One of the characteristics I've most admired about Sen. Obama is his ability to think and speak intelligently with ease and without pandering. Rather than wanting a beer buddy president, I would like one who is markedly smarter than I am. I have enough beer buddies and, while I'm not a total putz, I know I'm not qualified to lead a nation. A leader doesn't have to be right all the time, but he must be able to digest arguments, dissect facts and use good judgment to make thoughtful decisions. Sen. Obama appears to have this gift and it would be a refreshing change to have him at the helm.

As an over 60, white woman, I should fit into HC's demographic, but I don't. Why? Because she has used her husband's coattails to even be in the race; I don't trust her, don't like the way she has run her campaign and, okay, I'll admit it, I've come to just not like her -- for many reasons. I would vote for a woman in a heartbeat, but just not this one. ... and I'm getting real tired of the "victim" trip she tosses out when she's threatened.

Let me just say you're not alone. It's difficult to toss someone out who once meant something to you, but you must. Look at it as survival -- it's him or you. As long as you provide shelter, he'll find it tolerable to put up with your dissatisfaction. He's not capable of caring how you feel and the sooner you change the locks and call the police if he tries to enter forcibly, the sooner you'll rid yourself of the drama. Good luck to you.

Okay, first let me say that I'm an over-60, white, middle class, retired, female and I would like to see a woman in the White House. I tried to keep an open mind about the candidates, but was eventually drawn to Obama for his message and resistance to playing politics. To me, Hillary was the same old pol saying the same old thing -- anything to get a vote. While men may have sexist reasons for not voting for Hillary, I think it's more. I believe, when you take apart the personalities and messages, Obama's is the more caring and maternal. He seems thoughtful and intellectual in his approach to problem solving, but he also makes us feel that he genuinely cares about us. Hillary, while smart on the issues, says she cares about us, but is always talking about fighting and beating up on people. I think we've all been beaten to a pulp over the past years and we're looking for a leader who can problem solve while still being loving and positive. It may sound silly, but I really believe that Hillary's push to prove her toughness has backfired. We would have accepted a woman who showed sincere compassion coupled with a command of the issues, but Hillary has worked so hard at being tough, when she tries to exhibit caring she comes across as pandering. Perhaps men are simply sensing the same thing.

As a life-long Dem -- not quite old enough to have voted for JFK and queasy when voting for WJC -- Obama is the candidate I've waited for my entire adult life. I'm hoping he can make Liberalism palatable to a broad spectrum of people. Not big government and high taxes, but the idea that we are all in this together and only as strong as our weakest link. When Obama talks about our need for citizen education, I want to cheer. We, as a country, have allowed slogans, arrogance and waving index fingers define our status in the world rather than actions of the caring, generous people we are. It's time to turn the page. We need a leader to take us where our natural instincts could lead us -- toward innovation and problem solving. I'll bet on America any day if our inherent nature as a people can be given a chance to thrive.

I appreciate your defense of HC, however my take is this: HC has been extremely careful in parsing her words throughout this campaign. She has been lauded for her command of the issues and her ability to articulate them. We have come to believe that what she says is worth listening to. When she invoked the assassination of RFK in June, what were we to think? She could have cited other (more relevant) campaigns to make her point, but she didn't. Perhaps she's exhausted (I'll give her that), but I must say that I absolutely cringed when I heard what she said (with no help from pundits or the Obama campaign). What's more, in my opinion, she has referred to it before -- tho' not as blatantly. I'm sorry, Joan, but I can't excuse this one -- no matter who her opponent is. As the consummate professional, she knows better -- or should have.

If anyone researched stories filtered through various members of my family, there would no doubt be many inaccuracies. Obama should have known better perhaps, but if he's like some of my relatives, he may have simply retold what he heard -- or what he thought he'd heard.

Aren't tone and style a big part of shifting policy? Obama has articulated the individual's and government's responsibility and ability to help fix the mess we're in. A cooperative style and tone would be a policy shift in itself and might actually produce results for solving the issues of health care, education, foreign affairs and more.