Scratching your head about "how can this race be so close?"

[enough]

8. Your optimism about human nature is useful to me.

I'm less optimistic about the ability of most of us to stand up against well-crafted well-executed messages promulgating deep dishonesty and playing to our intimate fears.

To my mind, the real miracle here is that Obama is holding his own against the onslaught.

(I want to say, given the touchy paranoid nature of a lot of DU these days, that I really appreciate your comments and am speaking with no snark or sarcasm.)