"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...

NOYB wrote:

Ask him his political affiliation. No dentist I know makes it a habit of
discussing politics, religion, etc. with his/her patients. I certainly
don't. I get people from both sides of the political spectrum...and both
sides get the same response when they say something extreme or
outlandish.
I just smile, nod, and tell 'em to open. Hell, if you vacation and get a
tootache in Naples one day, *you* could sit in my chair and never even
know
it. Hard as it might be to imagine, I'd even treat Harry with utmost
respect and professionalism.


Will the real Dr. NOYB please stand up?
You have the entire panel confused on this, the 2,457th editon of "What's
My
Conservative Rec.boats Line?"

From the archives, last March. Cut 'n paste:

*******************
When I know a patient is of the liberal, ultra left-wing pursuasion, I nod
my head when they spew their liberal rhetoric...until I have them laid
back
in the chair, with a rubber dam covering their mouth, and an air driven
handpiece turning at 200,000 RPM. Then the fun begins. I get to go on
and
on about my thoughts on Miguel Estrada, the coming war with Iraq, Bush's
success against al Qaeda, my dislike for liberals, etc, etc. That's the
best way to assure that I won't have them or any of their liberal comrades
back in my office anytime soon. It was especially fun immediately
following
the 2000 Presidential election.

*****************************

Somehow, I suspect the version of your chairside manner related today is
closer
to the truth than the cut and paste paragraph.
I'd like to imagine so.

Unfortunately, the version posted today is the more accurate description of
how all but a couple of patients are treated in my office. The "cut and
paste" you have above is a very good "gotcha", however...I commend you for
it. Perhaps you can have Time Russert's job when he's done with it. ;-)

The 2000 election was an interesting time. I did let political discussions
enter into the conversations, since that's all anyone was talking about. If
someone said something I strongly disagreed with, then usually I just smiled
and nodded my head. Once they were sitting back, I occasionally added my 2
cents...usually in just a passing one or two sentence comment. It was my
way of saying "you and I aren't on the same page here...but let's keep this
on just a professional level." I did use this tactic on occasion to get rid
of a loud-mouth or two...but I *never* initiated the conversation unless the
other person first stirred the pot. Usually the conversation went something
like this:

Patient (out of the blue):"Well, I can get this tooth fixed now. I just got
my tax rebate today. Of course, the Republican's are just playing politics
with the tax cut, though"
Me (smiling and nodding): "Yeah, well...Ok...now open."
Me (patient's mouth covered with rubber dam): "Of course, the Dem's are
playing dirty politics with the Miguel Estrada filibuster. In fact, it's
pretty shameful. But, I guess both sides are guilty of *playing politics"
at one time or another."

By the time they leave, we're friends again...but they know better than to
start a political conversation in my chair.