They get to vote twice, and the second time—at the convention—their vote has much weight than the first.

Every single superdelegate is free to participate in his or her state's primary/caucus. That should be their vote. If they are a party leader and want to endorse, and anyone cares what they think, then fine. But in terms of selecting the nominee, we need a one-person/one-vote system, and beyond that, the system should be consistent from state to state.

I mean, hell, what are we? Pre-imperial Rome?

That said, obviously we can't change the rules mid-stream this year. Personally, I would like to see Florida delegates seated, Michigan given a do-over so Obama is on the ballot, and we have the convention and end up with a nominee. The most we can ask of the superdelegates is that they vote their conscience, and then hope their conscience isn't a black pit of evil. Once the convention is over, despite the childish bickering, we need to rally behind whoever is there and keep McCain from continuing this nightmare.

But for 2012, we need serious reform, and I think that starts with getting rid of superdelegates.

You're right, Jack. I wasn't thinking it through (it's been a while). Directed goes only against the prosecution. But even so, no judge worth his or her salt would have allowed all that. Judges get very cranky when witnesses try to put on a show.

Sign me up for not believing that one bit. No way would even a semi-competent D.A. allow that, nor a judge. There would have been follow-up on cross, the lack of corroboration would have been pressed heavy. Where was the sidebar or the judge's chamber with the warning that if the defense was going to go down this path, witnesses in support were going to have to appear forthwith if the defense didn't want a directed verdict of guilty. The grandstanding, in all likelihood, wouldn't even HAVE to been objected to--the judge wouldn't have allowed it. I'm not an attorney myself, but during my career as a police officer I testified and watched many, many trials. That nonsense just wouldn't have happened.

I liked the bumper stickers.

My own analysis is based on personal experience only, since I'm not a serious gamer, but seem to be surrounded by them. I overhear a lot of conversations among the friends of my daughter (late teens to early twenties), and also when I take my son to buy games for his Wii (I admit to being a bit enamoured of Wii Sports myself, but I am way casual.)

When I talk to people or overhear the arguing among gamers, it's always about the relative merits of PS3 vs. XBox. Wii is considered by the folks who care enough about it to argue to be more a novelty system. ("No 1080i?! Get thee behind me, Wii!") Even so, a number of them have a Wii in addition to their system of choice. ("Cause it's kinda fun sometimes.")

But in the end, my sample size is so small and my own interest so peripheral, it's impossible for me to know how much my observations reflect the larger reality.

PS and XBox are clawing at each other for the same players, while Wii is off grabbing a different type of user. Wii may get to be the second system a PS/XBox owner buys, but the choice most people are making is XBox or PS3, not XBox or Wii or PS3. Folks who consider themselves "serious" gamers (a distinction, I confess, that makes me chuckle) don't consider Wii a real contender, at least not in its current form.

Sorry about that.

You'll just have less time for eating and sleeping, Alec.

I suspect you walked right into ol' Anon's trap, Thadster. Heh.

So bitter.

Oh well. I enjoyed it.

...only if he was beaten to death with the rock, and then the brooms were used to sweep his shattered remains into a ditch.

Then there could be curling.

I knew the first letter would be something like yours.

Now comes the Obama/Clinton badminton match, except each side just whacks the other repeatedly over the head with their rackets, making the rest of us really, really, REALLY wish we still had ANY of the other candidates still around to choose from. Gravel? You still out there? Anyone? Please?

Wimmins wants my dee-en-aye. The world is achin' for Bukk64, Bukk65, Bukk66, Bukk......1020394, and so on.

Good lord!