How Would Jackson Pollock Cover This Campaign? By DANIEL OKRENT

As nasty as critics on the right can get (plenty nasty), the left seems to be winning the vileness derby this year. Maybe the bloggers who encourage their readers to send this sort of thing to The Times might want to ask them instead to say it in public. I don’t think they’d dare.

Are we to conclude from this that the Swiftboat Vets for Bush are leftists? Or do they get a pass because they say their stuff in public?

I do encourage everyone to do two things: (1) read and listen to something you disagree with and (2) don’t be cowed into silence by stronger voices. Communication requires really listening and speaking honestly.

We’re all caught in a true quagmire of public discourse. There is rudeness everywhere from many, many sources. And ignorance abounds, as always. mjh