I should add that some readers will miss the post's point (or worse, deliberately elide it) — its point being, obviously, that the validity of the charge has nothing whatsoever to do with political utility of it.

Good analysis, Jason, even if it was hardly a draw; Ed was sent (I use the passive voice, out of modesty, and with a bit of tongue in my cheek) whimpering into the very silence he so urgently advocated. I do hope he returns, for as I informed commenter Mary this a.m., a diversity of views is peachy — and I assume we're all emotionally strong adults who, every one of us, can handle legitimate criticism of any view. But you really put your finger on things when you referenced "temperament." I almost never — Never — comment on a comment. I take such things in stride — or perhaps I might compliment comments such as yours. Regrettably, I'm human. Incessant, ridiculing comments and little else can accumulate to the point where I just have to unload. Which I did. And I'm not the least bit ashamed. Shame emerges from either spinelessness or sinister recklessness.

No problem, Mary. I always appreciate criticism and differing views. I'm sure Ed can handle them too; he can handle taking some of his own medicine. We all have to do that from time to time.

George, thats something Ive heard from others about. Ive asked Typepad for technical information on line spacing. — Phil

No I wasnt aware of these. Thanks, Max. Ill keep them handy. Phil

That's only for "the subset of 402 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents." The smaller the universe in polling, naturally, the higher the MOE. "Results for the full sample [more than twice the subset's size] have a margin of sampling error of +/- 3.7 percentage points."

Thanks for pointing that out. The change in layout design obliterated several sidebar links — and I didn't even notice.

See below.

Thank you, Lawrence.

You are a very wise woman, Mary. I wiish there were more of you — single ones — but the singles are single for a pretty good reason .They tend to have a problem wtih fideliity, which is why they are, and probably always be, single. Thus I'm more than happy to single as. I just don't need that shit.

Our deaths — Jewish Frannie and agnostic me — are going to bankrupt my thoroughly non-religious daughter. She wants Frannie buried in a (Jewish) animal cemetery—in Israel!— and me to be scattered somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, my true American love.. Or perhaps in our city's dog park? Who cares? I'll be dead, I won't particularly care by then if I'm I crapped on — even by poodles,

Funny story. One hospital physician told me to drink no more than one glass of water a day. because without a colon, more than one glass would flush out all my sodium. And sure enough, that's why I was hospitalized for 11 days. Sometimes you just can't win.

She never converted. She wss wearing a yamaka at the animal shelter and since my daughter had been to Israel recently she was simply "תודה לך אלוהים!" when she found her.

I stand corrected. Appropriately.

A stand-alone, fortress America has always been an ideological wet dream of both left and right. Chiefly because it's so intellectually seductive. And simplistic.

I prefer to think of Edith Wharton. Somehow, it eases the pain.

First, I don't hate progressives. I mostly agree with them. Long term. But to answer your specific, quite legitimate and intelligent question, in 2016 we hadn't suffered years of Trumpism. And that's the difference. Biden and other moderates promise a return to a sane, globally reasonable, nationally humble nation. Just give us four years of American rehabilitation. That's all moderates want. And that's exactly what this fundamentally decent nation deserves.

Oh no, nothing like like at all, just something crawling up my male groin, which I've alays enjoyed.before Just wish I could be awake this time, you know, like the 60s or 70s? And Anne, ny father had an artificial value implanted. He lived for decades after that. Don't sweat it. Enjoy. Love you.

Keith, I couldn't disagree with you much more than I already do. But you keep writing. Hang in here. And disagreeing. And opposing. This site is for EVERYONE, though not for ulyraextremist views of the brownshirt variety. It's not an echo chamber, or least I hope not. So defend as best you can, although I must day, you're at a bit of contemporary disadvantage.

I appreciate the analogy, Peter, quite a good guess, but no, no monitoring pack. Instead my daughter raced me to the hospital month's ago because she thought I was once again on death's door (which she's rather accustomed to thinking, after my being confined to bed for months because of extreme fatigue. I bet you didn't know — well how the hell could you? — that for two or three years I've done all my writing propped up in bed.) There they did an EKG and announced I had had a heart attack, which I hadn't. They transferred me to a larger hospital, which thereupon diagnosed — correctly — a pulmonary embolism — with the added treat of atrial fibrilation onset. I just love surprises. What I didn't know — the diagnosis I have ignored for months — was that an atrial malfunction causes extreme fatigue. Thus writing from bed and otherwise collapsing while upright. Come Aug, 14th. I'll be writing while ice skating (except I don't know how to ice skate). So then I'll be rewriting from the hospital with broken bones.

Because I enjoy attacking lying sycophants for the right wing?

Please note: "Almost" unbelievable.

Oh, I'm hardly an example of "moral evolution," SAR. I'm just too unmotivated to hold on to hate (except when it comes to moral atrocities such as Trump), which makes me disconsolate. I have enough problems with chronic depression to add to them with chronic grudges.