[angkor]

Because they have come to rely so heavily on one-word dismissals of their opponents, they have few arguments.

Disagree.

Actually it's because they have no serious intellectual positions that Rats are dependent upon one-word (ad hominem) dismissals.

Skilled debaters such as Ann Coulter and Chris Hitchens (at least on his Iraq position) have learned that the best way to quash a liberal leftie Rat is to come out swinging, with better and more potent ad hominems.

Then and only then can one resort to reason.

[Texas Jack]

I had a problem with the same sentence that you did.

Because they have come to rely so heavily on one-word dismissals of their opponents, they have few arguments.

And to take your statement of
Actually it's because they have no serious intellectual positions that Rats are dependent upon one-word (ad hominem) dismissals.
a bit further, I believe that it's because they are actually dumber; they're not smart enough to actually put together a well reasoned argument. That's why they rely on chants, slogan, and name calling. They're just too damned dumb to come up with anything else.