Next best thing for the US (and perhaps the world)

[Mandamus]

This is going to be my first opportunity to vote in the General Election and I hate the feeling of being restricted to vote either Democrat or Republican.

From my foreign perspective I imagine this must be really frustrating. Do third parties really have no chance to get elected in the US?

 

Also, and this is just imho, if I were American I would really resent having my vote completely ignored by both parties just because I don't live in one of the swing states. I mean if you're a Republican and live in California, don't bother getting up to vote, it doesn't matter, and same deal if you're a Democrat and live in Idaho. Your vote wouldn't change anything, because of the "winner takes the whole state" system. If you live in Florida or Ohio, however, your vote matters, both candidates care about what you have to say and come visit your state, etc. Seems to me this system is unfair to those who don't live in swing states, because their individual vote is made completely irrelevant on the national level. One person living in California or Idaho should count as much as another in Ohio.

From a British point of view we find Obama totally baffling as a (supposed) ally, determined to visit the sins of the fathers on the broadly supportive Brits whilst sucking up to the French who have a very bad case of Europhilia and USAphobia.

How is he sucking up to the French exactly? Have to say I'm highly skeptical about USAphobia being widespread in France (or at least more than in the UK :rolleyes: ), I hardly ever hear people badmouthing the US. What does Europhilia have to do with either Obama or Romney?

Edited September 2, 2012 by Mandamus

[HeyYou]

This is going to be my first opportunity to vote in the General Election and I hate the feeling of being restricted to vote either Democrat or Republican.

From my foreign perspective I imagine this must be really frustrating. Do third parties really have no chance to get elected in the US?

 

Also, and this is just imho, if I were American I would really resent having my vote completely ignored by both parties just because I don't live in one of the swing states. I mean if you're a Republican and live in California, don't bother getting up to vote, it doesn't matter, and same deal if you're a Democrat and live in Idaho. Your vote wouldn't change anything, because of the "winner takes the whole state" system. If you live in Florida or Ohio, however, your vote matters, both candidates care about what you have to say and come visit your state, etc. Seems to me this system is unfair to those who don't live in swing states, because their individual vote is made completely irrelevant on the national level. One person living in California or Idaho should count as much as another in Ohio.

From a British point of view we find Obama totally baffling as a (supposed) ally, determined to visit the sins of the fathers on the broadly supportive Brits whilst sucking up to the French who have a very bad case of Europhilia and USAphobia.

How is he sucking up to the French exactly? Have to say I'm highly skeptical about USAphobia being widespread in France (or at least more than in the UK :rolleyes: ), I hardly ever hear people badmouthing the US. What does Europhilia have to do with either Obama or Romney?

 

Historically, third parties really don't stand a chance of WINNING in the US.... They can, however, have an effect on the outcome of the election..... Third party candidates will indeed take votes away from one or the other of the major parties, pretty much assuring that candidate WON'T win...... So, I suppose, what matters is, which party is the third party candidate going to be taking the most votes from..... In this election, it could go either way..... although, again historically, the incumbent has the advantage there.

[thecrazydudesrd]

"The delegates are supposed to pledge for for the candidate, what's so shocking? They are only there to prevent complete catastrophe and give smaller states more power. They are not there to just pick someone on a whim. "

 

 

Actually a delegate has (or rather did have) the power to vote their conscience as all people should because all delegates were never 'bound' in the first place! They were voted upon by the state as delegates while supporting the views and candidate of their choice, they act as a buffer against the possibility of corrupted straw polls. I would sincerely hope that the delegates would hold stronger conviction for their candidate of choice but also research the candidate's goals and record. There would be more debate as to the direction of my country yes, but DEBATE is GOOD! How else are we going to iron our the issues and get to the real reasons why things aren't working. What once was a Constitutional Republic is now having the Constitution ripped right out of it, leaving it a "Fiscal Democracy," where those who have the majority of wealth have the most power. Hell both 'parties' men have Goldman-Sachs as one of their primary backers!

[mizdarby]

Sometimes a strong third party is not necessarily a good thing.

Here in the UK, we have a coalition Government, consisting of one of the two major parties (Conservatives) who gained just 36.1% of the total vote (73.9% didn't vote for them) ,and the Liberal Democrats who share very little in common with the Conservatives. In Italy where there are several parties who win seats, every parliament is a coalition with an average term of under a year.

At least in the US, Presidents tend to serve full terms, and the winning Presidential candidate wins over 50% of the total vote, or at least close to it.

Saying that though, I have little faith in either of the two main political parties in the US at the moment, and actually feel that the Libertarians are the party I most identify with.

[colourwheel]

I might be late for the party on this and i am not hugely political. I think a huge problem about politics these days in America is people don't know the real facts. You have one party saying one thing and the other party saying the complete opposite. Obviously one party then has to be lying.

 

The problem is in this day and age is how people are getting thier facts. Even if something isnt true, If you say it enough times and loud enough eventually enough people will start to believe something to be fact.

