A few comments. This country is seriously desperate to elect a black man president. I believe this. Obama has some of what it takes but his baggage, negatives, whatever you want to call them, are simply insurmountable, if not in the primaries then in the general for sure. All the money in the world can’t fix him. As much as I detest and loathe Hillary, I actually would vote for her before him. (Actually I might write in Fred if it doesn’t look close in Nov. because I’m still semi-allergic to McCain and I see endless problems down the road for Republicans if he is pres.).

Hillary could win it all, but her nomination will do more to bring out Republicans for McCain AND create a backlash within the black community that I just don’t see how she does it. I think this country is much less enthusiastic about electing a woman, particularly such a dislikable one, and as a woman, I don’t trust my gender (I am far from unique; most women dislike women in leadership positions because we are not hierarchical). Having been an emotion-driven, lifelong lefty until relatively recently, I understand lefty women too well. Maggie Thatchers come along once in a blue moon and only women of her stripe deserve to lead a country. OTOH a lousy female president would go a long way toward making another much less likely for 1 – 2 generations. None of this applies to white men, by the way, who are simultaneously held to both impossibly high and impossibly low standards. (In some ways, the same is true of both women and blacks, but more often they are held to no standards.)

Obama is his own worst enemy but don’t discount Operation Chaos. I know Roger and others here are no fans of Rush but his influence can’t be discounted. Being in NY, Operation Chaos wasn’t an option for me, but I’m seriously thinking of re-registering as a Dem and voting straight Republican simply to screw with the Dems and demographics. There is a subversive if not anarchic strain within conservatives now that I truly identify with, we’re pissed and peeved and out to hurt someone. I know I am. I actually want to hurt both sides but I do truly love this country. I want what’s best for it. But this is a very dicey choice this year.