How to respond to personal attacks when arguing politics?

[diablosho]

Can anybody here suggest to me a way to move a conversation forward after someone uses the tea-bagger/race-card insults (without saying "no I'm not, or, I have plenty of black friends, etc.!)? I even had someone tell me my mother should have had a mis-carriage (since we were arguing abortion-which I'm against)!!! Seriously, I would really like to know! I'm not a great public speaker, and come-backs don't really come naturally to me, so it would be nice to be able to respond to these attacks without making myself look like a jackass/resorting to personal attacks myself. I tend to have a thick skin, but I also tend to get really angry when people are as malicious as they possibly can be (I start swearing every other word (the f word suddenly becomes a noun, adjective, adverb, and verb-i.e. "Hey **** face, go ****in **** yourself in the face you ****"))! I'm really trying to work on that though! That's my military flight-line experience at work for ya!!! Anywho, please post your experiences! Thanks guys!
--Brian
P.S.
If this is really dumb, as I suspect it may be, just ignore me!

[mich29]

Can anybody here suggest to me a way to move a conversation forward after someone uses the tea-bagger/race-card insults (without saying "no I'm not, or, I have plenty of black friends, etc.!)? I even had someone tell me my mother should have had a mis-carriage (since we were arguing abortion-which I'm against)!!! Seriously, I would really like to know! I'm not a great public speaker, and come-backs don't really come naturally to me, so it would be nice to be able to respond to these attacks without making myself look like a jackass/resorting to personal attacks myself. I tend to have a thick skin, but I also tend to get really angry when people are as malicious as they possibly can be (I start swearing every other word (the f word suddenly becomes a noun, adjective, adverb, and verb-i.e. "Hey **** face, go ****in **** yourself in the face you ****"))! I'm really trying to work on that though! That's my military flight-line experience at work for ya!!! Anywho, please post your experiences! Thanks guys!
--Brian
P.S.
If this is really dumb, as I suspect it may be, just ignore me!

usually people who have to make personal attacks on you during this type of discussion aren't the ones you want to be talking to about politics you could simply use this back at them by saying since they can't talk about this subject without running out of ideas and having to use personal attacks they lose the battle once personal attacks occur because it means you have run out of logical things to say

or you could pick something new to do since you go into fits of rage and turn into a foul mouth and you def don't want people to get the wrong idea about you.

[DAdams91982]

That's when you simply say, for being the party of tolerance, you are very intolerant of other views.

Personally, if someone would have wished a miscarrige upon my mother, they would have been layed out on the concrete.

[southpaw23]

Simply agree to disagree and move on. Political affiliations should be secondary to respect for one another. I like to ask myself what would Tom Cruise do, then I do that.

[DAdams91982]

Oh, and if you have already gotten someone ruffled enough for those type of comments, you have already won the arguement... when someone resorts to personal attacks, it is because they cannot win on the issues.

[DAdams91982]

Simply agree to disagree and move on. Political affiliations should be secondary to respect for one another. I like to ask myself what would Tom Cruise do, then I do that.

HAHA... fantastic!

Jump in the space shuttle and fly away?

[southpaw23]

HAHA... fantastic!

Jump in the space shuttle and fly away?

Yes or jumping up and down on my couch, while referring to everyone as either "Iceman" or "Goose".

[southpaw23]

I've also learned that whenever someone makes you feel uncomfortable, you need to turn it up a notch and make them feel more uncomfortable - so if for example someone is verbally attacking you...simply hug them and say "hey man let's not make this weird".

[diablosho]

usually people who have to make personal attacks on you during this type of discussion aren't the ones you want to be talking to about politics you could simply use this back at them by saying since they can't talk about this subject without running out of ideas and having to use personal attacks they lose the battle once personal attacks occur because it means you have run out of logical things to say

or you could pick something new to do since you go into fits of rage and turn into a foul mouth and you def don't want people to get the wrong idea about you.

Not so much fits of rage, my mind just goes blank! I just can't think of anything to say, and I get frustrated, and then start swearing like a sailor (I don't really know why cuss-words come so naturally to me)! I'm really trying to work on it, hence this topic (trying to be as prepared as I can, since I know this will continue to happen). Unfortunately, I am also not very good with creative comments (I'm great with facts, but when it comes to rebutting personal attacks, not so much...!) And as far as the "pick something new to do" thing, I'm actually not referring to this board, but rather, real life. I.e., face to face political discussion. I don't talk politics either (unless with my family, or someone else brings it up), but when it does come up, I'm also not the type to allow my opinion to go unheard. Thanks for your reply though! True statements! I guess it is kinda insane to get into these discussions in the first place. I just can't help it for some reason!

[DAdams91982]

[diablosho]

Man, some great ideas while I was typing my last response. I love the Tom Cruise comment! Never thought of that! LOL! Probably won't be hugging anybody though, I can actually see somebody pressing charges for that out here in SoCal. Awesome ideas though!

[southpaw23]

Ha! Lolol. He could be standing in the middle of his driveway waiting for the mothership and I'd still watch Top Gun. In fact when Mission Impossible 19 comes out -- I'll be there!

[EasyEJL]

i'd go with

[diablosho]

i'd go with

Usually I do go with something like that (a lot of times it comes out like, "oh yeah, well, um............................ .You suck! Ha!", and I really feel like an idiot!) Either way, I am tired of feeling dirty after walking away from an argument because I lowered my standards of personal conduct for a lousy argument with someone that won't change their mind anyways. Unfortunately, I also have to have the last word!!! Quite the dilemna!

[southpaw23]

When I feel attacked, I like to channel my inner Mel Gibson, not the one from lethal weapon or passion of the Christ, but the one who likes to picture everyone as an evil Russian woman bent on taking my fortune.

[diablosho]

And, to make matters worse, I have a lot of these arguments at school! I still haven't figured out what qualifies my English 101 teacher to educate me about anything political (but hey, if she wants to go there...), which makes my swearing SO MUCH MORE inconvenient! You ever try swearing at an English professor!!! I really need to stop doing that! I always end up with "remarks" on my tests after I get them back. Thankfully though, my grades aren't suffering, so that's cool!
--Brian

[southpaw23]

And, to make matters worse, I have a lot of these arguments at school! I still haven't figured out what qualifies my English 101 teacher to educate me about anything political (but hey, if she wants to go there...), which makes my swearing SO MUCH MORE inconvenient! You ever try swearing at an English professor!!! I really need to stop doing that! I always end up with "remarks" on my tests after I get them back. Thankfully though, my grades aren't suffering, so that's cool!
--Brian

On a serious note, I've learned to stop arguing over politics period. It's a dead end road. Most people can't or are unwilling to debate policy, they simply espouse their own personal ideology, their own social perspective. Very rarely will you find someone willing to debate specific legislation. Again hug them and say "hey man let's not make this weird".

[Jeff]

On serious note, I've learned to stop arguing over politics period. It's a dead end road. Most people can't or won't debate policy, they simply espouse their own personal ideology, their own social perspective. Very rarely will you find someone willing to debate specific legislation. Again hug them and say "hey man let's not make this weird".

LOL, very true.

[beni182]

Use physical force?

[Irish Cannon]

I sometimes use personal attacks, but they do have merit. Recently I said, "There's a reason people like you hang out on college campuses; because you can't thrive or survive outside of them."

It's personal, and factual.