Credit first to these two diaries from the past week:
The Problem With Watching MSNBC: The Manipulation of Liberals
Daily Kos is not About More and Better Democrats. It's About Stupid and Stupider Republicans.
I probably enjoy the emotional satisfaction of bashing stupid Republican antics as much as fellow Kossacks. A quick review of my comments finds the following "top ten" critique victims: Cruz, NRA, party of stupid, Tea Party, Rush, Paul Ryan, Allen West, CPAC, Cantor, Norquist.
The MSNBC diary includes the critical comment that "MSNBC is under-reporting on the most important issue: the bribery of politicians", after stating "but in reality what they are doing is fomenting tribalism against Republicans, the Tea Party, the NRA, etc." It also comments "Our government is a cesspool of corruption, and both parties are guilty of it", and then "What deserves most of our attention is the endemic corruption". It finally concludes that MSNBC is "doing more harm that good--to the progressive cause".
The DK diary observes that "the front page of Daily Kos is devoted, not to Democrats who are doing good things, but predominantly to Republicans behaving like idiots" It concludes by commenting "It may be that there simply are no Democrats doing good things of any significance" and then comments "In which case, okay, if all there is is Republicans being Republicans then that's all there is (kind of zen-like, eh?). If so, that's really depressing. The alternative is that Daily Kos readers, like moths to a flame, zero in on Republican stupidisms and aren't interested in much else (except, of course, pootie diaries), and the front page is reflecting that interest. That would be really depressing too."
We should reflect whether the Republican-bashing on Daily Kos and MSNBC can effect actual change. I hope that such discussions effect actual change, and hope they sway undecided voters away from the "dark side", but wonder if they are mostly just an outlet for our frustrations? If so, I might agree with the DK diary comment "that is really depressing". How do we move beyond the negativity of bashing stupid behavior, and on to meaningful action and change? How do we change the culture of the bribery of politicians and endemic corruption? Real action to overturn Citizens United vs. FEC would be one example.