For one thing, everyone seems to think Godwin’s Law is, “The first side to compare the other to Hitler loses.” That’s not it at all.
Recognizing and denouncing the fallacy of 'nutpicking" is an important tool in the arsenal of reason.
Fortunately we have many advocates capable of calling out the Right on their transgressions in this regard, and on their sleazy tactics in general. A great example from the letters to the Editor section of the New York Times, Sunday 8/13 (the writer is Karen George of West Allis, Wis.):
“…the problem we ‘progressives’ face is an uneducated public blinded by talk radio, and the likes of Karl Rove who see no inbetweens and name-call and badger the other side.”
IMHO, it’s the other way around: lefties get less air time than is warranted by demand, and they’re too often worthless pseudo-lefties like Lieberman that don’t exactly inspire interest.
I see your point, BG, and for the most part it’s valid. But let’s face it, most of the time when someone begins making comparisons with Hitler and the Nazis, it’s because they’ve run out of valid points (or never had any in the first place) and are trying to substitute arm-waving rhetoric for rational discussion.
You Nazi. 
As for the Nutpicking Principle, it seems at best to be a minor variation of the strawman fallacy, such as attacking abortion clinic bombers as if they were somehow representative of the pro-life movement as a whole.
That’s damn stupid. It’s almost as stupid as Godwin’s law- well at least the version which is usually used here and on other boards. Godwin’s Law as often used seems to be “the first person to make a comparison to Nazi’s- loses”. Nothing of the sort. The “law” makes no mention at all of losing or winning and any such “law” that does is idiotic. Thereby Drum is an idiot. Sure, Blogs are often full of crap, but there are gems there too.
Here is Godwin’s Law “As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.” It mentions *nothing at all * about “losing” or even that mentioning Nazis is even wrong, distasteful or even to be avoided. In fact, although such comparions are often specious, they can also be quite valid.
*Godwin’s Law does not dispute whether, in a particular instance, a reference or comparison to Hitler or the Nazis might be apt. It is precisely because such a reference or comparison may sometimes be appropriate, Godwin argues in his book, Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age, that hyperbolic overuse of the Hitler/Nazi comparison should be avoided, as it robs the valid comparisons of their impact…There is a tradition in many newsgroups and other Internet discussion forums that once such a comparison is made, the thread is finished and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically “lost” whatever debate was in progress. This principle is itself frequently (though perhaps incorrectly) referred to as Godwin’s Law.
*
On preview, I see that **BrainGlutton ** has made a similar point.
How is air time of the lefties less than is warranted by demand? It would seem that it reflects actual demand. If not, what is surpressing it?
This tactic is pretty common in the blogosphere, and is just as stupid as Drum says. “Here’s a comment by SomeNutJob on SomeCommentSection at SomeBlog. This proves that all right/left wingers are morally depraved!”
It is an unworthy tactic. The words of SomeNutJob only reflect on SomeNutJob, or any organization that SomeNutJob is an official spokesman for. So if Kos or Instapundit says something stupid, that only means Kos or Instapundit said something stupid, not that the mask is finally off and we see what all right/left wingers finally think.
And the good old variation, “SomeBlogger hasn’t denounced SomeNutJob yet, 4 days after SomeNutJob said SomeNuttyThing. So now we have proof that SomeBlogger agrees with SomeNutJob!”
That list might not be as impressive as it seems. According to the management of WPTT they are listed as an affiliate because they run the Thom Hartmann Show. WPTT was already running it before it was distributed by Air America and doesn’t carry any of their other programing. Of course, WPTT has its own hometown liberal talk show host: Battlin’ Lynn Cullen.
Just my 2sense
The same thing that makes all Hollywood a huge liberal conspiracy? :dubious: