If there were any doubt...

[Bermuda Highway Patrol]

This discussion reminds me of a Simpsons episode...  Krodos and Kang (the aliens) take over the bodies of the two candidates.  They slip up right before election day and everyone discovers that they are in fact aliens, intent on enslaving all of mankind.  Someone shouts, "We can still vote for the (third party) candidate!", to which the aliens respond, "Go ahead. Throw your vote away! Muahahahah!".  Guess who wins the election?
As far as foreign policy goes, Conaway mentioned the world is like a big family.  Well, we seem to act like the evil stepmother, and one day those kids will grow up and kick our ass.  We don't need to get involved in every conflict/war/disagreement that takes place.  When was the last time terrorists attacked Canada?
This is just one of my two cents. I'll be back.
"I am the walrus."
"Shut the fuck up, Donnie!"

[Bermuda Highway Patrol]

Oh, and could we have a president who can correctly pronounce "nuclear".  It's not noo-cue-luhr.  Geez...
BTW God bless 'merka.  Yeehaw!  Go oil wrangler!

[Drunkre]

Check out the debate between Nader and Dean from July 9, 2004, broadcast on NPRs "Justice Talking."  Should be quite easy to google, can't locate the link right now.

[Bermuda Highway Patrol]

it's  npr.org/features/feature.php?wfld=3262027

[EC]

Wow.  Man.  This thread is really interesting.  

So, in Canada we don't even vote for a specific person nationally.  We vote for the person in our riding, and then whichever party wins the most seats nationally, is the party that comes into power.  This is a rather stink way of voting, in that, you may have a great leader for your particular community, but that leader may share the same party as a real effer on a national level.  We had the vote recently, and I was so torn as to what to do.  Sadly, I didn't vote.  And I KNOW that's wrong, but I seriously didn't know what to do.  Do I vote against the person I don't like and take carte blanche for the other side which is only less bad (which, I think, is what JC was advocating), or do I vote for the person I really like, the person who has no chance of winning?  Or, do I not vote at all in protest of the entire system?  Or, do I vote, and mark a big x on my ballot in protest of the entire system?

I was seriously torn, and it seems that you're all experiencing a similar situation.  What do you do when you don't really like anyone, and you think the system is wrong?

What would happen if everyone put a big x on their ballot?  Or, even beyond that, if say even 5% of people crossed out their ballots, would it even make it to the media in order for the nation to see that a lot of people vote for no one?  And then, beyond that, would it make a difference?

You'll have to excuse me.  I've just seen a film called "The Weather Underground", and I'm starting to feel like it is damn impossible to actually change something.  And I don't like feeling this way.  

When did "voting tactics" come about as a viable form of voting?  Is it because there are too many people?  If that's the case, then maybe we need to think about how different all of our views are, and as JC said, get our shit together.  But that seems impossible, too.

Good luck, you all.  For truly, you're not just voting for your own country, you're kind of voting for everyone.  But, you know, if things do get too rough down there, you can always come up to Canada.  We have a history of taking people in.   ;D

[lfish]

Congratulations!  I think I forgot to say so in the other thread...

John,

Did I miss something hear? New car, new baby coming around, new wife, new job, new dog, ...

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

http://www.mymorningjacket.com/cgi/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=offtopic;action=display;num=1089657721;start=15

new fan on the way!  how'd ya guess?  :)

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

EC,
My main point is that in order to remove george busch from office (a goal shared by many of my brothers and sisters across the land), we must be unified in doing so by rallying around ONE candidate, warts and all.  simply repeating history puts all of us in danger, simply put.  

and thank you for the invite to Canada.  been twice to Montreal, and have already considered moving there for the beauty, charm, and the food (!) of that fine city... :)

[lfish]

Congrats John,

Another rockefella will see daylight in a couple of months! nice move!  And if the picture standing next to your name is your beloved wife, nice move  :)

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Congrats John,

Another rockefella will see daylight in a couple of months! nice move!  And if the picture standing next to your name is your beloved wife, nice move  :)

um, nope, that's tori amos.  and i won't compare one to the other as both are beautiful...and thanks for the congrats!

[EC]

Yeah, I got that, JC.  :)  And I see the points of that, and to some extent I agree with it.  But I also agree with voting for the person that you actually like the best (if you even like anyone).

I guess the only thing I find disturbing is the "warts and all" part about it.  And that's only on an "ideal" level, as opposed to a practical level.  I find voting very stressful because I want to do the right thing, but never can really figure out what that is.

But I also agree that Bush needs to go, and perhaps this is one of those "by any means necessary" situations.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Thank you for the intelligent response.  I think that this election is bloody important not just for us, but for the rest of the globe as well.  

Kerry may not be the best candidate, but he's the best one we've got.  That in and of itself should be enough.