Hilary seems unsure of which tactic will work and so is trying a bit of everything. The end result is at the least confusing and I believe it would be wise to leave the ranting until something deserving comes up.

When Hilary first started to campaign people were excited by the fact that she might bring back some of the pre-Bush feeling associated with her husband's tenure.

I think that the more time she spends in the public eye, the more people are beginning to remember that they never really liked her much anyway.

Sean McAlister, Buenos Aires,

I realize that the United States has a problem with illegal immigrants crossing into their territory from Mexico. But there has to be a better way to control the situation than building a Berlin Wall or fence along the border. Neighbours should build bridges, not fences. There are many bridges and roads across the US/Canada border, although the US keeps making it more difficult to travel between the two Countries, because of new security measures introduced by America.

gerald bryant, cranbrook, BC Canada

Clinton goes from "honored" to "irrate" in a period of only hours? Bizarre. Hillary, your biggest failure in this campaign (and your staff bears much of this blame) was never driving a central theme in your campaign. You have been "ready to lead", "solutions for America", "experienced", "ready to change", "I found my voice", "honored", "angry", etc. The reality is that America has serious Clinton fatigue. Comparing Obama to Bush is absurd and damaging to your own reputation. Pack up, and go back to doing what you do best. Being a New York senator.

Maria Johnston, Akron, OH

Hilary's ginned up anger is as false as her pasted-on smile. This is a candidate for whom pretense is reality and every new mantra a desperate effort to redeem a strategically bankrupt, visionless campaign.

Felix, Charlottesville, VA, USA

Your article on Hillary only slightly mentioned Ralph Nadar. I wrote in an earlier email complaining that you didn’t print more about him. I wish your comments section had more room, I would’ve written more. For instance, I think Nadar is well-informed, well-spoken, intelligent, more capable of being a really good President than Obama is right now. In the future, maybe Obama will catch up to him. But unless more people vote for Nadar, his opinions & causes won’t get credence in this election. And they should. He had a lot of good ideas on Meet The Press this morning.

Southerner, SC, USA

To Lessie Coleman, its nice to see that what appeared to be a prejudice free election, is of course still hindered by opinions such as y our own. I'm unclear of your message, or background, but once again it appears that your generalising, rather than basing your judgement on a meritocratic basis. What makes you belive that Obama would not represent the abuse of women as well as Clinton would. I'm a political student, and from the research and debates I have seen it appears to me that Hilary is no more feminine than her husband. Surely if she did represent the Women vote, she would have left Bill after the Lewinsky affair. How can you represent a problem such as the exploitation of women in a masculine dictated society, when she herself is to afraid to publically leave her husband in risk of jeprodising her own political carreer.

Alex, Maidstone, Kent.

Hillary has shown that she'll try anything to win this election - and she can be almost convincing enough, she certainly is smart and conversant in a number of area. However, she has just undermined her performance at the last debate with her ridiculous ranting. At least Obama has been consistent.

Martin, In the last debate they did discuss the sub prime issue and I recall Hillary saying that she would want a moritoriam on foreclosures, but I don't recall Obama's response.

Catherine, ex-Pat, USA,

To Bruno of Dallas,
The difference between us and you, is that you have given up hope, and have accepted Washington as it is. Us "Obamanites" will dare to try and change things.....you my friend, have simply given up. Hope is better than the same old crap from Washington. Another independent view.
Never surrender!!!

M.J., Iowa, U.S.A.

I really do not understand Mr Obama sometimes;
"You can’t be for something and take credit for an administration ... and then when you run for president say that you didn’t really mean what you said way back then. It doesn’t work like that,"

Personally (and if I could vote) I would chose the candidate who had the experiance to actually have made mistakes, the humility to admit that they were made and the good grace to try and change them.

E Green, Edinburgh,

Mrs. Clinton's campaign was never going to be about her opponent or what he said, mailed, or the platform he campaigned upon. Ultimately, it was always going to be about her. And the bottom line, is that people.....certainly Republicans, but, unfortunately for her....large numbers of Democrats just don't like her much as a person. It's a visceral thing, without factual basis or substantive reason. She is just plain unlikeable to much of the voting population, and all they were waiting for all along was a viable option as a candidate. How unlucky for her that Senator Obama not only provided that option, but an attractive one, as well. After she loses, she needs to go back to New York, dump Bill, and get on with her life.

