Explaining the difference between political debate and ‘bashing’

As they debated whether or not to ratify the Constitution, America’s
Founding Fathers may have found the technology of Podcasting useful, if only
it had been available. Civic-minded people could have downloaded those
spirited debates, both pro and con, in what was our nation’s first major PR
campaign.

But there is a cautionary tale, too–especially for the world of modern
political reporting, which often eschews context and nuance, and focuses
instead on hyperbole. The result is that the crux of a debate may be lost.

What’s left is overheated rhetoric–such as the term “bashing”–that may not
have been in the original dialogue but which is supplied later by
journalists who relish a good fight and take statements out of context.

My choice of the word “bashing” is not an accident–it illustrates the point
I am trying to make. Readers of the Sacramento Bee may know what I’m talking
about.

It was recently written that I “bashed [Gov.] Schwarzenegger for his
“deficit-spending”