Not the same thing.

Prostitution is not just another "unpleasant job" people do "in order to support themselves, rather than because they enjoy it".

If you're an unemployed Nevadan and go to an employment agency, how come the person behind the counter might suggest a career in fast food, but will never say: "I've got a great job offer for you here: how about becoming a prostitute in the local brothel?"

For all those people who think prostitution is just a normal job that simply isn't as enjoyable as being, say, a lawyer: What if you had a daughter (and prostitution were legal); if she were asking for career advice -- she was doubting between a career in fast food and a career in the escort business, which would you recommend? Exactly.

The truth is, prostitution is very problematic. Many women are being exploited or abused, or have other issues. Legalization doesn't solve anything. They legalized it in 2001 in the Netherlands, and the problem (with sex slaves) only became bigger, so they are now thinking about criminalizing it again (pimping, that is, not prostitution).

They legalized it in the Netherlands. It did not lead to any improvement. Quite the contrary; many pre-existing problems worsened.

Everyone should read 10 Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution, which is larded with illustrations from the Netherlands.

Sorry, forgot the link:

http://www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca/issues/prostitution_legalizing.html

is that you?

http://letters.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/04/07/hillary/permalink/42ef100aa4cf15afe7647a2a2818a5c2.html

Exactly right.

"If the rules had been different, Hillary would have won" does not take into account the different strategy that the Obama camp would have adopted if the rules had been different.

It's very poor reasoning on Sean Wilentz' part -- it's actually more mindless regurgitating of the Clinton camp's talking points. Rather shameful for someone who's supposed to be a top academic.

Um, wat about Jimmy Carter?

And the Democrats are a center-right party, perfectly mainstream. (The Republicans are an extreme-right party.)