That's the thing. This place is no different than it ever has been.
Before the political board was around, it is no different than Oddball and his spats. It is no different than Florida Herd Fan against PJ. It is no different than Pokey against HerdFtblfan. These things have happened for years and it worked itself out. Eventually, the elder statesman would chase off the one who was at fault or somebody would leave on their own if it didn't work itself out. It was self-moderated. Of course now, there are some posters like Herd Fever who are too stupid to realize they aren't wanted, so they don't leave on their own.
Now, mass banning of posters and frequent locking and deletion of threads goes on. Doing that doesn't allow for things to be worked out. It kills the discussion before it ever comes full circle to a resolution, which almost always has happened in these types of issues. In the past, it was common for these threads to run 8, 9, and 10 pages. Now, a heated discussion will last a page or two and get deleted. It doesn't allow for it to run its course.