This is a man who can speak the truth to people who may not want to hear it, and do it in a way that tells a beautiful story about WHY it's important.

Aside from this speech moving me to tears, I just cannot fathom that there are people in the Democratic Party - one that SAYS it supports all these values of the common good - who would deliberately choose Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama.

If Hillary is the nominee, I will know I've been sold a bill of goods by my own party for 36 years. I will know it's just about Blue Team vs. Red Team. Brutal political wars for the incremental 2% that can swing a swing state.

Well at least he says it to their faces! WWW.IVOTEDHISTORY.COM

I am coming to the grim realization that Billary will likely win the nomination (all the while laughing at myself for ever thinking that that was in doubt).
I - (a lifelong liberal Democrat who luuurved Bill Clinton in the 1990s) am now relishing the thought of voting for McCain or, hopefully, Bloomberg in November.
Like Larry David said, "Just for spite."
(I do not vote for racebaiters as a matter of principle.)

Hating Obama is like throwing popcorn at a battle ship. He's too sleek, too welded together, too well caulked.

Hating Hillary is like hating your high scholl french teacher. She's mean, humorless and petty.

Dare to dream:
http://nobhillobserver.blogspot.com/2008/01/speech-i-hope-edwards-makes.html

Ahhh...so discouraged and soooo upset. I agree with Michael. If Hillary is the nominee I will leave the Democratic party of which I have been in for 35 years. If the voters chose her over Obama as the nominee than I know I do not have a home in the party. This is my take on Hillary: a smart hard working girl who probably would be a partner in a big law firm if she had not married Bill. So me she is not a model of a successful woman but rather a poster person for the little girls who wait for the knight in shining armor to make their dreams come true. She is a war hawk. She spent valuable time in the senate cozying up to Joe for such national challenges as violence in video games. I loved Bill Clinton but enuf is enuf. 28 years of Bush/Clinton is toooo much. How can we represent ourselves as a democracy where anyone can achieve their dream when we say through our votes that only 2 families are capable of occupying the White House for more than a quarter of a century. If it is Hillary I am voting third party in the GE...with a heavy heart...but I can not cast a vote for a Clinton or a Bush.

lifelongvoter-Agreed. Everyone thinks I'm joking when I say I won't vote for Hillary, but I am deadly serious. She turns my stomach.

lifelongvoter,
So you're a DINO, like many Obama supporters I'm sure.

What else is new?

Richard, you have the intellectual capacity of a child if you couldn't wrap your feeble little mind around the fairly basic observation that Obama was making about Reagan. Seriously, if you can't figure it out, and if you seriously believe that he was praising Reagan, you are a complete idiot, and I'm embarrassed for you.

On that, Hillary is on the record as saying that Reagan and Bush Sr and on her list of favorite presidents. Reagan is one of her FAVORITE PRESIDENTS!! Research your own candidate dumbass!

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=4674

She also campaigned AGAINST LBJ for a racist Republican. The SAME LBJ that she said was sooo great and more important than MLK to the Civil Rights movement. Hypocrite!

Basically Richard, your ignorance is pathetic and appalling. I hope to hell that you aren't a Democrat because I'd be embarrassed to be in the same party as someone so ignorant.

And JoeCHI, the McClurkin thing was a mistake, and he clearly condemned McClurkin's homophobia. He has been consistent in speaking out against homophobia wherever he goes, especially in front of African American crowds, were homophobia is all too prevalent. He, unlike Hillary, is willing to tell people what they may not be willing to hear, he has the strength to stand up to crowds and tell them that they need to change, whereas Hillary panders to each little subgroup and tells them only what they want to hear, and plays the part perfectly (read: women's group + tears = big win with women)

Obama featured anti-gay Donnie McClurkin in his gospel tour in South Carolina in the fall, but now he's denouncing homophobia?-JoeCHI

How incredibly shallow. Obama is focused on finding common ground with people, even those whose views might run counter to 90% of his own. Why? Because he believes by working with such people, you can change attitudes. He also clearly believes that politics need not be personal. It's exactly your type of attitude that contributes to division in the country. Grow a soul.

It took a fair amount of political courage for Obama to say those things today in MLK's church. He should be admired for it. This is the kind of thing you will never see from HRC. Never.

Grant.

Hopefully you will be a DINO one day, the alternative is pretty bleak.

Wow Richard, you really really ARE ignorant. That's pretty sad. Let's see:

Obama appeals to independents and some moderate Republicans, thus Obama is a Republican.

So since McCain appeals to independents and some moderate Democrats, does that make McCain a Democrat?

Yeah, didn't think so, you are an idiot. If you knew ANYTHING about the candidates you would know that Obama is more liberal than Hillary. But nooo, you are too damn lazy and ignorant to learn silly things like "facts", you'd rather just spew your ignorance at us, making yourself look like a total dumbass to people who know better. You are pathetic. Just..wow...pathetic..

