So here we are, election eve. The candidates are busy with last minute rallies of their supporters, robo-calls, and a flurry of advertising designed to get you to cast your all important vote for them.

The thing is though is that so much of it's based on misdirection, outright falsehoods - i.e. politics as usual. For a couple of candidates who harp on being agents of change, and mavericks it's the same ol', same ol'.

Understand this. The Founders of our Republic were the real mavericks. The real change agents. Their lives were literally on the line for what the spoke, what they wrote and the risks they took are nearly impossible to imagine today.

Instead we see very little other than negative attack ads, and people who are so pathetically full of themselves that they make comments along the lines that anyone who doesn't agree with them are un-American. THIS my friends is where our political system, our parties, our Republic has gone.

Yes, politics over the years has been ruthless. Nasty. Our candidates today have absolutely nothing of the abuse that was thrown upon candidates of yesteryear. During a course in college at IU, a course entitled "The Presidents and the Press" we heard of a case where a candidate was disparaged in the press by being referred to as "a practicing thespian."

Now let's think about that. Today, most of us wouldn't think twice about that statement. But at the time, this was a derogatory comment, not because of what a thespian is, but rather for the fact that most people had no idea what that meant. Redirection, spin, fear.

Sound familiar?

Today's candidates, while certainly different on a number of issues, are at the heart of it very close on a number of issues, and absolutely opposed on many others. However, this election hasn't really been about issues. It never is. It's about showing how bad for us the other guy (or gal) is, and why you shouldn't vote for them.

Notice what I say there. That we shouldn't vote for the other candidate, NOT why you SHOULD vote for them. That's the politics of fear, uncertainty and doubt. FUD at it's finest, and it's all crap. Palin's been especially good on embracing her 'pit bull' role. Some of the backhanded comments have been absolutely amazing, and not in a good way.

For someone who's telling us she's an outsider, she's clearly a very quick study because all the usual Washington rhetoric is there with her. She has no problem taking things out of context and twisting them around into negative attacks. All while scolding Joe Biden for being hung up on the past. Yep you're an outsider alright. I don't know what's worse: the fact that so many people blindly buy it, or that she's really trying to sell it.

Then we have Obama's - I believe - short lived ad talking about McCain not being able to use a computer. Nevermind he can't physically get his arms in place to do that. Nice one. I clearly don't agree with many statements Obama's made on economic issues, and yes I think that he might be more left than perhaps is good.

I have some issues with circumstances around his connections, however, I also understand how politics works and that peripheral associations do not necessarily mean continual contact or that the person of question is going to be in such a consultative role in any administration.

Obama's short career in the Senate offers up questions. Today we learn that he has some aunt living illegally in the US? And that she's been on the list to be deported for four years? Apparently Obama's unaware of her issues and that he said he supports the law being upheld. This seems to me to put him in a corner.

I also do not care for the possible impact of changes to labor union laws that might occur. I am personally not at all interested in having, joining or being forced to be a part of a union. I don't want to see them implemented just for the sake of creating more unions. They may have their place in some workplaces but keep them out of mine.

The simple fact of our economy places both candidates onto a wall of shame for voting YEA on the financial bailout in my book. Yes I know there are many economists who believe it was necessary, and it is entirely possible that if Lehman Bros, weren't allowed to fail then perhaps things would have been different in September. Maybe not.

Let's talk about this whole issue of experience that so many of the McCain ads have focused on. It's crap. All of it. First off, there isn't one candidate on either ticket who has sat in an executive office and made the choice to send 250,000 men & women into harm's way. McCain hasn't done it since he's never been POTUS, nor a Governor, and Obama's not done it either because he's also never been POTUS or a Governor. In fact sadly Palin is the only one who "might" have had that experience as Governor if she's deployed her Guard.

While I absolutely respect John McCain's service & sacrifice, it doesn't immediately make him more qualified. He's made statements recently and ran TV ads indicating that his experience sitting on the deck of a carrier waiting to get the GO order meaning he's addressed conflict and has experience in crisis. Sorry but that isn't leadership in the sense of what we're talking about here. That's taking an order. Entirely different things. Sorry Senator McCain but no, you haven't had crisis experience in an executive "buck stops here" role.

By the way, show me where Reagan, Geo H.W. Bush, Clinton, or Geo W. Bush had that experience. They didn't. No one does unless they've been the highest ranked member of the Armed Forces, or President. The closest they get is commanding the state National Guard, and if you weren't Governor then you don't have that either.

Now, take General Petraeus or perhaps Dwight Eisenhower, entirely different thing.

So we're down to this. Who to vote for? I feel myself wanting to vote against Palin. I don't care for her stance on a number of issues. But at the same time I have some serious questions about Obama's economic policy.

I think it comes down to me not being completely happy casting my vote for either candidate. Hopefully Florida gets this right tomorrow. The state has a history of mucking things up as we all well know.

We shall see. Either way, this is a historic time for our Nation. I will fly my flag with pride as we move to the polls tomorrow.