I think my kid got me sick. Sigh.

They are squirmy petri dishes of charm and love.

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I totally disagree, David.

And a Daley isn't mayor of Chicago? And Kennedys don't run for office? And Al Gore got nothing from his father? And Pelosi got nothing from her father's experience in Baltimore city politics?

Politics is a family business. It's not something you get from graduate school. Not the horrible, sausage-making aspect of it.

The difference between their platforms is marginal - except she's got a better handle on health care. But she knows a lot more about political infighting.

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And sickness. Don't forget that Cass.

I'm also having a hard time trying to figure out who I want to root for in the Superbowl. I am over the Patriots, though I do like their zen-ish one game at a time perspective. But I like Eli Manning as the little-quarterback-who-could. Actually, I think I'm oddly charmed by the mythos of the whole Manning family.

Perhaps I'm overthinking this?

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FWIW, Kat we're not that far apart.

I would've voted for Edwards first, and thought Richardson was a strong choice.

I'm just afraid of Obama pulling a Carter - 4 and out, and 12 more years of Republicans.

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And sickness.

No lie. Though I will admit that my current pertussis was not given to me by a child. The child just gave me the virus that made me susceptible to le whoop.

It is just a darn good thing they are cuter than bugs.

Perhaps I'm overthinking this?

Maybe. But if you figure it out through logic, I will give you my root vote.

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Obama is a "Wire" fan. We'd have something to talk about if we met. Hopefully, he considers Clay Davis Something To Avoid. (No, I wouldn't vote for somebody cause he likes Omar. But I might hold it against him if he didn't.)

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I'd argue that the people you cited were successful at getting elected for name recognition, not because they suckled at the teat of their political parent.

Plus, this argument:

But she knows a lot more about political infighting.

Is very different than your first argument which was about policy stances:

I don't want somebody going into the White House making new and exciting mistakes because they don't have a grip on the vagaries of foreign policy or freakin' health care plans.

And I think you are wrong in part of your first argument because Obama has a better grasp on foreign policy than many, including Clinton. Health care plans? enh. I can only remember Hillary's extremely unsuccessful and politically tin-eared first attempt to get something done on the national level with health care.

And, again, you won't change my mind and I'm certain not to change yours. I guess that's also the beauty of our system.

In general, except for the extreme length of the campaign this go around, this has been a really interesting and engaging year for me in terms of politics. I think the undecided nature of it all has made it fun to follow both parties. There's a lot of really exciting energy in both parties (like the Ron Paul supporters!) right now. I'd like to think of it as renaissance of civic involvement or at least interest.

But frankly, I'd like to be able to listen to NPR and hear non-election news too.

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It is just a darn good thing they are cuter than bugs.

Kids are just little germ bags. I wonder if I'm more susceptible this year because I'm out of the classroom and exposed to less.

Doesn't matter. My nose is runny and I can't sleep. I'm still blaming the baby.

Isn't Mardi Gras this tuesday? I'm confused because IHOP has declared the following tuesday Pancake Day.

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Also randomly, Grace had an eye doc appointment at Children's Hospital on Friday. Without actually coming out and saying it, the doctor and nurse implied that they were surprised at how well she was doing and how strong she was, since the rumor mill at the hospital when she was there was that she probably wouldn't make it.

I so wish that they had taken her up to the NICU so Grace could have used her razor sharp new teeth to bite one of the doctors.

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I just accidentally watched an episode of House. Told myself if I couldn't work out what show it was before the opening credits that I'd have to go through to the end.

Such a bad idea. I'd totally forgotten that his pain was a credited character in the show, and this was one where he gets a morphine shot. Drugseeking indeed.

It's a show on one of my favourite topics--gender confusion. The supermodel in question has male pseudohermaphroditism, which apparently affects one in 150,000 pregnancies. That sounds like a lot. Especially if it tends to produce the perfect woman. We'd be overrun with supermodels.

Sounds like a trip to wikipedia.

I don't see why it wasn't considered unmanly to blur over the lens when shooting ubermanly Captain Kirk.

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