Don't forget to VOTE!

[Baker]

That's the corruption I speak of. In my book, even if you got 1% of the popular votes, as long as you had more votes than anyone else you win.

Most countries that use the popular vote method of electing a leader require 50% of the vote. If no candidates reach 50%, then they take the top 2 in vote count and hold a run-off election (this happened a few years ago in France).

[This is also done in some US states. Lousiana comes to mind, but there are others.]

The benefit of a popular vote system is that it makes third party candidates have a real chance. And if the USA used such a system, it would bring an abrupt end to the 2 party political system.

However, if you don't have a run-off system, you can end up with situations where someone no one likes becomes president due to vote-splitting.

This is why you almost never find plurality vote systems for electing national leaders because eventually some Ross Perot type guys wins with 37% of the vote, while 63% of the people didn't want that.

In fact, the Democratic party uses a far superior primary process than the Republican party. McCain became the Republican party nominee by "winning" several states with 34% of the vote in a winner-take-all system ... only to be a relatively unpopular choice within his own party.

[metchsteekle]

BAH i say throw them in a ring with a bottle and crowbar each and have them use there physical and mental strength to beat each other

this include the other than democrat and republican parties as well

[foq]

Winning the popular vote means you got 50% or more of all votes.

Gore did not win 50% of votes cast, he had 49% so he didn't "win" the "popular vote".

[Neither did Clinton, who got 43% and 49% of the popular vote.]

That's the corruption I speak of. In my book, even if you got 1% of the popular votes, as long as you had more votes than anyone else you win.

[Shadowswift]

horrifying

[terminus]

i heard that Obama gave thought to making Billary his chief of state.
that frightens me a little...

Yep, pretty frightening. :d

[Shadowswift]

More than half of Obama's advisors were staff from Clinton's whitehouse.... change?

i heard that Obama gave thought to making Billary his chief of state.
that frightens me a little...

[Baker]

If you look at election results you WILL see that in 2000 Al Gore had more votes than Bush, yet Bush won. This has occured in other years too but 2000 is the only year I know which it happened in.

Winning the popular vote means you got 50% or more of all votes.

Gore did not win 50% of votes cast, he had 49% so he didn't "win" the "popular vote".

[Neither did Clinton, who got 43% and 49% of the popular vote.]

[foq]

after the two Bush elections and the insanely close numbers, a lot of people feel that way

If you look at election results you WILL see that in 2000 Al Gore had more votes than Bush, yet Bush won. This has occured in other years too but 2000 is the only year I know which it happened in.

[Solecord]

1. Clean house.

The Clintons were some f'd up people. Now they and all their cronies are gone and they [the Clinton cronies] are not Obama's friends. Many of them are probably on his "shitlist", especially due to their behavior in the primaries. Most of them were weasels at best.

More than half of Obama's advisors were staff from Clinton's whitehouse.... change?

[Shadowswift]

Vote? Fuck. The elctroal college does whatever the hell it wants. I believe it should be absolute popular vote against popular vote. The people are not being heard.

after the two Bush elections and the insanely close numbers, a lot of people feel that way

[foq]

Vote? Fuck. The elctroal college does whatever the hell it wants. I believe it should be absolute popular vote against popular vote. The people are not being heard.

[Shadowswift]

our country faces a lot of problems, problems that i, personally, dont believe that Barack is the man to solve. there are a lot of people/factions/nations out there that would jump at the chance to prey on his inexperience in commanding our nation's military power. when it comes down to it, we're counting on him, not the people he surrounds himself with. suppose they suggest something that he doesnt agree with and out-right refuses to go along with. suppose what they were suggesting was the right course of action to persue. in the end, it was his decision to take action or lack of action. all his buddies can do is give advice. if he wasnt so anti-military, i probably wouldnt have any problem with him (ok, i probably still would since im not a liberal, but i wouldnt be so against his campaign.)

gay marriage and abortions are the least of our nations worries right now. if you think they are major issues, youre an idiot plain and simple. our major problems right now are dependancy on foreign fuel, our insane national debt, the mortgage crisis, and militant nations that want us dead. banning more domestic drilling, taxing and spending, giving more money to people who cant pay it off and certainly dont deserve it, and minimizing our military power are not the way to fix those problems.

i know hes not an idiot. i respect his intelligence. i just hope like hell that once hes in office, he will realize more and more every second how dire it is that he addresses our nation's issues in the right way so that more issues are not caused.

in other words, i dont expect him to fix everything, or even most of everything. i wont even be upset if he doesnt. but i do expect him to not fuck things up even more while he plays around with the minor problems that annoy our country. if he does, then "dont blame me. i voted for McCain."

[Baker]

usually im not an optimist...but in this case, i prefer not to think about all that can go wrong, cause if i do, it just might happen.

I'm politically neutral, but what I would say is that you should be optimistic.

Personally, I believe in "balance of power" over picking a party for the sake of being narrowminded (and I view overly partisan people as lemming koolaid drinkers). I also believe character matters a great deal.

Anyway, here are my observations and reasons to be optimistic:

1. Clean house.

The Clintons were some f'd up people. Now they and all their cronies are gone and they [the Clinton cronies] are not Obama's friends. Many of them are probably on his "shitlist", especially due to their behavior in the primaries. Most of them were weasels at best.

2. Obama has no tolerance for weasels.

3. He is a very highly educated man and although he is guilty of "slick" answers when a complex and politically difficult question is asked, you have to realize most humans suck at being "put on the spot".

This isn't the same as low character. Obama also gets a little involved in telling a crowd what they want to hear. Again, this isn't the same as low character .. it's just being human.

Neither political party has a monopoly on ideas. Both parties have some good ideas and some bad ones. But bad ideas have a very difficult time becoming law.

I think "term limits" are part of the checks and balance system and by the presidency and Congress occasionally shifting control, you get a more honest and accountable government.

The opposite of this would be a single person or party having control for decades, which leads to corruption (New Jersey is a nice example of this).

McCain's idea that the free market can fix everything is flawed. The government has to maintain a certain amount of oversight of certain things, like the FDA overseeing to ensure food is safe.

Some of the industries out there are running wild. Healthcare and the insurance industry is one example (Hillary would have totally had this screwed up far beyond repair). Another example is the pharmaceutical industry going drug crazy.

McCain's idea would have been to do nothing and give a tax rebate.

As far as Obama and the potential of raising taxes. About 95% of taxes are paid by the top %1 of wealthy individuals. He's not going to be raising taxes on the middle class. It doesn't make sense financially and it would be a terrible move politically.

Plus he can shake up stuff a little with Iraq in the sense that I think the troops will be withdrawn faster. I mean, the Iraqi government knows Obama is committed to withdrawing so it won't be the status quo.

[Phenom]

I think Barack Obama has a lot of problems to fix and for that he will be nit-picked at every single mistake he makes even more so then Bush who pretty much stuck the US's balls in a nutcracker.

Give Obama some time to show his worth before you judge his actions. I definitely didn't want Mccain as president especially after he picked Palin as his VP which only showed me Mccain makes some poor choices. Both Mccain and Obama aren't perfect but either way, there's issues that have to be dealt with and my only concern is if the next president can accomplish fixing these issues.

But seriously... WTF is the deal with President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulating Obama for? I really hope its just Iran showing it's peaceful side.

[terminus]

I'm awed and look forward to seeing Barack and his family of sweethearts in the White House.