y'all are killin' me with the partisan-politics that descend to embarrassing levels. Some of you seem so intelligent, and you prove it with some of your more thoughtful posts. Then you descend again to the insults and the name-calling. it's so disappointing.
This is where my kids would say "no Dad, YOU'RE disappointing"....
and I expect a couple of you will do the same here. Which sorta makes my point, I guess.
I'd like to think that, perhaps differently from a Muscle-Car forum, or a Home-Brew forum, that a Porsche forum would have a little higher-functioning group, intellectually-speaking. This group SHOULD be able to have a meaningful dialogue, discussing minor and major differences in opinion and policy without devolving to all the hyperbole and histrionics we've seen in this thread, and a couple other recently.
Look; I wasn't a fan of much of what Obama did, but I was at least willing to capitulate that he was a good person, who honestly wanted what was best for the country. We simply disagreed on what that was. He was eloquent, which was a refreshing change from Bush. And, while I didn't vote for him, he WAS in point of fact, my President.
I understand that Trump is harder to like than Obama, because he has an enormous ego ("it's huge, ask anybody, really really huge. the hugest") and he takes the bait every time it's tossed in front of him. He probably can't diagram a sentence, either. I didn't vote for him either, But he is, in point of fact, MY president, and yours too. (except for y'all who don't live here.... you're exempt
). And you know what's best for the country? NOT DIVIDING IT. Yes, I think that in spite of the great things our country has experienced because of Trump, he has also done much to divide us. More than Obama before him, (though HE poured plenty of fuel on some fires, too). But WE decide if we'll be divided or not; not them. WE decide if we'll descend every time into the same old routines that you claim to hate Trump and his minions for. Let THEM be idiots.... we needn't be.
If you honestly think that everyone who disagrees with you is stupid, or evil, or hates America, or whatever other things you've heard from both our politicians and our media, then you are what's wrong with America (and the world at large).
It's humorous, when you think about it, to think that our arguments don't consist of policy and the finer points of what works and what the risks are of each "solution" to each challenge we face; but rather our arguments consist of "your candidate is stupider than mine". You disrespect every single individual who disagrees with you when you BEGIN a dialogue with inflammatory and derogatory name-calling (like "Rump", for instance). You are demeaning others when you say "I used big words so the Trump Supporters couldn't follow-along". That makes you "bullies".... and most of us outgrew that in the 4th grade.
I live in a glass house. I'm plenty guilty of rising to the bait on occasion. I feel passionately about things too. But I aspire to more statesman-like conduct. I hope to be a voice of unification.... not in a "we should all agree with each other" sense, but in a "this is what makes us great: diversity of opinion based on differences in life-experience and perspective."
I've been watching politics closely since about 1985. Today's climate is as corrosive as any I can recall. I don't know how it compares to the '60's, when everyone seems to have been an activist. But I know that I miss the days when reasonable people could gather to discuss an issue and compromises could be made amidst mutual understanding.
yeah... Utopian, I guess. ::sigh::
But my friends know that I mean it. I believe it's possible, and it's certainly preferable.