U.S. elections...

[dallia]

Originally Posted by NickB

It would be pretty cool if Obama won but I just have this feeling that some crazy, whit supremacist, racist is going to try and assassinate him.

Also let me see if I get this, George W done his state of the union speech a few weeks ago. Was that speech basically a promotion for why the current political party should stay. Also is McCain part of the current party?

Presidential candidates are stalked by all kinds of crazies. It's a part of political life. One time as a youngster I went to hear a presidential candidate speak. Some guy stood up in front of me during the question and answer phase and two Secret Service agents jumped on him and put him down on the ground. The guy looked a bit nutty and clearly the SS was on top of the situation and the guy. Must admit it was more exciting than listening to the politician.

The State of the Union Speech sets force the Presidents legislative agenda, its sort of like the Queen's Christmas Message. In this case the Queen will have more luck getting anything passed than Bush does.

An Australian political observer explained the U.S. electoral process to us. We have a show called American Idol, where they go look for the next big singer. It runs for weeks and they have endless elimination rounds, first by a panel of judges then by people calling in to 'vote'. Our primary process could be called Presidential Idol, it's long takes for ever, not nearly as entertaining as the show and a whole lot more expensive. At the end you don't even get a good tune for your troubles.

A choice between Obama and McCain wouldn't bother me, both of them are decent men . Hillary, owes her poltical career to some young lady going down on her knees... She's a great fund raiser but a mediocre at best campaigner. Too bad she has to go in front of the unwashed many to ask for support. She'd do well in a hereditary monarchy.

I don't belong to any organized political party I am a registered Democrat.

[brodi54]

Many political Insiders believe that Barack Obama will get more votes and delegates than Hillary Clinton but not enough delegates to be nominated for the Democratic Nomination. I think you need 2025 delegates to be nominated as the Democratic nominee. Let say Obama has 1900 and Hillary has 1800 delegates then neither side has enough delegates to be the choice. What happens is that uncommited Super Delegates will decide who the choice will be. Basically the uncommitted super delegates can pick any candidate they want to. This part sucks because then the votes of the citizens don't mean much. So, even if Obama has more delegates and votes in theory Hillary could pick up the support of the super delegates and be the choice.

[dallia]

If Hillary can't do better than she's been doing I seriously doubt the super delegates will pick her to run for president. She's basically failed to sew up the nomination despite 100 Million dollar war chest support from Big Labor, Black leaders and regular party Democrats. She's also a lame campaigner, a cuckold, has an unpleasant personality and is a serial loser. One thing polticians hate is a loser, really they avoid them like the plague. If they have to decide who will run for President, they want someone who can do better than flounder and fail to carry most of the country. In the recent 'Potomac' Primaries in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, she failed to carry whites, women and just about every other group you can name, and these states and Virginia and Maryland tend to go be fairly typical states.

[brodi54]

dallia I agree with your assesment. I just think the current Democratic system of nominating candidates is lame. I just think votes should matter not the will of a bunch of super delegates who can vote whatever way they want. As of now Obama has the momentum and should be the candidate if he has the most delegates. The rumor I keep hearing is : Obama will win it but Hillary will steal it!

[JeffNLisa]

I would prefer to see Ron Paul become the Pres. He wants to do away with the IRS, and replace it with NOTHING. He believes that the correct way for the government to then deal with the loss of that revenue is a revolutionary and unheard-of concept: STOP SPENDING MONEY!! Every person you propose that to who has a brain should either say "Yes I want that", or "How does he plan to do that?". Yet not one in 1000 Americans has even heard the name Ron Paul. I wonder why? I think the answer just might be that the "establishment" is never going to allow a candidate like that to see the light of day near a ballot box.

Failing Paul, I would choose Huckabee, failing Huckabee, I would have chosen Thompson, failing Thompson I'd have picked Romney.

I have asked literally dozens of people of the Republican persuasion, and not one supports McCain, NOT ONE. In fact all but two of those have stated flatly that if McCain is the candidate the Republicans run, that they will not cast a vote in this election. Which makes me wonder how in the hell he can possibly be the front-runner?!

