While the U.S. Supreme Court may hold the line on most of the country, while likely allowing the invalidation of California's Proposition 8 anti-gay marriage initiative, it is clear that the right to same-sex marriage will be part of America's future.

Defense programs that would protect the United States against possible missile attacks are popular with Americans and offer an opportunity for politicians in Washington D.C. to coalesce around a platform that would make the country safer.

The two-party system has a long history in America, but is no longer serving the interests of our country.

The easiest reaction is to argue about who's to blame -- a conversation that dominated the responses to Part 1. Solutions are more difficult. Is the Legislative Branch irretrievably broken, or is there something we citizens can do?

We're going to little league games, antique shows, NASCAR events, the mall, acting as homework helper or cabby to the kids: How can we be bothered to pay attention to politics?

I found out early on Election Day that Mitt Romney wouldn’t become our next president. I called my father, and he answered sounding somber. He told ...

In this election, one forest that was missed was the 40 percent of Americans who disalign from the Democrats and Republicans and call themselves independents.

10. The "Republicans" Are Not Republicans: What I will heretofore call "Republican" with quote marks around it has nothing to do with true Republican heroes like Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and even Barry Goldwater.

President Obama won in 2008 largely because of support among independents. Whichever poll you want to look at, Obama badly trails Governor Romney among independents this year. And he is going to have to cut into Romney's independent support if he wants to win a second term.

Both Democrats and Republicans believe if their nominee gets elected, the serious problems our country faces will be tackled with a new vigor, and real change will actually occur. But is this really what history proves will generally be the case?

emale voters want solid answers to real concerns, and Tuesday night will be the last best chance for both candidates to appeal to them. And what do these majority voters want?

If you're a Texan, you know the name Kinky Friedman. If you're not, you may have heard of his much-publicized run for the governor's seat against Rick Perry, his songs like "Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed."

The American political parties persist, nonetheless, in offering their respective truths. For Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, a restoration of the prosperous America we once knew is just around the bend. Really?

Was this tragic foreshadowing for my future? It didn't take long for that tanking economy on Wall Street to trickle down to Main Street. Three days after Inauguration Day 2009, I lost my job.

How might these unaffiliated and presumably more objective voters react to the nominee, controversy, statement, or gaffe? But who are these Independents? And just how independent are they anyway?

This month has brought some more progress on the chronic California budget crisis, the beginning of some results for reform efforts, and, as the state Republican Party continues its devolution, telling early returns on the appeal of independents.

Last week, Ron Paul sent an email to supporters that indicated that he doesn't expect to have enough delegates to win the GOP nomination. Subsequently...

As the parties have polarized they have grown the divide between them and subtracted a large number of registered voters from their rolls. This polarization has increased the ranks of reported independents substantially.

I understand the importance and value of political parties, but the parties should not come at the cost of bipartisanship and success.