Nothing contradictory with acknowledging Palin (Kay Bailey Hutchinson or other R long list VPs) would not be on the ticket if Hillary was on the Dem ticket. It is about strategy. Palin would have no momentum for the R's if Hillary was in the race. Hillary's hard work and the millions donated to her are now being effectively pilfered from the R party (at least in the short term.) Most effective campaign finanicing award goes to McCain!!! Free media with his internet commercials and now hijacking Hillary's spent millions.

Time for change is now. Obama must realize he NEEDS the Clintons. He fought against the Clinton appeal and tried desparately to displace them and disrespected a former D president -- whose programs were the very programs that he and his wife worked with to get where they are... Whose 92 Campaign was his playbook -- until now. Now, is the time to be original. This is a real test to Obama, and I am interested in how he will respond. It will be decisive for me. If I had the last name Clinton I would help but don't know if my heart would be in it. If your heart isn't in it, it shows. . .

"this forehead-smacking reality: Come January 2009, this country will have either a black president or a female vice president."

That will change things about as much as electing Democrats did to stop Mideast wars.

"the disappointment of Hillary Clinton's supercharged but failed presidential bid."

Hillary is/was nothing without Bill. HE got her the job in New York. HE got others to play nice with her. Not, IMHO, because he loved her but because he had his eye on getting back into the White House via her. The are both hustlers and power-seekers.

"Palin's positions should be enough to warn Democratic women (and men) to stay far, far away."

Yes. No Democratic men have Down Syndrome kids, much less love them. It might keep them from watching re-runs of 'Sex and the City.' " Besides, like Nazis, feminazis want only perfect, care-free kids.

"she is opposed to abortion even in cases of rape and incest."

Rape or incest, of course, defined by Red Queen fembots to mean whatever they want the words to mean. Like the "health of the mother" meaning being bummed-out after pregnancy, worrying about caring for "unwanted" children the same wimmin feel free to force men to care for.

"Palin is a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association"

And what a terrible group THAT is! Thank yaweh there was no NRA in 1930s Germany or Jews might have had some say over their ultimate fates.

"by dint of her gender alone, Palin could stand in for Clinton, who spent years being fire-forged for her place in history."

Puhleez! Hillary got to where she is by seeking out, dating, and marrying an ambitious man. She played Lady Macbeth to the hilt. She's as "fire-forged' as a general's daughter during war.

" it will reopen a debate about whether Barack Obama should have picked a female vice president, or more specifically, Hillary Clinton."

If Hillary had been chosen it would have doomed Democrats more than they already are. It would have made Obama look like a mama's boy mouse. It would have united the country against the Arkansas Hustlers, too. Americans who want "no more years" off Das Clintonistas. PLUS it would have rallied every man in the country to stop a Bitchosaurus Uno from being elected.

"Biden also wrote the groundbreaking Violence Against Women Act"

Another reason to vote Republican. Talk about pandering! Men are the biggest victims of violence, and equal victims of DV, yet leave it to a male-feminists to selfishly focus laws only on women...already the more pampered gender.

"Obama...none of his final top three candidates for the job were female."

Thank Dem-Fems for that. They clamored so much for Hillary that it tied Obama's hands. If he picked any other female it would have looked like he was snubbing Shrillary AND being a lapdog for femininnies.

"putting a woman on the... ticket...blunts the... argument that McCain has entirely lost his maverick edge [and] keeps Obama's from being the only history-making candidacy..."

Yes, yes!

"Democrats...[let] the work that Clinton and her supporters did to get co-opted by their Republican opponents."

That happens when gender politics blinds a party: It gets arrogant.

"You can't be too tough on a woman in a debate, or can you?"

Depends on how equally you treat her. It's amazing, though, how many rough-tough-fierce "wimmin" still expect to slap men and not be hit back in turn. Or mock a man for crying while canonizing Hillary for doing same.

Rebecca, I only hope it was either a direct order from Walsh that you write this or that you were well-compensated.

She wanted to be president. I can't see her playing second fiddle to anyone. Everyone I know thinks she would have tried to be another Cheney, and tried to control Obama. Whether she could do so or not is irrelevant: the perception is that she could not have worked with or for someone above her, that for her it was all or nothing. That she would have undermined Obama every chance she got until she had the power.

The only thing we could imagine her doing was Secretary of State, or Health, or some really high cabinet post, and running again in four or eight years.

Just joined today. That's why I have one letter. I like Palin. I like strong women who defy stereotypes. I vehemently disagree with her on abortion and other Libertarian issues, and am much closer to Obama's position on that issue. You can drool, cheerlead and accuse all you want. Some people have more complex views than you. You are a Pavlov's Dog for the Democratic party. Drool, roll over, bark, bite, drool some more. I am a Libertarian observer. Maybe Howard Dean has a chip in you r head? Ironically, you are exactly what you accuse me of being for Rove. A reflexive partisan stooge.