What do you do when your friend is a Zealot?

I have a lot of frustration withe one of my closest friends. We'll call her "W."

W is a Christian. But a compassionate one.

W thinks the United States should follow Gods law rather than its own.

W thinks the Republicans are carrying out the mission of God.

W is actually socially liberal but doesn't understand what social liberalism is. And thinks liberal is a bad word.

W knows that Barrack Obama is a Christian. That her pastors wife adores him. That he was involved in community organisations through his CHURCH.

Meanwhile McCain has never been a very religious person.

McCain leaves his disfigured wife for a rich heiress.

And yet....today at a barbecue she says...Obama is scary. My heart broke.

Worst of all...her mother in law; apparently a member of Mensa...thinks that people are only voting for Obama because he's black. Wow. As if being black has ever given anyone an advantage.

And her father in law; apparently thinks that nothing will change if either Obama or McCain become president.

I beg to differ. The suprem court. The Supreme Court. The Supreme Court.

I love my conservative suburban friends. On a brighter note; her husband said he's voting for Ron Paul. I hope he was serious. He is a fiscal conservative. Not a social one. If all the fiscal conservatives would just turn their back on the Republican party and it's far right fundamentalist base; I think it would be a wonderful thing. And might succeed in calming down the Republican party and making it more centrist.

As for me. I am a lefty. I'm a lefty liberal. Not because I love a big huge government. But because I value true freedom. Not the freedom of the markets. But the freedom not to starve on the street. The freedom not to be spied on. The freedom to marry who I choose. The freedom to be protected when I'm sick and in danger, but not without having to give up any of my civil liberties.

I don't understand the Republican idea of freedom and small government. Look at what deregulation has done to our financial markets. That's the free market right there. And when they are in trouble; who do they come to? The public sector to bail them out.

I hope this economic crisis and the last 8 years of bush makes "socialism" less of a bad word and "capitalism" more of a bad word.

I'd love to live in a mixed market country like the Netherlands and most of Europe. Socialism mixed with capitalism. Regulation of those institutions that hold a lot of power over the average person while freedom of the average citizen to protest, vote, debate and be entitled to their opinions.