I agree with that last paragraph of yours Dave. But I also agree with John Giok. Most people vote for a presidential candidate because of their party affiliation, so they don't have to be troubled with learning the candidates' positions on the issues, or even which issues deserve the higher priority in any given year.

That is the deepest, most serious flaw in the thinking of the "Anybody But Bush" Democrats this year. Believing that voting for the Democrat matters more than anything else, including standing by one's own principles. We keep getting these lame reasons to vote for Kerry, like he is better on abortion or the environment, as if those issues were front burner issues this year. They aren't. The front burner issues are the war, the economy, health care, and jobs.

Voting party loyalty is a bit like living Mark Twain's ideal life of "good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience".