Because he’s too damn smart. He can’t be trapped. He approaches every proposition with analytical calm and an open mind. He doesn’t respond based on his political views. He responds based on the merits of the situation as they appear to him to be.
Other posters react in knee-jerk (or bleeding heart, if you prefer) fashion, reflexively. The contradictions inherent in their postures is evident if you spend a little time developing a hypothetical case - or finding a real case - to put the skids to them. Not so Daniel – he simply analyzes every situation as it comes along; he’s not a victim of his own preconceived ideals because he seems to set them aside and examine the facts.
If there’s a weak argument, he skewers it like a shishkebob. The bastard. If there’s a strong argument, he’s still able to unerringly point out the weakest parts of it. He can’t be distracted, he won’t fall for irrelevant fallacies, he just plods along with every post, peeling away the chaff and exposing the wheat.
This man is too dangerous to the exercise of insubstantial rhetoric. It’s an outrage that he is permitted to practice his craft in this way.
I was just complimenting him yesterday and acting as a yapping dog to get a poster to respond to **LHoD ** because he asked far better questions than I though I could.
I am very happy he posts here even though I often don’t agree with him. He has my strong respect as a debater and poster.
When I first started to read what he wrote he seemed like some sort of hippie.
Hippie = Bad in my mind.
Then I saw that he was from the South.
South = Good in my mind.
That was quite the contradiction to me. I was forced to read what he wrote and actually figure out what the hell was going on. I was pretty impressed and I no longer think that all animal loving hippies that bad.
I have at least one counterexample now so compliment me on my openmindedness too.
There are plenty of posters who hate him, though. They’ll be along momentarily, and their red-hot breath will probably singe you a little as well, Bricker. There’s still time to run out and get a package of marshmallows, I think.
Sheesh, get a room! Specifically, a room in MPSIMS, the proper forum for this type of love fest.
[sub]What’s next, pitting kittens for being too fuzzy? Puppies for wagging too adorably? How are we supposed to have a proper Pit if people are going to be so positive and nice to each other all the time? Too much Christmas spirit, that’s the problem…[/sub]
** Debaser goes and gathers up a bunch of matches, lighter fluid, hot pokers, cattle brands, firecrackers, kindling, bang snaps, kerosene, a cord of hardwood, napalm, a feather, TNT, gasoline and coal **
What? Thread moved to MPSIMS for a love in? Darn it! What am I going to do with all this stuff?
Come on, Giraffe, you’ve got to give this more than 20 minutes! I call that premature, um… moderation. The haters are still wandering around wondering where they put that goddamn ammunition.
Same here. The dork’s posts left me unimpressed in the beginning. Typical left hander. Like the guy I went to Army training with who looked like the epitome of an uneducated hillbilly. Hair going in all direction, mostly in his eyes, skinny neck and big adam’s apple. But when you listened to the answers he gave in class you discovered that, although extemporaneous, they were grammatical, coherent and to the point. Like the dork’s posts.
Thanks, Bricker, for the pitting–I couldn’t ask for it from a better poster. To continue the kissy-fest, when I’m talking to folks about why I post on messageboards, I don’t mention you by name, but I do describe you as my main reason: the Straight Dope is pretty much the only place where I have direct, pointed conversations about politics with people whose politics are very different from mine. When I can have these conversations with folks who are smart, ethical, eloquent, and civil, it’s a tremendous delight.
Even face-to-face conversations about politics with my friends end up leaving me flat a lot, either because some of my friends make political decisions for weird reasons (“Did you see how he’s wearing the same tie in all of his pictures on the flyer? That’s just weird.”) or because in face-to-face conversations, I can’t go back and edit my words, think about what I’m saying before I type it, and look up references. And neither can the folks I’m talking with.
So I really appreciate the love, and I send it right back atcha.
GODDAMMIT, YES I CAN! FUCK YOU, DUDE!
Ahem.
You’re right; some issues get up my nose (particularly when I perceive folks to be talking shit about others behind their backs: drives me craze).
Sorry, Debaser, 'bout the move. You can start a Pit thread and link to it from here, and it’d be like the Dark Side of the Mooning.
Thanks, Bricker, for the pitting–I couldn’t ask for it from a better poster. To continue the kissy-fest, when I’m talking to folks about why I post on messageboards, I don’t mention you by name, but I do describe you as my main reason: the Straight Dope is pretty much the only place where I have direct, pointed conversations about politics with people whose politics are very different from mine. When I can have these conversations with folks who are smart, ethical, eloquent, and civil, it’s a tremendous delight.