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There must be in the hearts of Obama supporters, that which lives and breathes already in the hearts of Clinton supporters.

We must have or develop a steely resolve to see this through. It is easy to be excited and enthusiastic when rhetoric is lofty and Senator Obama is winning.

It is much harder to maintain that enthusiasm and that commitment to seeing this dream of change through when our candidate is losing and the negative attacks keep rolling, first played on a channel and then picked up and played over and over by the Main Stream Media. I am sure it was hard for Clinton supporters too.

It is all too easy for us to fall into the stereotype that Clinton supporters have ready for us. That of fair weather friends, kool-aid drinkers, pie eyed dreamers of impossible dreams.

Remember that no matter how disheartened you are today, or may be after Kentucky, Barack Obama is still taking the brunt of this, we're just watching. He has to hear the shouted N-word, not us. He has to wake up knowing he has to give the same speech 8 times today, when he really just wants to go home to his wife and kids for a few hours.

If he can do it, and keep believing in us, then we can keep on believing in him too. We are the change we have been waiting for.

So, take a deep breath, calm down, keep thinking about the change we're trying to achieve, and realize that while it's not going to be easy, it is inevitable. And above all decide for yourself, are you a lost dreamer, or someone who can feel the strength of your dreams being made real.

Does any of our current politicians look like a cannibal to you? Obama looks like he would eat another person, he just has that evil look about him. His chicken soup probably has human parts in the mix. This man is in no way capable of running our country, he is a liar, he is not black he is bi-racial, his wife is a racist and they both are elitist. The audacity of hype is ridiculous, if you realized how bad of a president jimmy carter was, think how our country will go down the tubes with this clown at the helm!

You are an unpleasant, and horrible little person. The idea that you might possibly have children to infect with your world view freaks me out.

Like the candidate himself, you speak of change without really defining it. Chicken soup for the soul indeed!

You have articulated better than anyone else exactly why Obama should not be the Democratic choice, and why, if he is, many of us will vote for McCain instead.

We don't live in your dream world; we don't live in his dream world. In our world, a lot of bad things happen and chicken soup just ain't gonna get it done.

It's very sad to think you feel that way about your life. Mine's going pretty well. But you know what they say about running one's life efficiently, with common sense and a positive attitude. It tends to turn out better.

Soccerfreak:

You have articulated better than anyone else exactly why Obama should not be the Democratic choice, and why, if he is, many of us will vote for McCain instead.

I am always thrilled to see someone who complains about another candidate's "fans" being over the top or having drunk the kool-aid then continue with how they will not vote for that candidate if their chosen one does not win the nomination. Higher percentage of Hillary's followers say this than of Obama's, if polls are to be believed.

And we Obama fans are the lunatics? The idiots?

Somewhere in here we need to fucking ALL AGREE to vote for WHICHEVER Democrat wins the nomination, no matter how upset we are about it... certainly any one who wants to claim in the least that they base their vote on reason.

"Oh no, not me, I'm voting for more of McBush!"

Now there's an answer to all of our dreams.

Again a racial slur is inserted into commentary reinforcing the black victim persona and vote pandering attempting to use implied white guilt. Why does anyone calling Obama "nigger" matter when race is not supposed to be part of this election? Should we all wince and deliver our uninformed support because some jerk called Obama this disgusting name? Should the blacks rally around Obama, not because he is or is not qualified, but because he is black and experienced being called a "nigger"? Is Hillary less qualified because nobody called her "nigger"? Since when does being called this putrid name enhance anyones abilities to be the leader of the most powerful country in history?

Such tactics do Obama no favors and he'd be the first person to tell you so. Don't ask Pastor Wright.

Why is it that some people feel so compelled to drag others into their own degraded thinking? Why can't someone who is working hard to be a part of their nation's poliical process write a thoughtful and encouraging post about keeping the spirit and essence of their choice alive even when we go through what appears to be a setback?

Have the Bush/Cheney years so demoralized us all that the only thing we can do (or the only thing we can do well) is to destroy someone else?

If you don't agree with or don't like someone's writing that is intended to support and encourage then ignore it or debunk it or disagree with it. But to attack that PERSON for having the thought and writing the words - THAT is crap. THAT is what the despicable erosion of our civl rights is encouraging.

And folks THAT is what Hillary's campaign is all about. Just destroy the person. Eventually some machine will be left standing and that constitutes a win.

Thevail - I agree with you. It is difficult to fan the flames of enthusiasm in the face of such a barage of garbage. But we can do it. And I do believe we will prevail.

Obama '08

Here! Here!

Thank you...there is MUCH to be said of the Bush/Cheney/Rove years' effects on us as a society and nowhere does our true nature show than in the sphere of the written word.

Freedom of ideas...Freedom to disagree...but, to be American should never be free to denigrate, oppress, insult and harass ideas.

Obama '08

The reference to the racial slur was actually not intended to denigrate Hillary supporters and I'm not sure why you'd take it that way.

It was to explain that as Obama supporters we might feel bad right now, but Obama's probably feeling worse. And someone did yell it at the guy, at a rally. And you know what, he looked hurt. Of course he did. If I called you some horrible name, you'd feel bad too.

People are starting to say that he's looking tired, he's losing his fire, and maybe he is a bit. I can't imagine how often he heard that or something similar over the last 15 months. That'd be enough to start taking the shine out of my eyes.

And Hillary supporters who claim to be good salt of the earth middle american Christians really need to go back and read your bibles and check how much hate and spite is being produced in your churches and lives. Because as far as I can tell at Newsweek, politico, slate, new york times, washington post, etc, Hillary supporters aren't just against Barack Obama, they're against absolutely anyone who disagrees with them.

And they cannot seem to remain civil about it.

If you get a chance to see Michelle Obama please go! She is an awesome woman and a terrific speaker. She shares beautifully and she really gives her audience a sense of who Barack is as a man.

And not in sound bytes or catch-phrases. She talks about him as someone who knows him.

After the last time I saw her I felt really good that he has her - her spirit, her spunk, her intelligence, her humor - to fall back on. Personally I feel sure he gets a lot of comfort out of spending time with his family.

She never spends more than one night away from the kids in a row during the campaign. That is pretty awesome and dedicated.

I won't even begin to draw the distinctions between the families of Obama and Clinton.

But I do believe he hurts and I do believe he recovers and has it in perspective. I don't think it weakens him to feel the hurt - and it certainly strenghtens MY resolve to support him in his efforts to rise above it.

We do NOT have to be afraid. Period. That is the message that I get from Obama. We don't have to be afraid of insults, of losing, of Hillary, of Muslims or of war. We can choose another way to walk through life.

Yes, we can!

Obama '08

I think it takes a pretty brave person to feel that hurt and go back out the next day, knowing your going to get it in the face again. I admire that.

And it takes an incredibly good and kind person, of any race, religion,sex, or creed to deal with things like that and still believe that everyone in America is worth working hard for.

It takes more courage to face fear and reject it, I think.