New Hampshire Saves!

New Hampshire has saved what is left of the soul of the Republican Party from Plasticman and Elmer Huckabee.

It has saved the Democratic Party from a rush to elect a Republican President.

Even if Hillary is not your first choice -- even if Obama is -- ending the campaign this early would be unhealthy. I am concerned that Sen. Obama -- still an unknown quantity to 98% of the electorate -- will end up being defined by the Repubs in Sept & Nov. If he is to have any chance at all as a nominee, he cannot be a "unanimus consent" candidate in February. We must make him walk through fire, because Karl Rove & the Swiftboaters will surely see to it that he needs asbestos underwear come autumn.

Re Hillary, NPR had a great story. Sixty year old woman gets a call from her daughter, who had been supporting Obama, who tells her,"You remember how I always said 'don't call me a feminist' -- and you always said that it hurt you when I said that because it showed I was ungrateful? You were right. Hillary's got my vote."

It is hard for us to remember that those "kids" in their thirties have never lived in an officially segregated society, where an interracial couple wasn't just unusual, but often criminal. Or in a society where women were housewives -- or if they did work, they not only were likely to be chased around a desk by the boss, but were expected to run real slow if they wanted to keep their jobs.

JFK. MLK. LBJ. Bette & Bella & Gloria & Shirley. When you can see further, it never hurts to remember whose shoulders you are standing on.