I'm reposting this from the thread on the original article, which I just read today.

Okay. We have a situation in the Democratic primaries where around 90% of African Americans are casting votes for Barack Obama and, what, 55%, 60% of women are casting votes for Hillary Clinton, and it's only womengetting called for practicing identity politics?

This is absurd.

Joan Walsh has problems with parts of Obama's speech and is heaped with vitriol completely out of proportion to her rather mild critique.

The groupthink going on here is really disturbing, as is the abuse of Clinton on a thread that has nothing to do with her.

Just for the record, she praised Obama's speech. She was also the only Presidential candidate to attend Tavis Smiley's "The State of Black America." Obviously she is not the eloquent speaker that Obama is, but she made a good faith effort to address an audience that was not disposed to support her and to speak to their issues.

Yes, I'm supporting Clinton. I like her positions better on many (not all) issues, and I guess I'm more comfortable with a wonk than a preacher. It disturbs me that it's not "safe" to express that preference in so many areas of the "progressive" blogosphere.

http://www.utilikilts.com/

They are very cool. I know guys who wear them to work on set.

I'm going to have to stop reading the letters.

Joan Walsh points out that there has been very real sexism and misogyny in this campaign and the rationalizations, anger, denial and sheer stupidity overwhelm any reasoned discourse.

You know what, fine. I give up. Some of you just don't want this to be true. I'm not even going to try and understand the range of twisted motivations at work. Some of you hate women. Some of you need to deny that this is the reality so you can keep on keeping on.

Well, it's true. It's the reality. Women, time to accept it. You are always going to be held to a double standard. It doesn't matter how good you are, how smart you are, how talented you are or how deserving you are. You will always have that strike against you.

I'm a life-long Democrat, and all I want to say right now is, screw 'em. Women are the majority of the Democratic electorate and we're taken for granted.

I'm not giving Obama a dime of my money or a minute of my time. He's unqualified, he acts like he's entitled and his campaign cries racism at every imagined slight and yet won't say a word about the sexism that's permeated this campaign.

F*** off?

You are idiots. I'd love to know what you've done and how you've contributed and where you get off.

On second thought, no, I wouldn't. Because I'm reasonably sure you're both a waste of space.

of why I hardly read Salon any more.

I'm a charter subscriber and the bile of the letter writers has made this site radioactive. I don't spend time here any more. I probably won't renew. Because this isn't a community any more.

Joan, I am sorry for the sort of responses you get for your balanced, fair-minded pieces. The reaction to this one illustrates your points quite nicely.

Who needs a satirist when Obama apologists have ready-made excuses like that?

The whole system in DC is fucked up, and folks on the left are blaming the one person who has promised to start fixing the system.

And you believe Obama will fix it, why, exactly? Because he promised? Like he promised to filibuster on FISA?

Riiight.

What I want Barack Obama to do is become my president. That's it! Because our country doesn't stand a chance without someone of his character making it possible for the things that I want.

If you want to fight over petty shit, then Hillary Clinton or the Republican party is the place for you. I want our country to move past all of that.

So suck it up!

Mike, seriously...do you think about what you post? At all?

What evidence do you have that Obama's "character" is going to "make it possible for the things you want"? What DO you want?

"Petty shit"? The Constitution?! What is more fundamental to our character as a nation, our better angels, not our demons, than the Constitution?

Bitter? You betcha! Because I supported the candidate who was unfairly demonized by people like you. You know - the one who voted against this wretched abomination of a bill.