There are sites out there where the callous bashing of others down deep in the comments goes without notice, where voices are cut off and censored and bullied; this little site is not one of them.
This presidential race is a tough one on the left - a very tough one, to use a weak but available modifier - and passions are deeply stirred. Anger builds and spreads and steams over the side of the cup. And folks who might normally converse pleasantly about the general state of the world fling vituperation a bit too casually. At least for my taste.
So let's go open kimono on a few things around here. We haven't done that for a while, and there are lots of welcome newcomers - some of whom are passionate Hillary backers, while others adore Barack. (Still others dig McCain or no one at all).
First, this is my blog - it's entirely an iconoclastic view, my own perception of reality. No one pays me to write it, and all editorial judgments are mine. You don't have to agree; indeed, agreement here is kind of rare. But let's try to argue about it with civility.
Secondly, I support Hillary Clinton for president. It's been that way around here for a year. I'm not part of her campaign, have never been paid a nickel for what I've written, and have nothing material to gain from my support. Further, that support is based on my judgment on who'd make the best president. I've tried to make the argument agreeably - sometimes, I've failed. Sometimes my candidate and her campaign have let me down. Many times, her grace and stamina have amazed me. And as of today, I believe she's the best candidate.
Third, that may change.
Fourth, I admire Barack Obama and have said it here many times. He is accomplished, a fine writer, and his heart's in the right place, as best as I can tell of a talented politician running for national office. Just because I'm pro-Clinton doesn't mean I'm anti-Obama. (By the by, I don't despise Senator McCain, either - more about that at some future date). If I fail to fall out in ecstasy over a particular political speech, don't count me as the enemy of hope. If he wins the nomination in Denver, I'll support the Senator for President.
Finally, about those comments. To my way of thinking, comments are the life's blood of a good blog. My posts are starting points for the conversation; sometimes they're full essays, other times the barest throat-clearing tarted up with a few links. I'm interested in what the small community of users has to say. I ask that you keep it civil, and generally you have for more than four years. (Though I've lost it a few times myself). I don't really police the comments, but I do wade in as much as I can. Let me repeat: keep it civil. Try to keep the name-calling off the forms (a little cussin' is a-okay with me). No libel. No threats. No bullying. There are some long-time regulars here, so if you're new, treat 'em like you'd treat Norm in the corner seat at that neighborhood bar you just walked into.
The rough-and-tumble of politics is welcome - I fairly revel in it. Indeed, I've taken vicious body blows here from some of my closest friends and relatives - and lived to respond. Across many of the more popular political blogs, the level of discourse has dropped to some rat-infested subterranean slime. Let's keep the drainage level higher here. Now let's get back to it. I'll start: Obama sucks. McCain's the anti-Christ. Go Hillary.
