Sean, could you talk to my wife about this “fact” for me? Maybe you can foo… convince her.

Pat Robertson brings up something interesting. He’s a fringe guy, most people realize this. Or seem to, at least. But, he represents one thing really well. The fact that there’s MONEY in religion. Politicians need money for their campaigns, so where do they go? Where the money is. How do they get the money? By saying what the people with the money want them to.

Apologies if all this is blatantly obvious to everyone but me.

That’s kind of an interesting thing. Bill hit some of it, but there’s another huge thing with this that’s actually odd as hell. Pat Robertson is, in all reality, no more the American Christian base then Al Sharpton is the black voter base. Yes, each has a following and they both play the game well, but they are not actually representatives of the blocks that they claim for themselves.

Pat Robertson is a con artist. Most Americans see him as a joke. He’s derided as a fool by most of the mainstream for his many idiotic statements and his 700 Club program packages don’t score anything like the ratings that they used to. He’s only held up as a spokesperson and figurehead for Christianity in America by the some factions in the media, the political machine, himself and the ever declining “masses” of sheeple that tune into his TV program.

A Republican candidate could never get anywhere unless they played up their “Christian values” and tipped their hat to the Christian base, but Pat Robertson ain’t that base. If anything else, he turns that base off. I know a lot of Right of Center people who were absolutely disgusted with Rudy for running to Pat Robertson and cozying up to him for the endorsement. It’s actually become a deal breaker for several of them (as far as voting for Rudy) because they’re tired of the Republican party being as fringe orientated as it seems to be these days.

And it’s the same on the left. There’s a lot of voter disenchantment out there right now. Thing is, they’re as stuck as many on the Right are. Now more then ever, we need a viable third party and, now more then ever, we’re no where near having a viable third party.

I am, as I said before, left of center on a lot of issues. But the Democrats as a whole are not saying the right things for me on a number of key issues right now. None of their frontrunners are portraying their stands in ways that I can fully support. I’d love to have a viable, moderate right or moderate Republican option to vote for. Don’t have one. All I’m seeing is likely nominees that would scare the hell out of me if they became president and then acted as they’re portraying themselves now. All I’m seeing is people to vote against rather then people to vote for.

Micha: “Have you considered becoming pundits?”

Would never work in my case. I don’t pick sides. When you look at the top pundits and successful social commentators in this country, they’re all pretty much advocates for their side rather then standing for their principles. Most of the people out there want to have they’re prejudices and opinions validated, so they gravitate towards the cheerleaders for their team. When a commentator starts attacking their team too much, the “traitor to the cause” slowly gets dropped by his or her loyal audience.

Bill: “… Jerry’s post, which was certainly long, but no lengthier than it needed to be and was very thought-provoking.”

Actually, it was a bit longer then it needed to be. I made the mistake of typing while watching the news channels. That made my originally thought out post about three times as long as it would have been and much more of a vent then a post. I’m a little more on point today because I’ve got the TV off and I’m listening to the Death Proof soundtrack this go round. This has got to be THE best version of Down in Mexico by the best version of The Coasters that I’ve ever heard.

No, they don’t. That’s McCain’s problem. He tried to win the Republican nomination for president in 2000 by running as a moderate and as a result got his ass handed to him by the undeniably inferior George W. Bush. In part, I blame voter apathy. Moderate voters have got to get up off their asses and assert themselves.

Micha: “Look at the other side of the coin. In my country politicians shift very quickly from being the greatest thing since sliced bread to being worse than stale bread.”

It’s no different here. We like to put people up on a pedestal and knock ‘em down for having the temerity to occupy the pedestal we created and put them on.

I think the comments Jerry made about the media bear further examination. If you compare today’s presidential candidates to one of our greatest presidents, F.D.R., they come off as faint echoes of his greatness. It’s impossible to imagine them measuring up. I’ve wondered why that is. I think part of the answer may be the way the news media covers political campaigns today. It’s entirely possible that we have a candidate with the gravitas and leadership ability of an F.D.R. in this race, but said candidate’s qualities are being obscured by the media’s obsession with superficiality.
I doubt that’s the only factor at play, but I think it’s certainly a significant one.

I was wondering, does a republican candidate even have a chance of winning the nomination without at least tipping the hat to the Christian base?

What happened to Obama, he has so much charisma? I thought he has a chance to get many votes because he has a Hebrew first name, a Muslim middle name and an Irish family name.

Look at the other side of the coin. In my country politicians shift very quickly from being the greatest thing since sliced bread to being worse than stale bread.

“a cat would be an interesting candidate”

Certainly, you need the 9 lives. Nixon had two and it stil wasn’t enough.

“Katie? Where are you going? I know there’s a bug on the window… Katie? This is important! Come back! Oh, forget it.”

Don’t let the short attention span dissuade you. If Bush could win. It makes her look folksy. I think many Americ… Oh, there’s a bug on the window…

“Vot 4 Kaytee the Awsum Kat or I, Nio the Eevel Kitee, wil KIL U!!!!”

Howz that 4 a elehcsan slowgun?

Meow.

Eevel Kitee Nio

What is really sad about the state of American politics is that Katie is right - a cat would be an interesting candidate, especially in this day and age of protest votes.

Katie, would you consider running on the Black Cat ballot? You would be a lock for the female and the cat vote. Katie? Where are you going? I know there’s a bug on the window… Katie? This is important! Come back! Oh, forget it.