Despite what we think in our hothouse atmosphere, we don't count for much. I mean, my God, if we did, Howard Dean would have 80% victories in Iowa and NH and would be cruising to take out Bush right now. But we don't. What's been happening here in the diaries and diary comments is a really counterproductive cycle of "Kerry is terrible" and then "yeah, but are you going to vote for him?" This is about as bad as the "Dean's great" "Clark's great" that went on here through November and December.
I don't know how to stop it, (maybe it can't be stopped until next November) but would all participating just take a good long look at yourselves for a moment?
- Kerry haters. Most of you already will vote for him in the general if it comes to that, so I suppose it's within your rights to bash away. And in case anybody's worried, anti-Kerry feelings or links are not exactly going to migrate from here out to the "real world" or such things are already there. Bashing Kerry here doesn't hurt anyone. But does it help? Actually, the question is more, does it matter? Unless this translates to some kind of weird anti-Kerry hatred on the outside (which I doubt--see my point about Dean above), whether or not people are bashing Kerry is pointless. Sure it lowers the level of discourse, but I have to say the "Dean" "Clark" "Dean" "Clark" stuff wasn't exactly raising it either. So if you have something balanced and substantive to say about Kerry--even criticism (especially so...I'm not too fond of the man myself--I'm going to start referring to him as "second to last choice Kerry"), that's fine, but the whining is seriously getting on my nerves and I agree with you. It's certainly not going to convert anyone to your cause.
- Equally as irritating...as soon as someone bashes Kerry, there's a diary telling us to be ABB. You folks pushing ABB all the time, are you seriously afraid there's going to be some kind of Nader-like rebellion if Kerry gets the nomination based on a few people posting on Kos? Is support for Kerry so tenuous that we have to sign loyalty oaths every time we talk about him? Well, OK, maybe on Kos it is, but again, not the real world (see Dean scenario above). Besides you ABB folks still haven't gotten it through your heads that screaming ABB isn't going to make somebody who's not ABB like you any better. You have to offer a carrot, not just a stick.
OK, I've said my piece. Hrmph...going to take my loyalty oath again while I snark about Kerry some more...
