What did happen to the purpose of debate. Wasn't debate about discussing an issue until you arrived at what was most likely to be the truth.

I honestly fear for the American political process. Look at the state of the nation today when it comes to discussion and debate on political issues. At the extremes you have the Bush Haters who's hatred of the current President is mentioned in the media daily. The man could walk on water and it wouldn't be enough for some. Not that hatred of the President or those close to him is anything new. Just look at the sheer hatred that Sen. Clinton's name brings up in many of those right of center.

Then lets look at the extreme right, even the staunchest conservative would have to admit that political debate on the right has taken a turn for the worse since Messer’s Limbaugh, Hannity and others realized there are big bucks to be made pushing people's buttons. People often like to be angry, and what better anger than righteous, indignant anger. Of course then we have the only person I consider to be ultra-extreme Ann 'anyone who disagrees with me is a traitor' Coulter. Of course this would not be important but I am told (as I do not listen to these people) that the level of accuracy is often somewhat missing.

Those of us who don't make our livings blasting away at our ideological opposites are stuck in the middle getting bits of information, most of it with large amounts of spin, from one side or the other. To claim that the American media is middle of the road is a farce, even the so called Commie News Network (CNN) is further right than media outlets outside our shores.

All this spin has led us to be a nation of excuse makers. There are few independents that stand there and evaluate each proposal for its merits and not what it means to their political team. Of course this is mostly business as usual, except recently when we all realized that the differences were about more than just taxes and gay rights the security of the nation was at stake.

Now it is fair to declare at this point that I am a' leftist'. I firmly believe in governmental regulation of domestic industries (look what happened with SEC deregulation over the last 12 years) and federal health insurance whilst at the same time I firmly believe in free markets and sound fiscal policies. A balanced budget, prudent federal spending and taxing the American worker the bare minimum. It is at this point if we were sat in a bar that I would have to endure chants of 'Saddamite','Commie' or other witticisms usually ending up in a request for me to leave the country.

Now then, please re-read the above paragraph and remove the 'leftist' sentence. Lets put social issues such as abortion, gay rights, gun control and health care to one side and look at what I said. "I firmly believe in governmental regulation of domestic industries and markets (look what happened with SEC deregulation over the last 12 years) and federal health insurance whilst at the same time I firmly believe in free markets and sound fiscal policies. A balanced budget, prudent federal spending and taxing the American worker the bare minimum. "

With these views I would be a conservative in most every other nation in the world, except the USA. We are one of the most right leaning nations on the planet and yet as soon as a centrist proposal is heard the cries of 'Commie' resound from sea to shining sea. No debate, just ad hominem attacks by people that often don't comprehend the issues.

The rapid change in direction of party politics and the spin that is placed on the arguments that emerge has me very concerned. To summarize when did a 'Real' American become someone that agreed with the President and didn’t dissent, when did the phrase 'Leave the Country' become a valid comment during discussion and when did it suddenly become okay to run up record deficits when four years ago that was a major policy no no.

Of course we will never get rid of the sterotypes and that is just human nature. Plus it is amusing to poke fun at the 'other side' now and then. I for one would not want to go without my favorite xmas joke about the Republican Santa Claus that asks 'Hey kid, do you wanna buy some toys?'.

But back here in reality we need to do better than this, voters need to be accurately informed about the issues or we will be forever cursed with leaders that push special interests ahead of the nations and apologists who would defend a policy to the death just because it came from their 'team'. When you consider that even today a large percentage of Americans believe that Saddam Hussain was behind 9/11 and we have found Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq you see the point I am trying to make. We need public education and less of the 'entertainment' that incites hateful ignorance.

This isn’t politics, this is UK Soccer without the hooliganism