U.S. 2008 Election

[Darth_Rob]

Yeah, McCain would have been a lot better off with one of the more prominent and well-known Republicans. Palin really is a horrible choice. I feel that this decision will have a severely negative effect on McCain's campaign.

[DarthTofu]

He could have gone with Charlie Christ, the governor of my home state of Florida, but nooooooo, he just had to go with Palin, didn't he?

 

There are a number of bumper stickers that are gaining in popularity down here that read "McSame Failin, '08." I kinda want to get one... then again, according to a recent test that I took, I have 78% of my views in common with Ralph Nader, so that's probably why... I'm a little too big on social issues for my own good.

[Darth_Rob]

Heck, I would have been a better choice than Palin! I have more years experience than her in politics anyway. I did run for the NYS Senate in 2006...

[DarthTofu]

Yeah, and you got... oh, yes: zero votes. Unless you decided to make yourself a write-in candidate when you voted. For what it's worth, if I were eighteen, I would totally feel guilty about voting for Obama if you were on the Republican ticket.

[Darth_Rob]

Dude, if I was elected to office, my first act would be to nationally recognize the existence of Sasquatch.

[DarthTofu]

Rob, we're leaving the Eagle as our national symbol. We are not replacing it with a Sasquatch!

[Eagle]

I fear thats too much honour for me.

 

So this evening is the next debate of Obama vs. McCain. Luckily its shown on swiss television, so I would be able to record it. Unfortunately they have always these simultaneous translators on. I rather prefer hearing it in the original. Maybe it will be also on google video soon. Hm!

[Darth_Rob]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I fear it is the end for McCain...

[Evaders99]

I voted! Sadly it doesn't matter much, my district is largely Democrats.

 

Looks like this election is winding down fast.

[Darth_Rob]

You know, this election once again brings me to bash on the electoral college. Its 100% completely useless. Todays voters are informed enough as they dont need the college. It ruins everything.

 

As of right now, McCain is 49% in the popular vote, and Obama is 51%. Thats a very close race. But when you look at the electoral votes, its horrible. McCain does not stand a chance...

 

Like Evaders district, New York is a heavily Democratic state (thanks to NYC), so even though I voted, it was wasted. If we didnt have the electoral college, the vote would not have been wasted.

 

Edit:

Im glad the forums are back. I was hoping they would be back up before the US Presidential election. I guess it was close enough. At least I can still gripe.

[BadSamaritan]

The electoral college is a good system, but good lord is it unbalanced. The Democrats ALWAYS win California, New York, Most of the North East, and a few other states. Meaning they are a shoe-in for at least 241 electoral votes. So if a Democrat wanted, they could campaign in just a few states and gaurantee their victory. Any state with more than ten electoral votes should have their votes split up into districts, so that people in lessly populated areas have a shot at making their votes count, instead of being shut out by a single city that can overrule a huge area of a state just based on the population.

 

Also, people who vite along the party lines, just because of the party lines, make me sick.

[DarthTex]

You know, this election once again brings me to bash on the electoral college. Its 100% completely useless. Todays voters are informed enough as they dont need the college. It ruins everything.

Rob, unfortunately you are totally wrong. I won't get into (again) why the Electoral College is necessary, but I would definitely like to point out the majority of "today's voters" are NOT informed! Many just voted for Obama because he was "black", some because he was "new". I was sent an MP3 file from a radio show where they asked people "who you voted for"; but there was a catch ... they asked the "voter" what policies were Obama's best, then listed everything McCain was for (that Obama was really against). And even asked if Obama's choice of Palin for Vice President was a smart move. The "voters" agreed with everything (of McCain's) and said Palin would be great as Vice President. Very informed indeed; they don't know the issues or who's even running. What a bunch of dumb sheep!

 

Well I may have to sell the South forty to make ends meet now. Besides when prices for electricity skyrocket because Obama's promised to bankrupt any coal powered powerplant, and the coal industry, I'll be living by the campfire fighting off the scum bag low lifes trying to take my stuff because Obama wants to "spread my wealth".

 

May God have mercy on the United States of America.

 

All hail (Zeek Heil!) the United Socialist States of America!

