... you get when your country is soooo close to electing someone who could turn out to be a transcendant leader, and the only thing stopping that leader's election is that lots and lots of people in your country are very stupid, and instead of realizing that something transcendent is possible, they try to be contrarian and tell you things like "well, he isn't THAT great" as their only knock against him, and then someone he knows says some stupid stuff and the stupid people are like "see, see ... we told you he wasn't that great!" even though the the things that were said weren't that stupid in context and even though the leader comes out and makes his positions absolutely clear with one of the most intelligent, nuanced, honest speeches about a very difficult topic ever given by a public official, and even then some people say "I don't think that's enough" even though it's far and beyond enough?

You know that annoying feeling? It's kind a like right now in America with this man named Barack Obama. It's REALLY REALLY annoying.

What disappoints me so dearly about the Hillary supporters' pretzel logic in trying so desperately to find some flaw in this speech is that they're fellow democrats - they should know better.

I fully expect the ignorant republican smear machine to be in full gear once Obama gets the nomination. What I did not expect was the Hillary smear machine to start their work for them.

Part of what's so frustrating for many of us Obama supporters is that there actually are some intelligent, well-reasoned analyses out there about why Hillary should be president. They're just so few and far between. Look at this thread, for example. 95% of the pro-Hillary/anti-Obama arguments can't possibly be taken seriously by an objective reader. Most of the posters would fail freshman rhetoric. Assumptions, fanciful leaps in logic, innuendo, irrelevancies, and non-sequiturs dominate the pro-Hillary arguments. And that's not just here ... it's everywhere.

Sure, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But what if their opinion is that 2 + 2 = 6? Are they entitled to that opinion?

... is that we can change.

The true eloquence and nuance of the speech is not apparent until you've heard or read it several times. Obama pointed out that the failing of his pastor was that he did not believe people could change.

This is also the failing of the people who already had their minds made up about Obama before this speech - they are unable to change.

I've never understood why "flip-flopper" has become such a derogatory term in politics. Everyone seems to think that in order to have any integrity, you need to chart out your position early and stick to it, no matter what new information comes to light or what circumstances change.

This is the height of stupidity. And this is what Obama was saying yesterday. People change. Situations change. Circumstances change. When that happens, you need to be able adapt your views. You need to be able to admit "I once thought that, but now that this came out, I admit I was wrong."

That's the true mark of integrity. And Obama showed nothing but integrity and grace in his speech. And the majority of people see that. Yet so many people want to tear him down, but is that only because they've already made up their minds about Obama and cannot change? It sure seems like it.

Take a look at yourself. Are you committed to opinions and positions no matter what? It's a dangerous commitment.

this is getting pretty tiring. are you saying that new york and california will vote for mccain in the general?

and are you saying hillary should get credit for primaries in which she 1) admitted don't count; 2) cheated by leaving her name on the ballot in michigan; and 3) cheated by campaigning in florida against dnc rules?

or did you just pick the wrong week to stop sniffing glue?

oh, and that penn memo is priceless. it should have been printed on paper made of recycled bullshit just to complete the theme.

hillary, if you're reading this: it's over! please go away, and take your band of snakes and thieves with you.

1) You are related to her;

2) You have been promised a cush poistion in her administration;

3) Obama punched you in the face once;

4) Hillary is your next-door-neighbor.

At this stage, all other reasons to vote for hillary are utterly indefensible.

Universal health care was included in my analysis. It did not make the final four. Sorry.

This whole "scoring" thing in the NFL is wrong! The Patriots had more first downs than the Giants - 22 to 15! Isn't that the whole point of a football game? Advancing the ball? If the rules were that the team with more first downs wins, as the rules should be, the Patriots would have won the Super Bowl!

(nevermind the fact that if those were the rules, both teams' strategies would have changed significantly. it's enough to go back after the game has been played and discuss how the rules should have been set up).

New England Patriots - your 2007 World Champions*!

*if first downs determined the winner.

... when your three year old kid refuses to get in the car for no other reason than they feel like being a brat?

That must be what it feels like for Obama to put the nomination away. The only people left to convince are the three year old brats who don't want to get in his car.