to note that either the republican or the democrat will be president. i choose the democrat. i can't think of a way this could change between now and november. when you say "lose my vote" do you mean you will not vote for president or you'll vote for the republican?
there's lots of things i think he should do and should have done. but he's got my vote, there is no doubt about that.

a real DINO, IMO.

That which I ask for is representation. But I understand that today, representation is based on money.

I have hopes to how someone will lead the country but I do not consider it a quid-pro-quo, which is what the big money voters are wanting. IMHO they are to do the will of the people and I feel it would be arrogant of me to expect my wants to exceed the wants of others. But what is the will of the people? Most people seem to feel "the people" wants what they want, I do not feel that way. For me, I feel I am more liberal than the average voter, because of this I understand everything I want either can't be done or not all at once.

Once again, IMHO I understand we have a President who has to work with a Senate and House plus a Supreme Court. I feel the blame or credit for what is happening to our country is a balanced proposition, somethings do belong more on ones shoulders than the other but in general it is shared.

Currently and for the foreseeable future we have a two party system, each attempt to get a third party involved has been counter-productive. The third party candidate has alway caused the candidate in least agreement to them to win office.

I have yet to have seen a President who I fully agree with or who has done everything I hoped they would do. So I feel when I chose a candidate to vote for, I go with the one I agree with the most, or occasionally disagree with the least.

I understand you are frustrated that President Obama has continued the Bush tax cuts, on that subject I completely agree. I felt he should have at least allowed those on incomes over $300K should have expired if not all of the cuts. However, I am not going to withhold my vote because he hasn't done as I wished. The President has face a Republican party who has not focused on anything but making him a one term President. I do feel he approached the Presidency hoping to bring compromise, but he has faced absolute obstructionism. He also has face the American people being held hostage by the Republicans more than once. One thing I do know is that Romney will keep the Bush tax cut plus cut the taxes even more on the rich.

I look at it this way. I have 4 choice on November 6th, I will list them with my suggested results. (This of course pretends we had a popular vote. We have an electoral college so unless you are in a swing state the matter is somewhat mute, you live in Kentucky, so your state won't go to Obama anyway.)
1) Vote for Obama - Hoping he will cuts them in his second term.
2) Vote for Romney - Knowing he will keep the cuts and add more.
3) Vote for Someone else - Possibly bringing the results of #2
4) Do not vote - Possibly bringing the results of #2

These are just my opinions. Of course you have the right to vote for whomever you wish for whatever reason you like.

If you live in a swing state I do hope you examine you choices long and hard.

Anything else would be impossible/unreasonable.

Each of us cannot individually bargain with a local candidate, let alone a national one.

And yes, you are a minority with your viewpoint, at least on DU.

represent the voters rather than sell out to the big corporations. I also wish to see the elected official represent the views of the majority of those who elected him/her even if that means opposing the position of his/her party.

Is asking for honesty and integrity too much?

I keep voting for these Third Way sellouts and they keep fucking me over. Nowadays they even brag about it. I guess their Wall Street sugardaddies like that sort of thing.

I send emails and call the offices of my elected officials, explain what I want, and ask them to do what I think is best.

I vote for the person that I think has the highest likelihood of doing what I want. In a democratic primary, that's generally the most liberal candidate with what I believe to be a realistic chance of getting elected. In the general election, that's the Democrat.

I like Obama and I'm generally happy with him as president, even though I don't like everything he's done. I can't conceive of something he would do that I wouldn't think would be worse if Romney were to do it.

I'll be pissed if the bush tax cuts for the wealthiest are extended (I don't want any of them to be extended, but I'll only be pissed if the top end are extended), but it wouldn't make me not vote for Obama. If Romney is president, they'll probably be cut even more. The house would certainly pass all kinds of nefarious shit, and the first day of the new republican senate will change the filibuster rules.

often needed) so yes I want something but I have no quarantee that I will get it.

nothing more.

a left leaning supreme court, alone, is enough for me.

Or a beer in the Rose Garden.

Also, I'll need a ride to Washington. Air Force 2 will do.

Why should we not view it as similar to collective bargaining. We still have the internet for now we have "meeting places" on it. It would seem possible to determine what the broader "we" need and then demand it in exchange for our support in the politicians bid for power at every step of the way.
I think that is at or near the heart of democracy anyway and the more it turns into a game of keep away the further from what any of the people want or need and increases the odds that money controls and is the only group that gets its way.

