If you feel that a candidate isn't like you and doesn't see the world as you do, then you doubt that once in office, he will work to perpetuate (if you are conservative) or transform (if you are liberal). And you fear he will do the opposite.

From experience, voters are cynical about government's ability to alter the economy and create good jobs. So promising those things doesn't profit a candidate. But voters know first-hand government's ability to reach into their lives and change the social fabric: Bus your kid miles to integrate a school. Let women kill babies (yeah, I know). Allow that weird gay couple up the road to adopt a little boy, and now we've got GLBT sensitivity training in the 4th grade, forchristsake! Ban guns.

So don't expect Obama to make gains in rural America. Those folks correctly see Obama as being different from them. But the difference has little to do with his race and Harvard education.

If you didn't think Obama could win, why did you want him as the Democratic candidate in this extremely crucial election year?

Here is what I am reading in this thread.

FROM THE LAND OF THE TOTAL IDIOTS:

1) I think anyone who would oppose Obama is racist.

2) There are lots of racists in America.

3) But I am going to vote for him anyway.

FROM THE LAND OF THE MERELY ILLOGICAL:

1) Most of the reasons anyone would oppose Obama stem from racism.

2) There are lots of small town racists in states that we need to win.

3) Because of racism Obama will probably lose, but I am going to vote for him anyway.

See how silly this is? You all have to believe racism is the reason that Obama will lose -- and this may be true -- but you voted for him. Now you whine because your fears may be proven true.

What were you thinking when you risked America's future on a candidate that you thought had no chance of winning?

Oh, I see. You knew there were racists in America but you had no idea how many.

I see a horse in the sixth race. He has no record of to speak of. He has run in claiming races all his life but now he is going up in class. However he hasn't had a good workout, he hasn't run this distance, he is not a good mudrunner, and it is raining like hell.

But omigod how I like those 50-1 odds! So I am going to bet on him because if he wins I could win big. I am going to bet my entire life savings and -- oh yeah -- the entire future of my nation which has fallen into the hands of despots.

NOT LIKELY.

But hey, for you big gamblers out there, I hope your horse comes in. I truly do. Our lives depend upon it.

I come from a one high school town that had 82 students in the senior class the year I graduated. I went into the service and never got back home; but the old saying is true, "You can take a boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy."

So much for my qualifications.

We have some pretty obvious problems with our government. I will not submit a laundry list here because I am limited to 1000 words.

We have two political parties. One that advocates a continuation of the policies that created the problems and one that advocates change and is specific about how that change should come about.

I don't care if the candidates own seven houses or if they are black, purple, or are from mars. I do care about the future of this country. The issues are crystal clear, more of the same or go in a new direction.

I am mystified by the voters in this "enlightened" country that can not see the importance of issues over personality.

If we have another eight years of the same, I'm afraid it might be Mexico and Canada with the immigration problem, but perhaps that's been foreseen and the fence is going up to keep us in.

Dear Rebbe,

Have you thought of starting your own PAC?

You sound so educated and dismissive of everybody else, I gotta think you are a Harvard Man.

You also sound like a trust fund baby. Was it you Michelle was talking about when she said, "Where is MY trust fund?"

And, again, my frems, why are you so surprised when folks just cannot trust this couple of aloof, entitled racologists based on their very real statements and their very real relationships and their actual actions over a 20 plus year period? Do you really expect everybody to be true believers like you, believing what they are actually quoted as saying in the past because they are singing a different tune today.

And why do so many people of your background and faith live like Episcopalians and vote like Puerto Ricans, Rebbe?

Everybody talks about "the Bradley Effect," whereby people say they aren't racist and have no problem voting for a black person for office, but once they get into the voting booth, they vote for the white guy. How about "the Obama Effect," whereby people who are afraid they'll lose friends, alienate family or start a fight with a spouse say they'll vote for McCain, but when they go into the voting booth they check Obama? I used to live in rural white America and I think this is a very real possibility.

The article proves to me that Americans will vote against their own interest, because they believe that the election is about a"beauty contest". Ignorance and unintelligence reigns supreme in the good old USA.

Whoa.

People voted for Obama because they agree with him. Unlike Hillary, he felt universal mandatory healthcare for everyone is just unrealistic. Most people agree with position. People voted for him because they didn't want to go through the whole Whitewater-Pardongate-Monicagate-Whitehouse Travelgate BS all over again. Her candidacy would have had different challenges, but challenges nonetheless.

McCain did Barack a favor. He has taken experience "off-the-table" with the Palin pick. McCain has served up the "judgement" issue to Barack's campaign on a silver platter. Its up to the Obama campaign to effectively take advantage of this. This week's PANIC by the Democrats has driven the polls. The repeated stories about Obama needs to get mad have depressed some of the polls. Dems are so used to playing defense, we have forgotten how to play offense. Shame.

Gas prices are going up. Palin's saber-rattling at RUSSIA, of all of the country's in the world, has shaken most sane people to the core. Her willingness to sign on to the Bush Doctrine, yet her lack of understanding of it, is fair game. Alaska, the WELFARE STATE, is also fair game. MAVERICK, MY ASS.

Yes, the Obama campaign was caught off guard and slow to respond (I'm not happy about this), but this is no reason to dismiss a fine candidate because of his inability to REACH OUT TO THE REPUBLICAN BASE. These folks have been voting Republican for more than four election cycles. They are Republicans. McCain has Republicans excited about his candidacy for the first time all year. Let's hope the Obama campaign changes that in the next two weeks.