Some things never change

The 2012 presidential election is a mere 4 days away as I write, and I think the candidates offer a stark choice for voters to determine the direction of the country for the foreseeable future.  I'll leave it to you to decide which one offers a path to a  brighter, more hopeful future, but just to put things in proper perspective, listen to what the Temptations had to say about the issues facing our country in 1970:

Wikipedia's reference page about the song tells us, ""Ball of Confusion" delves head-on into psychedelia, this time with a strong political message. The lyrics list a multitude of problems that were tearing apart the United States in 1970: the Vietnam War, segregation, white flight, drug abuse, crooked politicians, and more. "Round and around and around we go", the Temptations sing, "where the world's headed/nobody knows." The end of each section of the Temptations' lists of woes is punctuated by bass singer Melvin Franklin's line, "And the band played on."

Richard Nixon was the President of the United States in 1970 -  has any thing changed since then?  And will anything change depending on the outcome of the 2012 election?  I'd like to think that this is the election when we can decide once and for all if we are a nation that looks to the future or one stuck inexorably in the past.  Some things never change - or do they?  It's up to us when we go to the polls on Tuesday.