Civilized Political Discourse, approximately 2,520, died in the blogosphere on August 28 after a prolonged period of starvation and neglect. In the weakened state in which it had lingered for years, it simply could not survive the vitriolic exchanges emanating from and directed toward the Republican National Convention taking place this week in Tampa, FL. Civilized Political Discourse is survived by its estranged cousins Factionalism, Partisanship, and Automatic Dismissal of Anything the Other Side Says or Does.