US Elections 2012

Thanks, Bonny. The big problem with the overseas military ballots is that they tend to vote Republican. So this looks very dirty.......

A person may get more votes but it will depend on the Electoral College.

So, will have to wait and see. Whatever happens, the world will still turn.

I had sort-of grasped Electoral Colleges and tried to explain them to a relative last night...not sure I managed. But that's your system, and it more or less works. No democratic systems are perfect.

I'm amazed by the business of the military vote, I genuinely thought that that would be a priority, all sorted in advance.

I checked what happened here in 1945, when things were a bit disorganised...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_general_election,_1945

The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, because of local wakes weeks.[1] The results were counted and declared on 26 July, owing in part to the time it took to transport the votes of those serving overseas.

So everything was held back UNTIL the forces' votes were counted with the others. And local holidays, of course.

That is how it should be, Bonny.

Now......if the military tended to vote Democrat, then guess what? The votes would be in by now.......

No danger of any Republican votes ending up in Lake Michigan?

So, I went to the Fox site for some fair and balanced coverage

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1948888158001/

and found them complaining about bias - oh, the irony!

Has mainstream media treated candidates equally?

Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!
Barack Obama Back In The White House!

I'm glad that there are people who are happy about it, Tony.

America will be on a very slow path for a hopeful economic recovery. I think you can tell that I worry about the fiscal side of matters, including jobs, as I have children.

ETA: I don't care for Romney either.

My congratulations to Tony and my commiserations to Lily. LL

Thanks LL. However, if I didn't have kids, it wouldn't bother me in all honesty. My kids voted for him the first time around, believing in him. Seven months later they all wondered why they did.

It's not just my kids either.......which is why I really want him to do well.

lily wrote:Thanks LL. However, if I didn't have kids, it wouldn't bother me in all honesty. My kids voted for him the first time around, believing in him. Seven months later they all wondered why they did.

It's not just my kids either.......which is why I really want him to do well.

He inherited what seems to me, from the outside looking in, a mess, and 4 years is a very short time to try and even things up. I also think they he must somehow get the GOP lot to work with him, not immediately veto anything he puts forward. Maybe I'm wrong here, but then I am not a politically minded person. Oh, I see Europe is happy, Russia is cautiously happy, the Chinese seem to be hedging their bets .... who, knows, dear lady. we just have to wait and see. LL

Thanks LL.
lily, he took over a country that was on its knees. The poor are dying for lack of medical care.
The country is slowly clawing its way back and Obama is trying to get a bill passed that would allow everyone in the USA the right to medical attention. He extended the unemployment period payments; so people could at least survive the worst of the depression. If Romney had been voted in he was going to veto the health bill and the extended payment period for the unemployed.
That is why Romney lost.

I managed to stay awake till it became clear Obama had won; then woke up with Fox lecturing me in a fair and balanced manner...

Maybe people just couldn't face more uncertainty and upheaval?

LL, it's true he inherited a mess but sadly he made it much worse. The positive thing is that the people will most likely not accept another so called stimulus plan. The bankers, Wall Street and the big car companies made out from that one while there were no job increases at all.

The biggest problem is that neither he nor those closest to him have any strong business experience. He has shown himself to be really weak in how to address this but that was the one thing going for Romney.

It was a good thing that unemployment was extended but what has happened to those whose unemployment insurance ran out ages ago? I think many may be homeless?Also, it is good that everyone should have health care, I have no quibble about that.

For people who are not familiar with US politics, the Senate and thereafter the House are there for checks and balances. They may or may not have a majority of the same party as the current president.

Anyway, I have gay friends who are very happy that they will be getting equal marriage rights.

Well, I don't really care what consenting adults do, as long as they don't do it in the streets and scare the horses.....

I was getting really confused last night by the party colours, Lily, till it dawned on me that the centre-Right is red in the States and the centre-Left blue, the opposite of the UK.....

That's correct, Bonny. Nancy Reagan always wore her favorite shade of red when out with her hubby.

Lily, I sent emails to 4 friends in the US last night asking them to tell me today what they though of the results and to say which party they voted for. I got answers a short time ago, two were Democrats who were very happy, the other two were husband and wife Republicans who voted for Obama as they did not like Romney's attitudes on many things; they added that had it been anyone but Romney then they would have voted GOP. My gay friend will be very happy. LL

LL, Romney was a dreadful choice. I wish there had been someone else, really I do. I do know that several people didn't vote because they would not vote Obama either.

I prefer to be independent so you can hopefully vote for the person you think would be the best leader.

It was an odd one; the only way I can describe my feelings is as yesterday, when they both seemed more like Prime Ministers to me, rather than Presidents...

Maybe you should consider a constitutional monarchy, Lily? Harry would be brilliant as Henry I of America. He's a veteran, can fly things and shoot people, would keep the tabloids happy for decades, and scrubs up nicely for ceremonial occasions?

Could solve a lot of problems, having a Head of State who steers clear of politics.

Bonny, now there is an awesome idea. He would be amazing.

Yes yes, yes. Vote for Harry, King Henry 1 of the USA!

lily wrote:LL, Romney was a dreadful choice. I wish there had been someone else, really I do. I do know that several people didn't vote because they would not vote Obama either.

I prefer to be independent so you can hopefully vote for the person you think would be the best leader.

What finished Romney for me were his various derogatory comments about other countries, ie that the UK couldn't run an Olympics - wasn't he sooooo wrong? - but most of all his attitude to Russia as being the enemy; he sounded like he had never left the 20th century. To be truthful, I found his attitudes on many things worrying; I had visions of more US soldiers being sent to other war zones .... LL

What finished Romney for me were his various derogatory comments about other countries, ie that the UK couldn't run an Olympics - wasn't he sooooo wrong? -

Absolutely.

Regarding Russia, I do think that views are changing towards Russia for the better but there is still some suspicion towards it, even now. I do like a lot of Russian people.

lily wrote:What finished Romney for me were his various derogatory comments about other countries, ie that the UK couldn't run an Olympics - wasn't he sooooo wrong? -

Absolutely.

Regarding Russia, I do think that views are changing towards Russia for the better but there is still some suspicion towards it, even now. I do like a lot of Russian people.

There's nothing wrong with the average Ivan, they are no different to anyone else. The problem, of course, is the old Soviet past that still hangs over the country. LL

I know, LL. Like in Portugal it can be hard to shake?