October 28, 2004 - The Beefboy finally got a copy of the ballot he’ll be using in the upcoming election. In the state that I live in, the choice for President of the United States is clearly marked at the top of the ballot-George W. Bush or John F. Kerry. This is an outrage of the highest order! Why? Well, sit back, relax, enjoy, and let the Beefboy do, what the Beefboy does best… and that’s break it right on down for you.

If you walk into your local convenience store, looking for a soda, you have, what?… 20 choices, maybe more (Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, RC, Mountain Dew, Sprite, 7-Up, Crush, and endless varieties of diet, vanilla, caffeine free, cherry and new versions of all of the major brands). How many cable channels are available to view? How many websites are out there for you to surf? So, when the Beefboy picks up a ballot for President of the United States and sees TWO OPTIONS, I have to ask what exactly is going on here? Is this the land of freedom, of opportunity and consumerism… or are we being fed a load of horseshit? Two options is a joke of the highest order, but the Beefboy is not laughing. I’m fucking mad as hell!

Let the Beefboy ask you a question. Are these two guys honestly the best that America has to offer? Honestly? I doubt if anyone would make that claim. Okay, let’s say that you’ve decided that one of the two front runners IS the best that we have to offer… do you believe that his ideas are strong enough to win the election no matter who he runs against? If so, what is the harm in allowing opposing ideas to challenge your guy? Are you chicken? Why don’t you see if you’re man has the courage of his convictions?

Rush Limbaugh touts that Republicans always win in the arena of ideas, however he’s the first guy to say moderates don’t exist. You see, Rush Limbaugh, James Carville, the mainstream media, and the two big parties, can all agree on one thing; you should vote Democrat or Republican. I call bullshit. Do I really have to be a flaming liberal or a right-wing conservative? Fuck that! There are some of us out here with a fucking mind and we come out somewhere in-between. I contend that there is a group of us out here who are moderates and that our numbers are growing.

The problem stems from many factors, but begins with the election of each party’s candidate. To win the primaries, you have to appeal to your base. If you’re a Republican, that means that you’re glad-handing hardcore Christian flakes, slack-jawed yokels and control freaks that want to take away your right to fuck who you want in the manner you choose. Democrat candidates have to suck up to all manner of fringe special interest groups, shyster lawyers and minorities who have their hand out for skrilla. The guys who win the primaries are positioned to the far right, or far left of the political spectrum. Where does that leave those of us in the middle? It’s leaves us “undecided”.

There are more insidious issues than that though. The two major parties rule the state congresses, so through the practice of gerrymandering, they draw voting districts that favor their own candidates instead of reflect geographic neutrality. The method to get on the ballots in the first place is determined by the top two parties, and in some cases requires an outrageous number of people to sign petitions to be included. Finally, bi-partisan committees that are afraid to face opposition, select the participants in the debates!

Are you getting this? In a “free” country, we’re being forced to choose A or B, when in many cases the choice is more like A1 and A2! Whole issues can be swept under the rug if it’s too hot for the incumbent parties. Want an example? They say that Social Security is the third rail of politics. I say that securing our borders is. When is the last time you heard either Bush or Kerry talk about the Swiss cheese that we call our American borders? Neither candidate wants to upset the Latino vote, so not a peep is heard in the land. Meanwhile, we’re giving illegal aliens and terrorists a free pass because no one has the stones to even bring the issue up! Want another example? Have you been following what Kerry and Bush have to say about their plan for Iraq? Is there any daylight between what one says and the other? There’s a lot of explaining and complaining going on, but both candidates have almost the same fucking plan! At least Howard Dean said to get out; that’s an opposing opinion! The Beefboy says to get mean. Really mean. But hey, neither Dean nor the Beefboy is running for President and no one else matters because they’re not even on my ballot!

The Beefboy has looked at polling data that comprises the last forty years and has discovered that at any given time there is about 30-40% of the population that will register as a Democrat and the same amount registers Republican. If you believe what those two parties believe, then fine, enjoy your monopoly. However, that leaves anywhere from 20-40% of the population who is not being represented on the ballot-certainly not in my state, and maybe not in yours. The two-party system has given this nation a pattern of rhetoric that is vindictive, divisive and miniscule-minded. We’re better than this.

Dig it!

-The Beefboy

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I'm not through with this subject by a long shot!...