...if only to catch more memories and stories. I'll also put the link to the piece in a diary once it's ready for publication in a few weeks time.

My favorite period was during "FingerGate", "Shrug-gate" and "Hip_Hop_Song gate";

I swear there were like 50-100 diaries about IF Obama flipped Hillary off, IF the Shrug was "the worst insult in the history of politics" and IF Obama was quoting a song JUST to diss Hillary.

People were acting like Obama was some version of Ted Bundy, and he should drop out, some crazy suggested he should drop out of the race, quit the senate and live his life in eternal shame.

All for some camera angle, and a two second gesture with NO PROOF either was directed towards Senator Clinton.

There was hyperbole running rampant, and those who were endless touting how tough Senator Clinton was, were acting as she must be avenged lest this horror go unpunished!

I think any observer dropped in from outer space would have thought he was in a version of Gullivers travels, where the two countries were fighting a war over whether to crack your eggs from the thin end or the thick end....

congrats - this sounds like it is going to be a wonderful article.  i certainly hope that you will share it when its done.  

that said - i think that the thing that sticks out to me about the whole netroots movement is that there are a large majority of people who are so rude, inflammatory and down-right mean.

my opinion is that if one chooses to go online to debate and/or participate in activism that it goes to show that they are you know actually looking for debate and discussion?  to me the above group - perhaps with the anonymity of the internet are shutting that down.

(oh that and how people used right-wing smears and framing against a former first lady and presidential candidate)

The one thing I'll always remember is how absurdly neutral things became sexist or racist, desensitizing me (and possibly others) to those cases when sexism or racism did make an appearance.

My personal favorite came towards the end of the process, when a diarist insisted that asking for decorum and no chaos at the rules committee meeting was sexist, since it implied that Hillary voters were hysterical females. After being exposed to that type of commentary for months, watching the YouTube video from... somewhere... that documents the sexism in the media during the primary battle was surprising.

Well, in part because I don't watch the 24-hour stations anymore, but also because I had grown so weary of tenuous or false claims (against the media, Obama and myself) that I didn't put much effort into investigating every claim to see if it was valid. Apparently, more of them were than I expected.

Good luck on your story, I only hope that this diary won't devolve rapidly into a flame war.

Wow you are really censoring this thread aren't you....

plenty of ideas -- they'll cover it better than I could, as my business seems to have rendered me incapable of coherent thought. I hope you'll mention my beloved engels, however. S/he's the troll we've all grown to know and love, and I'm sure s/he'd love an honorable mention.

One question, will you be mentioning people's handles?

Oh, and Brit... if you fail to mention fingergate, I will be extraordinarily disappointed in you. Such overwhelming hilarity mustn't be forgotten. Please, I beg you to immortalize it.

...about themselves! LOL! Something new and different...  (Snark.)

LOL!

(I'd compare this diary to being a hooker at sailor's convention. I give this 5 mins. before it's on the top of the Rec list! And, for the record, I'm going to be a total hypocrite--aren't we all--and rec it, too!)

Never before have so few been so pretentious over so little.

in 2002, I think I would say a couple of things:

1.  The flame wars here were no worse than the flame wars on DKOS in '04 between the Clark and Dean people.

2.  The blogs are much more self-conscious now than 4 years ago.  I have never thought that what goes on the threads was more than a conversation between a limited group of people. There are some people, however, who now believe that what happens in the threads matters. As a result there was an increase in outright propoganda in 2008 over 2004.

3.  The most surprising thing about the blogs in 2008 was how passive their owners were.  There were no front page endorsements at DKOS - mydd was one of the few blogs before Iowa where it was clear that there was a point of view. The above it all attitude of some of the main bloggers was the biggest surprise of 2008.

4.  After New Hampshire and South Carolina, the blogs had become either an Obama or a Clinton site.  

I didn't participate in the flame wars during the primaries. Lurking was much more fun. I was originally an Edwards supporter, although I did give Richardson a brief look, mainly because of the experience angle. I started backing Obama after Super Tuesday, when it became apparent he really did have a chance.

The main reason I didn't support Hillary at any point was because I thought she was too much of a hawk. I was afraid she would feel the need to act tougher than a man to prove that a woman could be an effective CIC. I'm not a misogynist. I wouldn't necessarily think that of every woman. It was based on Hillary's statements, nothing more.

That's all personal background and doesn't really have anything to do with the basis of the diary. I just wanted to make it clear where I'm coming from.

The main thing I got from the primary wars was how intense everything became. Normally, candidates are under a magnifying glass during the heat of a campaign. It seemed a lot worse online. There, it seemed like the candidates were operating under an electron microscope. Every little thing got blown out of all proportion.

Everything, and I really mean everything, became an instant battleground. Obama scratched his face? OMG, he gave Hillary the finger! Hillary mentions RFK - OMG, she wants Obama to be assassinated!

I can't speak for all lurkers, but this bystander thought it was ludicrous.

Each non-incident begat days, sometimes weeks, of non-stop, over-blown rhetoric from both sides. It didn't matter how silly or sophomoric the issue was, it would still get beaten to death.

The other notable thing is that I didn't see any minds being changed. We had one side sitting there and shouting, "Tastes Great." Across the divide the other side was shouting, "Less Filling." I didn't notice anyone getting up and moving from one side to the other.

Did any of the online rhetoric really change anyone's mind? I don't know. I doubt it changed the mind of anyone that was participating in the flame wars. It might have changed the minds of a few lurkers. At least, the ones that were already leaning one way or another. Mostly I thought it was a big waste of pixels.

It is small wonder that Shakespeare is one of the most quoted writers of all time. He got this one right too. "...full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing."

The idea that Clinton won the popular vote in the Michigan primary by 100% was so stupid that it became brilliant.  Only a genius could have thought of that talking point.  

It would be interesting if you could document the different waves of GBCWs and bannings. Seems to me it was back in March, a fairly large group of posters couldn't keep the racism out of their posts, warning about thugs and riots and Angry Negroes lynching whites.

Also, it was around this same time that a large group were working desperately to persuade themselves and others that Obama was secretly anti-choice. Call it "Presentgate". Not as funny as finger-gate, but moderately more substantive.

And if you want to do an epilogue on the Deadenders, SoCalDarlin'  is now devoting herself fulltime to the birth certificate 'controversy', and Alegre believes in magickal superdelegates who are secretly planning to switch back to "Our Girl!!"

And one that you should dig up: When Alegre used the woman who Wal-Mart was trying to cheat out of her insurance to raise money for Hillary. That was a true low point.

As you write about the Primary War....could you edit the truth a wee little bit....and call me Admiral Kysen?

You could expound upon my bravery in battle, my courage under fire, my boundless patriotism...and my really, really shiny boots.

I am sure it will add a certain flash and panache to an already engaging tale.
Or not.

;)

(looking forward to seeing the finished product...even if I don't have a prominent role in it)

What I remember is the intense waves of homophobia coming from Obama supporters. At DKos got told that 'gay people aren't very popular'. That we are an insignifigant minority who should be happy that we are allowed to vote D. That gay issues should have the lowest priority of any among liberals and progressives. That we need to accept and treasure AA homophobia. The ongoing refrain of gay inferiority, the STFU and support Obama routine, is what I remember. And to this day I don't know if I would vote for him given all the shit his supporters threw at gay and lesbian Democrats.

You might also post this at Alegre's Corner.