You are right, 200k is middle class in some major cities. In real estate markets like Manhattan, the suburbs of NYC, or San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, that 200k gets eaten up as soon as you pay rent or mortgage. If you have children it is worse. Add food, health insurance, utilities, transportation, and that money is gone. Do not forget that many people who earn 200k are professionals who are still paying off crushing debt from undergraduate and graduate studies. The cost of living is not the same everywhere, so anyone who says 42k is middle class in some metropolitan areas, is ignorant.

As for Chris Matthews, I do not know why anyone listens to him. He has an obsession with misplaced notions of masculinity and only expressed admiration for Sen. Clinton when she displayed so-called masculine trait. I think he dislikes the idea of women in power. Read this article by Eric Alterman. It breaks it down quite well. http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070409/alterman

It is pretty clear that I am an ardent supporter of the Clinton campaign. I have a hard time conceiving of casting a vote for Obama. I have come to the conclusion is that I do not want to "unify" with Obama partisans because they only want my vote, not my voice. The demeaning talk, the grave dancing, the arrogance, and the dismissive treatment of people like me who want to vote for the Green party candidate shows they do not want unity. Demanding that someone shut the fuck up and vote for Obama does not a call for unification make.

Why are people still blaming Nader for Gore's loss in 2000. I have read this from the same people who have written letters saying that Clinton did not suffer from sexist coverage or unfair coverage, but from her own bad campaign. She is, in some sense rightly, blamed for having a had staff and a bad strategy. How come Gore is not subjected to the same criticism? He lost his election all on his own. It was his fault for not connecting to the voters who went over to Bush and to Nader. And why didn't Kerry win in 2004? Who's fault was that?

Look, I find the idea of a McCain presidency frightening, but I cannot vote for Obama. No, I am not an "angry white woman" as anti-Obama people are stereotyped. I am a Democrat who has major concerns about him, his abilities to implement policies, and his vagueness. I went to his website and read every single page on every single issue. While he and I are in sync ideologically, he does not address some extremely pressing issues that should be at the forefront of discussions any person running for president gives. I posted 20 questions for Obama supporters on Slate. All I got were accusations of being a McCain reporter, being an asshole, demanding to know what Clinton's plans would have been (though since she has dropped out Obama supporters have been demanding that we forget about her). I am considering posting them here.

This is not about a unity issue. I do not want McCain but I do not want Obama either. I am going to write in Clinton's name. You all can say I am wasting my vote if you want, but making my voice heard is my vote.