I know I came blowing through here a couple of months ago and caused some ruckus...

I won't any more...I mostly lurk...but read every day.

Cheers, and great work to all of you.

"Live up to that promise on MyDD, and you will be rewarded. Think this is child's play, and you will not be."

_____

Wow, I'm losing sleep tonight

Dammit Bowers, you've taken the one thing I had left!

MyDD has gotten a lot of props from folks I know lately, and I'm pleased to consider this my stomping grounds.

Bowers, what you wrote is just plain wierd.

PS. I'm still waiting for you to write another "Northeast Strategy" article so I can ask what in the world you're smoking.

I just re=read the last paragraph again and the only thing I can think is that its a parody of O'Reilly. Without Colbert's nuance. Maybe you should take a day off and get away from your computer a bit.

PS. Just so I don't have to worry about you breaking into my house, here's my serious strategic question

Why does the Democratic party need to worry more about the northeast when its the only region where we win already and its the region that is losing population (and CDs/EVs) the fastest.

We're fighting for our lives out in the midwest and have only recently once again shown signs of life in the interior west and southwest, can barely compete in much of the south -- and thats where the population is growing the fastest.

And isn't the 50-state strategy supposed to be precisely about diverting our resources away from existing strongholds and into the areas I listed above, so we're competitive in the future?

If this election is going to be the basis for a Democratic majority in teh future, its not going to be hte CT Senate race that does it -- its going to be the chance, for the first time in decades, to gain control of state legislatures in the midwest, west and southwest. If we can win some chambers this year and hold them in 2010, we can have a real say in redistricting. Otherwise, the 2012 Congress will be so gerrymandered against us that the Dems can't win a majority under any circumstances.

Moreover, in the 2012, the Electoral College will make the northeast much less important.

So there's your serious strategic question -- why not devote more time to coverage of downballot races across the country.

I'm still amazed that after writing a dozen articles about your campaigns for precinct and state committee, you wrote only 2 weeks ago "I don't care about the CA GOV" race.

I agree that it's a little over the top.  Good try, but it's more likely to scare people away.  Keep your sense of perspective, your sense of good humor.  As in: you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.  But then, who wants more flies?

Let it be known that this site has helped me work into my 'very lean-GOP'-county Dem Party-- where, by the way, our recent primary turnout was almost twice that of Rs. However, they're still not handing out free power to newcomers for some reason-- so please, do what you gotta do and I'll continue to refrain from commenting.

I've been reading MyDD a long time.

I've posted a few times, it may add up to more than once a year, but not a lot more, I don't think.

After reading this, which was certainly Chris' right to post, as rude and abusive as I found it to be it is his place, I can safely say I won't be posting anything anymore.  I doubt if I'll be reading anything here anymore; I certainly will take MyDD out of my tabbed folders and I'll make every effort not to click through to anything posted on MyDD.

Let's talk about the damage that can be done to the progressive movement; we can start with Chris' post tonight.

I'm 46 years old, I live in an industrial midwestern city (Milwaukee), I base most of my purchsing decision on trying to do the right thing (which is why we have Fords, not Hondas, I've purchased every car I've ever owned knowing it had to be union made and this would limit my choices, but expand, hopefully, someone else's.)  

I was a campus rep for the Mondale campaign in my youth, having had to overcome Campus Dems at my school to get the gig...  And to the Mondale campaign's eternal credit, they selected people for their drive.

The city I live in has a long, and proud, tradition of Socialism (our last socialist mayor, Frank Zeidler, is still very much alive) and I beleive we carry each other.

I don't have time at my age and as frustrated as I am with a world that's as if through the looking glass, worse today than when I was learning and Nixon was running rampant, to be dealing with people cracking the whip as if they're speaking from Olympus.

I'm certain many like-minded people will gain much from the world Chris wants his place to be.  But I won't feel comfortable and I won't be one.

The tone was as bad as it could have been tonight.

I hope it works for you, Chris.  Really, I do.  Because you success would be better for all of us; unless this is who you are and what you are.

