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?

The two party stronghold means this time round I would vote Kerry. But really I would vote for Ralph Nader.

Bush is not a strong candidate if he stood alone because he really is not very intelligent. He has not been able to catch Osama Bin Laden with his almighty army in the LAST 3 YEARS!! Lots of programmes here in Europe as well which show the disgraceful tactics and money accumulating that Bush and his administration get up to.

The American people think he is protecting them so he is probably in for another presidency. But that is the bouncer coverup for all the cash his family and cronies are reaping. Amazing... The good news is that he will not be able to vote in the next elections.

Sad that some Americans don´t consider the large populations of people outside the US who protested in droves against the Republicans and their war against terror. It is not just a countries politicans who are important when placing a vote.

I've heard that about the turn out too, Sophable. Supposedly Republicans always vote so when there's a big increase in voters it usually benefits the Democrats.

also, all the polls are done using landlines, but there are millions of mobile phone only users in the US...mostly young urban therefore likely to be at least somewhat democrat biased!

ironic that there is so much france hating in the US given that without the French Alliance, America might still belong to Britain!!!!

sophable - they were discussing the mobile phone vote - on Dimbleby - very interesting! when's the result due by the way?

I suppose that is true. The Frech did help us there. However, if it weren't for the US, France would be part of Germany.

And since we're advertising my place of employment. 'tis true, I work for Halliburton. And because of that fact, I am well qualified to tell you that what you hear about us in the news is political slander. I can also tell you without a shadow of a doubt that Dick Cheney's bid for the white house is the worst thing that ever happened to Halliburton. We have suffered from this, and not gained anything.

err...at least $2.4bn worth of contracts??? surely some kind of gain in anybody's book???...mind you, the FBI investigation can't feel to great...

If it weren't for the Red Army, we'd all be part of Germany. See Richard Overy's 'Russia's War' if you have any doubts about this.

hello oldiemum...you're so right, as usual!

Aw, shucks...

I have some sympathy for Uwila. Dh came home from work a few years ago to say that he had been tentatively head-hunted to work as an economist for a US company based in Houston and what would be my reaction if he followed it up. After two seconds, we both said no. It turned out to be Enron....

' our men and women' Uwila ? by that you mean Americans I assume. What about the Iraqis ? recent studies suggest up to 100,000 civilians, mostly women and children, are dead as a result of the war. But I guess that's a ruse put about by the ' radically liberally biased' eh? I see Bush has done a great job on you!everyone who disagrees with Bush must be a ' radical', is that it? and as for the relentless plundering of Iraqi oil by Halliburton et al - it makes me sick.

uwila, it's not that you work for them (good jobs are hard to come by i guess), it's that you seem to be suggesting that they are poor victims of a negative pr campaign!!!

I still don't know who's going to win. I have a nagging fear that it will be Bush, but it's such a toss-up right now.

Apparantly I have moved into a Bush-loving neighborhood. I haven't spoken to any of my neighbors who are voting for Kerry. And I love my neighbors. They're all very intelligent, educated people. I don't live in the middle of redneck country.

Unfortunately and inevitably the subject got around to politics at our block party on Sunday. The one person I had hope for, a former teacher who has always voted democratic but is now on the fence, was being swayed mightily by the arguments coming out of my neighbors mouths. I tried my hardest to put across my P.O.V., but it was hopeless. She said she is probably going to vote for Bush basically for the better the devil you know reason. We're in Iraq now so we need to finish up the job, and we haven't had any more attacks since 9/11. At least we know what we're getting with Bush, her argument went. Even my usually moderate SIL, who I adore, has become a crazy woman the past couple of weeks in her hatred for Kerry. When they started talking about 9/11 and how we would be more likely to have another attack if Kerry were in office I had to leave. SIL and I made up yesterday and she apologised for being so argumentative, but somehow I feel very alone today. I basically can't wait till it's over.

On the other hand, it's true about all the newly registered voters and no-one knowing which way they will go, although they are morelikely to go for Kerry if they're young. And the queues this morning at the polling stations were insane. There's obviously going to be a very high turnout. A lot of people here do agree iwth Uwila's sentiments that who cares what the rest of the world thinks. Maybe it's because I'm from "the rest of the world" that I find that sad. One neighbor the other night (who frankly is a bit of a jerk) was saying (and only half-jokingly) that we should just bomb the whole of the middle east, because if they're all dead then none of them can attack us. The sad part is that he will be voting today and I can't.

god that is so frightening kate....why can't you vote (don't answer if it's personal or you don't want to...obviously)?

Only because I'm not a citizen, sophable.

Mus be extremely hard to listen to those kind of comments Kate.

course sorry! greencard not citizen!

kate -- you have explained several things i've been struggling to understand

how depressing. but thanks.

Agree Kate

I was living in the US in 2001 and I heard all those arguments time and again. It used to both scare and infuriate me. 'Who gives a sh*t about the rest of the world - we're the greatest country in the world', etc etc and of course the oldest chestnut of 'em all - 'If it wasn't for the USA you Brits would be speaking German now, we saved your asses'... sigh.

Don't get me wrong. I think America and Americans fabulous in so many ways. But the thought of another 4 years of 'God's warmonger' really scares me. Unfortunately, I think that's the way it's going to go. The govt have got many ordinary Americans scared out of their wits, which plays brilliantly for Bush.

Oh, sophable... do have any idea what our profit margin is? What do you think is a fair profit for a business to take that kind of risk? single digits? double digits?

Our profit margin is 1% (no typo, one percent) And, you think we are raking in something in the billions, don't you? It's the way it's reported in the news. That's what I'm talking about. It's a bunch of political slander!

and, donnie, you have several assumption in your post that result in you putting words in my mouth.

No, I don't mean just Americans.

Also, I did not say screw all of Europe. And, I most certainly do not think the entire world outside of America should be overlooked. My gripe is specifically with France, Russia and Germany. Although, I've pretty much let it go on Russia and Germany.

The French hate Americans, and if Kerry is elected today, they will still hate Americans.

your neighbour's comments don't surprise me Kate, although I am sorry you had to hear them. Bush has generated such a hatred of Islam , Moslems and the Middle East, and generously props up a rabidly murderous Israeli regime which is systematically stealing more Palestinian land as we speak as well as bombing Palestinian refugee camps in dead of night. He has spoken of invading Iran several times. So yes, I can quite see a wholescale campaign to obliterate the Middle East or at least huge chunks of it.I really think Bush is that mad . And people actually wonder why so many countries hate America!

Donnie, could you please back up your accusation about relentless plundering of Iraqi oil by Halliburton?

I think it's poor taste to make that kind of accusation in a political debate if you can't produce the facts.

well relax Uwila, the French hate most people including us Brits!

well I don't have ' the facts' to hand Uwila, but I have read a lot of reportage recently - admittedly in extremist left wing and therefore distorted and biased to the eyeballs ( Guardian, economist etc)bush bashing publications - which has provided me with plenty of information about Halliburton's massive stake in Iraq's oil, as well as the way that pretty much all infrastructural work has been apportioned to US companies.So much for ' giving Iraq its freedom' - as far as I can see Iraq will never be free as the US pretty much owns it. And I think I am correct in stating there are corruption/ bribery charges being investigated right now in Halliburton, or is that also made up by the leftist press of the UK ?