In Today's News

Mrs. Pelosi continues to build her rep as a great speaker of the house. The article begins:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has directed nearly $100,000 from her political action committee to her husband's real estate and investment firm over the past decade, a practice of paying a spouse with political donations that she supported banning last year.

Many comments below that article saying she should step down, I tend to agree. And while this further solidifies my already present disdain for Pelosi, this issue is just one of many we have become accustomed to hearing about our politicians. Current administration on both sides is making it a better time than ever to be an independent. The term "Republicrats" is becoming more and more applicable. What are the current approval ratings? Something like 30% for Bush and 10% for Congress? How do we keep getting duped into electing people we don't like? Could it be that we are so trained into thinking that there are always really only going to be two options, and that any other vote will not matter? That mentality needs to stop. Fortunately I think there are many people who feel the same way, and the independent movement is growing. I for one don't think either Obama or McCain are going to bring about real "change" in Washington, unless bailouts of Wall Street with taxpayers' money, an unnecessary presence in countries all over the world, huge amounts of government spending, and an unsustainable budget deficit are "change". I previously was trying to decide between not voting, or figuring out which of the two major candidates is the "worst of two evils". I have since changed my thinking. I have heard about so many people who do not actually like either candidate in this race and yet will end up "settling". But it is because of a mentality like prevents independent candidates from becoming a viable possibility. Perhaps it is not the people who are "wasting their vote" on an independent candidate that we need to be angry about, but those who are allowing a system of two bad choices to continue by supporting one of them.

My friend David Carlson has more on this subject. An excerpt:

It is important to note that our political system will not change if people who are not happy with a candidate and STILL chooses to vote for them. The precedent they are setting is one of indifference to those individuals opinions, as politicians and parties will figure they have your vote no matter what because the only other alternative is a more conservative/liberal candidate.