As a scientist who works in the alternative energy field it amazes me that so many people on the left believe that we just need to switch to the new technologies but the man is holding us back while so many people on the right believe that we can switch to the new technologies when the price is right.

Both points of view show a profound lack of understanding of the process of scientific development. New technologies take money, and more importantly, time to develop. You can't just decide one day to switch to a better technology (whether because it's the "right" thing to do or because it's cost effective). You have to make an investment in developing that technology.

This lack of understanding is one of the major drivers for our pitiful progress and has been due to the pitiful state of our public science education. The right wing uses this lack of science literacy to denounce global warming, promote abstinence education, and say smoking is OK while the left wing uses it to claim vaccinations are causing autism, silicone breast implants cause lupus, or that "unnatural" toxins are the root cause of congenital diseases.

@senorplaid

"And, those were the ONLY states -- and therefore votes -- in the union."

With the electoral college system and current demographics, they ARE the only states that matter.

You don't get any more electroal votes for winning a state by 1 vote or getting 100% of the vote so your look at safe states is irrelevant. Obama's win in Alabama is as useless an indicator of the general election as Hillary's win in CA.

The Democratic nominee - HRC, BO, or Bozo the Clown - will win CA, NY, etc. The question has always been who can win the swing states.

Basically, if someone can win both FL and OH (Republican or Democrat) they win the general election. If the Democrats loose either MI or PA without winning BOTH OH and FL, the Republicans win.

I don't understand why some Obama supporters are so unwilling to admit this. It's reality, so join the reality-based community and explain how he's going to be more likely to beat McCain in states where he's already trailing McCain in the polls!

Some say HRC supporters can't count, but I say Obama supporters can't do algebra (learning algebra probably takes time away from attending pro-vegan poetry slams at coffee houses serving only conflict-free fair-trade organic coffee).

Rules for Obama supporters:

1. Anything negative Obama does is, by definition, no big deal

2. Anyone not supporting Obama is, by definition, a racist

3. If Obama insults anybody, it's their fault if they get upset about it

Granted LeBron isn't getting the kind of obnoxious calls Jordan got (even Magic made fun of it during a Dream Team press conference - he moved close to Jordan and said, "Don't get too close to Mike - you'll get a foul."

But Jordan still single handedly beat the Cavs back in the day repeatedly even when the Cavs had Price, Daugherty, and Williams (three all stars, two with FG percentages in the 90s if Im not mistaken) on the floor. What was Jordan's supporting cast? Pippen and Kerr.

What you really need is one superstar and one borderline superstar (one who can drive and hit threes). You can get by with a deadly three-point shooter and a superstar, but he's gotta be money from three-point land otherwise you'll be outmanned in the paint for the rebound.

"Mr. Gore lost them by 17 percentage points while winning the national popular vote. Mr. Kerry lost them by 23 points and the country by fewer than two and a half points,"

Is this data supposed to support the "path to victory" argument? News flash - both Gore and Kerry LOST THE GENERAL ELECTION. Hmm, what would have happened if Gore or Kerry had gotten a few more points of this demographic?

The problem is not that Obama may have trouble in WV or KY, it's that he'll have trouble with OH voters in the SE part of the state (similar to WV voters) and the SW part of the state (similar to KY voters). Plus, Dems never win Cincinnati's county. If Obama loses OH, he needs to get 2 out of 3 of MI, PA, and FL. HRC did better than BHO in all four of the critical states.

With Obama as the nominee, PA is probably safely Dem, OH and MI competitive, and FL a loss. With HRC as the nominee, PA, OH, and MI are safely Dem and FL competitive. That's a possible swing of up to 64 electoral votes!!!!