Thanks - I like your points about having leaders who can, and are allowed, to show emotion and express grief. And I'm very sorry for your loss.

Why are so many journalists and opinionators lauding Biden for his "moment of emotion"? This grates two ways: first, because he is a politician, and a very practiced one at that, no such moment, when played out in front of the cameras, especially during a debate, is truly spontaneous. Doesn't make him a bad or cold or calculating man, just very good at using the tools he needs to succeed at his job. Sort of like a method actor. Second, if it had been Palin who had choked up over her own personal trials, she would have not only lost the debate but lost the election, right there. It's just more proof of that old, magical gender double standard we've come to know and love, you betcha.

As for the debate: Palin performed better than George Bush in 2000. I'm voting for the other ticket, and Palin is a scary, ignorant freak, but I really think she won this one.

Yes. Just thank you. Cary for President. Or maybe for Secretary of the Spirit.

Years ago, maybe eight, I got a flat on the San Mateo bridge during rush hour in my tiny little Nissan - I pulled over and got out and almost immediately had a near miss by a huge truck barreling down on me (there's no shoulder or pull-off area on that bridge, or there wasn't back then). Only a few seconds after that, a girl driving an electric blue, '76 Mustang pulled up behind me. She looked tough but she was nice. She changed my tire within minutes and was on her way. I still look out for opportunities to do the same for other drivers. I also still look out for that blue Mustang.

Taking Hillary behind the barn? Tucker Carlson making comparisons to Lorena Bobbitt??? "testicle lockbox"????? What a video - not just for the funny clips about Hillary, but for the juxtaposition with scenes from Network and the Murrow movie. Mostly, this video makes me think we should fire at least half of the media for freakish incompetence.

It's the conversation about the book that could become the deal-breaker. My tastes are wide - I will at least start reading pretty much anything, from People Magazine to the Da Vinci Code to Eat Pray Love to Stephen King to James Joyce to Edith Wharton to Jane Austen to Shakespeare to Dante. Somewhere in there is also Norman Mailer, L.M. Montgomery's journals, rock and roll biographies, self-help books, Chekhov, nonfiction books about science, and Harry Potter. Along with a bunch of other stuff. And yes, I have read Ayn Rand - hell yes. And I've had SOs that have introduced me to all sorts of stuff I ultimately enjoyed or found interesting but may never have cottoned to on my own - Neal Pollack, the Lord of the Rings, and P.J. O'Rourke, to name a few. But I admit it can be hard for me to not lose at least a little bit of respect for someone who professes admiration for a book that I've truly thrown down in disgust. But the key is to ask: so, why did you like The Bridges of Madison County/that Sydney Sheldon book/that colonic diet book? if the answer is: because it was the most romantic book I've read/because he's just an amazing writer/because my body is unclean, then...sigh. Yes. Possible (though not automatic) deal-breaker.

Thank you for the voice of reason and please stick to it - too many other people, including Mr. Olbermann, are falling by the wayside in terms of my respect for their judgment these days. It seems to me that Ms. Ferraro's comment was probably racist, but I think reasonable people can disagree on this point. I certainly think the comparison to Samantha Powers is inapt - Ms. Powers called Hillary Clinton a monster, a clear personal attack which she justifiably apologized for (and she herself characterized as a rookie mistake). Ms. Ferraro posited her theory on the effect of Obama's race on the success of his campaign, and she didn't do it in clear enough language to let us know exactly what she meant. That's it. Nothing more. As to her point, she was wrong and she is a loose cannon and probably an asshole and yes, probably racist, but also clearly not the sort to apologize easily. And she resigned and Hillary repudiated her statement and apologized on her behalf - and the same time Hillary was apologizing, Mr. Olbermann was off on his little tear. For the love of god. Let's move on so the candidates can run their frickin' campaigns, already.

This whole flap does serve to remind me that race is still a big deal in the US - both in terms of present inequities and in terms of a deep and painful national memory. I think that's partly why the white Obama supporters are DYING to see him in office. Because then maybe they will be able to feeel a little bit less guilty when they drive their BMWs through the hood.

For Pete's sake, this whole issue has veered way off on a tangent. Elliott Spitzer had to resign because He Broke the Law - he moved money around in a way that may have been laundering, and that is what the feds are focusing on. Sure, there is a sex scandal involved, but if it were only that, I don't think he would have to resign (see Gavin Newsom). To my mind, his crimes don't rank too high on the naughtiness scale, but high enough that he was right to step down from his role as a public official.

is the best thing about Salon and possibly the best thing on the internet.