President Obama: Turn Off Fox News. Fair OR Foul?

I guess it all depends on your perspective.
The term "liberal arts" does not refer to the political slant of a college/university. It refers to the types of classes/education available as opposed to an establishment that has a more technical/scientific concentration.
My experience has been that the more conservative a person is, the less they really know about the subject they are talking about. Of course it's not all of them but there are enough of them to notice. I'll never forget the Tea Party member standing on the Mall in D.C with his sign "Government Hands Off My Medicare". This person clearly has no idea that Medicare IS a government program. I have to wonder if they really understand the ramifications of what they are promoting. Do they really know how many programs that they rely on each day will have to be discontinued if not for the federal government?
It's one thing not to want government interference in our private lives. I don't want that either. But, in today's complicated world, a large, diverse country with well over 300 million people will never have small government again unless we break up into separate regional countries and don't remain as one large complex country. I don't want that and you probably don't either.
So, either we all try to work out our differences or we will fail as a unified country. I certainly don't want that. I'm sure a lot of conservatives don't want that either.

I think the people you're talking with (conservatives) may be on sites like SH, but the people I know in my non-virtual life are quite versed in the political twists, turns & dramas (in other words, "issues"). I understand what you are saying about some conservatives (e.g., the Medicare sign, lol), as I groaned when I saw that one. Obviously, news reporters are going to find the most stupid, most racist, most ignorant to interview & put up on You Tube or the screen, & you've got to admit that the New Black Panthers, et al & the Occupy groups have provided endless amount of entertainment on the right. It's a wonderment of human frailties & weaknesses caught on tape, no matter who they represent. I mean, people like myself would disappoint their readers/viewers, because I'm too "normal" & too informed, & they'd just see me as an anomaly, lol.

I'm a Tea Party member, but because of my being on-call with my job as a forensics nurse 24/7, I'm unable to be very active in attending meetings. I'm NOT an "activist", so I don't carry signs, march, picket, etc.

Conservatives are NOT against diversity, & I truly resent the implication, as well as the disingenuous use/abuse of the race card used by liberals. Sure, there are racists in every group, too, & again if one seeks to find them to get them on video or audio, they can be found, but that's NOT the "norm", & I think any intelligent & perceptive liberal/progressive knows this & are just unwilling to let go of this well-abused stereotype they've got going, because to do so would mess up their purpose to show the "other side" in a negative light, no matter if it's a lie.

I think racism, homophobia, anti-theism, sexism, and every other "clash" that is advertised is used by the "other side" (whichever side you want to choose to target) to make a big deal where there previously was no big deal. We have "pockets" of hate & discrimination of different groups throughout the country, but it is generally not a national problem (at least until it is politically expedient to do so like in the Trayvon/Zimmerman case or the gay teenager who committed suicide). For instance, here in Texas, the left-wing media portrays us as bigots & racists, but guess what(?), I've lived here all my life & RARELY hear or see racist activity, hate speeches, etc. occurring, & no, I don't have my eyes & ears covered. I'm out in the most tough areas of towns in the Dallas-Fort Worth area collecting specimens & evidence of criminal activity.

The above issues primarily arise with an individual vigilante here & there, not with groups, making headlines. I honestly believe that liberals/progressives make mountains out of molehills in order to try to legislate their own agendas where gays, guns, women's rights, & racism are concerned, & "fundies" (right-wing fundamentalists) do the same with abortion & maybe a few other issues. I've been to 5 Tea Party events & have only once seen a sign that was racist, & a number of Tea Party members gave the sign owner a choice to either leave the event or get rid of the sign. We saw a hate-sign for gays once & did the same, eventually finding out the guy carrying the sign was a progressive who came to cause trouble.

What I'm saying is that I don't think the overt divisiveness among us "normal", everyday libs & conservatives is NEAR as bad as those with driven agendas like to portray, & that is why it is important for us all to use common sense, read & review multiple sources, & have a good understanding of those groups wanting to do anything to promote or move forward an agenda of hate, discrimination, and bigotry. If anything, the American people are just very well deceived & manipulated by a relatively few. We start the change by working on our own discourse here on SH & other internet sites, & stop making assumptions about others based on stereotypes. We should attempt non-threatening dialogues with people who at first glance hold antithetical worldviews from us. I know this is hard, because people are very good at knee-jerk reactions, & I've found myself blocking just as many "conservative" & "Christian" members as I do "liberals" & anti-theists.