Presidential Politics

This is the face of the man who wants to continue to see your children killed in Iraq.

This is the man, the one with his sleeves rolled up, who wants to bring our children, mothers and fathers home from an unjust war.

The choice seems so obvious. But some won't get it. They'll hang on to the Republican party, party of hypocrisy, for all they're worth. Somehow the reality of what has happened to our beloved country is lost on them. They are oblivious, preferring to live by what they are told rather than see for themselves.

So many of my friends, gay and straight alike, lean towards the Republican party and nominee because they're so afraid of seeming "liberal" in their politics, theology and perceived lifestyle. It's an exercise in futility; going around and around and getting nowhere. Rats on a wheel. Follow the leader. Lemmings.

Now, I'm not saying that the Democrats have a grip on the market. Democrats (label them Liberals) can get smug and annoying with their "we are the world" stuff. Liberals have a broad spectrum of followers, just as the Conservatives do. You'll find everyone from tree huggers to lumberjacks. But, for the most part, from my observation, Liberals tend to be realists.

Is there room for others in this two-party system we've created? You bet. I'm listening. But I don't hear anything that hasn't been said before. No creativity. Same stuff, different day. If you're going to create a new party, or be a nominee from one, give me a good reason why I should care. Because unless you bring something spectacular to the table of discussion, all you're doing is trying to be a spoiler in the game. Nobody wins.

I'm doing my best to listen to all the speeches. I'm plastered to the nominees' websites, reading the political blogs, watching the pundits, etc. From Sen. McCain I hear jokes about bombing Iran. I hear him contradict himself over and over. Frankly, it scares me. From Sen. Obama, I hear a man with a vision of what can be again if we dream and work together.

And I hear the mainstream media picking their darlings and not reporting anymore. The days of Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite are gone. Picking sides and slanting stories has become the way of the "journalist." Why can't we just go back to reporting the news instead of telling us what to think about it. It's an insult to intelligent people.

And in the end, is it really about Republican and Democrat, Conservative and Liberal, etc. or is it really about whether we put our collective heads in the sand and pretend we weren't taken for a horror ride by the current administration? I want on a ride towards freedom, civil rights, and reclaiming a place of honor in the World. I want on a ride that looks toward the future with bright ideas and expressions of peace. I want on the Peace Train! And, from my vantage point, it looks like Sen. Obama is going my way.