US Elections 2012

Seeing as how it is nearly Election Day....

http://news.sky.com/story/1006250/obama-and-romney-trade-economy-blows

Obama And Romney Trade Economy Blows

After two days lost to superstorm Sandy, the US presidential rivals hit the campaign trail hard in the key swing state of Ohio.

US President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney each seized on new employment figures to bolster their campaigns with just four days to go before Tuesday's election.

Jobs and the economy have been the dominant issue in the presidential race as both candidates arrived in the key swing state of Ohio to address voters.

The latest employment snapshot showed the US economy added 171,000 net new jobs in October. It also showed hiring was stronger in August and September than first thought.

Mr Obama, who faces voters with the highest unemployment rate of any incumbent since Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression of the 1930s, told supporters in Hilliard that another month of job growth was "real progress".

But he went on to declare: "We've got more work to do."

At the same time, the unemployment rate rose to 7.9% in October, from 7.8% in September, mainly because more people began looking for work.

That news was seized upon by the Republicans as proof the economy is still stagnating, and would be safer in the hands of businessman Mr Romney, who said the jobs report was a "sad reminder that the economy is at a virtual standstill".

In September, the jobless rate had fallen from 8.1% to 7.8% and the drop was used by Mr Obama's campaign as evidence that the fragile US economy was finally on the mend.

Back on the campaign trail after two days lost due to superstorm Sandy on the US East Coast, both men reflected on the last few days' events.

Mr Obama described the disaster as "one of the worst storms in our history", adding: "As a nation, we mourn those who were lost."

Mr Romney said: "We are a nation of generous hearts - and those hearts are called upon in a time of crisis like this."

Both insisted they were the better man to lead the country and were the true agent of change.

Mr Romney said Mr Obama had "fallen short of what he promised" when he was elected four years ago.

"Candidate Obama promised changed, but he could not deliver it. I promise change, and I have a record of achieving it," he said.

"The question of this election comes down to this: Do you want more of the same or do you want real change? And we bring real change," Mr Romney told a rally in West Allis, Wisconsin.

Mr Obama took aim at Mr Romney, accusing him of running dishonest adverts on the automotive industry to scare voters in Ohio, saying: "This isn't a game. These are people's jobs."

The adverts, which have been airing in Toledo, suggest carmakers General Motors and Chrysler are adding jobs in China at the expense of workers in Ohio.

Responding to the ads, Mr Obama said: "Everybody knows it's not true."

Mr Obama accused Mr Romney of trying to alarm Ohioans "just to scare up some votes".

Chrysler and GM officials said the ads were inaccurate.

"After four years as president, you know me," Mr Obama said.

"You may not agree with every decision I've made. You may be frustrated sometimes at the pace of change, but you know what I believe. You know where I stand. You know I tell the truth. You know I fight for you and your families every single day as hard as I know how," he added, before heading to another rally in Lima, in County Allen.

No Republican candidate for the White House has ever won the election without capturing Ohio. Mr Obama is thought to be slightly ahead in the state, which delivers 18 electoral college votes.

Okay. I know very little about American Politics. I can never remember who is Republican and who is Democrat, let alone what they both stand for.
I did hope that Obama would do well, but then I hoped Tony Blair would do well, and look where that got me. And that's coming from a life long Tory, so you will understand how desperate I was.
It has been a difficult time for everyone, so just how well has Obama done, or not? And what does Romney stand for?
Actually, what did Obama stand for?

Not being Romney?

From:

http://news.uk.msn.com/us-elections-2012/entire-planet-supports-obama-except-china/

The rest of the world is picking Obama:

That's all well and good. They don't have to pay through the nose for what is happening to the US.

Maybe it's because this is a bit of an odd election, to anyone outside the US, Lily? Not many people know the nitty-gritty, just that Obama hasn't done anything too dreadful, internationally, and he did get Bin Laden killed?

That said, if he is re-elected, I can see this odd business in Benghazi coming back to haunt him.

Bonny, I really wanted him to do a good job this past 4 years, he has been abysmal. He has not done one thing that he said he was going to do except spend money like a drunken sailor, leaving the younger people with the bill for who knows how many years ahead?

He is all talk - he was on the debate team of Harvard - and NO action.

Mind you, I am not entirely enamored of Romney but he may do better in the jobs area as he is a businessman. That is something that has always been the engine of most countries. Obama has no background at all, and none of the people around him to either. Not good to hear.......

Now, regarding Libya..... I understand that he was watching it in real time in the Situation Room of the White House. They had four hours to do something......and nothing was done. We have contacts here...........

I knew nothing about Benghazi apart from the official version, Lily, till I saw it on Fox...in its usual fair and balanced fashion.

But ignoring the Fox hot air, it seems to be a truly awful dereliction of duty by the administration; long-term, I could see it becoming WORSE than Watergate, as people died, fairly horribly.

Having seen that, I don't know if I could happily vote for Obama, but Romney seems to have had a charisma by-pass....

Oops, hit wrong button.

I don't care for either candidate and that has got to be a problem for more people than me.

It seems, in some ways, to be a fight between George Soros backing the Democrats v. Sheldon Adelson backing the Republicans. They are the ones backing the 2 parties.

