I agree Jackson, the two parties could really use some kind of shaking up. I with the US had more than two choices for president. I mean I have 50 different kinds of peanut butter, and two kinds of presidents? And in all honesty they taste very similar. WHy not throw in another flavor or two?

Yup jackson and vagabond, i agree with both of you guys, but i just wish there was a decent alternative to the two-party system that wasn't a fringe candidate or whose platform wasn't built around a few fringe viewpoints.  There realy needs to be a centrist party, but that doesn't look like its going to happen anytime soon.

But, in any case it's really going to suck if Obama becomes president, because once again we'll have one party in control of both houses of congress and the presidency.  We saw how well that worked out for 6 years, but for some reason more than half the country thinks that by changing all those letter "R"s to letter "D"s,  its going to bring about the reform and change they so desperately want but can't seem to define.

I'm not gonna kid myself though, things aren't looking good for the McCain campain, partly because of their own mistakes and blunders, but also because of the media's incessant mocking of Palin as well as carrying water for the Obama campaign for his entire run for the presidency.  And for some weird, twisted reason, I think I would like to see Obama win... why?

Well for one it'll be worth it just to witness the total hypocrisy of the media during an Obama presidency... the guy will become untouchable.  The same media that constantly tells us they are the watchdogs of the American people and that its their job to question government and keep our elected officials in check, will overnight become the watchdogs of the Obama administration... if anyone dares to criticise or question any of his policies, for whatever reason the case may be, that person will be shouted down and attacked by his faithful followers.  Don't believe me?  It's already happening... in Chicago the Obama campaign flooded a radio talk show with thousands of calls and tried to get them to cancel and interview with a prominent journalist who was investigating Obama's connection to William Ayers.  Also in Missouri, the governor came out against Obama's so-called "truth squads" who were attempting to stifle Obama critics and surpress free speech.

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/27/missouri-governor-goes-nuclear-on-obama-for-using-prosecutors-on-campaign-truth-squad/

There's plenty more examples out there, and it's only going to get worse once Obama takes power.  The reason I'm voting for McCain is because in order for actual "change" and government reform to take place, there needs to be bi-partisan leadership on both sides ready to spearhead that reform.  Having one party in total control once again will do nothing but continue to impede America's progress as our elected leaders once again get drunk with power, and that's exactly what this election is all about for Obama and the Democratic party... a power grab... doing anything and everything to get their guy in the White House no matter what the cost.  Well, you know how the old saying goes... be careful what you wish for...

that's kind of the catch 22, Nightdragon. If congress and the senate are ruled by the majority opposite of the president, nothing gets done (like the past two years), if the President's party is in power then lots of terrible things get done (like the previous six years). Either way the country gets screwed by partisan incompetence.

Except the Democrats are a much more divided party.  There are fiscally conservative democrat (Reagen Dems) religious right democrats (rr-anti-war for instance), Hawkish Democrats (the Neo-cons actually started as Democrats) though most of these are keeping quiet right now.  Republicans are a much less fractured, and tend to follow voting orders better than Dems, look at the Bail out Dems were under orders and 95/63 Democrats still voted against it.

The republicans were under orders and they had 130/100 vote against. The republicans are fracturing. The fiscals are fighting the evangelicals, McCain dismisses any republican that thinks Palin is not a good choice, etc. They are far from what they used to be. All they are now are pro life and anti gay. What happened to the fiscal conservatives? We voted them in and government bloated up. The republicans are going to have to redefine their party, being the party of deregulation and evangelicals cannot work anymore.

Plus, you talk about Obama doing whatever it takes....McCain knows Palin is not qualified. What happened to the straight talk express? He fibs more than he tells the truth, he defends outlandish claims (the sex ed ad, etc), etc. The man is no saint anymore, he has no strategy. He's like a loose cannon.

I think both the democrats and the republicans should create two new splinter groups, so we can have more than a two party system....actually after two seconds of thinking that is a terrible idea. If the republican group did split into fiscal hawks on one side and a platform based on social conservatism and evengelical pandering on the other side, the evengelical party would clobber the other three fractured parties in any US election and we'd be living in a theocracy, and that never ends well.

Palin should never win anything, she is far to conservative. Also she is a complete religious kook who opposes abortion and teaching our kids about sex.

I only watched about half hour of it but pretty much everything Joe Biden said I agreed with and I really think he is a strong person to have as vice president. the guy has his head screwed on

Indeed.  Republicans have totally squandered their credibility on fiscal conservatism.

This is what I've been saying forever now, especially to those who wonder how I could go from Libertarian to Democrat.

It's better to be "Tax and Spend" than just "Spend".