I'd kind of agree with the third item referring to Obama's experience, but he's a very intelligent man with some solid political skills and good advisers. He's BS'ed his way through a lot of stuff in the primaries, and that skill should be a big help. He's got problems from a small percentage of voters who won't vote for a black candidate under any circumstance, plus a much larger group who won't vote for Obama because they suspect his racial motivations and attitudes. It's going to be harder for him to BS his way through that one, because I believe he is very conflicted in that area, and because of the obvious harm already done by Wright and some of Obama's comments. Name calling, finger pointing and guilt slinging over race can intimidate elected officials and cause them to support black causes they might otherwise not have supported, but in the privacy of the voting booth there is no such pressure. Therefore once we're past the primaries the more Obama's candidacy becomes about race, the less it helps him. How he deals with the ongoing Wright controversy will be of extreme importance as the swift boaters heighten the attacks.

He's also very liberal, which I see as a plus, but as we know, lots see as a negative. He's got big problems with Reagan Democrats. His comments in San Francisco will continue to hurt him because they are seen as his real attitude. His lack of military experience won't help. McCain has some major liabilities, but that does not automatically mean defeat. If Obama doesn't pick Hillary for VP, I'm very worried.

People say being too liberal is a problem, but in 04 John Kerry won the presidency (humor me) while holding the title of "most liberal senator" that someone or another gave him. All liberals need to do is define what we stand for (though perhaps go easy on the abortion/gay marriage stuff?) and a large majority of americans will (according to several research polls I read once) come to their senses.

failing that, I would like a national discussion of values, because I feel like all the people who watch O'Reilly and such don't really have any solid reasons for what they vote for (outside of "moral" issues), they just kind of vote out of feelings. For example, I could never debate public policy with my stepmom - she just doesn't know anything except that gay marriage is bad and abortion is bad, and has said as much to me.