In most other countries, they seem to have many political platforms; America has a 2 party system. It's going to be a democrat or a republican that gets elected. Without the 'OMFG OBAMA 4 LYFE!!11' or 'JOHN MCCAIN IS A REAL MAVERICK WOO GO MCCAIN' bull shit arguing(please), do you guys see a real choice in political party? Does the party you vote for really reflect your values entirely?

I'd say most here will agree with you. Imo the debates should be opened up and the media should cover other candidates...it's so goddamn lame when you visit the cnn.com election center and only get the issue positions of 2 candidates...pathetic.

This problem could easily be solved if there was a realistic chance of an indepedent being elected...However, our system won't allow that.

Yeah, at this point I figure i'm going to get fucked over one way or another, so no I don't see much of a choice, its really a scam.

Act Now and receive a free Obama key chain (sponsored by Pepsi)

Our culture needs to be wiped out for the sake of human potential.

Every election I've seen since I've been old enough to vote has been a farce. I would have REALLY liked Gore if he wasn't a gun grabber. Bush vs. Kerry was a catch 22, so I picked Constitutionalist party or some such - basically threw my vote. I'm seriously just going to write in a box of Tic-Tacs this year, I don't give a fuck. Both candidates are crap. Again. Having some intelligence in Congress would be nice, too. I know the President is the front man but really, Congress has been dragging ass lately as well.

Clowns to the left of me
Jokers to the right

Here I am stuck in the middle...

That's the case almost everywhere. If you look 200 or even 100 years ago parties were not as popular as they are now. It seems like both of the large parties are similar.

The truth as always is much too truthy & dangerous to be talked about. No?

"Hudson: The Republicans prefer to distract attention from how the Bush regime has failed over the past eight years. If attention can be focused on Iraq and terrorism, on personalities and style, serious discussion of such matters may be crowded out. That’s what the news media are for.

When politicians do talk about the economy, the basic strategy is to fight the November election over who has the nicest dream for what people would like to believe. Amazing as it seems, a large number of Americans actually expect to have a good chance of becoming millionaires. They’re simply not looking at the debt side of the balance sheet."
http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney09082008.html
(emphasis added)

Wouldn't you give almost anything to avoid talking about ^^^ that? Can you blame anyone else for avoiding it too? Can you imagine even bringing Freddy/Fanny at the Republican Con? How could you expect people to dance & sing & smile afterwards like they had heard a thing? Conventions are really no place for politics/policy discussion.

For most people, the preference is to be able to smile & dance like people at the Conventions. Don't worry/be happy, *SMILE*. As politics, like religion, is the thing people are warned is too dangerous to talk about? Most people prefer to find "their" parties talking points & repeat them ad nauseum. Thus they avoid any appearance of party disloyalty & can appear to be political.

People love to talk their own special Group Speak, whether that is Rep/Dem/Catholic/baseball/etc. Group bonding is a very warm feeling.

Though I do appreciate how McCain wants to throw those bums, those scoundrels, those Republicans out of Washington. Then he can put in some...Republicans?

America can't change much through vote. Your vote is, compared to other countries, conservative or really conservative. You can't get a social democracy per say through voting.

Thus a two party system is the closest thing to a dictatorship you can get.