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By David Ryder/Getty Images Friday on the Dish, Andrew warned Obama not to trifle with legal weed, agreed with Gleckman’s case for charity-deduction reform, supported the use of gender-neutral marketing by toy companies, recalled his testimony in the fight over DOMA, and envisioned the path forward for same-sex spouses, as well the possibility they could lead the way for their straight counterparts. In political coverage, we collected reactions to the mixed bag of today’s job numbers, looked at the (failed) liberal attempts at re-branding the fiscal cliff, and featured more letters from millennial voters (this time dealing with religion) before also airing some anti-millennial dissent. SCOTUS announced it would take up marriage equality and DOMA, Massie considered parliamentary politics for the US, Neil Irwin expected Superstorm Sandy’s unemployment toll, The Economist recommended we not be born in America, and like Andrew, Sargent took on Obama over legalized marijuana. Also, Matthew Bowman welcomed the higher profile and scrutiny that Romney’s candidacy brought the Mormon Church, and Scott Adams argued that we should stop calling people rich or poor and instead start identifying who was creating wealth and who was over-consuming. In foreign affairs coverage, Marc Lynch called attention to the Syrian refugee crisis, Greg Scoblete warned the US about the dangers of taking on Assad’s chemical-weapon stockpile, Ackerman counted the record number of US drone strikes in Afghanistan, and the continuing crisis in Egypt became vividly clear in our FOTD. In assorted coverage, two readers shared their personal experiences as subway heroes, Barry Petchesky celebrated the arrival of the New Orleans Pelicans, Sarah Garland graded desegregation “incomplete”, and Copyranter passed along an amazing Lego ad. Also: Facebook killed the Christmas card, Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan went to a museum of damaged art, Tim Iacono tracked rising home prices, Liat Clark introduced us to the terrifying bullet ant, and Balko wanted all reckless drivers punished equally and independent of their sobriety, distractedness, or exhaustion. We also continued our ongoing coverage of the dangers of professional football, read a poem by Yannis Ritsos, saw Beruit’s skyline through the VFYW, and watched most of 2012’s movie trailers in our MHB. The rest of the week is after the jump:

By David Ryder/Getty Images Today on the Dish, Andrew backed up Obama on his fiscal-cliff red lines, highlighted the importance of America’s neighbors both having national marriage equality, and celebrated the arrival of marriage (license) equality in Washington State, as did two men with wonderful beards, as did our FOTD. In political coverage, McKibben suggested … Continue reading The Daily Wrap

Chart from Calculated Risk Today on the Dish, Andrew cautiously noted a “Clinton bump,” said “optimism always wins” and reworked Tomasky’s criticism of Obama’s speech. Meanwhile, other bloggers reflected on and then debated last night’s performance. Wrapping up convention coverage, Obama’s message penetrated headlines, readers assessed Obama speech reactions and Hamilton Nolan maligned spokespeople. Cute First Family GIF here. In election news, the blogosphere took in the lackluster jobs report, the parties’ racial skew weakened America and Jon Rauch pinpointed the candidates’ rhetorical challenge. Lance Mannion attributed Romney’s awkwardness to inexperience, Sabato compared Obama to former incumbents, readers weighed in on conservative wisecracks and Matt Welch profiled Ezra Klein. Meanwhile, in the ad war news, Romney rolled out 15 new ads. Looking more globally, Andrew urged outrage on Obama’s Gitmo policy, our torture record worsened and an expert questioned Israel’s ability to attack Iran. Francis Fukuyama outlined Burma’s needs, security in Iraq deteriorated and a Mexican photojournalist honored the dead. Then as an Egyptian botanist proffered plummy marital advice, Charles Kenny hailed decades-long growth in China. In assorted commentary, Andrew advised a paranoid stoner, Hanna Rosin addressed blogs with male biases, and a historian explained the appeal of destroying New York. Katherine Boo promoted reporting through observation, Federer lamented line-call humiliation, and while Michael Byrne contemplated shyness, Doree Shafrir recounted scary parasomniac spells. Samantha Weinberg recounted David Attenborough’s career as some comedians bloomed late and Samsara opened. FOTD here, Psy-related MHB here and VFYW here. – G.G. The rest of the week after the jump:

By Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Today on the Dish, as news of the Colorado shooting trickled out, the Lede live-blogged, Rosenberg contextualized, bloggers reflected on its implications for gun control, while partisan bias slipped into early accounts of the alleged perpetrator. And this post was a mini-memorial to a "redheaded Texan spitfire" who was killed last night.

Andrew added his voice to Russell Jacoby's account of this era's conservative intellectual vacuity and kneaded some data into his argument about Obama and Reagan. Andrew also responded to Greenwald's challenge on the drone war trial, while Klaidman explained who was behind Obama's Afghanistan-Pakistan policy. The blogosphere read tea leaves on Syria while Storyhunter looked at Syrian citizen journalists. And Iran banned chicken on TV.

On the campaign front, the Colorado tragedy meant an ad war ceasefire. More nuance on Romney's Bain role came out, despite continued silence from Bain on the matter. Readers suggested financial possibilities explaining Romney's IRA and wondered how Romney could legally source textiles from Burma given sanctions. Gopnik schooled Romney on Adam Smith and wealthy voters still supported Obama. And while a small business owner explained his experience with "government heavy-handedness," Millman called out crony capitalism in infrastructure spending on both sides of the aisle.

