The events and sour political atmosphere of the last three years have led me to conclude that we have finally come to the point of having to look at politics (and whom we vote for) almost completely backward (hence "Mxyzptlk").

First, it would appear that, because we now either no longer believe (we're irrationally skeptical of) press that comes from "the other side" (right wing/left wing) -- and therefore are so polarized that we can't have our minds changed no matter how concrete the evidence may be, politicians now know that they have their own base "sewed up".

So the current poitician spends more time guarding himself against being characterized as the cliche with which his party has been labelled, thinking this MAY win the hearts of the "independant"-- thus, a Republican, like Bush, has spent like a drunken sailor in order to not appear niggardly (as is the Republican cliche, and Democrats talk as though they wish to be tough on terrorism.

So, if you want smaller government and less spending it is now not entirely illogical to vote for a Democrat -- even though philosophically he has no problem with high taxes and big government. One caveat -- it would really help to have a Republican Congress to create the public friction that would force the Democrat to work against type. This is what worked in the 90's.

And if you want us to be safer from terrorism, it is also not illogical to vote Democrat even though the Democratic party has shown no interest in terrorism beyond playing "gotcha" with the Bush administation. The reason this would work is because I think there is a common understanding internationally that the way to defeat us (militarily) is to take advantage of our "divided house". Even though I know that the 9/11 attack was planned in the years before 2001, I still doubt that it would have taken place had Gore won. Maybe it would have -- but I think that NOW (with lessons learned from how divided we are currently) the world understands the depth our our division and sees that it is likely that we can only unite militarily under a Democrat president. If we have a Republican president, he will always (ever since Viet Nam) have to fight both the enemy AND the American Democrat, its public and press.

Thus, we are actually safer from terrorist attack under a Democrat president.

Bring on President Kerry.