[Eagle]

Was that really necessary, Tex!?

You know, this election once again brings me to bash on the electoral college. Its 100% completely useless. Todays voters are informed enough as they dont need the college. It ruins everything.

Rob, unfortunately you are totally wrong. I won't get into (again) why the Electoral College is necessary, but I would definitely like to point out the majority of "today's voters" are NOT informed! Many just voted for Obama because he was "black", some because he was "new". I was sent an MP3 file from a radio show where they asked people "who you voted for"; but there was a catch ... they asked the "voter" what policies were Obama's best, then listed everything McCain was for (that Obama was really against). And even asked if Obama's choice of Palin for Vice President was a smart move. The "voters" agreed with everything (of McCain's) and said Palin would be great as Vice President. Very informed indeed; they don't know the issues or who's even running. What a bunch of dumb sheep!

Oh well, there will always be these uninformed Joe Sixpacks or Joe Plumbers around who will always just vote because theres just one single thing they like or dislike. But I guess the majority of people was well aware of whos who and what they each stand for. If not exactly in detail.

 

Anyway, no matter for which partie or candidate you have voted for yesterday, that doesnt really matter anymore. Because one thing is for sure, we all have been wittnesses of another important historical date in the worlds history. After centuries of slavery and racism the first black President of the United States has been elected! That means a lot. Not just for the people in the US. If you have watched the news today you also have seen that the whole world, including those so called villain states, put their eyes on you. After eight years of a presidency which was much more up to dividing, people now feel and hope that there will be a change for the good. You have overcome racism in your own country (just forget about that rather small number of looneys who tried to kill him for that moment) and finally you will be able to point with your finger to others and say that they also should follow your good example.

 

Congratulations, America!

 

May the american dream will come true for all of you again!

 

http://www.cosgan.de/smiliegenerator/ablage/618/192.png

[Darth_Rob]

You're right Eagle. Even though I am upset over the outcome, I do acknowledge the impact of having an African American President. My main qualm with him is over universal health care, and some other issues here and there. However, all in all, Im happy to see it be him than Hillary. That would have scared the crud out of me.

 

@Tex- I still think that the electoral college is outdated. It is true that many people vote along party lines, and its for this reason that the college is unnecessary. Its not like we would elect some third-party wingnut if there was a popular vote.

 

Unless its all a deep conspiracy where the two main parties control the electoral college, which they do. So I guess we will never see a popular vote election for the Presidency.

[Evaders99]

The US was always meant to be a federation of states. A popular vote would destroy any representation from the smaller states.

[DarthTofu]

The US was always meant to be a federation of states. A popular vote would destroy any representation from the smaller states.

 

The issue is that we still have an overrepresentation of the smaller states. One million people in one location have less of a vote than one thousand people in another. It's disproportional representation, in my opinion. The main argument against abolishing it is that then candidates would only campaign in New York, LA, and Miami, really. I think that's rather silly, personally, but oh well.

 

So far as Obama goes... we'll see. Don't judge yet, and don't jump to conclusions. I don't think he'll be God on earth or anything, but I think he'll do his best, which is the most we can ask of him. At any rate, we'll hopefully not see the religious-based social issues being pushed upon us by Obama. Enough of the foolish attempts to put Intelligent Design in schools- if you want to believe that, it's your business, but the idea is based in religion, not science.

 

I'm rather ticked that Amendment 2 to the Florida Constitution passed, banning gay marriage. I'm not gay, nor do I know any gays, but it's stupid bigotry to say that they shouldn't be married. What are the pathetic arguments against it? That it "destroys the sanctity of marriage?" Let's extrapolate that: it destroys the sanctity of marriage according to their religious views. First amendment, folks. Never ever ever ever ever ever try to take that one out in any way, shape, or form.

 

Anyway... I don't expect the economy to pick up in the next four years. Part of that is because I disagree with Obama on the economy, but most of it is because the economy is slow to change. Obama has been compared quite a bit to Carter recently, who lost most of his support due to events outside of his control, and I predict the same will happen to Obama- he'll most likely be a one-term President.

 

But that's just a prediction. If he does a good job, in four years time I'll vote for him. If he hasn't delivered the Change We Need, I'll vote for whoever runs against him.

