative Jim McDermott said when he spoke to us there, our participation is revitalizing the Democratic Party. Anybody who is calling this prolonged primary battle a liability for the Party and for our chances in November is either not paying attention, or isn't being sincere.

Poll

35 votes Show Results

When should this primary season end?

35 votes Vote Now!

When should this primary season end?

Yesterday.

4 votes

Immediately.

1 vote

After Pennsylvania or North Carolina.

15 votes

After the last voting contest in June, with superdelegates meeting behind closed doors.

6 votes

Anytime between now and Denver when one candidate chooses to concede.

5 votes

At the convention, with a nation watching.

3 votes

Don't know.

1 vote

Don't care.

0 votes

Other.

0 votes

Let the Primary, Continue!

The Sinistral

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

Wednesday April 02, 2008 · 6:37 PM PDT

2008/04/02 · 18:37

In response to yet another wrong front-page diary by dear Mister "Often Wrong" DHinMI, where on a daily basis he displays his powers of being often wrong far and wide at the mournful expense of others, this time suggesting (wrongly, and often) that the extended Democratic primary means trouble for our chances in November, which is a wrong he often makes on the front page (at the mournful expense of others), I should like to point out three facts that show just how wrong he, yet again, has managed to be.

Poll

28 votes Show Results

The protracted nomination contest benefits Democrats most because...

28 votes Vote Now!

The protracted nomination contest benefits Democrats most because...

Clinton's presence splits the Republican and media attacks on Obama.

2 votes

People all over America are having their say in the Democratic process.

6 votes

The Obama and Clinton campaigns are organizing more Democrats.

4 votes

Obama needs the experience against Clinton before going up against the GOP hordes.

2 votes

Other.

2 votes

Actually, I'm with Often Wrong on this one.

12 votes

Why Newspapers Are Dying

The Sinistral

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

Thursday March 13, 2008 · 5:51 PM PDT

2008/03/13 · 17:51

The newspaper industry is decline, perhaps fatally, for five reasons—all interrelated. You probably already know the reasons, but if you wanted to see them all written down in one place, then here you go.

As always, comment is invited. Be sure to take the poll, too!

Poll

105 votes Show Results

Do you pay money to a newspaper?

105 votes Vote Now!

Do you pay money to a newspaper?

Yes, print subscription.

46 votes

Yes, online subscription (or other online service).

2 votes

Yes, classified ads (online or in print) regularly or occasionally.

0 votes

Yes, print subscription and online subscription or service.

3 votes

Yes, print subscription and classified ads.

0 votes

Yes, online subscription or service, and classified ads.

0 votes

Yes, print subscription, online subscription, and classified ads.

0 votes

Yes, any of the above, plus commercial ads.

1 vote

Yes, other.

5 votes

No, used to subscribe but quit for lack of time or interest.

6 votes

No, used to to subscribe but quit for lack of quality or service.

16 votes

No, used to subscribe but quit for a superior alternative (television or online).

13 votes

No, have never paid a cent.

8 votes

No, other.

4 votes

Other.

1 vote

"I'm Not Religious, But, Godspeed."

The Sinistral

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

Tuesday March 11, 2008 · 3:35 AM PDT

2008/03/11 · 03:35

I admit, these kinds of remarks always irk me. "God bless you," says the unbeliever. What does that even mean? God who? A blessing made up of what? Of goodwill, perhaps? Goodwill not from god, but from the unbeliever directly? Then why not say it that way in the first place, and forget all of this god language? That would make a lot more sense, not to mention being a lot more sincere.

Poll

57 votes Show Results

Nonbelievers: Are you guilty of the "I'm not religious, but..." language mistake?

57 votes Vote Now!

Nonbelievers: Are you guilty of the "I'm not religious, but..." language mistake?

Yes, but it's not a mistake. Allow me to explain...

6 votes

Yes, often.

1 vote

Yes, once in a while.

6 votes

No, almost never.

7 votes

No, I deliberately avoid religious language when speaking for myself.

18 votes

I am religious (or spiritual), so the question does not apply to me.

19 votes

Poll: How Do You Feel About Your Candidate? About the Other Candidate?

The Sinistral

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

Thursday February 07, 2008 · 3:51 PM PST

2008/02/07 · 15:51

The entire purpose of this diary is the poll, designed to better understand the nature of community opinion toward Obama and Clinton. Some people seem happy with both candidates. Others love one and seem to really dislike the other. Some dislike both, including a few who dislike both intensely. It puzzles me (although it shouldn’t) that opinion varies so widely, and to be honest I have a hard time understanding some of the positions that people take.

There is nothing here except what might be written in the comments. So go for it! All I can say is that I think it will help us to better understand ourselves if we can gauge whether dKos opinion toward each of our two candidates is predominantly positive, neutral, or negative. My intention is not to give one candidate a boost, for I know that Obama is more popular at dKos right now, and so does everybody else, and I expect the polls to reflect that. Rather, by choosing very specific poll options, what I really hope to capture is the mindset of our community. Are we as enthusiastic as we seem to think we are? Does that carry over to both candidates? Is this merely a Democratic contest for the presidential nomination, and all that goes with that, or is there something larger afoot here?

Poll

314 votes Show Results

Who are you voting for?

314 votes Vote Now!

Who are you voting for?

Obama; love him but like Clinton too

46 votes

Obama; love him and dislike or am ambivalent toward Clinton

102 votes

Obama; love him and hate Clinton

72 votes

Obama; can tolerate him, but hate Clinton

14 votes

Obama, the lesser of two evils

9 votes

Clinton, love her but like Obama too

18 votes

Clinton, love her and dislike or am ambivalent toward Obama

17 votes

Clinton; love her and hate Obama

6 votes

Clinton, can tolerate her, but hate Obama

5 votes

Clinton, the lesser of two evils

3 votes

Undecided

5 votes

Gravel, yeah ha baby! O, behave!

