I am not particularly educated, however, I am not particularly stupid. I am seriously considering your comments.

You are so correct that attempting to “communicate” with certain people is pointless. If one is closed to information - either good or bad, positive or negative, true or false - then one does not have the opportunity to take information in, explore and discover what is the truth of the matter ponder the issue, and then determine one’s position with as much wisdom as one can muster.

On the other hand - one does not know what one does not know. On occassion, there just might be someone out there you can teach, or learn from, or on rarer occassions, truely communicate with.

The point made about our own awareness of our nation being good while being not so good is so important to me. We behave as a country as we behave as individuals. This country is made up of all the types of people who are blogging on this site. On a one by one basis, not too many of us really appreciate looking at our own faults and sins. To say nothing about being self- motivated to do something about it. Change comes with struggle, and hardship and heartache and suffering until we get it right.

We need honesty speakers to tell us what we do not want to hear or acknowledge. If the the truth cannot be told and dealt with honestly, then we will fail as a nation as we would as an individual. Without the naysayers we would be telling ourselves we are the chosen race/country (which many Americans sound like already). The next step is too see all others having no value compared to ourselves and should be done away with that we may not be impeded (sounds like a few more I know and have listened to). Sounds very Nazi like to me.

A parent can love a child in varying degrees. A parent may love a child so much that they want that child to happy and contented always. A parent does like to see a child suffer. But if a child does not suffer some and does not experience pain and learns how to behave appropriately to avoid that pain then the child very well encounter huge hardships. He may be a disappointment later in life. Not only to his parent but to himself. If a child steals and the parent does not tell him it is wrong to steal (a principle) and put the child in a position to rectify what he has done - then the child has missed learning a very important lesson in life.

If a parent protects the child so the child is not judged as a thief, even though he is, for whatever reason the parent may have (because the parent does not want to face the humiliation of his child being a thief?) who has committed the greater sin? The parent or the child?

I see our nation moving in that direction. Within our “justice” system, the guilty are more protected than the victims. And that to me is also why our government is corrupted, our legal system is corrupted, our economic system is without ethical morays, and our media system rips our moral fabric apart by those who can profit the most. And so it trickles down to the child and the parent - watching and learning how to get along in a society that behaves like this.

And someone is Anti-American to say this happening and we must do something about it? I think not. They are simply that parent acting as a parent. Again - what do we do about it? And how do we do it? are the important questions.

Is it fanciful and silly to be thinking about a presidential election in philosophical, ethical or moral ideaologies? Not in this election. Not when we stand on the brink of several means of destruction by our own hands. Somebody needs to stand up say “Let’s turn the tide. Let’s fix what is wrong. Let’s go in a better direction. And by the way, Let’s do it together because I cannot do it by myself.”

Maybe Barack Obama is a fake. Maybe he is all wet. Maybe he can’t deliver. But he is speaking truth to me. At least what I see and understand as truth right now. Or maybe he speaks what I want to hear.

I want my three year old grandson to be able to grow to adulthood. I want him to live in a culture of freedom and responsibility. I want him to have a chance to do something positive and meaningful with his life. I see children being blown up in Iraq and shot in drive by shootings on our own streets -and I think - there is a grandmother somewhere weeping and sobbing. I don’t want to see her or her children or grandchildren suffer or die. And I don’t want to be her.

I want to see us heal our world. When enough of us get busy and stand up and turn the tide - we’ll have a chance. This may be it.

Anyway, I don’t think it is really about Barack Obama as much as it is about the principles that Barack Obama is talking about that are important. And those principles are what democracy was created upon and what will save the human race. We really do need to see a bigger picture.

Thank you for your comments.

Most of the comments on here are horrendously illogical. Question for Pat: In your last paragraph, what in the world are you talking about with your analogy between Michelle Obama and John McCain? You make absolutely no sense. Where are the intelligent people who support Hillary? It is so ironic that Hillary supporters refer to Obama supporters as delusional.

Look, I probably don’t fit the typical profile here–I hold two post secondary degrees, an undergraduate degree in engineering and an Ivy League graduate business degree. I am sure, for this reason, my opinion won’t be respected. After all I am way too educated to make a logical decision. All of these young, educated Obama supporters have no clue. We know nothing about researching a candidate or following and making sense of complicated domestic and global issues. Oh no, the uneducated, and the 65 and older bigot crowd know much, much better what’s good for America. Don’t vote for Obama, his middle name is Husain. I got some junk mail that said he was a Muslim and took his oath of office on the Koran: I’m so smart, I believe what pops up in my junk mail or maybe it just fits my bigoted world view.

Yeah, we’re delusional and naive. Give me a break. Look I really don’t want to be demeaning, but don’t run around calling people delusion and naïve when you can’t even put together a logical statement.

Obama begins explaining our downfalls one by one. The misery we have
forced on others. I’m defeated…and hopeless.

But then, Obama speaks about being able to save us. My spirit lifts.
Each speech has startes with condemnation and ends with salvation.

