My nephew (early 20's) joined a Facebook club, the name of which is something like "100 people who don't care if Phelps smoked weed". On his Facebook wall, I (in my mid-50's) wrote that it would be remarkable if it was found that Phelps won all those gold medals because he smoked weed.

He told me I was the coolest aunt ever!

That's enough for me.

Having recently moved from Chicago after living there for 53 years, and having followed Chicago politics for a great many of those years, believe me, Barack Obama is NOT the face of Chicago politics. The fact that he might have known Chicago politicians does not make him one any more than knowing who Ayers is makes him a University of Chicago professor.

Those who have tried to tie Sen. Obama to some of the sleazier characters in Chicago have come up looking dirtier than they ever dreamed of making him look. Sen. Obama is the real thing, and none of these arrows have come anywhere close to hitting their intended mark.

It's too late. People have begun to see the worst of McCain and his own personal "Knucklehead Smith", who turns a phrase like no one else can - which is fortunate.

There are too many "Quotes of the day" floating around already. What is McCain going to say about all those? That he didn't really mean what he's been saying for the past few weeks? That will go a long way toward dragging his campaign out of the sinkhole in which it finds itself.

Palin was off topic more often than not. Biden answered the questions that were put to him with replies that allowed us to remember what the original question had been.

Palin showed a lack of respect on so many levels, not the least of which was when Biden sincerely choked up when he spoke about his two sons who had been critically injured in the auto accident that took the life of his wife and daughter. She showed a lack of respect to Gwen Ifill when she said she "may not answer the questions the way you or the moderator want".

Americans cannot use a candidate who gets by on fake folksiness, glittering generalities and constant winking, as if we're all supposed to be in on some colossal joke, or a "by golly gosh" down home bumpkin in office, during one of the most dangerous and serious times in our country's history.

Get the word out, Ms. Walsh. The morning pundits on MSNBC are completely in love with Palin, including Mika, who needs to be seriously reined in with her emotional compliments all over the studio. I already put sugar in my morning coffee; there's way too much sweetness coming from my televsion! Insulin, Please!!