Muscatine

I agree with you, i ride toward the center, i agree with SOME repubs, and SOME dems. There are good people on both sides of the aisle, and unfortunately some bad. I wont vote a str8 ticket, thats just foolish.

In this election i like McCain just a hair better than Obama. And thats not saying alot the repubs had much better candidates. If i remember correctly both McCain and Biden made runs for the presidency in the 80's i believe and both failed miserably.

Naw, davie; just pointing out how juvenile you are.

"Keep it in the middle" Grandad always said. My father held tight to that democratic philosophy his entire life and at times ate some crow. But primarily passed this world with his pride intact. Grandad held onto his passions and spread his vote with a level head, no straight party ticket unless it was truly warrented. And, I think he did that just once and if he detested the notion that neither one was worth a squirt, he didn't vote for that office. Most tend to follow the traditional routes when we vote. That's why everyone is sick of the politicians but won't change their voting style, but in spite of the massive pain.... we keep puting the same losers back in that seat. No one likes the other's guy but they usually like thier guy. Takes some courage to step through change's door. But all in all, we should consider it occasionally. It's funny to hear a person say " My great grandad, voted Repub/Dem. my grandad did, my dad did, and  I do too." Tradition is like going down with the ship. Only the captain should ever do that. So it warms my little ticker when I hear that anyone is moderate and on the fence. Smart! You get an A today.

At times it sounds like I hate repubs. But in truth there isn't anything wrong with a good honest conservative nor a good honest Liberal. Only problem is, we don't have but a few, and have not had many in the past 14 years. So now I feel it's time to give the Dems a shot. If they screw it up collectively, as badly, I'll chew them up and spit em out too... as I have in the past. And hope that one day they/ them get it right. I was listening to our pastor recently and  when I questionned some points later on, he asked me if I would mind expressing my interesting view on paper for him to digest. "sure!" Says I. So here it goes "in a nutshell" as it were.

The question was as read in the sermon, ironically "what would Jesus do" about our world's troubles? It bothered me that there is this dychotomy among Americans who are by and large, God fearing and worship essentially the same, but when it matters politically, they are widely apart spiritually. In asking why it seems that republicans generally think that Democrats honor God and his rules less than they do? He didn't really have the time to go there and gave a small minded answer. Well, it apears to them, that Democrats set the greater(to them) points of rules and faith aside at times. This seems to open a passage of separation that gets used by one party or the other to split the voters. I asked then, Why would anyone do that? It's God's job to separate those of us who have true faith from those that do not. It's not anyone else' job to render those judgements. "Truly put" he says.

So then I wrote....... It seems to me that based on the standars of economics we seem to take measure by; both individually and nationally there was this creation of our shaming class system. Then we set our spiritual beliefs in the center(regardless of constitutional declaration) and further divide the people into three catagories. The poor, the middle class, and the wealthy. Of course there are extremes on either side. But there it is. How does God, who seems(they say) to mean so much more to the wealthier, decide who should be with him if the (basic) Republicans declare openly and LOUDLY that they are the party who DOES care more about god's rules then the Democrats? And somehow by that mortal measure, should run this nation? I then answered that question he intially asked, What would Jesus do? Jesus would most likely vote Democratic. Why? It's as plain as the "In his image" nose on our faces. The priciples that the Lord uses to established his covenent with man are right in our own constitution. Equality. If we had to lable God then we'd have to call Him/her a Liberal. Biblically yes, the book is filled with liberalism from Genesis through Revelation. (No Verginia, there ain't no Santa Clause) We have to earn HIS faith in us, his love and salvation are a gift, but without that he knows he has OUR  faith, we are lost.  So if the lord were to return tomorrow he'd burn all the money, he'd level all our mansions and he'd crush all our cars and divy up everything equally among those who showed that they really have that faith. I don't know that he hates wealth per se', but I do know he hates the notion that we could love it more than each other.

So, anyone who has an ear listen, all men are created equal and should be treated as such and none shall bear wittness to the Lord other than for his own sin. So this notion that any party stands in God's favor over the other is just retarded. Gays, God's option, not ours. Abortion? God's option, not ours, Capitol punishment? God's option not ours. And the list could go on for days. If I could I'd bleed for the actual vision that Jesus/God had for humankind. The faithful in this world who don't hord, who don't cheat, who don't lie to gain. The less fortunate who still give even if it's of themselves with nothing more then the clothes on their backs. The wealthy who share until you'd think it hurts and the relentless few who travle the world helping everyone they can who don't have or have been devastated. That's why I feel so sad for those rich and super rich who just don't get it. I understand the market in priciple, that businessman need to have capitol to keep others employed to maintain that perpetual cycle of earn and spend. A fine adaquate home an decent set of wheels and what ever else God would not deny us. All we need to do is understand and know our limitations while remaining faithful to not just God, but each other, That's what a true democratic society is all about and if we falter one way or another, it's God's JOB, not ours, to sort it out in the end, I don't pay for your sins, you do.

I only have one problem with your whole reply, you used the words " good and honest" to describe our politicians.

Unfortunately GOD has become somewhat of an embarrasment,(for lack of a better word" to our politicians, here are a few good examples, the Ten Commandments cannot be posted in a court house because "thou shalt not lie" creates a hostile eviroment for attorneys, "In God we trust" has to be hidden on the edges of our coins, and politicians through pressure from various groups want the phrase"one nation under God" removed from our pledge of allegience.

But on a lighter note, i couldnt believe they allowed the kids and parents have that group prayer on the high schools grounds last week or the week before, i was blown away to read that.

I had read that when Paul Newman had passed ,all the charities that he was involved with, most of the proceeds from his food buisiness going to charity. Then he had it set up so that after his death the charities would still get the money from his ventures. I thought that was pretty cool.