I'm terribly, terribly sorry that anybody had to sit down and think deeply about the issues and think deeply about what the president said about the issues and if his plans would actually work. So much thinking.

What this country really needs is journalistic speedball to get over it. On credit, of course.

`When _I_ use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.'

It's pretty foolish to either assume or assert a monolithic meaning to a great number of words in the English language. To further claim that the terms of art and definitions used by speakers of the English Language in particular sub groups such as academics or auto mechanics hold inherit supremacy over the usage of the layman is also silly.

I doubt that makes Obama a scholar's scholar, but I don't really care. Figuring that out is more the job for someone in need of a thesis or individuals in need of preserving a pecking order. They can argue indefinitely over the need to publish, how many times and where.

Some of you may be uncomfortable with assigning the label 'intellectual' to a person with a law degree magna cum laude who taught constitutional law for ten years at university.

It's clear that if you read Audacity of Hope that Obama has thought about the Constitution and it's use as a working document for governance.

How about semi-Intellectual? Could have been intellectual?

Safety from external danger, is the most powerful director of national conduct. Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates. The violent destruction of life and property incident to war; the continual effort and alarm attendant on a state of continual danger, will compel nations the most attached to liberty, to resort for repose and security to institutions which have a tendency to destroy their civil and political rights. To be more safe, they, at length, become willing to run the risk of being less free.

[..] It is the nature of War to increase the executive at the expense of the legislative authority.
Alexander Hamilton, Federalist 8 (1)

Most of us might view the above as precautionary wisdom, but others might view it as a guideline to consolidating power.

My view is that we need to ditch the sense of exceptionalism in the inherit moral righteousness of the actions of our Country and our party, whichever one it is, and return to the more dismal (and accurate) view of human nature held by the Founders. They were leery of all concentrations of power, for whatever reason, and rightly so. We are past the point where we can expect a piece of paper to magically do the job, we need to re engage and hold elected officials accountable. The current political system has been scammed, too many people think their duty done by voting for A and against B.

1) http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=788&chapter=108573&layout=html&Itemid=27

Sometimes it was hard to tell if people were saying really crazy stuff because they believed it, or because they were paid to say it. Free speech will always be messy. My right to speak doesn't endow my speech with wisdom, let alone the interest of others. Some of us just happen to be dicks more often than others.

I think this nation likes to define itself through conflict, through struggle and competition. We're old school Roman in that way. Fights between relations (with people that have much in common) are always the nastiest.

It's true that Joan really wanted Hillary to win. It might also be true, as many believe, the editorial positions of Salon crossed a few lines with respect to election coverage. I give her a lot of credit for her willingness to interact with her readers. Self honesty is a difficult art, especially when practiced in public. I doubt many of us would bat over .325 in that area.

While everyone has gotta do what they gotta do (thank you ghost of John Wayne), I think we need to drop our old wounds and outrages and get ready to move on to the next struggle. Team Obama won, and the Democrats won, but ultimately, that doesn't mean much unless the American People win over the next 4-8 years. It won't be easy and a favorable outcome is not assured. Plenty of people, both foreign and domestic, benefit from the jam that the American middle class is in. They see little reason to change the status quo. They have power and influence. They aren't always who you think they are.

And while we are reflecting over this last year and the election campaign, we shouldn't forget one of the losers. I don't care for the social positions of Ron Paul, but he was pretty dead on foreign policy and economics.

Happy New Year,and best of wishes to all