Anyone interested in US politics?

[Board Game Geek]

Anyone interested in US politics?

And that affects my Level 70 WOW Character how exactly ?

[realityhack]

Anyone interested in US politics?

2 answers to that:

1) Yes, we all have to be, as their politics affect the whole world, and:
2) No, I'm sick and tired of the voices of the whole world being drowned out by the blanket broadcasting of USofA's issues - it's like an annoying, boorish, arrogant, pissed uncle at a family gathering - everyone wishes he'd just STFU but we politely listen to him with gritted teeth (which could be kicked out at his whim).

[NoddY]

American presidential elections are faux democracy at its best. I refer you to the Noam Chomsky quote:

"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum"

This is exactly how debates on 'issues' are constructed during election campaigns. There is an abundance of hot air but essentially there is no choice. Capital inhabits the political process and offers the plebs 'pseudo-choice'. Anything external to that narrow spectrum of 'debate' is simply absent.

Democracy is regarded by capitalists as nothing more than a release valve for when capital accumulation is mis-managed rather than as a goal in itself.

[snaw]

See I read comments like that, then I look at the actions of the current president and think - if it had been Al Gore instead of Bush at the helm during 9-11, would things have worked out differently and I have to say yes.

Or look at the US economy - Bush deliberately pursued a weak dollar policy, many other presidents wouldn't have - the world in that situation would be very different (Not better or worse, who knows, just different).

Or supreme court judges, who have a direct say in the laws of the land - if a Democratic president was in power it would look very different, and subsequently the decisions they reach would be very different.

I think that lines like that are pseudo intellectual, nihilism at it's worst - this sh!t really matters, and the voters have a real say in how their country goes forward - of course the spectrum is limited, that's real life - very rarely to electorates swing away from the centre, which territory BTW the last president most certainly wasn't occupying, so the nominees usually reflect that.

And I respect Chomsky more than most other political activists/opinion makers out there but he can talk a load of bo11ox and have the biggest set of blinkers on at times.

[TheFaQQer]

Gotta disagree - I think Obama would have a better chance to win - he's nothing like as divisive as Clinton, both within her party and more importantly on mobilising republican base - they loathe her.

He prob won't get the south but Clinton wouldn't either and the democrats don't need it to win the presidency.

I thought that the Democrats need the south - IIRC they haven't won an election without taking the southern states.

The only way they will do that is with Edwards as VP, if at all - I don't think the southern states are ready for a non-white or a woman president, even though the percentages says "I would never vote for a black president" are dropping over time.

I want Hillary to get it - I have a load of signed first edition books that she wrote a few years back, which will rocket in value if she gets it

[snaw]

I thought that the Democrats need the south - IIRC they haven't won an election without taking the southern states.

The only way they will do that is with Edwards as VP, if at all - I don't think the southern states are ready for a non-white or a woman president, even though the percentages says "I would never vote for a black president" are dropping over time.

I want Hillary to get it - I have a load of signed first edition books that she wrote a few years back, which will rocket in value if she gets it

Nah - if they'd won Florida (Which I don't count as the south) in 2000 they'd have done it without the south. The south is important as a block, but getting Ohio and Florida counter acts it's influence so it's not as big a deal as it's portrayed.

[Dow Jones]

Hilary

What if she decides to run with husband Bill as VP? Nothing to stop her. Biggest card up her sleeve.

[snaw]

What if she decides to run with husband Bill as VP? Nothing to stop her. Biggest card up her sleeve.

Not 100% on this but usually VP's are announced at the party convention, once all the votes are in for the nomination so to speak. Plus not sure he could be president again in the event she died or something so not so sure that is possible.

[TheFaQQer]

Not 100% on this but usually VP's are announced at the party convention, once all the votes are in for the nomination so to speak. Plus not sure he could be president again in the event she died or something so not so sure that is possible.

Once the candidate has the nomination, they unveil their VP candidate, so generally they don't get named until the convention.

As you say, though, if anything happened to her then the VP wouldn't be able to take over if it was Bill. Plus they tend to pick a succession plan of the sitting VP gets the nomination next time round, if they want it.

[Board Game Geek]

Whilst we may dicuss house prices once or twice on the forums, and some other "firm favourites", why are we discussing something that doesn't affect us, in a country the other side of the Big Pond ?

Or is this a reciprocal agreement withCcontractor-US, our yank mirror, who obviously talk about the UK elections ? (As if they even care or it's any of their business)