So I log onto DK, and across the top of my screen are three ads "selected by Google" -- one for Pat Toomey, one for Ken Buck, and one for the NRCC, urging me not to let the liberals and Obama lead us unto Socialism. I find this rather odd, since I describe myself politically as being somewhere to the left of Bernie Sanders and the right of Che Guevara, and since the Republican Party is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of this site. And this got me to thinking.
I'm not sure why I'm getting these ads, unless it's because I once clicked through to a link to Fox. But apparently I've done something which, at least to Google's algorithms, portrays me as a Republican. And if all someone knew about me was whatever little snippet of information that has caused Google to mis-categorize me, it could lead to a strikingly inaccurate portrait of who I am and what I believe.
Two former colleagues come to mind as perfect examples of this phenomenon. One woman is very active among the tea party bs in my decidedly blue state. From this fact, most of us here likely will assume a whole flood of things about her -- assumptions that would be totally inaccurate. She's intelligent, educated, thoughtful, a loving single mom who is very active in the community and several charities. It's just that her politics are insane. Likewise, I used to work with a guy who went on to become the state chair of the Republican party. Again, most of us will come up with a mental picture of who he is and what he believes. In reality, though, he is a warm-hearted, funny, generous spirit whom I truly like. It's just his political views that are off-the-charts.
All of which is a rather circuitous way of saying that people are complex, and should not be reduced to caricatures. And that, unfortunately, is something I often see in posts here. I know that I certainly am guilty of this vice, painting all Republicans with broad brush strokes. I guess I need to remind myself that just because someone is a Republican, or a tea partier, or whatever, does not necessarily mean that they are evil, or brain dead, or hacks, or whatever. It just means that their political views are quite different from mine.
As my grandmother used to say, we can disagree without being disagreeable.