As long as the media focuses on the extremes then it will always appear like that is the only discussion taking place.

as long as it sells papers and advertising minutes, right? ;-)

I still think Obama is trying too hard to have intellectual debate if his opponents are funding derogatory signs and FUD. There's plenty of FUD he could send back at them: maybe he should be telling audiences that statistically 5 of them will be bankrupted by medical bills in the next 2 years and ten of them in the 2 years after that unless things change now. Look around yourselves and wonder which of you will be bankrupt with no job, no home and no healthcare insurance. Against that, a Hitler sign starts to seem a little silly. Then he could move onto rising costs including care for the elderly, turning the "death panel" fibs back on his detractors: the population is aging, costs are rising and if sign-wavers resent paying for it, who do they suppose will? Is grandma to be tossed onto the street to fend for herself, or how exactly are the sign-wavers proposing to pay the bills? He might as well fight fire with fire.