... that this cannot be blamed on the Congress. It is up to Barack Obama alone. It is his decision.

for system wide failures.

Should he veto extensions? Yes. Should he be getting extensions to sign? No. Since the bottom 40% have been especially ruthlessly fucked with no lube, should they be protected from any additions, knowing they have no fat to spare and the top 20% is rotund? Yup. Should the people (Democrats included nowadays) effectively refuse reasonable taxation, which actually provides popular pressure to keep the scam going? No, but that is the reality. Nobody wants to give up their Bush/Obama tax cuts, some are OK with people that make more than them losing theirs but their own.

I think we've been fucked on this one the whole way as soon as Obama plugged on through with the 250K line and nothing about capital gains. The entire tact shows a sham, with no serious intent in restoring reasonable revenues but political posturing.

I feel you a 100% but we can't let everyone else down the line off the hook either or we will find ourselves in the whack a mole game of personality and lose functional perspective on our problems falling to the level of the blissful ignorance of our less sharp cousins, that if we could find the right person that the rotten barrel of apples will be good again and be right back in the thought prison the predator class wants us in.

Barack Obama is part of the problem but he isn't the problem, it has been growing before anybody knew who he was. You also must be a willing part of the problem to be "viable", the system will reject any who is not a part of it which is why about the only way anything moves is when one of the born into the club beats them back a hair.
They are watching the Clintons, Obamas, and even the Nixons of the world and weed the children of the poor and middle class out if they don't play ball.

Kentuck, I wonder if we don't have a Sodom and Gomorrah scenario at work. As the government is currently set up, are there even ten major politicians out of say 535 Federal legislators, 50 Governors, and hell just for fun say the top 50 Mayors that you are certain if you switched them places that they would veto the extensions?

I'm not sure there are and it is deeply troubling. Shit, some days it seems like you'd be hard pressed to find 10 people on DU that would sunset all of them. I would, even though I do think it is a bad idea to add anymore to the plate of lower earners, especially if they also will have to contend with a 10% insurance bite if the Wealthcare and Profit Protection Act holds up because I know that the present situation actually precludes any relief for the poor and working class without give aways to the rich because TeaPubliKlans are being given the cover of voting against "raising anyone's taxes", only when that leg is kicked away can any pressure be brought on individual segments.

Our "leaders" play into their strategy because they do not want to get rid of the cuts either. The only way to specific relief is to break up the cuts and the only way to do that is to let them all sunset and then come back with the specific relief, when the cover is gone and the option of pretending that "I voted against raising anyone's taxes" is off the table.
No doubt someone will be along talking about how the TeaPubliKlans refused to give "middle class relief" but they are confused because what the TeaPubliKlan will say loud and proud is they refused to raise ANYONE'S taxes and that will actually be a rare truth crossing their lips, with tax rates restored that argument can not be made and odds are many would be herded into voting for any tax cuts that come their way.

Anyway, my intent is not to absolve Obama by any stretch but to maintain the perspective on the true nature and scope of the problem. It is way beyond swapping him out, particularly for about any of the next several hundred most likely replacements and even the very rare person of quality and toughness would be at eternal war with the rest of the masses of dickheads they somehow slipped by.

This isn't sustainable and won't end well. I'm leaning toward voting to extend the game, we need more time though I have increasing doubts we will use it to correct course but rather to bicker about corporate personality to fuck us some more and at that point it will have proven out that time is not an advantage in dealing with root issues and other avenues will be pursued and focus must change.

That is a lean though, there is a gnawing feeling that the assimilation and being accountable in large part for shitty Republican scams is long term worse than even the nutty TeaPubliKlans being in charge.
By what means would we come back if we strip mine and trash the liberal ideology playing keep away?

I'm not thrilled with either, but after our recent top-two-go-to-the-finals primary it's them or the Republican challengers.

And while it's highly unlikely that Romney will win California, I'll vote for Obama mainly on the basis that whoever gets elected will appoint two more Supreme Court justices.

from a steady leader above everything else. That's why I will vote for Pres Obama. Romney is a wishy-washy and naive and could do grave and possibly irreversible damage to our economy, the world economy, and international relations. I hope that the independant swing voters see it the same way, because they usually decide election outcomes.

