"I think it is refreshing to remind each other that although we have political differences our opponents are not the monsters that they are made out to be."

I couldn't agree with your sentiment more.

I do remember, however, that the image of a certain conservative Fox News host appeared on your blog with an SS reference. I assume that's an example of the types of demonization we ought to avoid.

Eric,

Have you seen the Daily Show's mocking of Glenn Beck for having what they labeled as Nazi Tourettes?

Glenn Beck regularly labels his many enemies as progressive communist Nazis ( go ahead and try to make sense of that label) who are plotting to destroy America. It isn't fair to compare him to any negative attacks that Strickland or Parks have sent to voters. The picture compared him to Joe McCarthy which is a fair comparison.

Oh, my comment has nothing to do with the Supervisor Race. You made a more general point about demonizing enemies. Here let me quote you again:

"I think it is refreshing to remind each other that although we have political differences our opponents are not the monsters that they are made out to be."

The Beck-as-McCarthy poster you put on your blog had the SS logo on it. The SS were monsters.

It sounds like you're justifying bad behavior by pointing to other bad behavior again. You don't think two wrongs make a right, do you?

Or maybe you are saying people CAN demonize their opponents IF they demonize THEIR opponents? Doesn't that mindset contribute to an "era with so many negative and desperate attacks" that you decry?

Yikes! Can you say Olive Oyl?

Eric is just a shill for Audra Strickland - http://www.flashreport.org/blog.php?postID=2010052714585674&post_offsetP=0#comm_2010053023032942

a. person, I'm not surprised that an anonymous person would try to distract from the very good point that I made.

You'll notice that everything in the article you mentioned is neutral and fact-based, except for the headline. The headline was chosen by FlashReport, not me. Of course, you won't submit an apology to me, and will just go on with the ad-hominem attacks that Brian deplores, won't you?

Good grief! How would anyone know that the headline wasn't yours? Please accept whatever apology is due you. I still think "shill" is an apt descriptive and not an ad hominem.

Eric,

Did you watch the Daily Show video?

Do you think Beck often uses McCarthy like tactics? I assume from your comments you agree that Beck is behaving in bad behavior.

My point remains that nothing Audra Strickland or Linda Parks has said rises to the Glenn Beck level of seeing progressive communist Nazis everywhere.

I respect many local elected officials of both parties but I don't respect Glenn Beck at all.

Eric,

To be clear I do think it is fair to say someone who regularly accuses their opponents of treason and makes it a habit to call almost everyone he disagrees with Nazi Communists is a McCarthy like demagogue.

I'd rather read your thoughtful arguments every night than listen to that modern day Charles Coughlin.

a. person, I don't blame you for not knowing. In fact, years ago I thought the same way you did, that reporters come up with their own headlines--many of which I thought were evidence of the reporter's liberal bias. I later learned that it was often the editor's job of making the headline and the reporter had no control over it.

When I broke the story that the GOP Central Committee formally requested Audra Strickland to run for Supervisor, my headline read: "Draft Audra--Republicans implore Strickland to run against Parks". In it, I gave Parks' side of the story about injecting partisanship into the race, the push poll issue, and that Strickland didn't live in the district.

I am grateful to the Star that they posted it on the home page as a feature. However, they shorted to the title (out of necessity) to "Draft Audra" with my picture next to it, leaving the impression of an endorsement. If someone didn't read the article, just like with the FlashReport one, they might assume something incorrect about the headline that I had nothing to do with.

You seem like a fair person, a. person. Sorry I was quick to judge you. Thanks for your last comment.

Brian - No progressive communist Nazi allegations yet? It's still early!
Eric - Glad to hear your explanation. I've learned something from you.

For a minute, I thought this blog had gone to the dogs...

Eric,

Are you supporting Audra Strickland?

C'mon Brian, stop trying to distract from the contradiction in your two posts I pointed out. I'm not fooled. I'm not one to hide from honest questions, but I think your question has more to do with trying to hide from my question than you wanting to know who I'm voting for. That being said, I'm seriously considering not voting at all in this election for the first time in my adult life, and anyone who bothers to really read what I've written about the race knows that I've been fair to both candidates.

Eric,

The reason I ask is that it is an assumption that Audra Strickland would earn the support of conservative activists. I'd like to know how accurate that assumption is but I guess we can find out next week.

I see how you think it is a contradiction but when someone starts shouting Communist Nazi slurs at everyone in sight it is hard not to mock them and hold them in disdain. Regardless of how you might vote next week you do agree with me that both Linda Parks and Audra Strickland are no where nearly as polarizing as Glenn Beck or Keith Olbermann. There is a good reason for that fact.

I agree that neither Strickland or Parks are as polarizing as Glenn Beck.

And I am clear on your philosophy now, that's it's OK to you to demonize people if they demonize other people. I guess then once your opponents are demonized, they will demonize you back, and you will return the favor.

And that's why politics is the way it is.

Glenn Beck is a fascist. America is a fascist country. Not boot on your throat fascism but rather control your brain with TV and porn fascism.

If the people are not paying attention the fascists can literally get robbery and murder.

Aha, another rant from Ventura County's own version of Jesse Ventura. So, do you think Obama is a bigger fascist than Bush, Art? Inquiring minds want to know.

When did porn become fascist? Seems to me that the availability of porn is one of the defining characteristics of a free society. I'd bet you would have a much harder time getting porn in places like North Korea or Saudi Arabia.

The fact that Art V regularly spouts off with his idiotic 911 conspiracy theory nonsense is proof enough that we live in a free country.

Agreed. This guy appears on these blogs every so often with his weird, psychotropic-influenced comments and then gets all bent out of shape when someone calls him on it. Without a doubt, he is the undisputed Jesse Ventura of Ventura County.

