My question was well-intended. You responded with a visceral attack on my intelligence. Simply to appease you, I do know the meaning of "net worth" and I have prepared my own taxes and also have had accountants do that, depending on the tax year and the complexity. I am not "resenting them on principle" but I am resenting you for an unnecessarily rude response.

I am not www.anonymous.dialogue. I did not say "she is rich" (though I suspect there are many people who would disagree with your assessment of "rich"--e.g., dual-income family with five kids earning around $40,000/yr?).

If you had written your 2nd reply 1st, it would have been much more illuminating than insulting.

I asked a sincere question. "Sorry" for asking.

"can I call you Joe"?...I wish he had responded: "Of course, Governor Palin."

I'm late to the thread with this response (but not for lack of trying---too many hours of mine have been spent today/tonight trying to catch up and get in on even near to real-time), but I am extending kudos to you belatedly because they are deserved.

I'd also like to add that AKA Smith should be infiltrating the MSM...smart stuff.

I don't seem to get in on the commentary thread when "time appropriate." Frustrating.

But thanks to the above posters (and others).

I really appreciated reading your post well into this VERY long thread. Though perhaps I shouldn't be, I still get shocked at the extent of the sexism AND racism that abounds. Some very good posters you've got going here (and others that, frankly, I'd like to choke, if I were that sort of person). At least with most of the bile and venom that spills out, someone's there to toss it where it belongs.

My husband, the Harry Potter fanatic, totally loved your post. I don't know if you'll ever see this note, but I'm sending it to you on his behalf. (An aside: he was very proud of me for picking up on "Umbrage" before I even got to the part where you explained! Hey, I'll take kudos when I can. And clearly those two kids you watched with are *very* perceptive ;)

"I watched the debate with two kids, ages 14 and 12. Their conclusion? Palin is a younger, more attractive Professor Umbrage. I'm not kidding, within 30 minutes, both were seeing Umbrage in her mannerisms, speech, and substance. By the end, they were so convinced of the similarity, they wanted to see if the papers this morning picked up on it. I told them that they were probably unique in their conclusion. For those few of you unfamiliar with Harry Potter lore, Umbrage is an absolutely evil character, who imposes her evil with a sweet voice and fake smile."

IMHO, you wrote one of the most honest posts on this thread. Thank you. Why I'm responding is not because you like Joe (so do I, long have), but much more because you looked at your "liking" (or not) for Obama in the mix. As you've indicated, it's very important to vote from your mind, but it's really great when your heart can be behind that vote, too. So, anyway, I'm with you.......hope, hope, hope....

"Joe Biden was extremely impressive. What made me the most happy was that I *liked* him. Not with my mind, but with my gut, or heart, or whatever you want to call that irrational, non-thinking, intuitive animal instinct that led voters to elect George Bush. And, to be totally honest, I haven't really *liked* Obama in that same irrational American voter way. I will absolutely, positively definitely vote for him, because my brain is in control, but it was definitely going to be a brain act. (Maybe it's racism, I don't know. But I didn't *like* Gore or Kerry either, so hopefully it's not.) Anyway, not *liking* Obama has made me worry about other voters, who clearly do not have their brains as their command centers. But, I did like Joe. A LOT. Whew!!!!!

Hope hope hope hope hope hope..."

"Yes, I'm sure she hasn't risen to the elite standards that the MSM, or Salon.com, has set for our leaders."

Whatever you assume those MSM or Salon.com standards are, what are YOUR standards? Why do you believe that Governor Palin has enough knowledge and competency to become the VP and potential President? Specifics, please.

She's a mom of 5. I know (and love) exactly some of those moms, and some others with maybe 1, 2 or 3 kids instead, living under a substantially lower household income per year. I know (and love) many people with "fancy" college degrees and people with no college degrees, maybe not even a HS diploma or GED. So what? Gee, I read Salon.com and there are many who post here who are more highly educated than I am, and others whom I may be more highly educated than. "Smarter than" is another criteria--doesn't have to be about "schooling." I repeat: so what? Except--PERHAPS MAYBE?--when it comes to choosing the leaders of the U.S.?

Snobbery can go both ways. And I don't think I'm stupid, but I want someone way smarter than me to be VP and possible Prez.

So, I ask to you: Why Palin? Make your case.

I'm not sure whether I've responded specifically to any of your posts before, but I know I have noticed and RE-read many of your posts. Thanks. You keep me thinking. And dang, now I have to go and out find more books to read ;)