"Oh, screw your candidate. Mine's better."

Ever notice some people post NOTHING but rants about how one of the other candidates besides their own just stink? That they jump into any positive thread about the other candidates just as an excuse to bash away? Like there's nothing else going on in the world that requires their attention other than the 2008 Presidential race? Like they're sports fanatics totally mesmerized by their own team's chances of winning the World Series or the Superbowl?

I picked my candidate several months ago, and, yes, I've posted a few rants critical of Hillary Clinton, who, in my opinion, is the worst possible choice at this juncture for a variety of reasons. I've also posted positive threads about MY chosen candidate. But I don't spend my time here hunting around for anything positive about her and dragging my soapbox around so I can attack her or her supporters.

No. I have other fish to fry. My primary issue is the trickle-down Class War being fought against the middle class and working poor in this country, and it's this issue that has drawn me to my chosen candidate. Because nothing should frighten the powers-that-be more than having the nature of their game revealed to the American People.

Which is why one certain candidate has gained an almost overwhelming amount of corporate support, and a minimal amount of support and financing from labor organizations.

But that's neither here nor there.

While we're bare-knuckle brawling here, the REAL enemy, the parasites intent on sucking all the life out of not only us, but the whole world, are laughing all the way to the bank, the five-star restaurant, the high-end tailor, and the skiing vacation in the Alps.

The way I see it, we have a fine kettle of candidates. Any one of them is a better choice than any Republican. That's even considering Hillary's connection to corporate interests, Obama's faith that all the Right Wing needs is a conciliatory executive who can reach across both sides of the aisle, John Edwards's 400 dollar haircut, sprawling mansion, and mistaken votes on the Iraq war and the Bankruptcy bill, Joe Biden's off-the-cuff remarks and distressing sponsorship of the Rave Act, and Dennis Kucinich's belief in flying saucers and half-hearted campaign tactics.

We've dug deep to find each candidates weaknesses from our perspective, dragging a thousand arguments into the light of day to pick over like vultures ripping flesh from the carcass of a deer. All of them have glaring weaknesses, depending on our point of view.

Of course, the Republican strategy has been to attack the candidate's strengths. So what strengths can we find in each candidate that might be turned against them in the general? Clinton's strength is her familiarity with the whole process, and the job itself. Obama's strength is his willingness to compromise. Edwards strength is his apparent new-found dedication to populism. Biden's strength is his no-frills, plain speech. And Kucinich's strength is his strong convictions.

Again, this is a matter of perspective.

I know we're not going to have a truce until the primaries are over. Clinton supporters will be attacking Obama supporters and Edwards supporters. Obama supporters will be attacking Clinton people and, sometimes, even Edwards people. Edwards people will be attacking Clinton supporters and, occasionally, Obama people.

It's a three-way horse-race at this point and we're getting more antsy by the day.

But there are issues other than the Presidential race. My challenge to all the fanatics focusing on defending or promoting their candidate of choice is to spend a little time considering and posting about something besides the race. What are the issues that brought you to that candidate in the first place? Why not focus on those for a little while without bringing the candidate into it? Let's hear your own point of view on something that matters to YOU.

If nothing else, it would be a welcome break from sowing discord.

Or so it seems to me.

but to insinuate that because I eat at five star restaurants, have my clothes tailor-made and might vacation -- or live part-time -- in Europe (all things I'm fortunate enough to be able to do, by the way) somehow makes me the REAL enemy and a "parasite" sucking the life out of ... well, whatever we suck the life out of is painting with a V-E-R-Y broad brush.

I understand that the sentence I referred to above was not the thrust of what you wrote -- and I agree that people should defend the "why"s of why they're so devoted to one person rather than just tearing the other candidates down --, but this Class Warfare Broad Brush you slap everyone who "does well" with is really unfair.

Just my opinion.

I didn't declare it, but I'm damn well going to fight it. YOU may not be the enemy, but there are a LOT of people in your class that are, picking our pockets and fighting any battle necessary to maintain their easy ride at our expense. They hijack our political process for their benefit and let money do their talking, corrupting the very notion of democracy. I reserve my rancor for said parasites, not every single person of more than moderate income. Wealth by itself is not my target--it's the uses to which it's put that triggers my annoyance, particularly when it's used to sabotage our political system, or feed upon the suffering of others.

There may be a day when I can afford all of those things as well, though the only thing that interests me is the trip to Europe. I was born and bred blue-collar and I make no apologies for that. I have no interest in spending $100.00 on a single meal, $1500.00 dollars for a suit, or living in a mansion with hot and cold running servants. Frankly, I don't understand those who do and I doubt I ever will.

I am a man of fairly simple tastes and no desire to engage in what I personally view as conspicuous consumption. The only reason I'd like to travel is to have first-hand knowledge of a greater variety of places to use in my writing. Every single place I write about is someplace I have been here in the U.S. I'd very much like to enlarge my scope. I've done my share of traveling throughout the country, and will someday journey to the few places here I'd like to visit before venturing outward.

If you are not yourself a parasite, and by the fact that you are here helping to fight the good fight, I presume you are not, that brush was not intended for you. You have my apologies if you were unintentionally splattered.