I’m a Democrat. I voted for Gore. I hope he wins in Florida. I expect Bush to win. If Bush wins, the country will be all right.
I’ve been involved in a lot of the post-election debates on this Board, and some of them have been pretty interesting and cordial, but they have been the too-small minority.
I don’t like to think about how many posters have written things like “Democrats, you go to hell and you die!” or “Bush is a retarded frat boy” or “Republicans are facists.” I’d link them, but there are too many.
And I don’t give a fuck that many of these types of posts have been in the Pit. In the Pit, you can be rude, but you still can’t be a Jerk. People who disagree with you are not evil. Most of us learned that in kindergarten, but people are forgetting that now.
Usually, when you condemn someone, it’s because they’ve done something to you. What the hell has someone who disagrees with you done to you?! Look at some of the threads – people are treating political opponents like they’re in the fucking KKK! This is utter bullshit and, more to the point, it makes it pretty hard to actually talk about these things enjoyably.
And too many of the posts in GD or GQ ain’t much better. People aren’t talking to each other, they’re talking past each other. Insults are flowing too freely in those posts, also. We’re here to have fun and to learn. That ain’t gonna happen if all everyone is doing to spouting the party line to each other, and ridiculing rather than responding to each other.
So, people, grow the fuck up. This whole election thing is freaking fascinating. Enjoy it. Talk about it. Debate it. Listen to opposing points of view. But don’t think your guy has a god-given right to be Prez, and that people trying to stop him are agents of Satan. If you think that, you’re a shit-for-brains moron.
I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over the sound of my hands clapping. It’s on both sides, too (you know that as well as I do), but snide, snippy and downright rude stuff. It’s difficult not to respond in kind (I’ve made some real attempts, don’t promise that I’ve not succomed once or twice).
But especially when folks are talking past each other. nah, won’t give an example, don’t want anyone thinking I’m picking on them especially.
I too agree, except for that part about the election being “freaking fascinating.” My teeny attention span is tapped out. I’m ready for the next big news story. Hope the next one has sex - or violence- or BOTH!
I visit a couple of other political forums and they are almost total freak shows. I say ‘almost’, because there are a few posters that take the time to think BEFORE their rants, instead of going to all that fuss and bother afterward. They are worth reading and answering, whatever side of the question they’re on.
But for the most part, well, jerkism is alive and well on the internet.
By the way (hijack - sorry), I think the system has never worked better, no matter who wins. I further think that anyone eligable who was able to vote and didn’t needs a swift kick in the ass with a cockroach-killer. This time, EVERYBODY’S vote was important!
I voted for Nader. But I think Bush should win Florida because of how I read the law. Thus, I’m a person with conservative views equivalent to Bush all of a sudden. Give me a break!
I think there is a real tendancy of people to pull crap like that when you’ve got them on the ropes. I just try not to do the same.
And back on topic- yeah it is kinda annoying at times to see all the partisan myopia, but occasionally it gets so exagerated it is even amusing. And all this passionate involvement is certainly preferable to nobody caring.
There’s been a bit too much irrationality and talking past each other which is one of the reasons I decided to stop posting on the election. That kind of argumentative behavior brings out the worst in me [those m…g repub…opps, sorry]. The big HOWEVER is that the so-called discussion here is so much more adult than what’s going on with my local newspaper chat - the Jacksonville Times-Union. So I peek into Great Debates from time to time and totally, totally ignore any other site.
While I agree that this election has provided some very interesting insights into the democratic process, I also have to say I’m getting to the point where I’m beginning to tune it out. It’s not that I find it dis-interesting (I know that this may not technically be a word, but much like crapulation, it gets its point across), it’s just that the media coverage is a little too complete. Every time somebody so much as sneezes, CNN and all of the other news networks are all over it like stink on a monkey (I’ve always wanted to say that).
But, to put it into perspective, at least it isn’t Elian (say what happened to him anyway? It’s like I woke up one day and the little guy had fallen off of the face of the earth).
I was an eager participant in the beginning. The unreasonableness of some people turned me off. On both sides. I haven’t even checked any of the threads I participated in for about a week. It seems that even the most levelheaded posters sometimes lose their minds over this.
Can you point me towards one of those interesting and cordial threads Sua?
here we go. red_dawg, or whatever you want to be called, (my preference is Amadán, get your Irish-English dictionaries out, people!) posting to get a negative reaction will get you banned. It’s as simple as that. If you think thats Communist, go make yourself a dunce’s cap, but be careful with the sticky tape.
Twisty, when you see those types of comments they come from one source, learn the source and it’s easy to pick out…listen to the mods and admins and realize they are doing what they can to get rid of said person.
Anyhow…
I think since this is The Pit Sua, let em have it. If people are feeling dispondant (sp) about the situation, then let them vent. But you can always interject with a view they may have not thought before.
For example, on our local news station’s message board someone called this election a black eye in the world’s view and we basically look ridiculous. I responded with several comments including:
This will get people more involved in the process as so many are complacent.(sp)
We have seen this in the past including in 1876 where their was more riding on the election as our economy is strong our world has never seen such cohesiveness.(again sp)
And one of the other points I brought up was that our government is not perfect, never will be. There is no human invention that is perfect but our democracy is far better than any government in this world that I know of.
With those comments I was able to shut the person up in a civil and calm manner.
So let them vent, make your points and you might even change their minds about this. We don’t have violence like many countries would after such an election…in that light this is something I am not willing to get riled up about. I realize people need to vent.
Well, okay I will get pissy about other things, probably things that are not very cosmic but things that effect me personally but when it comes to this process I let it go, try to be calm and explain to my fellow Americans that we will push on no matter the outcome.
Oh, I know who he is, but I just wanted to comment on his whole “This board is Communist” diatribe that he has been spouting.
Sua, it just sickens me. That normally a level headed group could get so childish. Its shown a new side of a lot of posters. but I suspect once this has blown over, it will get back to normal.
But one good thing that came out of it. It introduced me to a lot of posters that I didn’t notice before and now have no respect for.
