I mean, let's face it, we can't stand most of the political players. Congress is lucky to have a double-digit approval rating. Most every election, most of us is forced to vote for the lesser of two evils. for goodness sakes, look at the KY governor's race? Not very many people liked either one of the two guys it came down to. Same thing at the national level. Yet, I will turn on the tube every evening and watch five or six hours of political talk and spin. I'll do the same thing every night.

 

What is our fascination for politics and politicians, who many of us distrust and clearly have mostly contempt for?

Politics and religion. Possibly sports. The topics that are as polarizing as can be.

 

And therefore "must-watch".

Politics and religion. Possibly sports. The topics that are as polarizing as can be.

 

And therefore "must-watch".

 

 

I agree. Let me ask you a question, papa. You and J-dad both. Why are politics and religion so polarizing? I was going to start a thread on that awhile back but never did. Do you think it's because P&R are so personal to us? We see them almost as an extension of who we are . If you are Jeb guy or a Hillary guy and someone demeans them, I think a lot of people really take it almost as an insult to them personally. When I criticize religion, for example, I think a lot of folks take it as an insult to them personally because they view it (and maybe it is) as an extension of who they are. Same for politics. Some of us, whether you are LOL(Left of Lenin) like me or ROST(Right of Strom Thurmond), take attacks on our religious or political beliefs as personal attacks on some part of who we are as human beings. We probably shouldn't take it that way but, let's face it, when it all comes down to it ,we all are pretty insecure beings and when we perceive our values are being questioned we fight back. Again, probably shouldn't be that way but I think we are.

Do you guys think I am way off base here and do you have any other ideas why P&R topics bring out such rage in people? Let's face it, there have been many, many killings over discussions about politics and religion. There's probably more than a few on here that wish I had crossed paths with Syed and Tashfeen.

I sometimes listen to right wing AM radio talking heads not because I agree with them, but just want to see what crap they're forcefully and angrily driving daily into the heads of those who do.

 

My bull crap filters are up, so their repetitive nonsense won't brainwash me if I hear it too much, but I want to stay on the pulse of what's being brainwashed into the mindset of those who buy it, sort of as a social defense mechanism technique on my part.

 

The endless lies are shamefully spinned, and relentlessly slanted, and it somehow surprises me how they aren't being held responsible for the falsehoods they perpetually purport, but the listeners take the info and run with it because they typically don't have the capacity to see through it, so they take it at face value.

 

I can spot a listener of this junk in a heartbeat, for example just standing in line at the market and Joe Blow starts trying to make political conversation out of the blue like he can't help himself (global warming, Barack Obama, gun control, Muslims, yadda yadda yadda), and I think inside that it's because he's full to the brim with the crap that's being pumped into his head on a daily basis, and it has nowhere else to go but to spill it out to others any chance that he can get. Typically they don't appear to be too intelligent, but with the info that they have jammed in their heads, they at least think that they are.

 

I'm more of a moderate with a slant to the left, but from my observation, more than not the loud mouth ones I come across in public that push their junk out of the blue into strangers faces tend to be coming from a more extreme right side.

 

By being ready for it, I can just ignore them and laugh it off, while having a pretty good idea of where it's coming from.

I agree. Let me ask you a question, papa. You and J-dad both. Why are politics and religion so polarizing? I was going to start a thread on that awhile back but never did. Do you think it's because P&R are so personal to us? We see them almost as an extension of who we are . If you are Jeb guy or a Hillary guy and someone demeans them, I think a lot of people really take it almost as an insult to them personally. When I criticize religion, for example, I think a lot of folks take it as an insult to them personally because they view it (and maybe it is) as an extension of who they are. Same for politics. Some of us, whether you are LOL(Left of Lenin) like me or ROST(Right of Strom Thurmond), take attacks on our religious or political beliefs as personal attacks on some part of who we are as human beings. We probably shouldn't take it that way but, let's face it, when it all comes down to it ,we all are pretty insecure beings and when we perceive our values are being questioned we fight back. Again, probably shouldn't be that way but I think we are.

Do you guys think I am way off base here and do you have any other ideas why P&R topics bring out such rage in people? Let's face it, there have been many, many killings over discussions about politics and religion. There's probably more than a few on here that wish I had crossed paths with Syed and Tashfeen.

 

I have often wondered the same thing about what you are talking about here.

 

I can even see it in myself, and try to remind myself to keep it in check.

 

I've been friends for years with various people who view things way differently than I do, but we're still good friends.

 

Normally I let them have their say, and then try to change the topic to something more sterile like music, sports, or whatever we might have in common to liven things up so as to not be so serious.

 

I've noticed in a couple of my strong minded Republican friends that over the years their favorite topics are more political than they have ever been before, and it's now more of a struggle to get them back on more fun topics.

 

It feels as though they mirror the current ever rising trend of people to be so politically obsessed, and I so bad just want to say "Hey you guys, do you remember what fun is?"

 

They tend to act as if I'm being irresponsible if I don't chime along, while I'm thinking that I just want it to be for us like it used to be when our aim was fun and laughter.

 

With my more "irresponsible" left sided friends it's never an issue because fun and laughter, peace, love, and understanding is where the party begins and ends.

I sometimes listen to right wing AM radio talking heads not because I agree with them, but just want to see what crap they're forcefully and angrily driving daily into the heads of those who do.

 

My bull crap filters are up, so their repetitive nonsense won't brainwash me if I hear it too much, but I want to stay on the pulse of what's being brainwashed into the mindset of those who buy it, sort of as a social defense mechanism technique on my part.

 

The endless lies are shamefully spinned, and relentlessly slanted, and it somehow surprises me how they aren't being held responsible for the falsehoods they perpetually purport, but the listeners take the info and run with it because they typically don't have the capacity to see through it, so they take it at face value.

