What I Am Completely Failing to Understand...

...Is how apparently hordes of American voters claim that if their chosen Democratic presidential candidate does not win the candidacy, they will vote for John McCain.

Read the comments following just about any news article about either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, and you'll find loads of obnoxious, vile comments about each of them. This might say more about the types of people who spend their time commenting on news sites than anything about the American electorate...but it is highly discouraging.

I'm glad that Clinton has made it plainly clear to her supporters that not voting for Obama out of some sense of duty to her (or some other reason) would be a terrible mistake.

I have heard a number of otherwise-intelligent people claim that they will vote for McCain if Obama doesn't win. Many of the West Virginia Clinton supporters have said they will support McCain if she doesn't win the candidacy. Both are equally stupid and beyond understanding.

Obama and Clinton have both made mistakes and missteps in this primary--I'm sure that they would rather take some words back or change some of the experiences that have been made public--but they are both human and both outstanding candidates for president.

If you are worried about the economy; the war; global warming; poverty; protecting the rights of women, children, people of color, or gay/lesbian/bi/transgender people; preserving a woman's right to choose; environmental protection; maintaining our religious freedoms; the U.S. reputation abroad; or providing our children with safer homes and food, cleaner air and water, and a better education...if you are worried about the Supreme Court further becoming a bastion of right-wing fundamentalism...how can you even consider voting for McCain? He is only slightly better than George W. Bush.

I shudder to think about how long it will take for this country to recover from 8 Bush years. How could anyone think about extending this disastrous period even further?

Democrats and Independents, please put your differences aside and vote for the candidate who best aligns with your personal priorities and interests. PLEASE don't vote on the basis of personality. We need a strong leader, and the best leader for our country is not necessarily the type of person you want for your best friend. That misguided notion (that so many Americans thought that W would be more "fun to have a beer with" than Kerry or Gore) is what got us into this mess to begin with.

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