Not at all! I will still be blogging about books and TV and all sorts of entertainment stuff. :) In fact, I'm doing another read-a-thon tomorrow, so much more booky goodness is forthcoming!

I appreciate your perspective - thank you for sharing with me.

Dirk, why don't you let Jenna decide for herself if she is a RINO, "moderate" or Conservative. Regardless of which she decides, we will all be better off with Mitt Romney in the White House than Barack Hussein Obama.

The above comment by oak creek resident takes a tone I too often hear on The Patch. It's one of the things that has sent me more firmly to the Democrats.

Thank you - I appreciate your comments. And I'm sorry you've had similar experiences with Republicans being snide and nasty toward you. You're right - it comes from and is directed at both sides and I think it's a shame, as well. Thanks again. :)

@Jenna Czaplewski -
Please refer to the @Nobama 2012 comment from 8:30. That is the kind of boorish, partisan blather that bothers many people and I have heard this type of tripe spewing from people of his ilk far too often. What you have experienced is the mirror image of this type of sentiment. The idea that Democrats hate America, the Constitution, and God is pure rubbish just like the idea that all Republicans are heartless, selfish, and unfeeling. Now, Nobama 2012 may have demonstrated that he/she fits that description but it certainly wouldn't be right to paint all Republicans with that same brush.

Thanks for your comment - and expressing your opinion in such a way. I appreciate your viewpoint very much.

Bren:

Please reread what you wrote and think about your comment about 'listening to this bile'. You are misrepresenting what the republican party actually believes. Are you expecting the republicans to stand calmly while you continue to spread propaganda?

Bren wrote: "You support a party that tries to promote the idea that Social Security and Medicare aren't programs that people invest in all their working lives, but entitlement"
We all know you channel the Barack Hussein Obama propoganda machine, but show me one reference where Mitt Romney, or Paul Ryan for that matter, want to do away with Social Security or Medicare. Right now both Medicare and Social Security are on unsustainable paths. Both Ryan and Romney want to open up other options to keep both Medicare and Social Security (or some form of of retirement & health benefit) for future generations, including my kids AND YOURS.

For several years Paul Ryan has told the Left, "we need to sit down and talk. Here are some ideas, lets get this resolved". Instead, you Libs attempt to laugh and ridicule the idea ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIrltAkTf38 ).

Bottom line, Romney/Ryan want to save Social Security & Medicare responsibly. Obama/Biden just want to keep going down the same path until we need to start cutting benefits, raising the age of benefit, or increasing payroll taxes.

Bren wrote: "That education is only for kids whose parents can afford to write fat tuition checks. "

That is actually the difference between Conservatives and Liberals. Conservatives see an opportunity to increase performance and efficiency by opening up education to competition. Liberals seem to think that only big government should educate our kids.

In the mid 80's, Tommy Thompson created the voucher system where parents who could not "afford to write fat tuition checks" could send their kids to high quality private schools. Granted, it is not perfect, but your side continually tries to shut it down rather than working with Republican's to fix it.

Apparently a 67% graduation rate at MPS is acceptable to your side!

Bren wrote: "That rich people's interests should always come first."

No, Conservatives don't believe in screwing over the rich simply to redistribute wealth. Rather than making everyone poor (like Socialists), we believe in creating an economy that will ELEVATE everyone's status.

@Bren -

Honestly, it's hard reading the "bile" that "burbles" from your keyboard, which is why so many constantly feel compelled to challenge and debunk your bs! And this is one of the biggest loads of crap yet! This is exactly the kind of thing that Jenna Czaplewski is talking about in her blog - people on the left attributing lies and misconceptions about the GOP and holding those who support the party personally accountable for such erroneous and misleading characterizations.

If you were a true independent, as you claim to be, then you wouldn't be constantly perpetrating the propagandist lies that the left spews about the Republican and Tea Parties. You also claim to be well informed and well researched, and yet most of the time the conclusions you reach are absolutely ludicrous and unsupported by the facts and reality.

This proves that you're nothing but a propaganda peddler for the DNC.

While you may not realize this, you're one of the haters that Ms. Czaplewski is referencing!

@Anti-Alinsky -- I'm still waiting for those Bush era tax cuts to elevate everyone's status. They're still in place. I'm sorry, but cutting taxes to fix our deficit goes against my real life observation -- at least over the past thirty years.

I agree when you say that the level of intolerance is so high right now. It's such a shame and so disappointing all the way around, isn't it? Thanks for your comments. :)

Thanks for the comments, GearHead. :)

@GearHead -
Being unspeakably rude isn't a trait belonging specifically to Democrats - it is a behavior that many, on both sides of the fence, exercise with reckless abandon. While Jenna seems to be a moderate Republican who you indicate is a "victim of political correctness," chances are you would have little trouble finding left-leaning moderates who are offended by off-putting treatment from people who lean to the far right. It seems that the extremes from both sides are driving the conversation and those in the middle are caught in a cross-fire of lies, hatred and half truths.

Maybe you and Jenna got switched at birth? LOL

I just wish we hadn't gotten so far divided. There probably are centrist Republicans and Democrats who think pretty much alike on some things.

Randy: I am with you about the division thing. In my opinon, the parties are acting like negotiations are taking place--(haggling over a price for example)
Each side has low balled and or high balled the other. That tactic actually works until both sides become so good at it that they paralize themselves.
This is where we are now. Ain't squat gonna get done.

@Kelly You are on the right track.

@Kelly - I haven't really looked in to Libertarianism much. But I'm going to do a little research since you suggested it. Thanks for your comment!