 

I can spot a listener of this junk in a heartbeat, for example just standing in line at the market and Joe Blow starts trying to make political conversation out of the blue like he can't help himself (global warming, Barack Obama, gun control, Muslims, yadda yadda yadda), and I think inside that it's because he's full to the brim with the crap that's being pumped into his head on a daily basis, and it has nowhere else to go but to spill it out to others any chance that he can get. Typically they don't appear to be too intelligent, but with the info that they have jammed in their heads, they at least think that they are.

 

I'm more of a moderate with a slant to the left, but from my observation, more than not the loud mouth ones I come across in public that push their junk out of the blue into strangers faces tend to be coming from a more extreme right side.

 

By being ready for it, I can just ignore them and laugh it off, while having a pretty good idea of where it's coming from.

 

 

Good post, as usual. I also hear it almost daily in the lines at Walmart or somewhere else. I also agree that it seems like there is far more crazy stuff(at least I know it is from what I hear) that comes from the far right. I have honestly never before seen or heard the outright hate for a political figure or President that I hear almost daily about this President. I mean, yeah, they talked crap about Clinton when he was President, but this has a very different feel to it. This is outright hate. And yes, a lot of what I hear has a root cause in the man's race. Whether it's birtherism, the false belief that he's a Muslim, or, as I heard someone say earlier this week , he is the anti-Christ, this goes beyond what I've heard about other political leaders. Btw, the lady who said he was the anti-Christ was a seemingly nice little old church lady. I think you are right. They get this vile rhetoric pumped into their heads daily from Rush or Hannity and, of course, they fall for it. Rush, Hannity, and Trump don't even believe half of what they say. Yet they effectively indoctrinate the vulnerable and gullible among us into some very dangerous and divisive and false beliefs. Robert Dear can sometimes be the result!

It couples the irrational tribalism of sports with topics and decisions that significantly affect our lives.

 

I can spot a listener of this junk in a heartbeat, for example just standing in line at the market and Joe Blow starts trying to make political conversation out of the blue like he can't help himself (global warming, Barack Obama, gun control, Muslims, yadda yadda yadda), and I think inside that it's because he's full to the brim with the crap that's being pumped into his head on a daily basis, and it has nowhere else to go but to spill it out to others any chance that he can get. Typically they don't appear to be too intelligent, but with the info that they have jammed in their heads, they at least think that they are.

 

WOW! I NEVER listen to political talk radio (unless Matt Jones counts), I don't watch anything on Cable News Channels outside of the actual News, can't stand the talking heads on any channel...yet because I have a strong opinion on Global Warming, the President, Gun Control and Radical Islam I guess my lack of intelligence is self taught.

 

You always speak of understanding and not painting others with broad brushes (and I applaud you for that and have learned much through your viewpoint) but that seems to be exactly what you are doing.

 

I don't agree with what a lot of posters put on here, but I rarely think they are unintelligent... just because we see things differently.

It couples the irrational tribalism of sports with topics and decisions that significantly affect our lives.

 

I like that. I think it's true.

Politics and sports: The common man has zero power over. He just fusses and complains.

I have often wondered the same thing about what you are talking about here.

 

I can even see it in myself, and try to remind myself to keep it in check.

 

I've been friends for years with various people who view things way differently than I do, but we're still good friends.

 

Normally I let them have their say, and then try to change the topic to something more sterile like music, sports, or whatever we might have in common to liven things up so as to not be so serious.

 

I've noticed in a couple of my strong minded Republican friends that over the years their favorite topics are more political than they have ever been before, and it's now more of a struggle to get them back on more fun topics.

 

It feels as though they mirror the current ever rising trend of people to be so politically obsessed, and I so bad just want to say "Hey you guys, do you remember what fun is?"

 

They tend to act as if I'm being irresponsible if I don't chime along, while I'm thinking that I just want it to be for us like it used to be when our aim was fun and laughter.

 

With my more "irresponsible" left sided friends it's never an issue because fun and laughter, peace, love, and understanding is where the party begins and ends.

 

Leave me out of this. LOL j/k

Politics and sports: The common man has zero power over. He just fusses and complains.

 

Tell that to Steve Bartman ... or John W. Booth.

WOW! I NEVER listen to political talk radio (unless Matt Jones counts), I don't watch anything on Cable News Channels outside of the actual News, can't stand the talking heads on any channel...yet because I have a strong opinion on Global Warming, the President, Gun Control and Radical Islam I guess my lack of intelligence is self taught.

 

You always speak of understanding and not painting others with broad brushes (and I applaud you for that and have learned much through your viewpoint) but that seems to be exactly what you are doing.

 

I don't agree with what a lot of posters put on here, but I rarely think they are unintelligent... just because we see things differently.

 

I can completely see why you are saying what you are saying, but I'm referring to the type of people who solely get their information from being indoctrinated from AM Radio talk show hosts who pound to their listeners relentlessly one sided slanted rhetoric.

 

I had a hunch when I was writing this that others reading it might take it personally, but it wasn't meant for those such as yourself to take personally, and especially if you don't fall into the category of getting your information, and forming your views from said sources.

 

I've no problem with variances in views as everyone is certainly entitled to their own view, and there'll likely never come a day when everyone is on the same page. That's just the nature of humanity because we all come from different place, and our views are formed from our experiences etc...

 

My hunch should've had me preface that post with what I just said here to avoid having anyone misunderstand my intent, to now feel the need to clear it up here, but because I didn't, I completely see why you would have thought that about what I said.

There are those that can impact the game :lol:

 

It couples the irrational tribalism of sports with topics and decisions that significantly affect our lives.

 

When someone as bright as Habib starts talking about coupling, I listen.

 

Figure I might learn something new.