American Presidential Election
Barry Nelson
ChicagoPosts: 1,508MI6 Agent
Thought I would start a thread and let people comment on the Presidential election. I hope for some intelligent insights and comments, not bashing of one candidate or another. I am especially curious to know what folks from other countries think.
I am not aware of any other country that has an election that lastsa as long as the US Presidential election. It is a marathon that all but the most keen political person is burned out on by the time the election is over in November. At times I have thought that the shorter elections that are typical in Europe for their leaders may be a better way to go. Declare an election, or a vote of no confidence and everyone votes a month or two later between two leaders selected by the parties. In the States candidates start runnning two years before the election.
This election is unusual as for the first time in over 50 years a President or Vice President is not running, making the election wide open. I have seen some positive things, the Democratic candidate will be a woman or an African American. That would have been unheard of not that long ago. On the Republican side, the richest candidate and the candidate that has spent the most money hasn't won a primary yet. Nice to know money doesn't guarantee victory.
On the bad side IMO, one candidate appears to be running a candidacy wrapped around religion. Nothing against religion, I just don't think church and state should mix. Also, the media has done a poor job of asking intelligent policy questions. Instead we get a reporter asking Hillary CLinton, why Obamma is more likeable than her.
That's enough from me. Let me know what you think.
I am not aware of any other country that has an election that lastsa as long as the US Presidential election. It is a marathon that all but the most keen political person is burned out on by the time the election is over in November. At times I have thought that the shorter elections that are typical in Europe for their leaders may be a better way to go. Declare an election, or a vote of no confidence and everyone votes a month or two later between two leaders selected by the parties. In the States candidates start runnning two years before the election.
This election is unusual as for the first time in over 50 years a President or Vice President is not running, making the election wide open. I have seen some positive things, the Democratic candidate will be a woman or an African American. That would have been unheard of not that long ago. On the Republican side, the richest candidate and the candidate that has spent the most money hasn't won a primary yet. Nice to know money doesn't guarantee victory.
On the bad side IMO, one candidate appears to be running a candidacy wrapped around religion. Nothing against religion, I just don't think church and state should mix. Also, the media has done a poor job of asking intelligent policy questions. Instead we get a reporter asking Hillary CLinton, why Obamma is more likeable than her.
That's enough from me. Let me know what you think.
Comments
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Roger Moore 1927-2017
We also had a hispanic running a fairly successful campaign on the Democrat side, Bill Richardson. However, unable to compete with the star power of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Governor Richardson officially ended his presidential bid yesterday.
None the less, I think it's great that the presidential race is no longer limited to white males only. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are proof that both women and minorities can be strong contenders for the highest office of the United States.
Not true. Mitt Romney won the Wyoming GOP primary. This state's primary has received very little attention from the media.
It's not really about winning primaries anyway; it's about delegates.
Although Mitt Romney placed 1st in Wyoming and 2nd in both Iowa and New Hampshire, right now he has won the most delegates. These are the people who select the party's nominee at the party's national convention.
Like you, I too find it refreshing that Mike Huckabee was able to beat Mitt Romney in Iowa despite being out-spent 20-1. Elections really can't just be bought anymore.
Another thing I find interesting is the differences between the Democratic and Republican Presidential races. Where the Democratic race has become somewhat of a 2 man (or 1 man 1 woman) race (Clinton and Obama), the Republican race is pretty wide open with the nomination pretty much up for grabs. Huckabee won in Iowa, McCain won in New Hampshire, and Romney won in Wyoming. Fred Thompson is expected to do very well in South Carolina and Rudy Giuliani is expected to do well in Florida. No one candidate is apparently solid enough to rally the base of the party.
Aside from it's failure to ask intelligent policy questions, the media, by covering some candidates and writing off others, is in effect selecting the next President for us.
Both ABC and Fox News have recently excluded candidates Duncan Hunter, Mike Gravel, and Dennis Kucinich from their debates over the weekend.
I strongly believe that every candidate, no matter how low they're polling nationally, deserves a voice. How else can they move up in the polls?
It is the American people who should choose our next President. Not the media.
-Roger Moore
What's that Chris Rock is going around saying? That Dubya has been so bad, he's made all white males unelectable!
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I will echo Barry and say this -- this election has already been going on for over a year. Part of this is understandable, because I believe this is the first time since 1952 that neither an incumbent President nor an incumbent VP are in the mix. Therefore, the race is about as wide open as it can get, and everyone has been scrambling for position, money, airtime, etc. since the end of 2006.
However, most campaigns have become so unrelentingly negative that I tire of them very easily. I cannot wait until November, when the whole process is over. I understand that democracy is not always pretty, but I personally do not find the way presidential campaigns are carried out to be something our country should be terribly proud of.
Senator Obama's success is being seen as a litmus test of the state of race relations in the United States. The question of whether the American people would ever vote for a black president is being asked by many. Two years ago, I would have replied 'No way' to that question. But now, having been to different parts of the States several times, I would reply 'possibly'. That doesn't mean that I think Senator Obama is going to become the next president. But I think that outsiders often get the wrong impression about America. I have learned to see the country as an association of 50 different states rather than as one entity. New York, Florida, Texas, Washington et al are all different in terms of social and political attitudes.
As I said, it's all very intriguing, and it will be interesting to see how events unfold over the next few weeks and months.