Religion/Politics Threads: This really needs to stop(plus a poll)

[Final-Fan]

Shadow1980 said:
Y'know, even though I've participated in political discussions, I think this forum would be better off if politics and especially religion were off-limits topics for discussion. Everyone with a stake in the game has their minds all made up, and it all inevitably turns into mudslinging at the drop of a hat.

While it's true that anyone likely to go into a political thread is also likely to already have a position on the given topic, that doesn't necessarily mean that they can't be swayed from it, especially if they are able to accept factual information that differs from what they thought was true. 

Just the other day I was talking with a Trump supporter, and while I don't think I changed his mind on the big question I did correct his misconception about what a "trade deficit" factually was.  He didn't realize it was a measurement of the relative export/import values.  I didn't inquire as to what exactly he thought it was; I doubt he actually had a fully formed idea in mind.  A lot of people act like a trade deficit is one country just handing the other country a pile of money.  So while he's still a Trump supporter, we at least made progress towards agreeing on the specific topic of the US-Mexico trade deficit. 

Anyway, a lot of threads or conversations within threads devolve into mudslinging, but some don't, and those are the ones I'd hate to lose.  Babies and bathwater and all that.