 

You want my honest opinion? If McCain had taken, say, Rice on as his VP choice, he would have won. Palin scared too many people, myself included. I know folks who care quite a bit about the economy, agreed with McCain's views... and back Obama, because Palin was too much of a turn-off, and they were afraid McCain would die in office.

[DarthTex]

You want my honest opinion? If McCain had taken, say, Rice on as his VP choice, he would have won.

I would have preferred Rice as the Presidential choice myself.

[Darth_Rob]

You want my honest opinion? If McCain had taken, say, Rice on as his VP choice, he would have won.

I would have preferred Rice as the Presidential choice myself.

 

Thank you. I initially thought she would pop up during the primaries to counter Hillary, but she did not. I do think that Palin had a lot to do with McCain's loss. Palin was just too...weird.

 

The only thing I liked about her was her support of the NHL.

[DarthTofu]

lol- the common theory is that she was chosen because, to put it in the most vulgar terms possible, "former Hillary supporters won't be able to tell the difference between two people with a vagina!"

 

Really there was nothing going for her, unless you want to count looks. Her SAT scores were released, and she only got, like an eleven hundred. Pretty low, when you consider that the best you can do is a sixteen hundred. Granted, that's the old SAT, which may or may not be comparable to today's SAT, but all the same, I'd prefer to see some better scores and some better schooling than she had- particularly if she would have stayed at any one college longer than, what was her record? Two years?

 

Rice had it all going for her- minority vote, woman vote, she's actually intelligent and speaks to the base... her only detractor would be Palin's only benefit- looks. Sorry, but that gap between the teeth... *shudder* All the same, it would have made me vote for McCain if I could vote. He just distanced himself too much with Sarah Palin...

 

So: Who are we predicting will run for President in 2012, now?

[Ceorl]

Glad to see the forums are back

 

Interesting discussion here. For my two cents as a McCain voter, the real problem for the Republic Party in the election was the economic situation. Any party in power at the time of economic problems is going to get blamed, rightly or wrongly, for what has happened. The fact that our current problems occured right before election was the primary catalyst for Democrat victory.

[Evaders99]

As much as I like Rice, it would have given the Obama camp a legitimate call that McCain would continue the policies of the Bush administration. (This campaign tactic worked really well. Not surprising, we know little of the details of Obama's policies except they wouldn't be Dubya's. And people will vote for it)

[Darth_Rob]

As much as I like Rice, it would have given the Obama camp a legitimate call that McCain would continue the policies of the Bush administration. (This campaign tactic worked really well. Not surprising, we know little of the details of Obama's policies except they wouldn't be Dubya's. And people will vote for it)

 

Thats a good point E. I think I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but its like with Ford after Nixon's resignation. People saw Ford as a connection to Nixon, and thus elected Carter.

[DarthTex]

Thats a good point E. I think I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but its like with Ford after Nixon's resignation. People saw Ford as a connection to Nixon, and thus elected Carter.

Fortunately Carter was only in for one term, unfortunately that was a looooonnngg four years. Maybe Obama is what's needed to get a great president for 2012 (that means NOT him)?

[DarthTofu]

Thats a good point E. I think I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but its like with Ford after Nixon's resignation. People saw Ford as a connection to Nixon, and thus elected Carter.

Fortunately Carter was only in for one term, unfortunately that was a looooonnngg four years. Maybe Obama is what's needed to get a great president for 2012 (that means NOT him)?

 

Your primary criticism of the man is that we know nothing of him, yet you claim that he can't be a great president. Could it be that you've formed an opinion of the man based upon his political party before ever giving him a chance? If he does poorly, I'll be the first to admit that he's done poorly, but if everyone is calling his reign the apocalypse and choosing to hate him in advance, it'll be that much harder to do a good job for his four years.

[Darth_Rob]

Hey, Im trying to to judge him yet. Im just drawing parallels based on previous similar historical events in American politics. I just see McCains loss similar to that of Fords re-election bid in terms of the circumstances. I am also basing it on that fact that like that particular election, the person who was the more underqualified in terms of experience beat the more experienced and season civil servant.