Whats different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio, now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to political leaders. Its all part of the suffocating spin cycle were in. In media, politics and publishing, the conventional wisdom is to play to this base.

Politics is history in the present tense.

Godwin's law states that the longer any online debate goes on, the likelier it is that someone will play the Nazi card. It's the rhetorical equivalent of going nuclear and stupid at the same time.

I'm an independent. I'm a centrist. A new generation is arriving that has grown up with a multiplicity of choice in every aspect of their lives, and yet politics is the last place that they are told that they should be satisfied with a choice between brand A and brand B. It doesn't fit the way they think. It doesn't fit the way they live.

The two parties are still more polarized than ever before and the rise of partisan media is an important reason for it.

First, I think more Americans need to declare their independence from partisan politics on both sides. The more that Americans declare their independence, the more the parties will have to compete for their votes using reason rather than the hateful appeals.

Demagogues always do well in economic downturns.

Right now, politics follows the rules of talk radio - using conflict, tension, fear, and resentment to find new recruits.

If you only take offense when the president of your party is compared to Hitler, then you're part of the problem.

One tell-tale sign of a Wingnut: they always confuse partisanship with patriotism.

Politics follows the lines of physics: every action creates an equal and opposite reaction.

Terrorism is always one bad day away from being issue No. 1.

The far right and the far left can be equally insane.