DECEMBER 2020

Our first Civil/Uncivil poll asked respondents to consider an excerpt from a hypothetical presidential debate.

Here's the excerpt:

Senator Strong: Did you notice Governor Taxman has nothing to say about how much her pork barrel wind-power spending will add to our huge public debt? The Governor and her party are waging a war on our children and grandchildren, looking for ways to plunder them of their wealth to line their own pockets.

Governor Paxman: A war on children and grandchildren, Senator? Really? I have three children and five grandchildren. A war on them? This is not—

Senator Strong (interrupting): Not your own grandchildren, Polly, you and your cronies will make sure they’re fine. It’s everyone else’s grandchildren who will suffer.

Governor Paxman: (pause) What has gotten into you, Sheldon? The man I have admired for so many years, the man who stood up to the biggest polluters in his state when he was the state attorney general, despite the risk to his political future: where is that Sheldon Strong today? Do your advisors have so little faith in you that they tell you to put out ridiculous garbage like that to try to outrage and scare people into voting against me? I believe I have a higher opinion of you than your own advisors do, Senator, and a higher opinion of voters, too.

Here is a link to the poll where you can rate Gov. Paxman and Sen. Strong for their civility.