After two days of occasionally dropping by, so to speak, to see what my old political party was up too, I find myself no more knowledgeable about what it is the Democrats stand for than I was before this convention. The only thing that I do know is that they don't want to see John McCain elected. The arguments that they raise about a possible McCain presidency and what it will mean are at the very least perfect examples of fear mongering. I'm not saying that they are not entirely wrong either. The problem I have with the Democrats is not how they view a McCain presidency; it is how they view an Obama presidency.

I believe that the key to winning this election, is winning it with a majority that cannot be tampered with. It is no longer safe to win an election with a close popular vote count, or an electoral vote count... close races have been turned by political operatives with the help of friendly State examiners and friendly courts. Voters have been disenfranchised with no real recourse. No, elections in this electronic age of Diebold machines and artificial time limits on voter recounts must rely on winning handily, close simply will not do. This is why the Democrats must represent a real choice to the voters. The simple strategy of being "the lesser of two evils" will not draw out people that otherwise would not vote. It is very tempting for many Americans to make arrangements to leave work or home, to not bother waiting in lines, and to generally not participate in the election process that can be truly annoying, if there is not a real desire to see your candidate win. This is much more a problem for Democrats than Republicans, as the Republican voters can usually be counted to make it to the polls. Why Congress, in this day and age, has not made it easier for people to vote is a mystery.

This is the primary reason that Obama must define himself, and do it soon. I see this as an almost impossible task, simply because of the people that are involved in his campaign. If I were to put myself in Obama's shoes, I would not be very comfortable. The American people want a different direction for America. I believe that this different direction doesn't consist of moving our primary zone of combat operations from Iraq to Afghanistan, or to continue to support Israel unconditionally, regardless of what they do. It also doesn't mean propping up the military in a former Soviet Republic and prodding them to attack Russian soldiers as we have done in Georgia. I believe that most Americans want a return to financial responsibility and get our national debt under control. They want access to health care and to see this disparity between the wealthy and the middle class reversed. They want their children to receive a world class education. They also want to stop the outsourcing of American industry. They want to see jobs created by rebuilding the infrastructure of this country, and they really don't care if it is done by the public or private sectors, they just want the jobs this will create and bridges that won't fall down.

They are tired of this "Global War on Terror" and the march towards a police state. They want a government that is accessible to everyone and politicians that don't say one thing and do another. Americans are becoming more politically savvy and understand how the corporate lobbyists and corporate money affects the policies of the Federal government. Some Americans are willing to sacrifice and tighten their belts, in order to insure a decent future for their children, but they won't sacrifice anything if they believe they are being taken advantage of by their leaders and the people that control these leaders. The willingness to reduce spending and alter lifestyles that are unsustainable has to come from the top down... not from the bottom up.

The people that are behind Barack Obama simply don't reflect the desire for real change. His foreign policy advisors are suspect; they are leftovers from the Clinton years and have deep ties to the Military Industrial Complex. His choice of Senator Joe Biden as his running mate brings to the table a man with extensive ties to the credit card companies that have changed the bankruptcy laws to the point where it is nearly impossible for Americans that are over extended to get a second chance. Biden is a self proclaimed "Zionist". This is a term that even American Jews find offensive! Why Obama chose Biden escapes rationality. This is a picture of a failed candidate that has managed to embrace the worst of the Bush regime while touting a mantra of "change". Obama needs not only to repair fences; he needs to tear down fences he has erected since he started this campaign. Why he didn't pick Clinton as his running mate, when she represents almost half of Democratic voters, is another example of Obama's failure to comprehend what the voter's desire. This would have definitely united the party, but pride stopped that from happening. Obama apparently would rather take Biden's political baggage and his non-existent supporters than to acknowledge Hillary Clinton's power in the Democratic Party.

I am saddened by the exclusion of Former President Jimmy Carter by the Democrats from addressing the convention. If America ever needed Carter's advice, it's now, to be shunned by his own party for trying to negotiate with Hamas on his recent trip to the Middle East shows how far the Democrats have regressed. This support of Israel, regardless of what their actions may be, is a fairly recent development. The truth is that the government of Israel has the same kind of approval ratings by their own people, as the Bush administration has here. I could write a book on the fascist type policies that Olmert and his government have instituted. Why both political parties pander to Israel and their lobby in America (AIPAC), is unfathomable. Most American Jews are liberal Democrats, AIPAC represents the hard right. Why have Democrats turned their back on the 70% of Jewish-American voters that revile AIPAC? This is something that Democrats should be asking themselves.

Yes, Obama has a hard road ahead of him. To try to undo the mistakes that have been made in a relatively short time is a herculean task. I can't in good conscience, support this different brand of corporate controlled, right wing political thought that these "New Democrats" seem to embrace. Of course, I would rather see Obama win over McCain, but I will not sacrifice every principle I have to see it happen. If the Democrats truly believe they can bring this nation back to sanity by becoming what most of us despise, that is their choice. I'll just "throw my vote away" by voting for McKinney. If McCain wins because of it, I'm willing to live with that. It's better for me to live with that than to risk voting for Obama and the kind of "change" he represents. I just cannot be a "good German", it just doesn't fit my belief system.