Heh. I think that might be the first diary anywhere in which I used profanity.

In an earlier era, I would just leave it as that, but I feel compelled to point out that yes, that was meant to make a point about the general tone of what I've been reading here, and no, it wasn't meant as a personal insult to you or to your preferred candidate. I admit, I have my own bias against Hillary Clinton (and bias toward Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Chris Dodd), but believe me, I'm sick of everyone right now. I am an undecided voter, and have been looking at my Michigan absentee ballot uncertain of what to mark. (It's a lot easier, since Clinton, Dodd, Kucinich, and Gravel are my only options in this state, but that's another issue entirely.)

In my links above, I was probably too soft on Obama supporters and too harsh on Clinton supporters. It wasn't intentional, honest, it's just how it worked out. If I had done it any other night, it could have been completely different. But I swear, if the comments in this diary turn into "But [X Candidate] supporters are so much worse than [Y Candidate] supporters!" I will scream. And yeah, I could have linked to more comments, but honestly, after a while, I just got sick of it. I'm tired and I don't like tromping through the mud.

If I linked to something you wrote and you think you were justified or are being taken out of context, I'm sorry. I'm probably wrong. But before you accuse me of anything, take a deep breath and ask yourself if it's worth it. Trust me, it's not. Take it as a sign that everyone, including you, needs to be a little more civil. Or, if you really can't stand me, take it as a sign that I don't like you either, because hate is always better when you can keep up the illusion that the other side hates you, too.

Lately, I've been whining a lot about how much less civil it is here and how great it was in the good old days, and I apologize for it. But you know what? You're all intelligent people (and, truth be told, you're probably smarter than me, even if my standardized test scores were amazing). You should know better than to be treating each other like this. It's been a long time since I've been in a church, but I'm pretty sure most religious and philosophical systems out there recommend that you be genuinely nice to each other. That's especially true for this, a time of joy and celebration for many of us.

So, I'm going to give you some advice.

First, go and contribute $10 to Mark Schauer. He's the Michigan Senate Minority Leader and he's a solid, progressive Democrat (and, yes, he endorsed Hillary Clinton, but that shouldn't matter). He's also a candidate for Congress in Michigan's 7th Congressional District, against a really scary, far-right Republican, Congressman Tim Walberg. Walberg is one of these guys that doesn't believe in the separation of church and state, and got all his campaign money in 2006 from the Club for Growth. Last election, he beat a chicken farmer with $1.03 in the bank... by less than four percent. So go help Mark out, and help him get elected to Congress.

Second, turn off your computer. Go make a warm beverage, preferably one with little caffeine. Take slow sips, close your eyes, and relax.

Third, find someone you love, and tell him/her that you love him/her. Please. It'll make everything, even the trials and tribulations of American politics, seem a little bit better.

As for me, I'm going to go work on an e-mail to a wonderful gal who's basically the greatest person on Earth. Unfortunately, she's a couple of states away from me this holiday season, which makes me sad. But e-mails help. Then, I'm going to go to sleep, which I should have done a while ago.

Now go, get out of here, you silly Naderite!

But did you ever think that maybe the kittens started it?!

And X Candidate supporters are so much worse than Y Candidate supporters!

Oh wait, that's what you DIDN'T want this to turn into. Oops. Sorry...

Seriously, this is one of the best diaries I've read recently. It is a great piece of satire with a good message. And your comment to make sure people don't take it seriously is good too.

I was actually thinking of writing a diary with some similar points, but it probably would have been more of real angry rant, at it quite possibly would have mentioned a "Weird Al" Yankovic song. So, thank you for writing this so I don't have to write that.

And, seriously, thank you. Great work, my friend.

Obama supporters aren't smarter than Edwards supporters, nor vice versa.  But pretty much everyone is smarter than Hillary supporters.  That is, except for Romney supporters... but I'm pretty sure Romney is just Hillary in a Ken doll costume.

This is such beautiful satire. I love it. Honestly. Well done! Rec.

Merry Christmas, Fitzy.

MERRY %&$@!&% CHRISTMAS!!!!

Thank you for this diary.  I understand the passions expressed here, I agree that this is a damn important election.  But I don't understand this need to tear out each other's throats over a race where the real policy differences are frankly rather small.  This is by far the most able and most progressive Democratic field we've had in years (not to mention most electable), and I'll happily include Edwards and Hillary in that category even if I do believe Obama's the best choice by a longshot.

I wish a few of us would take a little more time working constructively for our candidates, rather than trying to rip the opposition to shreds.  That doesn't mean no negative comments at all, but it should at least mean no dumb ones.  Unfortunately, this site has become almost nothing but.

Hopefully next time the OP will be more fair and balanced and not just accurately represent the state right now.

I am working on some software algorithms that will hopefully address this problem in some software I am writing.

It will probably stifle some dissent(or at least move it), but as shown here some dissent is worth stifling.

self righteous meta was saved for dkos.

Generally people get the comments they deserve.  If you don't like the tone, post a diary that doesn't make a ridiculous attack on another candidate and start a reasonable discussion.

Merry Christmas

Excellent work, Fitzy. I'll have to plead guilty.  I try not to engage in name calling and other petulant over the top theatrics, but I don;t always succeed.  I'll second Ryan's notion that we have a slate of candidates that we call be very proud of, and I'll happily spend my time, my money and my vote for whoever the nominee is

Why do you hate America?

If I went back and did it again, I would probably try to find roughly equal numbers of statements by Edwards, Obama, and Clinton supporters, and then see if I could find anything offensive from the rest to throw in. But it was late at night, I was a little frustrated by what I was reading, and I wrote what I wrote. I wasn't trying to be harder on Clinton supporters, it just happened that way.

But don't miss the point of my diary. I wasn't saying that we can't criticize each other, because we can and we should. What I was trying to say is that sometimes, our criticisms cross the line of civil discourse. When we engage in personal attacks or spread rumors and innuendo, it doesn't help anyone. That was all I was trying to say.

I've been thinking alot of the same things. You really hit the nail on the head here. I'm glad we have opportunity for discussions here, but sometimes the comments can get out of control.

Great work.

true and even truer

Thanks for the smile...
this is for you man....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb-Mce9Vp mY

I hear he has Joementum.

Now that this diary has sunk off the Recommended List and will sink further away into obscurity, never to be read again, I wanted to thank everyone for the kind comments (and, in at least one case, for contributing to Mark Schauer). It really does mean a lot to me.