How much do you care who wins the US election?

[bravousa]

Background: UK citizen here, residing in the UK and generally don't trust politicians.

I may be weird but I don't really care that much who wins the US election. AIBU? Everyone seems to be obsessed.

I feel for the Americans if they get stuck with Trump for another 4 years, however that problem feels so remote from my day to day reality and worries here in the UK. And what do I know about Biden? Absolutely nothing other than he seems like a nice old man.

So do you care? If so, why?

(Obviously if you have strong connection to the US either by citizenship, family or business, I assume you will care. This question is mainly for those of us who don't).

I'm pretty sure it is. Your opinion, my opinion. Let's see who has to pay for private healthcare in 10 years time, shall we.

@ImnotCarolineHirons

Hugely because Trump wants our NHS contracts and Johnson wants to sell it off to him.

Biden does too. The democrats passed over Bernie Sanders twice despite his popularity because he is an advocate for universal healthcare. The Democratic Party doesn’t want universal healthcare in the US and the existence of the NHS is a constant threat to them because it is held up as an example to Americans constantly. In addition, they want US healthcare companies getting some of billions £ spent on the NHS.

@ImnotCarolineHirons

I'm pretty sure it is. Your opinion, my opinion. Let's see who has to pay for private healthcare in 10 years time, shall we.

I'd be delighted to have means tested partially private healthcare in this country!

Nobody wants trump for another 4 years
What an odd comment. It obviously isn't true as he does have his supporters in the UK too. Clearly he does in the US.

I take an interest because, whoever holds the position of POTUS, has a significant impact on the world economy, defense etc because of the size of the US. Yeah, I care.

I miss Obama.

The choice between Trump and Biden - well. What can you say. Obviously Trump needs to go as he is appalling. I get that Biden is no spring chicken but then I look at The Queen, still doing her duty in her mid nineties, and David Attenborough still sharp as a tack and inspiring as ever also in his nineties, and I think maybe age is not a barrier to some.

I care deeply because Trump has pulled America out of the Paris Climate Agreement. The world's wealthiest and most polluting nations have to be leading the world away from big oil and towards drastically lowering emissions. The states needs leadership that not only realises that climate change is real and already happening, but will also take decisive leadership on the world stage.

I'd be delighted to have means tested partially private healthcare in this country!
Sure, lets spend money on administering means tests instead of treating sick people.

Just to be clear - it makes no difference who the President is, the USA will always try to shaft us - it's what they do.

As for the "special relationship" it doesn't exist.

@IsoscelesSandwich

I care deeply because Trump has pulled America out of the Paris Climate Agreement. The world's wealthiest and most polluting nations have to be leading the world away from big oil and towards drastically lowering emissions. The states needs leadership that not only realises that climate change is real and already happening, but will also take decisive leadership on the world stage.

This!!

If Trump wins, we, our children and the future planetary health are all fucked.

No one deserves a leader like trump for another 4 years so I do worry for the US if he stays in office

I care a lot.

I wreckon most Brits care who is the POTUS. Of course I care! I think Biden will get in by a couple of votes.

I think it's time for people and the biased British press to stop saying that nobody likes Trump - it's pretty clear they do!

Harriedharriet thanks, yes, I agree there's no significant left-wing in America. The extreme capitalism and deregulation you describe is terrifying.
But, I reckon there are a handful of very left-wing people? Individuals, even if not a movement? Bernie Sanders I think is/was genuinely socialist, so I assume some of his supporters too?
But certainly, I agree that Biden is no leftie (sorry btw, my first post referred to him as Boden! Autocorrect! It tried to do it to me again now) just preferable to the terrifying alternative. Damage limitation.

I wonder why there seems to be such a fear of socialism in America? To me, socialism is basic kindness, fairness and sharing! I wonder if it's simply misunderstood there? If they think it means something else?

@WanderingFruitWonderer

Harriedharriet thanks, yes, I agree there's no significant left-wing in America. The extreme capitalism and deregulation you describe is terrifying. But, I reckon there are a handful of very left-wing people? Individuals, even if not a movement? Bernie Sanders I think is/was genuinely socialist, so I assume some of his supporters too? But certainly, I agree that Biden is no leftie (sorry btw, my first post referred to him as Boden! Autocorrect! It tried to do it to me again now) just preferable to the terrifying alternative. Damage limitation.

I wonder why there seems to be such a fear of socialism in America? To me, socialism is basic kindness, fairness and sharing! I wonder if it's simply misunderstood there? If they think it means something else?

Socialism literally means something else. Your definition is nonsense.

