I think, for many, the reasons for either not supporting Obama or supporting McCain are so varied that there is no one right answer. I think some of the Clinton supporters are/or have in the past been mainly Republican voters. Perhaps voters that were not entirely happy with the Republicans and who found something in Hillary Clinton that resonated with them. For many of these, the simple fact that she was a viable female candidate might have been the primary reason.

For some, it might be the fact that McCain has a military background and Obama does not. I keep hearing that ditzy Elizabeth Hasselbeck on The View, during previous election cycles, talking about how George Bush makes her feel safe. Funny he has the opposite affect on me.

Others have been waiting so long to see a woman as president and have invested so much of themselves in that, that letting go is just about impossible. The disappointment is so deep and so hurtful that they want to lash out at the person who won. There is no logic that will appeal to them. They will either come around on their own or they won't. And the more they feel slighted, the more they are badgered, the more they will dig in their heels and refuse to budge. After all, women didn't get the vote to begin with because of a bunch of weak willed women. They were an angry, smart, determined group, and they just kept going and going.
Most of the current group of Hillary die-hard supporters, (me included), will now, probably, never see a woman as president. And for many, that's more than a hard pill to swallow, it's a reason to mourn.

And of course the last, and unfortunately just about as big a reason as the others, is that Obama is a person of color. There are no polls that can determine how much of a factor this is. And it might turn out to be very minor, but I suspect it's not. Just like all these politicians caught with another women and lie about it, so will anyone who is polled about it. In fact, people are very good at lying to themselves about things like this, (we all know a few people like that don't we?). In a close race it might very well make the difference and there is no way of figuring out if it will or if it won't.

And I have to say, in all my years of voting, this is the first time I have felt such an immense emotional response to choosing a candidate to back. And my choice was made very subconsciously. When I went into the voting booth for the primary, for the first time in my life I really did not know who I was going to vote for until I saw myself voting for Hillary. I understood that she was not perfect, (who is?). But I couldn't not vote for her when the time came. I am always involved and have strong feelings but I am totally surprised at myself that I have felt such a huge sense of sadness and loss. I will not be voting for McCain, in spite of threats to do so on some of the other threads. But I still have some time to come to a place where I can vote for Obama without sobbing and maybe others are feeling like I do.

BTW this has been rather cathartic for me. Thanks for listening. Next time I want a couch to lay on. And a large box of tissues...lol..