Not a Political Party-Liner

I wonder if you've had this experience: you're at work, school, church, a store, or out in a coffee shop...and an individual starts to go off on a political rant, repeating talking points he or she heard from the radio or television, complete with the exact same derisive nicknames their media "hero" levels at members of the "other" political party.  I've had this happen quite a lot, actually, and it is disturbing.  Here's why...

In our system of political government, we have to deal with the reality of a binary choice between the Republican and Democratic parties.  Now as an individual citizen of our great country, I have different opinions on various issues, some of which directly affect my livelihood, some of which I believe concern my country's general welfare...and some of which are more philosophical and ethical in nature.  My positions, from issue to issue, will vary from one party's stance to the other...and sometimes neither party will take "my" side.  So when I look at the "good guys vs. bad guys" mentality of today's political discussions, with folks acting as brainless robots cheerleading their own party while personally demonizing those leaders and opinion makers on the "other side", I feel discouraged...not just at our political leaders, but at the gullible, intellectually lazy dunces who seem to control the political dialogue in America, among our leaders, media figures...and especially the populace.  Discussions should not be personally aimed but rather issues-oriented, with the aim of educating and persuading others about problems and proposed solutions.  And there's nothing wrong with admitting a lack of knowledge on an issue and asking someone to explain it for you.  But when someone I'm with suddenly goes off into a lot of recycled invective against a particular party without actually conveying anything of substance, well, that leaves me cold...

I've stated before that I was focusing my attention on a couple of different media opinion makers, radio's Mark Levin on the conservative side and television's Rachel Maddow on the liberal side.  Levin repeatedly espouses the principles that guide his take on the issues and politics and he is by no means a cheerleader, either for the Trump administration or the Republican Party.  On the other hand, although I appreciate her show, Rachel Maddow has sadly shown little proclivity to enunciate any guiding principles of her own other than the party line, and her presentation is exactly in lock-step conformity with the Democratic Party, whatever the issue.  Nothing inherently wrong with that per se...after all, she is refreshingly civil in her demeanor to others with differing opinions, and I'll continue to enjoy her show.  But I'm thinking of following someone else on the political left...someone who takes on the issues, lets people know where they're coming from, and isn't afraid to stray from the "party line" when they feel that it is appropriate to do so.  My choice: Bill Maher...