What Passes For Political Discourse II

Different political blog, I won’t name this one either, and it’s one at which I usually do not even read the comments, let alone participate in them. Reasons for that will become apparent. The topic was “Citizens United,” the Supreme Court ruling that declared unlimited campaign contributions by corporations to be legal. I had the nerve to suggest that the real problem was not the ruling, so much as the unwillingness of voters to be informed, their willingness to vote based on the deceptive advertising paid for by the campaign contributions.

In this case I was subjected to considerable personal invective and attack. The first response began with “Utter bullshit” and ended with “Idiot.”

I’ll give you the second one in its entirety, “You'll have to excuse billy boy, he's so lazy, he's been dropping that same exact comment all over the 'nets. Must be busy trying to keep his job or sumptin.” Do I need to tell you this is the first time I have ever said this, other than on my own blog?

The third person said, “Very bad form to post serial comments in numerous forums, especially dumb ones. That's generally a tactic of "conservative" boneheads, who gather their little crap-nuts and spread them all over.” When did voters taking responsibility for their own votes become a right wing “crap-nut.” That's the last thing the right wing wants voters to do.

The final one started with “You’re a true moron” and finished with “You're a real cretin. And not shy about showing it either it seems.”

If you watch MSNBC you will be given the impression that conservatives are stupid people who spout talking points and insult their opponents, while liberals are intelligent people who have positions which are well thought out and which they defend with reasoned and intellectual arguments.

If you read most of the liberal blogosphere, however, you will find out that the liberals use pretty much the same tactics that the right wing does. They spout talking points and spew insults at anyone who disagrees with them. I wish Obama had better people defending him than people who can do no better than resort to calling others "moron" and "cretin."