And can I just say, this is so typical of Hillbots, they will spew their nonsense, but it is all misinformed drivel...they typically don't know a damn thing about their own candidate or the other candidates they are attacking. They are as ignorant and stubborn as any Republicans I have ever seen. It really amazes me, because I thought our party was better than this, I thought that kind of reality-hate was a conservative thing, but apparently that kind of ignorance is alive and well in the Democratic party. That is the most amazing thing about this whole primary. It is very distressing.

Grant,

I cannot speak for lifelongvoter, but I've always been a Democrat, a self-proclaimed liberal, and a frequent defender of the Clintons. I defended Bill through Paula Jones, I defended him when he lied under oath, I defended him through impeachment, I stood by Hillary through travelgate, I backed Hillary when she decided to "stand by her man." I defended the Clintons when the Naderites said they weren't liberal enough, even though they had many valid points.

I've argued with my friends and family to support the Clintons. I've put in my time for them, often over stupid problems of their own making.

Does it now make me a DINO that I've finally had enough? That seeing their lies and dirty tactics used against a decent man and candidate* has finally made me think, "forget it."

I will support Hillary if she wins the nomination. She is better than any of the Republicans. But I am not surprised and I cannot blame Democrats --- good lifelong Democrats --- if some of them say, "count me out."

*yes, I know he's not a saint.

The Obamas belong to the Trinity United Church of Christ whose senior paster, the one who Senator Obama says is his spiritual mentor, Rev. Wright, gives a lifetime achievement award to one of the biggest anti-Semites in the black community - Louis Farrakhan. Give me a break - oops that was used before and maybe it is deserved.

Never underestimate the love that southern African-Americans have for the Clintons.

Anonymous: I didn't accuse Hillary of being a Republican because she campaigned against LBJ in her youth. I just think that is some historical trivia that her supporters don't often know. But ahh, the typical tactics of a Hillary supporter, ignoring 99% of my arguments, and attacking one little thing, that wasn't even at the core of anything I was saying. You happened to overlook the fact that she is on record as saying that Reagan is one of her favorite presidents, and she still has this on her website, it isn't something from the 60s, it is current. Bush Sr is also one of her favorite presidents, and she even tried to get him to be part of her administration as a diplomat abroad. THAT is my point, the fact that her supporters are so stupid, that they can't understand simple historical observations by Obama, and they attack him as a Reagan lover, when THEIR OWN CANDIDATE is on record as saying Reagan is one of her favorite presidents! THAT is my point, the ignorance and the hypocrisy of you Hillbots, you attack because you blindly follow everything the Clinton campaign says, you are ignorant because you question nothing and don't actually know your own candidate or the candidates you attack. It is pathetic and sad.

I'm a lifelong Democrat. I support Hillary. I'm not all that enamored of Obama because I'm skeptical about his (or anyone's) ability to bring rightwinger's into a left-leaning coalition, but will gladly vote for him in the general election if he is the Democratic nominee.

Anyone who says they will not vote for the Democratic nominee if it is (fill in the blank) is not a Democrat. More than likely they are Republicans hijacking these threads to spew their anti-(fill in the blank) hatred and stir up dissent among real Democrats.

If you won't vote for the Democratic nominee-- you're not a Democrat and please, go spew your vile bile somewhere else.

I'm with you Bitter in VA, lifelongvoter, and greenheron. After this campaign, I have a hard time seeing myself voting for her too. Won't vote Republican, though. Hope for a decent third party option.

I'm a lifelong Democrat as well, and about as far from Republican as you could possibly get. I have always voted straight Democrat on everything. I still have principles however. I have personally been so disgusted with how the Clintons have run their campaign, how low they have been willing to go, purposely lying to voters to get their vote, completely misrepresenting Obama and misrepresenting their own records...they have used GOP tactics ever since they started to feel threatened by Obama, and it is despicable. I am one of those dedicated Democrats who will not be able to stomach voting for Hillary after witnessing who she really is, and what her and Bill are willing to say and do to get ahead. They do not deserve my vote, and I cannot support them in good conscience. This isn't to say that I'd vote Republican against them, I wouldn't do that because I also couldn't do that in good conscience. Luckily I live in a place where my vote doesn't really matter anyway, so I can vote my conscience and it will have no impact on the election. But don't say that Democrats who are so disgusted with Hillary that they cannot bring themselves to vote for her aren't really Democrats, because if anything I think these people are more Democrats than the average Democrat. We still have principles, we reject the deplorable tactics of the GOP, we don't believe in power at all costs. We believe in honesty and integrity. We believe in change and we reject this kind of politics. We are true Democrats. We don't spew vile. We have principles and we have to stick to them. It is that simple. I applaud anyone who will vote on principle, and every day the Clintons resort to such despicable tactics, more and more loyal Democrats are getting to the same point.

Obama has so much out there that lets you know who he is. All you need to do is read. I read his memoir before he ran for office in Illinois. So I have this very solid impression of him pre-politics.

