McCain and Obama in a dead heat and Obama seems to have lost his tongue or maybe the DNC have decided it's their way or the highway. To me, it looks like politics as usual from both parties throwing insults and accusations at each other - what happened to Obama's freshness and do 'it doesn't have to be like this' attitude?

I can't believe that the US will elect McCain and Co. I mean he is older than God and has a far worse memory. But he represents the status quo, the reason why the US is deep in doo doo right now and all you can surely expect is more of the same?

By ideology I am a Libertarian leaning Rupublican but those terms are meaningless today when applied to the political parties. Is GW a Republican? Not by my definition. Big spending, big government and a dictatorial attitude isn't republicanism but it does seem to be the Republican party these days... elect McCain and get what you deserve.

On the other hand Obama is everything I ideologically detest. He is big government, social programs and higher taxes. These things do nothing positive for a country in my view. He is Liberal with a capital L and if that is all he is then he isn't much of an alternative to tell you the truth. The opposite policy isn't necessarily correct either its just the opposite policy and it is as flawed and incoherent as the current one.

What I LIKED about Obama was his freshness, intellectual, grass roots call for change. His seeming willingness to look at issues openly. His ability to enact a generational change in US politics and it's overseas image. Where did it go I ask? He looks more and more like Joe Biden to me - a stuffed puppet of a man who gave up thinking generations ago to be a (Democratic) party animal.

I hope Obama finds his freshness and vitality again before its too late and the US condemns itself to 4 more years of same old same old.....