>And what about this "hate" crap anyway. Why has that become such a huge meme?
Gallup's editor Frank Newport made an interesting point the other day. Musing on why Congress' approval rating has gone down recently, he wondered why, and suggested that it was because they're debating stuff pretty strenuously now - esp Social Security. Americans don't like that (and this is me, not Newport) - they like it when everyone rises above partisanship and works on practical solutions. So, having a strong point of view = hate.
Doug