And this is very accurate. Obama MUST push his upbring down small town America's throats. The RNC knows just what buzz words make them afraid like "elitist" and "Un-Christian." You can't judge small town Americans for this any more than you can judge "city folk" for having higher pay and agnostic beliefs. We all want to align ourselves with someone we feel understands us. It is imperative that the Democratic party shows that they can be empathetic to the multiple cultures of America.

Voting for someone you can relate to, someone who "seems" like you is the best way to waste your vote.

Marketing science has reached the point where a pig with lipstick can be made to seem like Marilyn Monroe.

The same marketers who flatter us into thinking that choosing a brands of toothpaste is an expression of freedom have gotten us to think that choosing a candidate is a personal expression of morality.

A co-worker, engineering department, not an exact quote, but close: " I can't believe that after they attacked New York (9-11) we would elect one of those towelheads president."

But he's a devout Christan evangelical, so no suprise.

"There's a difference between racist and prejudiced,"

...tells you all you need to know about The Reds.

And they try to make us think they can't grasp nuance!

And the people around here think that Obama's alright.

these people would vote democrat anyway. I've heard many people say the vote for the man, but have never voted Democrat. Fox News wins. Good does not always triumph...Still, maybe we can outnumber them.

Ah yes... and we should continue to pretend that "complicated" views of Obama are not just plain old racism. OK... whatever.

This country is toast. If these are the people deciding this election then we are done. People who can not explain why they "just can't relate" to Obama should be asked this question "If all else was equal, but Barrack Obama was a white protestantwould you vote for him?"

I bet I know the answer.

In the end, I don't want someone I can relate to in the White House, I want someone smarter, and more capable then myself in there running the show... Corporate boards don't hire CEOs based on how well they "relate", they hire them hopefully based on performance, vision, and leadership, and maybe brain power.

I've read countless theories about the psychology of American voters and why they so often cast a ballot against their own interests. But none of them are as satisfying as the concise explanation presented by Bill Maher:

"Americans are so narcissistic that our candidates have to be just like us. That's why George Bush is president."

Published in an article entitled, "Republicans, Stop Calling Obama Elitist" Subtitle: "Because the real reason you don't like him is that he's smarter than you." Saturday, September 6, 2008 by Salon.com

Mr. Hoyle's article is further proof.

what?! the democratic party is a rainbow, for crissakes. and anybody who doesn't know "who barack obama is" either isn't paying attention or clearly doesn't want to. and the whole idea that these "working-class people" -- said through clenched teeth -- aren't familiar with any blacks like obama because he doesn't fall into their abnormally narrow stereotypes of us is gotdamn RACISM. call it what is.

ugh, i'm sick.

Do we really have a contingent of people in this country whose excuse for not voting for Obama is:

"Well, I don't trust anyone who isn't an under-educated provincial hick like me..."?

I guess the GOP will run self-proclaimed "f**king redneck" Levi Johnston (father of Bristol Palin's baby) as soon as he's old enough...:-P..

... and probably would have swung Hillary's way if I was asked again when it became a two-way race.

However, OF COURSE I will vote for Obama come November. Who in their right mind would ever vote another Republic into office again after the last 8 years?

I don't have to like the guy (and neither does anyone else) to vote for a better country!

... darn typos ;)

Since McCain announced that he selected Sarah Palin to be his running mate, I'm seeing some white men moving to Obama. I don't sense that it has anything to do with sexism, ageism, racism, or white guilt. I think it has everything to do with Mrs. Palin's credentials.

I don't know if this is unique to me and the people I know. I should also point out that I live in Arizona, which makes it more unexpected since McCain has never faced any serious competition being re-elected to the Senate.

I would think the better question is, will the candidate work for me.

I wish the media would call it like it is,RACISM!

That there are people who feel this way. On NPR the other day I heard a man say very stupidly that Sarah Palin was just like people in southern Oregon in that she hunts, fishes, and rides snowmobiles. Well, the fact is, I have friends in southern Oregon, all of them (for I have no conservative friends only family) are liberal and progressive. They work, they have money issues, they hate the war in Iraq. They hate the Bush administration. These people are not being given a voice and neither are all the black people in this country who I know will vote for Obama. This Sarah Palin thing is a joke and even in Salon with the feminist hand-wringing and WHAT DOES SHE REPRESENT?!! How do we defeat her? Man or woman, she's a backward dope being taken way too seriously. (I see she had to respond immediately to Matt Damon's criticism of her. Hey from Matt Damon? You'd be crazy not to respond.) It's so simple. GWB and his pals have gotten rich and fat at the expense of the American people by raiding the treasury and sending innocent people to their deaths. They're corrupt. Where's the endless handwringing about that? Rub these people's noses in it, don't let them ignore it.

People are racist, big deal. Pound the truth into their heads every goddamn day telling them why most thinking people prefer Obama to McCain. The McCain prison camp footage is outrageous to me after having seen parts of Phil Donahue's documentary on returning Iraq veterans on PBS. Why isn't more of GWB's and McCain's carnage plastered all over the effing place? I can understand why not on the MSM, but here? Why not? At the RNC they were allowed to sweep GWB and his policies under the rug and pretend they don't exist. Don't let them for christ's sake. So they're racist, so they're stupid, that's news? Ever lived in Florida? What I'm seeing here is a country catering to the transients and snake handlers of the swamps of Florida and I can't believe my eyes.