I can certainly understand the frustration of a number of folks here about the ineffectuality of the Democratic Party within recent years, and I share it, which is one of the reasons I favor Dennis Kucinich. But I am not so naïve as to think he has much of a chance. There are, however, a couple of other good candidates.

Anyone who has any delusions about a third party having a ghost of a chance in the coming national election is living in a dream world, and as attractive as a idea of a progressive third party moving in, shouldering the Democrats out of the way, and winning over the Republicans is, it just isn't going to happen. Get over it!

And the idea that it will make no difference whether the Democrats or Republicans get elected in 2008 is just bloody ignorant! How much of a difference is what is at issue.

I know that my two Senators and my Congressional Representative (all three Democrats) are working like beavers to end the Bush administration's idiotic junket in the Middle East in as rational a manner as possible (and there is no general agreement between anyone on how best to do this). And I know that Jim McDermott was opposed to this war well before it started and has been a passionate advocate for both election reform and an all-inclusive national health care system for years and is not about to give up. So I am sure as hell going to work to see that they get re-elected.

Since your only real choice is between the Democrats and the Republicans. If you really do want to see this war brought to an end in as short a time as is decently possible, and see such things as national health care brought into existence, it sure as hell isn't going to happen if you vote for the Republicans. That would simply be a "people's mandate" to just keep doing what they've been doing. Whether it actually is or not, it will certainly be interpreted that way. And if you decide that you're just not going to bother to vote at all, then sit down and shut up!.

Okay! How to get the Democrats to do what you want them to do.

I've already answered that. Or rather, someone else has explained how to do it, and I have already posted a link to that explanation. Some people either have not bothered to read it or simply dismissed it because it means that instead of just sitting around and bitching, they have to get up off their butts and actually do something! That's more that a lot of people—often those who bitch the loudest—care to exert themselves to do.

I will even go so far as to same them the trouble of scrolling up to find the link. I'll re-post it for the convenience of everyone:

CLICKY.

Now! Read it! Heed it! Then stop whining and GET TO WORK!!

Don Firth