The saltiness isn't being stressed, though I appreciate the attempt at some sort of exoneration, I suppose. It's by choice and I don't really feel like explaining it for the umpteen millionth time. But I'll say more generally, first, perhaps surprisingly to some, absolutely nothing I said in this thread was an ad hominem. See the sad thing is that most people wrongly think that to show contempt for some particular position or some idea is an ad hominem. That's just false. An ad hominem literally means, "to the man," where if you were to write out the argument in a logical syllogism you'd see that the person themselves and not the idea they are promoting is the premise from which you're drawing your conclusion. That I
conclude something about the stupidity of some positions and therefore conclude that people that hold and defend such positions are to that extend buffoons isn't an hominem. That'st just impolite. Which is to say, im-political. (A funny irony is that, strictly, you're above post was actually an ad hominem. Maybe you can see how.
) I can understand why people would get offended at impolite statements. I don't really care, but I can at least understand it. To use a bad analogy, it's like when boys get mad at each other and slug it out on the playground. Then they get up, are friends, and go play ball together. It's the girls who scheme and pretend to be friends but stab each other in the back. (Sorry ladies, the stereotype just makes the analogy.)
But that goes to the second general point. The saltiness is impolitical, and I don't care. I've argued in support of Trump, or more specifically, in his defense. But it would be a mistake to suggest that my side won. I don't think it did. I'm not a Trump fan or a Trump supporter. I'm not a Republican. I'm not even a conservative. I'm not even a capitalist, for God's sake. I consider myself a realist whose policy ideas start with the importance of the common good, not ideology. So when Ed gets off the liberal talking points, he and I can have (and actually have had) some really good political conversations. I bet there is a lot he and I would agree on. But I don't apologize for holding in contempt many of Obama's policies, just like I hold in contempt many of Bush's and Trump's policies. I also hold in contempt idiotic attacks on Obama, Bush, or Trump. Dishonesty ought not be tolerated from any camp.
It's funny, I got accused by a very conservative coworker the other day of defending Democrats too much. So I figure if I piss everybody off, I must be doing the right thing.
So, no, I don't think my side won. I'm not interested in helping Donald Trump or Republicans. I voted for Bush back in 2000. That was the first time I was able to vote. I voted for him again the second time as I was totally in the talkradio tank. Looking back, I would not have done so. I voted third party when it was McCain v Obama. Today I might reconsider and have voted for McCain. I abstained completely when it was Romney v Obama. If there was a law that required me to vote, I truly and literally would have flipped a coin and felt just as good (or bad) voting for either one. I voted for Trump over Clinton, less out of liking Trump or even out of hating Clinton per se as much as Trump is the closest thing we've had to an independent candidate in forever. Ezra Klein was actually the one who convinced me, finally, to vote for him. He argued that Trump was not a normal candidate, that Clinton was, and that whatever her faults, and he admitted there were many, at least she wasn't abnormal. And he was right. And I'm tired of normal Washington. So Trump got my vote. So I hope it's clear that I'm not on Trump's side. I just hate, with a deep and undying passion, the entire political establishment (including and starting with the media).
But all in all, I think Ed's a cool cat. I just see some of his arguments in exactly the same light as he sees BWs. BW likes his talk radio talking points, and Ed likes his anti-Republican talking points. So, in that narrow context, I choose fire with fire. Other than that, though, cool cat overall.
