Geography

This analysis of the 2004 election by Alan Abramowitz is interesting, but there's one point I have to quibble with:

The fact that George Bush did significantly better than expected in the three states most affected by September 11th suggests that the Republican strategy of emphasizing the continuing threat of terrorism and the President’s strong leadership in the war on terrorism was somewhat effective. Although George Bush lost all three of these states by wide margins,

Psst, sir, the Pentagon is in Virginia. I know, I've seen it.

The obligatory picking-on-David-Brooks post

While atheism is often not comforting, one of the small consolations is that you are completely freed from problems of theodicy (unless, I suppose, you still believe in karma, which I don't). I suppose that in response to David Brooks' plea for sympathy now that the Indian Ocean earthquake has disillusioned him about cosmic justice, my heart goes out to him. But I find it more salutary to meditate on the fact that if transcendental agencies and universal laws aren't looking out for us, it's up to us to do so.