"my anecdotal drop in the bucket

My grandma got behind Obama as soon as Hillary, her favorite, lost. But people whose primary concern is Israel are still behind McCain. Lieberman is unpopular with Jews, at least the ones I know."

A polite and sincere question...Would you be willing to give us more insight, your take, on why those "whose primary concern is Israel are still behind McCain"? I sincerely want to at least try to understand why he (especially with Palin on the ticket) would be favored.

TO YOUR: PITTY ME PLEASE

Pity is spelled (as per your caps) PITY, not PITTY.

Given all the 'isms that you have certifiably verified don't work, where would you LIKE to live? Go there. With a lollipop or two, or a gross or two. Heck, start a new movement. VASHONISM!

Anyway, I was raised well so I don't take lollipops from strangers.

I read an AP piece yesterday about a rally Springsteen gave in PA on Obama's behalf and what he had to say in-between sets. I saved the link and later read the article aloud to my husband, and got totally choked up while reading. I truly DO want my country back.

To Joan Walsh--thanks for this article. Thanks.

"This land is your land, this land is my land..." (one of Springsteen's lead-in songs to his talk to the crowd in PA, along with his own "Promised Land." Yet in the background, his "My City in Ruins" haunts me because I'm placed back in my apartment in NYC on 9/11 day and the thereafter. I am so weary of being questioned on my "love of country" and "patriotism" and "support of the troops" because I am solidly for Obama/Biden08.)

Ok, trolls, trash me now. Call me a sentimental fool or an elitist or terrorist-pal or whatever the latest spin phrases are. You ain't getting my soul.

That was Ms. Palin on SNL, right? I can't tell the difference anymore. Except I suspect the imposter is smarter.

As several people have noted, your post (p. 8) was excellent--sad yet true. Personally, you will forever have my gratitude for your story with the surprise ending...Coulter. I remember several years back, when she was just starting to get a lot of play on pundit shows (thus, I was just starting my revulsion toward her), I was out for a romantic dinner in NYC. As my date and I were being seated, I looked over and sure enough, there she was at the next table. I was not about to have my evening ruined by having her within eye-range or ear-range. I promptly requested a different table as far away as possible.

I caught your late shout-out to LondonLad--and it wasn't off-topic to me ;) You two were in the know; now I get to get it, too. A highlight of the day.

Sleep well. Me, I'm off to watch Sarah on SNL...

Yes, I am all too aware that this is serious business and it's going to get even uglier from the Reps and I'm wondering how the Dems will respond. Sleepless, nauseous, cranky-pantalones describes much of my political mood of late.

THEREFORE...I really needed some of the laughs I got reading some fine posts here tonight. Trying to parse non-gender-specific insults was a hoot in and of itself. It's impossible to give credit wherever credit is due, so I'm thanking everyone and going for my select "highlights reel."

@jojorae -- Thank you for the "adapted" version of Kyle's Mom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa6QEyVozcc&feature=related

@jgarth -- Thank you for reminding us of just SOME of all the "stuff" we can talk about now that Palin/Mac lowered the bar sooooooo low.

BUT MY FIRST PRIZE GOES TO: Kenjii...

because (his or her) "Moosellini" did me in! That term alone. It was a new one to me and I cracked up. Redux of the post follows.

Moosellini Go Home

Sorry, Sarah. This crap is all so six years ago.

BTW, the Troopergate report comes out October 10. So time to grab your six pack and mush on outta here, doggonit. Oh and while we're at it, Queen of the Secessionistas, have you found your new "son's" birth certificate yet? Don't bother getting back to us.

We've got "The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death" playing now. An amazing find...LondonLad, you done goood tonight/today.

It was only a few hours ago that I was so interested in the teachers who were writing in about the "dumbing down" of America in general (not limited to GOP), and the women of all sorts writing about their reactions to Palin on the ticket, and the conservatives writing about what being conservative really means and where they stand in the current quagmire, and people reexamining their political stance on this election...ETC.

But the last several pages? For the most part...divisive; often hateful; often racist and/or sexist; mean-spirited; myopic; close-minded. Ok, enough. I don't even like to type such words--especially when it is our country at stake (and our country matters to other countries, ahem).

Open discussions are good, IMHO. Closed minds and bigoted or prejudicial opinions not so good, IMHO. An entrenched motto of mine is: Never argue with someone else's version of reality. But, from the last I've heard, it's still a free country and free speech is allowed. Excuse me if I go "all Pollyanna" to say I would welcome open discussions versus all venom and vile. Doesn't everyone WANT the country to move forward in a better direction? Can't we opine toward that direction?