I am disgusted by the whole "party loyalty" meme

[daredtowork]

Certain people have been twisting discussion over apathy in recent elections - which cost Democrats the House in the last election cycle into a way to shame and twist the arm of Left Democrats into affirming they will vote "out of Party loyalty" for a certain Inevitable candidate (who has not even announced her candidacy yet).

I feel this is part of a strategy (possibly a paid strategy given thezwa chest involved) to stifle dissent from the Left, make it look like the grassroots voices are more to the Right, and to create a false appearance of consensus as we move toward the Primary.

The problem with suppressing dissent through threatening accusatiobs of disloyalty and creating the appearance of consensus only is this is EXACTLY what tends to come back to "surprise" people at the ballot box. You can bully someone into silence on a forum, but then they talk to their family and friends about how they TRULY feel in real life. All your clever forum combat strategies won't stop that.

Perhaps the assumption is that if Left Democrats can be silenced online, they will be too isolated to present a challenge on the ground. That might be an effective tool for the Primary. I know in my Lefty area, Third Way forces have held political power for over 20 years purely through manipulating who votes. Apathy benefits candidates to the Right.

But in the Presidential election, the GOP will be to the Right of the Democrats. Having alienated the Left to win the Primary, will that ship be so easy to turn?