What is the point of insulting political questions?

Question

Why do closed-minded partisans from both major political parties in the U.S. ask so many inflammatory questions about the candidate they oppose on Y!A? As they appear to serve no purpose other than to intentionally insult members of the party they oppose, how does that benefit the political process in America?

Answer 1

Grade school kids skipping school.

Answer 2

Sophomoric and some people are just mean spirited.

I had a friend that always had to one up me or always had to say something mean when things were going good for me.  They are just angry, angry people.

Answer 3

You're correct:  to intentionally insult members of the party they oppose.  The benefit for them is that if enough negativity about the opposing candidate is believed, their candidate will win.

Did you see this?  Makes me glad I live in the US.

Dissident Cuban rocker set free after paying $28 fine

The fine is big money in a country where nearly everyone, Aguila included, works for the state and takes home an average of $19.50 per month.

But Aguila would have faced far more severe punishment had he been convicted of "social dangerousness," which the government defines as violating "communist morality."

He had faced a possible four year term in prison for the crime known in Cuba as social dangerousness.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/worl...

Answer 4

Politics has become the art of insulting to each other. Why?I don't know. Maybe It's  lack of arguments. Maybe insulting is easier. Maybe they realized that people vote using their guts and not their mind.

I am talking about both republicans and democrats. No one is better than the other one.

Answer 5

only the weak minded believe those questions who are actually comments.

Answer 6

You sort of get sucked in- particularly when a really obnoxious one receives so many kudos from the like-minded. You just want to throttle the lot of them but you can't so you do the next best thing which of course does no good at all. Its' a vicious cycle and something of a guilty pleasure. People who condemn such behavior are angry to, by the way.

Answer 7

Make themselves feel superior.

Answer 8

I think they're just venting.

Answer 9

dude this is how politics has been for a long time...

the purpose they serve is to ingrain in the minds of voters and challenge or some how in the smallest way hurt the way they think. whether you're in a bar or online, the same thing will be said but more so online because of the anonyimity  

Answer 10

Did you ever watch a session of our great congress? They do nothing, but insult each other and paid very well for that by tax payers money. With such great examples, this forum is actually very mild.  

Answer 11

It does not benefit anything but the childish egos of those people.

I find it repugnant and silly, and I do wish they would stop.

It seems to me that they crave reassurance from their peer group.