You denounce misogyny then engage in it by diminishing a group of women trying to make a statement and have their voices heard with a label that is misogynist in itself.

What are we supposed to do? Be silent, good little girls and let the boys win, even when they cheat? I actually had a church chaperone at an MYF party chastise me for not letting the boys win. I am a baby boomer, and, yes, we have come a long way, baby, but if this primary season is any indication, we have taken some giant steps backward over the last 28 years.

Silence didn't work when minorities were seeking equal rights, so why are women supposed to remain silent? Would anyone tell MLK to shut up today? Or Gandhi? Or Mandella? Why is it so different when the victim of bigotry is a woman?

The other problem I had with your piece is the "pat" argument that is based on fear-mongering -- any opposition to Obama is a guarantee that Roe v. Wade will be overturned. The problem is, that is, in more general terms, the problem with the Obama case for election.

If the only reason I am to vote for Obama is because he is not McCain, then is that really reason enough? Obama has failed to close the deal, to make his case to many of us, and that does not make us "bitter," as he so disdainfully spoke of working class Americans, it makes us smart.

It's much like the guy who is courting a woman and has all his friends and his family and her family tell her what a wonderful husband he would make and how she should marry him, but he doesn't want to take the time to look her in the eye and tell her "this is who I am, this is what I believe, this is what I want in life, and I want to share it with you and have you as a partner by my side" and actually pop the question (ask for our vote). Until he is willing to do that, nothing anyone else says matters.

Obama can't close the deal because he doesn't want to look into our eyes and tell us who he is and what he believes in and what he wants, because he believes in power, not principle, and he knows it will show if he tries to fake it. And we are old enough and wise enough to recognize a charlatan when we see one. That's why he can't close the deal.

He is expecting Hillary and Biden and all his surrogates to win these votes for him, but the reality is he must win them for himself and by himself. Surrogates can reinforce what is already there or lay the groundwork for him, but Obama must close the deal himself.

And he can't. Why? Because he is not real and truthful in his purpose. He is an empty suit with an overwhelming lust for power and hubris and ego that will not allow him to bring himself down to the level of the voters who votes he needs, but whose goals he does not share.

That is the reality of this election. That is why Obama cannot close the deal.

And to call us names because we are wise enough to recognize this danger and are willing to speak out in an effort to save our party and our country shows how deep the misogyny in the media truly is.

If you honestly believe that you will "save" the Democratic party by torpedoing the Dem candidate for president, you are deluded.

Despite your claims to ESP (you somehow "know" that Obama is an empty suit with an overwhelming lust for power and hubris and ego who does not share your goals--I suppose he dropped by for a tarot reading? And everyone who voted for Obama just lacks your superior mental powers?), the fact remains that Obama's positions and Clinton's positions are more similar than different.

As someone who supported a completely different candidate from Obama and Clinton, I do not resent the fact that Obama won. I resent comments like yours that make all feminists, and all women, look foolish.

So which is it? Does your aggrievement and resentment come from your identification as a woman because Hillary lost and was somehow "cheated" out of the nomination? (If I hear anything else about Florida and most especially Michigan, I'm gonna scream.)

Or are you down on Obama because of the contrived and largely speculative reasons you list later? Frankly, I think your handwringing over this is bullshit, because none of you people have spilt keystrokes or thought trying similarly to plumb the soul of John McCain to see if he is up to your exalted standards.

You want revenge and payback and another shot? Then save it till after the fucking election. For now, you'd better figure out which of McCain or Obama you want to be president and go with that. Maybe voting for Obama because he isn't McCain "isn't enough" for you. How about sitting by sulking and sniping at Obama while McCain wins, or perhaps even voting for McCain because he isn't Obama? Is THAT enough for you? Is that a more principled or intelligent stance, and one that's more likely to advance a single political goal that you care about?

Obama treated Hillary Clinton respectfully. His supporters were not always respectful, although I believe the majority were, and no doubt many were not supporters but trolls. The Hillary supporters who project their hate of the way some Obama supporters treated Clinton onto Obama himself--to the point of voting for a candidate who is the polar opposite of Clinton in most respects--should realize that Obama supporters will do the exact same projecting of PUMA animous onto Clinton the next chance they get. Already 49% of people polled said they never want to see Clinton become president. The PUMAs might just make it impossible for her to be Senate leader, which is a great loss to the country because she is a truly talented policy maker and bridge builder. No doubt many of the PUMAs are not really supporters but people seeking their 15 minutes of fame (although I would put someone who says Obama has "not looked Hillary's supporters in the eyes" more in the category of stupid). But most people won't sort the same way they won't sort among Obama supporters. So go ahead and destroy Clinton, if it makes you happy.

Boy, I started reading it and got to the part where you say Obama is only running for the power and cannot close the deal. Hillary was the wife of a Governor and President. She moved to NY to take advantage of her name and party power to become a Senator. Then she did a good job lining herself up to be the Democratic Nominee and attempt to resurrect the spoiled family name by becoming the POTUS. She lost that little race, cried foul and then her supporters blame everyone but their candidate for why she got her ass whipped.

I like the idea that Obama is only in it for the power and Hillary is presumably in it for the job itself, no ego involved at all. No wonder we lose elections to the GOP with this kind of thinking....

Laura Schneider:

What are we supposed to do? Be silent, good little girls and let the boys win, even when they cheat? I actually had a church chaperone at an MYF party chastise me for not letting the boys win. I am a baby boomer, and, yes, we have come a long way, baby, but if this primary season is any indication, we have taken some giant steps backward over the last 28 years.

You haven't come very far if you think that behaving like a whining crybaby indicates "empowerment". You are an embarrassment to your gender.

I am so sick of reading how "the media", the big scary ogre on the mountain presumably, makes HRC and her supporters sound silly. These people keep undermining their own positions. They appear on TV, Blog, whine and moan. God forbid you point out how irrational and petulant they are. Then you are a misogynist. "How dare you criticize our arguments on their shaky merits you sexist pig?"

You never see this in the GOP. I don't see any Mitt Romney supporters squaking about how he got a raw deal for being a Mormon. Ughhh. Take your losses and move on. Line up behind the candidate because you can make all the niose you want, but if you don't have people in office to represent at least some of your issues, you got nothing. Politics is a game with winners and losers and torpedoing the Dem candidate also hurts HRC's career and limits her influence. These people!

Hillary lost because she ran a bad campaign. She didn't organize or manage it well. She took lumps sometimes that were unfair, but in the last months Obama was also unfairly attacked providing fodder for McCain even now. As a person involved in health care I was totally disappointed in the confusing and unworkable plan that she put out in the nineties, totally destroying any chance for comprhensive, universal heath care in that decade.(Obama' s plan sucks if you ask me too). Single payer medicare- like health care for everyone with private plans selling amenities only would save this country from another decade of health care chaos.The necessary taxes would be offset by the decline of the costs to people and businesses out-of-pocket for the current cacamamy system. Personally I would have loved to vote for Hillary even though I can't stand the slow- clapping, fake -smiling arrivals. Fortunately most Hillary passionatas will vote for the only party that has consistently pushed for women's rights. The others will always need an injustice to fight.

What the hell does "voices heard" mean? You make it sound like there are timid little creatures who just want their little opinions to be known. WE KNOW. You hate Obama. What more do you want us to hear? What you really want is to INTERRUPT Obama. What disingenuous treakle.

It's also bad form to rate your own topic.