I heard a famous person once remark, (this is paraphrased -- cuz I suffer from brain farts)

Just because I don't agree with something someone says doesn't mean they aren't my friend.

Was that John Wayne? Or Wayne said, "I didn't vote for him, but I hope he does a good job."

nope

I know not exactly how the american voting system works, but I know it is very difficult and confusing and one has to win delegates, and before you can vote you have to register. (Over here everybody who is over 18 automatically gets a voting card by mail when election time comes. We don't have to worry about registration) I think it would be more fair and reflecting the opinion of the voters if every vote would count for the candidate of your choice, regardless which state you live in, and in the end the one who gets the most votes all together wins.
TV and newspapers are mostly impaired by parties and therefore their reports are not objective. They are used to manipulate us and I understand what you mean by "feeding the beast". Unfortunately humans tend to forget fast and easy what happened when another troubling subject is brought to mind, may it be true or implanted to distract. E.g. we have a "governour" in my state of Hessen who was strongly involved in fraud of donation money for election. He just sat it out, denied, waited, and used that "feeding the beast" to get himself out of the spotlight. He got elected again, is still in power today, but got a heavy blow in the latest election being tied with his opponent, not knowing who will build our new state government. Ron Paul for example is hardly mentioned over here at all. I learned about him from arlonet and then went searching a bit to get an idea who he is. So our press only lets us know what they want us to.
I don't understand everything you say kj and I often don't post cause it is hard for me to phrase my thoughts in English and therefore most of the time I just read and don't answer.
But like Captain Zap wrote about the german girl at work, GW is the worst but I think if the american voting system would be different he would not have gotten a second term.
Love and Peace
Brigitte

could be the way i wrote it too, Brigitte...
sounds like you understand alot...
and that our experiences are more alike than we would ever know without this chance to communicate...
so i hope you'll post whenever you want!...

Ahhhh, kj, I never meant to imply I was being cornered against my will. I hope you know I was just kidding around.

I want you to know I have repeated your " build a bridge over the swamp" story to some of my more politically astute associates, and the response has been awakening. One particularly who said, "That is a truly beautiful analogy". And it is.

I can see how Hillary was operating on the premise that she and her democrat primary opponents were supposed to line their toes on the edge of the swamp, on the mark jump into the swamp, and may the best swimmer who could also negotiate the alligators win. I could see that she thought those were the rules and how she could deduce from that she would win that race, being an expert alligator negotiator and all.

Now i can see, thanks to kj's analogy, that Barak's campaign strategy was to build a bridge over the swamp, to avoid the alligators altogether .. and he did, mobilizing a great body of voters, to believe in a new way. This has cause a great deal of excitement , and I for one embrace the rise from the apathy grave..

I am a long time Hillary supporter, starting back when Barak Obama was a child. After all this time, I find it difficult to change my allegiance from someone who has had such an impact on my life...she has help me as a woman pursue my dream as if I were a man .. she has been a role model for me throughout my adult life, as I sought to change the way women are perceive in the work place, and at home. There is no doubt in my mind that Hillary changed the way women here and around the world are perceived, and that she has changed our opportunities.

I have a 30 year history in corporate America starting at a time it was a man's world. We clearly did not know what we were doing at first ( remember those silk bow ties and boxy suits?) We didn't have a Good Houskeeping Guide to Breaking Through The Glass Ceiling..by god, we were radicals!! Throwing our bras into the fire in the Boston Commons, and upsetting the male /female rules in unprecedented ways. We led by conviction, and on the strength of a few leaders who helped us believe,
"Yes, we can."

Most 20 year olds would say, "so what?" To that I say, "Halleluia, that is progress!" The Age of Entitlement Kids....I wonder if they ever ponder how they got there!! Yo mama, the work is already dun!

But that certainly was not the case in the 60's when Hillary stepped out as a leader and spokesperson, and set down the first plank of what has become a platform she has not waivered from. I believe it was her dream to be president all along, but that was unlikely to happen in the 90's. So she became,in essence, the role model she needed for herself.

That said, I completely and totally respect the position of Barak, I hope for a unified Democratic party. I will continue to seek each day for how I as one vote/one person can get to gender rights, civil rights, racial equality and world peace in my lifetime.

MG

ps..the people here on arlonet are the most supportive people I have ever encountered.

Eye always liked Hillary, until; she got behind a few months or so started acting like a total bic###th.
Obama seemed to me the other day, respond to unnecessary bs. from a preacher: who may have been angry... but who's words where true about America's past.
Somehow this quote from somewhere may apply here: "We never here from the American Zionist controlled media that Israel has broken 71 one United Nations mandates or resolutions", what ever they are called. In their brutal treatment of the Palastenians. Where 1.2 million are starving in an Israeli jail.
This following post is a bit of topic, but has some interesting views of a future
for this Land, which when you think of the cabinet: isn't all that different from what we have now, except for not all the power going to one Man...
http://reformationcomingsoon.bravehost. ... ation.html

What you said about Hils MG, that's how I feel about her. And also what you said about respecting Obama and hoping for a unified Democratic Party.
I too know (along with many others here I'm sure)how it feels to be assertive and because you're female it's called being bitchy. And if your not NICE when your suppose to be, your called cold and unfeeling.

How would you feel if you were told by an old poop that you weren't allowed to drive a tractor because you were a girl!! That happened to me only a few years ago! I had owned a tractor and had a certificate in machinery operation but because I was female it was just assumed I would crash the tractor. That's just the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure we could all write a book!!

Hils has been climbing that mountain for decades and I say good luck to her.

it's always good and inspiring to hear from you, MG...