and better social protection? That would be an interesting thing to know, finally. Maybe this election will help the country make up its mind. And then comes paragraph 10, which is also not about policies: Ryan or no Ryan, there's a limit to what this contest can resolve--short of a landslide and both houses of Congress lining up with the new administration. (Remember, campaigning for 2014 starts in December, something to look forward to.) The Great Debate will never be settled. Still, a decisive Obama victory over Romney-Ryan, or vice versa, following an animated debate about policies as well as personalities, would give the country a short, sharp push in one direction or the other. Ryan on the ticket makes the election a bigger deal than it was yesterday. I'm for that. Why do I think that Clive Crook has forgotten what it means to discuss policies? There follows a paragraph that doesn't say a word about policies... a second paragraph that doesn't say a word about policies... a third paragraph that doesn't say a word about policies... a fourth paragraph that doesn't say a word about policies... a fifth paragraph that doesn't say a word about policies...