originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
I have looked at the sentence, "And as far as your views or Tom's on politics, well, if they were not right of center, all would be cool 'round these parts" and I cannot construe it even into ambiguity. I have tried to read the "were" as a subjunctive and just can't manage it. I assume you mean something like, "only because your and Tom's politics are not right of center are things cool in these parts." If that's what you mean, I hope you are incorrect. Keith's politics, at least, are indeed right of center and though he gives and takes abuse for it, no one yet has called him dishonorable.