Peanut Gallery columns, in which I summarize the last month’s worth of online political discussion between me, my friends and annoying people who aren’t also friends, will be featured on the last Tuesday of every month. If you want a mention here, talk to me about politics.
October 1, 4:46 p.m.: I challenge my friends to pass a U.S. citizenship test. Alyssa from Illinois scores 80 percent. (Government structure lost her.)
October 6, 10:04 a.m.: I link to a column in which some idiot complains that Romney was too “masculine” in the first debate. Adam S. from Winnipeg asks why we’re talking about American politics as if we get a vote.
October 10, 9:29 a.m.: I post my column on Iran’s currency woes. Graham from Winnipeg, who is a big Glenn Greenwald fan, posts his column about how economic sanctions hurt the citizens of the receiving country. We argue very briefly about the end game of said hurt.
October 13, 11:06 p.m.: I post a link to Lindsay Lohan endorsing Romney, on the ground that “employment is really important.” Jordan from Winnipeg calls for her to OD. I laugh.
October 18, 8:53 p.m.: I post my column on women’s issues in the second debate. Gabe from Winnipeg presents “The Law of Conservation of Debate Fumbles”: “[I]f one candidate loses voters for insubstantial reasons in the first debate, the other candidate will lose voters for the same reason during the second debate.” Seems reasonable.
October 20, 3:54 p.m.: I post a picture of MP Justin Trudeau (Papineau) onstage at a campaign rally I attended for the hell of it. Ben from Winnipeg approves of my “curiosity and interest.”
October 22, 1:43 p.m.: I ask my Facebook friends why they have endorsed whoever they’ve endorsed. Most name third-party/joke candidates. Sol from Nebraska posts a picture of himself with Vermin Supreme. Presumably, Tiffany and Lisa from Winnipeg, who also endorse him for the sake of free ponies, swoon with jealousy.
October 22, 7:08 p.m.: I find a quote from a local campus paper blaming liberal democracy for a dearth of government accountability. Brian from Massachusetts and Dan from Winnipeg: “Bwuh?”
October 25, 9:30 a.m.: I post my column on energy drink regulation. Steve from Winnipeg announces his tentative plan to write about it (he’s a policy analyst). His take is that energy drinks have a solid track record compared to other “dangerous” foods and beverages, but is fine with an FDA investigation, although they should have stressed the precautionary nature of said investigation for the sake of Monster’s stock.
