>A recent post had the phrase, "...description of him as having the manner
>and appearance of a 1930s Argentine tango instructor." I fwd this to
>a cyber-friend in Argentina and got the following response (copied in
>part):
[...]
>In general, from what in the last year or so the tango in Argentina has
>about the same role in their culture as does Jazz in U.S. culture, and
>sneering references to it should be classified with similar references to
>jazz by many of the orthodox marxists of the '30s.
Hey, it was Michael Thomas (characterizing Lawrence Kudlow), who, for all his virtues as a polemicist, would not pass any of our tests for political righteousness or linguistic sensitivity.
Thomas did once give a brilliant bit of advice for constructing ad hominem arguments: when you're trying character assassination, go not for what the target might perceive as his or her weak point, but go for the strong point, what s/he feels proudest about.
Doug