Allow me to retort ...

Tom from Illinois, a conservative who is one of my best-informed readers, wrote me yesterday to alert me to the storm I had kicked up with my column on Sarah Palin. Very few of the comments that follow my columns are useful — most are angry, accusatory and partisan, written by wingers on the left and right who will never be happy with anything they see under my byline. I credit and criticize both parties, respect people and ideas in both parties, and value bipartisanship and independence. It's lonely in the middle.

But what I found this week were record-setting obnoxious salvos from people we can call the Palin Protectors. I want to point out that there were some notes to me that were critical, but quite constructive, from ABFAN and Tim. The rest of the comments were from people who called me "a disgrace," "an idiot," "a stupid liberal bitch," "another MSNBC-style hate-filled left winger with Palin Derangement Syndrome" and added references to how my life must lack happiness, how I may be sexually confused and may even be a lesbian. Let's hear it for Mike P and Jim — perhaps the Jim who blasted me earlier but later apologized? — who asked why The Hill publishes vulgar comments that don't advance public discourse. Good question.

In my column about Palin I pointed out the obvious — that she is engaging in payback, that she can't stay on her own talking points and that she is making it pretty clear that she could consider running for president in 2012. I never called her stupid or any of the other things I am accused of in the comments section. By the way, Palin Protectors should know that "God and Todd" is a Palin quote about her mantra for living; I can't take credit for making that one up. If you didn't know that, you haven't been watching enough of her interviews. In addition, Sarah the Barracuda is a nickname from her school days, and finally, it should be noted that not only do I not write headlines, but columns are not articles and there is a distinct difference between the two.

Call me old-fashioned — I have been called everything else — but I believe that we can never make progress on any front if our public debate is fueled by hate, anger and vitriol. Where are the people who are interested in hearing a different opinion, and who are open to differing views? They are turning away from this toxic experience, and I understand why. We need them back.


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