Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

News

Does anyone care about the US election campaigns?

114 replies

Go · 04/03/2008 22:15

I can't believe the amount of airtime given to the election campaigns. Nowhere near as much coverage of leadership battles in the UK.

OP posts:
workstostaysane · 05/03/2008 13:57

hillary certainly doesn't know when she's beat! thats why she should win!!
OBAMA HAS NO POLICIES. he has a nice smile and gives good speech, which is not enough to sort out the US of A.

don't care that he is black or that she is a woman. but Hil has tried to overhaul a notoriously unjust and unequal healthcare program. that she was defeated by hideously immoral insurance programs and big business only make me want to elect her more so she has another chance to get them through. I think she has spent time with the big issues and has been around long enough to prove that she cares about resolving them. That BO cannot/does not say anything specific about what he would do as president makes him look like he just fancies being the most powerful man on earth rather than giving a toss about helping in people's lives.

I sound as if I care rather more than I do, but find that US democratic voters are falling for the gloss rather than substance fascinating, if predictably depressing.

dittany · 05/03/2008 14:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

expatinscotland · 05/03/2008 15:45

There's next to no coverage about the GOP race, however.

Not that there's much of one.

But the coverage is a bit one-sided.

SueBaroo · 05/03/2008 15:49

precisely my boredom point, expat, merci. And I know some very cheesed off GOP members. Which is kind of funny in one way, but still...

swiftyknickers · 05/03/2008 15:51

of course i care-if hilary clinton gets in it will change the lives of women all across the world

GO HILARY GO GO GO

expatinscotland · 05/03/2008 15:53

Hillary may nab the Democratic nomination, but she faces a looonngg battle to clench the presidency.

What a lot of people in the UK fail to realise is that the predominant ethnic 'minority' is now Hispanic, many of whom even now still traditionally vote Conservative, particularly immigrants or first generation Americans who nourish a strong sense of patriotism and Catholics.

There is also antagonism between Hispanics and blacks on some levels.

There is also a large Eastern Asian segment of the population, many of which are Baptist or other Christian and again, tend to vote Conservative.

It is now no longer true that the majority of America's population is white, although it's fairly close to a 50/50 split.

TsarChasm · 05/03/2008 15:54

I'm mildly (very mildly) interested. Probably only in the outcome at the end really.

Funny, I was thinking only this morning how I wish they'd stop banging on so much about it on the radio.

I bet the USA don't follow our general elections in this detail.

Monkeybird · 05/03/2008 15:56

Everyone should care. The US is the richest, most powerful country on earth and yet has the biggest social and economic divisions and more global influence than is good for anyone. Whoever is going to replace Bush's disastrous presidency is VERY important.

And quite thrilling also for all the previous reasons. Go Hillary...

suedonim · 05/03/2008 16:00

It's over, isn't it, Expat, with McCain being the candidate?

SueBaroo · 05/03/2008 16:00

expat, very interesting points. I find it fascinating that so many people in the UK make assumptions about politics in the US, and it's down to the way our press report it, I suppose.

Mind you, I wouldn't know any different if I didn't know Americans personally, I suppose. I do like the diversity of politics over there, though. Makes for a much more balanced public arena, I think.

SueBaroo · 05/03/2008 16:02

yes, suedonim, but I know plenty of Republicans who were mighty ticked off by that. And Ann Coulter said she'd rather vote for Hillary

policywonk · 05/03/2008 16:46

Coulter would rather vote for Hillary than McCain? Why?

margoandjerry · 05/03/2008 16:49

policywonk, I knew you'd be on here

you politics fiend you.

Lauriefairycake · 05/03/2008 16:50

I'm very interested and think it's hugely significant.

I am also very single issue about it - Obama has a good grasp of foreign policy (I've read his autobiography) and he doesn't want to bomb Iran.

Hilary has not ruled out invading Iran (she's useless at foreign policy)

I also think having a black president is very significant as America has such terrible racial divisions - you only have to look at what they did during Hurricane Katrina to know how they treat economically impoverished people of colour

Go Obama GO Go!

policywonk · 05/03/2008 16:52

margo

I saw you the other day gassing about being a G&L old gel. No mention of MY school, oh no.

margoandjerry · 05/03/2008 16:55

Was trying to hide that under the carpet - it's just not as cool, doncha know

Actually was going to add something about it and then I thought "Bloody hell Margo, do you ever stop going on about yourself and the things you did three decades ago? Why the hell should these poor people be interested?" so didn't

SueBaroo · 05/03/2008 16:57

PW, there's a youtube clip somewhere, I'll try and find it. I think she thinks Hillary's got more balls than McCain. Which is a fair assumption

SueBaroo · 05/03/2008 17:01

Here you go..

policywonk · 05/03/2008 17:03

Ta. Will have to go look at it on a pooter with sound card

Aw Margo, everyone's interested.

francagoestohollywood · 05/03/2008 17:10

I care!

expatinscotland · 05/03/2008 17:16

Laura, you are making HUGE assumptions and very sweeping generalisations about a very vast place with an immensely diverse population based on one event . . . as it was reported in by the British press.

Of course there is racism, as there is everywhere.

What the press here never reports is racial divisions and power play amongst the larger ethnic minorities in the US themselves, which is becoming increasingly significant as these 'minorities' have now become the majority, however slightly.

And whilst they report heavily on the influence of fundamental Christianity, what they again never touch on is the influence of Judaism and the huge Muslim population there, many of whom have moral views in line with fundamental Christianity. Fundamental views are just that.

And yes, they do report on British elections, and try to explain how they differ from teh American system. The system as it is set out there makes for a much longer campaign and presidential race, however.

It's not necessarily 'over' if Hillary runs against McCain, but it's not a given.

Her husband actively campaigns for her, and I can't say that this is necessarily a good thing.

For all I voted for Clinton.

He lied in court. And whilst I'm not particularly jingoistic and have never voted Republican, I do have a lot of respect for the foresight with which several people - who btw were found to be traitors according to the British law of which they were subject and who were considered criminals who would certainly have been put to death if apprehended - designed the system.

He could have just pled the 5th, but instead he lied.

expatinscotland · 05/03/2008 17:17

I have not yet decided if I will even vote, FWIW.

I don't particularly feel any passion for ANY of the candidates.

finknottle · 05/03/2008 17:20

I do, but then I get excited by by-elections.

US politics is so much sleeker and you can have part of your brain doing implications for geopolitics, part analysing media horrors and tutting at imbalance etc., part enjoying the spectacle and part fantasizing about the West Wing.
See, we know what goes on behind the scenes

ahundredtimes · 05/03/2008 17:22

Oh yes, I find it fascinating. And also bewildering.

It's all this delegate and Super delegate talk I try to understand.

I'm not sure I care about it for the future of the world reasons, I just like the gossip and the story I think.

policywonk · 05/03/2008 17:23