I'm so glad that there are so many Ivy Leagurers in top positions of responsibility in our government, Wall Street, etc. Maybe that explains why things are so screwed up in this country at the moment.

Note from Real Life 101 - It's not a good idea to mouth off to cops; it only increases the danger of any confrontation. That's only common sense; it doesn't matter if you're black, white, young, old, rich, or poor. They've got the guns and the power, at least momentarily. Are these academics so isolated from reality they don't have common sense and even the simplest survival skills for the real world? And what does it say about the Ivy league academic environment, and it's power structure and political correctness, that the author of this article is so afraid of repercussions he won't publish under his real name? That's the real message of this story for me.

Don't like Palin? If she does disappear, someone else will surely replace her. The middle class is being economically destroyed out there. Many voters feel that government no longer represents them, and has been captured by the elites, by special interests, Wall Street, etc. And can you blame them? Do you really think it hasn't? It's a sure thing someone new will now rise up and represent these voters.

Sorry, but it's not quite so simple as "old white men" resenting their loss of power, or racism, or sexism or religion at fault as so many here like to claim. These people are not as stupid as many here think, and a lot more tolerant than many here give them credit for. Too many people here are judging by stereotypes, and believing their own propaganda.

From my experience, there's a big difference between academically "educated" and having street smarts and common sense, so as to be able to govern properly. I'm a retired college professor, and many of the so called intellectuals I worked with lived in a theoretical dream world, with no real understanding at all of the real issues faced by people who aren't safely connected to the academic or government teats that they are.

Many here may live to regret Palin's "passing"; if things don't begin to change economically out there soon, someone much worse and more dangerous may easily replace Palin. The issues she (maybe incompetently) tried to address are not just going to go away with her.

I'm old enough to remember when many white people down here were happy to be known as racists (George Wallace, Lester Maddox, etc.). The fact that nobody defends racism, and it's so devastating to a person's reputation to even be called a racist, shows how far we've come. Many good people of all races worked very hard to get us to this point, and some took great personal risks doing so. To me, the increasing use of spurious, unsubstantiated public "racism" charges to try to get some political or personal advantage is troublesome and disgusting, and undermines continuing efforts to identify and eliminate real instances of racism. Both left and right are doing it (including here at Salon), and both sides should just cut it out. Find something else to sling crap at each other with, please.

So if someone doesn't like Obama's agenda, that now makes them racist? And how exactly can the GOP block Obama's agenda? The Democrats control both houses of Congress. They have a sixty vote super majority in the Senate. If Obama's agenda is in trouble, it's not because of the GOP or "racism." Maybe, just maybe, the Obama agenda is losing steam due to Obama trying to do too much that is too radical, and too quickly.

The liberal media is really hurting their cause, and Obama's presidency, by pushing this "racism" charge against his opponents constantly. People resent it, and rightfully so, considering it a cheap shot. If you're trying to support Obama, sell his programs, don't just use name calling against his opponents.

I mean, this couldn't be a serious article, could it? After all, it's a signed piece written by a history professor at a prestigious university, not some freshman going through the motions just to pass a course. Of course, judging by the comments here, many here seem to think the writer is serious. And here I thought Palin's supporters were the idiots!

Dan Rather will be be having a "special report" on Obama based on this "exciting new document" shortly.

With control of the White House and both houses of Congress, the Dems still can't seem to get their programs enacted. They can't blame the message (or the messenger), so instead they choose to blame the dastardly Repubs (who have historically low approval ratings) and especially the lunatic fringe, or even the MSM. How can people be so stupid as to not see our wisdom and trust us? So say most of the letters here.

Wake up - the truth is right in front of you. The people don't trust the governing classes, and that's both parties, and why should they? Bush's eight years took care of that for the Repubs; Obama's actions (as against the "change" rhetoric) over the last six months (Wall Street bailout, stimulus, etc., etc.) have had the same affect and discredited the Dems. The economy is still tanking job-wise, home equity and 401k's have dissappeared, and many people are really scared as to their own personal well being. The insiders and powerful and well-connected, in contrast, are bailed out and now doing just fine.

All of this is now being reflected in the health care debate. Understand the reality of their fears, Dems, or face the results in 2010.