My thoughts are these: If your definition of marriage is mostly "property and children," then I suppose sexual fidelity is not necessarily a requirement. The American idea of "Romantic Marriage" where a couple "completes each other" is not the only template for marriage in the world.

But, if you made a promise of fidelity in your marriage, you should keep it. If you find you don't want to keep it or haven't kept it, you have a few choices. You can, with grace and honor, leave the marriage, giving your spouse a good share of the assets and making sure he or she will not suffer too much. Or you can try to figure out what the problems are in your marriage and solve them.

If it was a "moment's weakness" that you never repeat -- shut up about it. Why should an innocent spouse pay for your failing? If you turn into a “repeat offender,” see paragraph 2 above.

I think one of the most interesting aspects of this article was that no one wants to be "cheated on." Perhaps it comes down to something as basic as the Golden Rule: “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

(PS: This book didn't even touch on "emotional fidelity" which is, I believe, an even trickier problem in the modern, technological world.)

Mr. Shapiro is an elegant writer who gave a good overview of his impression as an audience member. It must have been interesting to actually be there.

And now, I will risk the wrath of many of the readers and writers here by saying -- why are we wasting our time listening to such -- ok -- I'll call them dreamers -- as Gravel and Kucinich? I want to hear from candidates who may actually BE the next leader of the free world. I DON’T want to hear from “candidates” who think that the world is a "daisy-chain of peace and if only we would all clap our hands, the peace fairies would come back to life!"

Please, Dennis and Gravel, light candles, lead vigils, be TRUE peace activists. I know people who have worked for Kucinich who say he is a sweetie -- but after a while one has to wonder...has this turned into an ego trip? Has his hot young redheaded wife gone completely to his head? Does Kucinich REALLY believe that the American people are FINALLY going to start supporting him in hoards after all these years? Does he really? I find that hard to believe. Sorry, folks.

To Gravel: let the political process alone. Don't give the GOP any more "nutty peacenik" fodder. You are an articulate crackpot but a crackpot nonetheless.

And to the Dems who might see one of the two above as the "conscience" of the Democratic Party. Oh Puh-Leese! Do you WANT another George W Bush? Do you want another 8 years of GOP theocratic disasters?

Get it together.

Jeez.

My views are not that of the MSM – hardly. I want a Democrat to win and I want debates that will allow someone who will have a chance of winning a general election to get as much time as possible to present his or her ideas to the country. I listened to Kucinich speak 9 times -- in person -- before the 2004 election. EVERY single time, he spoke of how his campaign was about to “take off!” Gravel was, on top of everything else, mean.

BOTH KUCINICH AND GRAVEL HAVE BEEN PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS FOR YEARS.

I didn't support the war. Period. And I am happy that a majority of the people in this country finally believes we should disengage as quickly as possible and that it was a mistake. But I do NOT believe you are correct that the majority of the people in this country want a president that eschews war as a concept and thinks that "peace" is the natural state of humanity. Both Kucinich and Gravel put forth these impressions last night. Their willingness to “go nuclear” on the funding of the war when more than a third of the country is still not quite on board and their negativity about the use of force in general could erode the growing respect Americans are showing our Party in foreign policy matters.

And finally, the US has had a long time and been through many horrific experiences without becoming pacifist. If we didn't become pacifist after the carnage of the Civil War, WW I, WW II or losing 50,000 Americans in Vietnam -- you think we are going to elect a pacifist after the loss of 3,400 soldiers in Iraq? And before you accuse me of being cavalier about our soldiers – my baby brother served over there and I lost a cousin in Afghanistan.

As I said, there are many ways Kucinich and Gravel can help with the peace movement without taking time away from my chance to learn as much as possible about the serious presidential candidates and without frightening Independent voters in Ohio and Florida.

So, I stand by my earlier posting.