Hi, David. I think the specter of Selma has got to us all. JJ has a good take on the dueling preachers of last Sunday.
Maybe this isn't really scientific but I've read where it is. Two-thirds of communication is non-verbal, the other third verbal. Meaning voice inflection, facial mien, stance--the whole posturing thing--carries the argument, and politicians know that. Kerry on the Summit drove me crazy when I campaigned for him. In the early stages it was so pronounced that I posted a friendly hint about teaching the camera not to shoot from below.
You and I have known each other for so long that I was not put off when I saw your picture on this site. I always thinking of you as coochy cooing Jacob. But I decided not to put my picture on, because I thought I should act "young" which led me to a picture of me hugging a big Santa. Then I thought, Oh, my God! They'll think I'm a religious nut or something. Or just a nut.
Sometimes the language displayed on blogs, in general, seem out of place with the subject. I still am in the old days with a yahoogroup. If I used foul language there they could kick me off. All of this became relevant with the dustup over Edwards' short involvement with a couple of bloggers. And then came the Coulter/CPAC caper. And it's all on YouTube.
I suppose you are a little like me--don't much care for excesses in political journalism. The WP reporter was taken to task over making too many conclusions before the Libby verdict, for example.
I also thought about places like politicalcortex, which is pretty wonkish at times, but as far as I know there is only one member who goes out of his way to say extreme things, which are probably considered satire. I personally like the fellow from Long Island who is quite analytical. Lately, I follow what Rob Kall is doing on OpEdNews. That started because I could pick up my Knoxville columnist's piece there. (He got the shaft, by the way, and is not with the Sentinel any more. It was over too many articles against Bush.) You can see all Don Williams articles on OpEdNews.
It gets down to a question of how much is back fence chatter and how much is deeper political punditry, I suppose, in the kind of pages we contribute to.
So no answers from me. Just something to ponder.