How can one vote for Hillary Clinton and McCain?

There are a few reasons. Some Hillary supporters are mad at the DNC because they feel Hillary was snubbed at every turn. They are voting McCain as a protest against the DNC in general. There are people who support Hillary and really want her to go down in history (or herstory... or... um... whatever) as the First Woman President. If Obama wins then he will, of course, also be the nominee in 2012, then whoever Obama chooses as a VP in 2012 (assuming he wins again) will become the most likely nominee in 2016. These people will vote McCain because they feel it will increase Hillary's chances of living the dream. Then there are the people who have usually voted Democrat, but can't stand Obama (for whatever reason), they may agree with his issues, but there is just something about him that they don't like. Those are the reasons I've read so far.

One can generally write in candidates for any office

Well I thnk the democrats would of voted for Hillary she has spent 8 years in the Whitehouse and has some idea of what it takes to run this country. As for Obama a first time senator who has never run anything. They have decided that going with McCain is at least they will feel like they are getting someone that has been around a long time, who has fought and served his country many years. To me that is better than putting someone in office that has litterly done nothing. Can you name me one thing that Obama has done, most of the time if you look at his voting record, he don't vote or says present, present is not a vote. It appears to me that if he don't vote either way then whatever the outcome he can't be blamed for it. I too am a democrat and my granny would turn over in her grave to think i would vote Rep, but i want someone that I feel will do their best to keep us safe. Can you explain to me why all the terriorist countries are backing Obama, they don't get to vote so why would they back him, surely they must think that there is something in it for them, or could it be they see someone that will make it easier to get into the united states.

Easy. You'd have to be extremely bitter to abandon both Hillary's issues and her own advice (she's behind Obama 100% herself) to put in a 'grudge vote' for McCain after voting for Hillary in the primaries. Fortunately, very few such people exist. The vast majority of people who CLAIM to fit into that category seem to have been revealed to be Republicans in disguise who are just trying to stir the pot and create conflicts in the Democratic party (the leader of one such group admitted to donating $500 to McCain's 2000 campaign, for example). Hillary's and Obama's supporters are united. I wouldn't be surprised that 95+% of the people who claim "I voted for Hillary in the primaries and now I'm voting for McCain" are in the group of Republicans that right-wing radio hosts encouraged to vote for Hillary in the primaries that came after McCain locked up the nomination in an attempt to keep Obama from being the Democratic candidate.

I actually think that Obama has lost ground by not choosing Hillary as his running mate. Unfortunately McCain was smart enough to capitalize on that by choosing a woman as his running mate. Why do you think he did that? Because he knew it would grab the all be it small portion of the Hillary supporters who were there more because she was a gutsy, modern WOMAN than because they agreed with her politics! It is amazing how many voters have no idea why they are voting for a certain candidate. I am also an independent. I can't stand it when someone votes for a candidate because they are democrat or republican just because that's how they are registered. Nine times out of ten they can't give you a good reason for being one or the other! Don't believe me? Try it! Ask a few people why they are one or the other. I find republicans are the most stuborn on this one.... "Because my whole family has always been." Great reason huh? So if their whole family decided to jump off a bridge they'd go too? Brilliant! After the 8 years we have just endured I can't really imagine an average intelligent "middle class" person voting for more of the same with McCain. Do the majority of Americans own big business and benefit from the "Bush/McCain" mind set? This is not to say I have never voted republican, because I have, when the republican was the better candidate. I will be voting for Obama this time. Not because he is a democrat, not because I think he has wonderful plans for us or particularly strong values, but because at this point in time I think he is the lesser of two evils! I just pray that enough people can see that AND that the election can somehow manage to be run honestly this time that we don't end up with another 4 years of insanity! And by the way I hate politics!!!!

I don't know the answer to this question either. I can't wait to hear some of the answer to this.

It confuses me, too. I read some of the other responses here and I've heard it all before but it just makes no sense to me at all. Some say Hillary supporters are angry at the Democratic party but most typical voters don't think of the candidates as the party. The candidates belong to one of the parties because it most closely matches their ideology but they don't "run" the party. The "typical voter", who usually is't a political junkie, isn't thinking along the lines of "If Obama loses this year then Hillary will get another chance in 2012 but if he wins, he'll be the Democratic nominee then and if he wins again his V.P. will possibly be the next Democratic nominee, etc; the typical voter isn't thinking that far ahead! I know everyone doesn't base their votes on the same things that I do but I really can't see how it's very likely that someone who supported Hillary based on the issues and what is best for the country could turn on a dime and vote for McCain because Hillary isn't on the Democratic ticket and McCain chose a female who is Hillary's direct opposite as his running mate. Annie

People are more complicated than two parties. If you find yourself agreeing with one candidate over another, there is no reason not to cross party lines. Maybe the Hillary supporters are nervous that Obama is not seasoned enough as a politician? Who knows? But I respect the voter that chooses the candidate right for him or her, rather than just going with the tide.