Well said d b!

It’s far too early to decide on anyone to vote for, IMHO. There are too many glaring variables in this race to even begin to imagine the outcome. Discourse is critically important to flush out the weak, marginal, unqualified, and in order to be better informed about the strength of any and all candidates. We may no longer look at their local experience — take a gander at an accurate map of the world; the U.S. is glaringly minute — so whomever is elected better have a track record internationally, or we are going to be sunk. Favoritism won’t hack it in international relations; such tide changes re far greater than all the seas. “Whomever” must be able to not only think “out of the box,” but openly address the malignant aspects within the “box,” right now, one by one. So far, not one candidate has addressed such issues — well, Ralph Nader has openly done so, recently, and in a CSPAN appearance. I must say, that man is intelligent, and educated; not something I’m seeing in anyone else so far, in spite of my personal prejudices for … No one should leave this discourse. That is what “free speech” is about - basically, anyone may say what they want to say, or communicate, but they must leave an open for others to have equal input. This goes back to our very dissappointing White House Secretary’s actions of late, plus she is letting herself “down.” So, no one leave, just click OFF for a while, and let things go. Lastly (aren’t you relieved), I don’t think anyone in WOWOWOW has to apologize for anything and certainly not typing! This is a forum that attracts IWs (Incredible Women), and those who respect us. ;0)) (first, I spelled “attacks…” Hmmmmmmm)

I fail to see the integrity, intelligence, and wisdom in comparing President Clinton to Senator Joseph McCarthy. It’s that kind of intemperate position that makes me think it is extremely dangerous to have this person and the people who work for him representing this country to either the Chinese government or the middle eastern oil interests. People keep commenting on Obama’s “intelligence,” but I’d say that comparison is flat-out inconsidered, ill-advised, historically unfounded, and flat out stupid.

P.S. Ms. Whoopi, please chime in. And thanks for starting a good one.

Whoppie, I don’t think there is a race issue, but a populist issue being cloaked in race because that is easier to manipulate. Obama has most of the super delegates and has swept Mid-West Red-States with 92% of the population white. It’s hard to make a claim of race when the facts say differently. He is being Swift-Boated where it will be most inflammatory. <—break—> As Rousseau said, the “money powers will always trick and enslave the masses.” <—break—> The money powers do not want populist Obama anymore than they wanted populist JFK whose religion was made the issue. Here’s what JFK said to the Houston Ministers who questioned his fitness for office based on his being a Catholic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2Jr03ADQmk American was never formed as a ‘Christian’ nation. Our Founding Fathers said: “The United States is in no sense founded upon the Christian doctrine.” -George Washington <—break—> “I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.” -Thomas Paine <—break—> “I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature.” -Thomas Jefferson <—break—> “The Bible is not my book, and Christianity is not my religion.” -Abraham Lincoln <—break—> Though America’s Founding Fathers did not avow Christianity, they insisted upon and ensured the rights of others to freely embrace it. “The 1st Amendment stands as the bulkhead against an establishment of religion and at the same time insures the free expression of any belief. From http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/summer97/secular.html Theocracy Watch http://www.theocracywatch.org/ If the facts don’t support racism, and I don’t believe they do, otherwise Obama couldn’t have maintained the outstanding popularity that he does; nor does it Constitutionally matter what Obama’s Minister said. Then I can only conclude that the current distraction is just one of many of the dirty swiftboat-type actions coming Obama’s, or any other Democratic contenders way, because pragmatically that’s how the game is played today, whether we like it or not.

It is never a good or convenient time to discuss race, and, for far too long the discussion has been the burden of African-Americans, whose experience has been unique and by its very nature, complex. Navigating and thriving in a dominant culture that devalues one is not easy for those in the dominant culture to understand. Barack Obama, and many Americans, has a foot in two worlds. Rather than get hysterical and parse his every word in reactionary fashion, the Nation’s progress demands a new covenant whereby the complexities of the dual lives so-called “minorities” live become understood by all. This should not be the burden of African-Americans alone, but of ALL Americans. Yes, it may be uncomfortable, but progress often is. It will take courage and a willingness to no longer be in denial. Collectively, “minorities” will make up more than half the American population by the year 2050. If not now, when? Certainly, Caucasian-Americans can muster the courage it takes to match the courage it has taken for African-Americans to make a life of dignity and rear hopeful children in the American culture — and invest in its promise with life, limb and love? A place to begin is not with more LIES that are unworthy of the great Nation America is. African-Americans have NOT been “lucky.” African-Americans have EARNED whatever they have received — and invested in the America we are, generationally, believing in the American promise when it didn’t always apply equally. That is REAL PATRIOTISM. Can Caucasian Americans match that courage without defaulting to a place of fear and angst? Barack Obama thinks ALL Americans are ready to move forward. Our children believe we are ready to move forward. The world is WAITING for us to move forward. It is time.

Behind the jokes, I feel that Whoopie is a super intelligent woman. I hope that in the future we will hear Whoopie’s own opinions and ‘voice’.

wow. Whoopie’s call to balance this “thing” out has sparked some great views on the intricate mixture of emotion and politics which, I am sorry to say, is the root of the current division in the Democratic Party. Unfortunate that the game of making news from no news is taking the power and focus away from the the best that our political system can be……..too long until the party conventions happen and the presidential candidate is actually chosen! This next exercise of creative spinning is SO bullshit. sorry for the expletive.

Glad to see Whoppi back, since watching the show this am, here is a little joke I think you all will enjoy. A little boy was taking a bath, he started playing with his you know whos, he said to his mother Are these my brains, and she replied, not yet.

We really need to stop looking at such foolish things and look at the issues. Forget the male/female thing or the black/white thing. Let’s look at the issues like the war, healthcare, the economy and such. I personally support Hilary. I hope she makes it. It’s not a female thing. I just like what she has to say. That’s what’s important in this political race. I don’t really care who they associate with or their past (unless it involves some serious crime); I want to know what they plan to do in the future. Heck if we all judged each other all the time on our past-we would never evolve as a nation. We grow and we change and that’s life.

I find that most of these right wing religious zealots are very quick to forgive their own and extremely intolerant about forgiving anyone else that does not see things their way. I thought Obama’s speech was beautiful, eloquent and very truthful. I am a 51 year old Hispanic woman who was born and raised in this country, as were my parents and my grandparents. Race is an issue in this country, always has been and probably always will be, but hopefully not to the degree it has been in the past. One must remember that African American’s have a deeply painful history. Lynchings and owning slaves was not that long ago. Many white men and women, have, in fact, treated Americans of different colors and religious persuasions with horrible cruelty but we have also made great strides in overcoming this terrible legacy. We have a man of mixed race who is running for President and a woman as well! This would NEVER have happened fifty years ago. So, maybe in another fifty years we will have come even further than where we are today.

Whoopi, it’s too bad you lost a lot of credibility when you came to Michael Vick’s defense by calling his role in dog torture a cultural “thing.” Disgusting. I for one wouldn’t want to listen to your opinion on anything.