We become what we practice to be. Just as a musician or a writer starts out with one mindset and limited experience, as he practices to be whom he wants to become, he progressively becomes more similar to that person.

Many times, his attitude and philosophy are radically different from the ones he began with. A shy 17-yr-old computer geek is not made into the Marine on the recruiting poster merely by wishing it or saying it. He becomes a Marine by dedicated practice and 13 weeks of intense training. He is transformed into an entirely different person, physically and mentally.

It may be that mandated force of habit has the power to transform even the unwilling. Remember that resolution you made a month ago to run 5 miles every day, even though you hate to run? If you have kept to that promise, your attitude and body are likely significantly different today. Your perspective and self-image are changed.

But there is one benefit from public promises - it draws attention and closer scrutiny to the actions of the offender, and he will be much more likely to follow the rules in the future, because now the boundaries have been clearly defined.

Of course, the exception to that rule is the idgit in the White House. He just destroys the evidence and moves his secret torture chambers to new locations.

Imagine the shoe being on the other foot.

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/6709/1/328/

"That is the whole problem with Bush's grand plan for Iraq's glorious new "democracy." The people he wants in power cannot hold power by democratic means. So Cheney goes over and tells Maliki that the way to win the elections is to kill the voters who vote the wrong way. But Maliki's army and police force is also filled with many voters who will vote the wrong way, and have no will to kill their brothers just so the puppet politicians can remain in power. And not all the politicians are puppets, either. They want no more to do with Maliki or his handlers, so they go to Iran to meet with Sadr's people to arrange a cease-fire behind Maliki's back so that the streets don't keep flowing with Iraqi blood. It works - for now.

I have no idea if al-Sadr's people will do a better job of running the country than al-Maliki. But one thing is certain: they couldn't do a hell of a lot worse. Democracy at gunpoint is no democracy at all. And if George W. Bush meant a word of the rhetoric he spews at every televised moment about wanting real democracy in Iraq, he wouldn't send Dick Cheney to whisper voter genocide in the ear of his puppet president."

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/6709/1/328/

You say:

"Ashley Johnson...told of a male acquaintance who questioned whether her hypothetical vote for Clinton would be "just because you are a woman and you want a woman in the White House."

That doesn't give me enough credit and underestimates how much thought I've put into this."

Then just after:

"And a lot of the females I know are supporting Obama. I don't know if that's because they actually do support him, or if it's because they don't want to be attacked because they're female and they're leaning toward Hillary."

Well, Ashley just doesn't give her friends enough credit and underestimates how much thought they put into choosing Obama! If that isn't a double standard, I don't know what is.

Another female student says:

"I feel like the kids who are for Obama are much more into marketing and bragging about it. Hillary people are not so much into advertising it yet."

Perhaps the hesitation to throw a Hillary placard in your window is related to the fear that doing so will make you –- like Clinton herself –- a regular laughingstock."

I believe you got that right. Hillary has made herself into a laughingstock, and those supporting her are ashamed because they know they shouldn't be - if they are serious about choosing the best candidate, and not just the FEMALE candidate.

What world do you live in where "most people" think this "debate" was anything but a dabacle?

I bet you'll have a hell of a time finding any of these letters to put your "editor's choice" red star thingy on.

I hate it when I don't spell correctly in posts when I am trying to be cheeky.

I meant "debacle".