Most of us are aware of the running disagreement in the Daily Kos community between the overwhelming majority, who are quite satisfied with the Obama administration on most fronts, and a minority (increasingly trying the patience of the majority) who seem to be actively seeking excuses for outrage or disappointment with the administration. That, for the most part, can be chalked up to legitimate disagreements and/or oppositional personality disorders.
What cannot be excused, however, is the ongoing and seemingly deliberate ignorance of the general consensus that Politico is neither a credible nor a sympathetic source. Even if we presupposed that its claims were 100% true, it is pointed out...EVERY SINGLE TIME THIS HAPPENS...that one person out of the two thousand White House staff members saying something has nothing to do with actual policy. You are entitled to your own opinion, not your own fucking reality, and certainly not to empower wingnut propaganda trying to undermine and divide Democrats in service to whatever petty impulse drives you to attack this President and this administration at all costs.
Over the past few months, there have been many such diaries and stories, many of them posted by a rotating roster of the same people who've exhibited a willingness to compromise (if not entirely discard) truth and reason to attack this administration. Almost without exception, the claims are cited without any attempt at qualification or context, and quite understandably since in most cases either of them would immediately invalidate the post.
And every single time one of those diaries ends up - inexplicably and embarrassingly - on the Rec List, or such a story is posted to the Front Page, the responsible members of this reality-based community have to remind the authors, and the legion of trolls their posts invariably inspire, that (a)Politico is a hostile source, (b)Politico is a non-credible source, and (c)even taken at face value, the "facts" presented are trivial and/or immaterial. This happens EVERY TIME.
And yet they simply refuse to learn. They ignore it, always. They continue saying the same things, over and over; relying on the same hostile, non-credible, trivial, tabloid sources over and over; continue posting content whose only effect is to divide and demoralize progressives, and stir up cannibalism instead of uniting in common cause for the American people who are suffering.
I realize it's hard to come up with new topics on a regular basis - the same is true in journalism, where newspapers and broadcasters are sometimes pressed for ideas for their content. Unfortunately, it seems many Kossacks have resorted to the exact same "solution" to this problem as the MSM - when you have nothing to say, just make shit up. "BREAKING: Drug addict has PCP-induced hallucination where Obama betrays liberals!!! (UPDATE: Wow, the Rec List, thanks guys!)" I am fucking tired of it.
There is a very simple alternative to behaving like this when you run out of ideas: Instead of just regurgitating whatever crap pops up on one of these tabloid sites, do research your damn self and think about it, and then post one when an idea finally occurs. Your voice is not the keystone that holds all of Daily Kos together, without which we would wander in aimless sorrow bemoaning fate and begging God to give us more of you. We can handle not having your brilliant insights and rapier-like wit for the few days it takes you to actually formulate something worth hearing, that is either constructive or at least harmless. Stop eroding this community and trying to undermine our party because you need attention.
If you have no better ideas than to form an entire post around anonymous sources quoted by Politico trying to tear down the Obama administration...
YIELD THE FLOOR or GRAB A MOP!!!
Update [2009-10-17 21:43:3 by Troubadour]:: Apparently this is on the Rec List. I knew you folks sooner or later couldn't resist my wily charms.
[Update 2]: Bored now. I'm taking off, but I will respond to comments later, so feel free to continue responding.