Okay, I know I'm late to the party. This thread's touched on something that's been on my mind lately, and I can't not say something.
Zorag, I agree with the sentiments you expressed in the early part of this thread, even if I don't always support your politics. You didn't start this thread to troll.
Although there's a lot about the Tea Party I do not agree with, I agree that we shouldn't go around saying the Tea Party is racist. It's not entirely about civility, although civility is an important part of it. I also think it's very, very bad politics. Lots of Tea Partiers feel liberals are condescending to them, and think they're bigoted ignoramuses. As the meme that Tea Party = Racism spreads, what do you think will happen? Tea Partiers will take that as confirmation. They'll feel even more on the defensive, and get insular and stop listening to people with different viewpoints.
If your political opponent thinks you're a jerk and won't listen to you, THAT DOES NOT HELP YOU AT ALL.
It works in both directions.
The statement "Policies pursued by Presidents Bush and Obama have caused evil" feels much different from "I would go as far as to call him and those that believe like him evil." Zorag, I realize you've already regretted saying it the way you did and I appreciate that. I'm not trying to lecture anybody, and I apologize if I'm coming across that way.
But you've made a huge subset of this thread readership mentally categorize you with Americans who like to compare the President to Hitler, or think it's appropriate to call him a Muslim. You haven't said any of those things, I know. But I feel like those people have already stopped listening to you.
And that doesn't help you at all.