well, ake...I freely admit that our US system does not easily allow for 'lefties'...OR 'righties' to find a party that really represents their views. I am a registered Democrat, but not an extreme left sort, and even have 'some' conservative values of certain issues....but there is no Centrist Party for me to join, nor even much of a Left Wing party to bicker with...without basically wasting my vote. Therefore, I support the Democrats STRONGLY, because of what the Republican party has become. 20-30 years ago, I disagreed with much Republican theory, but except for Nixon, I didn't see the rigidity and extremism, combined with radical Christianity, that worries me today.

But, as to Doug R and Martin Gibson...although they might vote in similar ways, their approach to discussion is pretty different. If I met each of them in a bar and they behaved much as they do in this forum, I might talk to Doug for a long time before we managed to discover that we disagreed on politics....but if Martin approached things they way he does here, I wouldn't give him 5 minutes. (He says he doesn't, in fact...but the point is, HERE he is obnoxious 75% of the time, and makes special effort to offend people in threads which are unrelated to political/economic bickering. I have not seen Doug call anyone a 'douche bag', no matter what he thought of their political views.

I wish Doug did NOT support this stupid war with silly rationalizations, but I can at least argue with HIM about it, as a person.