I'm a staunch Dem that is very educated about all of the platforms that the top candidates are offering (Democrats and Republicans). That being said, I suppose I could be considered "undecided", particularly among the Democrats.

Frankly, I think the Democratic nominee is competing against an incredibly deep and strong field. Clinton, Obama and Edwards (collectively "The Big 3") are all great choices to lead the country (albeit in slightly different ways), as are many of the less popular camps.

I am a strong proponent of Edwards (his Two Americas platform resonates with me, in particular), but I at the same time I think this is an excellent opportunity for the U.S. to join the rest of the world and have a female or minority president. While both Clinton and Obama would be fine choices for president had they been born white males, I think that the perspective and symbolism that a non-white, Christian male brings to the table is powerful.

And so I am undecided. Ideologically (and I think in a lot of cases, we are splitting hairs here -- especially when considering the Republican alternatives), I lean Edwards, but am quick to recognize the tangible and intangible benefits that would be yielded from a black or female president.

Why is it embarrassing to get help? Would you refuse a gift of food if your children were hungry because of pride? Would you refuse your children an education because someone let them in someplace special? Would you turn down a great job because some connection helped you with your resume being seen?

Affirmative action is food for the hungry, education for the uneducated, a ladder for those starting below the rest. It is not a magic checkbook that dumps money on your lawn (or even gives you a lawn!), gives you good grades at a hard school or even a job at a prestigious company. It can help you achieve these things by presenting you the opportunity, opening an otherwise closed door. It is up to you to walk through.

The people you say receive the aid because of their skin color also were the ones that receives specific maltreatment because of their skin color. Why ignore that? Affirmative action is a direct response to America's historical abuse and mistreatment of some minorities. American people deliberately and willfully set back the progress and social status of blacks (and others) through slavery, segregation, oppression, violence, disenfranchisement and beyond.

It is like providing a head start to a runner that was forcefully required to start the race a quarter of the track behind. Sure, he gets some extra time to run, but will it matter?

Or if you prefer, it's like having black people stand at the bottom of the social staircase and told to start climbing 200 years after white people started. I think it might be okay to let them press the button for an elevator that may or may not come.

More than fuel economy, SUVs are terrible in many ways:

1) They are much more dangerous to others on the road (in a collision or even parked, blocking other drivers' views) in MANY ways

2) They take up more space in parking lots (requiring larger spaces and fewer spots ... aka more land paved over and more circling for non-compact spots)

3) They hide smaller cars in parking lots, again, requiring more circling around looking for a non-filled spot

4) More steel, more alloys and more size = more environmentally damaging

5) SUVs are harder on the roads, requiring your municipality to spend more money on petroleum products (asphalt) to keep the streets in good repair

6) and back to fuel economy -- your new SUV's MPG being better than your Volvo's is a straw-man. Once you decided to get a new car, your Volvo's MPG doesn't mean anything -- you have to make the comparison to relevant alternatives.

Mini-vans are lame, I agree, but there are alternative wagons that DO have a third row of seating, are plenty safe, and offer more than enough space for 95%+ of the time you are using the car (what? you take your kids, their friends, your dog and groceries with you everywhere?). In that 5% or less amount of time that you do NEED the extra space, you could rent something bigger. Ahh well. So much for thinking outside the box.