One Nation, Indivisible

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"The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; . . . But I've got news for them ... We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?" . - Barack Obama, 2004

This morning, the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Sen. Barack Obama has surged to a 4-point lead over Hillary Clinton, and an 8-point lead over John Edwards, with only one month to the Iowa Caucus.

Giuliani is leading on the GOP side of the race.

I think if Obama can rip through the gossamer-thin film of "inevitability" surrounding Hillary Clinton, he will be President. . Giuliani is simply not presidential timber; he's too mercurial and too provincial (even more provincial than George W. Bush).

Which is not to say Barack OBama is going to have a cake walk. He's going to be Swift-boated by the folks at Fox and by the whispering campaigns of right-wing emailers who will pass on what they think are clever nigger jokes laced with suggestions that the Senator from Illinois is really a Muslim fanatic in drag.






There's only one problem with that attack plan: Barack Obama. The more you see of this guy, the more you realize how incredibly solid he is. As time goes on, more and more people are going to pay attention, and the folks making the sniping comments about race and name are going to look smaller and smaller until at last they both reveal and embarrass themselves at the same time.

As for Rudy Giuliani, he has the opposite problem; the more people see of him, the less impressed they are going to be.

But don't take my word for it: Go to Youtube and look at Obama speeches and Giuliani speeches. Watch a couple. Noodle around. Educate yourself. And then vote as you see fit.

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