The XX Factor: What women really think.

No, No, A Million-Billion-Gazillion Times No!

What's up with Democrats who say, "If Obama [or Hillary] doesn't win the Democratic nomination, I'll be voting for John McCain in November"?

This is making me crazy. I argued, today, that Clinton has become so fixated on tearing down Obama—despite her negligible chances of winning the nomination herself—that she's just increasing the chances that McCain becomes president. (I urge Hillary to drop out of the race before she becomes the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy's best weapon!) Well ... in response, I got a ton of e-mails from people saying things like, "You're right, Hillary's attacks on Obama come right out of the Republican playbook. I'm so mad at Hillary that if she becomes the Democratic nominee, I'm voting for John McCain."

I don't get it. How can someone be mad at Hillary for attacking Obama in the same way Republicans might/will attack Obama but threaten to retaliate against Hillary, should her attacks on Obama prove successful, by voting for ... the Republican candidate?

This strikes me as nuts. I've never been crazy about Hillary—I think she's the Celine Dion of Democratic politics—and I'm a big Obama fan. But should Hillary, through some miracle, end up at the top of the Democratic ticket, of course I'll vote for her, and if she loses to McCain, I'll be very, very disappointed. Because, contra Ralph Nader, there is a pretty big difference between the two parties—a far greater difference than there is between Clinton and Obama.

Right? Right?