To each his own, that doesn't mean she's bad for it. I just don't get why when someone makes and effort to do something right, they always get shot down by the negative people.

If I was to judge people by the similar actions of others, I would have to say all Muslims are terrorist, all French are cowards, all white people are racist and all mexicans are illegals.

Also don't forget, Bush may have been portrayed as a guy you would have a beer with, but when did you ever actually see him do it? On the other hand, Palin is a soccermom (or a hockeymom), she does mingle with us common people and she now understands what it's like to be a mother of a handi-capped child, a teen pregnant daughter and a son in Iraq (or Afgahnistan). Bill was seen as just one of us because he cheated on his wife, something not necessaruly acceptable in his position.

I like a candidate who can relate to us, not someone who thinks he/she is above us. Every person in our Gov't is just another person who was born like everyone else, pooped, drank milk, threw a rock or 2 and ate in places like McDonalds, Burger King, Denny's, IHOP, etc.

And how can you expect a politician to do what is in your best interest when they don't even know what you go thru? Many people he cry about the concept of rich people not caring about the poor because they don't know what it's like to be poor. You tell me how does a politician relate to your needs when this is the mentality many people have about them, who BTW are rich people. Unless you can show me they are not, last I checked Obama was worth millions and has always lived a pretty decent life.

I do, it means she is talking to us. And here I thought people like Obama keep saying that people like McCain are not in tune with people today because he could not email. Yet when someone like Palins tries to relate to people by using common words used in the streets, she gets accused as being a faker. So how more hypocritical can people get when you say you want ketsup in your burger than you complain when you get it? BTW, I never said anyone was inferior, I said they like feeling that way. 2 different things, lets get that straight.

All I see is a lot of complaining about nothing but when real issues are brought up such as Bidens multiple lies in the debate, and Obama's background friends (Rev Wright, Farrakhan, Bill Ayers), everyone either ignores it, chants the change theme or say it's all a lie. And Palin trying to be cool is all you guys have to complain about?

That is true, which is kinda ironic considering so many believe Obama is really for change. Some how he is different, yet everyone else is a politician no matter how many joe sixpack or soccermom words they use. But it's obvious why anyways.

I completely agree with you on the credit crisis thing and on the McCain/Obama deal as well. Unusual, huh?

I can see why people do criticise banks for the mortgage crisis - it's unethical and extremely poor business to give out loans to people who clearly can't afford them - but at some point people have to take personal responsibility for their actions. They have to actually do what the fine print suggests and make sure they get the right financial advice if they're too brainless to work out repayments against their income.

On the Obama/McCain front, I probably wouldn't vote in the presidential elections if I was an American. Obama is passionate, sure, and that's essential in any elected official, but I have some reservations about his policies, particularly his views on US foreign policy (pretty much more of the same realpolitik we've all become accustomed to).  And McCain has proven through his advertising that he's a loathsome political operator who's not against abusing human weaknesses of memory and thought association to slander his opponents. Add to that the 'more of the same' foreign policy initiatives of his and he doesn't come out too well either.

I'd be interested to hear who you think is a viable third party right wing candidate. Doesn't it usually end up being Fatherland-worshipping kooks, rabid greens and borderline psychotics of all persuasions who become third party candidates?

Honestly, there shouldn't even be such a thing as politics as an occupation. Serving in the government should be a civil duty and a supplement to a real job, not a career.

I once, jokingly, proposed that the current legislative model should be scrapped and we should just randomly draft people for six-month terms; once you've served, you never serve again. But the more crap the pols shovel on us, the more it seems like an actual good idea.

I do still think that all offices should come with a one-term limit, period, though. Some might argue that the occasional truly good person would get lost, but that's little excuse to foist the usual power/money hungry pols on us the rest of the time. But given that they can just keep giving out taxpayer money to get themselves gifts, donations, and pay raises now, that's never going to happen.

With the left, there is no winning.  Remember when Bush41 famously went through a grocery checkout lane during a campaign photo op & went goo-ga over the barcode scanner?  They went nuts - 'Out of touch!'  'Can't possibly lead when he has no clue what people go through.'  'Elitist doofus.'  'Can't relate to the common man!'

Now, when there is someone running who actually lives like us, they do what?  Why, go nuts of course - 'Naive wannabe!'  'No experience!'  'Not ready to be 'a hearbeat away'!'

Hypocrisy is so frickin' rampant anymore.  It's very discouraging.

I don't think anyone really has an issue with the fact that she "actually lives like us".  What bothers people, myself included, is that she seems to be so over the top about making sure we know she's one of us.  It just comes off an insincere to me.

So if she doesn't tell us about herself, Katie Couric will?  Is she somehow misrepresenting herself?  Is she really a closet billionaire or something, a sort of reverse Manchurian candidate?  What?  Just how would you do this 'under the top?'

A devout Marxist whose only answer to anything is, "Throw Money At It", who has no respect whatsoever for the USA, and has long been in a church based on racist hatred "deserves" to win?

He deserves to be sent to Cuba where he would be happier, and America would be safer... but it's also a good thing we all don't get what we deserve.

I don't think McCain deserves to win either, but at least be honest about both of them being undeserving.

Again, I never said I want a politician that can be my buddy or that they act like a 'regular joe / jane.'  Why do you keep saying that?  Maybe you mean 'you people' as in people you talk to daily?  I have no clue.

We'll just have to disagree here then.  I don't see how it shows she's 'talking to us'.  It just seems to me that she's trying too hard to 'relate'.  Just use normal terms and I'll decide for myself if your points on issues are agreeable with me.

JU still hasn't fixed the edit function, so I'll have to just make my edits here.

Yes, he knows why he wants to be president.  He wants to be president to make White people of today pay for the sins of the past.  He wants to legitimize his bigotted "Black Liberation Theology" and he wants to do it while the Democrats have a majority in Congress.  He knows that the Do Nothing Duo will never stand up to his racism, lest they be called racists, so he knows he can get away with anything he wants.

Support Obama if you agree with his issues, but don't sit there and right lies about how "deserving" he is.

At least one of your statements here is wrong. Marxists are atheists. "Religion is the opiate of the masses", remember? So either Obama is a Marxist, or he belongs to a racist church, or neither allegation is accurate. You're not even trying any more, Parated.

Cacto, how anal do you need to get?  Yes, Marx was an atheist, but not all Marxist societies have been atheistic.   Quit nit picking discussions to death just because you don't have any other point to make.

Thats for you to decide.

Is she competent?

She was incapable of running Wasilla so she hired a town Manager named John Cramer.

She got a hockey rink built on land the city didn't own.

She took the money for the bridge to nowhere and built the road to nowhere

She signed a contract giving a company a 500 million dollar subsidy for a pipeline deal that is far from guaranteed

She was the director of a 527 for Ted Stevens

I never thought McCain is the same as Bush...There are many differences.

However McCain and Palin are very much the same. They get in trouble then try to pull off some kind of stunt to try to prove themselves as reformers, when in fact they are simply trying to run away from their own mistakes and incompetence.

I, personally, don't think either of them "deserve" to be President.  I don't think either of them will make a good President.  The US is screwed either way.

I really wish that we would have some true Republicans and Democrats running for office.  McCain is borderline Democrat, and Obama is a Socialist.  Neither of them fit what I want as a President.