You are exactly right. My role as a mod here, as I see it, is:
Keep out the spammers.
Keep the topics of discussion relevant to the sub forum and move threads accordingly.
Keep out the unsavory people looking to take people's money.
Keep the discussions civil.
I'm sure you have read the few rules we have. Here they are again
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/new-members/205103-toyota-4runner-org-forum-rules-must-read.html.
Those rules don't say you can't talk politics.
They do say
"3. No Trolling or Posts For the Purpose of Instigating Flame Wars
This includes, but is not limited to, posts designed to instigate political and religious flame wars (e.g., starting a poll asking whether or not you think the President is a re****). Trolling includes making deliberate provocative posts with the aim of inciting an angry response or disrupting discussion. Determinations on the issue of whether a post was made for the purpose of trolling or of instigating a flame war shall be in the sole and absolute discretion of the admins / mods."
Every single political post, unless everyone has identical views, will instigate a flame war eventually. You know this. I know this. The "If you had to vote for one..." thread was a classic example. I started it out as a simple poll and it morphed into a mess.
For a period of time I "thought" the people in this sub forum could carry on a civil discussion on politics with no name calling or hate. I was really wrong. Other mods agree. I didn't just make the decision arbitrarily. I even gave you guys multiple chances to continue posting political content with messages and warning infractions to no avail.
Now, this is the third time I have explained this. NO POLITICS or RELIGIOUS posts. This includes funny stuff like your post. If you don't like it, go somewhere else to post about politics. Do me a favor - go ask another mod how they feel about political threads and how they interpret the rules.