Thanks for your reply, proving that it's possible to disagree without referring to people as "little shits".

However, I respectfully disagree. Voting for people who don't understand or protect the Constitution will not get us out of the mess we're in, even if they are perhaps the lesser of the evils. I'd like it better if our elected officials were made to live up to their oaths. Political disagreements are fine, and I have voted for many politicians with whom I have disagreed on policy. Disregard for the Constitution is not fine, and I will never vote for a politician who is in that category.

Not sure I exactly caught your point, but it brings up another issue: the two-party system.

Democracy is where your point-of-view gains political power to the extent that it is shared by significant numbers of other people.

The two-party system is where your point-of-view is given relatively unlimited political power if it is shared by more than 50% of people, and virtually none if it is not.

The two-party system is therefore not a true democracy.

"Obama is not a constitutional purist. Oh well. It was unrealistic for me to expect him to be. I have to live in the real world."

Glenn, help me here. This guy obviously reads your column, and still has zero clue. What can I say? I guess we all just "have to live in the real world", where the government is free to spy on or jail or torture us as it pleases, because the Unitary Executive is all-powerful in wartime. This is America, folks. The Constitution was a nice old document, but its time has passed.

"The Two Party system at this point is an empty shell - a fraud- a stage act- used to validate rule of Oligarchy."

Well said, I agree. I think the interesting next step, assuming McCain loses, will be the formation of a Christian Party with Sarah Palin in the lead. I think it will be as big as or bigger than the Republican Party by 2010, and a lot of debate will go into how those two parties can get back together to elect a president. If we're very lucky, that will start a move toward a more parliamentary system of government, which would be a vast improvement.

"Is there something you've accomplished today ...?"

Yes, Kitt, I have. I have asked you to consider supporting a political system where people could express their disapproval of politicians who don't respect the Constitution; or approval of politicians who subscribe to beliefs we personally hold dear; as opposed to the system we have now, where we make our extremely limited choice and imagine we have accomplished something of value.

Perhaps Barack Obama would have voted to protect the Constitution if we had more than just two choices, but under our "real world" two-party system, he has to cater to the lowest common denominator. I can't get excited about voting for that.

Step 1: Lose argument.

Step 2: Change subject.

Step 3: Resort to name-calling.

Anyone here have something intelligent to say?

Sure glad Michelle didn't wear that dress in public until after the election. Whew!

Note to Michelle Obama about that dress she was wearing last night:

CHANGE!

I saw my first "Obama Sucks" bumper sticker on a gigantic black SUV this morning, driven by a young blonde chick. Let me be the first on the Center-Left to say, as the Right have been saying for years: if you don't like this country, please go back where you came from.

There is one and only one way in which these things are comparable: we haven't had a grownup in the White House for a long, long time. Let's hope Barack Obama breaks the trend.

A. There is no such thing as bad publicity.

B. Your writing a negative article about her just serves to boost her image with her fans.

My guess is that Sarah Palin will be around for a long time, but not as a Republican. She is too good a fit as the potential standard-bearer for the Christian Right, who I believe will found a new party.

It's unfair to say the Big 3 didn't have a plan when they came to Congress two weeks ago. Their plan was to get taxpayers on the hook for just enough money that Congress would no longer have the option to let them fail. Once they were told to come back with an actual document containing dollar signs, they quickly figured out that the original figure of $25 billion made no sense, and increased it by about a third. But the original plan is still intact: "Climb onto that hook now, and we'll tell you later how much you can pay us."

... about this episode is that what we REALLY NEED after eight years of rule by chimpanzees from Regent University is a competent presidential administration. If this is what the Obama communications team thinks is appropriate behavior, in ANY setting, then we're once again sorely lacking in adult supervision. I'm just so tired of seeing our country run by fools.

I would be surprised if that was the last shoe George "Woof-woof" Bush will ever have to duck. I'm guessing the Secret Service will be de-shoeing anyone who gets within range from now on. Between them and the TSA and the economy, we'll all be going barefoot pretty soon anyway.

Also, I have a pair of size-11 suede workboots waiting for Paul Bremer, if I ever see him.

"So...does this mean if someone here disagrees with Obama over the next four years, THEY can throw a shoe at him and be praised for voicing their dissent as well?"

Chief: part of George W Bush's legacy, as the very Worst president ever, is that people all over the world will be throwing shoes at whoever is president from now on - unless and until one of them acts like something other than a dog.