[SailorMitch]

Sway--Let's start with the fact they are both politicians who change positions as it suits their goals at the time. e.g.--McCain dissed the evangelicals some years ago, but when he first decided to run for Pres. he made the pilgrimage to Lynchburg, VA to kiss Jerry Falwell's ample hindquarters. (It will take me all night to rid my mind on that image.) Barack's flip flops are well noted elsewhere. Barack's inexperience bothers me, a does McCain's explosive personality and age (thus the desire to see who his vp will be.) Neither one has a lock on integrity--it's Resko vs. charles keating. Also McCain promised to run a respectful campaign based on the issues-- he has not at all kept that promise. that is a quick summary. in short, 2 very sub-standard choices in my book. your mileage may vary.

Otherwise i think the dems will pull this out because of how unpopular the conservative agenda has become and McCain's inability to chart clear differences in his policies compared to Bush's-- although McCain's ads have said we are worse off now than 4 years ago (OK--so how will he improve things?), and his comment about bush's "gross mismanagement" of the iraq war ( falls into the DUH category). McCain's campaign approach to the economy has been laughable. First he hires Phil gramm (of enron fame and more lately as a lobbyist and officer of UBS) then fires Gramm for the "mental recession" gaff and the even worse "whiner" gaff-- and then flip flops again by bringing Gramm back into his campaign. Sorry, but one has to question McCain's own judgement as well as his ability to judge character.

As for your desire for enlightenment, I offer these two quotes from one of my favorite Zen Buddhist writers/monks;

"What do you want to get enlighted for? You may not like it."

"You can't make a date with enlightment."

----------------------------SHUNRYU SUZUKI