Red, I agree with you most of the time, but not about the party line thing. I agree, it would be nice to vote for people based on what we think of them as individuals. But in our country, generally speaking, the candidates seem to "go along" with the party line most of the time. When you look at some of the legislation that was passed by very narrow margins, most of the time the voting was done along party lines. Its a system where the legislators get on powerful committees and receive other bonuses, such that if they buck the party line, its difficult for them to get the experiences and have the accomplishments which enhance their ability to get re-elected. I certainly wouldn't vote for someone unqualified, simply because they belonged to one party or another, however. And I'm not saying I think this is a good system, but its the way politics operates in Washington at the present time. Now if Obama gets in, maybe he can help change things....he certainly seems motivated.