I should think they would be pleased. The more ignorant your boss, the easier it is to lead her your way.

They are probably hoping that McCain keels over on inaugaration day, leaving the new President dependent on them.

Remember, more people are independent and non voters than are registered as supporters of both the Dems and Reps combined – just because you don’t see them and most commentators prefer not to take them into account underestimates the decisive impact these non-traditional groupings have.

The easy option of follow-thy-leader is pure laziness and it ignores the sheer diversity of views which exist among all sections of (any) society.

This Presidential election is hugely interesting for the simple fact that both main candidates fall outside the mainstream of their parties.

It is absolutely clear from the result of the selection process that the two-party system which has consistently thrown up divisive candidates is failing the country as a whole and is progressively alienating voters and citzens generally.

This year we will see a resounding dismissal of the pessimistic view because for the first time in a generation the trend for lower turnout will be significantly reversed. Ultimately though this reversal will be short-lived if the old two-party property-owning consenus is reestablished and an effective form of representative participation is squashed at birth.

The old forms of polarised politics is failing to produce good answers which satisfy the diverse needs of such a diverse country and the two-party state is on the verge of collapse – pluralism is the only way forward.

I’ll leave it open to discussion as to where the cracks will be produced and a third force (if any) will emerge. It could be that any of the Greens, Constitutionalists, Libertarians, Conservatives, Commonwealths, Liberals, Confederates, religionists or regionalists (such as the Alaskan secessionists) will coalesce into an effective fighting force. But I won’t hold onto my hat.

I fear Barack Obama has as much chance of becoming President as you or I have.

How can you have a constructive debate with a post like this.

And they’re a lot closer to being “average” US voters than “Washington DC’s Foreign Policy Analysts.”

Scary…but true.

Charlie: Do you agree with the Bush Doctrine?
Palin: In what respect, Charlie?
Charlie: What do you interpret it to be?
Palin: His worldview?

From Wikipedia, I’m afraid: ELIZA is a computer program by Joseph Weizenbaum, designed in 1966, which parodied a Rogerian therapist, largely by rephrasing many of the patient’s statements as questions and posing them to the patient. Thus, for example, the response to “My head hurts” might be “Why do you say your head hurts?” The response to “My mother hates me” might be “Who else in your family hates you?”

Still, Biden has a dreadful record as well.

Ben

McCain did too. The problem is that McCain built his reputation on being an intelligent, free-thinking maverick Republican who opposed the Christian Right. hence our problem.