It really wasn't Bill that made Hillary unelectable, as one reader here has claimed - it was actually Hillary that made Hillary unelectable! (True enough, Bill did manage to contribute quite 'strongly').

Hillary probably would have won the nomination had she right at the start of her race accepted her gross error of judgment in voting for GW Bush's phony war in Iraq.

What prevented her from saying something like the following:

"I was mistaken. I was lied to by GW Bush and Gang, just as all US citizens were. And just like most US citizens (and most members of Congress), I too fell for the lies. (That should be translated into proper 'American', of course).

I would guess Hillary's underlying problem would have to be the difficulty we all face in making such admissions about errors of judgment, at all the forking points we come across in our journey through life.

True enough, that strategy of accepting her Iraq error in the face of GW Bush's lies would have provided a strategic starting advantage to Obama in that he had not allowed GW Bush and Gang to pull the wool over his eyes. But it seems clear (to me, at least) that such a starting advantage would have been strongly countered by Hillary's actual strengths versus Obama. In the event, what happened was that Hillary was always playing to her major weakness - that idiot vote permitting the Iraq war - and not to any of her real strengths which were pretty sizable vis-a-vis Obama's inexperience.

But all said and done, it is probably the best thing that could have happened for the US and for the world that Obama has won the Democratic nomination. Now the Obama campaign has to ensure that he now wins over McCain in November, for sure, whatever Rovian tricks the Republicans may come up with (and they're already coming up with plenty!) Best not to be too complacent: In 2004, Democrat voters (if not the whole Kerry-Edward campaign itself) lost the election in good measure on account of complacency: I think they believed it was impossible that a proven liar like GW Bush could win. But it turned out he could and he did - was it Josef Goebbels that said something to about the willingness of people at large to accept 'the big lie'?

-- GSC

LW (I'm not addressing you as "No longer afraid of flying", as I think you still are afraid of flying):

A: Nope, you're not crazy.

B: As one reader has already pointed out, your decision to combine drugs (Klonopin + Topamax) with drinks was definitely the wrong one! (It's not a 'crazy decision', but it is certainly a very foolish one!)

C: For a real long-term cure, try out any sound meditation techniques for getting over your anxieties about flying. Combine that meditation with a good daily exercise regimen: even just plain walking, about 3-4 miles a day in about 1 hour, will do for the needed exercise. Both meditation and exercise are necessary. However, any such program will take its time to start working its way on your anxieties.

D: For the short-term, stop flying if you can till you've had at least 3-4 months of an anti-anxiety meditation + exercise regimen. If you have to take a plane over the next 3-4 months (before the meditation program has 'taken'), then you may have to work out some way or the other based on other advice you get - but do remember that any drug regimen will almost certainly detract from the effectiveness of the 'meditation + exercise' regimen recommended.

Write to me at gs (underscore) chandy (at) yahoo (dot) com, if you would want more information on how to develop a step-by-step action plan that could lead you away from the definitely wrong decision that you took to mix drugs and drinks.

-- GSC

As "jamiso" has rightly pointed out, US citizens were dumb enough to vote GW Bush for President in 2004 (given that there is some doubt that he was actually elected in 2000).

AND - these very same US citizens have not yet all those impeachable in the GW Bush Gang of War Criminals, have not thrown them out of power and into jail...

US citizens have certainly demonstrated outstanding levels of "dumbness".

Are they "too dumb to vote"?

Well, it is known that US citizens - along with the citizens of most nations, including India where I come from - don't really vote in 'democratic elections' with their rational brains, and this is what enables gangsters like GW Bush to take control of the polity.

-- GSC

The second paragraph in my letter just posted should actually read:

+++

AND - these very same US citizens have not yet impeached all those impeachable in the GW Bush Gang of War Criminals, have not thrown them all out of power and into jail...

+++

(Sorry about that bit of dumbness on my part...)

GSC