Cassius:
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings."
Julius Caesar (I, ii, 140-141)

Fate did not put GW Bush in the White House. The voters did, together with an ideologically partisan Supreme Court, and a few election anomalies, here and there, to which the public seems relatively indifferent. But if enough voters had voted against him, in two elections, Bush would not be in the White House. That should be patently obvious. What settled the affairs? Earth tones? Wind surfing? My turn? Cheney's daughter?

Did the voters understand that Bush, and the cabal of which he is the visible avatar--fundamentally believed no good can come of government? Did they understand what that philophy might mean in terms of recruiting for government agencies, policing government contracts, disaster recovery, and prosecutorial discretion? I do not remember any public debates about these issues during either of the last two elections. I do not remember debates about war without end, demonizing the Russians, corporate welfare, peak oil, the death of the reef system, or the collapse of marine environments.

The countless wicked problems that we now face were NOT part of the electoral discussion. Yes, there was talk about Iraq and the 'War on Terror'(a nonsense phrase)--but never a discussion about how we would know if the policy was working, how long we should stick with it until we need to review it, and any other alternative to the status quo.

Once again, we have reached that moment when voters will determine the course of the next 4 years, and are we discussing the appropriate role of Government in regulating financial markets, international trade, increasing consumer protections, environmental protections and other profoundly serious issues that must be addressed? No. We are talking about 'judgement' and 'experience' and 'celebrity' and 'war stories' and 'lapel flags' and 'patriotism'. Does the public have any idea what policies either of these candidates would support to curtail the manipulation of commodities markets by foreign government funds? Or what to do about Social Security? Or the outsourcing of labor? Or global warming? Or any of the dozens of wicked problems with with we are currently freighted? Not really. I  might imagine, with Obama. I have a reasonable sense of what to expect from McCain(preserve the status quo). But, once again, we seem to be voting for a Prom King. And I don't hear the voters protesting much. Oh, maybe, "I've heard too much about Obama." However this plays out, the buck stops with the voter. It is not in the stars, the hands of the Divine, or a simple twist of fate. It is down to US.

McCain at SaddleBag Church said it was a mistake to to elevate Breyer, Ginsberg, Kennedy and Stephens to the Supreme Court. These justices, of course, opposed the date of Dec 12 as the Florida deadline, and attempted to prevent the velvet coup of Bush.Cheney.

If for no other reason--support Obama simply to prevent McCain from getting to pick any Supreme Court justices.

There are only two choices here. A Vote FOR McCain, or vote AGAINST him. Voting for a third party candidate, or staying home, is a vote for John McCain in the most realistic terms there are.

You want more Scalia's and Thomas's elevated to the Supreme Court? If not, please vote Obama.

Today, John McCain said this:

"Even in retrospect, (Obama) would choose the path of retreat and failure for America over the path of success and victory," McCain said. "In short, both candidates in this election pledge to end this war and bring our troops home. The great difference is that I intend to win it first."

Vietnam may have been John McCain's Great White Whale. It crippled him, and now he is desperately seeking the honor and glory that failed to manifest at the conclusion of the historic Vietnamese misadventure.

When Herman Melville penned his classic tale, Moby Dick, he hit upon a metaphor for compulsive obsession that has few equals in American Literature. Ahab was so single minded in his pursuit of the Great White Whale that he was willing to destroy his ship, his crew, and himself in the process. There was no question about, what will this cost? Is it doable? What are the risks? Can they be mitigated? What is the alternative to hunting Moby Dick? No. Nothing but 'Fie! Oh Whale! From hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee. Ye damned whale.'

This is not the sort of character attributes that we should seek in a chief executive. We need someone strongly grounded in emotional balance, systematic and methodical in their decision making, complete and encompassing in their thinking. Following ones psychological urges out of a sense of longing for gratification always sounds promising--but frequently leads to disaster. Such urges need to be tempered with rational analysis. We need to think through things before we act impulsively. We should never use military force as a tool of diplomacy in the pursuit of some indefinable sense of victory, and the illusory goals of honor and glory on the battlefield.

Starbuck, the first mate, said it best: ""A captain who, from private motives, employs his vessel for another purpose from that intended by the owners, is answerable to the charge of usurpation, and his crew is morally and legally entitled to employ forceful means in wresting his command from him."

Captain Ahab: "Blacksmith, I set ye a task. Take these harpoons and lances. Melt them down. Forge me new weapons that will strike deep and hold fast. But do not douse them in water; they must have a proper baptism. What say ye, all ye men? Will you give as much blood as shall be needed to temper the steel?"

Captain Ahab: "I don't give reasons! I give orders!"

Captain Ahab: "Speak not to me of blasphemy, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me. Look ye, Starbuck, all visible objects are but as pasteboard masks. Some inscrutable yet reasoning thing puts forth the molding of their features. The white whale tasks me; he heaps me. Yet he is but a mask. 'Tis the thing behind the mask I chiefly hate; the malignant thing that has plagued mankind since time began; the thing that maws and mutilates our race, not killing us outright but letting us live on, with half a heart and half a lung."

I do not want to see McCain turn the United States of America into the Pequod

Starbuck said it best: "It is our task in life to ... furnish oil for the lamps of the world. If we perform that task well and faithfully, we do a service to mankind that pleases Almighty God. Ahab would deny all that. He has taken us from the rich harvest we were reaping to satisfy his lust for vengeance. He is twisting that which is holy into something dark and purposeless. He is a Champion of Darkness. Ahab's red flag challenges the heavens."