Sorry, HealThisNation, I meant to address you too: Click on the link under my name, which takes you to all my letters, and then come back and tell me I don't engage with readers. I challenge you to find any editor in chief of any Web site or publication like Salon who engages more. I admit I did give up for a few days last week because of the dispiriting unfairness and bad faith I saw in several threads, and there are definitely several people I don't read or reply to anymore. But I'm in here an awful lot, and I still have faith in the intelligence and basic decency of our readers, even (most of) those I disagree with.

HealThisNation, I don't answer the trolls, or at least I try not to. (I can think of one exception.) I think you're being unfair to me, but I don't think you're a troll. A lot of us are feeling over-sensitive these days.

Xrandadu Hutman, you're not a troll, but you are a pain in the ass. I used the transcript CNN sent me, that night. I'm still not sure what she said was "grumpy" in that segment, although I do remember she did say it later. I don't think it changes her, or my, larger point. I honestly haven't had a minute to go back to CNN and see if what she said was grumpy, but people have read you telling them that, and I haven't contradicted or deleted or denied.

Why don't you start your own blog? Seriously. You could fact-check me. You're getting annoying.

But I do answer you.

Xrandadu Hutman, seriously: Why would you truncate my comments that way, without ellipses, so it just looks like I'm whomping you? That seems unfair. That's not the way I would clean up a quote, unless I was trying to make someone seem like a jerk.

Also, let the record show: I have replied to your personal emails. The aggrieved, ignored poster act is silly. But you know that.

HealThisNation:

Wow. I get in trouble for not replying to you; I get in trouble for replying to you. One takes effort; one takes no effort. Life is short, and so the right course of action is clear. I will stop replying. Thanks for the reprieve.

As to why it's all about me? Truly, it isn't, except when people in these comments complain about me, and then complain about my not replying to their complaints, and then complain about my replying to their complaints, and then complain that my replying makes it seem all about me.

Again, wow. Good night, everyone!

Ballsee, I wrote some of what I think about that here:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/election_2008/2008/04/24/looking_past_pennsylvania/

pf1934, that was a great post. Likewise, susan sunflower. Carol, thank you for framing these questions. I'm not sure what to think about how Obama would be doing if Clinton had (for whatever reason) dropped out months ago, or hadn't run. I think that I think (forgive me, I'm really not sure about this, and I can't be, because it's hypothetical) that the doubts of white working class voters would have come out during the general election against McCain, if Obama hadn't had to run a protracted primary battle.

If you go back to my posts about Pennsylvania, I explained that I believe Obama's overall message of process change, changing Washington, reform, etc., probably resonates more with educated elites than working class voters. Yes, there is also racism out there which might limit his appeal, but I personally believe that's less a factor than the sometimes ethereal nature of Obama's pitch, combined with the fact that much of the white working class associates the Clintons with good economic times. So I do believe that his race with Clinton gives him a chance to work on his pitch to white working class voters and improve it in the fall. I also think I was right about the potential divisive impact of the Rev. Wright reappearance -- and Obama certainly seemed to see that, because he quickly moved to put even more distance between himself and his former pastor. I think it was much better for Obama that happened in May and not October.

Now, it's also likely that Clinton's campaign to date has heightened the divisions in the party, and increased some working class voters' skepticism about Obama. So it would be disingenuous for me to insist that her campaign only helps Obama! I'm going to be writing more about that in my next post. Hope that helps explain my thinking on this question.

banyantree, I feel a bit dirty for having responded to you in the first place, believing you were someone asking a question in good faith. What right or reason do you have to accuse me of lying? Have a good weekend!

manos99, you're going to hate to hear this but...I enjoy your rhymes. I'd love to see you try haiku. I'm not being sarcastic, I mean it. Think about it. As Xrandadu Hutman reminded you, it is Mother's Day weekend. I thought he was being condescending when I first read it, but I decided he was being sweet. There is some reconciliation in these threads, I think, if you read the smart letters and ignore the agitators.

So anyway, haiku or not, I think manos99 and Carol Richards, with their humor, make the bitterness on all sides that we find here a little more bittersweet, and I thank you.

Uncle Fester, thanks

We'll be one come November

I'm so bad at this.

Thanks, Filthy Harry

Who knew we shared haiku love?

We can get along