Some of you guys have not been around here very long, or have short memories. The most heated discourse on this board that I recall was immediately after 9/11, (when emotions were at a fever pitch), and during several other lightning rod type events such as Reagan's death. The '04 presidential election was about a year-long mud-slinging affair.
I have a different theory, which is that both sides of the political spectrum are simply worn down by the current administration. People who voted for Bush and supported him have little or nothing left to defend or hang on to, and the rest of us are also resigned and all out of anger. I believe firmly that this decade has been an unqualified disaster for the world precipitated by the (strange) election of a dangerous, empty suit as U.S. president, but it is what it is and I cannot let it ruin my days. The planet will recover, or it won't; either way I won't be around more than another 20 or 30 years and I wisely did not have children.
Steve Rodeo is a great guy, and he gets along just fine w/ people in the world. For whatever reason, he was not well-suited to the kind of jousting that occurs here. He saw bullies and ass holes where they did not always exist, (and sometimes where they did, IMO), and became spring-loaded on line. I am as hot-headed as they come, on earth as well as the web, but I know that about myself and can recognize when I have gone over the line or let someone get my goat too easily. I also have the advantage of being what the late, great Mulholland called being a "hybrid", I pride myself as not being pigeon left or right on issues. This allows me to find more common ground w/ most people here, but I can't stand ideologues of any stripe. I was raised by them.
BTW, I think that Mulholland also was easily baited, and definitely got too sucked into arguments here. Both Mulholland and Rodeo are extremely nice people in the real world. Mul is a bit eccentric, but I'm nuttier than a squirrel turd myself so I shouldn't talk.
There are a few people that I don't care for here, and vice-versa I'm sure, but w/o that proverbial "nuance" that is missing in written words there can be a lot of missed cues and the web-savvy amongst us know how to not let things get too personal. It pains me when I see some of the animosity, but that is the nature of bar rooms. And this is our "Cheers".
