Today's the day! What's your prediction - Bush or Kerry?

[tex111]

Unfortunately I think Bush will win again. I think the latest Bin Laden tape will actually help him and make the difference. What do you guys think?

I think it's good news. Put it's not polite to gloat so I won't.

And,I want to compliment Kerry for not spending loads of taxpayer money contesting a race he wasn't likely to win (at least not without a long drawn out fight).

RE: the coffins

Straigh from the ground in Iraq:

"The policy of forbidding photos of US war dead predates W (it is intended as a way to keep from disrespecting the dead). The coffins are still draped with the flag."

absolutely agree aloha, it's a sad sad day.
have only just read this thread briefly and thoroughly enjoyed all the french bashing!!! Uwila I am so glad you have met the whole of the french population and they have told you we all hate the US! In fact, I have been to the US 3 times to visit several americans friends, who have also visited me in france and they are amongst my best friends. Some of them have had a huge impact on my life. There is a lot I like about the US, and other stuff I don't. I detest Bush though. Please don't generalise about a whole nation, it doesn't help.

Uwila, what is forbidden is to display photos of cofins arriving in America, because they were arriving in America, it was not a tale, it was on the BBC and most national newspapers for a week (but then, this is UK, and the BBC is the BBC). Funny that they think now that it's disrespectful to show the images, specially when the press has displayed this images for every other war the US has fight from the invention of photography. I'm sure many families of the victims will agree that hidding the fact that people is dieing is more disrespectful than showing it on TV.

sorry, double phrase on the first line (forget because they are arriving in america )

Lisalisa, I don't believe anyone was being anti-semitic when they referred to Jewish money or the Jewish vote.

The Jewish vote is something you hear about, just like the Hispanic vote or the African American vote. It's not racist, it's just a fact that some ethnic groups tend to (in general) vote a specific way. So "the Jewish vote" is a significant factor in elections, particularly in states where there are a high proportion of Jewish people.

Don't you all feel though that this will make Bush feel invincible. God knows what he plans to do next but we will have to face the consequence too. I wonder what deal Bush offered Blair to sell his soul (and ours) to him?

I think it is a great shame as Bush has ruined Americas standing in the world. It will take years to repair the damage this idiot has done. I can't believe the people who felt safe with a man who let the Sept 11 attacks happen because he was too busy on holiday rather than listening to the intelligence coming in. My friend in Chicago is sickened, I have offered her safe haven over here if it gets too much for her!

I have a feeling that this will send America into another depression. I hope I am not correct.

Donnie, Israel is the only country in the Middle East where there are free and open elections and all citizens have the right stand on whatever platform they choose and the right to vote for whichever candidate they choose. That the actions of the elected government may be unacceptable to some people is entirely a different matter. A far greater percentage of citizens act upon their right to vote than in UK or USA, precisely because the Israelis care passionately about what their country is doing - not all agree and they exercise their right to object!

So do you think that the country which started a war which most believe to be 'illegal', and that same country where the brother of the sitting president can and does prevent citizens from voting is a perfect democracy? Both reprehensible acts, but the first is nothing to do with democracy, whereas the second is an outright violation of democracy.

I read all this after saying my piece and realised that of course, Israel would celebrate wouldn't it. Bush lets them do as they wish to the Palestinians.

Horrific. This is going to be the start of the next war. Bush will be happy he gets to play soldiers again.

couldn't agree more prettycandles. And I'm sure that you'll agree that all the human rights violations I listed in my earlier posting prove that Israel is no more a 'democratic' power than Iraq was under Saddam.So it seems pointless to say ' they are the only democracy in the middle east' as if they are somehow better or more worthy than any other middle east state/country.Or are you saying that all middle east countries should have a western government and ideology imposed from outside? cause that's what GWB is doing in Iraq! and by all accounts Iran may be next,and then perhaps Syria. I find it curious that people still talk of democracy as if it is a perfect and incorruptable form of government, when all evidence shows that corruption is rife in democracies.FWIW I do not support the type of oppressive regime as practised in Saudi or Yemen and believe their human rights abuses to be terrible and reprehensible.But I don't see much difference between the way they treat people and the way the Palestinians are treated by Israel.Like I said, so much for ' democracy'. It's a meaningless word, in this particular case IMO.

Tony Blair looked rather unhappy when commenting on Bush's re-election I thought.He was quick to speak of ' revitalising the middle east peace process'....yeah right.I'll believe it when I see it.As you say TwoIf by sea, no doubt Israel is having a jolly good laugh. Now they can violate even more UN resolutions!( they have violated more UN resolutions than any other country but somehow it doesn't matter...)

Uwila, thanks for a serious response. Obviously yes I had considered that my take on Bush supporters might not be fully representative/accurate, that was the point of my question don't you think? I'm interested though that your response was put in terms of why you think Bush is more impressive than the 'liberal media' generally give him credit for being, and didn't actually address my point about the safety of the world at all.

Where do you think Murdoch's pro-Bush global telecommunications empire fits into your vision of a distorting, unfair liberal media?

.... I am so sad today... I still can't believe he won the last time, and now he gets re elected??? Thousands of inocent civilians will continue to be killed to see if Bin Laden is hidding under a stone in their gardens.. please ignore me, I'm not trying to offend anybody, but it's a sad day today...at least for me

Very concerned and worried here too, Chandra. You're not alone. My DH and I came over to London for his work, but we think we would move back New York some day. We used to joke that we wouldn't until Bush was out of office. So, you know, at least four more years in London... Thank goodness for London.

Being positive, I think, maybe he'll prove us wrong and do good things.

The cynic in me looks at his track record and hopes for early impeachment.... but oh, then there's Cheney, so... can't win apparently.

Did anyone watch The Power of Nightmares last night? Fantastic series and particularly chilling viewing last night in the light of events.
The dismantling of the illusion of the 'war on terror' was very, very impressive.

just heard on a french radio that a french tv journalist started crying live as she reported that Bush had won..... oops. Can understand her feelings though

Aloha - Saw the program you mention. Thought it was v good. Some of the production values drove me nuts (currently staying at home, used to do docu production), distracting. But the content was great and it was brought together really effectively. Loved the use of stock footage and the soundtrack made me laugh, nice touch.

Aloha I saw the Power of nightmares last night and am pretty upset I the first two episodes. Brilliantly argued and completely compelling I thought. Scary but almost blackly comic too in parts (or I would have laughed if I hadn't been so depressd about Bush).

good point , honeyflower, about Murdoch's monopoly on US media platforms.He has recently been looking into obtaining Chinese citizenship in order to start buying up all their newspapers too, according to a long and detailed article in the London review of Books earlier this year, but the Chinese authorities want to block it.All the Americans I know say their TV news is hopelessly biased, and as for Fox news - it might as well say ' sponsored by the Republicans' at the end. And this is what Americans tell me!I glanced at the papers this morning on a newsstand and saw The Sun took a swipe at Kerry.And we all know who owns the Sun....

was that the thing on BBC2 after 9ish ? I caught the second half - very interesting.

My prediction was totally wrong!
I think people outside America (and quite a few inside) just don't 'get' the way religion works there.

Message withdrawn

Lisalisa, if I was referring to the Jewish vote it would be favourable, because they tend (in general, obviously) to lean towards the Democrats, as do I! I certainly didn't mean any offence.

Message withdrawn

In that case Lisalisa, I promise I will never talk about "the Jewish vote/money/anything". (I don't think I ever have before, mind you.) I didn't realise that it would be such a sensitive issue and I apologise for not realising that.