This pattern is becoming sick. Obama, nor his wife, acknowledges our
greatness. We are the people, over 300 million of us verses over 1000
politicians, and we are being told we are failures….but OBAMA can save
our souls.

Their speeches amount to hating who America is and pay back for being
told to wait in line (Michelle) for college. Over 100 years later and I’m still
being made to feel guilty for having to stand in line for college.
Wasn’t it Obama, who recently attacked McCain for saying American could
be in Iraq for 100 years? Quite an attack seeing that his wife thinks we still owe her.

….is running out of fuel. Maybe you should not have voted against ethanol. I will
payback to you the 5 million you owe yourself if John Edwards comes out for you.
Mrs. Clinton you took fuel out of your own political tank when you ingaged in smear tatics when you knew up front the American people are tired of that (at least Democrats , independants and some republicans are). You husband has not helped you. I loved Bill Clinton as a President. I thought he was different. I thought he was the next comming of John Kennedy. But he ruined that when he destroyed the medical plant in Sudan, Africa that is in itself caused thousands to die in Africa. He ruined that when lied to the American people when he told us ” I did not have sexual relations with that woman”. He ruined that vision I had of him when he compared Obama’s victory in South Carolina to that of Jesse Jackson, a failed attempt to minimize Obama as a person. He ruined that when he accused Obama’s voters of living in a “fairy tale”.
You didn’t help yourself when you told Obama voters to “get real”. That sounds like your husbands voice. Where is the vioce you told me you found in N.H Mrs. Clinton? In addition, I am not looking forward to having Bill in the White House agian with all those interns around and nothing to do. How dare you criticize Obama’s use of a phrase from a friend when in last nights 19th debate your last phrase was very close to that used by John Edwards. Mrs. Clinton I am saying that you are petty.
Furthermore Mrs. Clinton, crying on T.V?? You got me in New Hampshire. I cried with you and I agreed with those who voted for you in that Primary. But than I started THINKING. Do I want you in the White House crying over the national debt, education, national security, tax reform, the war in Iraq, illegal immigration, cuba, affganistan, AIDS in Africa, AIDS in America, the war on drugs, the economic war on middle east oil, the war on poverty, “no child left behind”, Iran and Korea, the housing crisis, NAFTA, health care, social security etc.
I am looking at how you are running your campaign. I am looking at the mismanagement of your own money. You won’t disclse your tax returns why? You lend 5 million to keep you stay in the race. You fire your friends who support you because times look tough in you election. With friends like you I don’t need enemies and I see that I don’t want you in charge of my country.
This is not an attack on you as a woman. You talk about your record of 35 years. Well I have only been alive 36 years. My record only means something if I have established a pattern of consistant success not for myself, but for other Mrs. Clinton. Your record only means something if you have won for others and you have not.
So, I question the following. I question your ability to lead this nation. I question your ability to bring people together. I question your judgement in general. I question you leadership for global issues. I question your ability to let americans hear your voice and not Bill’s. You are the second comming of a lessor Bill Clinton clone.

Your commentary is right on point. You make a cogent argument towards supporting Mr.Obama without resorting to using a illogical, emotional, fear-based line of reasoning.

I agree with another blogger who stated that many of the individuals who posted on this page probably are uneducated and are basing their comments on an ill-conceived perception of the world. I blame the political establishment for this (No !!!! this is not a slam on Bush). But I honestly think that some people refuse to question the reasons politician tell us that “people hate us for our democracy”e.g.

Someone once told me that when you believe that you are better than the rest, your though process creates a line of reasoning to justify this. That is exactly what’s happening. Many Americans have been indoctrinated with an instilled belief of Imperialism and as a result, we are more apt to exploit the wrongs of other countries as a means to promote our belief of being moral, economically, politically superior.

Yes, the world has bad people, rulers, dictators and governments. We should never forget this. But we should also re-examinine the way we our country deals with global issues. I would suggest a re-evaluation of our ideologies.

Remember, this countries has many moral and political deficiencies that we must not forget. (e.g look at out education system when compared with other industrial nations).

My point is this. When promoting a political candidate, ideal or philosophy. Lets not resort to ill-conceived logic.

Since the war however, Obama has voted TWICE for American soldiers to remain in Iraq…Can someone in the Obama camp please explain to me how this is opposing the war?

Obama allowed his Energy Bill to be watered down to such a degree that it became nothing more than political lip service to a major problem.

He has done nothing apart from release a dumb rap vid on YouTube to appeal to young voters who believe they are voting for the next American Idol and pimping out that trashy “Obama Girl” to make him look like some sort of rockstar….Its pathetic!!!!!!!!!

These Obama supporters are so stupid with their banality of supporting a nominee on the basis of perceived image over substance are the same morons who now, attack and mock the only individual in this Presidential race that has the ability to restore the American economy, provide universal health care for EVERY American and undo all the travesties of the Bush administration regarding foreign policy - Hillary Clinton!!!

This race is not an episode of American Idol…If Obama wins the democratic nomination then the Obama supporters have won nothing…but America will lose EVERYTHING!!!!!!!