Hillary lost (in my outsider's opinion) well before she even started her Presidential campaign, because of her vote long, long ago in favour of GW Bush's phony Iraq war. She allowed the neocon scoundrels to panic her into approving that war. There could never be and there was never an adequate explanation from Hillary for that vote.

Whatever may be said about the considerable mudslinging and dirt flinging during these Democratic primaries, Hillary certainly ended her campaign with extraordinary grace and graciousness: I don't believe Obama could have gotten a better endorsement than what Hillary gave him.

Now it is up to her to try and ensure that her "18 million" vote for and perhaps even work for Obama. Of course, this is the task at hand for everyone who wants to see a US administration that is not the direct descendant and beneficiary of the war criminals who are ruling the US today).

For the sake of all US citizens (and for the sake of the whole world, in fact) they all need to ensure that they work effectively to get Obama elected in November: every right or wrong step taken from right now will count for plenty more of the same respectively later.

There is not a whole lot of time for them all to get their act together, to counter the many dirty tricks that will we coming for sure from McCain and his Republicans. In fact, there have already been a number of Rovian tactics seen in this political battlefield: for instance, didn't some newspaper/TV channel state that Hillary Clinton had conceded to "Osama"?!!!

Be absolutely certain that this was no 'slip'/ accident on the part of the newspaper or TV channel (though of course a form apoloty was duly put out)! That was Rove or his successors testing out the waters! Plenty more will be coming along in that vein or worse, MUCH worse... Obama and the rest of the Democrats need to learn how to counter those dirty tricks: they cannot afford to react late as, for instance, the Kerry-Edwards campaign did to the Swift Boat campaign, the 'wolves in the undergrowth' advertisement, and so on.

-- GSC

"apology" (not apoloty as posted), of course. Sorry about that.

LW, walkingonsunshine, any others who've had such horrific experiences as you've described:

My heart really goes out to you; I'm afraid cannot offer any useful advice on how you may heal except to say that the human mind (and heart) itself/themselves can and do try to heal most such traumas.

Cary's thoughts seem, to me, to be sound - but then what do I know about the effects on your mind and psyche of the trauma you have suffered?

If you can bring yourself to do it, do think of exposing the people who molested you.

-- GSC

I left out the following thought: try and get together with some of the good and healthy people who can empathise with you and help you out of our troubled states.

--GSC

Well, notwithstanding the trolls like our 'robot', 'elephantman', 'berlet98' and other assorted vampires and monsters, it does seem as though Obama is likely to be the next US President, unless:

+++

1) He/his campaign fouls up in some really major way;

2) He chooses someone as his Veep who manages to lose it for him;

3) He is assassinated;

4) He doesn't learn how to swiftly and powerfully counter the Rovian tactics that are being prepared for him. (Those Rovian ploys have already started: one major newspaper already spoke of him as "Osama", you will recall; there was something else also... - that was just 'testing-the-waters' kind of stuff, much more is being planned, that's for sure).

5) ...

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Items No. 1 & 2 seem to be unlikely. Watch out for Items No. 3 and 4 and stuff of that nature. If you feel sceptical about this claim of mine, just remember how the 'Swift Boat Veterans campaign' and the 'wolves lurking in the undergrowth' advertisement helped seal the issue against Kerry-Edwards in 2004...there will be much more and worse to come now against Obama.

GSC