In environment news, Avent lamented the lack of incentives to innovate, Bill McKibben spoke the unnerving truth on the fossil fuel business, Spain was the biggest supplier of Hong Kong's shark fins, and ideology trumped actual perception of local weather. In weed, Yglesias explained how legalization would bottom out pot prices, while Greg Campbell argued pot is the new blood diamond.

More opinions came in on the IOC's definition of "female," Pareene lit into Sorkin for shaping the modern pompous liberal, and the new movie The Master explored an L. Ron Hubbard-like figure. Locke called for Orwell's mantle to be passed on … to Hitchens. Jason Zengerle dished on the vetting process, Ben Kingsley stretched his ethnic repertoire to the Middle Kingdom, and Andrew reflected on a Trey-and-Matt animation of Alan Watts teachings. Peter Keating analyzed why few Olympic records are likely to be broken, and telepresence could be the next wave of outsourcing. Here's an MHB for those whose mental health benefits from black goo, and a creepy, ironic FOTD here. VFYW here, and thank god it's poem day! Also, don't forget to vote on the Ask Jay Rosen Anything questions.

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Today on the Dish, Andrew went another round on circumcision and the court in Cologne, and we celebrated the Dish readership. Democratic presidents are better for the economy, the election will determine Obamacare's ultimate fate, and Josh Barro guessed that conservative states would take the Medicaid money anyway. Obamacare ended freedom, the Roberts ruling could swing public opinion, a reader defended cable news (why it must evolve into something new here), and at least CNN issued a correction.

Kicks just keep getting harder to find at the New Yorker, National Review failed again, and the strongest woman in America is totally overlooked. We wondered about Anthony Kennedy, it's possible that Roberts switched his vote, and the GOP base is uninterested in the long view. McArdle sided with the Court over FDR, Scott Horton tackled the DEA, and Israel's health care system provided better outcomes. We worried about Islamism in Egypt, the Chinese were somewhat baffled by American health care politics, and Obama failed Africa. Netanyahu and Putin became closer, the defense industry somehow wanted credit for the bin Laden raid, and Eli Lake explored Somalia's prisons. We checked in on the election in Mexico, Mars is hard to get to, and dogs have been deadlier than al Qaeda in the US since 9/11. 

Readers shared their experiences with home and natural birth, a Texas bowler made history, and poverty in America became more extreme. We contemplated singlehood, questioned forced treatment, and monitored an off-kilter subway stair. The fork is relatively new, we're in awe of Louis C.K., and the robotic hand (above) never loses. Poseur alert here, Yglesias award nominee here, Von Hoffman award nominee here, headline of the day here, VFYW here, MHB here, and FOTD here. Ad war update here and ask Klaidman anything here. 

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Friday on the Dish, Andrew defended his appreciation for Obama's Cleveland "reboot" yesterday, called Romney out on his absurd flip-flop in response to Obama's immigration move, rolled his eyes at the Daily Caller's heckler, situated Reagan far to the GOP's left, blanched at the sort of Christianist Romney is afraid to confront, and argued Obama's foreign policy requried a second term. We compiled reax to Obama's Cleveland speech and immigration directive, condensed the Dish's coverage of the former, found some pretty terrible GOP Hispanic outreach, predicted that assimilation would help the Republicans, broke down some outs for SCOTUS on health care, chided Rand Paul for endorsing Mitt's foreign policy, countered the idea that veep picks should be boring, analyzed Romney's language, and heard from Colbert on dressage. Ad War Update here.

Andrew also entertained hope for gay Mormons, studied Mormon views on divorce and marriage, and signalled his intent to respond to Greenwald and reader dissents on drones. We pinpointed the main front in the drone war, worried we were slouching toward an Iran war, speculated about Egypt's trajectory after yesterday's crisis, tracked ongoing anti-Putin protests in Russia, and highlighted a horrifying case of forced abortion in China. Gayness persisted as a consequence of evolutionary pressures on women, priests weren't going away in New York and children ran up the credit card bill. Facebook seemed well-positioned to make its own card, cops (not jailing) headed off crime, news didn't fuel papers, television aesthetics drew on white male sensibilities (and two shows), Wes Anderson provoked controversy, and barnacles had giant dongs.  Ask Tina Brown Anything here, Yglesias Award Nominee here, VFYW here, MHB here, and FOTD here.

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A reader shares:

I wanted to follow up on what Andrew said about the book publishing industry. I also kind of hate traditional publishing, for my own selfish (but still valid!) reasons. I wrote a book a few years ago that was basically a comical gay travel memoir of Tokyo. After finishing a first draft of the manuscript, I jumped through all the typical hoops: got an agent, wrote a fat book proposal, revised till my nose bled, this, that, the other. Ultimately, after several years of trying, my agent was unable to sell it because, even when editors were interested – and we did have a few big pubs on the line  -the marketing departments would always veto its acquisition because they didn't know how to market the thing (which I found completely laughable). Basically I needed to already be famous, then marketing could work its magic.

My agent – who did yeoman's work on the manuscript and really functioned more as an editor – finally gave up and I moved on to my next project, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there definitely was an audience for the book, so I self-published.