I grew up in small town America. I went to elementary and junior high school in a small farming town, population maybe 70. Only because of consolidation did I go to high school in the county seat that was 3 miles north. The population of the county seat is about 40,000 people. It is working class, with a few doctors and lawyers thrown in. My father was a truck driver. My family was working class.

As a kid, I liked to read. I read books and the newspaper every night. I read Time Magazine and looked at the pictures in National Geographic. As a result of this, I knew a little bit about the world. I was in no means a know-it-all. I was pretty quiet. But other students at school picked up on this. It was pretty clear to me that knowing about things outside of our county or state or country was considered odd.

There is an anti-intellectualism in working class America. I grew up with it. I'm not sure where it comes from. Probably it's a psychological response to being treated unfairly because of lack of income. The thinking goes along these lines. "They think they're better than me! I'll show them! I don't need their life! They're just a bunch of snobs anyway!" This is only a guess. But it's pretty clear to working class kids who are like I was that they have to make a choice somewhere along the way which way to go. Should they go out into the world and leave behind their background, or should they stay and stick with the working class life? I went to college and didn't go back.

I am not the smartest person in the world. But I am interested in it. And I am tired of people acting like that is some sort of character defect or flaw. I am also tired of politicians like George W Bush or John McCain pretending to be working class. I grew up working class. That's why I am a Democrat

I always thought that she would perform satisfactorily in this debate. Her problem isn't in talking generally about certain issues. She is able to put up a steady stream of words in an engaging manner. That probably comes from her experience in local tv news. As David Letterman says (I am paraphrasing), the first rule of broadcasting is when the camera starts rolling, you have to talk and keep talking no matter what. She has certainly learned to do that. Where Sarah Palin has trouble is being asked for specifics. In a debate format, because the moderator has to give the other guy a chance to talk too, there isn't much room for asking follow up questions. But in an interview format, you can keep asking over and over again for specifics. You can ask the "How" questions. Answering those kinds of questions is where she is clearly, and tellingly, lacking

Believe me, people talk about their perfect lives and wonderful achievements, but the longer you live, the more you see that life deals out the good and the bad to everyone. The person who has won the Oscar or the person who is the CEO all have their crosses to bear. Everyone has something in their life that has to be endured, whether it be a degenerative illness in a child, the emotional problems of a spouse, or the crushing pressures of being the person who is responsible for the finances at a company that is struggling. Life is an equal opportunity giver and taker

A friend of mine teaches high school economics. The first and most important rule of economics that he teaches his students is "People are greedy". This rule is the first and most important one because it influences all of the other rules and behaviors that people talk about in economics. When I heard Alan Greenspan say to Congress that he made a mistake when he thought that the markets would regulate themselves because it was in their best interest, I thought immediately, "But the first rule of economics is People are Greedy!" I guess my friend Bob the economics teacher knew more than Alan Greenspan.

I don't know. This whole article reminds me of J.T. Leroy. Is it really true?

I disagree about children in poorer neighborhoods not being able to go out by themselves. I work in an inner city branch library in a midwestern city, and we usually have 15 to 20 unsupervised kids, ages 3-18, in the library at one time. Their parents are never with them. They run around in packs and are always there the next day to show up and use our computers again. They take care of each other, and also drive us crazy occasionally, but are very able to take care of themselves.

Well, I'm glad to hear so many people are happy. The happiness and unhappiness is as varied as people are. In my case, the last year has been quite a difficult one, as the chronic depression and emotional difficulties of my spouse has finally started to wear me down after 20 years. It is exhausting, and I'm finding myself trying to sort through exactly what to do about it. Many people find themselves in positions such as me, and it takes a very exceptional and giving person to make it work with them. I am stil married, but am not sure I will be in a year or two. We'll see.