It seems I opened up a can of worms in our country’s largest Liberal site, DailyKos, for which I am a contributing editor. I am sharing because I think the topic is important. The article generated several articles, some in agreement that we were spending too many resources on Russia and not on working class issues. Others were outright mad at even questioning the issue.
The original article I wrote is titled “Progressives are blowing 2018 by dedicating too many resources to Russia story” where said the following.
Russia is a critical story. But it’s not the story that affects America’s dinner table, health, or financial well-being. Many of us in the liberal intelligentsia love the intricacies of this story. After all, who would believe that the Republican leadership would be so soft on their patriotism that they’re willing to put their heads in the sand and play dumb? …
In watching the hyperventilation on Russia, it is clear that progressives are repeating the same mistakes of the last several elections that have decimated the Democratic bench throughout the states and in the federal government. The people’s party, the Democrats, are out of step with the people.
Following are some of the articles that the above generated.
Colorado Blue wrote the piece titled Russia is not a side issue for Progressives! writing the following.
I’m more than a little provoked by Egberto Willies’ diary, www.dailykos.com/… in which he declares that we’re devoting too many resources to the Russia issue, as if we have any control over the media, #1, but #2, as if treason were small potatoes, and as if the presence of a would-be despot with the values of the murderous Putin in the White House is no big deal. It’s no big deal, I guess, that Rex Tillerson is completely unqualified to lead State, that Pruitt is trying to gut the EPA, that Price is leading the charge to destroy health care, that the very well connected (to the dark side) Devos is in charge of education which means an assault of public, fact based education and that Jefferson Beauregard Sessions is the Attorney General of the US.
Rob in Vermont wrote the piece Egberto also got pushback when he blogged “Despite the polls, I’m still uneasy about this election writing the following.
And, as it turned out, he was damned right to be uneasy. But I notice some of the same commenters who pooh-poohed that diary are pooh-poohing this one.
Egberto is a perceptive blogger, notwithstanding that the title of his latest piece is more provocative than helpful in explaining the gist of his opinion.
In both diary threads, there are commenters who dismiss Egberto as a “concern troll.”
Bob Johnson wrote the piece Go figure. Rahm Emanuel agrees with Egberto on Democratic Party focus. writing the following.
Hell has frozen over.
Rahm “Liberal-Activists-Are-Fucking-Retarded” Emanuel shocked even himself yesterday when he agreed with Daily Kos front-pager and liberal activist, Egberto Willies.
To refresh everyone’s memory, Egberto penned a piece on Sunday titled: Progressives are blowing 2018 by dedicating too many resources to Russia story. …
Of course, Egberto experienced severe blowback in the comments section of his piece, primarily from folks who would more often than not align themselves with a centrist like Rahm Emanuel.
Well, lo and behold, Rahm Emanuel agrees with Egberto!
Chris Reeves published Truth: Russian Scandal? Out of control White House? The Republican base is largely unmoved. writing the following.
Egberto and others have talked about this, but point blank: no matter how bad Russia is, it is unlikely to sustain us through the 2018 midterms. Republicans could botch this to a point where it does, but even then, Democratic candidates must run on more than Trump is terrible.
There are two truths that we are establishing right now, one is that a slice of the Republican base will never, under any circumstances, no matter what is discovered, move away from voting for Trump like candidates or Republicans. They will be sustained by media that is favorable to them and keep them in line. The second, however, is that in order for Democratic party candidates to win, they must run on more than just: the other guy is horrific.
Now, the other guy is horrific most certainly doesn’t hurt, but as I tell people in candidate events, voters have one simple metric: WIIFM: What Is In It For Me? What does the voter get if they vote for a candidate?
David Akadjian wrote the piece Why many are willing to ignore Trump-Russia writing the following.
Russian influence on our presidential election needs to be pursued for the sake of our democracy.
Yet this issue makes me uneasy. Why?
Because it’s not at all certain that it helps us. My favorite comment this week was from a woman who I spoke to who felt that Trump was terrible, a religious Pence would be even worse—and yet she felt her only hope was that libertarians could somehow run a decent candidate.
Egberto wrote a great diary the other day on this topic that stuck with me. Although this topic needs to be pursued, let’s talk about how and why we need to keep working on promoting what we stand for—and why.
Please check all the articles written by the above passionate. I am of the belief that crowdsourcing opinions and ideas are important in out movement. It can be difficult to some because the blowback can be vicious and sometimes outright offensive. But we are a Democracy and will survive the battle of ideas and opinions.