How come people can't talk about politics without the conversation being reduced to petty name calling?

Question

Are we mature adults who are seeking answers to tough questions, or a bunch of kids fighting on the playground? If you want people to respect your opinion, try leaving out adjectives like, "cowardly, gutless liberal, and redneck conservative." Just a suggestion.

I agree Markham, but I said
"Gutless Liberal," not plain old "Liberal."

Answer 1

OK OK..here's the real reason.
People are reduced to petty name calling because the non-petty ones are too hard to think up.
"Gutless Liberal" is easy, but something like:"shamefully uninformed liberal who wouldn't know a good decision from a box of rocks" is much harder to put together, and then while you're saying it your opponent can throw about 10 petty names at you, which you'd then have to come up with 10 thoughtful answers for. See, it's just much easier to be petty.
I hope that answers it.

Answer 2

So did you say the comparable concern over the final 8 years while Demorats have been bitching, moaning, call calling and had decreased themselves to 5 year olds?! Or are you in easy terms a great hypocrite?! Now you comprehend how Republicans felt over the final 8 years!

Answer 3

good point but I dont think liberal should be on the list as it is a classification,but i think the petty name calling comes from people basing their own beliefs on emotion rather than on facts,but watch any election and youll see one side tells of how to recover from a dillema and the other would rather attack the character of the opposition instead of coming up with a solution

Answer 4

I agree. It is good however that people are passionate about thier views. The name calling on this site is pretty rediculous. I think it's funny how some people answer with names and don't even write a rebutle to the question when they disagree. That really works for proving your point.

Answer 5

I happen to agree with your opinion. It would be nice to be able to discuss issues with tolerance and polite interaction.

However, I think it's the same reason that calm interactions are difficult in the religious category as well. Everyone has strong opinions & lack the tolerance & patience to listen to another who might not agree with them. Rather than considering their opinions, people begin to have knee-jerk reactions & things go down-hill from there.

Answer 6

Politics are an emotional topic, without being restrained by the possibility of physical injury, in the privacy of their home on the computer out come the deamons.

Answer 7

The petty name calling is by the people with nothing intelligent to say.

Answer 8

I think usually name-calling happens when one runs out of arguments, or doesn't have arguments to start with. Same thing with a child's fist fight. When one has had enough, he backs off and resorts to call the other names.

Answer 9

We follow the politicans lead. They are vain, petty, self-centered, self-seeking whiners. We elect them so as the saying goes water seeks it's own level.

Answer 10

Because politics is a petty pastime.