I’m not a political person, at least outwardly. I’m not a religious person, outwardly. I believe what I believe, strongly in most cases, but follow a 100% tolerance approach to differing views. I also believe that I may not be right in all things that I believe, and that that is OK because I’m still living day to day, learning day to day. Opinions to me are like toes in that everyone has them and no one wants theirs in particular to be stepped on. Therefore, I don’t wear my combat boots around other people.

As I settled down for the evening last night, I picked up the newest issue of Rolling Stone that I had sitting on my night stand. With the magazine in hand, I slipped into bed to read for a bit before resting my weary, sick head. I chuckled at the brashness of a cover headline. Something about “inside the lines of the enemy” in regards to the republican party. Huh. Though not surprised at RS’s political views, I still found that to be quite, um, bold. And not in a Doritos sort of way.

I flipped through, scanning the reviews that I had already read and picked over (and by ‘picked over,’ I mean I skip anything that involves Interpol. Get over them.) I found myself reading an article about a journalist posing as a Bush supporter and campaign volunteer for three months. Interesting topic right? Except for the fact that he did it because of his hate (yes, he used the word hate) of the Republican party. Now that’s just not cool.

This just in: Still not a registered Democrat or Republican. Still don’t know who I’m voting for. Still don’t think either major candidate is worth their weight in salt. Ok, just checking to make sure you get the point.

So basically the article describes his ‘hilarious’ exploits in Florida in the most inflated, egotistical and narcissitic fashion possible. He uses a tone and language that most people would expect to be mastered and forgotten by the time sixth grade bullies moved on to high school. He pushes and belittles the reader, shoving trite stereotypes down their throat until they only believe that all Republicans are either 1) backwoods hilljacks with hateful tendencies and gunracks or 2) naive, misinformed Christians with their heads up their asses. Hell by the end of the article he could have told me that Suzy snitched on Bobby to the teacher just to get him a demerit and I would have believed him. I felt I was 10 all over again.

I’m all for entertaining journalism. I think the premise of the story was strong, and could have been a great piece on how the party in Florida is actually run. Instead what was delivered was the most smug, juvenile piece of crap I’ve possibly ever read. What a waste of an opportunity.

My whole point here, though I might not quite explain it well, is that I have *no* tolerance for using stereotypes to win an argument. Especially where one of your stronger passages is supposed to be about how the ‘other side’ doesn’t know how to argue with logic. A piece that is supposed to be a tell-all expose of the true inner workings of the Republican party was a rash, elementary summarization of ignorant stereotypes. Hell, I have no tolerance for stereotypes in general.

With no partisan ties myself, I shouldn’t care. But I do. I care, not because the Republicans looked like morons (assuming most people eat the crapcake article that this guy serves them), but rather because he’s teaching millions of readers to hate (yes hate) people with different views…and taking what he thinks is the high, enlightened road while he’s at it. So not only is he spreading hate and ignorance, he’s saying “hey, look over there! those people are spreading hate and ignorance!” all the while he’s the one getting away with it.

With biased news casts (in both directions), scripted cream-puff debates and candidates that dance around topics like they’re on Bandstand, we need intellectual, un-emotional dialogue between party supporters. Republicans that cling to their party all the while plugging their ears to the Democratic views (and vice versa) is idiotic. Your ‘team’ can’t be right just because you’re on the team. You can’t think your way is right just because it’s *not* the other view. That exclusionary mindset is assinine.

Why can’t people discuss politics without being personally offended? Why can’t I read one piece of journalism, pertaining even the slightest in politics, without someone trying to sell me their rhetoric? Not everything is propaganda. Not everything is an advertisement.

I’m not goin to not cancel my subscription to Rolling Stone. That’s idiotic. But I pray that they think twice about spreading the gospel of hate to a young demographic. And best of luck to the author, who’s doing a poor job of being the written Michael Moore of this election.