> Michael Smith says "Perhaps--if you believe it".
>.... Why
> should we not believe that these differences
> are real?
Why should we not believe that the moon is made of green cheese?
To my way of thinking, Obama's own character and views are almost entirely irrelevant. What's determinative is the institution of which he is a part. We have all had sufficient experience of the Democratic Party to know that it is not made of green cheese.