H20,

I can't see your point from all the smoke. What the heck are you talking about?

RA3-

such the pessimist today.....

how about this...

There are currently several states that have allowed publicly funded elections. I don't have any of the links handy but I suggest looking into its benefits....Pennsylvania I believe is one of the states....

The most positive result of this availabilty of public funds is that ordinary dudes like you and me can wage and successfully win election campaigns. There are now plumbers and assembly workers in the state legislatures....

Of course publicly funded election campaigns are a slippery slope, but the benefits MAY outweigh the risk.

Try putting out that crack your smoking and maybe the smoke will clear.

stlhrd

give me a reason to be optomistic about the fate and near future of our country..

Boy the DARK SIDE is getting darker every day

Cross over children. All are welcome. All are welcome.

yes indeedy

admittedly rob, it is pretty grim.

how about this...

...tomorrow is another opportunity to actually do something about it. It may be too late as you say but I say die with your boots on, go out fighting.

...or we could all adopt this, the ultimate pessimism:

When the earth decides she is done with us, she will flick us off as she has ninety nine . nine percent of species that came before us. Whether it be via ice age, meteor, comet, nuclear devastation...whatever, long after we've all gone to heaven or hell the earth will continue to do lazy, wobbly turns around the sun.

Given the current state of affairs, it might just be a better place that way.