BTD, you really live up to your screen name. (And the loveable part, I agree with that too!)

There is a comment in another post about an Obama supporter saying "I heard him speak" as his reason to support BO.

If that's all it takes...hasn't all of America already "heard him speak"?

And didn't half of Dems want someone else?

And if he really is/was so inspirational, why didn't he blow HRC out of the water with voters after Super Tuesday in February?

And why did he only win via Super Delegates?

And why - seriously - isn't he ahead of McCain by 25 points in the polls right now?  I mean, these are his glory days...but the "old man"/Bush II is right there with him?

I have my answers to these questions?  What about some answers by a BO supporter or two?

This is a sincere question for Obama supporters: What is the difference between Bill Clinton's "triangulation" (bad) and Obama's "postpartisanship" (good)?

To me, they both sound like two sides of the same coin--with the difference that Clinton was operating in a political (massive GOP majorities in Congress) and ideological (no post-Bush implosion, no blogoshphere/media critique) environment far less hospitable to the enactment of a progressive agenda.

"I would die and slit my wrist before I'd vote for Obama," said a Silver Spring woman in the Clinton volunteers section who gave her name only as Edith. She wore a sign pinned to the back of her Hillary T-shirt proposing: "Remember in November: vote present."

Make sure you go sign the DSCC petition and tell them what you think, what you value, and who you will vote for!

Here is what I sent:

You want my congratulations?

I can't congratulate someone who did not earn the victory. This is how Bush "won" the presidency, twice, with no Democratic leader standing up for the truth. You rolled over then, but I will not roll over for you.

If you want my vote, you'll need to earn it.

Obama and the DNC have a lot to apologize for and a big hole to dig themselves out of. I need to hear explicit apologies for the misogyny, for the smears, for the lies, for the obscene gestures by Obama(It is on tape, don't deny it along with your references to sexist rappers.), for the bitter talk by Michelle Obama(the interview is on tape, don't deny it. I guess I'll just have to "think about it" like Michelle).

Smearing my candidate and  myself by calling us racists doesn't make me want to vote for you. Won't get money for the DNC. Doesn't keep me in your party. And let me be clear about this. The Democrats left me, I didn't leave the party.

I was a lifelong Democrat, but I am re-registering as an independent. You have been clear in your messaging that women are not valued. Women are not accomplished, women do not count. Don't blame Hillary, this is all on you. Obama, the DNC, Howard Dean, Donna Brazile.

Obama's behavior has been immature and similar to the frat-boy currently occupying the oval office. It is conduct unbecoming to someone aspiring to the presidency. I don't like it in Bush, I don't like it in Obama. I won't accept it and most certainly I won't vote for it.

Howard Dean has ignored the sexism and misogyny in the media and from his candidate. By the sin of omission he has personally embraced and furthered the misogyny. I wrote and called him repeatedly, asking him to stand up against it and all I got was silence. Donna Brazile has been a huge disappointment to me as has Claire McCaskill. Women may choose to support a male candidate, I've got no problem with that, but they do us all a disservices when they propagate lies and smears about a woman candidate, especially when she is a fellow Dem.

Dean's and McCaskill's comments now are late and lacking. Empty because it is long past the time when they could have helped the situation. Along with Obama's race baiting (remember he admitted he was responsible for the memo on a publicly televised debate) you have created the division you now fear. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Unity is a two-way street. You don't get to batter my worth day in and day out and then tell me I have to to give you my vote. That dog don't hunt. I have an education, a brain, and I have money. I am the creative class Obama thinks he owns. I support those that support me.

This is what crystallized my resolve.

"No self respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her self." - Susan B. Anthony, 1872

Words of wisdom. Words of a woman who knew the score long ago. Words that still ring true today. Words to live by.

You are not entitled to my vote any longer, or my money. I will consider voting for a candidate that demonstrates they have the experience and accomplishments to get things done. Someone who cares about the issues I care about and proves to me he or she will work tirelessly to deliver the results to me.

Voting present does not show me Obama vigorously supports women's issues, I have no confidence in his votes or voice. Don't tell me McCain is pro-life. At least I know where he stands; I have no clue what Obama "hopes" for or what he will "change". I have seen no evidence he can change anything except increase the lack of civility in the campaign and malign other Democratic candidates.

The only "Change" I see is a "Democrat" stealing votes that he didn't earn. You stole 600,000 votes from Michigan Democrats that did not want you. The DNC gamed the primaries by refusing to do the right thing by Florida and Michigan (BTW, good luck with them in the General Election). You can scream that Obama has more delegates until you are blue in the face, if you counted all the votes, Hillary would have more delegates in addition to already having more actual votes. Your actions disenfranchised 18 MILLION Democratic voters. 18 MILLION. More than anyone else in the history of presidential primaries.

