I don't read comments. Or, I should say, I rarely read comments except on unrecommended diaries. I find that in a recommended diary, there is almost nothing to learn in the comments section that you haven't already heard, or will see in a soon to be posted and recommended diary. If someone writes something so controversial as to garner 700 plus comments, chances are there will be other diaries on the topic to glean varying opinions from without ever having to wade through the cesspool that invariably piles up.
Frankly, the comments of late have, to put it delicately, resembled nothing more than a simian fecal slinging contest. Pretty sad really. The only time I take a look anymore is out of morbid curiosity. You would think that as progressives, as we all claim to be, we would maintain a bit more courtesy in an argument. I mean does it really serve our common purpose to refer to each other in disparaging terms used by teabaggers? (i.e. Obamabot) I mean really, we all got behind the president to some degree or another during the campaign, and I'd bet good money that nearly all of us voted for him. I can't imagine that any serious progressive would trade Obama for a republican. That being said, to consider someone a traitorous hypocrite for not "having the president's back" because of a policy disagreement doesn't exactly help move the conversation in a good direction either. We should all be questioning our leaders. It keeps them honest, or a little less deceitful anyway.
I guess my point is, until the comments are once again used for thoughtful discussion in recommended diaries, anyone not wanting to be covered in shit aught not to get involved. Look elsewhere for differing opinions. Now this is not to say that you should avoid looking to comments on newer diaries not yet on the rec list. Often times if a diary is way out there, or short on facts, they will be called out quickly and you can avoid looking into it yourself. Rec list diaries in general are there because enough people agreed with the writer, or at least saw some value in their opinions to put it there. I think at that point most people are capable of forming their own judgments without swimming in the septic tank.
Do yourself a favor... avoid the comments for a while and don't feed the beast. Eventually, maybe, people will wake up and quit treating this place like a zoo enclosure and we can all have civil discussion again. Until then, if you must engage someone in a comment tit-for-tat, at least try to avoid personal insults. Labeling someone a "Douche nozzle" will not win you the argument even if said person is, in fact, a douche nozzle. Happy blogging everyone.