------
All e-mail lists include subscribers whose fundamental assumptions are opposed. But discussion cannot take place between two parties who do not share a common premise. There are a number of ways for any given subscriber to resolve this dilemma, among which probably the worst is to go on endlessly replying to someone with incompatible premises.
On this thread one group of subscribers operates from the premise that the only option for "progressives" is to support one of the two parties. You and I have sharp disagreements which very possibly will never be resolved, but we can profitably debate each other because we both assume "leftists" have a responsibility that does not _necessarily_ involve participation in electoral politics. The "necessarily" makes this a very thin and wobbling shared premise, but enough so I can deveop my thought in debating you, as I think you can develop your thought in debating me.
But I have nothing to say to, nothing to learn from, those who make DP victory a major premise. Sometimes I can develop my thought by responding to them, but I cannot have any discussion or productive debate with them.
Carrol