[af_vet_rr]

Within reason, limited government and fiscal responsibility can be improved. Vote in a congress that reflects those priorities. But don't expect it to take us back to 1789.

That's just it though - we voted in a President and Congress who promised limited government - we've had 5 years of Republican control of both, and we had Republicans coming into Congress 1994, and they all promised reduced federal spending, and we got the opposite, only now not only do we have the opposite, we have people, incumbents, who are not going to be easy to root out - keep in mind a politicians most important job, as far as they are concerned, is to win the next election, or help a buddy win the next election.

As for a major 3d party candidate, history reflects what that accomplishes.

History also reflects that the parties change over time, that new parties replace old. It used to not to be the Republicans and Democrats, and each party is radically different than it was when they were first created.

We haven't had 225 years of GOP vs DNC, we've had a lot of different Presidents and Congress critters from different parties.

There is no reason why we should think that "oh, because it's been that way for X number of years, it has to go on being that way for another X number of years".

If we don't start fixing things, either fixing the GOP, or throwing it aside for something better (which history applauds), then our grandchildren, and their grandchildren are going to be screwed, because they are going to be saddled with this huge, intrustive government that we are allowing to happen.

Our grandchildren's grandchildren are not going to care if it was a Democrat or Republican or another party in office - hell, they may not even be allowed to care, at least publicly.

What they are going to have to deal with is a government that is going to be 10 times bigger and 10 times more intrusive/powerful, if we don't start getting new people into office, good, honest people.

[MACVSOG68]

That's just it though - we voted in a President and Congress who promised limited government - we've had 5 years of Republican control of both, and we had Republicans coming into Congress 1994, and they all promised reduced federal spending, and we got the opposite, only now not only do we have the opposite, we have people, incumbents, who are not going to be easy to root out - keep in mind a politicians most important job, as far as they are concerned, is to win the next election, or help a buddy win the next election.

A couple of points. First, you are correct that a Republican Congress and executive did not curb spending. It has been shown that whenever the same party controlled both houses, the same thing happened. Spending is only curbed when party competition exists. Second, how do you change the election cycle to prevent your concern for winning the next election?

History also reflects that the parties change over time, that new parties replace old. It used to not to be the Republicans and Democrats, and each party is radically different than it was when they were first created.

True, but the last party to hold any significant office was the Whig which collapsed in 1856. The Republican Party began with very liberal roots. Hopefully that is not what you want to return to. When it went totally conservative in 1964 with the help of the Dixiecrats, it lost miserably.

Personally there are a lot of things that need fixing like the borders and Agriculture spending for example. But the Republicans are doing some good things. Tax cuts, refusal to go along with Kyoto, the war on terror, the Patriot Act for examples. The economy is good, my security is being protected, my grandchildren have opportunities I never dreamed of. I keep the problems in perspective when I look at the rest of the world.