Kelly, I'm with you. As a Libertarian (and a candidate to boot), I think that you nailed the issues correctly with the two-party "duopoly". The R's and D's favor a ton of adventurism abroad, and meddling on both economics and personal issues at home. Their leaders may talk about "reducing the deficit", or "ending our involvement in the Middle East", but they basically support the same expansions of government power. I urge both you and Jenna to check out our meeting this Saturday at 12:30 PM, in the back room at Perkins on Washington Ave. Even if you can't stay until 3 PM, come for a beverage and a bite to eat, and to chat with us and find out more about "the party of principle". Fiscally responsible, and socially tolerant....Liberty, Peace, and Prosperity.

See Jenna, hate comes from the Republican side too. Its very easy to get inward looking and start to feel like you're the only target of hatefulness. But there are terrible hateful people like nobama on both sides, probably. Hang in there. I'm a Democrat, but I know that I don't hate babies or God, even if ignorant people with louder mouths say so. If you've made a thoughtful decision about where you stand, trust in it and don't feel bad about it. I don't. I can guarantee - its not the people like us who end up looking stupid. Its the name callers like this guy.

And again. Crappiness from a a Republican. LOL. You guys are doing a really bad job of supporting Jenna's theory that Republicans get picked on more than Democrats. Not that I needed proof. My yard signs (Obama) have been stolen twice in the same number of weeks. Someone actually peeled an Obama bumper sticker right off my cousins car - 3 TIMES! And my friend had a full can of Mt. Dew thrown at him while we stood on a corner collecting recall signatures. (there's a police report on file, if you don't believe me) I really do appreciate the spirit of your comments, Jenna. But I think one of the hurdles to more healthy discourse is to stop feeling like one side is innocent, while the other "side" slides by - the evil perpetrator of hate who never has to feel the sting of persecution. It just isn't accurate. Its never OK to be mean. Or key a car. Or steal someones property. But neither side is an innocent victim. Like I said before - trust your gut and let the morons bury themselves. They always do.

@Lifelong Greendale Resident - Ugh! Having your property stolen and having items thrown at your is definitely wrong all the way around. And those type of actions just give a bad name to supporters of whichever side acted so abysmally. I'm sorry you and your friend had such poor experiences.

So the source of the demonization is where you're splitting hairs? I agree, actors and musicians tend to lean left. But they're just one group of human beings out of many. There are plenty of groups that lean right. I didn't think whether or not Ben Affleck liked Republicans was the point of the original post. And if it was, I probably wouldn't have bothered to comment. Because who the heck cares? Demonization of the right comes from one place. Demonization of the left comes from another. Duh. That seems like it would be obvious. Does it hurt your feelings more when Brad Pitt says something mean? I'm actually more likely to feel bad when my neighbor steals from me or throw something at my head because of what I believe. The bottom line, and the more important part, is that exists for everyone. The fact that it comes from different places seems both irrelevant and and obvious.

that's a good reason that I became a Libertarian. Actually they prefer a thoughtful, but principled approach to looking at issues, and explaining them. We have been too long (and with some reason) pinned as a bunch of pot smoking anarchist extremists. I am none of those words (at least the first two don't apply). I think that we have nominated too often for office people who make sure that the philosophy doesn't get diluted or "compromised", even though our best success in Wisconsin came from a man (the late Ed Thompson, Tommy's little brother), who pushed what some might call a "libertarian lite" platform, but was still for smaller government and more personal freedom than either major party candidate for governor. He also chose a well-regarded Democrat legislator as his running mate (Marty Reynolds). Not exactly a libertarian on many issues, but a man who wanted more honesty, and less corruption in Madison. Unfortunately, we didn't build on the 185, 000 votes that Ed got that year, but it showed me how our philosophy of fiscal prudence, social tolerance, and personal responsibility can bring diverse people together to make government better, not bigger. Hopefully, we can get the LPWI to a point soon that we have candidates all over the ballot, all over the state, and then people can have a REAL choice when they go in that polling place.

@Randy1949 - I agree with your statement of extremists. Thanks for your comments - I appreciate your perspective!

@Shawn R - agreed!

In 2011 Obama put another nail in our coffin. Picking up where Clinton left off. Executive Order 13575 - Establishment of the White House Rural Council (UN Agenda 21)

then you must see us (the Libertarian Party) as part of the "divide and conquer", eh? the old "wasted vote, spoiler for the Democrats" line?Remember that Ed Thompson "took more votes away" from Doyle than from McCallum a decade ago. 70% of Ed's voters would have voted for Doyle if Ed was not in the race. Without a Gary Johnson running for president, Romney-Ryan would not be as focused on smaller government themes as they are.

I am not a big fan of trying to line up political platforms with ?Holy Writ, since The

I think that the Good Book has its conservative. liberal, and even libertarian perspectives. I like the limited government, minimal coercion and intrusion of the libertarian philosophy. Am a TLC (traditional Lutheran Christian, Missouri Synod), so I do seek in my self governing personal perspectives a Scripturally based lifestyle and values. I just don't want the coercive power of civil authority to force those values onto people. The GOP tends toward that on "social" issues, and that is not consistent with personal liberty and responsibility for one's own actions. They also tend to be too timid in reversing the growth of the welfare and warfare states, and the latter is a big part of their agenda, which is not healthy either fiscally or from a foreign policy standpoint. Ron Paul is the best example of a Christian who holds to lower-l libertarian beliefs.

What has the debt done during the 4 years Obama was in office?

The National Debt did NOT go down under Clinton .. i guess you think a liar is good president .. you have low ideals like most Democrats .. neither of the two mob familys is a good choice but for the ignorant ... Ummm what does "is" mean by the way?