Barbara Ehrenreich’s article over at Alternet answers this question in a way that particularly resonates with me. As she says, Americans are looking for someone to get us out of this mess and they aren’t willing to trust that any of the “old guard” will do it properly. I, for one, hope he wins and does what he says he will. America needs to be re-branded.

For the last two presidential elections, I have voted expediently, and for that, I am ashamed. It was the common wisdom of the time (and no doubt of this time as well), that if one did not vote for the most “electable” Democratic candidate, then one was wasting their vote and possibly giving victory to the Republicans. This compromise has led us away from the candidates who are most aligned with our vision, and towards the ones the MSM (main stream media) deems the candidate most likely to succeed. It has left us with an uninspiring, yet well-heeled, John Kerry to run against George Bush and the rest, as they say, is history.

The only two candidates on either side of the aisle that I consider authentic and refreshing, are Dennis Kucinich (D) and Ron Paul (R). Kucinich appeals to my liberal values in areas such as health care and dismantling the military industrial complex, while Ron Paul appeals to my fiscal conservative side. I had actually considered voting for Ron Paul until I heard he did not believe in evolution, an unforgivable position for a doctor and presumably a man of science.

This year I will be voting for Dennis Kucinich and putting my vote where my heart is. If you haven’t yet read what his positions are, please take a moment and familiarize yourself with his platform. You might find a clear path to voting your conscience and eliminating the cognitive dissonance associated with voting for someone because the press tells you they are electable.