McCain: U.S. Neighborhoods Need Iraq-style “Surge”

[toreskha]

Originally Posted by tattedupboy

That would be a good idea, but even if someone emerges who does do that, at the end of the day, everyone knows that the nest POTUS will be either Barack Obama or John McCain.

Well, sure it will be. But, much of the time the point of politics isn't necessarily to win but to push issues into the public consciousness. Many candidates run in many different races just for that purpose. A few years later, you might see their issue(s) being discussed openly. Ron Paul is an excellent example - he'll never be President, but he definitely has had a lasting impact. Whether you agree with him or not, Al Gore has been instrumental in pushing climate change and environmentalism - despite the fact that he didn't win in 2000.

[tattedupboy]

Originally Posted by toreskha

Well, sure it will be. But, much of the time the point of politics isn't necessarily to win but to push issues into the public consciousness. Many candidates run in many different races just for that purpose. A few years later, you might see their issue(s) being discussed openly. Ron Paul is an excellent example - he'll never be President, but he definitely has had a lasting impact. Whether you agree with him or not, Al Gore has been instrumental in pushing climate change and environmentalism - despite the fact that he didn't win in 2000.

I agree with you on that one. In your last post on this thread, I thought you were suggesting that if someone were to do what Ron Paul is doing, that they would actually have a chance to win, even if they weren't Democratic or Republican. Now that you've given an explanation, it's a little clearer to me.