True in 1991, true today: vicious stereotypes are pervasive and destructive.
It is much easier to raise money to fight the devil than to raise money to fine-tune the balance of interests between two groups of Americans who subscribe to many of the same basic values. Stereotyping the opponent lends itself to powerful labels in an argument. There is emotional punch to calling someone a racist or a likely rapist, an atheist or a communist, a persecutor or a fanatic. Willingness to use such labels can intimidate some opponents into silence.
But these stereotypes also poison our public discourse, distort our understanding of the real differences among us, and reduce the chances for resolving those differences even in part. These stereotypes corrode the bonds of mutual concern and respect that hold a pluralistic society together. These bonds are stretched enough by honest disagreement and simple demands for change. […] To corrode these bonds unnecessarily is a dangerous thing.
Hence, what is wrong with much of what passes for political discourse (across the spectrum) these days.
Worth reading the whole thing.