My inbox is full of e-mails alerting me to Rush's kind comments about this blog during today's show. That's like a sub designer getting a compliment from Rickover.

The broader point I am told he was making is that the center-right blogopshere is alive with opinion and debate, and that among us are optimists and pessimists, but that there are very few defeatists.

Defeatists are usually divided into two camps --rookies and rogues.  The rookies haven't been covering American politics for very long, and are unused to the ups and downs of the last 60 days.

Rogues want attention or are advancing other agendas.

Bottom line:  It is a tough environment, with a few bright spots, a lot of clouds, and many possibilities for success.  Like Rush, I chose to focus on the first and the last, and deal with the clouds as best I can, and with the certainty that some of them are all thunder and no lighting.