Bill D, we obviously have different opinions about politics, but I agree with you totally about what you wrote above. I absolutely love discussing (debating, arguing) based on reason and especially with someone who doesn't mind my pointing out logical fallacies (and will acknowledge them). But that's almost impossible these days to do online. First of all, so many people get extremely emotional and can't seem to argue calmly, and also so many people can't keep to the subject: their arguments fly all over the place, and things get out of hand very quickly.

Also, I mostly love music and I can actually make music, so I'm more likely to talk about that. When it comes to politics, arguing about it is often just as pointless as it is frustrating, since I'm not rich, not powerful, and have no control over what goes on politically in this country (or this world)--so really, what does it matter what I say about it? Why get upset (and make other people upset) arguing about it? I enjoy truly intellectual debates about it, but as I explained above, that's hard to do these days.

There are few pundits on either side who really make an effort to be fair, but I do notice the ones who do. I respect Chris Wallace (slightly right) and Charles Krauthammer (decidedly right). I think they're good ones, and on the left there are people I respect, like Alan Colmes and Susan Estrich for instance, because they also try to be fair and they make me think and consider other views.

I like Bill O'Reilly, because he seems to be honest and is very entertaining to watch, although he's not very big in the logic department, and he's a terrible blowhard - but he's fun to watch, kind of like a bull in a china shop. He's not really a conservative the way Buckley was, as far as I can tell he's more of a populist.

And I know what you mean about William F. Buckley. He used to drive me crazy when I watched him as a teenager (I was very Democrat then), because I just knew what he was saying had to be wrong, but I could never figure out any good arguments or reasons to overcome his arguments.