>Also, what's wrong with somebody that doesn't cater to the affluent, the pedigreed or the establishment?Also, what's wrong with somebody that doesn't cater to the affluent, the pedigreed or the establishment?Also, what's wrong with somebody that doesn't cater to the affluent, the pedigreed or the establishment?

As a supporter (or seeming supporter) of many of the Bush/Cheney policies, I think she becomes one who caters to the affluent by defintion.

>But you seem to think ordinary (read real) people shouldn't be in government and it's the lack of that that IMO has gotten us into this friggin mess to begin with. But you seem to think ordinary (read real) people shouldn't be in government and it's the lack of that that IMO has gotten us into this friggin mess to begin with. But you seem to think ordinary (read real) people shouldn't be in government and it's the lack of that that IMO has gotten us into this friggin mess to begin with.

Pretty much. After 8 years of Bush's management, the idea of returning another "man of the people" or "woman of the people" to power in unthinkable to me. What we need is a smart person, and distinctly don't get that impression from her. I get the opinion that I'd like her and her family socially, but that's not enough to put her that close to the Presidency.

I think part of what's got us into this mess is a real dearth of talented, qualified people in public service life post-Watergate. The Nixon implosion and subsequent loss of power in the Republican Party from old money caretakers to religious idealogues has not been good. What was a delicate balance during the Reagan years is now tipped way too far in favor of the 2nd group.

Personally, I think if you are a looking for a reason to support McCain over Obama, it might be that you believe he'll pull the country so far in a Socialist direction that it will prove destructive. I don't get that sense of him, but you can certainly construct that possibility from some of his statements.

McCain would be much more palatable to me if he had stuck closer to his original platform. As he's drifted deeper toward the neo-cons, he's lost some credibility, I think.

And as I've said before, I think if you want the conservative base to reform itself, it will take a loss to begin the process. A win only prolongs the inevitable.

I'm still amazed that there hasn't yet been a significant emergence of fiscal conservative/social moderates (or liberals) from the wreckage of the current regime. Perhaps in time.