For me, I'm tired of being dictated to and what I suspect is you're about to enter a hermetically sealed world, which you won't notice and will poo-poo.

I could be wrong, but I won't be around to find out, assuming I can survive the threats.

Take care

uh oh... Bowers is in a mood this morning.

I have made several comments in the past that MyDD should post a "terms of usage" faq, which describes to members what commentary is acceptable, and what is not.  Other members have agreed, and yet site moderators have never bothered to do this.  I dont think the usage faq has been updated since I joined MyDD in 2004.  There is probably a reason for not elucidating a clear membership agreement, but in the context of these self-described "threats" it seems a prudent and even necessary thing.  

Chris should also remember that even the front page bloggers indulge in playful, dare I say "non-serious" posts from time to time.  Bandwidth might be more seriously used by something other than photos of Bowers watching "Project Runway," or lego models of Cheney shooting someone in the face.  I loved the post about guessing Alito's blogging alias, but how relevant was that to advancing a serious progressive narrative?  

So, regular members know that Bowers is a Star Trek fan, as his recent link to a Federation blog has demonstrated, and we know that Jonathan plays Civ 4.  A lot.  And Stoller likes 80's movies.  How does this advance a progressive agenda?  

Well, it does so subtly.  I think when the personalities of faceless bloggers show through the text, it helps to build a sense of community.  This is important.  More than that, it makes MyDD more than a place for commentary of politics and the progressive movement, it makes the website more interesting and more fun.  If MyDD tranformed into a dry, serious political site, I dont think it would sustain my interest.  

I understand Chris's frustration trying to keep people focused and wanting to prevent the website from becoming a random message board.  In lieu of a comprehensive faq, I think members have to follow the lead of the front-pagers, who set the tone at MyDD.  But, with that in mind, Chris should remember that even the front pager bloggers indulge in non-relevant or non-serious commentary from time to time.  

This is why I registered here under my real name. There are plenty of places to explore the multivariate avenues of politics-related discourse (serious and not), but this is the only place I've seen that's consistantly oriented towards results.

I think your tone will probably put a lot of folks off (has, from the comments), and maybe a less "threatening" formulation would have been better, but at some point you've got to decide what you're about and what you're not. I think blogs are more effective when they're focused. I think this site works because it's relatively small and the people who frequent it more often than not do stuff in their non-blogging lives.

It's not about kicking people out, or at least hopefully not. It's about laying down some expectations. Nothing wrong with that.

I don't think that Chris went overboard at all.  And I certainly won't be leaving.  This is about political discussion, so let's go.  We have lots to learn.

Are we in power?  No.

I have to say, I'm more than a little surprised by this post, because, as a short-time reader/lurker, my impression of MyDD was that it was already "a place for serious people to make serious comments." At least, that's why I come here. I can go to FDL for outraged snark or Gilliard for outraged outrage or Rude Pundit for looutraged comic relief (and then I go to Cute Overload for outrage fatigue). I come here for an alternative to those sites, not because I ran out of stuff to read on DailyKos.

I like the opinionated but relatively sober tone at MyDD, and it's far more substantive and readable than sites that post one or two real entries and fifteen open threads a day. As contentious as the earlier Obama thread was, for instance, it made for  interesting reading that taught me some things I didn't know. I think that as long as the writers here don't serious themselves into out-of-touch ideologues, or simply bore us to death, this focus and approach can make for a worthy companion to the other political blogs out there. Hey, if nothing else, I would come here daily simply to escape from those annoying ass "Fitz!" comments.

That said, good luck trying to corral these lefties into line with the new order. If there's one thing we love more than telling other people what to do, it's telling people who tell us what to do to piss off.

First reaction was to yank the page from my bookmarks. Second was to just close window and move on until later when I was feeling less sensitive to strange aggressive directives from faceless people. Third reaction was to yank page from bookmarks. I think I'll just close window and move on.

Please, consider lightening up.