Richard - you sounded hateful - maybe you're not. But I am tired of the nastineess - Bill Clinton - the raging King Lear in the orange tie. The fact that indepenents and some moderate, reasonable republicans like Obama is not a bad thing - it's why he can win the general.

Better late than never? Or did his campaign pollster decide that spurning gays early in the primary season was the reason he seems to be losing lately?
Oh, I get it, this is preparation for the Florida primary. He's appealing to the beautiful boys in South Beach, the golden oldies in St. Pete and the immigrant population in Miami.
Jeez, it's so unsubtle I'm surprised that God didn't strike him in church.

wwjb--

Will you and your principles enjoy eight years of President Huckabee or (it hurts to even type this) President Guliani? I know many principled Nadar voters who would like to have a do-over on their 2000 vote if it meant sparing us from all that was wrought by the last 7 years of Bush-Cheney.

And I'm always amazed by posters like you who say things like "after witnessing who she really is" like you have any idea who Hillary really is. I don't know who she really is. I wouldn't assume to know who Obama really is. I don't even know what it means to really know who someone is. But, gee, good for you that you know who Hillary really is. Perhaps you have that same ability George Bush has to look into someone's eyes and see their soul. Good for you. Since you have this amazing ability, could you please tell us who Obama really is. I'm dying to know. And while you're at it, I've always wondered who Paris Hilton really is. Could you look into her soul and enlighten us as to who she really is?

Nice going grover_rover, when all else fails invoke the name of Hitler - idiot (and I mean you grover)

"Mr. Wright recalled, 'with Farrakhan, a lot of his (Obama's) Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell"

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/us/politics/06obama.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=Jeremiah+Wright&oref=slogin

grover_raver: Yeah, yeah, gay people are cool to Obama. Kumbaya and all that.
I think you missed my point. He included gays, Jews and immigrants all in the same paragraph. And what groups are most likely up for grabs in Florida in just about a week?
I think Obama has some amends to make to the gay constituency after the McClurkin episode.
I'm just surprised at the chutzpah of such a overtly political statement. Jeez, if you're going to do it, make it look natural fergawdssakes.

rasher--

It isn't hard to get a feeling for who the candidates really are if you actually pay attention to what they say, what they do, and how they act. I've been paying attention for a long long time, so it isn't hard to know who they are. I make a point of researching every candidate, and knowing everything I need to know about them. I know who Hillary Clinton is, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to watch how the Clintons will say and do anything to get ahead. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the constant stream of fallacious attacks streaming out of the mouths of the Clintons, or their support of voter disenfranchisement (if certain groups of voters aren't likely to support them of course). Are you serious? Is it so hard to see the patterns, to see how shameless they are? It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure this out. All you have to do is pay attention, you don't even have to follow it all as closely as I do, it is fairly obvious. Really, just open your eyes.

And like I said, I don't live somewhere where my vote will make a difference one way or another, so me voting on principle won't make a damn bit of difference. Also, if Hillary comes up against McCain in the general election, nothing will save her. If you are sooooo concerned about winning the presidential election, maybe YOU should start looking at who you are supporting, because if you have paid any attention you would notice McCain is positioned quite well to win the Republican nomination, and if you have paid any attention at all you would also have noticed that all the polls (and common sense) indicate that McCain will destroy Hillary in a general election, just like all Republicans in competitive races against Democrats will do when the Republicans use Hillary on the ticket to mobilize the 50% of the country that can't stand her. So no, my vote isn't going to cost anyone the presidency, but I cannot say the same about yours. Wake up.

It's a shame that so many of the people here who support Hillary Clinton reflexively react to everything Obama does with spite and derision rather than simply taking a moment to be proud that the man who gave a speech of such moral clarity today is a member of their party.

wwjb--

So apparently you're the only one paying attention and doing due diligence and everyone who supports and admires Hillary Clinton are either too dumb to see through her act or are willing to support a candidate who is shameless and dishonest and just a really really bad bad person. Don't you see how arrogant that comes off? Like you and only you with your preternatural ability to perceive "who someone really is" has been able to figure out something so far beyond the rest of us mere mortals. You sure don't give the rest of us very much credit and actually insult anyone who believes something contrary to your beliefs.

I hold nothing against anyone supporting Obama. He's a great Democrat and an inspiring candidate. I will vote for him if he gets the nomination. I just have a hard time with so-called Democrats who so viciously attack fellow Democrats. It makes me question their allegience to the party. They sound so very very Republican when they spew those Republican talking points we all became so familiar with during the Clinton administration. It doesn't take a leap of logic to surmise that some of them might be posting on these sites pretending to be someone they're not.

grover, it is clear you are an unstable, paranoid person with now a Hitler fetish. Let's move on, you are wasting my time. And just for the record, all I mentioned is that you brought up Hitler, not that you called Senator Clinton Hitler.

Geez what a nut job. Have you noticed how many posters have taken exception to your comments? Do you also stalk orphans and the elderly as a hobby too?!