Wow, Don... I am so outclassed by your excellent posts... and this last one in particular is quite a gem. Kudos to you my good man! You put your thoughts into such fine orderliness, and your debate style is the most tenatious and well thought out format I've seen recently...

I think that intelligent sobriety can bring us new solutions to the present problems we are now facing as a Country, and as citizens of this country. In case you haven't noticed, I am beginning with what I see as the breakdown of effective communication, and the current day derailment of the proper 'exchange of ideas' that is requisite to healthy Democracy. My concerns are specifically procedural here...

Attacking the character of the President is, in my judgement... a bad 'modus opperandi'. It causes each and every person who may in fact 'like' the president... to turn you off, 'cause you just turned them off. It just doesn't matter anymore who started it. If you really want to reach the contender... you must 'try' to reach them. This isn't about who is the 'rightest', or who 'saw it comming first'... because as soon as this issue is more or less resolved, others will surface... Such is the nature of life.

But... the left is behaving badly... like so many sore losers... exibiting all the character flaws that they accuse GWB of having. This is not the smartest possible plan. OK... so you feel excluded, used, ignored, disenfranchised, and bullied. Who hasn't? Liberals and conservatives alike have let these feelings fester... and have decided (quite subconsciously) to return like for like... an eye for an eye... and all that. The effect of all this... is that it effectually lowers the bar to the level of dysfunction, bullying, and pouting. Bad idea, dontchathink?

Around here, folks have been saying the same stuff in the same way... for five or six years now. Is it working? No. It's the wrong tree. Sorry, but thats the truth. Millions of people voted for GWB, and like him. Thats OK. This is a Democracy, still... whether you like it or not!;^) The 'issue' here, is whether or not you can participate in, and support your democracy when you didn't get your way. There is plenty of room here to be who you are, and if you so choose... you can point out what you see the 'emperor' wearing... But you'd better change your attitude or we won't see you on CNN...

On the other hand... cat calls from the peanut gallery haven't impeached a president yet, and are unlikely to... ever. They just make us all nervous.
ttr