Lots of people have been asking me who I'm going to vote for this election. Well, the answer to that is "none of the above". The reason for that is simple: I cannot vote in the United States (I do plan to vote in the Ukrainian presidential elections next year). However, it's just a way for me to avoid the real question: who will I support in this election in which no candidate is anywhere near the libertarian ideal.

For what it's worth, I'm going to support Obama. Not because I think he is best-suited for the job, but because I can't support McCain (who I agree with on a LOT more policy issues) and remain honest to myself. McCain represents everything that's wrong with politics and politicians in general. He is not honest, he will do whatever it takes to have as many people like him as possible, and he pretends to be "above the fray", while in reality it's just a put-on. I think (and I'm probably fooling myself) that Obama at least has a chance to be a different kind of a politician, even if I disagree with his policies. I think ability to lead and get people to be more optimistic in the end trumps any real policy decisions by the office of the president.

One thing worries me, though. I am afraid of how quickly Obama rose to almost god-like status. I am afraid that there might be a 'cult of personality' built around him. This is not a criticism of Obama; I have very little concern that he would misuse presidential authority. I am basically worried that the American public is a lot more easily fooled into supporting a person rather than ideas than a lot of people would believe. And that could have dangerous consequences, should someone with a genuinely 'evil' motive, but an electrifying personality decide to run for office. Perhaps I am contradicting my previous paragraph, but I am just worried about these kinds of things, that's all.

Well, there is my two pennies. Thoughts?

Well rallying behind an "electrifying personality" is a human thing, not an American nightmare. See Hitler for example.

Well Obama will also face the reality and he wont be so shiny as it sounds now from him. Though I think at least he will try I think.....while Hillary I guess never started to do so.

I don't think you're the only who feels this way.

All great leaders have had electrifying personalities that rallied supporters to them -- in American history, there's been George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan just to name a few, not counting all the great nonpolitical leaders we have produced. In fact, having this type of personality is kind of a requirement for being a strong leader.

But of course, since there can also be evil electrifying personalities, we should of course suspect any strong personality with leadership abilities that may show up.

Better to have a wimpy, non-engaging "leader" than take the risk of a bad leader coming into office.

(Look, if there is one rule in politics it's this: NEVER compare anything to Hitler)