US Presidential elections 2012

[grumpyhack]

Met two groups of Americans 'doing Europe' while on holiday in France last week and discussed the election. Really dispiriting. France may well move left with their Presidential Election second round on May 6th but I fear a big lurch to the right in the US.

[kaosmark2]

Met two groups of Americans 'doing Europe' while on holiday in France last week and discussed the election. Really dispiriting. France may well move left with their Presidential Election second round on May 6th but I fear a big lurch to the right in the US.

[Kyelo]

Met two groups of Americans 'doing Europe' while on holiday in France last week and discussed the election. Really dispiriting. France may well move left with their Presidential Election second round on May 6th but I fear a big lurch to the right in the US.

[Alcatraz]

The Right also means something significantly different in America to what it does in Europe of course.

[grumpyhack]

Please do expand...

Edited April 29, 2012 by grumpyhack

[kaosmark2]

They saw Obama as a 'Commie' who'd done nothing for America and kept banging on about his lack of 'Christian Values'.

In fairness, they were a contrast to a couple of Americans we met in Hong Kong not long after Obama had been elected. They were jubilant and said: "Now at least when we travel we don't have to pretend that we're from Canada".

[grumpyhack]

True but may also represent the views of the next US president.

[kaosmark2]

Romney's not that extreme by republican standards. He's fairly middle-ground. Probably moreso than most republican voters.

And, amazingly, it looks like Obama will probably win anyway.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

They saw Obama as a 'Commie' who'd done nothing for America and kept banging on about his lack of 'Christian Values'.

In fairness, they were a contrast to a couple of Americans we met in Hong Kong not long after Obama had been elected. They were jubilant and said: "Now at least when we travel we don't have to pretend that we're from Canada".

[Ed209]

Met two groups of Americans 'doing Europe' while on holiday in France last week and discussed the election. Really dispiriting. France may well move left with their Presidential Election second round on May 6th but I fear a big lurch to the right in the US.

[Ed209]

Good on Obama for being the first president to openly back same sex marriage. His hand was forced a little because of Biden's position. I'm not sure it was necessarily the smartest election move by Obama. My guessing is Obama, knowing he had the "liberal" (american version of liberal) vote sorted anyway, was probably wanting to after the election and planning to make this this a second term policy of his. There's no getting away from the fact that this is not a popular move among many americans and will have harmed his position on some crucial demographics who's vote he needs. But, it still needed to be done, so good for him.

Coincided with North Carolina voting yesterday to making a state constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriages and civil partnerships. I couldn't actually believe how many states have such pitiful laws against discrimination to homosexuals. Not only in marriage, but in employment, housing, adoption, schools. In many states its not illegal to sack people for being gay, or deny them housing, or their child to go to schools. This in the guardian is shocking

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2012/may/08/gay-rights-united-states

There's still a long long long way to go. But at least Obama has made a push forward.

Seems as though the Romney camp has gone a bit quiet since he got the nomination. I would say Obama has looked much stronger over the last month or so and is comfortably ahead in a lot of polls. Long way to go though.

[The Nal]

Seems as though the Romney camp has gone a bit quiet since he got the nomination.

[eFestivals]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2012/may/08/gay-rights-united-states

That's quite funny, in a sad way.

Is there anything that those in the South East and Midwest do like?

[Ed209]

G

That's quite funny, in a sad way.

Is there anything that those in the South East and Midwest do like?

[Ed209]

Apart from his gay ex school mates coming out and saying he used to hold them down and cut their hair, call them weird etc.

[Ed209]

[Ed209]

Well the RNC was a total shit show. They even managed to wheel Clint Eastwood out lastnight for a bit of Obama bashing. But the loser of the week goes to Paul Ryan, which according to one news source:

"

to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to facts, Ryan’s speech was an apparent attempt to set the world record for the greatest number of blatant lies and misrepresentations slipped into a single political speech."

You know you've fucked up when that news source was Fox!

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/

[eFestivals]

Well the RNC was a total shit show. They even managed to wheel Clint Eastwood out lastnight for a bit of Obama bashing. But the loser of the week goes to Paul Ryan, which according to one news source:

"

to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to facts, Ryan’s speech was an apparent attempt to set the world record for the greatest number of blatant lies and misrepresentations slipped into a single political speech."

You know you've fucked up when that news source was Fox!

http://www.foxnews.c...in-three-words/

blimey, they make strange bed-fellows with that Guardian, which published a similar piece I read this morning.

[The Nal]

Difficult even for Fox not to acknowledge the lies from Ryan. An utter moron.

Clint was quite funny though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiHNVYRTKP8

[lost]

[grumpyhack]

Off to Canada on Tuesday. Will be interesting to see their perspective on the USA.

[Spartacus Mars]

He was a centrist politician.

[pink_triangle]

I dont know what is worse the conventions in USA or the UK. The american ones are so cheesy, I feel sickly after just a few minutes. I however hate how stage managed the British ones are and particularly hate when the leaders speak, the people in the background behind them are cynically chosen, old person - check, young person - check, asian person - check, black person - check, person in a wheelchair - check.

[philipsteak]

I know you shouldn't tar the whole RNCbecause of the actions of 2 morons, but fuckin hell

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2012/08/29/rnc_attendees_heckle_black_cnn_camerawoman_toss_peanuts_at_her_report_.html

[Purple Monkey]

America is fucked. If the president doesnt fix everything over night they vote for someone else. Consumerism really has its grip - bored of this one now, let's get a new one.

Doomed.