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PS, I donate a HUGE amount of $$$ to the 'pubs. IMO, the California GOP is so poorly managed that I wouldn't give them a penny.

Hey Cal GOP! Care to get in touch?

Maybe Bill Jones is going for a knockout punch at the one and only debate August 10.

Don't look now, but the problems with the California GOP are affecting the entire GOP.

Many people are seeing the Democrats and Republicans as extremely similar. They've good reason. On the national scene commentators are noting how similar Bush and Kerry are on many issues. The party platforms will differ somewhat, but when applied to government, the results will be very similar. Both parties are now BIG government parties, bent on expanding Social Security, federal programs and government controls over nearly every aspect of our lives.

The problem is not the party platforms, or the leaders. It's much more basic, and can be found in their respective party rules, not the platforms.

The Democratic Party has for years relied on delegates to conventions based on population only. A couple decades back, the Republican Party started incorporating delegate selection with a higher emphasis on population. They've steadily expanded this practice. In doing so, the party has broadened the amount of influence large metropolitan areas and heavily populated states bring to bear on party policies, including the platform and the actual act of governing.

If the Republican Party adhered to republican principles nationally, more emphasis would be placed upon the individual state republics, and less on population numbers. At the state level, greater emphasis would fall to the counties.

Demographically, large populations are more liberal in granting the government rights over their lives, and expecting the government to provide for their welfare.

If the trend continues, the Democrats and Republicans will be able to join their parties into a mega political party in another decade or so, maybe sooner.

I haven't lost hope yet, but I am looking for a political party that adheres to republican principle within their own party rules. If a party does not adhere to these principles, they can not govern by these principles. It would be like expecting an atheist to teach a child about Christianity.

In the meantime, look for more mud slinging from both parties. With so little separating their policies, it's about all they've got to set themselves apart. The old adage "You only hurt the ones you love", should be the motto for both parties.