Sarah Palin denied she favorited any tweets on purpose and then they all disappeared. Douthat realized the "limits of Palinism,"Kondracke announced them, and Peggy Noonan joined the chorus by calling her a nincompoop. BP failed their maintenance test in Alaska, Olbermann got suspended indefinitely, and Fox got away unscathed. Larison couldn't foresee a 2012 run by Gary Johnson, polls can't be trusted, and Republicans proposed an agenda of no. Serwer dissected the Latino vote, readers pushed back on gerrymandering, and proposed that Thomas Jefferson preceded Lincoln on taxing the rich. Americans needed healthcare reform for their health, and Ta-Hehisi downsized Americans for blaming their problems on someone else. 

We breathed easy and popcorn popped, the phone book killed privacy, and Hitchens wrote the handbook on cancer etiquette. Julian Sanchez uncovered the key to our obsession with American exceptionalism and Jessanne Collins revealed why the web is filled with crap, though reality television wasn't far behind. MHB here, VFYW here, Malkin award here, Yglesias award here, quote for the day here, dissents of the day here, chart of the day here, FOTD here, and Andrew's Leibovitz gap ad here.

Thursday on the Dish, Andrew argued the lack of a real existential threat from Iran in the third installment of Debating Israel-Palestine. Palin advertised for 2012, with a rising sun that is actually setting in reverse, and Tina Fey dusted off her impression. Palin vowed to never be vulnerable to "lamestream" media (of her choosing), Christianists dressed up in Tea Party clothing, and Bristol Palin can't dance but she could win by trying really hard. James Joyner eyed the 2012 front-runners, and Fox didn't want Christine O'Donnell for a news contributor.

Limbaugh's ranting ran counter to Abraham Lincoln and Adam Smith on tax cuts and Obama could be the black Eisenhower. Americans still badly needed jobs, Steve Pizer and Austin Frakt don't think Republicans will repeal healthcare and Dana Goldstein agreed with Obama that education could offer fertile ground for bipartisanship. Reihan supported Paul Ryan's take on taxes, and Ari Fleischer didn't want to ruin chances for spending cuts in 2012 by enacting legislation now. Rudy Giuliani wanted the Republicans to kill DADT already, readers sounded off on redistricting, and Gallup's poll was worse than Rasmussen's.

Kevin Drum looked on Prop 19's bright side, Yglesias joined him, while readers reacted more strongly. Kanye was feeling for Dubya, and with more civility than cable news, Bloggingheads loved to yell at each other. Ugly mugs fell in love, Alex Balk died a little for the McRib, Annie Leibovitz's photography isn't very expensive, and a niche blog of autocorrects made us laugh. Chart of the day here, Yglesias award here, VFYW here, quote for the day here, MHB here, and FOTD here.

By Alex Wong/Getty

Tuesday and Wednesday for the election, Andrew live-blogged the bloodbath. Rolling coverage of incoming results here, here, here, here, and here. Silver waged war on Rasmussen, and a hefty collection of projections to refudiate are here, here, here, and here. Highlights included O'Donnell's loss and and Alaska humiliating Palin. Yglesias and Karl Smith assessed Palin's 2012 prospects, and Douthat and Andrew joined the chorus for not nominating lunatics. Batty Paladino went down like Al Capone, the base believed Obama doesn't dress "properly," and Packer predicted the next two years won't be pretty.

Some readers dissented over Prop 19 and some defended it, even as it crashed and burned – thanks to the generation gap. We tracked the full reax to its official death, with readers weighing in, and kept an eye on the other state pot initiatives. Jacob Sullum remained positive that Prop 19 helped prove the intellectual bankruptcy of prohibition (elsewhere, San Francisco banned the happy meal).

On the analysis front, Andrew demanded some form of actual GOP proposals on spending cuts, and Tim Rutten wondered if the Republicans would fold on the debt when push comes to shove. Andrew praised Obama's pragmatism, while seniors stood in the way of Medicare cuts. Brendan Nyhan didn't put much weight on the mythical permanent majority, Andrew argued it was actually a great night for gays (just not the Republican ones or the Iowan judges). Working off of Douthat, Chait and Andrew nailed the difference between winning in policy and winning in politics. 

Frum fisked Boehner and McConnell for their second-hand radicalism, Douthat reminded the GOP to at least try to pass some laws, and Wilkinson seconded Brennan's advice on voting well or not voting at all. Ambinder looked to future legislation, Saletan singled out Boehner's lack of agenda, and the rest of Speaker Boehner reax is here. Meanwhile, the GOP geared up for hearings on the "scientific fraud" behind global warming, and Kinsley mocked Americans for wanting their fat-free chocolate cake politics. Judis asked if we're now Japan, while a first former Real World cast member was elected. Steven Taylor wanted to know what would have to happen to prove the Tea Party's influence on the GOP and Boris Shor fingered the moderate Republicans in the wave. Ackerman eyed McCain's newly elected hawks, and the congressional elections impacted the drumming war machine against Iran. McWhorter gushed over Marco Rubio, and Angle turns out to have mobilized the Hispanic vote. A reader reported on the other big prop in California, redistricting updates here, and readers reactions to the election here.

FOTD here, VFYWs here and here, chart of the day here, and MHB here.

Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut, 5.30 pm

Monday on the Dish, Andrew lambasted Palin for wanting to be both "Republican Queen Esther and the Tea Party's Joan of Arc," when in reality she most closely resembled the Snooki of the Republican party. Andrew offered thanks that the FedEx bombs didn't work, and that the federal government's system basically did. Andrew thought the Dems showed more promise on fiscal responsibility than the GOP, and Reagan in '83 sounded a lot like Obama today. Andrew argued with readers over the rally's silent plurality, and Muslims rallied (with signs) and helped fight terrorism.

On the cresting election wave, Sam Wang made his predictions, Cook's here, Nate Silver explained how the GOP may outperform expectations, and Louis Masur hearkened back to history. Fallows thought divided government would kill clean tech, Douthat doubted the importance of immigration, and Evan Osnos read the tea leaves from Beijing. Joe Miller could ride the coattails of the enthusiasm gap, Reid could be ruined by it, and O'Donnell blamed Ladybug-gate on her opponent. Chait, Gelman and Drum debated the stimulus' repercussions on the election, and the Tea Party flunked history. Larison and Avent sorted out the GOP's war machine on Iran, and Larry Ferlazzo cautioned about turning beliefs into principles. We kept an eye on another sane conservative idea on social security and the retirement age, David Vitter didn't want to pay for tax cuts, and Alaskan governor Sean Parnell didn't want to speculate on the age of the earth. On the global front, the foreign press loved to hate the Tea Party, Google wanted to dominate the African market, and the Israeli loyalty oath sparked debates about the country's particularistic worldview. Inside Iraq griped on power price hikes, and the drug war in Mexico was less about drugs than about crime, according to Yglesias.

Zach Galifianakis toked up on television, Prop 19 made a last dash for victory, and Sullum showed why if alcohol wasn't always as bad as heroin, neither was pot. Economies loved delusional participants, Walter Kirn loved nachos on roadtrips, and buying little things made people happy. A megachurch pastor came out of the closet, we wished Bloggingheads a happy birthday, and sometimes nothing could be a real cool hand. No Shave November began, and Stephen Fry, speaking for all men, loved sex more than women. Global reality check here, scariest Halloween pumpkin here, quote for the day here, VFYW here, FOTD here, MHB here, and dissent of the day here.

–Z.P.