I might have felt better about the answer if 'speak up' had been on the front end, rather than the back. Most of the response was "(You've Got to Be) Carefully Taught"...Act 2, South Pacific.

If the potential husband isn't making his displeasure known to his family now, he won't later. He can't even tell off a 16 year-old who thinks one can invite rape? He may be a lovely guy, after so many bad ones, but she'll never be free of his family.

I understand deep and abiding partisan loyalty. But how could anyone get through that "De Tocqueville, who's a French guy..." non sequitur and not feel ashamed that this is what we present to the world?

Of course, I thought the statement about protecting Americans after September 11 was telling; doesn't explain what his understanding of the job was before then.

Yeah...when you're going to make a joke about a dead comedian, you might consider when the referenced event occurred. 26 years ago. Did the parents get it? Sure. But come on. The students ostensibly being addressed listened to these odd remarks, looked at each other, looked at the dais, and muttered, "Freak."

Yes, I know: the extremes will fester if they operate under the cloak of darkness. Shining a light on this sort of repulsive rhetoric provides an opportunity for those who might be on the fence to run away in horror. And yet...

There's a part of me, too, that knows that Ann Coulter sold books today, and that there is no unified corollary action to take for people who find her words offensive. So let's be generous and say that 90 percent of the viewers disagree with Coulter. That 10 percent is still a huge win for her. It is no censorship of her point of view to simply decide not to offer her a forum. Coulter relies on having a setting where her bomb-throwing makes her look like a brave truth-teller, much as Paris Hilton relies on having photographers follow her around to see if she does something outrageous. Lacking a mainstream audience, their schtick no longer works.

The story goes that Tallullah Bankhead agreed to a date with a English nobleman who was, as they say, beautiful on the inside. The following day, a friend asked her about the evening out with Lord Henry.

"As early as possible, I went down on him," Miss Bankhead answered. Her friend was shocked, "Why, Tallullah, why?"

"Anything, darling...anything to get away from that face!"

Let her keep talking, and go ahead...repeat it. At some point, even the most partisan has to start thinking, "Uh, that's one big piece of crazy."

Does Pat Robertson still have plenty of devotees? Sure. But they're primarily into his wacky brand of 'faith.' The more he opens his mouth, the more he marginalizes himself. Or go non-political: is Tom Cruise still a movie star? Absolutely. But the nutjob lectures to Matt Lauer make ordinary, non-obsessive fans think twice.

So it is with this one. Every interview, every book has to be a little crazier to get attention. Eventually, she has nowhere to go but oblivion. Personally, I love the idea that Brooke Shields' post-partum depression meds and Bill Clinton's hyper-hetero nature can take a bite out of these whack-jobs.