No, it's not that some of us have opinions but don't want to hear facts. It's that most of us don't care what the facts are. It's not that we're not going about convincing others properly; it's that we don't really care whether they agree with us or not.

No one's going to change their mind, no one's going to change their vote, based on what you or I say or don't say here, regardless of how rigourously we document it. We are not going to change the world here and we are not going to change the politics of the nation or the climate of the planet or the state of the economy. It just doesn't matter. It's not important. No importa. It's not that these issues aren't important, it's that what we say here about them isn't all that important. If I want to make a difference I will send a check to a political organization that reflects my views, or write for a periodical with national influence and readership, or get involved in politics myself.

I'm a writer, but I don't contribute to political journals or blogs. Did it ever occur to you that I don't do so simply because I have other things I'd rather talk about, like snook fishing and dinghy camping and alien civilizations and hoplite phalanx battle tactics? But if all my posts were about any one of those topics you and the others would have thrown my butt out a long time ago, and deservedly so. I'm not going to come here and harangue a bunch of strangers until they cower and agree with me, even if I believed I was compelling enough to do so.

The reason I (or anyone else) has never gone to the trouble to do deep research with graphs, facts, figures ,testimonials etc to refute your statements is because it's just not worth the effort. We don't feel strongly enough about it to go to the trouble. Do you really believe there is no data anywhere that can be presented to make a case against something you support? Surely you don't expect us to swallow that, do you?

We have nothing to prove to you, we're not interested in refuting your arguments, we're just tired of listening to them. The only time your opinions bother me is when they prevent me from talking about something else. You feel very proud of your ability to marshall facts to make your arguments convincing; as far as I'm concerned, I'm amazed you feel it necessary to convince anyone. Most of the resistance you get here is not an attempt to prove you wrong, it's just a desire to see how far you'll go.

Tom, we like you. We really do. You have a great deal to contribute, no matter what we talk about. We don't care what your politics are or hold them against you. Just give us a little relief. You're boring us to death.