Rachel, I Love You but..

I totally support Sunny's run for Prez but I take issue with your attitude toward those of us who would rather see a socialist pig (Obamama or Shrillary) elected than a socialist pig (McCain). You appear to view us as anti-American non-GWOT supporters who have not thought the issues through and are voting out of pique.

Thank you for analyzing that for us. But I respectfully disagree with your view. Yes, speaking as a Vietnam veteran with 2 tours under my belt, I will not vote vote for McCain due to several reasons you touched on and one you didn't. Yes, I understand that the most important Presidential power for the Mark 44 Mod 0 Prez will be the power of judicial appointments. As we all know, the influence of appointed judges lasts far beyond the appointor. I don't see McCain doing anything but following the liberal line that got him endorsed by the LATimes and the NYTimes when it comes to SC justices. McCain-Feingold, anyone?

I also understand that Congress (Reid and Pelosi, I thank you) can't get out of it's own way, let alone service all the entities that own each of them. Too bad so many members would rather have the adulation and attention of the media than principles. Most all of the politicians are honest politicians but there are those who swoon at the Siren song of power instead of money. Of course, those are the most deadly of all. I think the next president will be at a historical nexus in 2009-2011 that will be as important as the year after 9/11.

I also believe that there is the destruction of the present 2-party system occuring in the same time frame. The policies that each of the top 2-front-runners-in-each-party espouse will be ruinous to the economy of this country - Jimmy Carter malaise, anyone? - and there is no politically acceptable way for either party to cut-and-run in Iraq. America may have gone to the mall while our troops went to war, but there is a constant tide of deep support for our troops and their mission. Everything else that each party is yodeling about is subject to Sturgeon's Law and those of my co-pilot Murphy. Neither group wants to be saddled with losing Iraq (LBJ come to mind?) so there will be a lot of jawboning and zero competence.

Whichever group is in charge after the next election will be blamed for the economic problems. It will marginalize either the extreme right or the extreme left political base depending on who's the "winner" and determine the course of domestic policy for the next 10-20 years. I don't see it as being as bad as '29 or '74, but it won't be good. We will also have to deal with it and the resultant global economic shocks that will be generated. I think that the White House-winning party in 2008 will be transformed into party of minimal influence due to the percieved betrayal of its vocal, one issue base. Whether this perceived betrayal is over abortion, AIDS, immigration, Iraq and the GWOT, health care, or Hurricane Katrina policies and realities; a lot of somebodies are going to be cheesed off somewhere soon because the piece o' pie they got wasn't big enough in their mind. This may be enough (and I think it will) to cause a rift large enough to splinter the party.

So as I see it, if any candidate but Sunny wins, we have 4 years of major stress on the fabric of this country. Even if Sunny wins, she has to impose her will on the 535 most asinine and egotistical people on the planet. How has that worked out except to paralyze the process? (A good thing.)

And that's why we have lost our minds.