Best I can figure is that I was touching the mousepad thingy on the laptop without realizing it when I hit the button to submit the post, and it just kept re-submitting. I was able to tell it was resubmitting for SOME reason when I saw the little circle keep spinning, and quickly moved the cursor off the button, but by then it had already posted the thread six times. Ironically, I'd been deliberately sitting on most of the articles I linked so I could do two threads today and then skip any additional political ones this week. Some days I guess you just can't win for losing.

EDIT: I'm officially using a USB mouse and have deactivated the built in mouse thingy now, even if it is a bit like shutting the barn door after the cows got loose.