"It is not necessary to beat the child into submission; a little bit of pain goes a long way for a young child. However, the spanking should be of sufficient magnitude to cause the child to cry genuinely ... Two or three stinging strokes on the legs or buttocks with a switch are usually sufficient to emphasize the point, 'You must obey me.'" -- Mullah (James) Dobson, from Dare to Discipline and The Strong-Willed Child.

I know not everyone who reads these pages will find those words troubling. And I also realize that social mores on this question have changed greatly over the last half-century.

But -- and this isn't a criticism so much as a point of genuine curiosity -- I would be very curious to know the correlation between Blue/Red voting patterns and those who do or do not find those sorts of attitudes towards corporal punishment of children troubling or acceptable.

I suspect the correlation is pronounced.