About this: www.dailykos.com/…
No, Kos — I am not weeping because my preferred candidate is far behind Sanders in your straw poll.
No – I am not complaining about the freeping at play through Sanders supporters on Reddit groups like this one, which includes a tip on how to use incognito mode to vote multiple times in your poll: www.reddit.com/...
(Full disclosure: I tested that incognito-mode tip and I was able to vote in your poll again.)
[ASIDE/EDIT: To be clear, I am not claiming the incognito mode thingy and Sanders supporters are the only freeping of this poll. As someone said below, Breitbart readers can freep the poll, any MAGA groups can freep the poll, etc. etc., all with the goal to cause division among Democrats here, there and everywhere.]
What I am questioning is your intention and if you have given consideration to a potential downside to your woefully inaccurate poll.
You’ve essentially admitted in one your comments you know this poll is in no way accurate.
However, as the astute Sanders supporter who started the Reddit discussion I linked above, said:
“MSNBC loves reporting the results of this specific poll. They do a segment on this poll every time a new one is released.”
This Sanders supporter is 100% correct.
You apparently know your poll is freep-able and inaccurate. Yet you have no qualms about letting a network like MSNBC, not to mention the online news aggregate sites that also report on this straw poll, present your inaccurate results to an even wider audience as if it was actually useful?
Now, as a woman on this earth 66 years I’ve noticed something that supports the concept that female hormones, DNA, and centuries of conditioning due to birthing and caring for children, have an effect on a woman’s thinking process.
We women tend to keep front of mind the question: What could potentially go wrong in this situation?
We scan our surroundings automatically looking for things that could have a disastrous impact on our kids, our pets and ourselves (#MeToo).
Rusty nails. Potential predators of all species. Easily broken glass. Sharp counter edges. Garbage that may end up in a kid’s mouth or in the muzzle of our doggie. You get the idea.
So, after reading your poll and the comments, and adding comments of my own (a few of mine totally snarky, I admit and own it), this question came to mind.
What could potentially go wrong?
The first thing that occurred to me:
This inaccurate Kos straw poll may be setting us up for a “Bernie Got Robbed!” backlash should he indeed lose this primary to another Democratic candidate.
I can hear it now. In the voice of Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC:
“This is very surprising. Bernie Sanders had a significant lead in all of the Daily Kos polls.”
Hint. Hint. Hint.
I can hear it now, in the voice of Individual-1 (aka The Occupant, Orange Cheeto, etc.):
“Bernie Got Robbed!”
Applause. Applause. Applause of his minions.
And I can predict the pie fights here as a result — comments for and against claims that DNC insiders picked the 2020 primary winner long before Sanders even entered the race.
And this will again DIVIDE us as Democratic voters. It will be the 2016 primary ‘déjà vu all over again.’ Here on the website that is considered the “leading Democratic” destination on the web.
Kos, I don’t know if you have considered any of my concerns.
I don’t know if you have considered these concerns and yet chose to set increased site traffic, email captures, and PR as a higher priority.
Either way, I find it deeply irresponsible because the potential for dividing our party voters poses a risk of a second term of Don Bone Spurs’ occupation of the Oval Office.
Now, I love my party. I have love for the Sanders supporters here that I’ve tussled with over my selection of other candidates. Because we share the same progressive ideas.
When Bernie first announced, I even criticized a DK member who I like and deeply respect and asked her to give Sanders’ supporters the time and space to enjoy and celebrate their moment.
And I’ve made a conscious effort not to get as riled up with my natural 2020 allies as I admit to doing in 2016 because I supported HRC.
I have to call you out on this because I see potential for a “Bernie Got Robbed!” backlash down the road, especially when the owner of this site is willingly sloppy with the information he circulates.
I thank you in advance for your reply.
Love,
DaisiesArePretty
Tuesday, Mar 5, 2019 · 6:26:55 PM +00:00 · DaisiesArePretty
It appears many people who commented below and rec’d this diary – including many Bernie Sanders supporters – indeed “got” the core concerns I expressed about the Daily Kos Democratic Straw Poll.
I don’t think Kos himself “got it,” not after reading his current update at the top of the March 4th POLL HERE. Bottom line: he’s (wrongly) blaming Bernie supporters for the skewed results.
It seems to escape Kos that any MAGA-hat-wearing yahoo or Young Republican – anyone, anywhere -- can skew his poll to create division among us.
He misses the core issue: the online Daily Kos Democratic Straw Poll is a useless way to track the mindset of Democratic voters during the primary.
As A Result, I Offer a Proposal of UNITY.
For the next Daily Kos Straw Poll, let’s agree to unite and all vote for Bernie Sanders no matter which candidate we truly support. Let our goal be:
100% Bernie Sanders
0% Every Other Named Candidate
0% Other
0% Unsure
I ask every Democratic member of this site, every non-member, every Bernie supporting subreditt member and beyond, to join the effort in the next poll.
At the very least, Daily Kos polls cannot be leveraged by the media to serve their Talking Head “horse race”agenda.
Who’s on board?