Despite some differences we see alot of similar things.

Don't get me going about the Deomcrats. They're hopeless. It would be really cool if you guys had a true multi-party democracy. But there's no chance a party like the Greens will get traction in your "democracy".

Do I think the Republicans provide a superior alternative to Democratic policies? No, their leadership picked Sarah Palin. I saw some tape of her rallies ... I was ashamed. It could have been a KKK rally. It was clear NO ONE thought McCain could have won. Not even his own team.

In the 70's we all heard that there was no compromise with the Godless Communists in Vietnam. Where are they now? Why should these Islamic Fascists meet the same fate if our policies toward the Islamic world aren't improved? We heard the same about the Soviets. They gave up!!! because they thought that defeat was in their interests. You repeat the SOS ( Same Old Sh*t) without, in my ignorant judgement, thinking through the consequences of your statements. Or the consequnces of the policies implemented with your support and in your name with your tax dollars. Let me repeat the example of Pakistan and add Iran. Much of our difficulties in both countries are a direct result of our past military support to those governments. This was done with BOTH parties support ( Democratic and Republican )!

Sorry about my comments about guns and bombs. One is known by the company he keeps. I assumed that since you support Palin and McCain that you feel US military intervention is AOK and a "Roger Wilco". Sorry for jumping to that conclusion.

As far as Muslums go, my partner just got back from Indonesia a couple of months ago. She was woken up a 5 for prayers every morning and saw thousands of Muslums. She spent a couple of nights in a real Muslum village and lived to talk about it. My point is this ... there are extremists in all walks of life. It's a matter of degree. Right now we are creating Islamic extremists with our reliance on oil and military force. Will we remove all extremists? No.

But I would also say that the guy who went nuts at the museum had support from right-wing friends he contacted on the internet. So did McVeigh. Your own counterterrorism policy acknowledges this fact by going after terrorism finances and intercepting communications.

Let me just suggest that if America reduced its imperial role in world affairs that all these abridgements of your stated values (privacy, liberty, and human rights) could be reduced and as a result your military outlays could also reduced. But in your current corporatocracy the chances of that are rather slim. You guys can't even shut down a couple of failing banks.

But who established the TARP program? It was done under Bush and Obama will take the hit. Sorry, I couldn't resist ;).

Nothing to see here. The title was all I had.

From an independent's view point (remember we are the swing vote that decide each election).

In the last election only two people drew crowds, BO and SP.

One could honestly claim to be lost and to have accidentally have wandered into a McCain or a Biden rally, they were pathetically small. They were nobodies and the people knew it. The two Bushes, Dole and now McCain have headed up the Republican party ticket because it was their turn. The first Bush won on coattails of a pretty neat president that we, the independent people liked a whole lot. W won because of the pathetic nominees of the democratic's. You laugh at W's speech abilities, well as dumb as he may sound, he still sounded better than the two fools your party put up.

Republicans choose their leaders based on length of service and debts owed, not who can win the election. The Dems almost got Hillary by the same logic.

The mistakes and names you call her appear to me to be references to her first few attempts on the national stage. I.e. inexperience. Well, I can't stand to listen to the inarticulate Obama unless his teleprompter is present, then and only then does he seem to make some sense. (hint: "he ain't no good at speakifying neither", see the references to W and Gore). Sarah P does a lot of impromptu speaking, and has the talent to become a great speaker, just needs a good coach. Her thought process is fast enough to not need all the ahs and uhms that Obama uses to drive me crazy.

Star power counts in elections, as does the ability to communicate. That is how Regan won, and that is how Obama won (albeit with prepared speeches and slogans, not off the cuff remarks.) Regan was much better at the impromptu remark than Obama will ever be, but that is history.

Back to Sarah P. She has just thrown down the gauntlet, and declared for a 3.5 year run at Obama backed by her proven fund raising ability and ability to draw crowds. Obama's weakness is that he is too smart, and left to his own devices, tries to explain things in words others don't understand. He sounds a lot like Carter (except for the accent). And yes I voted for Carter the first time.

Sarah P.'s weakness is picking the wrong advisers. Or, having the wrong advisers thrust on her. Obama has had some great advisers (not talking policy, just campaigning). She had the sense to throw those McCain advisers overboard and strike out on her own campaign. (That was the cause of the friction between the two candidates. McCain didn't want to play rough politics, she and the democrats did.)

Three years from now I will bet on the following:

1. Palin will be more polished, have better advisers, a good war chest, and a good grassroots organization.

2. Independents will be fed up with Obama's intrusive government. Remember we are independents because we don't look to government to run our lives.

3. The nation will not be fiscally robust meaning the old saying "throw the bums out" will be in play.

4. The republicans will either run Palin or some old fogy who's time has come.

5. The press will have discovered yellow journalism can also be applied to Obama and it will sell papers and magazines (if there still are such things around) or web views and TV ratings.

6. We will have a very interesting campaign season and election... and we independents will once again choose who will be president. -- Sorry