Oh how differently this would have played out if the Clinton Corporation handled it. Instead we get a good look at how Obama handles controversy and conflict. He faces it with a sense of history, who he is, where he came from, determination, and eloquence.

It is unfortunate that race has become an issue in this election.

I must lead a a-typical life, because I do not interact with Afro Americans in my daily proceedings.

i did not read that Obama would eliminate affirmative action from the federal government.

The only Afro Americans that I see is the employees at my PPO which has a government contract with a affirmative action provision.

I think that it is unfortunate that affirmative action is part of our national life and wonder what would happen if this was eliminated from federal contracts.

I do see Afro Americans in all Hollywood products which makes them seem unrealistic.

After the Wright flap I'd pretty much decided to vote for Clinton in the upcoming NC primary... but I have to say, this speach might have put me back into the Obama camp. He really is saying true things here, I think, that speak eloquently to reasons behind both black and white resentment. Very very impressive. I don't know if they are enough to combat the photos of him with Wright and "Goddamn America" that will be floating around everywhere if he gets the nomination. But they do go someway towards allaying my concerns regarding his membership in Wright's church.

Nice speech. I don't have a problem with it or Obama as a result of his real past. In fact, it's good to see he has this connection to the black and radical community and he isn't quite the milktoast he's been playing.

But I'm an old anti-war activist who's convinced this isn't a time for those with a conscience to splinter and take sides for one Dem or another. It is not premature to call for loyalty and unity in the party. I don't care if it's repetitive; it can't be said enough.

What's scary is how few are making the call after all that has gone down already. The Republican party represents a minority in this country and yet they have ruled it for the better part of the last half century because Democrats are still busy eating their own tail.

But I'm not convinced this hasn't damaged Obama's chances considerably and leveled the playing field even more. It isn't the party faithful in this instance who are the problem, it's the fickle who cling to inept ideals rather than the reality of the American body politic.

There's one bumper sticker that counts in '08. Vote Democratic.

While I agree in principle with the idea that Israel and our irrational support of Israel is generally one of the causes of Middle East violence and terrorism, No One in America today can run a Presidential Campaign and win promoting the idea of distancing ourselves from or cutting off Israel.

Not Obama, not Hillary, and not McCain (especially).

The ugly truth is that the Jewish vote in this country won't allow it. The Christian Evangelical Vote (the people that only support Israel in hopes that the country spawns more Chaos so Jesus "returns" and kills the people the Right Wing disagrees -- FYI Jewish Friends this means you too) won't allow for it. The Mass Media will tar and feather anyone as Anti-Semitic for even thinking it. And the ability to raise any amount of money would be severely crippled.

Unfortunately, Israel is the obnoxious, loud uncle at the table of Thanksgiving politics you can't get rid and you have to sit next to nicely.

It is unfair to tarnish Obama as a "Neo-Con" because he can't do what everyone else can't do. The fact is, though, that under an Obama Presidency real peace with a real Palestinian state has a better shot than under John McCain. Under John McCain Mideast peace has no shot, and there is a high likelihood that at the end of a McCain Presidency the whole of the Mideast is a flaming atomic hole in the ground.

Which is better I ask?

That's a home run to me! Case closed let's move on, those who don't want to move forward will stick out like a light beam in the night.

Obama 08

Then no wonder we are where we are and we deserve what we have coming to us. srsly serious, the "Obama's Racist Church" meme has been around since he started running. We have over 800 bases in 130 countries around the world and the global economy is nosediving, yet people are deciding who to vote for based on a wedge created by guilt association smear jobs? WTF, that is about the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, we have gone through the looking glass.

You've got to hand it to dirty politics and a corrupt media when it comes to constricting critical thought, they get the job done.

Where's Clinton's Free Air Time? Where is her EQUAL OPPORTUNITY?

Clinton has been hated, blamed for everything under the sun, excoriated, slimed, and torn apart for people's amusement. Her gender is used as tool to further that hate but is laughed off by the nation and by the media.

(Need an example you haven't heard? Rolling Stone takes a video of Clinton supporters and makes fun of the older women on Bill Maher and no one says a damn word. If it had been blacks that RS was making fun of in the same way, people would have been outraged. But no, it was just women.)

Obama has one major problem show up and he gets an hour and a half wide open air time on every news station to everyone in the country to express his divine mea culpa. I doubt seriously that Clinton is EVER offered this in return.

So, where is it? Where is that equal opportunity for a woman? No word there. Not one damn word.

Oh, that's right. How dare she?