Political discussions are, and likely should be, intensely personal. Yes, you can disagree without being petty or personally disagreeable, but so much of political opinion is an extension of one's emotional reactions. To go way, way, way, way back to the original post in this thread, I found the Aspen Times article to be asinine. Since I am basically a Republican and a conservative, I agreed with much of the meat of the piece. However, the presentation more than compensated for the content. If the intent was to pander to an audience of like-thinkers, it was probably successful. If the intent was to present facts to those who have not decided or possibly to provide an alternative to those who had other beliefs, it failed miserably. :realmad:

I've referred to Billery and Slick Willie in the past, and likely will do so in the future. I think of it as a sign of my disdain for them, :chillout: but it is also a demonstration my inability to express my views properly. Someone once said that profanity was the crutch of the illiterate MF :edit: . Similarly, use of childish nicknames or vicious labels demonstrates a weakness of arguments. If you don't have facts, use slurs. :yikes: Would any of you conservatives ever consider listening unbiasedly to a rant from Keith Olbermann? :: His past diatribes have nauseated me to the extent that when his mouth opens, my ears close. And I'm one who normally searches out opposing views. :#1:

Regarding taking "personal" disagreements to PM ~~~ OH NO! What starts out here stays out here. If I tick someone off, I want to see their response in public. I don't want to get an "FOAD" private message. If someone takes issue with something you write, respond in this public forum. If they harangue you to the degree that if upsets you, cut 'em off. :realmad: That is, ignore them. Do not read their posts --- bet you can't do that. Continue your discussion as if the comments were not made. But remember, anything you put out here is permanent and you are responsible for it. 024

Now I'll put some cute little things in the msg so it will appear to be lighthearted. :joke: :cop: :#1: :redface: ??? :bigthumbsup: