I don’t ever post in the political threads, but two observations:
1. The fact that is a basketball site is what makes it such a good place for political discussion. Most political sites these days are hopelessly one-sided echo chambers where people just hear things that reinforce their views, no matter how wacky. But here, people come from all across the spectrum because something other than politics brings them here, so you see a whole range of views. Most other political sites would be well-served to have that diversity.
2. As an obsessive follower of politics, i find the discussions here to be as civil and intelligent as it gets, especially given the range of views. I frequently learn things here I haven’t seen raised anywhere else.