Some people equate a principled, rigorous, tough, unyielding but civil without screaming and exaggerations debate with being weak and appeasing.
They forget that the target is not a leftist activist who we have a zero chance to convert (only lifetime experience made some formal liberals into conservatives). We fight for uncommitted, or conservative democrats, or wavering republicans, all that amorphous group I can best describe as Reagan democrats. He made a conservative idea attractive to them. Unfortunately, you can never win forever. The fight for conservatism needs to be repeated again and again. But throwing poop - while it can give us a temporarily satisfaction - is not going to win us the fight for mushy middle.
Totally agree.
I think a lot of people have become so focused on the fringe blogosphere on both sides of the spectrum that they forget that the vast majority of Americans are neither convinced nor impressed by raving, sloganeering, or making wild claims. That sort of behavior discredits, rather than supports, one’s argument in the minds of most reasonable people.
I respectfully disagree. Throwing poop did colour the perceptions of many American about G W Bush. It was effective as negative ads are effective at election times. I agree that the ardent, life-long socialist won't be won over (his party is more like a secular religion to him) and I agree we should try to be as fair and reasonable as possible with other people who share share those same values, however, those tactics don't always guarantee success in belligerent times. We should have the unmitigated gal to fight using mud — people will respect conservatives not just for their values of decency but for going to those harsh ends to win back a country. If they lose there will be no country and no more decency left. Mud won't kill people but it sure can be an effective tool.
We can't make the assumption that most Americans are rational after being brain washed by MSM for their whole lives. Emotional appeal is important too. If anything appeals to them is a leader who is not afraid to get into the mud to wrestle his opponent. McCain didn't do it and look where it got him.