When Mommy and Daddy stop fighting and make up, it’s not so scary anymore and I feel happy! Our family is strong, and has values! I guess a bad woman said mean things about Mom and Dad, but I know if we just don’t talk about some things - like those broken promises, dirty deals, the lying, and all those people being killed over somewhere, whatever! – if we just don’t talk about that we can stay together, a strong family. And that makes me happy :-)

Salon, I simply cannot tolerate you continuing to allow trolls to post comments on these threads that are so distressing to me when I read them. Why would you allow such posts?

They simply distract from the very serious business of these threads: intelligent and mature discussions and deliberations as to which candidate’s – Mr. McCain or Mr. Obama’s - clear vision and moral leadership is (or would have been in the case of Mrs. Clinton) best suited to leading Our Great Nation back to Prosperity and Safety.

Personally, I am quite undecided, as each candidate has displayed a different set of important qualities and crucial policy directions - e.g. where geopolitically to focus our continued efforts to Kill Potential Terrorists; just how much torture and spying on Americans is warranted; how many more prisons will we need for success in the War on Drugs; and in important leadership, personal, and intellectual qualities such as Faith, Family, Charisma, Hope, Skin Pigmentation, and having Ovaries.

The off topic comments only distract from the mature discussion and political analysis in these threads, and frankly, I become angry when forced to read distracting comments that discomfort me.

Enough!

blah blah blah blah blah blah , yet blah blah blah blah blah faith blah blah blah blah Christian blah blah blah . . . . . . . .

Except for one incontrovertible, elephant-in-the-room, glitch-in–the-Matrix, crack-in-the-delusional-structure fact: neither Mr. Warren, nor Mr. McCain, nor Mr. Obama, despite their calculated (um . . . . “thinking”?) and expected utterances, nor anyone invested in what the Saddleback Church is about, despite their best efforts to adopt the defense mechanism of “Christian”, is in any real or meaningful sense a Christian.

Empty gestures, symbolism and utterances notwithstanding, their lives and behaviors simply do not align in any significant way with the teachings or ideals of their avowed leader.

And that would make them all . . . . . . . . .

I’m beginning to think . . . that, again, Obama just seems to be cozying up to their [Republican] way of thinking. "Oil drilling? Yes sure. I'm for that. Wiretapping? Like that, too. Religious nut? I can get onboard there."

but having read through the letters here, now feel like a more stupid slut.

If parents would only teach their children that touching is W-R-O-N-G outside the sanctity of holy matrimony! Thank goodness for Family Values.

The Speedball

1 teaspoon water

50 mg heroin

50 mg cocaine

Clean rig

Cook the H as you normally would with water, then add cocaine to the spoon when the heroin has liquefied. Draw up and slam. Relax.

Depending on local availability, other opioids can be substituted for heroin, and meth or other stimulants for the cocaine.

Who says that the combination of religiosity/charisma along with militarism/lying won’t be complementary and effectively appeal to voters? Works for the Republicans, why not for your team?

What makes me feel comfortable about myself is another regular rough-and-tumble plain-talkin’ guy. Maybe even a bit of a dim bulb who, by his own estimate, would need to lie and cheat to succeed academically and get where he needs to go. That’s what we call ambition here in America.

A guy who isn’t afraid to let loose with some commentary about other types, or "groups", whatever, is alright by me. A guy who isn’t afraid to use our military to protect the freedoms. A regular guy who doesn’t mind locking up some dope heads to protect the rest of us.

That’s the kind of guy I could sit down and have a few with.

And that’s worth my vote!

50 children

Obama/Biden

Exactly.

But instead of spending 1000 words entirely evading the question, why not explore what cheating to get through law school and racist comments might reveal about impulsivity, sense of entitlement and superiority, moral development, and other personality traits.

Would that be bogus and petty as well?

Bruno is casting a jaded glance at the AP headline, “Democrats open faith-filled convention with prayer”.

Great review.

nothing really makes me feel safer or happier than being comfortably infantilized.

if you pull your punches any harder they’ll be landing on you.

Careful. This is journalism, remember?

to fill any child with awe and devotion

and cloak any miscreant in decency.

Sure, free speech is a nice idea, but there’s something at stake here, just as it was in Denver: the big, safe, happy American Family that Barack and Michelle want to make for us, if we help them. That American Family is about Unity, not dissent; about Victories over those that threaten America (from the outside or inside); about pride and loyalty to the factory jobs we are blessed with; about our own clean, strong families (can you believe those beautiful girls!); and about Our Faith.

Now, those scruffy protesters we saw in the video aren’t exactly a part of Our American Family, are they? Employed? Even students? Supporting the troops? Loving wives and husbands? Hmmmmm.

Should they really be allowed to try to tear down the Family that Michelle and Barack are making for us? Think about it. I know Joan is.