Insulting the Enemy - two faces of stupidity

[intaglio]

Looking at GD - P and the posts from the supporters of the 2 main candidates everyone must be struck by the baseless and bigoted insults bandied about. There is no reasoning attached to these insults just plain hatred either for a candidate or for the cohorts of that candidate. Look at these insults and they boil down to insubstantial froth

Begining with Hillary Clinton:
Posters call her "Shrill", "bitchy", "witchy" and other sickening things from the sexists almanac. "Racist" also makes appearances, and don't forget the implication that she is "corrupt", that she "cheats",

Hillary Clinton Supporters:
are called "paid bloggers", "racist", "whining", "over sensitive", "sore losers"

Onto Barrack Obama:
"Sexist", "lying", "cult leader", "straw man", "preachy", "bigoted", "corrupt", "homophobic", "empty suit", "weak"

and his supporters are:
"Paid bloggers", "sexists", "homophobes", "cultists", "gloating",

First remember that any of these accusations is, automatically, flamebait. Second your favoured candidate would never stoop to calling the other by such names any more than there would be a direct implication of these names - this is called politics - and is why such schoolyard chants should not be used.

That said, some of the people issuing insults are trolls - so do not feed the trolls just alert - but don't say you have alerted because that is feeding them too! Trolls are attention whores they want responses and will also seek support from those who believe the Troll is "on the same side".

Then recall some truly believe what they are saying about your candidate or their own. Give a reasoned response - even to what you consider to be outrageous stupidity. If you cannot give a sensible response don't respond other than "I disagree". By the way "YOUR candidate did it first, Nyah, Nyah, Nyah" is not a reasoned response.

Last things, I have probably broken these rules - So? Everybody will break 'em but try to stick to 'em; do not be ashamed to APOLOGISE if you find you are the one whose post can be seen as insulting, you can do it it doesn't hurt (much)