I believe strongly that most democrats, once faced with the clear policy differences between McCain and the Democratic nominee will choose to back the Democrat...even if that is Obama.

Most will. The question is how large that "most" will be. 90%? Then Obama has a chance. 75%? Not so much. I'm BTD or another number-person can come up with the exact figure, but Obama has to win a significant majority of Clinton supporters in Ohio and PA to carry those states.

Here's the problem, and I know whereof I speak because I've lived in Western PA for the past 25 years: Obama can't do it. And it's not about race but about culture, those hard-to-pin down things that create a sense of "one of us."

Working class people, men and women, are by necessity scrappers and they respect scrappers. Where I live amid the descendants of the Eastern Europeans who slaved in Carnegie's Steel Mills before unions, the people are hard-working, unpretentious, plain-spoken, caring, and devoted to parish and family. Economic anxiety has been a fact of their lives and their parents' lives and their grandparents' lives and so on. As a result, they are especially proud of what they have earned and obsess on keeping their small yards neat and their paint fresh. They are hardy, decent, proud people, much like my own Appalachian family. And they are sensitive to class. They know the educated "snobs" don't fully respect them, and they don't much care. They know their lives revolving around family and holidays and major rituals of christenings, and first communions, and marriages, and death are rich and satisfying. Their lives are rooted in deep attachments to family and community. They may not know exactly what arugula is, but they'd prefer iceberg lettuce anyway.

I've lived and taught here for 25 years and I've learned that one of the biggest compliments working class folks in the Ohio Valley can give you is that you're "down to earth." I know I'm effectively connecting with my students whenever someone praises me for being "down to earth."

Obama is the anti-down-to-earth candidate. McCain trumps him in coming across as plainspoken and no nonsense and tough. He may not have policy plans that favor working class people's economic interests, but truth be told, they have essential faith in their country and in their own ability to keep their heads above water, come what may. Yeah, they'd prefer having a Clinton back in the White House because the 90s were better days, but given a choice between Obama and McCain, they'll go with the one they can respect and connect with more on a personal level, and that will most likely be McCain: war hero, maverick, experienced.

All of this is a longwinded way of saying that I think most of the working-class Democrats in Ohio and PA will choose McCain over Obama. And they'll make the difference. OH voters kept it close enough between Kerry and Bush that Blackwell was able to put his thumb on the scales, and PA was too close to call until around 11:30 PM when Kerry was finally declared the winner--by less than 2%.

What does that tell you?

That they are much more important than the writers.

So now we've moved from Fatal Attraction to Basic Instinct?  IIRC, I think it was Sharon Stone's character that wielded an ice pick.  Is the intention to inject some homophobia into the conversation as well or is this some sly reference to rumors about Senator Clinton's sexuality?  And is SLOTUS supposed to be some type of funny take on calling President Clinton sexually promiscuous? She even explicitly made the charge that Hillary has 'unmanned' Obama.

This column -- heck, this primary season -- is like a case study for Women Studies 101.  I guess I'll have to try out my google skills but I doubt that people were writing about Kerry needing to punish Edwards or Dean as the 2004 primary concluded. Perhaps the media should just start shouting 'drown the witch' and stop being so coy about it.

I am an Obama supporter, but I have to say that even if your analysis were true, saying it so blatently here does nothing to unify the party.

There are numerous blogs where this is discussed on a daily basis. There are many new blogs where people can discuss politics without having blogger boyz and their infantile insults towards women intrude on civil discourse.

And there are millions of Clinton supporters who have seen the constant media bashing of their candidate, the misogynistic media and Obama supporters and the fact that everything Hillary says is twisted to seem other that what it is and everything Obama says is explained (W.O.R. M.) away.