I informed you a few weeks ago that my hope was to inspire some spirited debate among those in our community over issues both national and global.

I've certainly inspired some discussion, albeit only peripherally related to the content of my earlier blogs, but I'll touch on that later in this communication.

Let me preface my topic today by stating that an integral part of journalistic expression is the occasional Op Ed story. Even a perfunctory observation of the blogs here at the BannerGraphic would lead the casual reader to the assumption that these pieces fit into that category.

That being said and set aside for the time being, was anyone else out there as nauseated as I was during the first thirty minutes or so of the Nevada Democratic debate January 15?

I thought, silly me, that our typically apathetic electorate was clamoring for change. I thought that this upcoming election, sans any incumbent President or Vice President, might be different. Maybe there's one, just one candidate out there that might shake up the populace.

Here we have the three Democratic darlings (or so the media have dictated) being uber-warm and fuzzy all of a sudden. Let's face it my friends. anyone who might argue that elections are won or lost in this country of political naivete on anything other than media-driven charisma and transparent alliances is an idealist of grandiose order.

Hillary's sorry that she downplayed MLK's contribution to American society; she's sorry that Robert Johnson discussed Obama's alleged youthful drug experimentation...sometimes, your people get "overzealous." Is she going to disassociate herself from Johnson for the remainder of her campaign? Well, maybe not (after all Johnson makes himself heard monetarily and he also happens to be African-American), but his comments were "out of line."

Barack Obama was sorry for saying that Hillary Clinton was "likable enough." His comments were obviously misconstrued and didn't come out the way he wanted them to.

Let's face it, you've a candidate with plenty of rock-star charisma. Obama, who might be the definition of vague with regard to policy stances.

You've got the former First Lady who has about as much charisma as a half-eaten tub of small curd cottage cheese.

And then, there's Edwards, whose plastic southern-gentleman persona reeks of a rookie salesman at a "buy here/pay here" used-car lot.

Nobody's going to convince me all this abrupt camaraderie and buddy-buddyness didn't have something to do with Mrs. Clinton's "spontaneous" show of emotion at a campaign event in New Hampshire, and her subsequent upset victory there.

Call me a cynic, but the Democratic candidates are in a dogfight, and you can be assured every trick in the book will be used to solicit voter support.

I'm not at all convinced this isn't going to backfire and facilitate the Democratic party's uncanny way of obliterating momentum and sabotaging their best opportunity in years to take up residence in the White House.

'Nuff said.

And now, as promised. I am more than mildly amused that my two previous blogs, obviously intended, one to bring awareness to national and global injustices, the other simply to amuse, have provoked such naughty, rancorous little diatribes.

Any dialogue is healthy, but golly, my feelings are hurt.

It almost makes me want to vigorously defend Brittney when she locked herself up in the bathroom with her youngin' the other day, refusing to give up what was biologically hers. I can hear her cries of "Molon Labe!" echoing through the Hollywood Hills.

Salaam a lakem!