Last night at home we had a singularly unsavory experience which on one hand I wish never happened, but on another I'm glad did happen because it was an excellent learning experience for Paige - Alexei being too young to understand or care.

We received a visitor at our front door, who turned out to be representing the Democratic National Party trying to get out the vote next month.

He unsuspectingly went into his monologue, and we kindly listened for a while, but then Sherry interrupted him and said, "Thank you for your time, but we're conservatives."

Well this man was undeterred, as far as getting out his rehearsed message, which was, of course, full of platitudes and ad hominem attacks on Republicans, conservatives, the banking industry, Halliburton, evangelicals, St. Paul, the military-industrial machine - it was all over the place.

We entertained him for quite a while, not wishing to act unkindly, or give him evidence that conservatives are uncaring, narrow-minded people. As his speech droned on and on, it was hard to get a word in. But I was able to say occasionally, "Please back up your assertions with facts." "Give us proof."

I am sure that you will not be surprised that this man never backed up anything he said with rational evidence. For nearly everything he said, I could have retorted with some reproof, but didn't until he started talking about tax cuts for the rich.

At that point, I finally pointed out some basic facts since Bush's tax cuts, the economy has rebounded from a lackluster 1 percent growth, to 12 straight quarters of 4 percent growth; that non-withheld tax receipts have increased for the past three years as much as 25 percent annually (evidence that the rich truly are paying more taxes); that the top 10 percent of wage earners shoulder 60-plus percent of federal tax revenue.

Imagine that: this guy was faced with some facts. His response was something like "Well Fox news can invent any information they want." I quickly interjected that I got this information off the Internal Revenue Service website (and Associated Press news wires). His retort was that we can't trust the IRS!

I even invited him to sit down over a couple beers and debate the facts. This was ignored as his monologue turned into a diatribe and he started to imply that evangelicals were the source of all evil in this country, that Zionism is evil (translated: Israel is a terrorist state). Sherry asked if he is a man of faith. He replied that he believes Jesus lived but he was nothing more than a man; St. Paul was corrupt.

Then we got to 9-11. I'm sure you'll be shocked to hear that this guy claims that 9-11 was an inside job orchestrated by Bush/Cheney. You know the argument.

At some point during our "debate," Paige, bless her heart, interrupted and said, "You can say all you want, but you're not going to change my parents' mind, and when I grow up I am going to vote Republican too."

Well as this man realized his situation, the name-calling started. We are "hopeless," he said. Sherry responded, "No. We are hopeful." He told Paige she was brainwashed, that we are "evil people." At this point, I couldn't take it anymore and asked him to get off my property.

He was clearly unhinged, visibly shaking, and barely able to contain himself. I am proud to say that I held my composure, kept my emotions in check. And as he walked away, uttering his final invectives at us, all I could say was that I wished him well, and that I held no ill will toward him - though at some moments I wanted to toss him off our porch.

Paige was quite shaken by the experience. She could not understand why anybody could be so mean.

Sherry and I tried to explain to her that this is a current problem in our national debate - many on the other side have become so irrational that all they can resort to is invective and name-calling. We also reminded her that if you have to resort to name-calling, you have lost the argument.

I also told Paige that I didn't want her to vote Republican when she grows up; I want her to make up her mind based on the facts and vote according to her values.

Tom Shafer is a West Seattle resident who departs from the perceived "mainstream" of West Seattle who will write from time to time about what it's like being a Republican in West Seattle. He can be reached via wsherald@robinsonnews.com