Why issues?

[tolbiny]

Specifically Iraq-
is anyone in Bush's or Kerry's audience qualified to know how to get out of the situation in Iraq? How the heck is the average voter actually supposed to understand how complex the issue is, in fact how is even a well edcuated voter supposed to come up with the right answer...
and don't even get me started on health care, education....

Issues like Gay marrige seem pretty clear to me, but fixing serious problems in social security, i dont just want to take one persons word for it, but it would take a hell of a long time for me to reasearch and understand the best plicy for all of these issues.
And even if i did this i still don't think i would know what the best thing to do in Iraqis right now.

[MaxPower]

This is why ideology is so popular - its saves you from the bother of actually having to have knowledge or think about the best solution.

If you believe in an ideology than the policy that agrees with your ideology is correct regardless of the facts.

This is OK in moderation, but when you take it to the extreme it is very dangerous.