A No-Brainer Election

Now, let me make this clear - although I have friends who insist that I must have a political philosophy since I'm voting for Barack Obama this year, I don't.

Want proof?

Although I didn't vote for any Republicans over the last three decades, it's true, neither did I vote for any Democrats. That's right - not Mondale, not Dukakis, not Clinton, Gore or Kerry. And it's not because I wasn't paying attention. I was. Closely. And what I saw, on both sides of the political spectrum, right and left, was lies, prevaricating pandering and self-serving manipulation.

Now, it is a fact that the policy positions of the Democrats are generally more intelligent, more forward looking, more holistic, less fear and hate-based, less superstitious, and less primitive than the Republicans, but nonetheless, it is not the policy stances that make for a good leader. It is, after all, character that makes for a good leader, and in that department, while the Republicans have put up men of limited intelligence who ruthlessly seek power for power's sake, the Democrats have put up intellectual, mealy-mouthed men of weak will.

When this election cycle began over a year ago, I did not expect to be inspired to vote. Not at all. I had no favorite candidate. But I listened. As I always do, I paid attention, and not just to the words but to the body language.

John McCain is a frozen, paranoid personality disorder with a hair-trigger temper and a very dull intellect. Sarah Palin has a text-book psychopathic character structure and even less of an intellect.

Barack Obama is what he shows himself to be - an intelligent, eloquent leader who believes in balance and the importance of empowering others by his leadership, and Joe Biden is also what he is in plain view, a humble man of genuine confidence and integrity who's fearless in the deconstruction of his own ego.

This election, for an old soul, is a no-brainer. But we don't live in an old soul country, so... we'll see.