Yesterday, I found myself so annoyed by Tom Tobin’s irrational hatred of Al Gore (see his posts here and here if you’ve got the stomach for it) that I was unable form a coherent reply. So I turned things over to the commenters. Here’s a sample of what they said (much of it is more blunt than I would put things, some is, I’ll admit it, more thoughtful than I usually am):

• * “I’m thinking that since Saggie Looks reamed him out in public, he’s trying to be as conservatively obnoxious as possible to get back into her good graces. “
• * “Why are the publishers and readers of this blog getting worked up over what some has-been moron posted on his little-read blog?”
• * “I think Tobin’s post says more about Tobin than he realizes.

  “When we’re selecting someone to be president of the United States, what are the qualities we seek?Those of us who care about important issues seek someone who is intelligent, humane, worldly, creative and forward thinking. I’m sure you can all add to the list. And most people probably want to be thought of as someone who cares about good leadership and good values. The people who worry about whether a candidate is stiff obviously have a different set of priorities. But the decision of who would best lead this country through the complicated issues of our day shouldn’t be based on how warm and fuzzy a person is. And for those who wanted someone laid back, affable (at least when he’s aware he’s being watched), maybe not too intellectual - they got him. Most of the citizens of this country now realize the country is headed in the wrong direction, and this guy’s doing a poor job, with the warm fuzzy candidate.”

• * Given that Tobin 1) appears to favor smoothness over intelligence, and 2) predicts different catastrophes no matter who gets elected, would his endorsements go something like this?
  

  (Dem Legislature Candidate) has a firm grasp of the issues, and some good ideas on how to solve the county’s problems. But even with the mess the GOP has made of the county, can you imagine the holy horror a DEM-controlled legislature would have created??!?!?! I’ll take (GOP Leg Candidate)’s charming non-answers and smooth self-confidence anyday! (Please Maggie don’t sucker punch me again…please?)