You're quite right, Ron...the Republican party machine figured on Romney all along right from the start, in my opinion, because he seems sort of vaguely middle-of-the-road enough to most people, therefore he is a far stronger opponent against Obama than an extremist idealogue like Santorum, whose views would scare off way too many people who are themselves sort of vaguely in the middle.

Romney is the perfect Republican marshmallow candidate (he's capable of fitting any aperture). Therefore, he's the guy they'll pick.

And Obama is his ideal counterpart, a very suitable marshmallow candidate for the Democrats who will also fit any aperture, and he's the incument anyway, so that takes care of that. I expect Obama will win, but you never know what can happen to swing people at the last minute.

Anyway, 2 phony marshmallows will run against each other for the 2 phony parties, and the great corporate oligarchy that funds the whole empty excercise for its own profits will win regardless which one of them gets elected, and things won't change much at all. There'll be more illegal wars and occupations, in all probability.

Perfect. ;-) Obama and Romney are exactly the right choice for a corporate-sponsored election. Either one will do just fine.

A genuine progressive like Dennis Kucinich couldn't possibly get elected president in the USA as it exists today (and ever since Ronald Reagan)...and the Democratic Party would NEVER pick a guy like him as their candidate. Never, never, never. Not a chance in a million.

I can't figure why you would even bring his name up in regards to the election. No one is going to "save the progressive cause" in America, not Dennis Kucinich and not anyone else either. It's dead on its feet. It has as much hope of surviving in your present fascist political order as a Jew had of surviving openly in Berlin in 1943. That means none at all. You don't have progressive politics in those 2 parties that govern you.

Obama is no progressive. Neither is Romney, needless to say. You're not going to see any progressives on that presidential ballot in 2012, not from either party, but you can pretend Obama is one if it makes you feel good.

I know you want Obama to win. So smile a big smile...cos I think he's going to. It won't change what America is doing to the Third World one iota. Your death squads and your paramilitary mercenaries in the various occupied lands will continue to kill the inhabitants who dare to resist their fascist presence. Your corporates will continue to ruthlessly exploit those lands. Poor people will die. Cruise missiles will fly. More lies will be told in your media. Money will be laundered. The farce will go on.