I don’t know about you, but I was always under the impression that, in a tight general election, it always comes down to one thing: the platform.

Republicans v Democrats.  Right v Left. Conservative v Liberal. Trickle Down v Grass Roots.  Pro-life v Pro-choice.  Pro-corporations v We The People Need Some Money, Like Now! (formerly known as Small Government v Big Government).  Fight Wars v End Wars.

*Free Bonus!!**      Add your own here: ____________ v ____________.

And sure, it also comes down to personalities, even appearances. But, in the end, if the Democratic nominee quacks like a Democrat, and the Republican nominee quacks like a Republican, it’s the platform, stupid.

This year, we have a choice between John McCain, who represents all of the right wing stances I list above to the left of the ‘v’, and either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, who represent all of the left wing stances I list above to the right of the ‘v’.

Oh, wait.

“D’oh!!”

Okay, so we’re left with McCain v Obama, probably.

And there they are, the two of them, together on a stage in some debate (hosted by Tim Russert or Wolf Blitzer, no doubt -- when I’d rather really see it be Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow, myself)….there they stand together on stage, on our TV sets, side by side. We all know how that worked out for Richard Nixon v John Kennedy, so….

It all comes down to the platform.

So now tell me:  How well is McCain gonna walk in those platform shoes?

Okay, we all know that Hillary is in to win.  We all know that Dean said we have at least until the end of June before this is over.

So why not try to all become friends? 

Okay, forget that idea. 

Why don't the Obama supporters, then, just get IDIOTIC??

From now until June, let's just play nice (like Hillary wants us to) and cheer her on while she loses?

Every time her campaign says something that gets us angry, let's swallow our pride and comment:  "This is EXCELLENT NEWS!!  FOR HILLARY!!!!" the way that Idiotic has been doing for months now?

That will make the Hillary supporters happy, and will help us keep our sanity.

Deal??

I’m an agnostic.

I was brought into this world by a Protestant couple, and my two older sisters and I were baptized Protestants.

We attended Sunday school until I was about eight years old. That was when my sisters and I told our mother we found church to be boring. Our mother heaved a great sigh of relief, and said, “Thank God. Now I can watch golf on Sundays.”

I considered myself an atheist throughout my teens, although I did consider becoming Catholic when my oldest sister studied catechism in order to marry her Catholic boyfriend.

My father proclaimed, in the latter part of his life, that he was most likely a Druid. Back in the 60’s, however, he did consider Judaism, but that was right after he read “The Exodus”, and it didn‘t last long.

I guess you could say that I have no religious base.

But because I’m just one single, humble human being in a great big universe that provides no easy answers or quick solutions to any problem in sight, I choose to believe that there is a higher power, up there, somewhere.

I just choose not to choose which religion that higher power might belong to.

What if the true God is Jewish? What if he’s Buddhist? What if he’s a she who is Wiccan?

How could I possibly pigeon-hole myself into one tight, comfy little slot, and stay there, without sampling what the tight, comfy little slot right next door to me is feeling?

So that’s why I’m agnostic.

That being said, this whole religion thing in the 2008 race to the election is truly ridiculous to me.

Why? Here’s why:

- John McCain is endorsed by Hagee, and that’s okay.

- Hillary Clinton belongs to an elitist religious group called “Fellowship Foundation” that is so secret no one knows about it, and that’s okay too.

- Fox, CNN, and MSNBC show clips of sermons from Obama’s former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and all hell breaks loose.

I don’t get it.

Quite frankly, I’ll bet my higher power doesn’t get it either.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020207-1.html

Wow.  I had no idea there was such a wealth of information about Douglas Coe and his "Fellowship".  Of which Hillary is a member of the "Family".

I know I keep harping on this......but it's all news to me.

Hillary's membership in "The Foundation" (or "The Family") is being brought to light on HuffPo today, and -- briefly -- it came to light on MSNBC, only to be snuffed out.

For now.

I don't know how to create a hyperlink in a word like other (younger) bloggers do, so forgive me for pasting a direct link to the first of at least three HuffPo blogs from today right here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-gans/a-new-divinely-ordained-p_b_93425.html

And please note that I commented to Lisa Gans that I find it very odd that:

Most other senatorial and representative leaders mentioned as being in this "Foundation" are Republicans.

Only two listed were Democrats.

One from Michigan.

One from Florida.

I find that fact to be almost as interesting as the "Foundation" itself.

I just read yet another Obama-blasting post from Earl Ofari Hutchison on the HuffPo.  Nothing new.

But one commenter to his post said something that struck out at me:  "Everything the Clintons say needs to come with an asterisk."

Makes me think of Barry Bonds, but that's beside the point.

The point being:  Hillary tags a closing point to every argument made against her.  "Yes, I said that, but...", "Yes, I voted for that, but...", "Yes there is proof otherwise, but...".

Imagine our country in her hands, with signing statements the norm.

Imagine it.

I've achieved so much in life,
but I'm an amateur in love
My bank account is doing just fine
but my emotions are bankrupt

My body is nice and strong
but my heart is in a million pieces
When the sun is shining so am I
but when night falls, so do my tears

Sometimes the beat is so loud in my heart
that I can barely tell the voices apart
Sometimes the fear is so loud in my head
that I can barely hear what God says

but then I hear a whisper that this too shall pass
I hear the angels whisper that this too shall pass
my ancestors whisper that this day will one day be the past
so I walk in faith that this too shall pass

The one that loved me the most
turned around and hurt me the worst
Been doing my best to move on
but the pain just keeps singing me songs

My head and my heart are at war
cause love ain't happening the way I want it
Feel like I'm about to break down
can't hear the light at the end of the tunnel
is when I pray for healing in my heart
to be put back together what is torn apart
and I pray for quiet in my head
that I can hear clearly what GOD says
but then I hear a whisper that this too shall pass
I hear the angels whisper that this too shall pass
my ancestors whisper that this day will one day be the past
so I walk in faith that this too shall pass

All of a sudden I realized
that it only hurts worst to fight it
So I embrace my shadow and hold on to the morning light

this too shall pass...

I hear the angels whisper that trouble don't have to last always
I hear the angels whisper even the day after tomorrow will one day be as today
I hear my angels whisper
I hear my angels whisper
this too shall pass