Poll says that the most liberal in the Senate will be a bigger cutter of spending than the so-called conservative that the pubbies elected. See what you get for leaders when you limit yourselves to thinking that you must vote in the "Two-Party Cartel". Would you stand for an ice cream store that only sold two flavors or only 2 automobiles that were high priced & used much gas. I think not but you will allow your whole dealings in goverment to be controlled by these two corrupt parties. Amazing.
First, liberal Democrats can always claim that they want to cut spending when they aren't in power. When they are in power, they will spend more than Republicans do. You can't compare what Republicans actually do with what Democrats claim that they'll do. Accurate comparisons depend on comparing words with words and actions with actions.
Your ice cream store and automobile analogies are flawed. If all the ice cream stores sold only two flavors or if there were only two companies selling ice cream and each had only one flavor, I just wouldn't buy ice cream unless I liked that flavor. With ice cream stores, I have a choice whether or not to buy ice cream. If enough people are dissatisfied, the ice cream companies will just go out of business. With the government, I don't have a choice whether or not to live under the government. Whether I like it or not, the government will continue to exist and will continue to exercise power over me. If I'm stuck with two "flavors" of bad politicians, I don't have the choice of just walking out of the store and not buying either. I'd be amazed if you really didn't understand that fact.
The same is true of cars. I have less choice about whether to own a car, but if none of the current choices in new cars is good, I can continue repairing the old ones and wait for something better. I can walk out of a dealership that doesn't offer me the choices that I want. I can't walk out of the country because neither party is fielding a true, small-government presidential candidate this year. The government will continue operating and continue growing regardless of my desire to see it shrink. The problem is not with the political parties. The problem is with the people who want more and more from government. Maybe you and your circle of friends aren't like that. I congratulate you on having good friends, but until you persuade more citizens to your way of thinking, your way of thinking won't sway policy.
If you don't want to vote for George Bush, that's your choice, and I'm not trying to attack you for that choice. You're welcome to vote for whoever is running in Howard Philips's party, to vote the Libertarian candidate, or to vote for whomever you please. I hope you won't just stay home because every vote for someone other than Kerry is important. Furthermore, I hope you can find at least one conservative candidate somewhere who you can support and who has a chance of winning. We need victories at every level.