I've pulled in my horns for the past year or so.

[brush]

27. I hear you

You are right. Our two-party system is just about broken. Any fool senator can filibuster to defeat measures that the public wants and needs because of some whim or backwards view he/she has. Some sort of parliamentary system with other parties where coalitions have to be built would offer opportunities for more progressive measures to get passed. Alas, that won't be happening here but we can look forward to, with our fast-changing demographic, the regionalization of the Republican party. They've nominated just about unelectable presidential candidates in this and the last cycle and this may have been their last chance to win a national election. They've alienated women, Latino Americans, African Americans, Gays and progressive whites so the only ones voting for them are their base and many of them will age out soon enough. It may not come as soon as we would like but it's just a matter of time.