That’s what I am asking myself. What does it take for (non) Joe the (non) plumber to realize that the country has been driven into a ditch during the last 8 years? Are Americans simply not sufficiently intelligent to competently govern themselves, as suggested in this piece written by President Nixon’s former counsel? I have a smug, semi-serious answer to this question: The average American citizen spends more than 4 hours per day watching the Idiot Box. Brain abuse like that has got to leave its marks.

On the core issues Ralph Nader has the most rational views and would be the best choice for the majority of American citizens, as Chris Hedges points out in this articulate piece. But a vote for Nader will split the progressives and hand another victory to the lockstep-marching throwbacks. All kidding aside, many people have died and much human suffering has occurred unnecessarily simply because the American people exercised poor judgement when electing their leaders. It’s time to reverse that trend.

Here’s to hoping that Senator Obama’s actions as future U.S. president will be more enlightened than his odious vote for the FISA “compromise” bill or his calls for increased U.S. military presence in Afghanistan indicate. Tomorrow he’s got my vote, for what it’s worth.