Yeah Bobert, the closer it gets to Nov 2nd the tougher it is to think in terms of 4 more years, no doubt about it. The latest proclamation from Camp Bush says in term 2, the new target that B/C plan to terrorize is Social Security. And of course, that energy plan thing. And keeping up that great job them and their Hallibechtel buddies who parked 'em on PA Ave are doing in Iraq.

Pretty tough to take the thought of 4 more years of all that.

I have always believed people should vote FOR a candidate, and cast a vote their conscience can live with. It is very, very true that a couple of Dems crossed their traditional party loyalties when they made their "experimental" foray into the 3rd party wilderness in 2000, and they still haven't forgiven themselves for that disloyalty (and don't get me going on how the Anybody But Bushites love to guilt trip them for it).

But I'll sleep just fine at night voting FOR Nader or Cobb, no matter what the outcome is. I haven't voted for a Dem or Rep presidential candidate in over two decades. Now, B/C is pretty damn bad. I'm quite sure the world would heave a big sigh of relief to get back to that Democratic liberal status quo with Kerry, even if the guy is a Republicrat conservative. The world is comfortably used to the liberals being conservatives nowadays.

But like I said, I won't lose sleep over my vote, regardless of the outcome. I've been an indie for a long time. I've gotten used to the disdain of the mainstream folks. Doesn't bother me.

But voting for Kerry or Bush? Now THAT would bother me. Wouldn't be able to live with that vote at all, because I don't believe in that system at all. I'd be selling myself and the values I've held to my whole adult life (well, as adult as I get anyway) down stream voting for one them two. And frankly, I'm not close to that desperate at this point.

But I understand and completely empathize with peoples' sense of despair. I've been despairing of these candidates since before the Iraq war, when it became readily apparent that Kerry cast his vote on Iraq with a jaundiced eye on the White House. The man has been grooming himself for a run for the presidency since high school, ya know? He is very ambitious in that sort of way. He will do, say, and announce anything that serves those ambitions of his, IMO. And he has been doing a lot of just that ever since he left Yale for Vietnam.

That is, after all, what every aristocrat must do in order to "serve honorably" and win the big prize. And it is that prize that the John Kerry and George Bushes of this world are after.

So I'll stick to the third party wilderness and let the American aristocratic plutocracy duke this one out. My vote and my conscience are safe, sane, and sound with either Nader or Cobb.

Good luck with your decision.