As long as we're going with historical analogies, I liked yours Uncle Fester. To me we crossed the Rubicon back with Ronald Reagan who was our modern day Caesar, a man who passed a series of unfortunate, limiting laws all couched in terrible economics that were simply popular to the people (tax cuts in Reagan's case, Caesar's over-regulation of the grain supply and insistence on passing out the state treasury to the populace to gain favor.)

To me we have now reached the period of the Emperor Nero singing and playing the fiddle while Rome burns. If this doesn't remind me of George W. Bush than I don't know what does. Bill Clinton would then be Claudius, who proceeded Nero, and also strangely wore out his welcome through his own herculian excesses despite an able administrative record. Claudius' historical position also strangely began to decline almost immediately following his rule, as historians began to focus more on his personal failings than real legislative achievments. I do not then see why I would elect Claudius's wife. Nero also marked the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty just as I am hoping George W. Bush will finally mark the end of the Bush-Clinton dynasty.

In times of desperation, such as the impending fall of Rome, one must institute new solutions. For me this is all the more reason to vote for Barack Obama. As for the Founding Fathers, I don't think there's much doubt they would be rolling over in their graves at the continued sight of the Bush-Cheney dynasty.

He's done everything he could have done. Barack Obama forthrightly and honestly touched on all of the issues of race, from all sides, that a human being could possibly be asked to do. He opened up the dialogue of race that so many, supposedly, have been asking black Americans for for so long.

He also presented this country as it was, good and bad.

To me it was one of the most amazing speeches I've ever seen. Seeing him standing up there, controlling himself, disavowing the statements but also explaining the awareness. Vocalizing what we as a country need to do to move forward.

Now it is up to us. Only we have the answer. It's time to see if we really stand for what we say we stand for. I have never been prouder of Barack Obama, as a black man and as an American than I am today. It's time to see what we really stand for.

For all those lunchpail Democrats and others who are so concerned about this odd notion, despite him continually winning, about his general election chances ask yourself this. How has running the safe choice worked for us so far? How have running the John Kerry's worked?

The Republicans run the people they believe in (Nixon, Reagan, George W. Bush) and you know what: they win! They win because they stand by their prinicples.

The reason we lose is because we don't. The reason they're so scared of Obama, as Rush Limbaugh and other Republicans admit, is because they know he is the far more dangerous GE candidate. They know he stands by his beliefs. They know he can win.

It's time we stand by our principles. For if we don't we will surely lose. But if we do not only will we win but with Senator Obama, as has already been shown with Denny Hastert's old seat, we will have a real, sizeable Democratic Majority in both houses. Nancy Pelosi knows this, Howard Dean knows it, Bill Richardson knows it. It's time we all know it as well. It's time to stop being afraid, run the best candidate and win. That's Obama.

And half the posters here don't get it? Really? I'm starting to agree with others, our country doesn't deserve Barack Obama as a leader. Send him to England, or anywhere they actually appreciate good leaders.

Someone made the point once that pretty much all great leaders start out as great speakers. Lincoln, FDR, Churchill, Kennedy (heck even Margaret Thatcher could give a speech.) Leaders start out this way. The fact that the American political process has now sunk to the level that we not only don't care but actively shun potentially great leaders simply because they CAN give a great speech is beyond sad.

Anyone who doesn't understand what happened today is dense. You can still support Clinton, as many intelligent posters here and elsewhere have, and still understand the importance and power of this speech. One poster mentioned that he or she, who had voted for Clinton, emailed this speech to their mother. That's an intelligent response. Because it is a GREAT speech.

He presented all of us a challenge. Continue to dwell in the muck or rise above. I am proud and happy to see that the majority have risen above. I am sad to see that a misguided few still remain mired in the muck.