Caribou Barbie

This is the funniest name I've heard to describe the Republican candidate for Vice President. No, I don't think it's diminishing her as a woman. Hell, for all my education, accomplishments, and intelligence, I'd still be thrilled to be called a Barbie. So sue me. For all the things that appall me about her, I think she may actually have her own sense of humor. And again, for all that I don't agree with her, I think she's got brains and a set of brass ovaries. Combined with the standard degree of political blindness that I think all politicians have.

Anyway, I respect most people in public service. I don't believe that those who look at the same information that I do and draw different conclusions from me are somehow stupid. And I think it is dangerous as hell to approach it that way. I believe that you've got to have a hell of an ego to make it anywhere in politics or get eaten alive. Mostly I think that most everyone there is there to make a difference because they believe they can. There may be additional considerations, but it's mostly about belief.

When one of my best friends recently called me a "Clinton Democrat", I responded with this diatribe:

How would you know what kind of liberal I am? Not like you've been paying attention since Shrub's dad was in office;)!

I don't think the 2 party system works. I think the Dems continue to shoot themselves in the foot by trying to please everyone and the Republicans allow themselves to be dominated by an extremely small group of people that are not representative of the voters. I think those with good ideas quickly have the courage to act upon them drummed out as they realize that compromise is the only way to make the smallest amount of progress. I think the extreme partisanship in both government AND society as a whole is extremely damaging as fewer and fewer Americans spend time trying to understand or respect viewpoints different from their own. I fear those who dismiss the "other side" as ignorant, stupid, or evil. However, I am actually quite comforted by my belief that as an extremely arrogant country that seems uninterested in learning from the mistakes of our predecessors that we'll be rendered irrelevant in short order.

Not that you're implying that by calling me a "Clinton Liberal". I have no trouble being called that. I was a Reagan Republican before when I was young an naive. I am frankly depressed by the current choices in many, many ways.

No dirty secret. I was a College Republican for one year. I quit them when the entirely male group (save me) created a splinter group called "Emory College Republicans for Life". I was registered Republican for one year after that. Then I got a letter from the party telling me to vote Republican because they were against gays. That was ALL she wrote.