Obama is inspiring and uplifting.

But in the words of Walter Mondale/Clara Peller: "Where's the Beef?"

The man is all sizzle, no steak.

that this primary will go this way right about now. No political commentator seems to like reminding us that this is not a dictatorship and the president's power, while greater than in other countries, is not absolute (recent developments and attempts to change this notwithstanding). Mrs. Clinton promises the world - a solution for every problem, a bird in every pot, a green job for every household.

Will such solutions be implemented ? Mrs. Walsh is the first one to admit that's hard to believe. All that Mr. Obama has promised is a change in tone, a different approach and a new swath of engaged voters who may feel, some for the first time, that this is their government as well. He is proposing that we start to change the process, yes. Obviously, if the process is all you know and have known your entire life, that is threatening.

There was a saying in the communist bloc: "We pretend to work, and they pretend to pay us". Perhaps if politicians such as Mrs. Clinton pretend to have the magic 100-bullet answers to the nation's problems, we can pretend to believe them. That way, we can keep the old reassuring faces and not have to, god forbid, _change_ anything.

He has an inner Fred Shuttlesworth, and he shows it around black folks, but he's scared to use it. And the inner Adlai Stevenson( a more apt comparison, Joan) aint working as much.

Olbermann wants some one to physically attack Clinton? Drug her? Tie her to a bed?

The woman is married to a former president. How on earth is this so-called strong Democrat supposed to disable Hillary. She is a strong Democrat herself. Anyone taking bets? I'll bet Hillary would be the one that emerged from that room, wiping off her hands. ;)

i loved "that letter" too. Obama has certain segments wrapped up, not all--but it doesn't hurt as much as some suggest that the nomination hasn't yet been decided. The rabid neocon snarl machine doesn't have anything to dig into until the process is over, which makes all their growling toothless and irrelevant for the next few months, by which time gas will be $10 a gallon and 14% of America will be sleeping in the street. The Dems will do just fine in November, whether the nomination is wrapped up in April or October.

Can you not see how Hillary's tactics have upset so many Democrats? As Thom Hartmann said, there are fair fights and there are below-the-belt tactics. Piling on Reverend Wright and the other Fox News faux outrages, especially during the ABC debate, construe underhanded and personal attacks, and avail us NOTHING as a party. NOTHING. Except helping McCain. Maybe that's the plan, I'd hate to think so. Reading diehard Clintonist letter writers would make you think so.

Hillary fights for Hillary. McCain fights for his Neocon puppetmasters. Obama is the only one left standing, bringing a new approach to the fights of the working man and the dispossessed.

Also, I strongly dislike your "elitist" imagery in your byline, intentional or not. "Obama needs to come down from his...pedestal."

How is this kind of language helping anyone?

I'm a mild obama supporter who hates about 2/3rd of obama supporters, and I give up. I've been traveling around college and I'm bleeping tired of being bombarded by fratdudes who have "Bros before hoes" stickers( I'm sure there are brothers who act like this, but I aint seen one yet, and Im lookin) and progressive brats who'se every fifth sentence to come out of their mouth is how much of B and a C Hilary is. I'm not one of Hilary's Rush limbaugh progressives, and no I dont believe that racism is dead. But christ on a cracker, Im sick of this sh*t. I knew Obama was going to pay for the Weatherman/Mailer/Easton ellis/50 cent fan vote, and if he doesnt speak up about this, he deserves to.

Just three small points:

1. Obama is no revolutionary. Appealing, yes, and idealistic but he lacks the killer instinct of the true revolutionary. He doesn't have enough experience to have developed such an instinct and, as a result, he cannot beat McCain. Pardon me but the terminology is appropriate -- Obama will be cock-blocked by McCain at every turn. We need to take some cock out of the equation.

2. Being raised by a single mother does not make one disadvantaged.

3. Ahhh, how interesting that Obama should read a letter from a 70 year-old male who thinks angioplasty questionable but Viagra a necessity. Back to point #1.

Was trying too hard to be a "One of us" with the blue collar Pennsylvania voters.

He should have gone with being himself and having fun with it. I don't think he lost votes over "Bittergate", the Wright scandal or any of that, but the long laundry list of attempts to mingle undercut his central message.

You can't try to be a straight talker and come off as pretending to be an everyman. You need to be who you are, because every facade cracks eventually.

The change we see in Obama is pushing away from that bullshit where the presidential nominee comes and pretends to like your brand of beer or your sports team, pretending to be your beer buddy- and in Pennsylvania he hurt that image.

He ran in PA as a politics as usual kind of guy, whereas his central message is distinctly not politics as usual. One can only hope that he learns from this mistake and manages to regain some of that lost momentum.

Joan-

You seem to admire Hillary Clinton for her ability to lay out specific plans and details (which probably wouldn't even make it out of her legislative assistants' office to the Congress)! Specificand detailed proposals are, to my mind, not the job of the President--broad outlines, yes. But the devil is in the details, and that is what legislative experts and capable assistants are for, in each specific field! No Presidential candidate can know what exactly is needed and will be able to be delivered to Congress in the kind of detail that Hillary Clinton puts forth. I see this focus on detail as a cover for her inability to inspire and wake up the people! Instead, she tries to "talk her way out of things" and puts us to sleep with all of the minutae--which is truly meaningless! And she knows it. This is not really her fault; it is her worldview and her style! She is a manager--and I am sure a good one. She is NOT a visionary, nor an empathizer. She is an excellent senator, possibly even a potential Supreme Court justice (that would take care of her Bill problem, wouldn't it)? But a leader who inspires and gives hope to the people--no she isn't! Obama may not be a detail person--he doesn't have to be! I am confident he will recruit the best people possible to work out the details of the many liberal programs he champions! And then he will use his gifts to convince the people and the Congress to make change happen! Just wait and see! I do believe this man has the potential of FDR--and that is exactly what he did!!!

Kate Madison

Depoe Bay, Oregon