[Ilander]

Well, as it currently stands, the Republicans (tend to, but not universally) support a free-market response to most issues, like energy and health care, while the Democrats support actions by the government.

The Republicans tend toward staying in Iraq until the job is done, while the Democrats tend toward a gradual withdrawal.

Both parties support continued action in Afghanistan.

Basically, the left say that the government is supposed to answer the big problems, while the right say it's better left to the people and corporations to fix.

As far as considering Al Gore to be crazy goes...he strikes me as championing the cause of solving climate change mostly for personal recognition...he may not be crazy per se, as I pretty much agree with him on climate change issues, but that doesn't mean I absolve him for using six times the amount of energy in his household as a standard house, or for flying around the world in a private jet. He could have accepted the Nobel Prize via Telecommuting, and had them mail it all to him, right? Wouldn't that have sent a better message?

His main element of craziness is that he seems to expect to be let back into the general fold of politics after becoming what amounts to a lobbyist. There is simply too much bias, now.