I've changed my voter registration. When first I registered, I selected for my political party "Libertarian". Idealism through and through. I'm in Oklahoma, and the Libertarian party didn't get enough votes to remain on the ballot since then. When they were (effectively) kicked out of OK, my party affiliation was changed to Independent. Which effectively is what I was in the first place. You see, in Oklahoma (at least) party registration is good for one thing (that I know of): voting in primaries. Primary elections select the party's candidates. To vote in a party primary, you have to be registered with that party. Oklahoma usually votes Republican. Not always, not in every position, but mostly. I can thank my grandfather for that; he helped transform the Republicans in this state into a force to be reckoned with.

This point was driven home a couple years ago when I, still registered independent, was unable to vote at a primary which included the position of sheriff for my county. Several other positions too. I don't know that I disliked the popular option, but I would've preferred the other guy, also a republican. Come election day, the vote for sheriff was effectively already over. As expected, the Republican candidate won. In some of the other votes, there wasn't any Democrat opposition. In those races, the primary not only effectively, but really determined the winners.

And a similar case is coming up in the national election next year. Barack Obama is the incumbent Democrat president. Barring an unprecedented case of Democrats pulling their collective heads from their asses, he'll be their candidate. I have no doubt he will be. I also believe he's beatable. President Obama has not kept his campaign promises, and he's spent amazing amounts of money to do, as far as I can tell, nothing for the good of the country. But in order for Obama to lose next year, the Republicans have to pull their heads from their asses and select a high-quality candidate in the primary. This is the main reason I am now registered Republican: so I can take part in selecting the next president of the USA, God willing and we don't get 4 more years of Obama nation.

My go-to candidate is Sarah Palin, as you'll notice if you scroll down the front page just a little. There are a few others who look acceptable, though I haven't researched them all to my satisfaction yet. Michele Bachmann is one. There are others, but they weren't in the one debate I've heard of so far. I'll research all of them as the primary election grows closer. This isn't to say I agree with every view of these candidates. Not at all. What I'm saying is that I think they're likely to be good for the country. Good for individual liberty, constitutional government, and reigning in the mounting debt.

But some candidates are frightening. On the one hand, there are some candidates who would probably lose to Obama. On the other hand, some would be hardly -- if any -- better than him if they won. Mitt Romney has been my example of both categories for a while now. I don't think he could beat Obama, and I'm not sure he'd be much better if he won. Not better enough to make a difference anyway. I had been light on details before, but Reason magazine has helped fill me in on a few more. The piece of the puzzle I already had was Romney-care. A state-level near-Obama-care which means Romney is very unlikely to do anything to repeal that troublesome government takeover. But here's a few more problems: he changes his position when he thinks he'll gain from it, and then is dishonest about having done so. Greater detail isn't needed at that point; he's done. If Romney were to win the Republican nomination, you can bet Obama's campaign would drag those bad habits into center stage. And if by some miracle Romney still won the presidency, how could we know what he'd do with it? I can't trust what he's said. For all I know, he just says what he thinks will give him power.

I know it's stereotypically an oxymoron, but I want honest politicians. Especially for president. A position of leadership to, and representation of, the people of the United States of America. That's why I'm looking for a candidate like Palin. I may not agree with her on every issue - I kinda hope I don't. But I know (more than ever thanks to the p-mail event) that she really is honest. I hope to God we can actually get a president as wonderful.