The more I read about the Obama's and what they stand for, the more I feel that the Clinton's are not the right choice for the Democrats and America.

I have many reasons to pick Obama over Clinton. But for me, the most important issue is unity. I believe that Obama can unify this country and win a massive mandate from which to govern and reshape the political agenda for decades. On the other hand, I believe that Hillary Clinton, though capable of winning, will enable the red state/blue state madness that has poisoned this country to continue for four or eight more years.

I don't know what to think about this rhapsody for Michelle from the South Side of chicago. On the one hand, its so wonderful that black people are no longer really black (except in Jena, LA)and no longer different from any other human being. In fact, take out the refrain in this rhapsody (from the South Side, and the picture)and there would be few signs that Michelle from the South Side of Chicago has a distinctive cultural feature. On the other hand, I find it puzzling that the black perspective on issues are not part of the Obama campaign, as if its something we don't want to acknowledge for fear of disturbing the coalition. To whom is Traister's rhapsody sung--to those on the South Side or to those more northwest?

I have seen the Obamas all over the country, in every picture surrounded by mobs of adoring white people. But where are the pictures of Obama in the hood, Obama at Malcom X College or Fisk University or Jena, LA? Where are the Obamas among the brothers and the sisters? Where are the Obamas and the West Side of Chicago?

Jessie Jackson published an op-ed in today's Chicago Sun-Times in which he denounced Democratic presidential candidates except for John Edwards for distancing themselves from the issues of the working class, particularly the working class black American. Yes, the Iraq War is deeply troubling but so are bread-and-butter issues like a living wage, discrimination, opportunity, poverty. While we struggle to provide opportunities for illegal immigrants, to make sure that their children receive access to education and health care, it appears that the struggle to ensure that the working class American citizen has access to these same things has been overshadowed.

Get real, Michelle from the South Side of Chicago for real.

Let's make her the First Lady!

i had kind of written obama off, but maybe i'll take a 2nd look...

It's more a change of tone than even the promise of new policies. The sense - as corny as this sounds - that their hearts are in the right place. And their formidable intellects will follow.

"I'm Barack Obama...and I approved this puff piece."

Thanks, Rebecca!

That is a pipe dream, and a naive one at that, the republicans will never allow it. Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, and all the rest of the evildoers will not go away just because we have a candidate that wants everybody to join hands and sing kumbya.

Hillary knows how to deal with these people, she will get down and fight, and she won't stop, not even if her opponent is on the ground begging for mercy, she'll just kick him in the head. I like all of Obama's flowery talk as well, but all it will get us is another four years out of the white house.

Obama has never been tested, he won in a landslide against Alan Keyes, a candidate so crazy that most republican officials refused to endorse him. Unless Keyes ends up being the repulican nominee, then Obama would lose by a landslide.

Obama has been to Howard and Hampton. He has been to Black neighborhoods in Greenville, South Carolina. Just becasue you did not see it doesn't mean it didn't happen. He is not running for Alderman, he is running for Presoident of The USA in the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary.

It would be so refreshing to have a president who is smart, thoughtful, moral, fresh, and courageous.

Check out today's Zogby national poll of 9000+ voters.

General results: Clinton will lose to any Republican who is nominated, Obama will beat any Republican who is nominated, Edwards ties all the Republicans. Hillary's numbers have fallen, belief in Obama is on the rise. Check for yourself.

Obama is the candidate who will lead us into a future with less rancor and division. The moment a mixed race president with the name Obama is elected our relationship with the rest of the world changes for the better. Hillary is the candidate who will drag us through the nineties again. It's unavoidable. Her campaign staff is made up of the same people who worked for her husband. Who wants to fight those battles all over again? Time to move on with Obama.

No matter who is elected, the republicans will see to that, and no, Obama cannot win in a general election, not even close. The polls are all over the place right now, but if Obama got the nomination, the republican slime machine will go into full gear (which it will no matter who gets the nom), and he would do worse than Mondale in 84.

Hillary is running ahead or even in most polls, and once the public sees what a fierce fighter she is against the republican monsters, they will fall in line behind her. She can win the states Kerry won, and Bill will live in Arkansah in the weeks leading up to the election, and deliver her the one state she needs to pull out a win.

With Obama, you won't have to worry about living through the 90s again, you'll just be living in the era of Bush's chosen successor, I'll take the battles of the 90s any day over that.

What you don't realise is that the Republican slime machine doesn't work anymore.

It has failed, repeatedly, due to the fact that it has been so over-used that people no longer pay any attention to it. As a trick it was a powerful one in its day, but like all one trick ponies, the Republican slime machine has started to look tired.

Obama has been tested, he was tested in Illinois and he was tested in the Senate. He actually has more experience then Hillary Clinton when you come right down to it, and anybody who thinks Hillary is a fighter should maybe look at her voting record. It isn't so much that she votes Republican, its that she is your prototypical beltway Democrat, right down to the cowardice.

Obama is a strong candidate, and he stands a chance of unifying America, the question really should be, does America want unifying? After all of the Republicans acts over the last few years, do you want to let bygones be bygones?

If so, vote Obama. If not, vote Edwards. That is the real race if you want a decent president, Obama V Edwards, because both offer a good direction you can take; Obama will unite you and bring calm to the nation, Edwards will fight like hell to hold people accountable - which won't unite or calm you but might prevent this mess happening again, and will mean getting a fighter.