I know that Obama sincerely wants to rise above typical political mudslinging but his ardent supporters, who are so resentful when he gets splattered, are the first to turn vicious.On all of the different conversation threads I read I see Clinton supporters saying if Obama wins the nomination they will support him. Not so with Obama supporters if they don't get what they want they are going to pick up their marbles and go home.Is this because they are young and immature? Is it the independents who won't join a party and fight for real principles so they can lay back and be ironic and critical. This does not seem like truely strong progressive support to me,more like a personality cult.Voters who really want a change in policy and recognize the real trouble this country is in should vote for the winner whomever that might be.

I often wonder if those Obama supporters who proudly, righteously, proclaim that they will never taint their principles by voting for Hillary are familiar with the adage: The perfect is the enemy of the good.

It's a shame if they don't because people who are strongly committed to their political ideals often end up through their inaction or worse aiding those who despise those ideals. We have seen this repeated over and over again to the detriment of progressive interests.

You need look know further than the election of 2000. It's true that the Republicans, under the circumstances, were able to "steal" the election from a majority of the voters, but it was surely the Naderites' defection from the Democratic party that made those circumstances possible.

Part of the problem at this point is that the rhetoric of some Obama partisans has reached a level where stepping back becomes almost impossible. It's a free country and you can say what you think, but how helpful is it to call the Clintons racists? I have to think even the most vociferous Obama partisan has to know that this is not the case. I think he or she has to know that the Clintons are good people and not the caricature that the media and the Republicans like to portray them as.

I'll be voting for Obama if Clinton loses not because I think he's perfect. I'm gay and found the episode where he included a homophobic Christian minister (as well as others, of course)on a campaign tour through SC pretty repulsive. I assume he made the decision because he was in SC, because his almost certain victory will be built on heavy black turnout, and because there are black voters for whom this minister's message was attractive. Was it calculating? Yes. Do I see Obama as a conniving schemer who will do anything to become President of the US even if it means providing a platform to a man who routinely attacks one of the Democratic party's most faithful voting blocks?

No.

I'm not looking for perfection. I'm looking for the best candidate under the circumstances. Is electability an issue? You better believe it is. The primary season is our chance to choose who we think will be the best candidate to put up against Rudy, or Mitt, or John. Is it alright for us to disagree? Sure. In the end though, it makes more sense to me to come together with other voters to support our party's choice, even if it is Obama.

Independents everything I said up until the last paragraph still applies to you. You'll have to make you're own decision since you have not yet been convinced that the Democratic party represents your best interests.

Now let's have a clean fight, and may the best man, or woman, win.

Sorry. I know that's kind a of cheesy ending.

I grew up in the South and lived through part of the period referenced in the article. I believe that Mr. Obama can be elected. I just don't think he can be elected when running against the Clinton machine. If a white southerner said the same things about Mr. Obama he would be accused of racism and vilified accordingly. With former President Clinton its "just good old Bill, you know how he is. After all he was the first black president." Mr. Obama is running against a ruthless politician and will not survive it. That is unfortunate for him the Democratic Party and the nation.

It is true, Obama's historic run is heading south. It is not the expression of racial equality that it should be. That would come only if race was not an issue. Obama has exacerbated racial tensions as Hillary has with denials of gender differences.

These candidates are running for celebrity titles, not for public office. They are being convinced by special interests the prize needs winning at any and all costs, even if it means promising everything to everyone, sounding sincere and sympathetic to all , and never admitting that there is no political mandate from either party to support any policy.

Even a veto proof majority in Congress will not be sufficient. If we continue to play the race, religion and gender cards the parties will disintegrate into Liberal and Conservative divisions much more representative of the disparate nature of national constituencies, even more so than the shift in voters during the civil rights movements of the 60s and 70s.

The last thing we need is another flag-wrapping- shouting- march of hyphenated Americans.

We can solve any problem quickly. We gave done it before. As long as we have the resolve to face a problem without prejudice, and without fear. If we choose to support and defend an American culture, a culture of law and justice, we can keep our gender, our race, and our religion, from government intrusion. If we continue to insist on race, gender, or religion as a qualification for public service we are doomed by our bigotry.

The danger to any democratic state is that one orthodoxy gains the power to interpret the law for all. We have had this happen here throughout our history. We have been able to survive, not by the will of God, but by luck for the most part and the by extremism of most fanatical attempts to change our form of government.

Who we have on the Supreme Court is more important than the color, sex, or religion of the Justice or the candidate for President.

Obama is heading south. Hillary is heading south. We are heading south as a nation if we persist in coloring our history books.