The obscene amounts of money spent on the elections is beyond disgusting when you think how much that would help so many struggling people.

I understand that Bill Clinton doesn't want his wife to serve under Obama after this term if he gets in again. For what anyone thinks about Bill, and he should have controlled himself better, he was a really good president. Super intelligent.

He looked like a president, and it's scarcely the first time there have been shenanigans in the White House. Like Ronald Reagan before him, he filled the mantle of a head of state. Obama is more like a prime minister, if that makes sense?

You have really hit the nail on the head there, Bonny. That is exactly what he is like.

Oh, speaking of, I see Cameron is here today and tomorrow.

How nice for you. Feel free to keep the slimey git internationally-respected statesman.

I put on Fox for some fair and balanced and coverage; don't know why, but I get the impression they are backing Romney...I am now watching a live Romney speech, with his supporters answering his rhetorical questions.

One of our home-grown idiots has put both feet in it:

Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith appears to have taken sides in the US election, less than 48 hours before Americans go to the polls.
In an apparent break with impartiality before polling day, the senior Conservative defended Republican Mitt Romney from claims he is ‘stupid’ while warning Democrat Barack Obama’s economic strategy had created a ‘very worrying picture indeed’.
The comments from a senior member of the UK government less than two days before voting takes place are likely to raise eyebrows on both sides of the Atlantic.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2228045/Ian-Duncan-Smith-insists-Mitt-Romney-stupid.html#ixzz2BNaD5zoz
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Very UN-diplomatic, is that.

You would be surprised at all the articles I've seen from many places stating their preferences, Bonny. Also people saying who they want to win etc. getting hot under the collar, and they are not even allowed to vote in the US.

I think that this is the first global campaign?

I confess to taking less interest in it than usual, Lily, maybe because both of the candidates are a bit lacking in...excitement? Not sure what it is, but I don't feel either of them have engaged my personal attention as much as previous Presidential candidates have done.

I liked both Clinton and Reagan, they both had the stature and charisma to fill the office.

Again, you have nailed it, Bonny. I loved Reagan, I really did. It was like watching your favorite uncle on TV and he was good.

Clinton was also really good and I liked him too. Although I thought he should have kept his hands etc. to himself , the people pointing fingers at him, some had done worse themselves.

I wish we could have Clinton again, actually.

We would have to have a presidency by seance for Ronnie......

Well, Ronnie didn't meddle too much due to liking his naps, and made good statesman-like speeches.

Bill didn't meddle too much due to liking....playing the saxophone and made good statesman-like speeches.

Maybe a good Prez needs other interests than politics? Mind you, JFK had plenty, and nearly caused WW3, so scrap that idea...

Obama likes many other things too, Bonny. He has a penchant for golf and when the going gets tough, he often is perfecting his golf. He does the same with bowling and on and on. He finds perfecting his game techniques to be more important, or something?

This is a pattern..........

If he does win, it will be because he was president when the Hurricane hit and he went to tour the areas.

Before then, it was looking not quite so good for him.

If he does, I want him to be better in the four years ahead; that his 'change' in using taxpayers' trillions as Monopoly money, is not more of the same of the last 4.

Also, will his wife be more considerate of the American tax payer please.

It seems to be on a knife-edge:

http://news.sky.com/story/1007529/obama-key-states-may-swing-it-for-president

Here's hoping we are spared hanging chads.

They may have to come up with something different than hanging chads this time, Bonny.

What I do find outrageous is that the ballots for overseas military personnel were delayed with the result that their votes might not reach the US until approx 1 month's time. This means that their votes will not be counted. This for those people who put their lives on the line for their country.


http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=InNews&ContentRecord_id=fceeffcb-821e-4a79-bd99-e11581e2a2af&ContentType_id=b94acc28-404a-4fc6-b143-a9e15bf92da4&f6c645c7-9e4a-4947-8464-a94cacb4ca65&Group_id=bf378025-1557-49c1-8f08-c5df1c4313a4

A group of Republican senators said Monday that thousands of voter ballots are unlikely to reach military service members until after Nov. 6.

One day ahead of the election, Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to express their concern over delays in ballots reaching military voters overseas.

“We write to express concerns over another serious failure by the Department of Defense (DoD) to safeguard the voting rights of our overseas military service members, which we believe could result in the imminent disenfranchisement of thousands,” the letter stated.
Mail redirection in the military can take between 14 to 50 days, meaning a ballot could reach the voter possibly more than a month after ballots have to be mailed back in order to be counted. The Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA) identified problems with the system after the 2010 election, but hasn’t implemented changes.

ETA I've said my bit and I wish I could say that I want Obama to continue on for another 4 years. I was happy when he was elected and now I am disappointed in him, to put it mildly.

Other posters have the right to their opinions, as others may differ, so I will refrain from posting for a bit.

Thank you guys.

Bless, Lily, most of us don't really know much about the ins and outs of all this, the system is so different. For instance, all our postal votes are counted FIRST, military or civilian....

And most Europeans get lost when it comes to Electoral Colleges....

Unless there is no overall majority, as last time, in the UK if the PM's party loses on Thursday, the removal vans are at No 10 on Friday, without any ceremony.