I have always felt there was no real difference between Hillary and Barack, and I see myself proven right. This was a power struggle within the Democratic party. The 2 were exactly the same, establishment candidates, and which one won would not have made any difference. What made the difference is a group of people behind the candidates, since that group would have all the power. So Pritzkers were behind Barack, and they will get to wield the power now. The candidates were just mouthpieces. But these groups were the real winners or losers in the last election. Hillary faction within the Democratic Party lost. The most powerful thing in Washington is money, and money doesn't care about labels of Republican or Democrat. It only seeks power.

(e.g. Gen. John Singlaub, later to lead the ASC)

ASC = American Security Council

All presidents have campaigned for office based on personality and judgement. The difference now is that we have a entire branch of government that has abdicated is responsibility under the Constitution. Time will tell what sort of effect power has on the soul of Barack Obama, but the failure in government rests squarely on the shoulders of those legislators who falsely perceive that it is their role in government to support the agenda of the monarch, and not be a check on the power of the executive.

Barack Obama is a politician from the brass knuckles school of Chicago politics.

He is an educated and intelligent man. If his visions for America are worthy and generous, he will use his political heft to bring those visions to life.

If he has no clear visions his presidency could falter, leaving a vacuum just waiting for greed and corruption to fill the void.

No one knows how a president will meet his obligations until he actually begins to govern. I didn't support Obama in the primary, but he is going to be the next president and I wish him the greatest success, I look forward to supporting him when I think he's right, and respectfully criticizing him if I think he's wrong.

Good luck, Mr.President-elect.

I am fascinated by how much criticism and concern I am hearing regarding the nominations and appointments President Elect Obama is making. I am personally a proud liberal and a proud progressive, which ever label is most appropriate for those who might read this letter. I am also not only impressed with his choices but I am not the least bit surprised. Those voters who took the time to really dig in to who Obama really is as a thinker and a leader shouldn't be surprised either.

Obama was frequently criticized for not having any executive experience yet he ran his campaign like a seasoned and gifted CEO. His deliberate, organized and streamlined approach to the talent search for his coming administration is not only impressive but unprecedented.

President Elect Obama is widely known to be a gifted intellectual and a pragmatist who has a gifted fascination with what will work. He has chosen smart people that will carry out his vision for change. This is no time to worry about whether or not he as President will preserve a dated ideology.

Finally, we will have a President that can lead, think and manage at the same time with intelligence as his primary weapon. We shouldn't really care if he's the kind of guy we can sit and have a beer with. We should care if he is smart enough to get us out of this mess.

I'm feeling kind of sorry for Readerreader at this point.

Being infatuated and delusional leads only to tragedy, whether in love or politics. Worse, when you combine the two.

As for Obama infatuation, I imagine there is some of that, as well. However, as far as I can tell, unlike Palin infatuation it is mostly based on some relatively realistic assumptions in that here is a man of extraordinary intelligence, intellectual curiosity and excellent education (is there any doubt of that?); combined with an impressive temperament that is even, cool and magnanimous; a far reaching strategic sense and the discipline to carry those strategies forward (did you pay attention to the campaign?); a reasoned and temperate world view grounded in liberal understanding and a connection to the average person; a strong sense of family and moral values (watch him with his wife and children, it's not an act); all wrapped up in a certain wry personal warmth and an amazing, exceedingly rare, ability to inspire and motivate people to reach for their higher selves.

He may not be perfect, as he would be the first to tell you, but he is a damn sight better than anything I've seen come along in decades. Will he disappoint many, if not everyone, on some particular? Of course, that is the nature of things like governance. As for how he will perform on the whole as President, we have the future to supply us with that answer, but the signs so far are all positive.

Sometimes it is impressive how many column inches can be taken up with utterly idle speculation.

to Washington insiders. That is how he won the primary. The super delegates are the epitome of the Washington elite corps.

What IS rather fun to watch is that many of them backed Hillary.

I always saw that those backing Obama were the B team crowd, not the A team.

The real issue is what are WE (citizens) going to do. I don't have much faith in leaders. WE need to TURN THE BOAT and watch the foxes in the henhouse (including Obama). Obama is an intelligent man, which distinguishes him from the previous occupant of the White House. Is it me, or weren't Bush & Cheney creepy???

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In the last 8 years, the US was ruled by a gang of gangsters. Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld were only marginally "better" than Hitler/Guering/Himmler and Pailin is an incarnation of Torquemada, only less worldly. Even if Obama doesn't turn out to be a Noam Chomsky, Barney Sanders hybrid, we progressive and the entire nation should breath a huge sigh of relief.