Seemed to me like friendly sparring in the style of the great debates. One is allowed to attack the weaknesses of an opponent's argument--premisory, factual, logical, chronological--to one's advantage and one's opponent may also, as a response, sharpen up his argument until it pierces the chaos of conditions no longer prevailing, the false simplicity of mono-causation, and the comforts of received "wisdom". However, the "log cabin" origins thing in which opponents take off their ties and roll up their shirtsleeves in an attempt to dwell in harmony with all us plowboys and sheepherds is probably only shameless pandering to the tip or reverse snobbery in such accomplished exegetes LOL.

jack