It's starting. Today in two diaries on Claire McCaskill and Akin we experienced two different idealists running the thread into the "I refuse to support her because she's too conservative and besides" (I kid you not) "she's an old biddy with a grating voice".
Fighting ensued. Long threads of personal insults and arguments that dredged up who was progressive enough and who lost this election or won that legislative battle.
Ugly, nasty, and certainly NOT in keeping with our goal of electing more and better Democrats.
This is an election season. We are up against the nastiest liars who've ever worked in politics. We need to find a way to discuss these issues without losing our edge--or the election. Toward that goal, I propose a few simple points to consider before firing that comment off in anger...
(Disclaimer: I'm just a user with no connection to Kos and Admin beyond my daily political habit and my Orange Fix [which sounds like a breakfast drink]. These are my thoughts on what has worked and not worked over the last few elections.)
We all come from different backgrounds, regions, families, education levels, religion/spiritual backgrounds and beliefs, and of course different age groups. We're individuals, right? And we, as progressives, value and celebrate our individuality. That means our thoughts and arguments and positions are going to be all over the map. Our core beliefs, for the most part, will align, but our route to get there will be remarkably different. Remember, this is The Big Tent, and everyone is supposed to get a seat in the Big Tent. So...
1) Be respectful. My mother used to say--on her better days--if you can't say something nice, say nothing at all. I've learned to go ahead and say something, but be respectful. Respect means keeping in mind that the other person either believes what they wrote, in which case they should be respected as we would like to be respected, or they're trolls, in which case just report them and move on. Admin will take care of the trolls.
2) Don't hide your light under a bushel, say what you think and feel. Be passionate and bold! Don't worry about what we will think or respond, just voice your mind. Trust the rest of us to be respectful (see above).
3) If someone pisses you off, voice your thoughts in regard to how you differ in your thoughts and beliefs. And leave it there. As my speech teacher once taught, get in, make your point, and get out. Which means,
4) Don't throw pies. Or any food for that matter. Leave the mashed potatoes on the plate and don't flick the peas. If the offending person is trollish or just nasty in their response, don't stoop to their level and engage. Scroll away. Go write a thoughtful and helpful comment or diary.
This is important to our goal, in my opinion: keep in mind our goal of a massive across-the-country win this November. If Claire McCaskill wins in Missouri this election and Romney/Ryan can be tightly connected to Akin, we might turn MO blue. I mean, it's a long shot, but it could happen. That's the end goal of what we are attempting to do here--all the way to the impossible. So creatively express thoughts and passions and ideas, but help us achieve the impossible, and walk away from the trolls or those that just don't get it.