Kinder, more gentle politics?

I live in Wisconsin so it is not too difficult to select a topic for my initial posting. One of the most frustrating things for me as a conservative is to hear about how the right is supposedly so hateful and mean-spirited. What I see when I interact with conservatives is so different from the stereotypes perpetuated by the left and media in general. I won't deny that hateful things have been said by both the left and the right at times. However, I have not found that to be the norm among conservatives. The union and tea party protests in Madison often demonstrated a stark contrast between hate and civility.