Speaking as one of those swing voters, I'll be watching the behavior of the protesters this week.

At this point the rhetoric has actually done more to make me think about voting for Bush - out of spite if nothing else (and I'm proud I didn't vote for him in 2000).

I can't say I appreciate being told if I don't vote the way someone wants me to, I'm wasting my vote. It strikes me as extremely condescending - nevermind downright wrong.

I don't like hearing my registered party painted as villains - if you want to paint people with a broad brush, don't be upset by the results.

I've been hearing all kinds of ridiculous things over the last few months. Even though I don't like the guy, the arguments are so patently ridiculous it's insulting.

Mmmmmm, let's see - if he had gotten up immediately from the classroom on 9/11 it would've changed something?

The guy is rich and got a pass by serving in the National Guard (hey, the guy before him didn't even serve - all of a sudden a person's military service matters)?

Oh those nasty ads that are running by that 527 group - seems to me all sorts of 527 groups have been pumping money into nasty ads against the current administration for quite a bit of time now (let's not even go into the movie which though purported to be factual had an extreme editorial slant).

Well, yell, scream, get apoplectic if need be. Act brutish and boorish and be sure to pepper your argument with insults and double standards - I have to say the only thing it will succeed in doing is making me consider the other side. If you want four more years of the idiot be sure to scream a little louder and behave more badly.

Today, I sat and listened as people discussed with glee and villified anyone who didn't share their views - it's not about having a different opinion in this country anymore, is it?