I know it's Ari Melber's job to cheerlead for the putative shot in the arm the "netizens" are supposed to give the body politic, but I got little more than amusement from "Bloggers on the Trail." Until recently, I lived for 25 years in San Francisco, where that Wired magazine hand-jive that the net (and by extension anyone younger than a Baby-Boomer) will change politics is standard latte-drinking fare; it hasn't happened and anyone with a cerebral cortex can see it won't. Anyone save a blogster, that is.

Which brings on point two. What was John Edwards thinking? I've read Pandagon somewhat regularly for about two years now and Amanda Marcotte's entire stock in trade is a blend of the most sophomoric strain of feminism and contempt for religion, especially Christianity, that would be interesting if she had the intellect and stylistic panache of a Christopher Hitchens. Her posts are the cyberspace equivalent of the sorrow tree, proof that there is always someone worse off than oneself.

As someone who voted for Nader three times, I'm sorry Edwards didn't sustain more egg on the face. I guess I'll have to content myself with the thought of Marcotte apologizing for what got her noticed in the first place, proving that with mainstream liberals, gravy trumps guts every time.

Douglas Presler

Minneapolis, Minnesota

I think you missed the point.

What Amanda et al blogged about the nativity of Jesus was offensive to Christians period. Edwards would like to have those folks supporting his campaign.

As a Christian woman, wife, mother, American worker, I am unlikely to through support behind a candidate who allows my basic religious beliefs to be mocked in such a fashion. It's really that simple.

The margin for victory in this closely divided nation is slim. You can't narrow it further by purposely thumbing your nose at traditional religious beliefs. Edwards knows that.

And that's why that blogger's resignation was instantly accepted.

Elena LaVictoire
www.mydomesticchurch.blogspot.com

Akron, OH

How long would John Edwards have kept those bloggers on his staff if their comments had been directed at Jews, Blacks, Mulims or Gays?

How long would those bloggers had lived if their comments where directed at Muhammed instead of the Virgin Mary?

So much for free speech and courage.

Lawrence Blume

San Antonio, Texas