Comments on: Can Campaign '08 Be Saved?

CBS' Dick Meyer, Unimpressed To Date, Harbors Independent Thoughts

[cozmoriggs]

What a joke of a picture posted above for the Demo's. I feel sorry for them, wait no I don't.

[cbs_oliver]

***, you need be honest that you are a Republican mischaracterizing himself as an Independent the better to sow seeds of discord into Democratic ranks. It is no mistake that your idea of middle of the roaders and Independents have been folks like McCain, Bloomberg, and Hagel - all Republicans. Cut it out.

[tejasdemo]

I am not really voting for anyone anymore. I am only voting against the republicans as they are the most hatefilled, God less group of flat out crooks on the planet.

[Syndicate]

What happened to true Republicans? They got tired of the Christian majority and the gay bashing. Neither of which is very American.

I like having a third party. That way I don't have to decide which of the two is the lesser evil. I have already decided if I don't like who they say I can vote for I'm voting for Mickey Mouse.

[marcodele]

"Giuliani provides key opposition to Bin Laden and Al Qada."

Hello? I think the score is Bin Laden 1, Guiliani 0.

There is nothing about this womanizing liberal republican makes him a better candidate in the fight against terrorism. Sending your firefighters into every collapsing building you see then calling yourself a hero doesn't make you a hero.

[mandy7772]

The only one anybody, Liberal or Conservative alike, should even be thinking about voting for is Texas Congressman Ron Paul.

A vote for anybody else is a vote for more of the same ***.

If you're not familiar with him, you owe it to yourself to become familiar with him. This guy really could help save the country.

[marcodele]

Excellent post jeffhorow. There are many things about the Republican ideals that I valued, but the party has been highjacked by religious zealots and mean spirited neocons.

[jeffhorow]

Speaking of political parties, what happened to the true Republicans? You know--fiscally restrained, practicing the politics of "less is more," not intruding on the private lives of citizens, etc.? I, for one, would like to see a candidate with traditional Republican values--not "traditional family values." The neocons and right-wing religious conservatives have overrun the GOP and the country, forcing their beliefs and practices on many of us who don't want them.

I'm okay with them believing what they want, and would even welcome a new Conservative Party that represents their views. However, I basically agree with Mr. Meyer's assertions that the political system is not working in the best interests of the people it is supposed to represent, but rather continues on in order to perpetuate itself. I don't know that Unity08 or any other "fringe" group will be able to upset the apple cart of American politics.

I also go along with other posters who said that all one really can do is vote his or her conscience in choosing a candidate who best represents his or her values. Unfortunately, for many Americans, the current primary system tends to eliminate an "optimum" candidate early, leaving the voter to choose between two non-preferred choices. But that happens in life, too, so the best bet is to keep informed on who represents what, and then support the candidate who comes closest to your match. I hope I get to choose the "greater good" rather than the "lesser evil."

[Razzl]

In pretty much every presidential election cycle the weak and the meek, timid souls who can't filter the cognitive dissonance of clashing ideas as well as the uninvolved and undereducated who lack basic knowledge of the larger world, fall prey to these crackpot visions of some kind of "unity" party effort, not understanding that ideas are not an annoyance but the essence of the matter. There have been few times in recent history where the choice between the 2 parties has been so clearly delineated as the coming 2008 election, and the moral imperative to make one of these choices at this historic moment precludes the usual bemused toleration we would normally have for this kind of feeble posturing.

There is no value whatever to this clumsy effort at this moment; fronting moral and intellectual vigor against the evil Bush world-view is essential in order to lead the society out of the dangerous path that torture, spying, warmongering, and dictatorship take us. I'm sorry for you timid souls who find moral and intellectual vigor threatening, but if you will stay with the process this time around the best choices will be made and the peaceful era after Bush Republicanism will return your inner calm. Understand anyway that only extreme right- and left- wing movements can give rise to new political parties, because "centrism" or populism are intellectual vacuums incapable of holding onto voters...

[cdnunn]

Think about what kind of world you want to live in. Read all of the political parties' platforms and vote for the one that most closely matches your worldview. Don't worry about the party's candidate; s/he will be fine in office. Stop falling for this cult of personality that drives American politics--too many people voted for Bush b/c they would feel comfortable sharing a pitcher of beer with him. What's that got to do with anything?? The guy's an alcoholic; he can't drink!