it is disturbing to me to see charon say that it doesn't matter.
It does matter. It matters that I have basically the BS choice from both parties. It matters that my Republican state senator and several others were the key to getting the magazine cap ban out of the Ill senate and to the house. One less Republican vote and it's stalled. Now it will likely become law -- We'll know today. If the only difference between my RINO and his democratic opponent is an R or D in the title, then maybe we need to cycle the Republicans until I find one that is different. Maybe that means their losing an election to teach them a lesson and let some new blood into the race. WTF did my Republican vote get me last election from this tool? I called before the vote to express my opinion, and after the vote to tell him I will work to see his opponent win and if he carries the primary I will work for his democratic opponent to get him out of office. It's the only language they know.
What matters is that voting for the lesser of two evils is what they expect. It's the main reason the party platforms are centered on hot button issues. They KNOW you will be too afraid for your guns or abortion rights or gay marriage or whatever to not vote for that issue alone, in many cases. They scare you into voting, and you cower in fear of what will happen if the other side wins. Well, long term the other side will win because they are far more similar than different on the issues I care about. I don't want to just delay the inevitable.
I see the senior leadership of both parties at the federal level and at the state heading in pretty much the same direction. Big government, guns for hunters and a subtle change in flavor every 4-8 years or so as they switch off control. The ONLY thing that will change that is to show them that we're not buying it. We want our ****ing government back. Even if that means a hillary or O'bama in the process. In fact, maybe we need to bottom out for 4-8 years under the Democratic utopia to fully wake people up to the fact that neither party cares about us.
Look at immigration. Neither party is all that concerned about what the majority of the public believes should be done because both see potential votes and business support (and $$$ for that policy). So, we get to pay the healthcare of these foreign workers while others enjoy the profits and votes as they do jobs Americans don't want to do for $5 per hour, like roofing or factory work.
As stated, I find a lot to dislike among so called conservatives who will sell out the 4th amendment as easily as the liberals will sell out the 2nd. So for me it's not a complete loss at all. I dislike conservative waste of my tax dollars as much as liberal waste. I am tired of being manipulated because of my fear and weakness. Now, I might be able to get behind Fred if he runs and IF he is real about his libertarian small government leanings. If the choice was Rudy or Hillary though, I vote neither. Rudy will piss on the 2nd and he has shown no respect for much of the rest of the BOR either. It's a non choice.
Charon