Four years of Hillary and Bill. Four years of bitterness and rancor. Four years of following Bill and his love interests. Four years of hidden scandal coming to the fore.

If Hilary wins the general election, there will be four years of civil war between the "red and blue" people. This country will be divided unlike it's ever been, in recent history.

Democrats say they are tired of partisan politics, then they go and nominate Hillary? Please!! How hypocritical!!

More analysis and less emotion please!

Here's what we have so far based on the results:

- A lot of the Red states that Obama won were CAUCUSES. These are not represenative of the electorate in those states. If anything they are strongly skewed towards the few Dems in those states. Look at the numbers of people who voted in those states. Most of these states are NEVER going Democratic. "Obama can get rural voters" is a myth. He can get committed Dems in rural areas in these states. But the states themselves are far out of reach for any Democratic candidate.

- Obama does carry independents more than Hillary. However, he is rather weak on the Latino vote. This will matter in key swing states like AZ, NM and others in the West. McCain will likely bite into a significant chunk of those votes v. Obama. And Obama's advantage with independents and some crossover Republicans is poised against a lot of white Dems who will never vote for an African-American - it's sad but that's just how it is. McCain gives them a relatively comfortable out.

- Regardless of all the unity stuff being touted for Obama, the truth is that big chunks of the electorate are reliably Democratic or Republican. What the November vote will come down to is the 10% or so in the middle. It always does, and it's showing in the polls.

- Given the electoral college system, the above translates into a few key states. Period. Who gets the advantage - McCain, Obama or Hillary? It's really completely unclear. Hillary will galvanize the Republican base, but that same base dislikes McCain. McCain will pick up independents just as Obama will. Nobody knows by how much. Hillary will get crossover Republican women; and more of the Latino vote against McCain than Obama will. Both Democrats have the advantage of going against a pro-war candidate, and the Democratic resurgence seems to be happening in states that both Obama and Hillary have carried.

All in all, nobody ought to be placing any bets this year.

...so whom did you vote for in the end, Ms Traister?

Clinton may have won big states but not by big percentage points. Obama won by a bigger percentage in hi shomne state of IL than did Hilary in NY, thus evening out delgates. HIllary on by 10-11 % in CA. Much f her vote came fomr "vote by mail" ballots cast earlier. Obam did jsut as well among whites as Hillary.

In all states Obam gets more votes from edcuated, white weklathy voters. Hillary is doing better among working class. Which proves people voting for Hllary are voting against their own best interests.

Obama will do better going forward. The delegates are almost even now. Even in CA where she won by 10%, yo have to look at what CD districts she won and how many delelgates are awarded in those districts.

I think I speak for all Obama supporters when I say that we are tired of Clinton supporters dismissing him as some brash, arrogant young upstart, ignoring that the same was said, more or less, for her husband---remember kids, all he had on the resume was governor of Arkansas before reaching the Oval Office. Not exactly heavy on the foreign or federal policy experience.

We're also tired of hearing that all he peddles is hope and little else. Go to http://www.barackobama.com/issues and read for yourself. The man does have ideas behind the hope.

Lastly, do not underestimate his wide appeal. He's raised more than twice HRC has this quarter and he's won over populations that will prove crucial this fall. Make no mistake, HRC is a formidable candidate and the very least you can say is that Obama has kept up with her rather nicely despite her name recognition. It is a far closer race than any HRC diehard would have imagined a few months ago.

Very subtle, but give it a rest. You and the rest of the 'media'need a wake up call. Firing Wolf and Tim would be a good start. Anybody with a name like Wolfgang needs to be reminded of who he is, really.

"on the day shift, on the night shift, on the late shift with the crying baby ... all those who aren't in the headlines but who have always written America's story."

I loved this line. Nothing is funnier than elite people talk'in 'bout shift work 'n day care, 'n unemployment - things they know nothing about having never experienced them. Hillary looks wonderful compared with Bush, but then anyone looks wonderful compared with Bush. Frankly, she is not a great speaker, but who cares? I would vote for anyone who can promise (and hopefully actually deliver) universal health care. Obama has about as much substance as cotton candy. If these two deomcratic candidates are the best the plutocracy can serve up, so be it, I'll take Hillary. Beggars can't be choosers, though we are sold the illusion that we are.

but I have a suggestion for Hillary when next she meets Obama. A smattering of Shakespeare is hard to beat, although those who are jealous of his genius try to disparage him as a "DWM". Here goes:

Here's flowers for you;

Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram.

The marigold that goes to bed with the sun

And with him rises weeping; these are flowers

Of middle summer and I think they are given

To men of middle age. You're very welcome.

There are two points in this. Despite all the hype, Barack Obama has passed his 45th birthday and is now in earlyish middle age. Nevertheless, the pompous pundits call him "Young" because that makes the mostly male gasbags feel good about themselves. The garrulous gaggle is not exclusively male because you've had Maureen Dowd "in extremis" babbling about Barack's pulchritude, princeling-ness and even going into geyser mode when writing about Barack's "feminine" side. It's not unknown for a woman of Maureen Dowd's vintage to have yearnings for a "toy boy".

I've just popped in for a minute or two and I hope my musings have proved "inspirational". as that sort of thing seems to be all the rage. Ciao!