OE


vilifying, maligning The rally here is described as discussing politics “humorously but civilly, without” doing the thing in the blank. A good fill-in for the blank would be abusing or badmouthing. Lampooning and caricaturing make an incorrect pair, both meaning “mocking or ridiculing,” though caricaturing specifically means to do so by exaggerating particular features or traits. Though they are close to the correct meaning for your blank, the sentence mentions that the rally was “humorous.” This means that lampooning and caricaturing, both of which imply a kind of humorous teasing, would be welcome at the rally, so not plausible for the blank. Bespeaking (suggesting; ordering or reserving something in advance) and eulogizing (to praise highly, especially at a memorial service) have no relationship (and the latter is the opposite of what you want here).