The not-so-fine folks at Green Mountain Daily have banned me from their site. Imagine that. Boy, that took them several days longer than I predicted. Pussies. But beyond the Snarkmaster’s banishment, there are bigger issues here, especially the issue of the fright of liberals to embrace the tolerance they preach.
GMD proclaims to be liberal but they’re pretty quick to banish the thoughts and opinions of anything that veers from their proscribed little view of Democratic thought. They argue, for example, that Ned Lamont is close to the second coming of Christ but scream holy hell about anyone criticizing Hillary Clinton, questioning media monopolies, or – god forbid – swearing. GMD is about everything that is wrong with liberalism in Vermont: they love activists and renegades from afar but shit their pants when it comes to their doorstep. Lamont for Connecticut? Great. But criticism of Welch in Vermont? How dare you.
They’ll get what they deserve: more milquetoast Democrats promulgating more ridiculous reforms like the meaningless health care bill passed in the last Democratic-led legislative session. And they’ll continue to applaud mediocrity, because mediocrity is all they know.
Like the Democrats nationwide, the Vermont Democrats are unable to be real or speak the truth. They’re stuck in some obnoxious paradigm that tragically affixes them to the quicksand of deceit. They start out with ideals but turn to mush when it’s time to fight for those ideals. They talk the talk of change but chicken out when it’s time to walk the talk of change. They preach tolerance but practice censorship. They worship change but cling to the same old, same old.
And if you don’t believe me, consider these two less-than-dynamic names: Scudder Parker and Peter Welch.
What’s most tragic, however, is that GMD thinks it’s following in the netroots tradition of liberal Internet activism like the national sites they so want to emulate, sites like DailyKos and MyDD. But what they don’t understand is that these sites don’t censor and these sites have a significant audience – and these conditions are NOT mutually exclusive. GMD’s national godfathers created the audience and then wielded their power, whereas GMD has tried to wield their power WITHOUT their audience (just look at the same 7 participants!). Worse, they’ve dutifully disdained anyone who has visited their site with a thought outside their stultifying little constrictions of thought. Sound familiar? Yep, it’s the same notions that have kept the Democrats in the powerless position they’re in.
The Snarky Boy went onto the GMD site to see if there was hope. Unfortunately, the Snarky Boy has learned that there is no hope for GMD in their current mindset. Oh sure, the same old folks will heap praise on them and exchange links with them, but those are the same old folks who thought Howard Dean was a liberal while governing Vermont and that Gaye Symington’s ridiculous health care compromise meant anything other than two-more-years for Jim Douglas.
GMD, unfortunately, is like the dog that chased cars. They tried and they tried until, finally, they were run over. They thought they won, but everyone else saw how obviously they lost.
Fine, GMD, kick me out. I knew you would. But while you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face, consider this: Without me, your site got as boring as the candidates you support.
Get real. Sleep well.
