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Why is every criticism of a Democrat labeled a purity test on here?

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John Doe

Avenger
Jan 24, 2018
3,443
I'm seeing it time and time again. It doesn't matter who the politician is.

A poster mentions Kamala Harris' record as AG. Purity test
Criticise Beto. Purity test
Mention something negative about Joe Biden. Its another purity test.

I don't understand it. Is everyone supposed to fall in line and ignore any flaw a politician has just because he/she has a D next to their name?

How is the Democratic Party supposed to get better if people don't hold them accountable for their actions and demand more?

I am not saying that Republicans are better, both sides are anything like that but if standards are allowed to drop and every criticism of a Democrat is silenced because "purity tests are bad", I'm afraid that nothing will ever truly change.

Demand a high standard from your elected officials and call out their misdeeds and missteps so that they know certain behavior isn't okay.I mean at the end of the day 99% of politicians only care about getting into office and staying there so if they know that they can't behave a certain way else they will be voted out, things should improve. But if every criticism of them is shouted down and everyone is just supposed to fall in line and vote for them, what incentive do they have to improve things?
 
InspectaDekka

InspectaDekka

Banned
Jan 4, 2019
1,820
This forum is highly liberal. Not that that's a necessarily bad thing, because this place has less of the actually illogical bat shit crazy people who align themselves with Liberal ideology and everyone here is actually rather chill and thoughtful.
 
Cocaloch

Cocaloch

Banned
Nov 6, 2017
4,562
Where the Fenians Sleep
Because it's a mindless insult to the left that rejects its right to exist. This forum is very liberal indeed. The centre right wants to be the most left thing possible because it's ironically defined left to be good without being very far left.
 

Zelas

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,020
Because almost always the criticism is coupled with "how could someone ever vote for/I would never vote for/they're not a progressive/we should vote them all out" bullshit.

If you look at the OVERALL voting record of several favored politicians there is no way you could say they're not worth a vote, that they wouldn't be left of what this party has had in the past, or that they would stifle/refuse to enact what a Democratic congress wanted.
 
Cocaloch

Cocaloch

Banned
Nov 6, 2017
4,562
Where the Fenians Sleep
Zelas said:
If you look at the OVERALL voting record of several favored politicians there is no way you could say they're not worth a vote, that they wouldn't be left of what this party has had in the past, or that they wouldn't stifle/refuse to enact what a Democratic congress wanted.
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This is exactly the problem. Liberals think there's no way anyone could disagree with them.
 

rude

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,812
The thinking here is that any and all transgressions a politician accrues during their career don't mean anything because Donald Trump must be removed no matter what. This forum is overly woke 24/7 to the point that it's sometimes a caricature of itself.
 
spineduke

spineduke

Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
8,745
John Doe said:
I'm seeing it time and time again. It doesn't matter who the politician is.

A poster mentions Kamala Harris' record as AG. Purity test
Criticise Beto. Purity test
Mention something negative about Joe Biden. Its another purity test.

I don't understand it. Is everyone supposed to fall in line and ignore any flaw a politician has just because he/she has a D next to their name?

How is the Democratic Party supposed to get better if people don't hold them accountable for their actions and demand more?

I am not saying that Republicans are better, both sides are anything like that but if standards are allowed to drop and every criticism of a Democrat is silenced because "purity tests are bad", I'm afraid that nothing will ever truly change.

Demand a high standard from your elected officials and call out their misdeeds and missteps so that they know certain behavior isn't okay.I mean at the end of the day 99% of politicians only care about getting into office and staying there so if they know that they can't behave a certain way else they will be voted out, things should improve. But if every criticism of them is shouted down and everyone is just supposed to fall in line and vote for them, what incentive do they have to improve things?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

You're talking as if the left aren't scrutinized when they're in power. If anything, theres a clear set of double standards of how the left manages itself versus the right.
 

Hazzuh

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,166
Gaf/Resetera was also one of the most pro-Hillary places I saw on the internet. People here really like the right-wing of the Democratic party for whatever reason.
 
astro

astro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
56,896
This isn't even close to true for every critique.

Not a good way to present the thread with that kind of hyperbole.
 
NoblesseOblige

NoblesseOblige

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,231
At this current point in time people are more concerned with excising the more right-wing candidates from power, than they are cultivating candidates further left. The truth is a perfect candidate doesn't exist, and even if it did, it's worthless unless it wins elections. Left leaning people are generally more open to change, so for a lot step 1 is to gain control, then step 2 is to guide things where they need to go.
 
Otherist

Otherist

Member
Oct 27, 2017
873
England
Everyone deep down knows that these candidates are all shit and likely to do nothing other than continue all of the same problems from before Trump, but is convincing themselves that they must settle for it.
 
Cocaloch

Cocaloch

Banned
Nov 6, 2017
4,562
Where the Fenians Sleep
astro said:
This isn't even close to true for every critique.

Not a good way to present the thread with that kind of hyperbole.
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Nah, there's absolutely a crowd here that's eagar to label any dissent from the left as a purity test. Frankly you'd have to be blind to miss it.

It's a pejorative like any other, but pretending like it and the related rusdian bot nonsense aren't a problem here is laughable. Even if you like these stances you should still identify that people screeching that you aren't allowed to disagree are a problem.
 
thesoapster

thesoapster

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,907
MD, USA
In a field where the perfect person/politician doesn't exist, it does sometimes seem ridiculous to hold each person to such a higher standard than "the other side".
I'm not saying we shouldn't expect more out of our politicians than the Republicans, given how they somehow justify Trump. I do think if we tear down every viable candidate we won't be left with much to choose from...if anyone, really. Like I said, there is no perfect person.
I will say that the term is overused, and I'm likely complicit in its overuse. I don't think we should stop criticism, but we can't label a candidate with flaws who shows great promise as trash, etc. I mean, sure, enough flaws and no real signs of change? That's a no-go. But many politicians have made mistakes and either owned up to them in one way or another, and/or have evolved over time.
 
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