While I strongly support Sen. Hillary Clinton, I don't believe the Democratic party can survive with a split between black and white voters, which is what the Rev. Jeremiah Wright seems determined to do. I wonder if Wright wants Obama to lose to prove his theory that America is a racist nation. I applaud Sen. Obama for distancing himself from the Rev. Wright's comments.

The Democratic National Committee needs to realize that there are 48 states which are sick of being held hostage by Iowa and New Hampshire. To placate these two states, the DNC risks alienating the voters in two huge states which the party will need in November.

The games which we witnessed being played yesterday at the hearing of the Rules Committee infuriated many of the more than 17 million people who voted for Sen. Hillary Clinton. So does the fact that many "superdelegates" refuse to vote in a way that reflects the opinion of the voters in their states.

The DNC is counting on voters having a short memory but I think they'll find it isn't just elephants who never forget.

Nice try but not so fast, my friend.

Millions of us, particularly women, would have celebrated the historic accomplishmnet of nominating the first female major party candidate for president, after all women make up more than half of the population.

We are tired of Obama supporters treating Hillary Clinton with disrespect. But more than that, we are worried that the Democratic candidate is inexperienced, associated with people who are bigots and that he has few substantive solutions for the problems we face.

You'd better try to convince us we are wrong instead of trying to guilt-trip us into supporting a candidate who had the deck stacked in his favor by the DNC and who did not beat Clinton in the popular vote.

Before we all start singing Kumbaya, Sen. Obama needs to mend some fences, particularly among working-class voters in traditionally Democratic states who either are having their votes being taken for granted or are being written off in favor of "new, young, educated" voters.

Since the Obama people seem to assume all of us who believe Hillary Clinton was by far the better candidate are so old, just be a bit patient, we'll die off soon. Then you can run as far to the left as you like and see if it works better for you than it did for McGovern, Dukakis and Kerry...oh, wait a minute, maybe you've never heard of McGovern or Dukakis?

Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. That's why centrist Bill Clinton is the only two-term Democratic president we've had since FDR and most of the other people we've nominated can't get in the White House once

It is the Obama camp which is writing off huge portions of the Democratic base, saying it will win by appealing to young, more educated, more affluent voters in traditionally red states.

I live in a state that has voted Democratic in the last two presidential election cycles but whose voters were stereotyped as bitter people who cling to guns and Gods, by a candidate who didn't spend much time talking to us.

We will see in November how his strategy works. If I am wrong in thinking it's a recipe for disaster, I will be the first to admit my error.

In the meantime, I hope Sen. Obama makes his case to voters like me who want to hear less about "change" and more about specific ideas.

Calling those who disagree with you "Cretinista scumbags" is certainly a way to change our minds about the candidate you support.

For the record, the DNC sent out a survey asking Democrats their opinion about its 2008 strategy of appealing to nontraditional voters in traditionally Republican states instead of focusing on states which have been in the Democratic column for years.

I understand that you and more than 17 million other people out there believe Sen. Barack Obama is a wonderful, talented, gifted politician. An equal number believe Sen. Hillary Clinton is by far the stronger candidate.

If Sen. Clinton had obtained the nomination, far uglier things would be said by Sen. Obama's supporters than are being said by Sen. Clinton's supporters. In fact, Sen. Obama won the nomination and his supporters continue to attack Sen. Clinton, her family and her supporters rather than rationally trying to convince us that he is the best choice in November.

It's not my job as a voter to expand upon Sen. Obama's positions, which I have studied.

It is Sen. Obama's job as the nominee to tell voters (some of whom are even more "ignorant" than me but are smart enough to cast a vote) why they should vote for him.

The assumption being made that I and other Clinton supporters have already decided to either sit out the election or vote for John McCain is one I hope the Obama campaign doesn't make about the millions of others who feel as I do.

Democrats such as Harold Ford have said that Sen. Obama must get off the podium and out on Main Street, to explain to voters why he is the best person for the job and to let them get to know him beyond catch phrases and sound bites.

Veruco Salt, I appreciate your thoughtful response to my postings, it is a pleasure to exchange thoughts with somebody who wants to discuss things without childish namecalling.

Should Sen. Obama come to my area, I may well go to hear him speak. Since I live in a place where many people were upset by his remarks about Pennsylvanians, I would like him to take the opportunity to come back and talk to us about what he really meant and more importantly, about how his election would impact regions of the country like ours.