When did the country become a war zone?  My first fight as a child was political.  It was in Denver, and it was in a rough neighborhood.  The place was plagued with gangs, and my first fight-political.  A boy at school told me that Bill Clinton was a great president, and he would vote for him if he could.  Being from Republican parents I disagreed.  I was soon screaming that Bob Dole was the answer to all of the countries problems, and that anyone who voted Clinton was a moron.  A bloody lip, a black eye, and a knocked out baby tooth resulted.  (but you should have seen him!) Looking back, I would have voted Clinton.  But the question plagues me, where does this intensity and passion come from?  Why do I feel like I hate my fellow Americans?
    I am pretty moderate, especially compared to what I used to be,  In high school a dear friend of mine was so adept at political warfare that I was shut down almost daily in a political conversation.  It drove me to learn and become more involved.  I remember driving home or to practice in a rage at how knowledgeable he was.  I learned more, studied more, and the more that I studied and learned the more I realized the scary truth.  America is polarized, and I was on the "Right Pole." 
    I miss the man who without realizing it drove me into this political mindset.  He is at one University, I am at another.  We are on the opposite ends of the country, and communication is rare.  But I continue with what I learned from him every day.  I get the NY Times, Newsweek, and Time, regularly.  And I watch CNN every day.  What have I turned into?  I am addicted to the news.  NPR is the first radio preset on my dial!
    In 2006, I accepted a job with the Republicans.  they paid for me to fly out for a few weeks and help finish out the campaigning in Tennessee.  i was campaigning for Bob Corker, Marsha Blackburn, and Jim Bryson.  Out of all the people that I worked with I learned that it is not the party that matters.  It is the person.  I would not have voted for Bob Corker.  The man scared me.  Jim Bryson, was a very nice man, but I was afraid that he could ot hold his morals in the political ring.  Obviously the state felt the same way because he lost 70%-30% in the governors race.  Marsha Blackburn, a US congresswoman was the one person who earned my respect.  The more we worked with her, the more I realized what integrity, and a powerful message can do.  Her honesty and "straight talk" earned her a landslide victory. 
    This year's candidates scared me.  John McCain is a former favorite of mine.  I have always agreed with his politics.  Recently, he has fallen out of my favor.  I can see in him a temper, that seems dangerous.  There is a fire in this elderly gentleman that scares me.  His bickering with Governor Romney in the Republican California debate was immature, and scary.  He has spent years in politics.  He knows better.  Romney is an infant politically, and while he was also in the wrong, less blame can be cast.  I will not vote for McCain.  I believe he is brilliant, but that he is a loose cannon. 
    Hillary is another candidate that concerns me.  There is no doubt that she has a great mind.  There is no doubt that she is just as brilliant and capable, if not more so, than the other candidates.  But in her, I also see a need to prove herself.  She wants people to know desperately that she is capable of the presidency, and she is willing to slit throats to get there.  I have waited a long time to for a woman to run for president.  But she does not have my vote, nor any of my support.  Her biggest issue is socializing healthcare.  Can you imagine health care run like the DMV? How about the Postal Service?  Medicare and Medicaid are quickly driving the country further into debt.  Social Security will find a way out, but the medicare and medicaid funding will run out.  Where will find the money to socialize Health Care?  Fix the budget.  Control the spending.  Get us out of Iraq safely, and efficiently!  Take care of the debt.  China virtually owns us.  By purchasing the US dollar in foreign exchange markets, they have kept the value of their currency low.  Then by re-circulating that dollar by buying US treasury bonds they have bought our debt.  This means that they are financing the country.  Does that scare you?
    Governor Mitt Romney is a shape shifter.  it is almost comical the way he re-invents himself.  But the fact stands that he was running for a conservative Republican nomination, and he was trying to represent conservative values and beliefs.  He was trying to genuinely be a Republican in every sense of the word.  And he was, but the voters were scared of the machine.  His robotic get-it-done attitude scared people.  it was a very gentleman thing to do, to step aside for the good of the party.  Especially right before McCain spoke.  I respect that.  There is no doubt in my mind that he would have fixed the economy.  He would have had my vote for that reason.  Now I can only endorse him as a cabinet member, or possibly a VP.  One thing is for sure- After the "water boarding remark" last year I definitely don't want him anywhere near secretary of defense.  (Joke...haha)
     John Edwards is a great man.  There I said it.  So now the reader knows that my two top picks for the election were John Edwards, and Mitt Romney.  Both are currently out of the race.  I think that John Edwards should continue to fight in politics.  I think that the defeat he sufered was hollow, and that president may not be his role, but there is a calling for him.  But as for right now, I hope he takes care of his wife.  She deserves his attention.  He has a rain check on my vote. 
    Mike Huckabee.  Whether it was Conan, Colbert, or Stewart (it was Conan) that created him, I do not like this man.  For someone who is "born again" and has such substantial integrity, he sure is a sleaze bag.  One thing that really drives my blood to boil is discrimination.  i saw it in Corker's campaign against the African-American Harold Ford Jr. and I have seen it in Huck's campaign.  Never have I seen such prejudiced and ill-prepared advertisements.  Or so many below the belt remarks.  My Goodness.  His little move a few months ago to "not release" his anti-Mormon/ Romney commercial and then to send it to all major news corporations anyways so they could not show it.  Below the belt sir.  This country believes in the freedom to allow citizens to worship how where or what they may.  Mr. Huckabee- go get born again, it'll take some of the stank from your sins away. 
    Ron Paul, the straight talking Texas congressman, seems to have his act together.  But then again, he seemed to have his act together when he ran for congress in Texas too.  Ask the Texas citizens.  (My grandparents are in his district.)  he didn't do what he said he would.  Too old of a story in Washington I'm afraid.  Earn trust, by being honest.  Follow through.  This is not rocket science.
    Finally Mr. Obama.  i was a skeptic.  Not because of his race, nor religion, but because he seemed too good to be true.  The reality is- he is true.  Unless there is a McCain Romney ticket, even then its iffy, Senator Obama has my vote.  He seems to make the most sense.  He seems to have the most integrity.  I do not agree with him on every issue.  But I do see him doing the best job running this country. 
So there it is.  My current political agenda.  I want someone who is going to change the way Washington runs.  I want someone who will bring us home, and keep us safe.  America is a power, if we can keep it.  Protect our country.