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Throwing Rocks Instead of Arguing Positions

Posted by JACK GRANT, Assistant Editor in Politics.
Oct 15th, 2008 | Comments

I’ve had problems getting motivated to post lately, not entirely due to exhaustion arising from my busy personal life. There is an emotional drain on me from reading several weblogs whose authors once made rational arguments for their political views that have degenerated into throwing rocks at “the other side”.

Sadly, “the other side” is just as interested as they are in throwing rocks.

So both sides are busily pointing out the offenses of those they disagree with instead of pointing out why their own views are the most productive and would lead to the success of the nation and the most people.

Sigh…

While there never existed an age where political opponents were regarded with respect because the final goals were shared, my gut tells me that the vitriol and hatred is getting worse. I can’t read many blogs that once were on my “don’t miss” list because the content has degraded to “whatever my side does is fine, but whatever the other side does is evil, even if it matches the actions of my side!!”

I do have partisan views, and I do engage in some of the rock throwing at times. It is not my reason for existence, however. For far, far too many it has become the raison d’etre. It is draining and destructive, and I wish we would get beyond this idiocy.

Unfortunately, the world keeps creating more and better idiots.

—

Cross-posted to Random Fate.

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lotusflwr

Too bad we can't take a break from the election. It's really headed for quite the fever pitch in the last weeks here. Everyone's so high-strung, it's like Invasion of the Body-Snatchers, everyone trying to ferret out who has or has not been infected or cured, brainwashed, enlightened, misinformed and/or properly informed.

Time to take a break, take a walk, take a nap!

DLS

Around here (Detroit) it doesn't seem to be that big a deal. No doubt there is gloom from the housing situation and the job situation here. There was talk not long ago about a possible GM takeover of Chrysler. It makes sense from the standpoint that the Detroit auto makers are in desperate shape (it's now chancy if they'll avoid going bankrupt within a year because of all the money they are continuing to lose), but of course that would make many, many employees of all kinds at Chrysler redundant and result in yet another contraction of the auto industry here. There are numerous campaign signs and bumper stickers (I actually have seen a number of McCain and Palin signs and stickers, believe it or not, in addition to the Obama and Biden signs and stickers) but not a lot of widespread talk, much less in an agitated form here.

It's certainly not as some on the Left are claiming, that this is the most important election in a generation if not longer. [rolling eyes] I view this in a more mature way, just as with the economy. This looks like a bad GOP year (and in the last year or two there has been a revitalization of the Left), and I'm resigned to Obama's likely election and will be interested in how he does. If we're meant for a slump, a bear market (meaning an extended one over several months, a _real_ bear market), and even a deflationary episode, that's what was meant to be. It does no good to panic or hype things and instant results of the kind anyone may want will be impossible.

With the campaign, let's see how the two gentlemen do tonight, then I will wait over the weekend and then check Iowa Electronic Markets (a great trend follower for the elections and other contests it covers) to see if there's a change from the very current flat lines -- Obama at about 85% likely to win versus 14-15 for McCain, likely vote shares showing Obama at around 55% of the popular vote. If Colin Powell (the subject of another thread currently on this site) endorses Obama later this week or at the start of next week, I'd assume a spike in Obama's favor in those Markets.

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