Well that was unsurprising

[scottw]

Originally Posted by JohnR

But both parties continue to run extreme candidates.

I'd love to get a political definition of "extreme"

rigid?
committed?
unfiltered?
orientation on issues?
volume and quality of rhetoric?
anyone that disagrees with you?(current best pick)

seems more(generally) a convenient label where one stands where they are standing and labels those outside their box "extreme"...like a "centrist" except they use a circle instead of a box

the left jumped immediately to the Gifford's shooting but that guy was an "extreme" paranoid schizophrenic.....not sure if that should be included in the realm of political extremism or what motivated him was much beyond being out of touch with reality....does having a mental illness and any unfortunate actions associated with it make you an "extremist" when/if you act and if a victim of your actions is a political figure and is political rhetoric to blame?

"extremist" is one of those words, like many others, so beaten to death by the political and media class in a rush to characterize those that disagree as "extreme" then echoed through society that it barely has meaning....just thrown out there as a qualifier to say...you are and I'm not so I'm a better person, shut up....like many other words these days....stick and stones...blah...blah..blah...but words....they travel faster......