Took a break this afternoon (thanks, Ryan!) to drive my folks down the Salinas River Valley to see some of the area’s extraordinary agricultural land, which produces much of the country’s salad greens. I saw a goodly number of farm workers out in the fields; I guess some would just look at the corporate agribusiness signs and see the powerful effects of capital investment.
In any event, here are some final items of the day:
* Romney goes all know-nothing about polls: “You can ask questions and get any answer you want.”
* Five minutes until Todd Akin’s final deadline to get off Senate ballot. Don’t think it’s happening; expect Jim DeMint’s Senate Conservative Fund to jump in on his behalf tomorrow.
* Allen West says he would have told U.N. that U.S. will be an “Angel of Death in the form of an American bald eagle” to anyone who threatens us. Such a nice Christian man.
* At Ten Miles Square, Andrew Gelman compares Mitt’s “47%” speech to Walter Mondale’s 1984 acceptance speech calling for a tax increase: an unpopular position popular with his immediate audience.
* At College Guide, Daniel Luzer says growing disparities between instructional resources of public and private colleges could lead former to semi-privatize.
And in non-political news:
* Newest hotel in Vegas: the Goretorium, a haunted hostelry “attraction.”
Before checking out today, let me add another note about the Washington Monthly‘s offer to new subscribers of the ebook Elephant in the Room. Not only will you have an excellent opportunity to get some perspective on the last twelve fateful years (and perhaps the next four if things go red on November 7), but you’ll get a fresh perspective regularly from the Monthly. It’s a great deal.
Selah.
