Like I pointed out upthread. Conservativism relies on fear (of gays, anyone with skin pigmentation less than transluscent, anyone who prays differently or worse yet chooses not to pray at all, science, the very possibility that their penises aren't as big as those attached to liberals or "foreigners", and those who might compete for mates on grounds other than "beauty" and "physique" and wealth having to resort to wit, humor, empathy, compassion, intellect, grooming . . . ), pants wetting, rectums, faux patriotism, brutishness, violence . . . should we continue dissecting your "projection" or simply ignore? From here on out I vote for ignore. Engaging those who have zero desire to listen, learn or engage in analysis if it leads to something other than foregone conclusions isn't really worth the time or effort. Although a clever insult can at times be amusing so maybe do stick around. You'll make an interesting slow-moving slow-witted target.

I've never heard him make any messiah claims. And to suggest that all of us who think Sen. Obama stands a better chance to defeat Sen. McTantrum than Sen. Clinton are afflicted with some type of "herd/cult of personality mentality" is pathetic. Come on, do tell, are you really Terry McAulliffe? I think what it boils down to, given the respective Dem candidates' congruent policy positions, is in a word possibility. All this identity realpolitick is misdirection from whatever source. Most of us don't care what gender or race or past executive experience the candidates have because nothing, and I mean no prior career or life experience, prepares a person to be President of the United/Divided States of America.

Sen. Obama isn't claiming he's anything other than a man, and I'm sure a flawed one in ways much like all of us. What he is suggesting is that we try something slightly more nuanced in the policy arena and a little less hyperbolic in the rhetorical one. That's part of the attraction along with his intellect, compassion, patience and willingness to exercise judgment not from a know-everything position but upon reasoned reflection.

The Clintons are a known quantity and I'm not sure as someone who voted for President Clinton twice that I'm comfortable with the same old same old when these times are crying out for something new. I was an Edwards supporter but the next best thing remaining is Sen. Obama (I'll grant Sen. Obama has a better gift for consensus building with foes for a variety of reasons). Again the downticket upside is tremendous and the downside minimal given the incredibly daunting challenges the next President will face.

I also know that Sen. McCain (hot on Rip Van Winkles tail) is not going to bring anything new to the table at his age with his life experiences and we are in for a world of hurt if he's elected. A changing worldwide dynamic is crying out for America to deviate from the fear based unilateralism and imperialist hubris of the recent past. We simply cannot nor do we want to control and police the planet but what we can do is lead by example. Combatting the statistically unscary problem of international terrorism is not mutually exclusive with the rule of law, justice, protection of individual liberty, due process for all, and effective intelligence gathering. It is in fact morally and financially counterproductive to combat it any other way. We need to develop cost effective and productive human intelligence rather than relying solely on technology (battleships, aircraft, and not-so-smart missles) which can and will ultimately fail because it is illsuited to asymetrical ideological conflicts.

We should offer the world constructive humanitarian/economic justice based policies designed to coopt culture rather than control and conquer it. You should believe the world has a keen sense of the hypocrisy and injustice upon which American exceptionalism is founded? Once we lose the moral high ground and our ability to inspire the world community we have lost our collective political capital. Sen. Clinton and Sen. McCain with their respective baggage are woefully unprepared to restore it. Time will tell if Sen. Obama is capable but I'd like to see him get that chance.