[ClearCase_guy]

As I recall, Romney made no apologies. He didn't feel that he needed to (and I quite agree). Romney made a sincere effort to transcend the issue. America is great because we can be different, but we can all be Americans. He took the potentially divisive issue of Mormonism and used it as a springboard to tell us why America is a special place and why we're all in this together. I thought it was well done.

Obama is different because:
1) He does need to apologize for his association with a purveyor of race hatred
2) He and his wife don't especially feel proud of this country
3) By using Alinksy ju-jitsu and turning the race issue back against whitey, he is not transcending racial politics but merely using it to his advantage -- and I don't think that will work in this situation.

[Mercat]

I think that the only honorable thing he can do is admit to 1) being influenced by Wright but he’s better now; 2) not paying close enough attention; 3) apologizing to us whities; 4) severing ties with that church - wife and children too; 5) hit the lights and go into his hope and change speech. He won’t do that but that’s what he should do. I want an apology. I look at the black people I encounter now and feel like the racial divide has widened and is too wide to cross in my generation. It makes me very sad.