SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 10:05 P.M. ET: 

FRANCE VOTES – From BBC:  France's far-right National Front (FN) appears to have made big gains in the first round of regional elections, estimates show.  They put the FN ahead in at least six of 13 regions in mainland France.  The elections are the first electoral test since last month's Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed.  The centre-right Republicans party led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy appeared to be in second place ahead of the governing Socialist Party.  A second round of voting will be held on 13 December.  The attacks have had their electoral effect.  FN is far right by European standards, but perhaps not as far right as European "intellectuals" like to think.  We're hoping, though, that Sarkozy's party rallies in the second round.  They're reasonably conservative without some of the rough ethnic edges of the FN.

VENEZUELA VOTES – From AFP:  Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelans voted Sunday in tense elections that could see the opposition seize legislative power from the socialist government and risk sparking violence in the oil-rich, cash-poor nation.   Hundreds of people turned out before dawn as voters fed up with soaring prices and food shortages cast their ballots to back the opposition, while others vowed to push on with the "revolution" of the left, in control since 1999.  Electoral commission deputy chief Sandra Oblitas said there was "very high turnout" as polls closed at 2230 GMT, with first results expected from 0230 GMT Monday at the earliest.  With the country of 30 million people suffering soaring inflation and poverty, a broad coalition of opposition parties is vying to gain control of the National Assembly for the first time in 16 years.  They want to force a change of course by anti-US leader Nicolas Maduro, criticized by international authorities for jailing his opponents and barring foreign observers from monitoring the vote.  The issue is whether the government will steal the election.  Barring foreign monitors is the first stage in that kind of effort.  (Late note:  Indications from Venezuela point in the direction of a win for the opposition.  But let us wait for the "official" count, which may or may not be honest.)

THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH – So President Obama addressed the nation on terrorism tonight.  As Johnny Carson used to ask, "Notice the difference?"  Yes, the president spoke with 7.1% more passion about terrorism than he has in the past.  We were overwhelmed with the heat.  And yes, he finally mentioned "terrorism" without uttering "workplace violence" in the same sentence.  Nor did he even blame BUSH (!!) or CHENEY (!!!!).  But he really didn't say anything significant either.  I was impressed with the comments of Michael Weiss of CNN, a real expert on terrorism, who noted that the president seemed constantly to imply that we were facing "new" or "evolving" threats, when in fact we're facing the same threats we faced during his first term, but which he never acknowledged with real seriousness.   So we'll just have to wait to see if there is any new sense of urgency, or just another speech down the road.  Meanwhile, Americans are justifiably anxious, and fearful that another shock awaits us.

December 6,  2015