How do you wake up the people that are obsessed with Democrat vs. Republican?

I wish I knew. We had good candidates in the primaries (like Ron Paul), with substantive ideas for attacking our problems, but people went with whoever gave the best soundbites, because everyone wants quick, easy answers, and solutions that won't inconvenience them. It's like we're picking the best singer on American Idol or something. I mean, people are making it a campaign issue whether Obama wears a stupid flag pin on his lapel. Who cares??? Yet these become life-and-death issues to some people. It's utterly astounding to watch. I feel like I'm surrounded by idiots most of the time. And the ones who scream the loudest are usually the ones who know the least about their country and how their government actually works.

It will probably take a monumental catastrophe of some kind to get people to wake up, unfortunately, because as a nation, we seem oblivious to problems until they become a crisis.

The only thing I can do is get on here and encourage people to vote third party. It's the only way we're going to break the stranglehold these D and R clowns hold on the political process. But people have to care, and they have to be more than knee-jerk reactionaries and party hacks who wear their little partisan blinders and reflexively blame the liberals/conservatives for everything that's wrong.

It would help a lot if people would turn off their TVs, do some research, and actually think for themselves for a change. The really sad thing is, I don't think most people realize just how manipulated they are by politicians and the media -- on the right AND the left.

I agree and disagree.

Yes, the policy of our executive branch for decades has been to divide the populace against itself, so that people will be too busy bickering to see what the government is up to.

I am a democrat for the most part in national elections, I often vote GOP is local elections, if the candidate is honest. But on the national level, sorry I find the Republicans despicable in every way. There are some cretins in the democratic party, but for sheere, mousefarm evil, you can't beat the Reagans, Bushes, and Cheneys. These men are traitors tp America, and in my life I want to see them arrested and tried for every crime they ever slimed on us all.

My problem with Republicans is that they are so tied up in the religious crap, and this nationalist garbage that they just can't see what's going on in front of them. They rant gay marriage and flag burning when things like that are absolutely meaningless. Republicans (I'm talking the voters not the party) are some of the densist and least informed people I have ever met. But they are solidly and voally self-righteous in their wrongness. They don't a have creative cell in theior brains, they don't understand compromise, they claim the mantle of a religion that they don't really practice, and they have this ridiculous notion that America is #1 in every way, which blinds them to any problems we have that need solving.

So while I agree that the political divide doesn't really help the situation, I have to say that I think that divide because there are a lot of stupid arrogant people, and I personally wish to be divided from them.

I dont think there's anything to do. They are opposite ends of the spectrum, and unless you completely change your mind on issues, then you are pretty much stuck with whoever is candidate for that party.

I agree that liberal and conservative bickering has gotten really bad. People think calling someone a liberal is a insult, and the other way around. But all it is is different points of view.

I agree with most of the democratic views on issues so I'm voting for Obama. Its always one way or the other. I wish there were more options but there's not. The two party system sort of forces people against each other. There's no place for someone in the middle. Its either one extreme or the other.

I think these are usually the short-sighted people who think those in the other party are just plain stupider than them. Maybe these partisans just can't wrap their minds around the fact that both sides of the political spectrum include good, smart people trying to achieve generally positive goals.

Those are the craziest zealots, I think: the ones who think the other side is beyond reason. Or, worse, they believe the other side is actively trying to screw the American people, trying to take over the world, plotting to break into your house and steal your TV, wants to kill babies, etc etc.

Sadly, a lot of people are like this.

If we reorganized the goverment without pary politics involved we could move away from the ancient haterids between the polar opposite groups in our society. Republicans seem to be moving to the right being pro-war, pro-life, pro-religion, and anti-gay. Democrats are moving away to the left, pro-choice, anti-war, anti-religion, and pro-gay.

Maybe if the American People revolted against the goverment like in the 1760's, or 1960's we could fire, execute, or jail the criminals in goverment now. then we could draft a new version of the constitution.

Another option is anarcy. After the removal of law, a new form of goverment would form in the U.S.

Lets just hope the polar divisions in our society do not lead to Civil War like in Iraq.

Can't wake them up. They are zombies just following their party's playbooks. They check their brains at the party door and just follow like sheep. The Conservatives like to push their trash by claiming that they are so patriotic when they really put their party before the country and the Liberals are just whiny, spineless morons who basically just like complaining without having any solutions. Unlike following sports teams which is harmless, the extreme left and right are not helping The UNITED States of America...just dividing it with hatred and lies about the other.

Make them say why they are for a candidate. without substance there choice just seems infantile.

I am a Democrat who is voting for a republican and so is my wife because we looked at the facts and rather than holding the republican party responsible for George Bush we picked the best candidate.

It's the superbowl of politics. The only difference is technology allows people to discuss and watch it 24/7. Everyone will calm down early November.

It has to be this way because anything more complicated would just confuse people. A heartbreakingly large proportion of online searches about our candidates involved superficial things like Obama's height, or looking for sexy pictures of Palin. People are *stupid*. I don't make such a blanket statement lightly. I really honestly believe the evidence is there to support it.

You are stuck with them. Only those two parties can get the mega money needed to run AND you have the media that will give no airtime to anyone outside those two parties.

I cannot tell you how many people I have talked to that never heard of Ron Paul who was polling very well.