It is NOT self-evident that rubes and rednecks cling to guns and religion because they are bitter, etc. Get some distance, folks. It is self-evident to us liberals.

For a lot of America that quote was deeply insulting. Hearing that it was said at a party they'd never be invited to (rich people in San Francisco) just adds to the insult. Senator Obama said that they are so mad they can't see their own best interests.

Well, that's pretty funny, given that now it's us liberal folks who are so mad we can't see our own best interests. Slinging around MORE talk about rubes and bumpkins isn't going to make matters better. You'd think that we Masters of All Wisdom would know that.

Yeah, I'm disgusted with my fellow liberals. Insulting people will not get votes or inspire anyone.

Great column this time! My wish list:

-- a container for trash in each row, or personal containers for trash (a paper bag on a hook would do.) Drives me crazy to sit there with trash in my hand, waiting for collection, and I cannot bring myself to drop it on the floor.

-- Even if you can't do video for each seat, how about good audio with lots of channels of podcasts, music and whatnot? Save money (or even make a little) by selling cheap headsets, or letting people bring their own with a standard plug.

-- YES to the cup holder and seat redesign. I honestly think I'd be more comfortable on the padded equivalent of a straight-back chair that didn't recline at all.

-- Given that most airlines don't serve food any more in coach, why not come up with a tray table that is slightly smaller but adjustable to accommodate both the very thin (as you said, those who have to REACH) and the fat, who wind up with the current standard tray balanced on their abdomen, tilting downward? Make them just large enough for the footprint of a standard laptop.

-- Power outlets at each seat. Granted, I can't talk on my phone but it would be nice to RECHARGE it. Or my ipod. Or my laptop.

-- Distract me with GOOD smells. Any chance of a deal with Cinnabon to get them to pump the cabin full of that odor they use to sell buns at the mall?

For the past two years I've traveled at least two round trips a month on Southwest, between Los Angeles and Oakland. Here's why I will always choose Southwest for a domestic flight if I can:

-- easy to use website

-- pleasant staff

-- no charge for changing a reservation

-- easy to understand and use the frequent flyer setup

-- the seating arrangement (check in early, get the seat you want)

-- easy-to-understand fare structure

Also, I'm a large woman who has periodically had mobility problems (orthopedic troubles). Southwest is hands-down the nicest airline for me to deal with as a disabled person. They don't make me feel like a nuisance or a second-class citizen.

I feel like my time and my person are respected when I fly Southwest. Someday I would love to fly Singapore Airlines or one of the other luxury carriers, but for the business commuter, it's hard to beat good old LUV.

When bottled water became the fashion, it suddenly became ok to tote a bottle of water everywhere with you, and to suck on it at will. We look like a nation of toddlers, sucking on our bottles.

I'm glad this particular stupid fashion is fading. Tap for me, please!

Spot on, Mr. Pilot, and ignore the trolls.

I still love to fly; lucky for me, I have a job where I commute via air twice a month. It's still a miracle every time we leave the ground, and doubly so if I get my window seat and can gawk at the wonders below.

I think we would all calm down a lot about the airlines if the TSA mess could be fixed. Yes, delays are a mess, and yes, gate personnel are sometimes not great, but it doesn't help the situation at ALL that half the people in any airport are in a rage state or near it before they even get to the gate. Anything more that happens is just over the edge. I am nearly always ready to cry and/or scream and or kick something when I leave the TSA area, and I'm one of the silly people who thinks it's still great to fly. I can't imagine how a phobic or someone who hates flying copes with it.

As for what pilots should be paid, well, anyone who keeps me alive when things go wrong is almost by definition underpaid. Pilots, firefighters, paramedics, all those folks get less respect and less money than they deserve.

I'm surprised, though, that the pilots' union hasn't addressed the issue of the portability of one's seniority. Sometime I'd like to see an article on the various unions and flying, if you dare.