Engage the Spectrum is a forum for spirited ideologicalism that seeks to put to practice the rhetoric of bi-partisanship that has been so frequently asserted by candidates and their surrogates throughout this election season. Luckily for us (and hopefully some of you sharp readers and potential contributors), we don’t feel obligated to tote one party line.

In fact, we seek to express biased, irreverent, intelligent, and humorous opinions – exactly what allows us to run a web site and, for better or worse, not for public office. At ETS, we hope to resonate, provoke and encourage others to engage in political discussion and discourse, regardless of ideological leanings.

ETS presents the following features for your consumption and engagement:

• Bi-monthly battleground topics for debates among readers
• Point/Counterpoint topics by regular contributors
• Pods, which are even more biased, irreverent and personal outlets for regular contributors
• And, of course, the ability to express your view by commenting on any post at ETS

Most importantly, if you don’t like what we’re saying or you think we’re simply not saying enough of what you want to hear, you have the opportunity to become an active part of our site.

Engage the Spectrum is essentially what you make of it. If the opinions you see are too blue, please add and encourage others to add more red. If they’re too red for your taste, throw get engaged and throw some blue in there. ETS is essentially a cyber town hall, but with unscripted inquiries and responses and unlimited jurisdiction. 

The following comments offer an array of ideas designed to spark debate and encourage engagement. We may disagree with their ideas individually, but appreciate the spirit of their diverse ideologies collectively. We hope to engage the political spectrum in many of the same ways that these stalwarts have done.

Barack Obama: There is not a liberal America and a conservative America – there is the United States of America.

Bill Clinton: For too long we’ve been told about “us” and “them.” Each and every election we see a new slate of arguments and ads telling us that “they” are the problem, not “us.” But there can be no “them” in America. There’s only us.”

Ron Paul: People want to know what we are doing to get these people to do all this. But I don’t do anything. They just do it on their own. It’s not me. It’s the message.

John McCain: Our political differences, now matter how sharply they are debated, are really quite narrow in comparison to the remarkably durable national consensus on our founding convictions.

And if none of these people or their ideologies work well for you, please make your own mark; you may add a much needed voice to ETS! Get engaged!