If ya'll can stop talking about each other for a bit, this thread is ostensibly about electoral politics, even though that isn't the reason Songwronger started it.

What are your opinions about the role of the Electoral College in modern society? Should the Republican and Democratic parties continue to pretend that they are private organizations that should be allowed to do things their own way? What would it look like if we could have a multi-party system in this country? Why does gerrymandering still exist, and what can we do to make it stop? Can we/should we try to force politicians to tell the truth on the campaign trail? Is it possible to get money completely out of electoral politics and how would we do campaigns without it?

As a birther, Songwronger should have no expectation of being taken seriously, but if we want to talk about the real reason that he started this thread, let's talk about the irresistible urge that so many people have to find any little inconsistency or possible "embarrassment" on the part of a politician and try to turn it into an issue. This comes from the left and the right, but these days mostly and most virulently from the right. Both sides tend to do it only to the other side. Let's talk about the news media failing to do it's job when they report these quibbles as if they were important. Let's talk about conspiracy theorists being taken seriously in our society. Let's talk about politicians pandering to birthers, quibblers and conspiracy nuts. Let's talk about what happened to the Republican party; I can remember a time when respectful speech was a Republican virtue (lost along with most other conservative ideals), and the expectation was that one spoke of the president with respect, for the office and the country if not for the man.

Don and Bobert, it's not GfS who destroys these threads. It takes two (or three) to tango. You both like talking about policy and instead you're taking pot shots at an asshole. I know I'm guilty of that as well. Let's stop letting the jerk set the tone for the conversation. That's how Republicans keep winning.