Vitriol is only one part of the problem. You also have sarcasm, silly graphics, non-responsive responses, taking threads offtopic with provocative posts, all that.
Yes, I agree, it would be good to have a mechanism to elevate the debate on all kind of topics. For example, it is impossible to post anything from Buchanan without the thread immediately going into his alleged anti-Semitism. But he is a prominent writer, former presidential candidate and a TV personality who speaks on a whole lot of topics dear to Freepers. We should be able to discuss his ideas, if only in order to refute them, in a logical fashion.
Good points.