Excellent post.

I feel the way you do. I've turned off the tv news, I allow myself blog time and then I'm off the net. I spend time with my critters, my art, my work and doing things with the people in my life. My friends and I – we've all gotten to a place where we do not talk elections any more. It feels like we're weathering a bitter storm. (pun intended)

William:

Your post really resonated with me. I too live in Georgia and have both donated $ and time to the Obama campaign ... I also supported the Clintons in the 90s -- I even took a group of at-risk kids from the Rec Center where I worked to hear President Clinton speak in Denver on MLK Day. It was 1995, smack dab on the heels of the "Contract With On America" Gingrich-led GOP landslide. As a young man at the time, I greatly admired Bill and also Al Gore -- I grew up with the mystique of the Kennedys ingrained in me (as well as the Red Sox) ... and Clinton seemed to have the same kind of aura.

I am saddened by this campaign. I admit that I have lost objectivity -- but I literally feel my gut sink whenever I see/hear Hillary Clinton. I understand it's not easy to see a dream come crashing down around you, something you've dedicated your life to -- it must be even harder knowing it was hers to lose. But I agree with Josh that she keeps sinking deeper and deeper into ridiculousness and self-parody.

I don't think it's long till the MSM tires of the tit-for-tat she's trying to lure Obama into -- and starts focusing on this very public and very sad felo de se.

SOH

Count me in as one of those who used to support the Clintons. You and many others on here and elsewhere have summed up what causes the intense revulsion for the Clintons among a large segment of the Democrats. For her next Senate race, I'll donate money to her Democratic challenger.

Nice post. I disagree with it, but nice post.
Hindsight is a wonderous thing. But in regards to the war vote, you could not be a politician with national ambitions in 2002 and vote against the authorization for the use of force. I know that the najority of folks here don't agree with that, but if you look at the tenor of the country, months after Sept. 11, and voting against the war was nearly political suicide. The country supported the war in 2002. Maybe some people who are now vocal didn't but the country did.
Next, there seems to be a lot of animosity about Hillary wanting to win. I don't understand the resentment you seem to feel towards someone who is less than 10 percent behind with 13% of the contest remaining who wants to stay in the race.
If you're angry about the "negative" tone she hasd taken, ask yourself what should she say. there is no real difference in them substantially -- the difference is in the person running. Hillary beleives -- as do I -- that Obama gives the republicans the White House. He has shown himself to be a political roookie, with mistakes like Wright, like "clinging to ..." and Michelle's "proud" comments. (ask yourself, how many people who are middle of the road are comfortable with a First Lady who is only recently proud to be an amierican? You may be okay with it -- I may be okay with it. The majority of Americans won't be. And I beleive that he is in a trick box, because his campaign of unity limits his ability to fight back hard against attacks.
I caucused for Obama after Edwards dropped out, but his attitude and actions of the last three months have made me regret it. I'll vote for him and keep my fingers crossed. But I htink the resentment you feel towards Clinton is unjustified.

William C.:

Great post that resonates with exactly how I'm feeling - I just don't think I can remain glued to the blogs and news cycles on this campaign anymore.

I think I have to check out until some of the dust (and my stomach for all of this) settles.

I was for Hillary until Iowa when Obama proved he was, not merely an inspiring figure, but actually running a better overall operation than people realized.

The debates last year were key too. It was very important when Obama began improving his debate performances.

The rest is the story of watching Hillary's tactics go increasingly down the gutter with my respect for her (my Senator).

It is tragic that potentially major intra-party problems now loom for either Obama or Hillary as nominee.

I think the best one can hope for at this point is that Obama will have a chance to turn a fresh page after this primary mess gets settled.

At least that's when I would like to tune back in.

I agree with BionicSoy - no one is going anywhere. Especially those Barack supporters who are the most eloquent and passionate in his defense, like this blogger.

Unlike William, I was a complete political atheist during the 1990s, serving in Bill Clinton's Navy, but that was the extent of the relationship.

Then came 2000 and 2004. All of a sudden, not paying attention to politics seemed to be the equivalent of not paying attention to the shark chomping on your leg. Not a very good idea in either case.

The ONLY way we are going to take this country back is to stay positive, persistent, focused and, above all, right. America is ready for the truth, as bumpy as the ride has been so far. It takes a little turmoil to throw off 40 years of Orwellian trickery.

Keep blogging as much as you are able, William. We need voices like yours to bring people into the fold who may not be sure anymore about Hillary, but can't quite come over to Obama because supposedly his supporters are all raving lunatics soliciting change at the airport with tambourines.

I am sure that my own long-standing biases toward the Clintons and their so-called democratic ideals makes me a little less credible in my defense of Barack, though I try to keep my tone even and reasonable since I started posting under my own name.

However, there is nothing as authentic and believable as someone who was a Hillary True Believer who was able to make an objective and fact-based reversal of their opinion.

I like everything about your post, William, except the part about not caring about abortion rights because you are not a woman.

Pretty narrow-minded and self-focused, don't you think? Do you have any concern for any rights of others that do not have a direct bearing on YOU? For instance, would you not care about education funding if you didn't have children? Would you not care about separation of church and state if your particular religious sect was selected to run the government?

Please, William.

For those who can't stand the rain of feces, well... Welcome to politics!

I sympathize. But so far this has been a more exciting and interesting time than with Kerry/Bush. Keep fighting, but take a breath now and then, and learn to enjoy the drama/glory/absurdist nightmare.

If you feel that John McCain is funny in a good way you might be clinically depressed and in danger of doing harm to yourself and others. You like him? You are flirting with suicide already!

But any man who doesn't care about Roe v Wade because it doesn't affect him (he thinks), has to be dead in the empathy dept.

You are one selfish and sorry sort of guy who needs a long rest and rehab.

and, as far as i'm concerned, Hillary can keep going where she's headed until she disappears entirely and can't do any more harm ...