I think it was Obama's reluctance to be a part of that drama that disqualified Senator Clinton. Who I completely grant, on her own, would be a terrific VP. In fact, I might very well have originally supported her as President if it wasn't for her husband. However, her husband is very much a part of the package, and I never heard either her or her supporters say anything that would assure people otherwise.

I really hope to see more of Senator Clinton, either in the cabinet as Attorney General or as a distinguished Senator. I think she does a terrific job when she is independent of Bill.

Frankly, I hope this convention is the last hurrah for Her Irrelevancy. But I wouldn't count on it.

The so-called PUMAs threatened to bring Denver down and cause a big stink. And they had 36 people show up. 36.

There are many Clinton supporters still undecided. That's fair enough. But they will come home to Obama and the Democrats because they are reminded at this convention of what the stakes are.

For example, that one former Clinton delegate who appeared in a McCain ad actually thought that McCain was pro-choice.

By the end of this convention, nobody will still believe these falsities about McCain, that he's some sort of moderate.

This is an inside the beltway story that people who do not understand the beltway are taking the wrong way.

It seems to me that one of the more important qualities in a president is the ability to communicate with and inspire the nation. After all, great presidents are often remembered through their great speeches. Lincoln, FDR, JFK, Reagan were all great speakers. And it mattered. Obama has oratorical skills in spades.

Obama also knows how to organize. I've been reading this Politico article about how the Obama campaign out-maneuvered, out-organized, and flat out-managed Clinton's. This article, as do many others, made the point that many Clinton insiders complained about how woefully disorganized her staff was, and how badly managed they were. That's not something you want to hear about a prospective president. Similar complaints have been made about McCain.

Obama is intellectually curious. He asks a lot of questions, and seeks out a broad spectrum of people for advice. And I too noticed that one of the things he liked about Biden is how he put together and interacts with his staff.

I believe Obama has a more inclusive view of foreign relations. And he certainly enjoys quite a bit of international appeal. One thing I do worry about though is how he will translate that into policy. I think Biden helps there, but he won't be the guy making the decisions.

Finally, I like Obama's energy plan much better than McCain's. It might be a bit over-enthusiastic, but I'm not too worried about that. Whatever he wants to do has to go through congress. But I think his approach is great. It's a forward-looking plan and he understands in considerable depth and detail what is necessary to pull it off.

Tony, I am sorry I insinuated hidden motives on why you left RFO. Independence is important and you have a perfectly good reason to move on. I disagree with you on Biden, but as someone who likes the idea of smaller, more workable government, I cannot deny he is a pretty conventional liberal and as a Senator he goes against the “Change” meme.

Silhouette, this is very difficult for me, but I apologize for going wacko on you as well. If you are a truly passionate Clinton supporter I understand your disappointment. I would have felt the same had Obama lost. Senator Clinton has conducted herself wonderfully as the junior Senator from New York and is an enormously talented woman. I feel that her talents lie more in the legislative area versus the executive, but I will not deny those talents. I never liked Bill Clinton, but under his administration I didn't get the sense of our country going off a cliff like it is now. If you are a true McCain supporter, you must feel very passionate about him to maintain your charade. I will certainly grant that the man served his country well and has demonstrated a past willingness to go against the partisian mess of government we are currently in.

Now, what I would like to hear from everyone is why you like your particular candidate (you are not allowed to use another other candidate, i.e. “I don't really like Obama but he's better than McCain.”

I will go first, I was immediately attracted to Obama because he gives a sense of someone who is most concerned with what works. There was a link I believe on this website about the excellence of Biden's staff. That impressed me. If that is something Obama noticed and respected, it means he is going to hire the best most competent people, not hacks that will I think go far. I also like what electing Obama will say to the world about our ability to transend our racial past. We stop becoming a Crusader nation when we show we are capable of putting someone with the middle name Hussain in office. Yes I know he isn't Muslim and I know there are people who have a problem with that middle name and he election isn't going to make Osama kiss and make up with us, but it makes it just that much harder for Osama to play to the arab street and portray us as racist crusaders.

I came of age as Reagan entered the White House. Things weren't working because the country moved too far to the left. I really think they aren't working now because they have moved too far to the right. I really think Obama, is the best person to restore that balance. McCain and Clinton are smart people who want to do well by the country, but they are too tied to the past.

Thank you for listening and I appreciate hearing from anyone who can tell me in a civil manner, why I might be wrong.