Right on. That is why people are starting to consider:

http://www.voters4ventura.com/

Doug -- the problem as I see it is the Supreme Court. We have several members that are ready to retire but have stayed on because of George W.

The next President may have the opportunity to change the face of our country significantly through their Supreme Court appointees.

So I for one, AGAIN, have to vote for the least objectionable candidate. It is what I have had to do, every election since I turned 18, in 1972. The future is just too important to allow another Bushie type to load up the Supreme Court.

We are up a tree without a paddle again! Doug you are absolute right on the money and it opens all kinds of doors for anyone who can simply state where we went wrong and how we correct it.

I have not been able to vote for either party in any Presidential election for many years and I'm tired of writing in someone else in fear that my ballot would be deleted if not all the positions are checked off.

Pollchecker, you bring up a very valid point that if McCain is elected our Supreme Court will represent a Theocracy which has been the focus of the GOP since Bush 41. This single fear has taken me out of the party.

Welcome to the club, Mr. Thompson. I reached that general conclusion a number of presidential elections ago, and I reached the specific conclusion for this campaign weeks ago.

The only choices available for me will be to write in a name other than any of those likely to be on the ballot or to not cast a presidential ballot at all. In all probability my decision will be the latter, to disassociate myself from the utter corruption of the process.

There is no magic bullet.

Most sincerely,

T. J. Flapsaddle

Our government is made up of more than the White House. I extend my interest in politics to the Congress. I would think that only a change of house and senate representatives might help change the whole picture. How else can we throw the bastards out?

Doug, it would not matter even if a highly principled and effective leader were to take office. Our current political system is so saturated with militarism and corporatism that it really qualifies as "fascism lite." No leader, no matter who he or she is, will be able to withstand and remake the powerful forces that dominate the current situation.

That does not mean that there will not be change. There will certainly be change. However, the change will not emerge from the political process or leadership but, instead, will be dictated by external forces and limits. A broken military, failed, catastrophic interventions, the approach of national insolvency, failed financial systems, social unrest, and the eventual withdrawal of financial and other supports by foreign powers will eventually force the system to break and then to reconstitute in another way. What that will bring us to is anyone's guess at this point.

" ... and the eventual withdrawal of financial and other supports by foreign powers will eventually force the system to break and then to reconstitute in another way."

The best thing that could happen to The United States would be for foreign countries to refuse to continue to purchase U.S. debt. Then there would be no choice but to raise taxes to support wars. I believe the people would finally rebel. As long as the trillions are borrowed overseas and war taxes are not raised then the people can continue to live in comfortable denial, pretending they will not have to repay 10 trillion dollars with interest.

WE probably will not have to repay the debt. But our children and grandchildren WILL be saddled with a horrible financial legacy. They should rise up and slaughter us for what we've done to them.

-- Kent Shaw

Don't kid yourself Doug. Either Democratic candidate would be far and away better than the half-senile alternative, who has no inclination to draw down from the money/blood pit that is Iraq, and whose "solution" for the economy is to continue the disastrous tax cuts for the wealthy, while letting gas sky-rocket and letting our infrastructure continue to turn to s*#t. Not just that, but it's also pretty clear that McCain's new found lust for the far-right would include the continuation of torture and loss of Habeus Corpus, not to mention installation of no less than 3 new ultra-right leaning Supreme Court Justices. You know that while glaring imperfections emerge on both Clinton and Obama with each passing day, either choice is light years better than the alternative. Now is not the time to throw up our hands in disgust over the lack of an "ideal" candidate, as when it comes down to it, a far from perfect choice in one of the remaining 2 democratic choices is a desperately-needed home run victory against the unthinkable.

It should come as no surprise that we have a variety of mixed nuts in the bowl. I believe it was Kurt Vonnegut who pointed out the fatal flaw in our electoral system -- only a nutcase would want to be President.

T.J., I feel exactly as you. Whats the answer? I'm at a loss. Gerrymandering has made it difficult to unseat incumbents in the house and senate. I can't help feeling like gloom and doom.

-- Kent Shaw

Great rant, Doug. Excellent point concerning Obama:

If Obama becomes the nominee we get an unknown who may or may not be up to the job, a novice who decries politics but plays the game when he has to. He says he opposes the war and will bring the troops home but it is unclear if he has either the fortitude or ability to navigate the murky political waters in Washington to accomplish his lofty goals.

We should all remember that George Bush ran in 2000 vehemently opposed to aggressive foreign policy and nation building. Here we are, eight years later, and that is the overwhelming bulk of his legacy.

It is quite possible, and highly likely, considering the President is a mere figurehead, that Obama will abandon his promises of withdrawal from Iraq should "circumstances" dictate. Then, of course, it will be the circumstances to blame and not Obama.

Both Republicans and Democrats are self-serving political machines. I don't want a new car that has all of the problems of the old car. I want a damn good mechanic.

Stratocaster: You're kidding, right?

Obama has what it takes to do what he says. Problem is, he doesn't give that impression.

Hillary does't have what it takes, but she acts like she does.

Obama tells the truth. Hillary lies.

Are there enough Indiana idiots to understand that or will they give Hillary the spring board she thinks she needs to fight it all the way through and place the super delegates in the position of destroying the democrappy party no matter what they do? However, the only right decision they can make is to vote for the winner of the primaries and let Hillary's people scream.

Obama tells the truth.

Seriously. Give me a break.
The funniest line since "I did not have sex with that woman" is, "I did not hear any of those statements" referring to Wright. lol
No Obama doesn't lie.

"None of the above" (NOTA) is ALWAYS on every Libertarian ballot, at least internal to the party. All ballots include NOTA, from electing precinct committeemen on the county board to deciding the Presidential nominee at the national convention.

-Warren

Washington requires a massive overhaul, and all Obama wants to do is maintain the Democratic Party Machine. I'll vote for Jesse or Doug or both on the same ticket. Other than that, I'll stay home and turn off the TV so I don't have to listen to the empty rhetoric.

Throwing the Republicans out of office in favor of the Democrats come November won't really make any difference because it will simply exchange one form of corruption (and power-hungry slate of political hacks) for another.

Sadly, the "Rebublicrats" have brainwashed most of us into thinking we have no other choice at election time but to vote for one or the other of their ever-more out-of-touch political candidates.

But what's even more upsetting is that the two mainstream political parties have also now corrupted the money raising and "getting on the ballot" game in most States so that no other candidates from any other political stripe need apply.

Fortunately, there's a growing number of citizens like Doug and me who are increasingly fed up with BOTH of our mainstream political parties because far too many of their candidates are hopelessly corrupt, morally bankrupt and more than worthy of jail time.

And, all the while we continue to vote for the "lesser of two evils" that the political duopoly in our country continually dish up for us at election time, we’re just going to keep on exchanging one form of political corruption for another.

Fortunately, the Republicrat's "stack the ballot" game only works so long as we, the people, continue to buy into it. Thankfully, we still have choices at the ballot box come general election time in the only “poll” that really matters.

It's called a "write in".

And, it's going to take an absolutely massive write-in campaign to completely remove the corrupt influence of the "Republicrats" from office once and for all.

It is often said that the longest journey begins with the first few steps. Do your homework, people! There ARE worthy alternatives to the corrupt clowns now running our country into the ground! In the upcoming general election, make your vote REALLY count by sending a strong message to BOTH mainstream political parties that you are absolutely fed up with their closed electoral practices, obvious collusion and blatant corruption!