The Dish

"Hillary Clinton represents the status quo at best, and keeps us rooted in a place we need to move from. I’ve watched younger women come into their adult lives from a different set of experiences, and Hillary Clinton was not the president to make the transition to the newly inspired movement that we need," – Kate Michelman, NARAL.

"It’s interesting, right? Lately there’s been a typical sort of political fight. Because I said something that everybody knows is true – which is that there are a whole bunch of folks in small towns in Pennsylvania, in towns right here in Indiana, in my hometown in Illinois, who are bitter. They are angry. They feel like they’ve been left behind. They feel like folks aren’t paying attention to what they’re doing here," – Barack Obama, Pendleton, rural Oregon.

A smart move: to go to rural, white America and own up to the "bitter" comments and take advantage of them. Obama needs to do a week-long tour of depressed largely white rural or rust-belt America. Not the poverty tour: the working poor tour. Take Rove politics and shove it back at them.

A reader writes:

My God … that could have been me writing this. I remember laying in bed as a 13 – 14 yr old wondering "what am I supposed to do when I grow up" and thinking maybe this void I felt when I looked into the future, was God’s way of telling me I was going to be dead by the time I was an adult, because I couldn’t see myself married.

No child should have to deal with these thoughts. I too submerged myself with overachieving in my studies, a non-stop regimen of extracurricular activities, and a daily battle of struggling to be the perfect over-achiever at everything I did … just to create a diversion to something I didn’t want to address or bring attention to.

I wish those who see "being gay" as just a sexual act would listen and learn to us, and then understand the unnecessary pain they are subjecting struggling teenagers to even today.

Another:

My partner of 16 years and I have a 6 year old son and he asked us recently if "Daddy and Papa" were married.  I took a deep breath, lied, and said "yes". I said yes because, for him, our relationship is the foundation of his existence.  And, even at 6,  he understands that marriage is the way two people come together to make a family.  How could I give him any other answer?  Hopefully some day  our country  will make an honest man of me.

Ruffini argues:

President Bush is a lame duck. His term expires in eight months. Politically speaking, John McCain is the leader of the party. Bush’s term will overlap that of the 111th Congress by a whopping 17 days. Why should Republican Congressional candidates take the bait by positioning themselves vis a vis someone who will be a political non-factor once they take office? If they embrace President Bush, it’s political poison. If they make a fuss of distancing themselves, it guarantees headlines with Candidate X and Bush in close proximity, and looks politically motivated. Don’t take the bait.

The challenge for Republicans is not to support Bush or to reject Bush but to transcend Bush. We are quickly nearing the point where the last piece of meaningful legislation will cross this President’s desk. To suggest that Republicans might want to get around to crafting a post-Bush agenda ignores the fact that the post-Bush era is already upon us. It began March 4, when John McCain secured 1,191 delegates. Start acting like it. John McCain is the only national Republican local Republicans should be talking about.

It’s good advice, but the voters will nonetheless find it hard to erase eight years of Republican governance when they approach the next GOP candidate. Bush is the reality they have to run with. He’s certainly the reality Obama will be running against.

Matt Steinglass rebuts Yglesias.

Michael Goldfarb, using me as a foil, thinks Barr could hurt Obama more than McCain.

Cool animated graffiti:

A commenter:

I was THERE and it was like being at the Vatican on Easter, with lots of sunscreen, hats, and water bottles. There were TONS of white republicans — both young and old — in addition to Libertarians and independents. I was surrounded in line by republicans. And, believe me, there was plenty of time to get to know them. We waited in line together for 3.5 hours and walked (very slowly) 12 blocks to get in. The line stretched for blocks and blocks behind me. The overall atmosphere was elation, rather than impatience at the wait …  A surprise for me has been the knowledge that my grandmother, who has been a life-long republican, switched her party affiliation so that she could vote for Obama.

Obama leads McCain by 13 points. Obama’s Midwest support is real and has something to with this, I think:

Jason Ehresman, 38, a retail manager from Moorhead, said he has been drawn to support Obama because of "the way he speaks, the way he frames issues. It’s hard to put your finger on any one thing that makes him so attractive."

And that’s why and lapse into dumb-ass Shrummery needs to be avoided.

Jeffrey "JJ" Goldberg is apparently bending over for the Islamists. Because he actually wants Israel to survive as a Jewish state. And, unlike some others, is prepared to face reality.