“A matter of degree, not kind”

Carl Sagan and others, referencing the difference between human intelligence and that of other species.

I know I’ve posted a lot of videos lately, but this one is very remarkable.

California Single Payer Clears the Senate Appropriations Committee

This could become a lead story in a few months.

Meanwhile, Obamacare is moving closer to full throttle, for what it’s worth.  My last caller on the radio the other night presented a very optimistic assessment of the law, and I wanted to believe him, just as I would love to join the optimism of this Kos poster.

Do you think national single payer is inevitable?

Just as Everyone was Ready to Call It…

Gingrich apparently wins big in South Carolina.

Conventional wisdom says that a tough Republican primary is good for Obama, but the extended slug-fest between Clinton and him didn’t help McCain the last time around.  In fact, it pretty much vetted the issues so that the public was tired of hearing about Rev. Wright, the Weathermen, etc. by the summer.  And Obama was toughened up for the Republican onslaught over the 08 summer.

A side note – when the SC vote is analyzed, I suspect that anti-Mormon bigotry will have been deemed  a significant factor.  I wonder if it’ll get much discussion in the mainstream media.

Update:  Geez!  It’s looking like a rout!

According to exit polls, Romney lost in every income category except above $200,000 and above.

From DKos:  5:30 PM PT: 28% of South Carolina is black. 99% of GOP primary votes were white.

Second update:  For the second time in four years, South Carolina has proven to be the pivotal primary.

Meanwhile, David Bossie, president of Citizens United, is telling Romney that he needs to stop attacking “the eventual nominee.”

Third update:  For the few of you who watch polls, a note from DKos.

One last note, check out the results page at the NY Times here. Go down to the polling results at the bottom.

Of all the polling done in the race, the NY Times decides that only one meets its polling standards, a CNN poll. The results of that poll?

Romney 33, Gingrich 23.

Meanwhile, PPP, which didn’t meet the NY Times bullshit standards:

Gingrich 40, Romney 26

Final results? Gingrich 40, Romney 27.

I love it that they’re our pollster.

I don’t know what the NY Times criteria is, but I’m suspecting that any polling which does not factor in cell phones, which are gradually replacing landlines, will be outdated soon, if not already.

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Comment from one of the DKos threads:  “Who knew we’d be making jokes about the multiple wives of the not-Mormon in the race?”

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And it appears that hardline conservatives are happy:  “6:02 PM PT: Just spent 10 minutes at Free Republic (what I do for you guys!), and it’s 100 percent pro-Newt over there. So awesome!”

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And it took the better part of the evening before the Romney campaign thought to take this one down.