I think people who imagine that Biden will be better for the environment are fooling themselves. Maybe I am cynical because as a Canadian we elected a party where the PM was always banging on about climate change, made it a huge element of his campaigning, liked to have his picture taken noodling around in the wilderness with his shirt of, but has completely, though unofficially, blown off the Paris Accord. In some ways he's more dangerous than climate change skeptic Harper was, as he has lulled many people into a false sense of security about it.

There are far more white people than any other people in the US

That's true, but killings by police don't over-represent blacks nearly as much as BLM would lead people to believe. Police killings are very much a pan-racial problem, or at least a white and black problem. If it were tackled as such, it could be a very powerful way to bring people together against a common shared problem.

Why isn't it? There is something that connects victims far more strongly than race, and that is poverty. If you are killed by the police in the US you are almost certain to be poor, and failing that, be in a poor neighbourhood. Why would a party that some American liberals imagine cares about social justice not be interested in that? I think if people can answer that they are well on their way to understanding why people do not vote for the Democrats.

I care a lot. Never been so invested in politics ever! Praying Trump doesn't win.

To say Trump is an idiot is insulting all idiots! I don’t know much about Biden but anyone would be better than Trump surely?!

@SebastianTheCrab It clearly wasn't meant as a definition but as a description. It is not nonsense to feel that the means of production etc being regulated by the community as a whole is a kinder, fairer and more sharing than it being run for individual enrichment. The questions arise over whether it works better.

[quote MereDintofPandiculation]@SebastianTheCrab It clearly wasn't meant as a definition but as a description. It is not nonsense to feel that the means of production etc being regulated by the community as a whole is a kinder, fairer and more sharing than it being run for individual enrichment. The questions arise over whether it works better.[/quote]
Yes it's worked out so well in China, North Kore, Venezuela and the Soviet Union hasn't it! Much kinder, fairer societies.

Because what happens in the world most powerful country and biggest democracy (still...) affects us all?

It has worldwide trading, political, financial, political implications and also affects issues like how we tackle climate change across the globe.

Not to mention the fact that people are concerned that leaders like Trump are a threat for democracies and equality/human rights everywhere.

Or that it will have an impact on Brexit trade deals.

Rather obvious isn't it?

Frankly I can't believe you are asking that question...I really despair.

@kittensarecute

I care a lot. Never been so invested in politics ever! Praying Trump doesn't win.

Me too.

I listen to a lot of left wing US podcasts and care deeply that Trump needs to go. It's not just him either. I want his family and all the sycophants feathering their own nests to be gone too.

@NonCisWoman

I've got ten quid on Biden, so yeah, I do care

I put €10,000 on Biden to win because me and my Yankeeeeee pardner were play arguing about [deleted] and he said if you really believe that, put 10€k on. So I did.

@NonCisWoman I hope we both win then we can ask an AIBU about what to spend the money on? (Mine is going on sending my pardner back to Texas after this politics bollox made me realise be doesn't know how to think!)

Looks like its going to be the worst possible outcome for the UK.

Biden in by a small margin (so scuppering trade deals after we've left the EU) but Trumpism alive and well.

You do know this is a long-standing US policy that was also in place under Obama?

Why do people think this is a ‘gotcha’? Obama isn’t running for election. Nobody is saying he was perfect (hello drone strikes in the Middle East, high rate of deportations, persecution of whistleblowers etc), but he is not the democratic candidate in this election.

And while he did introduce the cages, he did not instigate a policy of systematic separation of children from their families with no prospect of reunification - that is wholly a Trump policy.

But most importantly, Biden has acknowledged that Obama made an error in introducing the cages, has committed to establishing a task force to reunite children with their families, and has committed to ending the practice.

So that’s what it comes down to. You can look at the fact that children are being kept in cages away from their parents and you can vote for the guy who says there’s no issue with it because the cages are clean (while bleating that it’s Obama’s fault anyway) or you can vote for the guy who acknowledges that caging children is wrong and who has plans for ending the practice.

That’s a stark choice.

Why do people think this is a ‘gotcha’? Obama isn’t running for election. Nobody is saying he was perfect (hello drone strikes in the Middle East, high rate of deportations, persecution of whistleblowers etc), but he is not the democratic candidate in this election.

Because Biden, and the DP generally, has been running mainly on the claim that they are better than Trump. Morally better, better policies, less stupid and crazy, more presidential.

Except that over the last four years, again and again, someone claimed Trump was dong something beyond the pale, but when looked at, these were practices that were longstanding, or something very similar was longstanding.

The DP and Biden are struggling to show themselves in any substantial way as different than Trump. Sure, they look different, they behave adequately to invite to a dinner party, they don't sound like crazed morons. But essentially they can show very little in terms of policies that show them to be substantially different through the Obama or Clinton years. Of the differences they can show, it's often not clear that the outcomes have been better.