 

After watching the 2012 republican national convention on youtube I noticed mitt romney speech was one lie after another and the crowd just ate it up as if everything he said was just fact. ( i watched it two times to notice almost everything he said was a lie. then doing the real research on the internet to see if his facts added up and they didn't)

 

Its like the democratic party has become the new Republican party and the Republican party has become some crazy political movement with the purpose of duping the nation with complete nonsence with no real proof about anything they preach just to get into power.

 

Not really taking any political sides on this issue but living in the age of the internet where almost anything and everything can be researched very easy using multiple sorces and websites. I have come to the conclussion people in general sure do have a big problem finding out the real facts for themselves when it comes to making political choices. lol

 

edit: I found this video later on, this can sum up some of the things about mitt romney's speech that totally makes me realize I am not the only person who felt his speech was more science fiction then truth.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSwE8D9Cs00&feature=player_embedded

 

Edited September 3, 2012 by colourwheel

[colourwheel]

*bump*

 

sorry for double posting but i think it would be important to show you another video too....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRfhdVvjEJE&feature=player_embedded

 

pRfhdVvjEJE

 

I never realized how obscene the republican ticket this year is for president and vice president till after i actually watched the 2012 republican national convention.

 

Even Paul Ryan is even worst liar than Mitt Romney. I just don't understand how politicians are even getting any support by people when they flat out lie so bad when there is way too much evidence to show them being the fools...

[saadus]

*bump*

 

sorry for double posting but i think it would be important to show you another video too....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRfhdVvjEJE&feature=player_embedded

 

pRfhdVvjEJE

 

I never realized how obscene the republican ticket this year is for president and vice president till after i actually watched the 2012 republican national convention.

 

Even Paul Ryan is even worst liar than Mitt Romney. I just don't understand how politicians are even getting any support by people when they flat out lie so bad when there is way too much evidence to show them being the fools...

 

Thats the same thing I ask myself about the democrats too. :biggrin:

[colourwheel]

*bump*

 

sorry for double posting but i think it would be important to show you another video too....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRfhdVvjEJE&feature=player_embedded

 

pRfhdVvjEJE

 

I never realized how obscene the republican ticket this year is for president and vice president till after i actually watched the 2012 republican national convention.

 

Even Paul Ryan is even worst liar than Mitt Romney. I just don't understand how politicians are even getting any support by people when they flat out lie so bad when there is way too much evidence to show them being the fools...

 

Thats the same thing I ask myself about the democrats too. :biggrin:

 

believe me, after the democratic convention is over this week i will watch it too and probably find lies as well. just the republican ticket this year is just idiotic IMO and has reach beyond a new low. In my opinion I feel the Republican party wont win this year and the sad thing is if Obama is re-elected I doubt anything will get done anyways because the Republican party is so bent in getting into power again they will do exactly the same thing they did in Obamas 1st term and shoot down any economic legislation just to make him look bad.

Edited September 4, 2012 by colourwheel

[Syco21]

I just don't understand how politicians are even getting any support by people when they flat out lie so bad when there is way too much evidence to show them being the fools...

Partisan politics are ruining the nation. Almost no one wants Obama nor Romney to be president. They're just going to vote based on the seriously flawed and foolish notion of 'the lesser of two evils.' People will vote Obama because they don't want Romney, people will vote Romney because they don't want Obama and people will vote straight Democrat or straight Republican because they're blooming idiots.

 

believe me, after the democratic convention is over this week i will watch it too and probably find lies as well. just the republican ticket this year is just idiotic IMO and has reach beyond a new low. In my opinion I feel the Republican party wont win this year and the sad thing is if Obama is re-elected I doubt anything will get done anyways because the Republican party is so bent in getting into power again they will do exactly the same thing they did in Obamas 1st term and shoot down any economic legislation just to make him look bad.

Democrats had a super majority when Obama was elected, but they accomplished nothing. So don't blame Republicans.

Edited September 4, 2012 by Syco21

[colourwheel]

Democrats had a super majority when Obama was elected, but they accomplished nothing. So don't blame Republicans.

 

Only for Obama 1st 2 years as pressident until the Republican party took control of the house and basically were influenced by radical right wing to filibuster everything and anything Obama was trying to accomplish regaurdless if it would do good for the country or not. So everything that was being put into legislation was shot down or delayed. If Republicans were So patriotic they would work with democrats too and get stuff finished instead of making it their goal to make Obama look bad for the Rebublican party to gain more power and it was at the cost of the American people who end up suffering.

 

It just like being hired for a new job and then inherit the problems left by the last employees. Before anything was really passed through an extreme political movement took over the republican party duping the American people to vote against their own interests putting the origianl republican party in disarray and excommunicating anyone in the party that didn't agree to go with their new game to just make obama look bad in Office. I think this radical movement was hugely influenced by the rise of sarah palin as being concidered a political big shot that would constantly spread rumors and say things that were blatantly false. Basically the Republican party ended up being hijacked by the Tea Party movement which originally was concidered a grass roots movement only to realize the whole organization became hugely funded by buisness lobbyist over time.

 

it's really hard to blame Obama when Legislation never makes it to him to sign.

Edited September 4, 2012 by colourwheel