I can't believe you chose Duh and SS as examples. Both of them have a healthy understanding of the difference between fact and opinion. The idea that someone can be a good debater, yet lack critical thinking abilities, general knowledge, conventional wisdom, and common sense is really quite absurd.

I can think of better examples from all sides of the political spectrum. I certainly have felt like I was talking to a rock. But those are times when I post proof from a reputable source and it is ignored. At that point, I have to take satisfaction knowing that others will be reading the thread.

Limiting post counts as you advocate would stifle conversation. Some topics evolve just as if we were gathered in someone's living room. Someone will chime in after a few pages with a new take on the subject. They wouldn't bother when they couldn't expect replies and the topic would die before it's time.

BTW, we're not here to try to represent the consensus of the general population. By definition, we're very much different than the general population because we are generally better informed and most definitely more interested in politics than the average guy.

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"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves." ~Ronald Reagan