BTW, Obama already won the second he showed his face, and he will spend spend spend, like all politicians do. Change has to be clearly defined, and it isn't. The election is just a popularity competition, nothing more. People act like he is here to save them… ridiculous. People should wake up and realize, even Obama has stinky poop.

My personal strategy has been to invest a fixed amount in the market on the 15th of each month, come hell or high waters. I have followed this approach since the trouble started in July 2007. So far, that strategy hasn't worked so well… but I am hopeful that in the long run, this is a solid approach that will take us where we need to go.

I'll be honest here in the comments about the candidates: I was a McCain supporter in 2000 and really loved the guy for years. I have been sickened by his campaign and I am – beyond a shadow of a doubt – voting for Obama. I am voting for Obama based on only two things, though – I think he'll help American “PR” in the world, and I think he's less likely to start another war. I'm not convinced his economic policies are anywhere NEAR as transformational as we need, and I think we need a politician to step up and tell us harsh truths now: taxes must go up, spending must go down, companies must fail and massive military withdrawals around the world are no longer optional – we cannot afford troops in Germany, Korea, etc. I'm not sure Obama – with his promise to “govern from the middle” – is the guy to deliver on the harsh changes we need. But I'll pull the lever for him and hope for the best….knowing that the alternative is a nightmare of avoidance, war, and religious intolerance.

I'm not giving up on that goal, but the last few months have made achieving that much, much, much harder.