Your "rules" won't matter in the General Election.  Only the electoral college map counts there and you obviously haven't looked at it. You didn't follow your "rules" anyway. Some of us actually read the rulebook. We know where you lied and what you did. We know that others received waivers for the same actions that Florida and Michigan took. We know it was within your control to do the right thing and incredibly short-sighted to do what you did. We understand fair reflection and how you ignored the rule requiring both Fair Reflection and PUBLIC meetings and decisions rather than back room antics. Either follow the rules or don't. But if you don't, please to try and take the moral high ground. Obama made a political decision to take his name off the Michigan ballot because he wouldn't win there. He isn't entitle to any votes. He also violated YOUR rules by holding a press event in Florida AND running ads on TV in Florida, by your RULES he is not entitled to ANY votes in Florida. Those chickens will come home to roost in the general.

I'm not unreasonable, but I'm not stupid. Don't lie to me and think I won't call bulls**t on you.

So if you want me to consider you for my vote in any election (senate, house, presidential, school board, whatever):

Tell what is in it for me. After all, you are applying to work for me. I have a right to know what you will do in the job, why you think you can accomplish your stated goals, and how I know you will follow through on your promises.

Tell me how you are going to get me TRULY UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE. Not the watered down proposal Obama has. Talk about selling out to the healthcare lobbyists! How will you cover every one and achieve cost savings by spreading the risk across all. I don't need more "wins" that feed the pharmaceutical industry with nonnegotiation clauses.

Tell me how I can trust that you will support issues that are important to women, I need facts and accomplishments not pretty words.

Tell me how you will turn the economy around, specifically. Tell what actions you will take to get new jobs.

Tell me how you will fix the educational system. Both K-12  and getting more people into college without horrendous loans. What about a plan for retraining laid off workers. Let's not just talk about college for HS students, lets talk about getting older people and current workers back to college or into college for the first time. How do we fund that? They will be in the work force for a long time, they need skills.

Tell me how you will insure my retirement. I've paid into Social Security and Medicare all my life. I want my benefits fully funded. Don't tell me you will cut them. If you do, give me my money back so I can retire when the time comes. Get me Health care so I  don't have to worry about what happens to me then, or choose between eating catfood and buying medicine.

Tell me how you will nominate for the Supreme Court. How many women will you nominate or confirm? We are more than half the population! Will they be pro choice and pro constitution? How can I be sure you will follow through on your promises?

How will you restore the constitution? How will you hold the telcos responsible for their wiretapping? They knew it was illegal, voting for their immunity will not earn my vote, quite the opposite.

Tell me how you will support our veterans, past and present. How will you protect my parent's benefits EARNED in the Vietnam war? How will you provide for returning soldier's needs without taking away from my parents? The VA is already broken, as is the military, how exactly will you fix this?

Tell me about the role of women in your administration and in your appointments - will they approximate the percentage of women in the country? Or how about going with the percentage of women that USED to make up the Democratic party? That would help, but you really need to apologize without equivocating. You were wrong and you need to own up to it, then start working hard to make it right.

I don't know what I will do in the GE at this point. Hillary has been extremely gracious to Obama, but still they bash her and say she hasn't done enough. Of course  she has tried not to damage him throughout the campaign, regardless of what he and his supporters have said. (BTW, deal with your whiney obnoxious supporters. They have lost you almost as many votes as you have driven away yourself).

I value Hillary's experience, persistence, courage, and tireless campaigning. I haven't seen those qualities in Obama. I have been working in Biotech and High Tech since I graduated from college. I look at this as a hiring decision. When I hire someone for a job, I look at what they have accomplished, not what they say they can do. I look at what they have actually done and the skills those accomplishments demonstrate. I don't see much from Obama. He may complain that Hillary doesn't respect his accomplishments, but he should be more worried about the fact that no one knows what they are. His supporters can't articulate them, he doesn't talk about them, and his resume is very thin.

Obama can point to his speech on Iraq all he wants, but it is just words. At this point I don't even know whose words they are, Deval Patrick's? Axelrod's? Some anonymous speechwriter? I didn't see any actions to back it up. He never stuck his neck out when it counted or when there was any risk. Seems like his goal is just winning and cashing in, not working for me. Prove to me I'm wrong. And apologize for your wrongs.

To the Senate Democratic Caucus. I'll be looking at how you have acted and voted also. Those who dissed Hillary and made sexist remarks or stood by and said nothing don't demonstrate what I need to see in a candidate.

My money and votes will go to those with a clear strong voice on the values that used to be central to the Democratic Party I joined long ago. My money and votes will go to those who strongly and openly support women: their issues, their advancement, and their opportunities.

