Blog: Republican or Democrat, Romney or Obama, You’ve Already Decided

There is still a lot of theater to watch, but you have probably decided on your favorite actors. So, let’s discuss the dialog.

As a new blogger, I’m somewhat surprised by the rudeness, and I wonder about the debating skills of name-calling Republican right wingers who reply to my blogs. I tend to call them Tea Party Republicans, but that may be my rude. My goal is to get a conversation going, to meet a few like-minded folks, and to encourage some thoughtful points of view that I personally might not have considered. Why blog, if you’re not open to new thoughts and can’t present a few of your own?

However, calling someone dumb, stupid, or some other disrespectful slur is neither persuasive nor intelligent. They didn’t teach smear techniques in my social studies class, and I missed it in How To Win Friends and Influence People – if to influence is the goal, and not simply to insult someone who doesn’t think as you do.

Personally, I welcome disparate opinions from whatever direction – right, left, or center. And I can take or ignore the advice offered. But some of the replies go out of their way to insult one of the other people replying to the same blog. That’s really strange. It may be the only way some readers can vent their spleens, but, oddly, the spleen-ventors often remain anonymous – sort of a hit and run technique.

Concerning the election, if you are still undecided, I won’t call you names, but the curtain is about to go up! And you are a supporting player – not only for the leader of the free world, but for the city councilperson as well. (If there’s an opportunity to vote for civility, check that box also.)

I hope you vote for Obama and against the Tea Party – otherwise, I think the play will end badly, for all of us.