1a. Obama could/should pick a woman, but not Hillary Clinton. Several good choices from swing state senate and governors.

1b.He must NOT pick a misogynist anti-female male such as Jim Webb, or others who are anti-choice. That will give women excuse to stay home or even vote for McCain, especially if McCain selects a woman (even if that woman is anti-choice).

2. Very scary for Democrats if McCain picks a woman. That is the only McCain VP choice that makes a difference. It could actually swing some of the supposedly outraged Clintonista white women to McCain, despite his and his party’s immensely anti-female personality and policies (anti-choice, anti-equal pay, misogynist horndog (called wife c*&t, cheated multiple time on fist wife, etc.) militarism, etc).

3. If Obama loses with Clinton having undercut him, there is no way she get the nomination in 2012. There will be new people running, including new women, and Clinton (both of them) will be remembered as having destroyed the Democratic party and the country.

yeah sure, let McCain select a woman as a running mate. I'd love to hear the nation reminded over and over again of his remark towards his wife, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt."

Ooooh, "third-party narcissism." Isn't it about time to give that one a rest? What with most of the Senate Democrats having greenlighted the Iraq war nearly six years ago? And half of them voting to confirm John Roberts as Chief Justice?

As for McCain picking a running mate: Condi Rice. If you're a Republican who thinks everyone votes based on their skin color or sex, she's the obvious choice to try to peel away a few votes here and there.

Someone had better tell the dead-enders at TalkLeft. Those people are scary. And I think there are more of them than we imagine.

she's the obvious choice

Maybe, but I dunno. If you're black/minority, why not vote for the guy at the top of the ticket, rather than for an old white guy's VP choice?

I'm not sure Condi would appeal to women all that much either- I think they strongly identified with Hillary, because they saw themselves in her- resilient and unbowed despite intense (and generally unfair) criticism, predominantly by men. Condi doesn't have the same cache, I think.

Condi is as qualified to be VP as Harriet Miers was to be a Supreme Court justice. Don't be surprised.

Condi as VP? NO CHANCE.

The ONLY hope for the Republican party in this election cycle is that racism will swing enough votes to McCain that he'll win the White House in a year that's otherwise trending overwhelmingly Democratic.

McCain knows perfectly well that he'll be depending on race-based voting, and he will be choosing a white VP to make sure the GOP ticket is the option for anyone uncomfortable with the color of Obama's skin.

I am reminded of an English indie band from a few years back with a fairly offensive name...

Have a daughter? Think of Lily Ledbetter, and the simple change required (with a Democratic president) to ensure that your daughter has recourse should her future/present employers ever discriminate against her. And you still want to vote McCain?

If you're a Republican who thinks everyone votes based on their skin color or sex...

That's exactly what happens in the Democratic primary. Blacks dumped the Clintons after years of service. Women voted for Hillary because of her sex.
Years and years of promotion of identity politics and you expected something different?

What makes you think seven right-wing Supreme Court justices wouldn't overturn Roe? Their consciences and judicial restraint? You're fooling yourself.

I think El Viajero has this right in this instance.

Identity politics is a great way to split apart diverse groups with wedges. Blogs that promote identity politics are no friends of women, or anyone.

Following a President who grabbed dictatorial powers with another who will further entrench and legitimize them, in the face of a congress apparently unwilling to challenge such developments, seems to me the most profound argument of all, even if both women and men face similar disenfranchisement.

Meh. Generalizations about identity politics do not impress me. Considering that I'm a white woman who voted for Obama, and all that. And I know plenty of other women who joined me.

And Condi as the VP? Not happening. There are whispers in the GOP that she's a lesbian. Never married, had a close female friend back during college, other such things. I have no idea if there is any truth to that, but even those simple unconfirmed rumors are enough for the GOP to reject someone.

What makes you think seven right-wing Supreme Court justices wouldn't overturn Roe? Their consciences and judicial restraint?

They'll be more focused on overturning Youngstown

You simply have no clue that one of the main principles of taxation is "beneficiary pay." Your attempt to break or obfuscate the link between SS spending and the source of SS revenues shows that either you're completely ignorant of fundamental principles of taxation, or you're disingenous on this topic.