McCain vs. Obama?

[aquarius]

Bishopmarine, thanks for chearing me up!
IMHO you have the attitude that made America the best nations on earth. The rest of the world can only hope that you and your countrymen keep that attitude and make America a better place then that it is now becoming. I think America is losing its world leadership in an unbelievable fast way. The problem is, we can't do without the US...

Hopefully I am too much of a Doom & Gloom thinker. Of course the world economy won't stop. Work and trading will always excist, no matter how dark the age is. However, I think that especially western, capitalist countries need to rethink and redress their economies right now. We all lived too long on too much money that wasn't there. Now the bill has come, and we will have a very hard time to pay it back. And maybe we need a change in the democratic system as well.

Here in the Netherlands a large bank (Fortis) has been nationalised yesterday. The price was a mere 16 billion euro's (22 billion $). We have a population of only 17 million people! That's about 1000 euro per person, and only for ONE bank.
The politicians here are now so proud of themselves because the takeover will be paid with borrowed money and not with taxpayers money! I only ask myself: Who is willing to lend us so much money and who the fck is going to pay for the interest????? (the answer is known...)

"Hope for the best; prepare for the worst."

[bishopmarine]

aquarious i could not agree with you more about the financial situation. how are these financial groups going to learn if they continue to get bailed out. either way is going to be a painful road but why just hand over hundreds of billions of dollars. i know it is going to be a long road ahead. most americans will be okay but there are a lot that will be in serious trouble. my wife and i were preparing to get a second mortgage to do some upgrades to our home. now we are just going to wait and play it by ear. but i truly believe in my heart that good will come out of this. i hope im right.

[bl00k]

Mr. Galloot, I know it's nit-picking, but the whole "Pro Choice" phrase is just a liberal phrase for "Pro-Abortion". On that debate, there can be only one of 2 logical choices. Your Pro-Life, or Pro Abortion. That word "choice" was concocted by the left back in the '80's, and stuck.

Well, that depends how you look at it;
Pro-Choice or Pro-Abortion
Pro-Life or Pro-Overpopulation

Everthing, every little piece of information on this planet can be distorted precisely how you would like to make it look. I can take any story, virtually any story and spin it around just as i like it, even without lying. Ofcouse this THE main reason you shouldn't base your opinion on anything you'll hear through the mass media. One way or another, it's distorted. The very fact that they can't report on *everything* makes it distorted. And the way some channels describe themselves as being 'balanced' is despicable, it's exactly those channels that you should trust the least.

But to get back at the elections. What do our American members think of the way both parties campaign this (and a lot of the previous) elections? It seems as though it's normal too try and make your opponent look as bad as possible even while distorting facts. Both parties do it, all the time. Why then does nobody even think of voting for something different than the Reps or Dems? Other candidates are running, but don't have the resources to make loads of commercials depicting your opponent as reckless and unsuitable.

I have the feeling that a lot of Dutch are ridiculing the US elections because of this. To the outsider it seems mind boggling what happens sometimes. "The US is the land of extremes" is something i've heard a lot over here. That's probably because the US is on the forefront of so many issues/events in the world. But it doesn't mean that's always a good thing. And every time around the elections it feels like the it's the bad part of the extremes that are magnified.

But then again, the many times i visited the US there was nothing weird and extreme at all, apart from that pretty much everything *is* bigger. The US is a normal country, the more reason these things fascinate me.

[kman]

Why then does nobody even think of voting for something different than the Reps or Dems? Other candidates are running, but don't have the resources to make loads of commercials depicting your opponent as reckless and unsuitable.

We don't think of voting for something different because politics has become so polarized here - you're either with the Republicans or you're with the Democrats. You're for abortion or against. You're for guns or against them. A third party like the Libertarians might appeal to some but when you actually go in to vote, you're often not voting FOR a party but AGAINST the other party.

Let's say (for the sake of argument) I'm a Republican - but I don't like everything they stand for. A third party might be a closer match to my beliefs but I *know* that with the current system, a thirdy party candidate doesn't stand any chance of winning an election. If I vote for him or her, I'm effectively throwing away my vote. Here's how the parties would break down (if I were Republican):

Republican: agree with 60%
Third party: agree with 90%
Democrat: agree with 20%

I wouldn't really be happy about voting for the Republicans and would rather vote for the third party. I would definitely not want to vote for the Democrats. But knowing the third party can't win, I'd rather vote AGAINST the Democrats by casting a Republican vote.

The closest I can recall a third party coming to getting elected was in 1992 with Ross Perot. He managed to get 19% of the poular vote. Some would argue that if Perot wasn't in the race, George Bush (the 1st) might have won the election over Bill Clinton.

[Big Galloot]

Kman is right, most people believe that, in a national race, a vote for a third party is wasted. Very unfortunate for those of us who are unrepresented by the two major parties.

There is a story in the paper today about the democrats pushing to get felons registered because they overwhelmingly support Obama. On the other hand, Palin has announced that she believes that cavemen and dinosaurs lived during the same period of time, about 6,000 years ago.

Sometimes, I really, really miss Nixon.

[kman]

On the other hand, Palin has announced that she believes that cavemen and dinosaurs lived during the same period of time, about 6,000 years ago.

Well duh...haven't you seen Land of the Lost:

[Stef]

Did anybody tell her the Earth was not flat ant it was turning around the Sun?

[bl00k]

We don't think of voting for something different because politics has become so polarized here - you're either with the Republicans or you're with the Democrats. You're for abortion or against. You're for guns or against them. A third party like the Libertarians might appeal to some but when you actually go in to vote, you're often not voting FOR a party but AGAINST the other party.

I hear ya, it's probably the best explanation.

[fdsman]

i dont particularly like mccain but i will not vote for obama. i will end up voting for mccain. i refuse to vote for bob barr. obama in my opinion would be horrible for our country. i have no quelms voting for a black man but just not this one. his ties to william ayers, trinity church and jerimiah wright, are enough for me add social health care and you have a recipe for disastor. i am proud to say i did not vote for george bush I or II.

I can't blame you for not wanting to vote for McCain, he was my last choice for the Republican Candidate, I don't support his position on immigration, but he's one better then Obama ever could be. Amen on the social health care, that's death waiting to happen.

[ak70g2]

You talk/think too much. Within a month, McCain will be your president. I hope he not forgot what he learned at Hanoi Hilton.