Sometimes "Don't be a Republican" is enough of a request for me.

Know what I mean?

PB

I always want one of those. I, of course, always hope that the ones I did not vote for lose. Sometimes I get that too.

Voting is not a sacrament. It is not even a personal statement, as the ballot is secret and no one but me will ever truly know how I marked it.

I never fail to vote in any election for any office or issue. One thing in every race is always less bad than the alternative. It takes 10 minutes and I always have that much time to spare.

and not expect anything in return, otherwise I would be labeled disloyal and other loyal sheep wouldn't like me any longer.

Sarcasm aside, I agree with you, the Bush tax cuts is a biggie, maybe Obama will actually keep his promise this time and not budge on the issue. That is what he apparently has been saying lately so it would be nice to see real follow though for once.

I think it does make sense to vote based on past performance, and how you think the person has done in their job as an elected representative and how you think they will continue to perform in their job.

99% of the time the republican candidate can be dismissed as unworthy of consideration so its largely a matter of being inspired to vote or to stay home in my opinion. And it is the job of the candidate to inspire voters to go out and vote for them.

You should ask for a lot with your vote!

The two-party winner-take-all electoral system is not a great idea, and everyone knows it. It's divisive, simplistic, corruptible and undemocratic.
Vote for electoral reform this election, and you will never again have to vote for the 'lesser of two evils' at the risk of 'wasting your vote' on a party that truly represents you. End the two-party duopoly!

Who is to blame for our diminishing civil rights and power to control our government? The liberals, the conservatives, the president, the previous president, the Congress, the courts, the corporations, the terrorists, the U.N., the media, the Federal reserve, big banks, and money in politics?

With so many problems, it is important to focus on the root cause, where concentrated efforts can give rise to tangible, door-opening results. I contend that the first step for everyone, whether liberal, conservative, concerned about civil rights, war, abortion, immigration, gun control or any issue, lies in our electoral system.

Our winner-take-all electoral system allows only two parties. They become massive, corruptible, and broad in their rhetoric but minimal in their differences. Around the nation, most voters view their opposition party as tyrannical and evil, while their chosen party is simply “the lesser of two evils.” They do not vote for a third party, even one closer to their political ideology, because it is viewed as a wasted vote. That is not democracy.

At worst, it's a completely corrupt and orchestrated dog and pony show, draining the citizens of their freedom and money. At best, it's simply one of the most inefficient, inept, unrepresentative and unresponsive forms of government in the modern world. Either way, it's got to go.

It is not specified in the constitution to that the USA must use a winner-take-all system for the electoral college, federal, state, or local elections. Our government at all levels could change this any time they wish. But what incentive do our two bloated parties have to support this move for democracy, when it clearly puts their political power in jeopardy? The change can come from within our governmental framework, but there is much work to be done.

I am no extremist, revolutionary, or radical free thinker. These ideas are simple, rational, and common-place. Many people, most a good deal older and wiser than I, have been making the same arguments for years. Most Americans I talk to agree that two massive parties is not working. Countless advocacy groups and think-tanks have been trying to facilitate greater democracy and freedom for years. Through Instant Run-off Voting, Choice Voting, Proportional Representation, or a variety of other different voting systems, we can have a much more representative, responsive, responsible and voter controlled government.

I will gladly help one of these groups in their endeavors, but I believe the most important thing is to unify all groups motivated for change and greater representation and focus efforts unilaterally on the most accessible, root level of all our problems: The Two-Party System.

It could be as simple as 1-2-3:
1: Spread the Word and Make your Commitment.
2: Discuss, Mobilize, and Form a Consensus on Reform Candidates
3: Vote and Keep Them Accountable
(step 4, after a more democratic electoral system is in place, vote for any candidate or party knowing that your vote has value!)


Please read more and discuss at this blog:
Twitter: @electoralreform
http://electoralreformcoalition.wordpress.com
Please sign the petition here: http://signon.org/sign/electoral-reform-coalition?source=c.url&r_by=4718607
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ElectoralReformCoalition
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/125823220889351/

Please read more, discuss, repost, tweet, and contact your favorite activism groups. Let them know that the road forward is together, and the future is a more democratic electoral system and a more responsible and representative government!

I cannot vote for Obama again...