I remember the first liberal website I went to after the 2000 election which was named "Bartcop." It was funny, had lots of insight, and gave me plenty of ammunition to pelt my conservative friends. Then there was "Allhatnocattle" which I'm sure the name came from Molly Irvins comment about Bush along with the lable "Shrub." Atrios, Smirking Chimp, etal until I found "Daily Kos."
I'm an old democrat and and soon to be retired educator. I fought in Vietnam, became a member off the "Vietnam Veterans against the war," was gassed by riot police during a protest, took the VA to court and won, worked on the McGovern campain along with several other candidates, I've written bills, run for office, and I'm a sponsor of a young democrats club in the school I teach. In short, I've been around and have done a lot, and I think I have a pretty good insight into things. Unlike many of those my age I admire our youth. I admire their energy and impatience because they are unafraid and they get things done.
When I first came here I found the people to be articulate and motivated, though there were some who came across on the immature side, most made kos a wealth of knowledge.
The one thing that has concerned me of late is a growing group of single issue posters who feel their issues are the only issues, and that if anyone expresses an alternative viewpoint then they need to be troll rated (as if that really means anything) and banned. That's fine but we have a great deal more in common, things that unite us, than the things we disagree on. When we let those things that we disagree on force us to take up sides against each other, it only provides a series of disconnedted movements with no organization and direction. That makes them easy to defeat. This is what I'm seeing now with Daily Kos.
Now that the election is over, and the democrats have taken back both houses of congress I'm seeing these groups of single issue people becoming more vocal in their demands that their issues be made a priority, and that any politician who doesn't fit their mold of what a politician should be needs to face a challenge in the next election, and that any poster who isn't on their side 100% must be a troll. I guess it's OK to feel that way but where does it get you? Pretty much right in the center of your issue and nowhere else.
I suppose there's nothing wrong with being that way, but when you start attacking those on your side you won't have to ban them because like any other community they'll feel unwelcome and leave on their own. When enough of them walk away, and all you have are far-left liberals then kos will get the reputation of being an irrelevant oasis occupied by nothing more than those out of step with the mainstream.
I'm sure this diary will be troll-rated and I have no problem with that, but please consider what I'm saying the next time you go after someone, and yes, I'm looking at my own unfortunate comments to others for which I'm sorry.