I agree. And I think political discussions "work" better here (even if segregated into the Soapbox) than anywhere else I've seen on the net. For the most part, if you go to a dedicated political web site/discussion board, the personalities of the other posters never develop beyond two-dimensional political cartoon characterizations. Its easy to name-call and hard to have a meaningful discussion when everyone is just a political hack. Here, we get to know each other a little bit, and we depend on each other for advice, info, and maybe even occasional emotional support for all kinds of things--recipes, leaky roofs, cranky kids, asset allocation, wedding planning, etc. Senators (usually) maintain a collegial tone with each other for two reasons: They never know who's help they might need in the future, and because they have often formed relationships, even across the aisle, that make it less likely that they'll see their political adversary as an idiot worthy of a put-down. I think the same applies here--except for the occasional drive-by poster or those who ONLY talk politics, the folks here do tend to be respectful of each other while disagreeing with the points made. That's why I'll miss the exchange of political views (usually polite, well reasoned, and sometimes with appropriate supporting info) that I get here and nowhere else. As a practical matter, as Ha points out, it is also often difficult to separate politics from the rest of our lives. The Soapbox at least let folks self-segregate topics that might be more heavily partisan.
