When the man arrived at the Election Commission office last week to vote for his man, it was easy to see why he became quickly confused. He knew who was going to get his vote alright but when the clerk asked if he wanted the Republican or Democrat primary, he had no idea which ballot carried his candidate’s name in the early voting.

Finally he was shown a sample ballot and was able to determine under which flag his pick was marching but it wasn’t lost on me, as I watched the scene unfold, there are a whole lot of us in the same boat. I am constantly confused because I now realize that neither political party carries any sway with me at all.

When someone asks if I am a Republican or a Democrat, my steadfast answer is always “American.” The lead story in USA Today on Tuesday confirmed that for the first time since the Gallup Poll started asking almost 30 years ago, both political parties are viewed unfavorably by most Americans.

As a matter of fact, four of every 10 voters now declare themselves as I do – independents – and, if you care to use logic and divide the remaining six-of-10 equally, that leads me to believe the majority of United States voters are fed up with the idiotic meanderings of Republicans and Democrats alike.

Hardly a day goes by that the political ramble isn’t embarrassing but that’s not all. The Supreme Court just invalidated the federal law banning the commercial sale of videos showing illegal and extreme acts of animal cruelty.

The court ruled the law runs counter to the Freedom of Speech amendment. From a purely legalistic side I understand the ruling but, my goodness, who among us wants to fight for something like that? The Attorney General in Tennessee just decreed a proposed license plate that would read, “Jesus Is Lord” is also blatantly unconstitutional but we need somebody to stand up and scream this isn’t quite what the forefathers had in mind.

Let me give you an example of how easily things can get twisted up. When a big rally of the anti-tax “Tea Party” was held in Greenville, S.C., last weekend, a guy named William Gheen finally got the microphone. Gheen is the head of a conservative, anti-“amnesty,” anti-illegal immigration force called Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Group, or ALIPAC, for short.

So there they all were at the “Tea Party,” getting lathered up over no more taxes and no more immigrants, and you want to know what Gheen does? He loudly rants that it is time for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to “come out of that log cabin closet.” According to Gheen, being gay is “a secret that Lindsey Graham has.”

Are you confused yet? Of course, the point was being made that the senator’s alleged secret may be used as leverage, this being brought home when ALIPAC’s Gheen then hurled this dandy barb, “Barney Frank is more honest and brave than you,” referring to the openly-gay Massachusetts congressman, but doesn’t that make you proud to be an American?

You saw where Goldman-Sachs, the big Wall Street thug, was charged with fraud the other day and now we learn that those money merchants are lawyering up with Gregory Craig, who was the White House counsel during the first year of President Obama’s term. Goldman Sachs gave “sacks” of cash to the president’s campaign. Are you confused yet?

Last week the President took time away from all the things that worry me to campaign for Barbara Boxer, a very liberal California Senator who you’ll recall once chided a Navy Commander when he said “Ma'am” in a reply to a question. (“You call me ‘Senator!’”)

California is also where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is from and not long ago, when a barroom TV announced the often-dreadful woman had received some death threats, one patron yelled, “Find the guy and let’s run him for Mayor!” Do you see what I mean? Never have more of us been confused.

In two weeks the first election of the year will take place when voters pare down the candidates that will be decided later in the summer. By the time it’s over we will have a new Governor, a new face in Congress and a bevy of new local officials. I’m not in the political business but I can guarantee you one thing; never in history will political parties be so meaningless.