In general, making reference to one's big-name political associations( "As Senator Blank said

[Atticus]

last evening over dinner---" ), one's advanced degrees("I researched this for my doctoral dissertation and---" ) or one's legal expertise("If you were an attorney, as I am, you'd understand that---" ) is not just pretentious, it is an admission that the poster is unable to make his or her point without intimidating the reader with the weight of their supposed special expertise or inside information.

If a Washington insider or an attorney or a Doctor of Whatever cannot articulate their position without saying, in essence, "Agree with me because I'm so damn smart!", maybe they should rethink their position. Condescension is seldom an effective method of persuasion.

[trev]

1. While we're at it

let's stop linking to articles and studies as well. After all, these are only used to boost our personal opinions.

[Turin_C3PO]

3. So we're supposed to be against expertise now?

I’m not sure who or what you’re referring to but I don’t think I understand your post.

[Atticus]

4. Define what you consider expertise. If someone SAYS that he has such-and-such

a degree or is an attorney or regularly lunches with political headliners, how do you know that's so? And, even if what they claim is true, what does that say about their judgment? Their prejudices? Their experience?

[safeinOhio]

6. Very easy to understand..

Show me, don't tell me.

[struggle4progress]

7. If you were an experienced PITA like me, you would realize that President Lincoln

already told me to ignore you when I will be doing my time-travel research for my PhD in 2025

[Atticus]

8. Well, of course , I'm too ignorant and unsophisticated to really understand, but

I defer to your obvious expertise. (Well done!)