Jon Kotler, Calabasas, California

Hilary Clinton expected at the outset to get the nomination almost as a right or her "destiny". That she would have to campaign but did not expect to find herself in a close fight and now with the real prospect of losing. I don't doubt her intelligence but repeatedly she has shown that she cannot communicate with grass roots voters. She doesn't understand the man or woman in the street and has no patience with them. Obama may lack experience but has the ability to speak directly to people. When you look back at the conduct of the Clintons through his offices of Governor and President is it any surprise people would seriously consider Obama despite his inexperience.

Andy, Worthing,

It is a shame to see the Democrats destroying themselves. The candidates' focus on the nomination ignores the impact of infighting on the Presidential election and helps only the Republican candidate, John McCain. The selection by Mr McCain of a female running mate would guarantee relegating Mr Obama to the long list of 'interesting but long forgotten' presidential candidates. The only electable Democrat, Hillary, is rapidly losing the plot; concentrating on scoring cheap points. This undermines her credibility as a political heavyweight and alienates the media and the electorate; not a sensible strategy.

Mike Collins, ECCLES,

Either way it goes people have their different opinion facts speak for themselves and I have said that experience counts for something you can promise anything but I do think that if the both of them on the ticket would be nice if she was president and he was vice would work but he would be too proud to take that under pressure some people do a lot of things wrong and if you have not been under that much pressure before and not dealt with the government or white house like she has. I have seen the debates and I have seen him loose his cool and that has come from lack of experience and pressure this is the same pressure I saw in Bush, during the debates. Even though she is in a position to be under pressure from men he should've shown his lack of hostility towards a woman under pressure as many men there are here in America who are abusing their wifes and girlfriends. Or am I the only one who watched that debate? Who has now just been proud to be an american. African American

Lessie Coleman , Austin, Tx

Were the pamphlets actually printing misinformation? Isn't that kind of the point here?

If they were, Hillary has a right to defend herself. If not, well then...it does show her to be desperate and two-faced.

So somebody address the actual issue over which they're fighting - not the fight itself.

Sara, No City, USA

I think it is a shame what the media has done to Hillary Clinton in this race for the democratic nominee. They even made a joke about it on Saturday night Live. I had to agree as the media has been so for Obama. I no sooner finished watching the debate last thursday night and right away on the msn and yahoo pages were headlines Hillary attacks Obama. I mena give me a break I watched the whole thing and not once did I see anything to call attack. Oh I could go on and on what the media headlines have been. Personaly I just think at no time will there ever be a women president due to the fact men just wont vote that way. I have heard this over and over and I think Hillary has had to fight her way from the start. She has had the media against her and this so called Obama guy as far as I am concerned is very dangerous at this time for the white house. Preferably we need experiance in there. I also think the Republicans have been voting in this primary for Obama. Then they will vote Republi

Sallie, Pleasant Prairie, WI

I concur John! It is desperation time for Hillary.

TH, Indianapolis, Indiana

Don't know much about the Americanelection apart from what I've seen on CNN but I have been surprised at a) the bias towards Obama and b) The mention of the word Change every few seconds without any real explanation of the changes.
Obama seems a personable enough man but before i chose him for my candidate I would want to se something a bit more substantial from him.

John S, Liverpool,

Feeling sorry for Hillary Clinton is like feeling sorry for a badger.... you reach out to pet it and then you'll loose your fingers!
She is the queen of shape shifting in the political arena. She is also a experienced washington politician, make no mistake about it. Americans would much rather have someone who may not be as experienced (a plus), but talks the language of the every day person. That person is Obama!

M.J., Iowa, U.S.A.

Today I watched recent Obama and Clinton speeches more-or-less in full on the BBC Parliament channel. What struck me was that what they were saying was more-or-less interchangeable (universal healthcare, iraq war bad, lets revisit trade agreements, stop the nasty chinese from taking all our jobs etc).

The difference, and it is a vast gulf, is in the way they said it.

Clinton came across as knowledgeable, informed and on the ball, and with thought out policies, but totally lacking in charisma, presence or leadership qualities. After every remark she made a bizarre nodding head gesture as if trying to imbue her words with more gravitas.

Obama, by contrast looked almost regal in his control and presence, but somehow laking in substance, not as a man, but in his grasp of details and as evidenced by a consistent substitution of policy with rhetoric.

Ideally, a combination of both would win, like Bill, but without the moral failings. Either way, I think McCain will win.

