This election year we the people go through a ritual known as selecting our representatives. In 2008 we are electing many of our local, State, and Federal representatives. At the Federal level there are 469 seats open for reelection in the U.S. Congress. Not only are there 469 elected officials but countless staff members behind the officials elected, many of whom yield as much influence as the elected officials themselves. There is also the matter of a President. (Don't be fooled into thinking there is also a Vice President to be elected as that process has been usurped from the people and the people will be simply presented varying party tickets with a President and Vice President combined.)

At the local and State levels there will be many people running from many parties and there is still a chance for candidates outside the two controlling parties to get elected. The closer a candidate is to the citizens the easier it is for the person to win out over the party. Positions representing larger metropolitan areas and most Governorship offices become more challenging for anyone outside the two controlling parties while the rules have been historically altered to such a degree it is an extreme improbability for any but a Republican or Democrat candidate to win Congressional or Presidential positions.

Presidential primaries are a great example. The participating parties in the national dog and pony show are the Republican and Democrat Parties. All other parties select their candidates at their own national conventions yet none are involved in the primary publicity race that takes place to help the two big parties in selecting delegates to attend their national convention. All parties have delegates attending a convention which ultimately selects that party's ticket for the President and Vice President chosen to compete during the period known as the general election. Only the two big dogs get to prance about the country, spending millions to promote their brand, with the media calling it news. Only the two big dogs get to promote their agendas even if those very agendas are foundationally leading us toward a more socialized society.

Purely based on this process alone the Republican and Democratic tradition of nationwide primary elections vaults these two parties to the forefront of thought since the masses are fed the names of their candidates for over a year longer than any third party ticket. Also, the two major forces control the national attention when their conventions finally meet as they receive days of non-stop national press coverage of every angle of their convention while any other party will be lucky to receive more than a brief side note in the news nationally. While major networks set up broadcast booths within the two major powers and bombard the masses 24/7 with news of every burp and passed gas event of the Republicans and Democrats the remaining parties and any Independent will be written off as not being viable.

This was not the process laid out for a free United States to select their President and Vice President. It is the process most of us have grown up around and we have come to accept it as the way we freely, democratically elect our nation's leader yet it is not free nor were we even to do it purely democratically. There is a rising tide of people claiming they are proudly registering as an Independent yet they still depend on this process to influence their vote. Although no longer tied to any party listen to the voice of Independent Voters and still the talk is about the two parties because they control the process, skewing it desperately away from freedom toward usurped oligarchy and still no one leading the Independent charge seems to care. Really, your choice is no more independent than any registered voters choice. If you desire Independent choices then you must demand restoration of the process without two-party control!

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2008 by Gary Wood
- Permission to copy with attribution granted.