Thank you for your explanation re: Stealers Wheel.  Please proceed to the back row and take a seat.  Someone will be with you shortly. 

The only value to ANY "opinion" is the extent to which its proponent bothers to make the effort to support it.  

Ann Coulter uses plenty of supportive information, but her claims are generally nonsensical and her supportive information is often untrue.  I guess I’ve just described FOX News in toto.  

"Entitled"? ... to "equal expression"?  Sure -- to the same extent that I'm "entitled" to mock and eviscerate the opinion.

Certainly.

The issue is whether all opinions should be given equal credence.

Certainly not.  The example you provided is, indeed, a classic.

el marsupio