In 2000, we had a very close election. Ralph Nader has been blamed for causing Al Gore to lose that election. Today, he is a persona non grata in most Democratic circles. Now, after an extremely hard-fought primary we have Barack Obama as our Democratic candidate.

It was a huge disappointment to Sen. Clinton's supporters when she withdrew her quest for the White House. Some of Sen. Clinton's supporters are not only disappointed, but bitter about the loss. So bitter that they plan on voting purposely against their own interests for John McCain. In doing so they would be voting against everything for which Hillary Clinton has stood. That is, a foreign policy of getting out of Iraq and a sensible domestic policy of women's rights, equal pay for equal work, health care for all Americans, and no more tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent. They would be voting to harm themselves, the causes they care about and most of all the person they most admire, Hillary Clinton.

If John McCain is elected, we will not only continue on the "wrong track" but I'm afraid that Sen. Clinton, like Ralph Nader, will be blamed for the loss. This will make her ineffective in fighting for the middle class and may even make her a pariah in the Democratic Party. For Sen. Clinton to be the leader fighting for the things that matter to us, she must have a Democratic president. As disappointed as we may be that she won't be that president, we can't let her down. We need her voice and that voice will come as a partner of Barack Obama.

Lana Gulden,

Northumberland