There’s a difference between an honest misunderstanding and a deceptive or deceitful one. jeffersondem’s province lies decidedly in the latter two. As a result, his/her tendency is to toss out a fragment of thought and lure you into guessing its context and meaning. Since none of us can possibly imagine what’s going on in that brain we invariably guess wrong and jeffersondem relishes the “victory”. jeffersondem loves the leftist art of splitting hairs. That act treads upon the notion that, split closely enough, anything can mean anything. jeffersondem also practices deflection where he shifts gears when it looks like his/her opposite has proven their point. Deflection is dishonest. And it’s all offered up in a coy fashion meant to distract and diffuse.
It reminds me of a vignette I saw on television of two kids riding in the back seat of an automobile on a long trip. The bratty little brother, being restless and bored, chooses to entertain himself by needling his older brother. One such tactic is to hold his outstretched finger a fraction of an inch away from his victim and declare, “I’m not touching you! I’m not touching you!” until his brother tires of the foolishness and socks him. The younger brother, having received a richly deserved education, then whines about the cruel treatment he is forced to endure.
jeffersondem calls it a “wry sense of humor”.
I call dishonest and exasperating and I won’t play it. You shouldn’t either.
If your complaint is that I don't telegraph what I will write three posts in advance, you have a valid point.
That's because I don't know what will be appropriate to write three posts later.
More to your point - at times I will allow a fish to run with the line before I set the hook and reel him in.
But I have never thrown a punch (meaning written jabs) at anyone that wasn't already in the scrimmage and that I didn't believe was big enough to take a hit and give it back as good as they got.
Sorry to mix the metaphors.