ColinG, Ramsgate, UK

Am I imagining things or is Hilary the same person who was given the remit (at the beginning of Bill's presidency) to explore how universal health care could be implemented? Didn't it go quiet after a while when the project hit the rocks of vested business interests? Perhaps Barack's plans are more realistic? Is that possible for someone who doesn't have as much experience as Hilary?

Steve, Preston,

Why don't either of them address the subprime mortgage problems affecting us all. I don't care about plagiarism. I want to know what they will do about giving mortgages to people who can't repay them. This is an act of criminal fraud and no one is being prosecuted; who will prosecute Barack or Hillary.

Martin Homec, Davis, usa/california

I don't get it. He said that her health plan forced people to get insurance whether they can afford it or not. She says he is lying and that her health plan just makes it mandatory for people to get insurance (given, while also making it cheaper). Mandatory/ forcing people.... two phrases that surely mean the same thing?

Abioye A Oyetunji, London, UK

John...stop drinking the Obama Kool-aid and look at the records. Obama is a bleeding heart far left wing socialist. Do you realy believe he can unite the folks iin washington? Eeven John McCain has a tough time in his own party and you think the republicans will listen to a newbie, far left socialist?

More Gridlock and nothing getting done, will be the reality if Obama is President. Same divided country except now we go from Far right Bush to Far left Obama.

Remember, you folks drink his 'Hope' and 'Change' Kool-Aid. Not the folks in Washington DC. They are all political pros. Even the losers of Kerry (did he not lose a sure win for the Dems in 2004) or the old and drunk womaniser Kennedy can help him.

I am an independent who does not like any of the choices. But of the three I would have to eliminate the newbie Obama with his empty Rhetoric, specially in these perilous times.

Bruno, Dallas, TX

What the US definitely don't need for Commander-in-Chief is a raving and ranting old lady who is not even able to manage her own campaign, let alone an entire country. Since she loses her head over details, and stages temper tantrums, she is simply not qualified.

Gerry, Toronto, Canada

Sounds like someone's getting desperate...

Ben, York,

Hilary is acting like the "entitled", weak senator she has been. surely she wishes she could have it her way. One just feels that she and Bill act in a subtle way like this "boy" does not know his "place". I am glad Obama did not back down, and stuck to his guns. Ms. Hilary will rant to the end because when she put on that nice face in the last debate it must have been a play becacuse she obviously could not maintain it.
I am one voter who is tired of this type of shallow mean spirited campaigning. I ama sure there are many more like me who are tired of this crap as well.
Yes Hilary does not seem to understand that this type of electioneering is one of the "changes" Obama is talking about. So keep the ludicrous Karl Rove thing going Hilary it shows the real you!!!1

Marty Price, Oakland, California

Sen. Barack Obama's absence from yesterday's annual State of Black America Issues forum shows his, glaring and obvious, disinterest in the plight of New Orleans and Louisiana now of course that he has their votes. We see once he gets the votes, this is what he actually does with them. Is anyone even paying attention to Obama's actual actions instead of the stolen words of other men he exploits in his speeches? It's not the first time Obama has done this, or been AWOL when his voice was required. Look at his missed Senate voting record and last years black Issues fourm,
he skipped that one too. What does this tell you? Observe and learn. When the man shows no interest in such a seriously injured area of our nation, it is time to be be very concerned. Hillary obviously feels different, she made sure she was there,
the only candidiate for that matter to attend this crucially important Black Issues forum, bottom line. This is why time and again I say, Obama is a huge

Hillary All the Way, Atlanta, USA Georgia

"Enough with the speeches and the BIG RALLIES and then using tactics that are right out of Karl Rove’s playbook."
..... mmmm... it must sting to see your opponent have all those big rallies, uh?

Harrison, Woburn,

SHAME on Hilary! once again she shows the "Jekyll & Hyde" personality she has, Thursday she was Proud to be with Barack Obama, 48 hours later, she is Ranting! which makes her look so bad, is this the way a possible future Commander in Chief should be, NO! because she is not fit for the job.

In the last TV debate Hilary accused Barack Obama of Plagiarism, and she closed the debate with a tearful ending using the words of he husband Bill and John Edwards from the December debate. Now Hilary rants Shame on You, about this mailing, does Hilary not remember or has she conveniently forgot the misleading mailer she sent out about Obama's stance on abortion?

Hilary is so desperately hanging on for power, she does not know which advice to take, she is quickly losing all respect as a Senator she has worked for. It is time for Hilary to be gracious in some small way and stand down for her own sake as well as The Party.

John B Sheffield, Newton, LA