08 Presidential Elections

i think many people from the US don't know much about other countries systems, but it's not like everybody else does know everything.

i'm pretty much living in the US for the last 3 years and i still have one more year to go. after that, i'm definitely going to settle down in Europe. US broadened my horizons and helped me understand the way this country is run, but being a European, i traveled around my continent as well. i learned a lot about EU and Eastern Europe and the way reality looks like there. experiencing different cultures this way made me capable of having opinions on many aspects of political life. also seeing what works and what doesn't helped me understand some economical issues. i cannot say that i have everything down to a T, because it's impossible, but it's a start.

 

I'm fine with shows expressing their opinion on politics. SNL has always been a fairly liberal political comedy, and while I was a little surprised House decided to go that route, it was in a shot that only had Olivia Wilde in it, a VERY politically involved actress who's campaigned for Obama several times (along with Kal Penn).

Fox News is worse than both SNL and House, in my opinion. SNL does poke fun at Obama and the Democrats and House has never actively put down McCain. Fox, however, is terribly racist at times (On Obama's "pounding it" with his wife, they called it terrorist fist jab, which was later apologised for), stating that the only reason he had gotten so far was because he's black, even going so far as saying that "he's a smoker!" and "WOULD YOU VOTE FOR A SMOKER AS PRESIDENT?" No other "fair and balanced" news source uses such extensive smear tactics, especially considering that they haven't attacked McCain at all.

 

Here's some "key positions" from Barack Obama~our next president:bolian:

*Seeks energy rebate of up to $1,000 per family!
*Supports some offshore drilling as part of a longer term comprehensive energy policy!
*Favors releasing 70 million barrels of oil--about 3 days worth of U.S comsumption fro the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help ese gas prices!
*Would reqire auto companies to improve gasoline mileage on new cars by 4 % a year, beginning in 2009. Current law requires each company's fleet of passenger cars to average at least 27.5 MPG on the highway!
*Seeks to put 1 million U.S. made 150-mile-per-gallon hybrid cars on the road withine 6 years, with $4 billion investment and a $7,000 pe-car tax credit to encourage consumers to buy them!
*Would require oil and gas companies to drill on the 68 million acres of U.S. land they currently can drill on or lose their access to that land!
*Would invest $150 billion over the next decade in new technologies aimed at reducing oil use and doubling the protion of the nations energy provided by wind, solar, bio mass and other renewable sources!

COST AND HOW TO PAY FOR IT
Providing a $1,000 energy rebate to every household in the country sould cost about $112 billion. Add to that the $150 billion he would invest in new technologies, and $7 billion cost of providing $7,000 tax credits to 1 million car buyers and the total tab comes to $269 billion spread out over a decade. Obama says he would pay for that in part by taxing so-called "windfall" profits from oil companies!

OBAMAS RECORD
Voted for the 2005 energy legislation supported by the Bush administration. The bill included billions of dollars in subsides and tax breaks for oil and natural gas producers. He voted to block drilling in the environmentally sensitive Artic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska!

IN HIS OWN WORDS
"For the sake of our economy our security and the future of our planet, we must end the age of oil in our time--In ten years we will eliminate the need for oil from the entire Middle East"

Press Enterprise

 

Well, I guess John Edwards won’t be Senator Obama’s running mate. I read reports saying “(Edwards’) political career is over.” For now, maybe. But, may I please remind those reporters, and everyone else out there, that John McCain cheated on his ill first wife with the woman who is now is present wife. Obviously it didn’t kill his career. Are Democrats supposed to meet some higher standard than Republicans?

 

:lol:YUP, pretty replusive and sickening, and I was a delegate for him in Nevada, how embarassing, I guess as the WHO song said "Won't get fooled again" well I did, and millions of others, so his good looks and painted grin & his rehortic was that of a "snake oil salesman" I'll bet 10-1 Obama knew so his political career is over as far as I'm concerned.. lying cheating son-of-a......:klingon:

 

Don't worry too much about it desertwind; I worked "inside the beltway" for about seven years and what I learned, cynical as it may sound, is there are two types of politicians: those who get caught and those who haven't been caught yet. :lol: Actually (and surprisingly, to me), the second definition of politician in Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary (after "a person who is active in party politics") is "a seeker or holder of public office who is more concerned about winning favor or retaining power than about maintaining principles." :wtf:
Post #100!

 

It's interesting to see that people all over the world have an opinion on American Politics. In fairness though, it's not like it's kept quiet. :lol: It's all over the news in the UK and whilst in Oz last year there was some reporting on it. Not as much as the UK but still a little.

I'm also intrigued to know how exactly people in the US vote. Is it a case of once a Republican always a Republican? Or do they vote with regards to which candidate seems to have the best and realistic ideals? For example, say you had a candidate who was a Republican and they stood for everything you believed in and the Democrat is being a bit of a moron (this is hypothetical before people attack me ) but you normally vote Democrat. Would you still vote Democrat?

I only ask because recently I've been wondering about who I would vote for come our next election. I know that I'd probably be expected to vote Labour or a socialist party which to be honest with their track record I really doubt that. If I'm looking at ideals, I'm swaying to Conservatives. It's too complicated :lol:

On the healthcare front though. The NHS is actually a great system, for the main part. Under the age of 16 (and up to 19 in full time education) prescriptions are free, which if I'm correct in believing isn't the case in Oz? If you need to see a doctor, you get to see one within 48 hours. Yet there is still the option of course of going private if you have insurance
I have nothing against a private health sector but the public one is available for everyone, no insurance questions asked.

