Yeah, discussing politics can be hazardous. Sadly few seem to be able to do so without basing their discussion on their current feelings/sense of things without asking or being able to articulate why they feel/sense things as they do. "When emotions rule, they seldom rule well" as my best friend often says. (Don't tell him I quoted him, his ego is big enough already! LOL).
It is possible to have a good political discussion of course, but it's sadly rare because most people don't decide things logically, but instead, "sense" their answer in a sort intuitive manner. If you examine this intuition you find that it's great for them, but not too persuasive for others exactly because most people respond to clear evidence and reasoning rather than the personal taste/opinion/intuitions of the speaker. The only caveat to this is what Aristotle called "ethos" from which we get "ethotic" rhetoric. Ethotic rhetoric is persuasion dependent on what Kenneth Burke called, "identification." He said you persuade a man in so far as he identifies with you in how you dress, speak, act, look and so on. In other words, you trust those who are like you more than those who are not. Aristotle also called this type of rhetoric the most powerful but a kind which also "warped the ruler." In other words, to Aristotle it wasn't ethical to rely on your popularity alone to persuade people even if it it was effective. We are social animals and trust our tribe. All others are suspect even if they seem to know of that which they speak.
And that will be enough of that for now. (See I know I can be pedantic, but don't you just love it anyway?! LOL)
AJ
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