Neither Hillary nor Barack have come forth with the sharp vision and boldness that this nation needs to change its direction. They argue fairly small issues in the interest of short term tactics...not to establish vision-making Strategic policy this nation dramatically needs.

Bush, Cheney and the Corporate Robber Barons in Congress, have this nation on a break-down course as they have instituted Federal Government as a Corporate Support. And McCain promises more Reaganomics - a death trap for a nation spinning out of Western leadership and become a dependency patient to Arab oil and Chinese expansion.

It is not "the economy stupid" because it is a far more integrated issue: Federal Strategic Leadership needs to drive the nation into massive and swift programs to both build a Green Economy [unshackled from MidEast oil domains], and leave the UN to rot & build a new Global Union for Peace and Reconstruction of the Planet. These are strategic needs that have only emergency magnitudes. Neither Democrat has this imagination nor comprehensive fire. Perhaps only Albert Gore or Joe Biden have it.

...but out of this black hole spews forth the valiant and boring Nader. If this nation cannot understand that large global corporations are sucking the blood out of the American body politic and that it is time for them to be called to strict accountability and either become part of the solution or be nationalized...then nothing in the Federal Government will change. Nader has some clear analysis...but he cannot lead this nation because he does not have the energy nor depth of experience.

Barack...play it safe; preach to the choir evangelical music. You will be the Democratic nominee. But without a bold and comprehensive Strategy for America and one that will call America to a realism of true sacrifice, you have no right to be President.

Barack will you confront Putin and rebuild America's military?

Barack will you press for true Energy Independence against all the US oil Robber Baron Corporadoes?

Barack will you halt the massive influx of immigrants that drag this nation into massive budget crises in State after State?

Barack will you massively recharge America's education system with new investment in high tech vocational education, more teachers and massive educational grants so the middle class of America can send their young to college programs of excellence?

Barack will you confront Iranian fascism and take it for the deadly serious threat it is?

We await a definition of you as more than a safe player and an imagist.

Confront Putin? About... what, exactly? Not saying Putin's a good guy, but why are we confronting him in particular?

True energy independence--yeah, I'm for that, although I don't give a damn about the U.S. oil companies. I'm just sick of propping up petro-dictators and funding terrorists.

Our own fiscal recklessness drives us into budget crises. Immigrants are a convenient scapegoat.

Education--no arguments there.

And there is no such thing as Iranian fascism. Fascism more or less went out with Hitler. It isn't even properly a totalitarian state, though it's a long way from democratic. While I agree that Iran is an important player in the Middle East and a threat to American interests, that threat is much more along the lines of the Soviet Union (on a much smaller scale) than Nazi Germany.

Confront Putin? The world needs another Cold War like it needs another George W. Bush.

Actually, the fact Nader is in is interesting.

Nader is on the left, Hillary/McCain are on the right (please, Billary has always been part of the "New Democrats" who were started by LBJ types, meaning anti-racist but on everything else they agree with Cons) and that leaves Barack H. Obama in the middle, which is right where a winner should be.

Thanks for the thoughts, questions and response. You give an appropriate need to define broad assertions I made; and they are meant to cause careful consideration and I wish Obama well in dealing with them for, these core issues will not be papered over. But to you points briefly:

Putin: one "confronts" this authoritarian thug with excellent and comprehensive programs and policies moves, not ever wasting time divining the spirit in his eyes as Bush bizarrely did. So then, a new US Energy program to disconnect as swiftly as possible to OPEC oil dependency is core. New Research and Development on tactical weapons and advancing the military force and logistical strength of NATO is critical. As well, material support and trade relations with the Ukraine and assistance to Kosovo - very important: small independent states should not be allowed to be strangled. Deeper alliance with India on all levels has been neglicted by Bush and that needs very deep reversal. Obviously the money for the US to invest in new R&D in tactical weapons and material trade with small former Soviet regions will be connected to a newly shaped US Energy platform and this will be...time...it will take time. Alliances are critical to success here: from NATO partners to new and honest relations with Latin & South America. Russia is extremely potent and dangerous especially in the proliferation of technology that gets aimed at anyone who opposes Putin.

Second: Immigration policy. I mean no racism or scapegoating here but merely for America to comprehend and act on a basic reality: America has plenty of people to do all the jobs and creativity we need. Immigrants mean massive social costs and add to continued growth imperatives which both ecologically and socially, the US does not need. We need to improve the living standards, education, medical health and job-building for those who live here now. The "melting pot" history of America is early 19th century and needs to end immediately. Let America embrace and develop its citizens now; there is no need to take on more people. Social tensions vastly increase when we ignore the social and economic limits to growth.

Iran - again of course, the US ability to develop a new and effective foreign policy is directly connected to a new energy platform in America and leadership in a global environmental movement...everything is connected to everything else! Iran is in a imperial drive to control the MidEast...that is clear and does not depend on your political party. Our inept and folly-filled Iraq tactics missed the real strategic danger in Iran where an ideology of Islamism is an absolute authoritarian nightmare for thousands of dissidents dead and many in Iranian prisons. For Barack not to announce absolute opposition to the development of Iran nuclear and missile weapons will be his worst mistake and it should be made clear that the US will prevent any such development. The US must carefully and swiftly prepare for war. I realize that the history of Persians supporting Hitler during WW2 has no space for development here...but it is as real as it was with Turkey. But any effective and forceful foreign policy the US might build will only be that which stands on the shoulders of a new, dynamic energy transformation...and again that means time and getting a move on!

Thanks for your responses too! Best wishes!

I actually agree with you and respect Nader very much. I only regret that Obama does not pick up on Nader's core ideas because, in truth, without firmly acting on the issues that Nader has raised so many times, he will have no dynamic new energy program, no change in oil dependency, no ability to redefine a foreign policy able to deal with the oil-fueled military threats of Iran or China. The deep weakness of Nader is that he is quite unable to project any ability to be a leader of the entire nation and to deal with people like Putin and various dictators in North Korea, Venezuela, and Iran. At best, Nader would perhaps be a terrific "Secretary of Alternative Energy Development".