This is what's got me worried about the downturn the Democratic primary has taken (from both sides, in my opinion)! One of the Democrats' biggest problems is their inability to unite - McCain is definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with so both sides need to quit it with the mudslinging. I think both candidates are pretty great, honestly... I feel torn.

You are totally right about the Democrats needing to unite - and I think Hillary laying off and/or stepping down signify that. While Obama definitely could do a *better* job, I think he has resisted getting pro actively negative. He does, however, need to defend himself to some degree when his opponent goes after him in an unsubstantiated manner (and subsequently misleading the public).

Seems like a pretty average homeland security campaign message to me -- nothing like the republicans would do. I wouldn't call it fear mongering at all. It's just people sleeping -- no inky figures sneaking up to the window. I would much rather have Hillary answering the call than the captain of the basketball team. Speaking of which, Obama's retort is totally off base. We get it, you didn't vote for the war. That doesn't have anything to do with the message here. Get over yourself.

Obama's response doesn't seem off base to me at all.

I think what both of them are doing is entirely fair in the game of politics... Still, I started off feeling really inspired, but now I'm worried that both their tactics will leave the party scarred & divided. Both of them have misrepresented the other's health care plans, and both have taken unbecoming digs at the other candidate (just look at the last debate in which Edwards participated - a real turnoff, in my opinion). Maybe I'm being naive here, but this is something Republicans seem to have down for better or for worse.

@melissa: I agree that it's nothing like the republicans would do.

@shiwani: The republicans do seem to do this better than we do, and at this point the division is definitely a major risk IMO.

Hillary won't win anyways... doesn't matter to me. Even if she gets past Obama in National Security, she won't get past McCain.

I guess the democrats are now officially as dirty as the republicans in dirty-campaigning.

Go NADER/GONZALEZ!!!!!

I don't think this ad is really off base...it's a fair question. it's the question that has been asked throughout this campaign. and obama's response about the war, is purely rhetoric. his ability to give a speech when he wasn't in the position of having to cast the vote is a very different thing. Yes, division is an issue, if we dems don't step up and rally around the eventual nominee -- but there's nothing wrong with letting as many states have their say in our weird extra long primary process (a whole other discussion.)
@Kabir: i don't understand why everyone says that hillary should step down now. the delegate count is still near even, she has won many states and in terms of sheer numbers of people who have supported each of them so far they are running nearly even. despite Obama trying to claim the nomination at this point, there isn't that much of a difference between them yet. let the process play out.