Addendum to my last post:

There's a reason why we've had the consistent trend of nearly 60% of Americans failing to vote and why we're seeing a massive turn-out this time around. I trully believe it has to do with a sense of disenfanchisement, the notion that the politicians paraded before us year after year fail miserably at representing the values and beliefs of the majority. For whatever reason, whether you believe it has to do with the whittling effect of the most extreme elements in either party, or with out-of-control lobbying, or with over-zealous special interest groups, or with big-money, our parties have polarized to such a degree that most in the middle, and that's MOST of us, are left without a voice, and without a leader...the political DMZ is a lonely place.

As to the Democrat and Republican political platforms?...well, it hasn't changed much in 35 years. Different face, same message...it simply never changes. When I see someone who challenges the status quo, inspires the disaffected and disenfranchised into action, who operates NOT on the old and tired "rich vs. poor", "black vs. white", "community vs. individual", "big governement vs. small", "tax vs. spend" philosophy, I get interested. When I hear someone that instead acknowledges our shared interests, our common dreams, and our unilateral concerns, I get inspired. When I hear someone that believes that compromise is not tantamount to failure or weakness, that we are all in the end Americans, that we must look past our ideology to get anything accomplished, then I'm sold.

The political idealogues of the past generation have destroyed political discourse in this country. We need to move beyond the notions of established political platforms. We need a new vision...a new brand of politic. One that doesn't pit one group vs. the other. One that is inclusive of our differences, one that unites the nation, both Democrat and Republican, both liberal and conservative. And that voice must come not from the extreme, but from the center. It's the only way.