You said: Some Clinton supporters are voting on gender, and this group tends to be forthright about why this is the issue that matters to them. I think this is a terrible reason to vote for anyone, but it's a free country.

Do you agree also that Obama supporters who are voting for him based upon his race are also employing "a terrible reason?" In other words, if the main part of a black Obama supporters reason for supporting Obama is that they share an identification with him because he is black, do you think this is "a terrible reason?" Obama is drawing about 88% of the black vote, so at least some of these people must be supporting him based upon race.

It has been quite puzzling to me that throughout his campaign that many Obama supporters have become quite hostile to female Clinton supporters. We have been ridiculed for supporting Clinton because she is a woman. Many times I have listed reasons why I support Clinton only to have those reasons discounted. Obama supporters seem to have trouble seeing that Clinton supporters might have varied reasons for their support. The fact that Hillary Clinton is female constitutes only a small part of my reasons; her position on health care is my primary reason. I see my reason as just as legitimate as those who support Obama because they make assumptions about his opposition to the Iraq War.

But let's pretend for a moment that 100% of my support for Clinton was because she is a Democratic woman. Why should I be criticized for this and Obama supporters given a pass for supporting Obama? They often say that they want to see the first African American president. I would be thrilled to see the first female president (as long as she is a Democrat). What's so bad about that? If that's bad, then voting for Obama based on race is bad also.

Experts and editorial boards have given the idea a thumbs down, reasoning that such a tax break would actually make people drive more.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-nacamp03,0,4478421.story

Hey.

I think there's a fallacy in your thinking, but I'm not sure I can articulate it. I'll try, though

You write: "They often say that they want to see the first African American president. I would be thrilled to see the first female president (as long as she is a Democrat). What's so bad about that? If that's bad, then voting for Obama based on race is bad also.

My first response was, "Well, I've never expressed a desire to "see the first African American president," so I was going to mention that, but it occurs to me I have articulated a variant of this theme. It's an important variant, imo.

I've expressed what it would mean to me to see Obama as president, literally, up there in the Oval Office, but rather that, the idea of an Obama presidency is so foreign to everything I've come to accept as the status quo in this country, it's rather inconceivable to me.

In short, Obama's election would reflect well on the American people, to me, not on black people.

It's not, in other words, strictly speaking, identity politics in my case. It's not that I identify with Obama, although I do, in many ways (not many Ivy League negroes males in the world), it's that I know Fox News watchers will never identify with him and so if he can somehow overcome that, it would speak well both to his political/charismatic skills and to America's tolerance and willingness to meet him halfway.

So yes, I want to "see the first African American president," but (and here's the crux) it's not an end in itself.

Rather, it would reflect something good about the country.

What that means to me is that if Obama were only able to win by pandering as Clinton does, the victory would be a hollow one indeed and I would no longer be able to celebrate the achievement.

Do you see what I mean?

To me it seems the only way Clinton can win is ignobly and I'm not sure what the value of a national, ignoble mandate is.

So while I too would like to see a female president, I would only like to see one if it means something.

For me, having been raised by a strong feminist mother, pretty much everything about her rings hollow.

So if you believe that Obama really just stands for "a black guy" and Clinton stands for "a white woman" then yes, I see your point.

But Obama is so much more than "a black guy" that I can't accept that his race is a consequential factor in my decision-making.

I also supported Howard Dean.

The common denominator? Outsidership, reform, (relative) intellectual honesty, etc.

Remember when Dean said we should prepare for the day when America's not the only remaining super power anymore and the whole fucking pathetic party, Kerry leading the charge, crucified him as a Frenchman?--waxing indignant about how we'll ALWAYS be strong and so why prepare for failure, girly man?

Ok, I see I've digressed, but hopefully I've made some points along the way and my train-of-thought isn't too opaque.

You sound like a broken record, a broken instrument that plays only one note, you are the constant drone of a monotone, you're beyond all comprehension and good hope.

"I've expressed what it would mean to me to see Obama as president, NOT literally, up there in the Oval Office, but rather that, the idea of an Obama presidency is so foreign to everything I've come to accept as the status quo in this country, it's rather inconceivable to me."

I know this is a bit off topic and I have no interest in getting involved with the inane political cheer-leading here, but I have read a few posts that completely misunderstand the consequences of the so-called gas tax holiday.

Cutting the gas tax encourages people to drive more, thus using more gas. This puts more strain on supply as well as refining capabilities. Simple economics dictates that in the long run more demand will ultimately increase the price of gasoline. I repeat, the suspension of the gas tax will increase the price of gasoline. The sensible thing to do would be to raise the gas tax. This would help to push the market toward energy alternatives. It would also help to push people and communities to begin to think about reorganizing the way we live.

I understand that people are having a difficult time with the rising prices of virtually everything (except wages), but these type of short term fixes, like the gas tax holiday, are akin to putting a band-aid on a sucking chest wound.