I agree it is useful to have a page that is linked on sidebar describing the site's function and ettiquette. But quit sounding holy, dead serious and joyless. You can deliver the same message without intimidating your readers. I mean "your days are numbered?" Lordy.

Touche!   I absolutely applaud this type of focus.  I do not why folks are inclined to rattle on about issues that are irrelevent to the themes presented.  Do they just like to see their names "in print" at these websites?  

If they cannot contribute to the dialogue of the ideas presented, then they shouldn't even bother...

Give 'em the boot......

Maybe he's just feeling overly important after the ykos meeting where everyone patted themselves on the back. Whatever, it was cetainly a strange post.

Changing the subject, I was amazed at so little coverage on the blogs of Webb's win in VA. What little I saw was self congratulatory from the netroots but one serious comment I saw was Webb won without carrying a single precinct where minorities were in the majority. (I could be wrong on precincts, it may have read districts) Anyway, Webb will need Wilder's endorsement to win the general and Wilder is apparently very friendly with Allen.

One other very sad note is only 3 percent of the voters turned out to cast a ballot.

Chris, like others here, this post doesn't sound like you to my read. Sounds more like Kos or Stoller in a bad mood. Care to share some background on where this is comming from or what is driving it? Can't be good.

I certainly hope Chris was feeling "important" after YearlyKos 2006.  He did a remarkable job there ... for a long-haired gangly fellow [who smokes!].  Any extra recognition was well deserved.

I joined [if you can call it that] MyDD on the strength of Chris's intellect and passion.  I doubt I add anything to the conversation, so I almost never post.  And I shouldn't be posting now.  But I applaud Chris for working to keep this site a place where serious conversations take place, if only for selfish reasons.  We're all passionate, but I at least am on a steep learning curve.  I need what MyDD offers and I don't want it diluted.  

Cheers,

How exactly is one to distinguish the lifestyle orientation from elitist separation from issues?

Out of curiosity I took a look at "conservative" Webb's sketchy address of issues on his website.

From only that skeleton look, Webb is a hell of a lot more liberal than most of the bloggers here with less attachment to his own special needs.  

Notable was that while Webb paid tribute to the distasteful but mandatory Clintonesque suffering middle class, Webb did not fail to address the problem of creation of a permanent underclass.

I am a little curious as to whether there is not a subconscious, at least, distaste for the military flavor around here.  While "progressives" rightfully rail at the chicken hawks among the Republicans, most appear more than willing to join the chicken hawks in letting the lower class sorts do the dirty work, right or wrong.

Virginia, you done good in my opinion despite qualms about the endorsements by the establishment types.

Eh, there's too much handwringing going on.

I was going to post a snarky comment along the lines of "Was it something I said?", but thought better of it.

It's less than five months to the general election. If you're not neck deep in a local or statewide candidate's campaign for 2006 and/or 2008 or a potential presidential candidate's campaign for 2008 then you're just occupying space and wasting bandwidth.

If you haven't done so already contact any candidate you think you can support and offer to help out. Better yet, just show up. It'll be greatly appreciated - and it'll make a difference.

I don't think MyDD's reputation is very enhanced when Matt Stoller posts things like "Jon Stewart's Hackery" on the frontpage.

I saw the other day that Chris wasn't too fond of "Mudcat" Saunders. Could I get an explanation why?

I'm working through his book now, has a little bit of an "Ain't I great?" theme, but I like getting tips from experienced campaign managers (except Shrum).

Did O'Reilly just take over Bowers? This post was just weird.

The real question is are discussions going to be only about electoral strategy or are they also going to be about the structural problems which make getting progressives elected so difficult?

Just a few days ago I posted an essay elsewhere on why progressives have actually achieved so little in the past 50 years. If you are interested here is the link:

http://www.tpmcafe.com/node/30555

To cite just one example from my essay, universal health care. Liberals have been pushing for this for 50+ years with no success. So there is something fundamentally wrong with the way we are going about achieving our aims. Is this a valid issue for discussion on this site, or should it be solely devoted to winning a few elections?

