I began writing these columns 36 years ago and have come to the conclusion that it's time to bring them to a close. It's certainly not a problem of lacking subject matter.

Politics tends to run in families. Once the patriarch has established himself as a political power, his friends will often form themselves into a group, or faction, that tends to become self-perpetuating.

The American left had every reason to think that, in Barack Obama, it had finally succeeded in putting one of its devout disciples in the Oval Office.

There has been a good deal of controversy over renditions -- moving captured terrorists to countries where they might be tortured.

The new president will have been acting on the basis of far less information than the incumbent. In all likelihood, he will have based his campaign in part on policies that may, from the perspective of the sitting president, have been inadvisable or downright disastrous.

Just recently, there were no fewer than three vacancies in the U.S. Senate -- New York, Illinois and Minnesota -- which is a lot.

I am beginning to think T. Boone Pickens was exactly right last year when he told the Senate's Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee that Americans should build wind turbines in the Midwest to generate electricity.

It seems as likely as anything in politics can be that the Democratic candidate for president in 2012 will be President Obama, seeking re-election to a second term.

America is now entering upon an era of government by the Democratic Party. Barack Obama will be our president for at least the next four years, possibly eight.

President-elect Obama's designation of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., as his intended secretary of state creates a vacancy in her Senate seat, which New York Gov. David A. Paterson must now fill by an appointment that will last through 2010. Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, has indicated that she aspires to the job.

In pure capitalist economic theory, there is no mystery about how we should deal with the crisis in the auto industry.

The American left had every reason to think that, in Barack Obama, it had finally succeeded in putting one of its devout disciples in the Oval Office.

Whenever a new president is inaugurated, there is always a tremendous amount of speculation over what he (or she) is going to "do."

There are ominous signs that certain forces on the left are gearing up for a new attempt to impose a "fairness doctrine" on American television and radio commentary.

As this is being written, the newspapers and airwaves are awash with speculation that President-elect Barack Obama may name Sen. Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state.

The first big step of Barack Obama's administration, and quite possibly its defining achievement, will be abandoning America's military involvement in Iraq.

This column is being written in advance of the elections on Tuesday, but there is no serious doubt among observers that the Democrats will win -- increasing their margins in both Houses of Congress, and among the governorships as well, and capturing the presidency.

When all is said and done, every voter must decide which of two (it is usually two) candidates to vote for. For many people, it's easy: "Vote for the Democrat" or "Vote for the Republican."

It was probably inevitable. In small doses, it may even be desirable. Never mind that the economic crisis we face isn't nationwide, but worldwide, with causes that are beyond the power of any one nation, even this one, to remedy.

In political terms, it doesn't really matter what caused the current economic crisis. Nor does it matter that it is worldwide.