Personally I blame Mark Penn for the Clinton campaign's greatest failures. He wanted to her to run the "manly" campaign of "ready on day one" instead of showing her heart (yes and it's red aura) like she should have to win over the independent voters who couldn't get over her public personna which has been well...too phony. Not genuine enough (except for the moments in New Hampshire and at the end of the Texas debate).

I think underneath, they are both candidates with good hearts. I read "Dreams from my father" and I don't believe that its author has a bad heart. Vaclav Havel was writer and a good president...but in America people are scared of intellectuals (so they aren't scared of Bush). And they are especially scornful of black intellectuals. (Incidentally, I wrote my senior paper on W.E.B. DuBois...)

Yes, I know the haters will never be able to see similarities between Obama and anyone like Havel or DuBois...but I see him as flawed but kind. And intelligent and deep thinking. Two good candidates, but one has run a stronger campaign.

shalom.

Maybe this photo will hurt Obama in the long run. Yet, having the opportunity to face this photo now while he is running against Clinton is a brilliant tactical opporunity The right wing, unless they want to "join" with the Clintons, are keeping their distance (for now).

And one more thing, words do matter. When the Clinton campaign called for "shame" in regard to Obama's response to this photo, they called attention to Hillary's other use of "shame, shame" against Obama this weekend over the health mailers. The fact that Clinton is using the same word here, where shame is clearly not in order (for his camp) weakens her argument about the health mailer. Makes it look like she is looking for any possible opportunity to scold him and using the same words to do so.

Just my two cents.

Wierdly enough--and you can google this for an article written in the Atlantic Monthly and probably other sources as well...Clinton has been leaking stories to Drudge. They have had a strange relationship in the past few months. For example, Clinton's people (according to the Atlantic Monthly) leaked the story about Michelle Obama saying that clinton didn't keep her own house in order (a quote taken out of context, but put into political play).

I know its strange, but you can look it up. She has apparently been trying to use Drudge...but it seems like a faustian deal for her, because Drudge has been happy to get two smears for one with this story. (Clinton and Obama). Score one to Drudge. Zero for Clinton with this story...

I just googled it and found this source from 2007:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/us/politics/22drudge.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

Her campaign has leaked stories to them before. But this time, I think it backfired. Drudge is not Clinton's friend....

Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are clearly in play for her. And honestly, having the two Democrats keeps the Republicans from focusing their scary attention on either one alone.

However, if she doesn't win by a significant margin (at least ten to fifteen percent) in the races that remain, I would step down if I were her, to maintain political dignity and display grace & courage. However, I have to admit that I'm not sure what she will do. This will be interesting to watch unfold.

But if nothing else, voters in Texas, Ohio etc. have a right to feel that their vote matters. The more people on the ticket the better it is for Democracy, particularly in a relatively tight race, and I think that the Democrats are going to come together with strength in the weeks to come. I hope so at least...