Agreed.  Civil Comments is a joke.  It often sinks to just being a partisan popularity contest.

It is very possible to be suddenly restricted for up-voting a comment but NEVER possible to be punished for DOWN-voting one.

And being abusive to another commenter should be a no-no, but not posting a (non-vulgar, non-obscene) critical comment about a political figure.

Finally, flagging clearly abusive and offensive posts that have made it through the cut is utterly ineffective.  The "moderators" either don't notice or don't care.