As someone for whom politics used to put food on the table, once upon a time I was a big fan of the "kill or be killed," "winner take all," mentality that drives politics and especially political campaigning. My wife claims that I've gotten more moderate in my advance towards middle age, but I think that maybe I've just gotten tired of trying to win arguments instead of trying to solve arguments.
I think that we can be true to our principles as progressives and STILL seek to promote a more reasonable, courteous dialogue. We have the luxury of being correct on the issues, so why not win on them? Do we really need a Keith Olbermann segment featuring someone dressed as a witch to defeat Christine O'Donnell? Because if we do, we're in trouble.
I know there's a lot of anger on our side, too. But I worry that nothing's ever going to get DONE if we don't cut through the bull, eliminate the talking-head middle men who yell our talking points for us, and engage in a dialogue. Maybe it's just me, and maybe I am getting soft. But I just wanted to throw this out there and see what you thought...
http://bit.ly/c3Z6Mc