I knew you were a libertarian, but reading your columns over the last several years I honestly believed you'd grown, matured, developed a soul, a conscience and empathy for your fellow human beings, and transcended the adolescent selfishness of Ayn Rand's elitist fantasy world. I'm shocked and saddened to realize I was wrong.

Too bad. You're now eligible for the epitaph I was saving for myself: "He was fun while he lasted."

I'd like to grieve, but I have no time -- I have countless apologetic emails to write to all the friends, enemies, relatives, colleagues and casual acquaintances to whom I've recommended Unclaimed Territory.

I can see you beginning to back off in your updates and some of your comments, and I expect you'll find yourself eating a lot of crow in the coming days, but I predict that the Pauliacs who've been unleashed and empowered in your comments section will send the mostly thoughtful, smart, amusing people who post here regularly fleeing for the exits and deal a crippling blow to your readership.

On the other hand, if this is who you really are and really want to be, it's best that we know it now and move on.

Bye. Don't let the door hit you in the ass.

-- qnirxngm

Thanks, pal. I'm sure we've all enjoyed the thoughtful, incisive comments you've contributed to Glenn's blog. This would be precisely your second one, right?

Glenn follows this:

That's why I refuse to accept or reject any of these lables - they're the tools of small-minded people who want to dismiss and discredit others without having to do the work to engage arguments.

...with this:

And, of course, only you and people who think just you like -- on every issue, every day of the week -- have souls. Everyone else is barren and evil.

...and this:

If you thought this was the headquarters for the Democratic National Party, you have only yourself to blame for that.

You've lost it, buddy. If I went in for tinfoil hattery, I'd speculate that the Boylan dust-up inspired some reich-wingers to take revenge on you and your readers by fucking with your brain.

Everything I've said is more in sorrow than anger, for whatever that's worth.

I am disappointed that you failed to mention the obvious plants in the questioners, which included easily verifiable campaign operatives for both Hillary Clinton (the homosexual man) and John Edwards (the abortion advocate).

Had such partisans been planted in a democrat debate, I believe it would have been mentioned, and the host of the debate vilified as obvious partisans. Why no outrage? Is that supposed to be journalistic integrity?

-- thingswesaid

At the Democratic (note spelling) debates, the partisan GOP operatives are planted right on the stage posing as the moderators.

In that light, "Why no outrage?" is a very good question.

P.S. If you're looking for "obvious plants," they're in Mrs. Thompson's blouse.

Dammit, I could have saved a lot of bandwidth and just hung out in a high school cafeteria to get this story.

-- Elephantman

...if it wasn't for that damned restraining order.

"I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn't much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think people, he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing."

... he's just trying to counter those vicious smears and rumors that he's a progressive, or merely a Democrat.

I was once very excited about Obama's candidacy. Not anymore.

Is there any criticism that could be leveled at Obama that wouldn't be met with these irrational responses?

-- UsedtobeKristin

This Obama quote has been met with eerie silence:

I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn't much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think people, he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.

A few sad, ignorant knuckle draggers are afraid of Barack Hussein Obama. I think progressives and Democrats ought to be more curious about Barack Ronald Wilson Reagan Obama.

On the other hand Obama supporters, this is an attack.

--Anonymous

Thanks for explaining why Ronald Wilson Trickle Down Morning in America Iran-Contra Welfare Queen Reagan is an appropriate role model for a progressive Democratic presidential candidate. It's all clear to me now.

...to spend more time with Jeri's implants.

I remember watching Gore interrupt those standing up for him in congress. I felt dismayed that he's be so quick to ... uphold a sense of dignity? ... not plummet the country into serious crisis?

-- totoro

So George W. Bush became our 43rd president. Dignity upheld. Crisis averted.

Maybe that's the way it played out in your world, but here on Earth the results were dramatically different.

"...being 10+ years old in dog years..."

I'm afraid you have it backwards, Kitt -- in dog years, McCain is 497.

I'd sure hate to have to clean up after that. My own 119-year-old (17) is quite labor intensive enough!

...if we weren't utterly and completely doomed.