Visible strong actions are what I'm looking for, pretty words won't get the job done and won't get you hired. I've been in the real world long enough to know what to look for. Pretty words, immature actions, and lack of accomplishments aren't a recipe for success. Prove I'm wrong about you and you could get my vote.

Take me and my 18 million friends for granted and you will lose miserably.

And you also better stop slamming Hillary. No one else has ever been hounded to drop out of the primary, certainly no one who had more popular votes than the other candidate. Kennedy, Edwards, Bradley... look at history.

Hillary has been more than fair. The 18 Million Hillary supporters will not go to Obama if he doesn't earn them. Stop saying this is Hillary's job. Obama needs to step up and take responsibility for his actions and EARN something. He won't game us like he did the system. He won't bully us like he did in the Caucuses. (and BTW, get rid of the caucuses. Not democratic. not fair. not just).

If Obama loses, he will only have himself to blame. His nomination is illegitimate now. He took what didn't belong to him because he was desperate to win at all costs. He wanted it badly and he got it badly. Stop digging the hole and take responsibility for it. Stop blaming Hillary and her supporters. Be an adult for a change. Maturity in a president would be a nice change.

I'm not bitter and I don't cling to guns and religion. I am intelligent and a do cling to my vote. It is my right. I don't owe you anything, you work for me. Support me and I will support you,

So get busy if you want my vote. You don't get it automatically. You don't get it for nothing. Tell me what is in it for me. Show me what you have done for me in the past and tell me how you will do what you say you will do for me. Prove to me I should believe you.

To summarize, let me give you the take home message again. Get a tattoo if you need to, but remember it if you want 18 Million votes.

Just got this message from the administrators at MyDD:

Tone down the accusations of racism and playing the race card.

" if Obama and his supporters try to spread smears against McCain as they have done against Clinton -- accusing him falsely of racism, for example -- I will be all over those smears, doing everything in my power to expose them for what they are."

The quoted passage is from a post I made at MyDD.

And it radicalizes these good guys, at long last -- and there's no going back for women or men once radicalized that way.  The scales drop from the eyes, and there's sticking 'em back there again.

I guess it's like Rev. Wright, then, huh? He just didn't hear that part. That's why he was so crushingly silent.

Now, I'm not "BluestBlue," so I can't speak for her, but her response was to a Democratic organization that seems to think it is entitled to her support and her cash - and her response to that request was to explain her disappointment and disgust over how the Party took it upon itself to manipulate and maneuver and cheat its way to forcing Barack Obama on us as a nominee.

But, that's okay - you just keep missing the point; as an Obama supporter, I'm sure you can't figure out why the rest of us think there is a problem in the party and we're not just content to go along with it.  You just keep telling yourself there's nothing rotten in Denmark - by the time you figure out that there is, it will be too late to keep the stink from attaching to all Democrats for decades to come.

If you're going to tap that, you best tap the kind of wouldda couldda shouldda hypothetical that Obama's been eating lunch off since the start of his self-congratulating position on congress's voting to cede powers of war to the whims of the Executive Branch.

Saying that Bad Monster Lady voted for it, based on Bush admin lies and corruption, before Obama said he WOULD have voted against it doesn't pass the laugh test.

Here's where I find myself put off by many of the comments here. There seems to be such deep hostility and contempt for Sen. Obama, his background, his program, and his campaign, that I feel you are taking me and the more than 17 million voters who back it for fools.

Either we get so many liberals into Congress that we just have the majority and can vote things into law? What's new about that?

Or we "rebrand" the same old things, using a new word for whatever those same old things might have been. A shallow marketing tool, in other words.

None of this sounds good. Clinton had real, concrete  policies with real, concrete results. Not just either gaining the majority or changing the words.

Obama will have his chance to gain my support. At the end of that time, or let's say, by the time of the Dem convention, I'll be able to make my decision about who will ultimately get my vote.

BTW, I went to the Obama site today to see his welcome to all us Clinton supporters, or whatever, and the home page was a big contribution page - my address, my credit card number, the amount of the contrition, etc. Very unimpressive...almost seemed greedy to me. Clinton has a contribution button but also her info.

It reminded me of when I visited his site earlier and had to sign up as a supporter to even get into the site for information about his policies.

Empathy for an ambitious, powerful, white woman worth $ 30 mil, and, roughly 0 for the women of the M.E who posturing cowards threaten to "obliterate" and "turn to glass".

We wont even get into what happens to poor and working class women in the U.S under the trickle down/piss-on-em agenda.

"My (Unpleasant) Encounter with an Honest-to-God Radical 60's Professor Whom I Finally Got to SHUT UP..."

http://tinyurl.com/4lz39d

You know the type...the ones who want to "destroy America" like Rev. Wright...The guys who really understood the 60's better than anyone (at least according to this guy..."

Do tell how this new found affection for the cuddly, self effacing McCain and his thug agenda relates.