It's official. Dennis Kucinich will not be participating in tonight's debate.

We will, however, from the comfort of our own homes. I have a bottle of Laphroig nearby that will help me through the rough times.

The ground rules are this: It's an open thread. I'll be adding comments, and so will Ben. And, hopefully, so will you.

The underdog-loving, free-speech defending side of me really wants to see Dennis Kucinich in tonight's Democratic debate.

The pragmatist in me feels something else entirely.