There is no right answer, it up to the site owners to decide what type of community they wish to foster.

to comment on

I was surprised when the teleco troll came calling there was no cogent argument immediately posted on the front page re; net neutrality.  (We're all for it don't worry).

One thing Markos does well is he is aggressive in responding to attacks on his site, his character or a position his site takes (didn't he call someone a 'sleazebag' recently?)

I think MYDD needs to drive a little more defensively- and don't blame the community when you need to be more diligent in updating or responding on the front page.

FYI- I come to MyDD knowing this is where serious discussions of political races and polls will be.

Wow. I really have to wonder what's going on here at MyDD.

We get this yesterday:

"I wish more of you would consider commenting, and I'm going to think hard about how to make it more pleasant for you to participate online..."

Then today we get this:

" Given this, I just want to make one thing clear to some people who do not view MyDD as a place for thoughtful, strategic appreciation of the progressive movement: your days are numbered. Do not consider MyDD a place to work out your frustrations that you cannot work out elsewhere. Do not consider MyDD a place for random, open discussion of the latest news and current events. Do not consider MyDD to be a message board for total progressive purity. MyDD is, ultimately, a place for people who are serious about politics to congregate. It is a place where serious discussion and debate on how to fix the horrifically dysfunctional progressive movement."

Kinda working against each other, eh? I mean, it would be wonderful if everyone here was an "expert," and wrote well-constructed words of critique and support, but...you know...reality. You can't ask readers to comment more while simultaneously giving them rather strict guidelines for posting. And threats don't make it "more pleasant" for me, to be sure.

I personally don't comment much, and I don't think I've ever used this as a "place to work out [my] frustrations" or "for random, open discussion of the latest news and current events." Historically my views have fallen firmly on the side of the writers here, as they've historically been brilliant, so I mostly post a comment when I strongly disagree with what's been said.

But taking this "comment more, but only the right way," the ridiculous post on Jon Stewart, and what I saw as a "Monday Morning Quarterbacking" of Francine Busby into consideration, I really have to wonder what's going on here. And truly, that bums me out. MyDD and DKos were the first lefty blogs I really read regularly and felt at home at. I credit them with making me a better informed person and rekindling my interest in politics.

I know that a lot of the lefty blogs are going through some growing pains, but I really don't like the tone of this post. As someone else said, my first reaction was to delete the bookmark. This (and Matt's recent posts) really seem out of character for this group that I have admired and followed over the last few years.

Maybe my "days are numbered" indeed.

This was all I needed to see to confirm my worst suspicions about what the above post means.  Rational's near-incoherent attacks on Webb and ramblings about "addled ron" rate a "3" from Chris Bowers?  That person has yet to post a single constructive comment in their entire time here.

MyDD has jumped the shark.  I may or may not be back, but probably not.

Wow!  Was this not a self-contradictory post?  Granted, Chris posted at 3 a.m.and might have been a bit fatigued, but frankly (and I say this as a substance abuse clinician) it reads like the rant of someone with a headful of cocaine, or methamphetamine.

"That is my promise.  That is my threat."  Are you f'in kidding?  
My DD as the Comintern?

An open thread, if we dare?  That's serious grandiosity.  

I've said it before but I'll say it again.  Like some of the commenters--it's OK to write something and NOT post it 'til you've had a chance to calm down and think it over/read it over.

This Napoleonic pose makes us all look bad.  If I was a wingnut I would be going to town on this weird shit.

We get the message. We'll avoid non-scholarly posts. I think the progressive movement is also about attitude.

i see why people were like, "weird..." from this post, but at the same time, I see where chris is coming from.  

I love the fact that mydd is where I can come to read real in depth and nerdy political thought.  

it's so differnt from Kos where i just learn things and read, on Mydd i'm engaged.  Mydd generally presuposes a level of knowledge and poli-wonkery that no other site does.  

Anyway, I like the mydd that chris is refferring to, and I'm glad he's pointing out he likes it that way too.