Who will become the next Senator from Delaware?

[Torie]

Yep PiT, she is absolutely correct.

That assumes the SCOTUS precedents as to their interpretation of the text of the Constitution has no meaning. Justice Black incorporated Jefferson's letter into the Constitution, by holding that his take on the matter was co-extensive with the meaning of the text of the Constitution itself (the first amendment). I am quite confident this nuance totally escapes O'Donnell.

I'm sure you are aware of what type of person Black really was. A klan lawyer and anti Catholic bigot. How much credibility do you give someone like that?

Was Jefferson even at the Constitutional Convention? (no) And many people have said he was some great anti religion crusader, if that is true why did he use federal money to fund Christian missionaries to spread the word of God to the western Indians?

Black was not animated by any of that by the time he got on the Court. I myself find the word "separation" to be an unfortunate one to be transported into the Constitution. The intent was more a matter of maintaining government neutrality vis a vis religion to me, as opposed to imperviousness.

[Torie]

Jefferson being an anti-religious crusader is surprising news to me.

Jefferson was anti miraculous religion, as opposed to philosophical religion. He would have been happy being a Buddhist.

[platypeanArchcow]

Jefferson being an anti-religious crusader is surprising news to me.

Jefferson was anti miraculous religion, as opposed to philosophical religion. He would have been happy being a Buddhist.

This is totally off-topic, but a bit of a pet peeve of mine.  Westerners often treat 'Buddhism' as a single religion which is somehow more abstract, more philosophical, and less theistic than the Abrahamic religions.  In reality, Buddhism is just as varied as Christianity, and at least as susceptible to being folklorized, acquiring bizarre cosmologies, roadside saint altars, relics you have to pay 1000 yen to see, and so on.  This conception of Buddhism you appear to share (though I suspect you know better) is much as if some culture derived their entire idea of Christianity from some amalgamation of Spinoza and the Quakers.  (After I typed this, I realized Spinoza was Jewish... the analogy might still work, or you might substitute some other highbrow religious philosopher, because I don't know them very well.)

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Hey Beet, in what do you believe "at this point"?

[sg0508]

She is now costing republicans across the nation.  She's become the poster child for the democrats' message is becoming in these Tea Party/tight races.

[Tender Branson]

O'Donnell: Prayer contributed to a bump in polls

By Michael O'Brien - 10/25/10 09:41 AM ET

Delaware GOP Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell suggested Monday that the power of prayer contributed to a bump for her in the polls.

O'Donnell, a devout Catholic who's frequently invoked her faith in her run for Senate and in other aspects of her public life, linked a prayer group's event for her to a poll showing her making up ground against her challenger, Democrat Chris Coons.

"The day that we saw a spike in the polls was a day that some people had a prayer meeting for me that morning for this campaign, so I believe that prayer plays a direct role in this campaign, and I always ask please pray for the campaign; please pray for our staff; please pray specifically that the eyes of the voters be opened," O'Donnell explained in an interview with "The Brody File" on the Christian Broadcasting Network.

O'Donnell was referring to a Rasmussen Reports poll released last week that suggested she had nearly halved the lead Coons had maintained over her. That poll found Coons still comfortably ahead, though, leading O'Donnell, 51-40 percent. Her campaign has trumpeted that poll as an example of a surge in support for O'Donnell in the closing weeks of the campaign.

The Delaware conservative has previously suggested faith plays a direct role in her campaign. She had told CBN before a temporary, self-imposed blackout in the national media that it was her belief that God would not let her quit her primary challenge to centrist GOP Rep. Mike Castle. (O'Donnell eventually prevailed with the backing of the Tea Party movement and national figures such as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.)

O'Donnell spoke more about the role of faith in her campaign this week.

"I know that God called me to this. We’ll tackle that last part after Nov. 3, but I truly believe in the power of prayer," she said. "I believe in the power of declaring, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re praying every day, and we see it working.”

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/125637-odonnell-prayer-contributed-to-a-bump-in-polls

[John Dibble]

Methinks that God is going to let O'Donnell down.

[Torie]

Methinks that God is going to let O'Donnell down.

He's listening to me now. The world is all mixed up, isn't it? 

[Insula Dei]

http://www.cracked.com/blog/experimenting-with-witchcraft-christine-odonnell/

[Beet]

I think O'Donnell may get closer than we think but at this point there is more of a chance that Coons wins.

[Eraserhead]

I think O'Donnell may get closer than we think but at this point there is more of a chance that Coons wins.

Nice title change.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Despite you removing your prophecy, we still remember how this thread started, Beet

[J. J.]

I thought this would close a bit, but coons should win.

If he doesn't, it's magic.

[??????????]

I thought this would close a bit, but coons should win.

If he doesn't, it's magic.

She wins in the biggest upset of the night, she is clearly closing the gap.

[Eraserhead]

I thought this would close a bit, but coons should win.

If he doesn't, it's magic.

She wins in the biggest upset of the night, she is clearly closing the gap.

You are really predicting that she will win?

Hmm, I'd really try to focus on the many positive things that will happen for your side tomorrow night. This will not be one of them.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Despite you removing your prophecy, we still remember how this thread started, Beet

A mod should lock this thread with that title.

[Joe Republic]

Gonna unsticky this for now, for tidiness.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Read in full hindsight and laugh.