“It often happens that the weight of an argument is lost by the wit of setting it off; or the judgment disordered by an intemperate irritation of the passions.”

Too often the messenger obscures the message; even if unintended. In an attempt to be clever or to disparage those on an opposing side of an argument, the point vanishes in a vitriolic sea of animosity aimed more at the messenger than the message.

A recent case in point occurred last Saturday at the White House Correspondents Dinner, but examples of it abound in our current public discourse: I think you’re a slimebag and anything that issues forth from your mouth is thus slime.

And whatever the point was in the beginning is lost.

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thomas paine argument debate opinion white house correspondents dinner