Andrew Sullivan declares that with a probable McCain nomination, "The era of legal, authorized torture in America is coming to a close."

It's hard not to be impressed by the Republican party in managing to pull through to (probably) nominate their only viable candidate. But to hear the grinding of teeth by the many Republican voices at McCain's nomination, it will be hard to forget that much of the GOP really wanted to be the party in favor of American-style torture, that wanted us kept on Canada's torture watch list, that felt that there was something worth preserving about America left even if it compromised its commitment to human rights.

(If anyone missed it, by the way, perhaps the most important endorsement of the election for someone of my bent happened this week: the lawyers volunteering for Guantanamo Bay detainees endorsed Obama.)

I'll do my best to shift my blogging focus from politics, as HB has tactfully suggested that I might be boring the hell out of many of my readers. I did have a long and unpleasant dream about politics last night: I dreamt that Barack Obama picked me as his running mate, after which we had to speak at event after event, and I was too uncertain and nervous to speak confidently and well. Obama kept trying, in a kind but disappointed way, to get me to do a better job, but I was more and more overcome with shame that he'd picked such a poor VP. (Did this have more to do with politics or my being told at work that confidence in presentations was a weakness of mine as a designer?) But perhaps I should take it as a sign to write about other things on Monadology.

Before I do, though, let me just link you to XKCD's endorsement of Obama. Tim linked to it the other day, and I found the entry surprisingly eloquent and moving. As the campaign has continued and I've learned more about the candidates, my respect for John Edwards has been on the rise and my respect for Hillary Clinton has been on the decline, so I feel more sympathy than I did at the outset for the many on the blogmass who are Edwards supporters. (Though I share many of Tim's fears about Edwards's protectionism and his bellicosity.) I would only urge, then, that anyone who is genuinely torn between Clinton and Obama carefully consider her choice. Though I respect much of the good Clinton has done and that she aims to do, I think the differences between her and Obama are not insignificant. I believe Obama represents a choice for honesty, for cooperation, and for the meaning of words.

I will strive for that to be all in the near future on the subject of the presidential election.