I watched tonight's Democratic presidential debate, moderated by Tim Russert. Very interesting debate. I could vote for several of them--Biden, Dodd, Richardson, and yes, even Hillary. I like Obama and Edwards, but don't think they would be effective presidents. However, I would vote for either of them before Guiliani, who scares me.

It's still terribly early, and lots of things can happen, but I'll most likely vote for a Democrat for president. The Republican Party has left me, and that disappoints me. It has abandoned fiscal responsibility, world diplomacy, and even many moral issues, and no longer exemplifies what I want in government. They've taken paths I can't follow.

On so many issues, I'm more in line with the Democrats: capital punishment, gun control, fuel alternatives, tax reform, balancing the budget, global warming, using torture, poverty, the Geneva Conventions, government spying on Americans, civil rights, the role of diplomacy, and the Iraq war.

Yeah, there are plenty of left-wing nuts in the Democratic Party. But I find them less dangerous than the trigger-happy right-wing nuts who infest the Republican Party (and this White House). So unless the Republican Party undergoes some kind of revival, I can't see myself aligning with them.

But Election Day is still a long way off.