This cycle we have a real challenge on our hands because of Clinton and Obama.

[EFerrari]

Instead of getting ugly or, all twisted up, we could look at this contest in that way. Americans generally suck at talking thoughtfully about race. We avoid it like the plague even though it largely structures our culture. Imo, we do a little better with sexism if only because that may be an older problem/argument. There's been more time to practice.

I myself am not as interested in who prevails in this contest as I am interested in how well we manage to talk about Obama and about HRC in a thoughtful way, in a way that is real but at the same time, in a way that tries to avoid the petty, damaging prejudice that has underpinned our society since its inception.

We have an opportunity to do better this time. It isn't / won't be easy. But, we could look at this race as an opportunity to learn how to manage these topics in public discourse. These are two exceptionally talented people. I don't prefer either of them but it just seems to me that they can enable a dialog we need to have -- an antidote to the hatefilled GOP garbage that has been sown all over us ever since the Thugs took control.

For that alone, both Clinton and Obama deserve all the credit in the world.

[suston96]

1. Nicely put.

I prefer to see "ladies first". Let the first woman be president. Then the first black.

Whoever prevails as the nominee, I will support her/him because it will still be a first.

And if anybody really cares:

I will vote for Hillary because she is a woman. I will vote for Obama because he is black.

I have never claimed to be anything more than a very shallow person. Too many Seinfeld reruns, I guess.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[EFerrari]

3. See what I mean? We don't know how to think or talk about this.

:shrug:

[ThomWV]

4. I Think Your Priorities Are Askew

"I myself am not as interested in who prevails in this contest as I am interested in how well we manage to talk about Obama and about HRC in a thoughtful way ..."

Oh, really?

Personally I do not care one whitt how nicely spoken we are about the the black, the woman, and the heard of old white guys, its the issues and policy that will be necessary to redeem this falling Nation that matter. All this other stuff, the 'political horse race' is just so much distraction. Like reality television, it doesn't have a dam thing to do with reality.

[EFerrari]

5. Consider this: This isn't about "niceness", it's about how we

manage to think about who we are. How well we manage to talk to each other. This is in no way about being "PC" but about dealing with our community under this big tent.

And, I expect the DLC will choose for me this time, so I can't get overheated about this one choice. The bigger picture is our ability to work together. That ability is being challenged this time out and, it's high time.

/oops