The difference between Obama's confidence and Palin's confidence in themselves is that Obama impresses as one who gives thought to his positions, and he has the ability to convey those thoughts in a way that presents himself as an effective politician.

He is a builder, not a destroyer.

Palin, on the other hand, has been coached to be an attack dog not afraid to rouse folks with predictions of doom and inferences about her opponent's race and accusations of "palling around with terrorists".

She is a destroyer, not a builder.

while stating that there aren't enough conservatives teaching in universities.

Somehow, Palin's disregard for unbiased facts and analysis goes a long way towards explaining this.

it will reflect very poorly on this country, its ideals, and the intelligence of our voters.

It is very sad that a "close" election is even contemplated. I'm ignoring the polls and watching voters instead. When over 50,000 folks turn out to hear and see Obama while McCain can barely attract 2,000 and Alaska's largest newspaper endorses Obama,that speaks volumes.

The Democrats are watching the voting very carefully, not trusting the Republicans to play fair. Good policy, I'd say.

McCain said he'll win, with the final result apparent late on election night.

This is an amazing crystal ball, that he has. Not only does he promise a win but he tells us exactly when it will happen.

This, coupled with his "I know how to get Osama" promise puts McCain in the company of the gods.

The only way McCain can promise a win is with the knowledge that massive Republican voter fraud will put him over the top.

This hotbed of Republicanism is suffering from sleepless nights and a general belief that an Obama presidency will drive the USA into communism and every pregnant woman into abortion.

Danville enjoys the reputation as the Island Of Conservatism walled off within an area of progressive communities. Consistently voting for Republicans, the fine folks in Danville are not liking the rising taste of bile in their throats as they contemplate a long overdue rout of the Republicans in Congress and the Presidency.

A recent article in the local newspaper featuring interviews with Danvillites revealed the extent of utter misinformation believed about Obama. Most of those interviewed were obviously heavily influenced by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.

This election will, indeed, be fun to watch.

After each loss the coach would say something like: "we'll make a few adjustments in offense, defense, and special teams and we'll be OK".

I believe that the vast majority of folks are, indeed, "pro life". To be otherwise defies logic.

The rabid defense of the fetus regardless of the health of the mother, the viability of the fetus, and the freedom to make decisions based upon possible personal and family complications, must remain as a choice for the parents involved. Absent that, we'll have a police state where persons fearful of prosecution will be forced to obtain abortions illegally, or on foreign soil.

I am a firm believer that abortion should be legal, and rare, and not authorized until all alternates are considered first.

My daughter had two pregnancies while she was an unmarried teenager. In both cases she chose to have the child and release it for adoption. We have been in touch with the adoptive families and we still praise our daughter for her wise decision.

Her choosing adoption over abortion was no accident. She was raised to respect life and to be generous and to be kind.

$150,000. is a nice down payment for one.

The McCain/Palin campaign has been its' own worst enemy. McCain's problem is Bush and a confusing message and Palin brought the wrong approach to this election cycle. She has been preaching division and that is exactly what most folks do not want.

Additionally, McCain's campaign has had some very embarassing moments, and this begs the question as to McCain's leadership abilities.

don't discount the influence of my other Friends, the Religious Right. These fine folks have been burning crosses on Obama's front lawn and we feel that the promise of doom and destruction will be fullfilled if Obama is elected.

So, don't be discouraged by these phoney polls. If God wanted Polls He would have included them in the Garden of Eden.

Your Friend,

John

Vote by mail. Oregon voters have no problems. I voted by mail in California, sitting at my kitchen table, with a cup of coffee.

We're fed up with divisive politicians.

Hasn't history shown that the economy, on the whole, has done better under Democratic majorities and Administrations?

Data for the whole period from 1948 to 2007, during which Republicans occupied the White House for 34 years and Democrats for 26, show average annual growth of real gross national product of 1.64 percent per capita under Republican presidents versus 2.78 percent under Democrats.

Weren't they a part of the "Axis of Evil" and attempting the development of nuclear technology?

Over time, diplomacy, threats, whatever, have worked to get them to back down and cease nuclear development.

The Iranians aren't stupid. They know that their use of nuclear weapons will result in heavy retaliation. Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) is very real and an excellent deterrent.

So all of this sabre-rattling is meaningless.

"To achieve that, the Patriot Act should be used to block all Iranian banks from any involvement in the U.S. economy and "our European allies [must] sever commercial relations with Tehran." And this is what we should immediately prepare for:"

Actually, wouldn't it be better to ENCOURAGE Iranian involvement in the U.S. economy?

Surefire destruction of Iran, I'd say.

Inbreeding manifests itself in many ways and Marcia's condition is not a rarity, especially in small, isolated communities.

Actual brain weights have been tracked where inbreeding occurs and the results show a 28.5% brain loss in that general population sample.

She answered a third-grader's question about the VPs duties incorrectly.

Palin should retake the Civics exam.