Stricklands keep moving their residences they cannot have any dogs.

Bush and Obama equally fascist. Obama has done nothing to stop the wars.

The reason porn is so accesible it becuase it distracts people from what really matters. The youth is so accustomed to porn their brains are rotting. You don't agree?

Please take a miute and listen to this JFK speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpmi7dBet0c

Here's a little speech of my own for you, Art, you nut case:

"Pack up your bags and move to North Korea or China if you don't like the way we do it here, Art. We actually believe in freedom of expression here. Just ask your buddies, Sean Penn, Rosie O'Donnell, Charlie Sheen, Danny Glover, et al. They'll tell you all about it. You may not like porn, but you live in a country that believes in these kinds of freedoms. I'm sure all of your above-named heroes would agree, especially Charlie Sheen, whose had his own issues with sex addiction, as I recall."

Art V...do you think that porn is something new to today's youth? Or is it simply more easily available? Is that why porn & sex seem to be affecting the leaders of the family values movement more than it is people who consider themselves progressive?

And...rather than distracting people against their will, perhaps what we're seeing is a movement by people who are eager to be distracted because they've turned their backs on the global/national/local dialogue that's being offered to them. What would such a movement mean for America?

So.....did the VCRCC merely get caught with its metaphorical pants down or is there something more shady going on in re the quick turnabout on that $100K loan?

I have to admire the speed to which the VCRCC returned the loan, so quickly after the STAR began investigating the possible "improprieties" (I thought the term, "illegalities" might have been too strong this early in the investigation) and the connections to Strickland's campaign (it seems the terms "Strickland campaign" and "improprieties" are as familiar together as....ah, forget it!).

But the really interesting thing about this affair is the interest that the VCRCC decided to pay to the guy who provided this extremely short term loan: 10%!

Was that 10% of the entire amount, as Mike Osborne leads us to believe in the STAR article? Maybe someone can explain. If it was, then the quick $10K made off what was pretty much a failed transaction seems a bit high, doesn't it? Why would that be?

GS-

Thank you for the solid dialogue. There are some people on this blog who continue to try and make me something I'm not by calling me names and trying to label me. When I get good conversation it's refreshing.

Obviously porn has been around for centuries, but now it is much more acceptable (even normal) and people, especially the youth, are seeing porn in amounts never before imagined. It's not just the youth either. The leaders are no exception. Didn't the British Petroleum regulators share porn sites with those they were supposed to be regulating? How can you concentrate or do your job when your being turned on?

Have you read Brave New World by Huxley? In that book the people are genetically engineered and completely controlled by society. Their escape is to have lots of sex with multiple partners and take drugs to slip into coma induced vacations. Does this sound familiar?

And yes GS you do have a good point. Perhaps the people here in USA are eager to be distracted. Honestly it is EASIER to watch tv instead of read. It is easier to play video games on the IPOD instead of looking at multiple news sites and opinions. This is the Information Age but the majority of the people do not take advantage of the tools and remain dumber today then they were 100 years ago. Instead they trust Beck, they trust Olberman, they trust Limbaugh and Cooper, when instead they should be doing their own research and deciding for themselves what the truth is. We have the tools to decide for ourselves but we let top 40 dj's (Beck) infotain us for millions of dollars.

Some people get off as easily by screaming and name-calling. I guess it's a form of political porn. I gotta give you a lot of credit for ignoring them.

I truly fear that the voters have become so dumbed down by the kind of political discourse, which in itself has wholly replaced civic discourse, that the Republican is in serious danger of a radical change...likely not for the well being of the People.

It's nothing new...this sort of political porn started when Hamilton & Jefferson started with their anonymous pamphlets. But perhaps after all these years the cumulative effects of political porn are now bringing America close to the edge. It won't be terrorists that bring down the USA...it'll be Americans that do it to themselves.

I see that gs is quickly crossing that bright line that separates reality from fantasy. It's no big surprise that he and Art V. see eye to eye. I expect to see both of them standing soon at the corner of Victoria & Telephone with big signs declaring that Bush single-handedly brought the World Trade Center buildings down. Yikes!

It would seem I've made my point.

As have I...

how many trolls are on this blog? each time they personally attack someone it gives the one their attacking much more credibility. especially when the attacks are anonymous.

No, Art, every time you respond with one of your bizarre, fantasy-based proclamations that the world is being invaded by little green men it further undermines your credibility, especially when the basis of your theories are guys like Jesse Ventura, Sean Penn, and Charlie Sheen. LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!

People like Art V perpetuate idiotic 911 conspiracy theories that have been repeatedly proven false, which is why he has no credibility on any issue. It's like having a conversation with someone who claims to have been abducted by aliens.

Click on the link to see a photo of Art V in action. Hey Art, when you were in the alien spacecraft did they do any 'sexual' experiments with you?

" gs is crossing that dangerous line"...

Yeah, I think you've proven that point beyond a shadow of a doubt...all on your own.

gs, how's about I hook you up with Art V. and you two loons can man the spaceship that Art claims landed in his backyard and head off together to the planet Xenon?

That way, the rest of us here who are interested in having a serious conversation can do so in peace. Oh, by the way, don't forget your tin foil hat, you will lose contact with your home planet if you leave it behind. Right Art?

Eric,

Glenn Beck promoted a book by an anti-Semitic woman that blamed Jews for communism. She wanted America to not get involved in the war against Nazi Germany and used racist terms against American presidents.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201006040032

You really shouldn't spend your time defending him.

Art V.,

Just to be clear I don't accept the allegations put forth by many of the 9/11 truthers. But all of the name calling shows your critics aren't able to debate you.

Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog.

Also, I don't think Bush or Obama are fascists.