Stephanie Zunes gives the most clear headed synthesis of the primary dynamics that I've seen yet.

Barack Obama has won the race for the Democratic nomination for president against Hillary Clinton on the issues. Sort of.

This is not what the pundits will tell you, who would rather focus upon the most superficial and trivial aspects of the two final candidates’ style, personality, associates, personal history, and campaign organization and strategy, not to mention race and gender.

This is not what many on the left will say either, in recognition of how little differences there were between the two candidates’ stated positions on most policies.

Still, Obama was able to defeat the once-formidable Hillary Clinton because he was perceived to be the better candidate among the increasingly progressive base of the Democratic Party.

Now that the primary season is over, let’s join forces to win the election this fall. We’ve all been terrified griping concerned about the tenor of the contest, the occasional callowness of the media, the seeming triviality of the debate questions, among other things. It’s ironic that, then, that the best, most uplifting and honorable phase is now over; we’re about to see politics at its worst. This primary has been heated and protracted, sure, but it has invigorated the electorate and stimulated widespread debate. As Pete Seeger once said, "it’s the differences of opinion that make horse races."  

But now the general election begins.  The tough fight is upon us. Given how high the stakes are, it will likely get very ugly indeed. So, here are four suggestions for ways to reconnect now that may help pull us all back together for victory in the fall.

Victory strategies below the fold:

As a feminist who supports Barack Obama, I’m constantly confronted with an uncomfortable situation: tense conversations or, worse, heavy silence from feminist friends who feel I’ve betrayed them.  Given the historic (albeit fading) chance to send a woman to the White House - at least for this election cycle - they wonder, especially knowing the barriers she faces, how can I not support her?  In policy and in person, Clinton has arguably cornered the market on feminism.  As former chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations, Martha Burke, said in response to the recent decision by NARAL Pro-Choice America to endorse Obama, "I think the pro-choice community should stick by a woman who has stuck by them."

Clinton and McCain must think we’re all really, really dumb.  Most experts say that the Clinton-McCain gas tax holiday is a mistake at best and shameless pandering at worst.  We’d all like to hear from Al Gore on the idea, but there’s a long public record to show his position.  In Earth in the Balance in 1993 he called the decision to support higher taxes on fossil fuels "one of the logical first steps in changing our policies in a manner consistent with a more responsible approach to the environment."

He also paid the political price for that position.  The GOP called the 1993 law (where Gore cast the tie-breaking vote) the "Gore Gas Tax" and used effectively as a political weapon in the 1994 Congressional elections, as well as in the 2000 presidential election (back when consumers were hurting then because gas prices were up at a staggering $1.53 per gallon!)

Health care seems like such a dull subject, until you get laid off, or graduate from college, when suddenly it becomes vitally important.  At the risk of stating the obvious, there has to be a way to generate a buzz about health care that moves the debate beyond converts.

Support is growing for a rational, efficient health care system.  But Amy Goodman
points outs out the obvious obstacle:

One of the most powerful industries in the country opposes it-the insurance industry. Under universal coverage, insurance profits are preserved. Under single-payer, they are not.

Like most Democrats, I'm disappointed by the downward spiralling tone of this primary season.  But it's not really accurate to blame all of Obama's problems on the Clinton campaign.  He does seem genuinely reluctant to connect directly to key sectors of the electorate.  It may be unfair to focus on his aversion to American-style comfort food, but it sure seems to indicate a distance from regular folks, and perhaps his own heritage on his mother's side of the family.  Add to that his rather ungenerous comments about his grandmother, and his awkwardness with older women generally, and what you have is a lot of voters that he's just failing to reach.