This may be the only election post I make

I don't follow the political scene well enough to make substantial comments; nevertheless, I will let my thoughts out here briefly.


After seeing the dropouts by Edwards (thankfully), Thompson (predictably), and Giuliani (inanely), I am somewhat surprised by the results. It looks like, unless there is a comeback which is of course still possibly, we will be looking at an Obama vs. McCain race in the fall. I wouldn't have predicted that. I thought it would be a Clinton vs. Giuliani faceoff between the most conservative Democrat and the most liberal Republican.* But instead we will have a matchup between experience and youth.


I find McCain to be one of the more palatable Republicans, though his insistance on supporting the Iraq War long after most everyone else had realized it was a bad idea is perplexing. Still, I think the big issue in the fall will be the economy, and McCain is already distancing himself the 8-year Republican mantra of tax and spend. **


Obama has a much bigger problem. Here is a man who, no matter how successful he has been in his private life, has been a publicly elected official for only 12 years. Only four of those were at the federal level. His lack of experience, especially executive experience, will be emphasized by his opponents. To fend this off, he needs to pick a running mate with a lot of public service behind him of her. My first thought was Joe Biden, but I don't think we will see that happen. He may also have to drop the names of some experienced people he would be choosing for his cabinet, just to show that his advisors will make up for any experience he lacks.


As for me, as I have since 1996, I will almost assuredly vote third party again.


* The winner ... the American people of course.


** Or perhpas that was tax and bomb. But I digress