We are, alas, still officially a christian nation.

...but one thing is quite obvious. The single "flaw" most likely to destroy nearly any candidate, be it for a local, state or federal elective office, is a public declaration of atheism.

Sure, there are a couple of notable exceptions (nothing in this life is guaranteed!), but this is about as close to an iron-clad truth as we have in modern American political life.

"I admire...."

I am concerned about Obama. Terribly concerned. Downright worried.

The problem that McCain is an excellent debater. He prepares. He's sharp. He's on point. He doesn't meander around being contemplative and searching for a complex answer.

I listen to a bit on the radio. While I liked what Obama said about abortion, I concur with Joan. He just shouldn't have done this. If this was sort of a trial run for real debates, Obama better start preparation NOW. People who say that Obama will put McCain away easily are focused upon his speeches, his intelligence, and his eloquence.

Speech making is of little use in modern debates where mastering the sound bite is more useful. Yes Obama is intelligent but he does not think especially well on his feet. Eloquence is good. It will probably come in handy for him but it won't help him much to win on points. The debates won't be a pathos contest.

Why he would make himself vulnerable discussing religion before an audience unfriendly to him is peculiar. I heard that cheering for McCain. What was Obama thinking?

All I can imagine is that he was overconfident and sure that his faith would sustain him. Maybe he'd better take another look at that God-thing. God has always been on the side of the strongest battalion.

Klytus, I'm curious: Is the problem that you don't believe I admire the various things I say I admire about Obama? You want me to get right to pummelling him? Can't you accept both things are true -- I admire what he thinks he's doing, but I can also think he's wrong?

The projection, it hurts!

oversensitive?

Alan Watts, the great spiritual teacher, once said, "You can only preach to egos." In spite of what modern preachers say, people today aren't searching for answers to spiritual questions. They're searching for ego-preachers who will validate their self-centered natures. The title of Warren's book should be "The Ego-Driven Life."

OK, Klytus, I understand. I'll stop replying. You're heckling and looking for approval from your buddies, not having a conversation. Good to know. Good luck with everything, Klytus.

Obama’s performance was a little weak. The problem that Obama has is that he does not have a firm position on most of his positions. His answers change depending on who is asking the questions, and he never gives a clear answer any way. It looks like all of his mind control tricks are not working as much, because even the media can see it now. It is unfortunate that it took this long for people to begin to see what is behind the mask.

On an appointment sheet for May 22, 1945 President Truman jotted a note: "...and I don't believe in going to church for publicity purposes."

On another occasion Harry Truman wrote in his diary, February 8, 1948; "I go for a walk and go to church. The preacher always treats me as a church member and not as the head of a circus. That's the reason I go to the 1st Baptist Church." .... "One time I went to the Foundry Methodist Church, next door to the 1st Baptist, because Rev. Harris was Chaplain for the Senate when I was V.P. He made a real show of the occasion. I'll never go back. I don't go to church for show. I hate headline hunters and showmen as a class and individually."

Nuff said Mr. President. Apparently for modern presidential candidates about all a church is for is publicity. When are you going to wake up America. Campaigns are all smoke and mirrors where the candidates try to find the right combination of opinions and actions to get elected.

Remember Clinton promised the most ethical administration in history and then he got caught with his wick in the wrong lamp and lied about it. George Bush Senior said, "Read my lips. No new taxes." He raised them later. Lyndon Baines Johnson declared before his election, "I'll not send "Amuriken" boys to die on Southeast Asian soil." The following April he sent the Marines into DaNang. (I know because that was where my little Lance Corporal ass got sent---and I voted for Goldwater).

Mark Twain, "If you don't read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you bare misinformed. Substutute television news and you get the idea today.

A little on the sensitive side.

You liked what he said about civil unions? How about what he said about gay marriage? It's business as usual for the GLBT crowd I guess -- be grateful for your scraps.

That's the irony. You don't understand. You really don't.

Fast food Christian, at best.

The country is not intellectual enough to think past the 7th grade. I seriously doubt that any Democrat will be elected president in the next 20 years.

As a lifelong agnostic who has had to endure "group prayer" by public school athletic teams I was a part of, performing in public school Christmas Pagents that I had no feeling for, etc., the further Christian-izing of America does get under my skin.

But I also know that the past 7-plus years has been a living hell for any American with an IQ over 80 or the sensitivity of anything more than a brick.

Let Obama do whatever he has to do to pick up the relatively small handful of votes that put Bush in power...twice. We can deal with Barack's policy directions afterwards.

I've been looking for a post to comment on Obama's delivery style. I've noticed that he tends to think about his answers (which obviously is a great quality, and too rare in this soundbited-to-death Atwater/Rove-poisoned politcal arena we inhabit), but, while thinking, he tends to "uh" and "umm" a lot. This will not come off well during a debate, I fear. And yes, I want him to keep thinking deeply, and give the deepest, most honest, and most thoughful answers to questions, while, at the same time, I hope he will become more forceful and clearly assertive (i.e., lose a lot of the pauses, "ummms", and "uhhhhs", that now slow down his delivery) before the debates.