I suppose this is an opportunity for them to vent their feelings about it. I remember one day I posted an item about Bush sort of switching positions and suggesting that we should lift the ban on offshore drilling, and I was surprised by the reactions in the comments. There were quite a number of people who were having second thoughts, who were saying, “I’ve always been a Democrat” or “I’ve always been an environmentalist, but gosh, I’m having trouble filling my gas tank.” There was a lively debate in the comments about this policy shift, and I thought,this is cool, people are talking amongst themselves about something that matters to all of them. And that’s a good thing.

7. How culpable is the press for rushing straight to the campaign bus?

Well, I think it’s what we always do, and it’s understandable. There’s an excitement about the new and whoever is coming next. It’s just inevitable. And also, because reporters tend to be more driven by the horserace than by policy.

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