Is the total lack of civil political discourse even reversible now?

[IDemo]

It hardly seems worthwhile glancing at the story beneath any politically related news headline these days; invariably, the focus of
the story winds up on the inane and insane response of Repub spokespersons to the latest perceived Democratic outrage. All in the
name of balanced reporting, of course.

I'm not so old - 52, yet I seem to remember an era when the political discourse, heated though the rhetoric may have been at times,
kept itself within the boundaries of reasonable discussion of the issues at hand. Instead, today we are offered inanity and insanity
by the Birther/Deathers, their LimBeck patron saints, and a media whose job apparently no longer includes calling out plain misstatements
and lies. Republican leaders seem to be in no hurry to steer the conversation back to sensibility, and may even be behind a great
deal of the madness. Wildly distorted misrepresentations of the facts are accepted by an increasing chunk of the public with no further
questions needed. Character assassination has reached a dizzying new low.

Have we any reason to believe that the trend will reverse itself anytime in the near future? Or should Democrats simply hop on board and
begin appealing to the voters' R-complexes*, rather than their forebrains?

The R-complex is named for the most advanced part of the brain higher mammals share with reptiles. It is responsible for rage and basic survival fight-or-flight responses. Often, the R-Complex can override the more rational function of the brain and result in unpredictable, primitive behavior in even the most sentient of creatures, humans included. A well developed and healthy neo-cortex can monitor R-Complex activity in sentient beings.

[rucky]

1. Violence is next.

That's what they're asking for.

[IDemo]

2. Wow, that was a rapid unrec

Evelyn Wood, is that you?

[fascisthunter]

3. most of us will cancel out the unrec's

the unrec feature was a bad idea...

[stray cat]

4. Most republicans and democrats and independents are civil

but there are hateful irrational pockets including the pundits and most of the current crop of republican leaders which make it look like we all hate each other. We don't! But the fringe groups certainly do!

[IDemo]

6. But the ones in charge of the discussion are not

While the unhinged Becks and Boehners have possession of the microphone, it's hard for the hinged to get a word in.

[jeffbr]

5. 2nd law of thermodynamics says no

It's just like what you see on TV now compared to 30 years ago. The genie done gone.

[rhett o rick]

7. I agree. nt

[WeDidIt]

8. Why should it?

The tiny screaming minority is winning, so why should they stop?

[IDemo]

11. I should have been more explicit

While it is true that the "I want my America back" screamers feel vindicated by all the attention, it will be up to
the media, Democratic leaders and the remaining non-insane Republicans to steer the dialogue back to sensibility.
Unfortunately, with the exception of a few brave souls, the media seems delighted about all of this.

[DainBramaged]

9. If it bleeds it leads, and the media wants blood

simple truth.

[Fumesucker]

10. Shouldn't be any harder than unscrambling an egg..

:shrug:

[ThomWV]

12. Was it any better 55 years ago?

"Have You No Sense of Decency?" -- June 9, 1954, United States Senate.

[IDemo]

15. Overall, yes

I'm not trying to claim that politics has always been a model of brotherhood here. But the norm nowadays - of representatives and citizens being shouted down
at town halls, of wildly insane scenarios being painted by TV and radio talking heads and accepted whole cloth by their listeners, and of a mainstream media
able to pass it all off as all a part of democracy in action? There have always been heated moments in American politics, but what we are seeing today goes
beyond that - it is the mainstreaming of the childish and emotionally disturbed.

[ThomWV]

17. Agreed

And you make your point well.

[alsame]

20. Because now almost an entire generation has been around for

right wing talk radio and TV, where the model is personal attack, shouting and lies rather than civil and rational discourse about political/ideological disagreements based on facts.

I've seen a dramatic change in the last 25 years or so. Just look at the format of cable 'news' - no matter what the issue, the right wing pundit will interrupt, shout, attack and lie. It's the new normal and what we see from the right in real life is the same.

[Vidar]

13. The Republicans have perfected thuggery and should be treated accordingly.

[SmileyRose]

14. Kill hate radio and TV and discourse will be back to civil within a year

We can't take away the right to free speech in the commercial marketplace, but surely we can make it so expensive to propagandize they can't make a profit on it anymore. -- Like cigarettes. We can't really make smoking illegal altogether, but putting so much expense and so many limits on it makes it so unattractive people stop on their own.

[Better Today]

16. Civility is cyclical just like everything else.

[ThomWV]

18. OK, when was the last high in the cycle?

[Better Today]

19. That I don't know. But I've read some political cartoons and editorials from the late 1800's

many years ago when I was at the university (30+ years) and they were about even with the type of misrepresentation and vitriol as these are today.

Perhaps it has always been such, but since through most of my personal time of being aware of politics, 30-35 years, this is the worst I've ever seen, so it must have been better for a time anyway, hence cyclical.

[Edweird]

21. Who cares? RIght now we are in power unless we fuck it up.

Get what we can get while the gettin's good.

[IDemo]

22. I do

And most who remember what this country once stood for do as well.

Mobocracy doesn't generally work well.

[Edweird]

23. Bipartisanship is dead - except for when it comes to screwing us over.

Until the RW gets back on its meds and settles down, I see no point in even trying to hold civil discourse. If they ever stop being sons-of-bitches, we'll see. 'Till then, do unto others before they do unto you.

[IDemo]

24. I was only trying a bit of sarcasm in the OP

by asking if we should simply give up on reason and go straight for the reptilian complex of the voters, as have Beck et al. If we should actually go down that path, our political system will have devolved (literally) into nothing more than a cage match: highly entertaining for a few and yielding nothing but some bruises and bruised egos.