By Thomas Friedman.
Published: September 29, 2009
The New York Times: A version of this article appeared in print on September 30, 2009, on page A31 of the New York edition.
I would argue that together these changes add up to a difference of degree that is a difference in kind — a different kind of American political scene that makes me wonder whether we can seriously discuss serious issues any longer and make decisions on the basis of the national interest.
We can’t change this overnight, but what we can change, and must change, is people crossing the line between criticizing the president and tacitly encouraging the unthinkable and the unforgivable.
I couldn’t agree more. The national political discourse needs to change so that we can actually debate issues in an intelligent manner. Oh, and a few manners wouldn’t hurt either.