As we enter the final phase of this contentious primary, the question of unifying the party behind a nominee is becoming more immediately pertinent.  As someone who teaches rhetoric and composition at the University of Michigan (yes, that Michigan), I'd like to offer a few suggestions for how to continue to engage each other at this critical juncture.  These are guidelines that seem, in my experience, to help a great deal both in persuading others and in getting one's point across to a committed and passionate opponent.  Recent diaries and comments express a great deal of frustration and disagreement over what constitutes an attack, or what is a valid argument.  I hope some of you find the following helpful.  I apologize in advance if they read as overly prescriptive or pedantic.  I am merely attempting to alleviate frustration and offer avenues to improve understanding between us.  I think everyone here agrees that we need each other for the coming struggle.  

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