3 votes

Defecting to McCain

1 vote

Third party

2 votes

Other

11 votes

Mixed Feelings: The Daily Show & Colbert Are Back

The Sinistral

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

Tuesday January 08, 2008 · 10:08 AM PST

2008/01/08 · 10:08

I’m not sure what to say, so of course I had to write a diary. I love The Daily Show and Colbert. I feel for the pain of all those, inside the guild and outside, who were not earning an income because production was shut down. And I was worried, naturally, that the prolonged strike could reduce viewership and harm the shows in the long run. I still am.

Poll

143 votes Show Results

They're back on the air. We all love 'em. But will you tune in?

143 votes Vote Now!

They're back on the air. We all love 'em. But will you tune in?

Yes! Hell yes! I love those shows.

60 votes

I'm pissed that they did this, but I'll watch anyway because they're so damn good.

27 votes

I respect their decision, but I'll wait for the strike to end before watching.

31 votes

I'm upset by this and won't be watching them again anytime soon.

14 votes

"Love 'em?" I never watched them in the first place.

5 votes

Other

6 votes

The Kos Close

The Sinistral

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

Tuesday January 01, 2008 · 8:45 PM PST

2008/01/01 · 20:45

This is not a candidate diary.

Poll

151 votes Show Results

Should Markos participate in the primary wars?

151 votes Vote Now!

Should Markos participate in the primary wars?

No, his involvement is harmful to our community.

26 votes

If he likes, but not on the front page.

27 votes

Sure. His site, his rules.

88 votes

Other.

10 votes

Democrats Beware

The Sinistral

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

Wednesday December 12, 2007 · 4:37 PM PST

2007/12/12 · 16:37

Our elected Democrats should beware: The netroots are angry, our mood is ugly, and tensions are very high.

We recognize that you have made a number of meaningful gains this year in advancing a good domestic agenda. Considering the difficulty of overriding the filibuster in the Senate and the veto at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, we might charitably say that you have shown signs of promise this year.

Good, but not nearly good enough. There are two requirements we have of you that trump all others:

You are to end this war, and you are to hold the Bush administration accountable for its abuses of power.

You have done neither. You have not even tried.

We hired you to represent us, and you have failed in the most important way. We expect you to rectify this, now.

The Sinistral

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

Thursday December 06, 2007 · 11:35 PM PST

2007/12/06 · 23:35

Wherein I answer this diary.

~~~~~
"Democrat" refers not simply to the party platform, which changes over time and is always the subject of debate, and not simply to the people who affiliate themselves as Democratic, which can be anybody. It also refers to the debates, the alliances, and the power-grabbing which, in turn, determines who is a Democrat and what the Democrats stand for.

In other words, it refers to the process itself of becoming and continuing to remain a Democrat.

Poll

14 votes Show Results

What do you think?

14 votes Vote Now!

What do you think?

I mostly agree with your diary: Inclusiveness is good, even if it can get ugly sometimes.

11 votes

"Democratic" has a specific meaning at Daily Kos: We should be more rather than less selective about who is accepted here.

2 votes

Other

1 vote

OMG, It's So Much Worse Than We Thought That I Crapped Myself!

The Sinistral

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

Saturday December 01, 2007 · 3:47 AM PST

2007/12/01 · 03:47

Crossposted in my secret diary, which may end up being the only record I ever existed.

The Sinistral

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

Tuesday July 24, 2007 · 3:44 AM PDT

2007/07/24 · 03:44

Libya’s president has pardoned the five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor who had been sentenced to death on trumped up charges of secretly spreading AIDS to children around the country.

Reuters has the timeline of this whole story, while the Los Angeles Times has a fuller description of the breaking news.

The Sinistral

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

Saturday July 21, 2007 · 6:37 AM PDT

2007/07/21 · 06:37

I shouldn’t need to make the case that, in a just war, it would be an unjust tactic to use our military casualties as support for an antiwar movement. But what I wonder about is whether or not the reverse is true: In an unjust war, is it just to use our military casualties as support for an antiwar movement?

Naturally the question arises from the antiwar movement’s heavy reliance upon our armed forces’ mounting losses in Iraq as part of the argument that the war should be concluded. But how effective is that line of reasoning from a logical perspective?

I think it depends on where and how the issue of casualties is raised.

Poll

25 votes Show Results

Are American troop deaths a good argument against the Iraq War?

25 votes Vote Now!

Are American troop deaths a good argument against the Iraq War?

Yes, our losses in and of themselves help to discredit the war to begin with.

4 votes

Yes, to the extent our losses emphasize the consequences of the war, but do not themselves establish that the war is unjust.

10 votes

Yes, other.

1 vote

No.

9 votes

No Opinion / Miscellaneous

1 vote

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RSS

Prolonged Contest Good for Democrats, Good for America

Let the Primary, Continue!

Why Newspapers Are Dying

"I'm Not Religious, But, Godspeed."

Poll: How Do You Feel About Your Candidate? About the Other Candidate?

Mixed Feelings: The Daily Show & Colbert Are Back

The Kos Close

Democrats Beware

Here Is What A Democratic Blog Means

OMG, It's So Much Worse Than We Thought That I Crapped Myself!

Imprisoned Medics in Libya Pardoned, Freed, Back in Europe

Are Troop Deaths a Good Argument Against the Iraq War?