THE AFTERMATH OF THE KERRY VISIT TO MADISON. You might be picturing a hot political environment here in Madison today, but you would be wrong. I just walked down Bascom Hill, through the Library Mall, and up State Street, and I saw no political activity whatsoever. I started looking even for buttons and stickers and saw just one backpack with a Kerry sticker. There are lots of young people here today. For one thing, the weather is very warm, in the 70s, and people are out and about in sandals and tank tops. For another thing, it’s the big Halloween weekend, which is a major event drawing many people to Madison. I don’t hear people talking about politics on the street or in the restaurants and cafés. Well, for that matter, even at the rally yesterday, I didn’t hear the kids in the crowd talking about politics. The streets are full of young people today, but I think they are in a Halloween-partying frame of mind. To me, the college kids don’t seem that political.

I’m blogging this in a restaurant, where I just opened a fortune cookie that reads: “Be patient, you will hear comforting news.” I’m sitting at a table by the second floor windows, and I’m just starting to see some costumes mixed in with the street clothes. Have fun kids! This may be the most important Halloween of your lifetime. And don’t break anything!