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On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, David Plotz, and special guest Dan Savage discuss the debate, the election aftermath, and the maternity leave that wasn't.

Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week's show:

• Special guest Dan Savage joined the live show in Seattle. An excerpt of Dan’s foreword to Merle Miller’s On Being Different: What It Means to Be a Homosexual, is posted on Slate.
• John reacts to Romney’s big night.
• Emily thinks Obama looked tired; at Slate, Brian Palmer explores how Denver’s high altitude might have affected the president.
• Dave Weigel has more on the reappearance of Mitt Romney as moderate governor from Massachusetts.
• Do debates matter? John says usually not. John Sides summarizes the research on how debates affect elections.
• If Romney loses, what will the GOP do? John breaks down the emerging factions that might shape the GOP’s future.
• Slate’s Allison Benedikt thinks Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is making a huge mistake by taking a short maternity leave.
• In New York magazine, Ann Friedman argues for mandatory parental leave. But Salon’s Mary Elizabeth Williams says Mayer should do what she wants.
• The DoubleX Gabfest also discussed the politics of maternity leave.

Emily chatters about Jennifer Livingston’s awesome retort to fat shaming.

Dan chatters about the rise of drug-resistant gonorrhea.

John chatters about our changing expectations of presidential speaking ability.

David chatters about The Weather Channel’s plan to start naming winter storms.  

Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest.

The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Michael Vuolo. Links compiled by Jeff Friedrich.