I've gotten a very interesting perspective on the American political system, ever since I moved to the Netherlands... I find myself simultaneously fascinated and revolted by the process.  I can hardly get enough of internet news coverage about American politics -- and yet I couldn't be happier that I'm not actually living in the midst of the multi-sensory cultural campaign frenzy (in the USA).  The current campaign for the 2008 presidential election has been particularly interesting to observe.  I don't know if I could say label it as "exciting," "encouraging," or "hopeful"... but I could definitely say that it's interesting.

Do you know who you're going to vote for (or who you would vote for if you had the opportunity)?

My opinions have still not completely solidified (Ohio doesn't hold its primaries until March)... But other states are beginning the process this week (with almost half of the states voting by early February).  I've found a useful Campaign Match Game on-line.  It certainly doesn't reflect the full spectrum of issues in the campaign -- but I like its graphical feature, the way that you can weight your answers to emphasize which issues are more important to you, and the fact that candidates are not separated by party.  If I can get 10 people to comment to this post, listing their top three candidate matches (not edited to favor a candidate toward whom you are already predisposed), I'll post my top three choices as well (which actually kind of surprised me)...