Have political parties become too much about the party, and too little about the person?

I have often seen people be very vocal with which political candidate they support. Sometimes I get an actual answer, most of the time I get a fake answer that doesn't mean much. Such an example may be if I asked a liberal, or democrat whichever you prefer, why they support Obama. Often times I hear back that he is very personable and people just like him. They have no idea what he is doing and what the results of his actions will be, but they like him for some reason, that is apparently all that matters. That may be equivalent to saying that someone likes a cereal killer, or a terrorist. If you like someone, and are willing to vote for them to the highest seat of power in the United States, and indirectly the entire world, make sure you have reasons. It gets back to the old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover." If people are only elected based on their appearance, not their true values, what is keeping some good looking communist or terrorist from becoming president? I'm not saying Obama is a terrorist, but I'm not saying he doesn't have communistic values. According to him, "everything is for the greater good" it seems. I am tired of people saying that "I am a republican" or "I am a democrat." People should use words such as "I am moderately conservative" or "I am extremely liberal." Because these words hint at the political party you may support, but it more shows what values you have and support. What political parties stand for can change. One day we may have a republican president who is in favor of abortion, who wants to legalize marijuana and who is a hippie. That is definitely not a conservative view point, but the person still ran as a republican. I think one of the best things this country can do to help in the presidential election process is to eliminate political parties and have individual people be elected instead. Instead of having fights and huge discussions because people are on two different parties, have one party, the American Party! Instead of fighting and arguing like everyone are 5 years old and using condescending insults, use concrete arguments and thoughts. Don't find everything that is wrong in people, find the good things in people! These changes would darastically change America from the direction it is going, and hopefully bring it back to what the founding father's anticipated America would be like. George Washington wasn't on a political party, because nobody at that time dreamed about political parties, so why do we have them now?

-W.D.