This is addressed to all the hard-core, party-line people on the board. Why in the world shouldn't our goal be to have a balance of power in politics instead of only the ideaology you lean to, having all the power? Hasn't history shown to us that countries that have leaned too far to either side have all fallen into chaos eventually? To read the posts on here, you'd think that the only possible political solution is to complete wipe out the other side.

Just imagine our country if it were run absolutely by either party. Man, that thought sends chills up my spine. The Republicans would have us in some rigid theocracy where our prisons would be brimming with abortion doctors and drug users and everyone would be walking down the streets armed to the teeth with assault rifles. The democrats would absolutely bankrupt the larger corporations and give all power to the corrupt labor unions. Everything anyone felt like saying or doing would be politically incorrect and lawsuits would abound. Cars would be outlawed and only bicycles could be used for commutes. Naturally, those two visions are assuming that the extremists took control, which certainly is always a possibility when the opposite viewpoint is stifled.

So shouldn't we instead of pushing the extreme philosophies, move to balance the voices? As soon as either major party starts getting an advantage, we stick it to them. There's a wonderful satisfaction to that ideal to me and it baffles me as to why others don't get that same turnon. I don't want politician's jobs to be easy. I want taking public office to be a huge personal sacrifice with the same job insecurity the rest of us get to wrestle with. I'd love to see a perpetual 50/50 split in both houses of Congress and the job of President to be rotated between all parties every term (not by law but by we smart-assed voters). Make it a huge chore to pass legislation unless it's some absolutely common sense item that all voters agree on. Give line-item veto power to the President. Maybe we can eliminate some pork that way.

Anyway, just a thought.