I respectfully disagree Steve-O, but I do see where you're coming from.
The same strategy is being employed by both major parties in our country at the moment. I call that strategy "My dad will beat up your dad." It's ridiculous and belongs only on a playground (I'm not even sure it belongs there, but it's the only place I would hope to find it).
So, playing with analogies.
If our engine needs overhauled, who's doing the overhauling? Is it Pep Boys or is it the mechanic you've known for years? I think it's Pep Boys. And what kind of engine is it? Do we even know how this engine works? If we don't know how it works, or if it just doesn't work, then it's time for a new `type' of engine, and that's what we're really talking about here. We're not overhauling. We're upgrading. It's a different story altogether. We're taking a Chrysler 383 cubic inch engine out and putting in a T73 Zokalwicz with unobtanium bearings and uber-relief wonkerdings. What's a wonkerding? I wish I knew. And, what if we're overhauling our engine when the real problem is in our transmission? Yes, it seems like it should be obvious if the problem is in the transmission, but how many people today even know what a transmission is? We may be overhauling our engine when what we really need is a good shift kit. Perhaps people aren't involved enough with our politics and each other to qualify as mechanics (and thus declare an overhaul as the cure?)
For me to answer your first question (do I believe the system needs an overhaul or a tune-up) I'd have to first understand the system. I think it's irresponsible to say that since I don't understand the system, an overhaul is the best bet. Frankly, I'm not even sure there is a "system" as I understand the term. I'm not even convinced that the new wonkerding being offered to me qualifies as a system. I really think that what's going on right now is a case of treating the symptom rather than the cause. We're putting a band-aid on when we should have had gloves on to begin with.
I disagree with the characterization of loss of choice as a scare tactic. It's a scare tactic if it's artificial, but I think people are actually concerned. They don't understand what's happening. It's happening too fast to get a handle on, and that worries them (and me). If it's happening, the employment of a scare tactic is only happening because it's being allowed to by the people sponsoring the change. If they knew what they were changing, they would be able to easily refute the scare tactics. The reality is, people are just buying the brand name (Pep Boys).
Yes, the Tea Party has attracted a bad element, and it would be in their best interest to denounce that forcefully and immediately. Liberal movements do the same, and should denounce them as well. Unfortunately there's an ugly truth here: If you have ugly liberal elements, you don't lose conservative votes (you weren't getting them to begin with), but you gain radical liberal votes, and if you have ugly conservative elements, you don't lose liberal votes, but you gain radical conservative votes.. I think the net gain argues for accepting these radicals.
I'm perplexed too Steve. I honestly don't think there's a solution. The best one I can come up with is this: If you have a desire to be a politician, you should not be allowed to be a politician. The problems with that are obvious, but I think it's the only way I would trust someone in public office.
Bruce:
I'm picking up what you're putting down. My question is (in sticking with the engineering analogy), what do we do in the interim? Or, more accurately, do you feel like we've rolled our sleeves up and addressed the problem? I don't. Or, at least not in a systematic way. I feel like we threw a bunch of parts in a box, shook it up, and are hoping that when we hit the "on" switch wonderful things happen. I guess the probability of `wonderfulness' is dependent on the number of moving parts.. I'm not happy with the odds.
My answer is this: We all agree the system is jacked up, agree not to change anything until we've made an honest and good faith effort to understand how it's jacked up and what we can do to fix it. Unfortunately, that will never work.
The other option is to risk a launch. If it works, great. If it doesn't, then everything is reduced to rubble, and we can start fresh. There is value to that, but I see suffering along the way.