Inductive fallacy--it's not just for conservatives

This morning, I saw a post on a message board that went something like this: "Clinton and Giuliani--what's the difference except for the plumbing?"

The poster was understandably fed up--who of us isn't?--with Sen. Clinton's pandering to the right. I understand the frustration. Like most Democrats, Clinton does not understand that she will not be elected or rejected based on whether she suddenly distances herself from gay marriage or ending a war.

But the poster's question is also ludicrous. Clinton's championing of civil liberties, while not quite where I want it to be, is nevertheless impressive. Giuliani? He was sued over two dozen times over civil liberties when he was mayor of New York, and he lost every case. And he has never figured out what church/state separation means. That alone makes Clinton far and away a better candidate than Giuliani (unless, of course, you don't give a damn about your civil liberties).