The only problem with the NHS is that the scum get their Methadone free and generally served before you whilst you pay for your antibiotics and have to wait a half hour Do away with the benefits and 'income assessed' taxes (SNP you know what I'm talking about)

I actually think it's a bit silly that someone's political career is ruined due to their sexual indiscretions. Bit different if there is cases of abuse etc but I don't see how it affects their ability to lead. Then again, I do find it strange you can purchase a gun freely in a supermarket but not a copy of Maxim

I also don't think that being 'young' should go against Obama. Maybe that's one of his strengths? 47 isn't a child after all. It would be foolish to underestimate someone due to their age.

I hope I haven't caused anyone any offense and if I have, it was accidental. x

 

Enjoyed your post, Little Peaches. It's great to have international communication; people here in the U.S. will have opinions on your NHS, but only those in the UK can really say how it works. The same with your politics. One question, though, unworldly as I am, - "Oz"??? Australia?

 

Yeah, thank's LittlePeaches interesting, and on once a Republican always, not at all, I was at our local mall on Saturday registering people for Obama, and the old guy who I was with was 90:wtf: and so sharp, a total trip [he was in WW2] he was once a Republican and switched because of their policies and is now] a staunch Democrat, [shook hands with RFK, all kinds of interesting stories] Everytime we have a Rep. in office the country goes down in every way, that's a fact, and when Clinton was in office everything was great, the economy, jobs, etc. then guess who is in, & we're in a war, that had nothing to do with 911, our economy is in the toilet, housing and jobs are in critical condition and so forth and so on. We just need a fresh new person and a fresh new perspective, and for sure get our military out of IRAQ:klingon:

 

^ i don't know about the rest but i wouldn't put the blame on bad economy on Bush strictly (just to be clear, i'm definitely not pro-Bush). it's the truth that he spent too much money on war in Iraq but economics is way too complicated to say something like that.

economy in the US goes through neverending circles. after every boom there is a bust. after every bust, there is a boom. on a graph it looks like a sinusoid. all this basically thanks to the Fed. they lower and raise discount rates, control inflation among other things.

 

Well, I beg to differ, I've been through two Bush's administrations, have you? and of course it's their fault:klingon: who the hell's fault do you think it is, as a U.S citizen, I feel that my opinions on this are correct! horrible decisions, bad choices, errors in judgement continuly etc. lying to us about practially everything and so many of his staff have quit or been forced out because of his bad decisions. Republicans cater to the rich, and ignore the poor. Nixon, Reagan, bad news adminstrations, I remember my parents aruging over this, and I've been here all my life and know full on well, that when the Democrats are in office things improve, not to say that they of course don't have their faults as well, no political arena is perfect, but anything is better than what we've got now, and all the Democrats I know support Obama:bolian:

 

You think Clinton was great in the office, he was the worst President I ever have. He don't do crap for us, he sit on his butt in the office and do nothing. He don't care about us and anybody else in the country, all he care about is himself, so it his wife. They are a liar and a thief, they didn't tell the people the whole truth. If you go back in 1997, you will figure it all out. Clinton bought Bin Laden to the United States and he knew about the ship blew up that killed innocent people and he lied about it. Democrate and Republican, they are no good and they lied too. He did do nothing for the Healthy care for the last 8th years.

Do you want to know what Democrate mean? I can tell you what it mean, they sit on their butts and you give them money and don't get me start on Republican, they head that way too. Anyway, most of the Republican go further away from Bush, so it Arnold Swag. I won't be surprise John McCain will get away from Bush.

Reagan is the best President in the United States, the white house like him better then Clinton and Bush.

 

I've lived though two Bush admins as well, and while they both had the unforunate factor of being head of the county during recessions, it is by no means entirely their faults. The county tends to hit slumps and it just happens at the right time for some presidents. The American dollar has been falling for years and it's a wonder that our money has any value left at all. We're a joke to the rest of the world as the country is looked at as "cheap".

And a large part of why we are in such a recession is that large companies are moving their productions to other countries because they have cheaper labor than we do. Anheiser-Bush was bought out by a Japanese firm and is now going to be brewed over there. Miller Brewing was bought out by Coors and still continues to brew in the US but Coors is an out of country company. The appeal to get things done cheaper is what has driven the economy down, not one specific person (like the president). And as I stated before the floudering US dollar has an appeal to over seas companies who want to expand or make more money because of a well known name that they can produce cheaper.

I have no idea who I want to support...but the present canidates are definetly not what I want to see running the country. Wheather it be cocky or inexperience, and I won't say which applies to which one as this thread gets snippy enough, but neither has what it takes to make the turn that the country needs. Perhaps I will do a write in and hope for the best, either way I'm voting come November.

 

Yes, I did think Clinton was a great president, morally corrupt lied about that, tacky and sleazy, and now he makes me confused, but as a president he accomplished great things!

THE CLINTON RECORD

 

You think he is great President, I don't think he is. He is far worst President they ever have. The White House don't want them back in the White House and they don't like them, they called Hilary Bi0tch and she run the place, not her husband, he was too busy fool around in the White House with Monica Lewinskey and Linda Tripp. Clinton was trying to made our White House into the dirty house.

Clinton doesn't know how to talk, neither is Bush. My mom thought Bush will approve his speech, but he didn't. I wouldn't said everything is Bush's fault, someone told him, they saw a weapon over there in Iraq, so he sent our troop over there and he didn't have to, Clinton should sent our troop over there as soon that ship blew up, but he didn't. I'm trying to figure it out, how they know those 4 men or more on the plane are from Iraq.