I've waited 18 years to vote... and this is what I get?

Can I ask a very, very sincere question?

Does anyone see 2008 turning out well?

I feel like someone needs to say this now, while we still have time.

A. The Democrats fail to find one candidate that is electable, and scatter, as they seem to be so prone to doing. The Republicans win. The second Patriot Act is enacted upon a helpless body politic by President Giuliani under the War Powers Act. The Constitution, Bill of Rights, and all 17 other Amendments to the Constitution are replaced by a further modified "Patriot Act" and the country known as America ceases to exist.

B. The Democrats defeat precedent set by the past two elections, and actually manage to unite under one flag and take the White House. That one flag is Hillary, of course, and she carries out her promise to have us out of Iraq by 2013. But LOSES the 2012 election to Giuliani because, as future Giuliani will put it: "We gave the Democrats a chance to resolve Iraq, they couldn't even lose properly, now let's do this the American way."

C. George Bush jumps the gun and pulls emergency powers on November 1st of 2008 because of "newly found, definitive proof of Iran's possesion of nuclear weapons and their intention to use them upon the American people."

well, letter C is entirely probable, but for the sake of this piece, irrelevant. Let's suggest for one second that the Republicans fumble the election and give us the shot we need at the president's office, okay?

So, that means uniting. That means every Democrat setting down their differences and uniting to destroy the past eight years of American social, economic, and foreign policy. The way I see it, that leaves Hillary.

But, guys, and here's where people might disagree with me, I don't think Hillary's going to be significantly better.

Hillary seems like a politicker. A compromiser. She plays to win, but at what cost? Nothing about her seems presidential, and I don't say that because she's a woman. I think Segolene Royale, Maria Cantwell, and Barbara Boxer look plenty more presidential than Mrs. Clinton. I say it because she's done nothing to reassure me that we can make this country a better place. I have no faith.

Conversely, some would suggest Obama as a possible candidate. But he also makes me nervous. Now please don't get me wrong, I've been a supporter of Obama since the day I stood on the floor of the convention and watched Obama talk about a unified country. He spoke not of Democrats and Republicans, but of Americans. I liked that.

The other day it occurred to me I didn't really have any idea what I was supporting, though, so I did some googling.

Turns out I don't know because it's really friggin' hard to tell. Barack, in my opinion, doesn't politick the way Hillary does, but he does keep things vague and idealistic, which ends up pleasing a lot of Americans, but cheating them of answers they need.

So I guess what I had decided is that when I step into the voting booth for the first time in my life and am confronted with the choice between Hillary and Obama, I'll have to make a very difficult choice.

And pull the Kucinich lever.

My entire generation dislikes Dennis Kucinich because he kind of resembles an elf. He also, as it happens, feel strongly about a number of issues, and is vocal of his convictions. And he also happens to agree with me on a lot of issues.

Kucinich is no fringe radical. He's a true Democrat. He believes many of the things we used to. But in the past 8 years the Bush Administration has dragged the political spectrum so far to the right that we've lost any sense of perspective.

Old people: ask yourself what you would have wanted eight years ago. Ask yourself the kind of person you were, before the Bush Administration rubbed "terror" in your face until it bled. I think a lot of people would find Dennis reflects a more true American spirit than anyone is willing to admit.

But he looks like an elf.



It's time for you to decide whether you can make the mature, grown up, decision, because if not, you're going to leave a really disgusting world for my generation to clean up.