this should give an indication of bush's legacy (http://www.dems.gov/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={D68CD0B2-1442-4804-9F6B-AF67DE7FF585}&DE={FDD09C4F-E958-4E13-A92B-179C2FAC6FEA}&Design=PrintView)

What you need is a strong leader. Not sure who fits the bill in the current election. All have good qualities, but If I had to vote for a Dem, I'd vote for Edwards or Obama.

No, a strong leader such as would be electable in the present political climate would be certain to lead us straight to hell.

What we really need will never descend unto us from on high. We need public awareness replacing ignorance, and public activism replacing apathy. We need to grow up- we need to stop behaving like political children in the USA, and take popular initiatives in our most critically-needed policy reforms back toward government of, by, and for the people.

Edwards, or Obama will not be challenging us to grow up, because in our present "Lord of the Flies" national mood, everybody knows we'd politically murder any critic of our childishness. Angry mobs aren't capable of generating good leaders, and the USA is still angry about many things, and it's been regressing us. We're not going to have the good collective sense to encourage and elect a great and humble US President (in keeping with founding USAmerican ideals) until we raise our collective political maturity.

In other words, we're completely fucked right now, but if we're very lucky, we'll survive to smarten up for better choices in a still distant political cycle.

Luck has a way of running out on you when you most need it.