The choice for this November is so simple, even a 10-year-old gets it!

I called my 10-year-old, Reuben, the other day, Friday August 29 to be exact, to wish him a happy birthday. I call him "my 10-year-old" because I have known him since before he was born, as I have known his sister, Ruth, since she was about a year old. Reuben's and Ruth's parents, Katherine and Henry, are two of my closest friends in San Francisco. We live just two and a half blocks from each other, and have spent more Friday night Shabbat dinners with each other over the past 10 years than we haven't. When I was sick earlier this month and couldn't leave the house for several days, without hesitating for a second they looked in on me every day, brought me food, etc., as did some of my other good friends; if that's not family, I don't know what is, hence I call him "my 10-year-old."

In any case, I called Reuben to wish him a happy birthday. "Happy birthday," I said. He replied with "well, it might be my birthday, but it's not very happy." Concerned, I asked why. "Because," he said, "it's John McCain's birthday, too!"

Yup. So simple even a 10-year-old gets it.

Thanks for listening, have a great day!