I have been a feminist since before there was such a thing. I was a feminist climbing trees higher and out running the neighborhood boys and beating them up as well.

Michelle Obama is not doing anything she does not want to do. Barack Obama has always been supportive of his wife and she him. she is doing this because she wants Barack Obama to win and feels she wants to do this. And if you don't think speaking before audiences and talking to people, ect is not a full time job, check again.

She is not only doing it for herself, her husband and her family, but for black women. How do you think a black woman would feel seeing Michelle Obama as first lady of the United States. Never again will a young girl who is black feel like she could not be anything she wants or aspire to anything with Michelle as role model.

This woman is classy and intellegent and takes a back seat to no one. Just because she doesn't want to be in your face and push herself at everyone like Hillary, or be co-president, does not mean Michelle is any less strong and independent. Michelle is not into trying to get her id by sucking it from her husband. She is her own person and if she wants to work for the Obama campaign and campaign for her husband, it is because Michelle decided it and is no less strong or independent.

Give the woman some credit.

diane lake

When is the msm finally going to figure out that the public are not so in love with the bushies or the gop. That to them, the conservatives are puke.

and when are they going to finally recognize that it is now a pendulum swinging to the left and now it's the rise of the democrats and progressives.

i just hope Allen never figures it out as i'd hate to see him do all that hero worshipping and gushing about the genius of you and hanging onto your every word and emailing you 20 times a day.

i heard today on book tv paul krugman talking about his upcoming book and saying the msm still have not seen their part in the shame of the past 6 years. or have come to terms with how much they rolled over for this adminstration and went along with the gop talking points and allowed themselves to be knowingly used.

I very much agree with your wonderful article.

I am an Obama supporter and on his website there are indies and republicans coming everyday. many write in the community blogs that they changed their registrations to democrat just to vote for Obama.

However, it's Obama;s own party, my party that I have stuck by through far too many stupid choices for nominee, that cannot get it thru their heads that Obama will win the White House. Hillary will not. They don't like her but, back her because they believe her spin that she can beat republicans. right. Against the republican party, the indies and a quarter of her own party so dead set against her she will never get those votes.

Poll and poll after poll. Articles like this and real people saying they want Obama and yet, my party is still being stupid.

I don't know if they don't want to believe it or they just are co dependents for the corrupt Clintons pick up lines.

However, I do have to fault the msm. With all the daily drumbeats of gushing for Hillary and dismissing Obama and making him out to be some stupid rookie, many mainstream voters

don't know any better. They think it is true. And no matter how hard they are pounded by the people that enough with the free pass for Hillary and the trashing of Obama, things will turn out very tragic.

Being from Illinois I have to say, yes, our senators are going to push for this route. They are representing our state and so, they will push for what is beneficial to us.

Aside from the environment, there are jobs at stake as well. We have ethanol sold here and ethanol based jobs and business here.

I support environmental causes but, I also see some of the realities of what a senator's job is.

Excellent article.

I dont' think Obama is too out of step with Iowa as he, afterall, had to win over the white collar, the factory workers and the farmers, here in Illinois.

We are a skeptical bunch as well. but, we also know someone a cut above the everyday and about political magic.

The ending of your article stating that at the end of his speech a person feels peace. I am reminded of a person, a male republican, who called on the Washington journal on Cspan one morning. The topic was of course Politics. This guy was drawn to Obama because he said there was something about him that made you feel secure.

After the endless fear mongering by the bushies and the gop, and even some in my own party (like Hillary) who are always touting the terrorist will get you, maybe what people are looking for is not Mr./Ms. Terrorism national security but, just someone who will make you feel sane, at peace and secure.

That things will be handled and addressed and the country will not be used for political gain.

And that may be why so many republicans like the man over any of their candidates. he does not fear monger but, offers a port in the storm. A sense of pride in country, a normalcy in your life and a sense of competence.