The answer to that MUST be the "establishment". They know that the majority of Republicans do not like McCain and so they simply "persuade" the delegates in key places to select McCain. That will virtually insure a democratic win for the Presidency, because so many Republicans will not cast a vote if he is the candidate. And between Obama and Clinton, they do not care. And if they are wrong, McCain is the Republican they can most tolerate.

It makes absolutely no difference what the voters do. None.

I have for years thought that the ballot should also include an option for "None of the Above". I'll bet that if that happened, "None of the Above" would win the popular vote by more than 2-to-1. That would at least give the American people a voice to say how disgusted we are with the choices the "establishment" ever actually gives us to choose from.

Anyone remember who was third in popular vote -- and only a little ways behind the two "official" candidates -- in the 1980 election? He was a write-in candidate, and it was a slap to the irony of the whole electoral system. Mr Bill. Yea, the Saturday Night Live character. I realize that SNL promoted that, and a lot of people used that to show how little respect so many of our citizens have for the privilege of voting. But I think it was more than that. I think it may have been the only way that a large number of people could try to get the attention of the masses as to how disgusted they were with the only two choices we are ever given.

I have not bothered to cast a vote in a Presidential election since Bush Sr's first win, because I realized that it doesn't make any difference to me which candidate wins. The establishment has long ago made sure that only candidates who will do what they want get far enough to be on the ballot anyway, and so either one can do the job just fine.

Or stated in a more cynical way, I'm going to get screwed one way or the other. All I need to know is which one does win, so I know which kind of a screwing I'm gonna get.

As "The Who" said three and half decades ago, "Greet the new boss the same as the old boss"

Jeff

[brodi54]

True many conservatives don't like McCain but, they will settle for him over Obama or Hillary. Many conservative talk radio hosts are telling their listening audiences to vote for McCain. If Hillary is the Democratic nominee McCain has a good chance to beat her in the General Election because Republicans and Conservatives hate her and would come out to vote for John McCain just to spite her. If Obama wins the Dem nod then McCain might be in trouble. Obama is being compared to Kennedy and unlike Bush Obama can speak very well although he isn't saying anything substantial now.

[dallia]

What will kill McCain against anybody including my cats are
1. The economy stupid
2. The war stupid
3. Being labeled a true conservative turning off most of the independents
4. Having Bush back him. Most of the voters think the man is incompetent.
5. McCain's support of the war. Saying that we will be in Iraq for 50 years isn't going
to help him one iota. Sure we have been in Korea for 50 years but the S. Koreans aren't trying to kill us with road side bombs.

[brodi54]

What you say dallia is true. But don't discount the hatred that conservatives have for Hillary. Rush Limbaugh is actually glad that Obama is doing well against Hillary. Another thing- I think Americans don't want to see Bush Clinton Bush Clinton. McCain's problem is that he is not a true Conservative. McCain actually considered switching parties in 2001. If McCain was a true conservative then he could count on the Evangelical vote.

[dallia]

I don't get the hatred bit for Hillary by conservatives since she is a solidly right of center Democrat. Her husband coined the term New Democrats, or Blue Dog Democrats and they/she support all sorts of anti-labor ideas like outsourcing and free trade aggreements, abolishing welfare for the poor, as well as being monied up by special interest groups. That gal is not ready for reform. Heck I can't figure out why she's running as a Democrat. If she get's in we should start a pool for how long it will take for Bill to get 'interned'.

[brodi54]

Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Michael Medved, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly all do not like Hillary. Trust me, Conservatives hate Hillary. Hillary is not right of center of Democrats-she is far left. She is running as a moderate to get elected just like John McCain is running as a Conservative even though McCain is a Liberal. Hillary's mentor in College-I forget his name was a Communist. Bill was a moderate, Hillary is not. Listen to Dick Morris on Fox News and he will tell you what a radical Hillary is.