US presidential elections and the wider world

thatcha · Post by **thatcha** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:15 am

ok....so pretty much all of the news i get is from UK outlets. even there there is saturation coverage of the US primaries.

Now i get that the US president is a somewhat powerful figure on the world stage but my question is do you think that none US citizens should..well..care about any of this before november?

Personally i cant get myself worked up about it. Im not american, i dont feel much affinity for either the Democrats or the Republicans tho i am politically aware in the UK.

My view is basically that we, the UK, will deal with who ever gets the nod.

Do you as a none US citizen care?

do you as a US citizen think its any of the worlds business?

Reliant121 · Post by **Reliant121** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:35 pm

I don't care what happens as long as it doesn't threaten the United Kingdom. Which i dont think it does. Anyway, the American system is difficult to understand in my perspective. The Democrats can block alot of what the Republicans can do because they control the Senate? I think?

At least i understand the UK's system. Difference is all the parties are crap so...

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 4:45 pm

I care because the one who gets elected will control the most powerful country in the world. That is not the situation you want a complete idiot in. Or else you get something like....well, something like what George Bush did. I'm sure we all agree we don't want someone like him in power again, no matter what country we're from.

Reliant121 · Post by **Reliant121** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:13 pm

Good point

Enkidu · Post by **Enkidu** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:50 pm

It's a strange irony that the democratic process that effects most the big picture of my life, (the US may not decide what level council tax I pay or local building planning decisions, but pretty much decides at the moment what wars my country is involved in) I, as a British citizen, have no say in.

Reliant121 · Post by **Reliant121** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:57 pm

That is annoying. And when the American stock market falls...the entire world collapses. Economically few are independant from the US.

Post by **Mikey** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:03 pm

Unfortunately or not, that is the way of the world. Take heart - some of us are working to install a non-idiot...

Maybe you guys should have just let up on the stamp tax way back when...

Reliant121 · Post by **Reliant121** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:06 pm

Don't go back in political time...i only know recent politics or long lost politics.
Oh and good. The ousting of the fools!!! YAY!!!!!

Deepcrush · Post by **Deepcrush** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:14 pm

There are a number of reasons that everyone should care about the US elections. Remember that the US is not a Democracy but a Republic. As shown in the last two elections, things can turn out very bad when those who are in power don't get what they want. It tends to be best to give them the boot. The most powerful nation on earth is in trouble, economic fallout is being predicted for the next 10 years. The armed forces would need as much as 5 years of peace time to recover but I don't' see that coming anytime soon.

Monroe · Post by **Monroe** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:50 pm

I think the elections should be fairly important for the rest of the world, maybe not the top story, the President of the Maldives being saved by a Boy Scout is pretty cool too.

I paid attention to the Russian election for the same reason but it was hard to get coverage on it over here. I hate hollywood stories that fill up most news casts so the elections are a nice break.

Enkidu · Post by **Enkidu** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:12 pm

The stamp act of the 1760's was one of the catalysts that caused the US War of Independence, at 250+ years ago, does that not count as "long lost Politics"?
A few more concessions back then and the world may have been a very different place, but I think that's best left to Harry Turtledove and his ilk.
UK news is mainly concentrating on the Democrats. Who is the likely Republican candidate? There been a lot of talk of McCain's big comeback, but is he the front-runner? He doesn't seem to bad for a Republican (I'm left leaning by instinct) seems at least to be a man of integrity.

Monroe · Post by **Monroe** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:26 pm

Enkidu wrote:The stamp act of the 1760's was one of the catalysts that caused the US War of Independence, at 250+ years ago, does that not count as "long lost Politics"?
A few more concessions back then and the world may have been a very different place, but I think that's best left to Harry Turtledove and his ilk.
UK news is mainly concentrating on the Democrats. Who is the likely Republican candidate? There been a lot of talk of McCain's big comeback, but is he the front-runner? He doesn't seem to bad for a Republican (I'm left leaning by instinct) seems at least to be a man of integrity.

I like Harry Turtledove's books. Though the writing is horrible the storyline more than makes up for his lack of sentence structure and vocabulary and sex breaks.

On the Republican side you have Ron Paul which is the only hope on reviving the Republican party, maybe forming a third party, which is a possibility, there is talk that whoever loses this election the party may collapse but I dont know if that'd be true.
Then you have Gulliani who can't say anything without 9/11. He's really hardline on terroism, because of 9/11.
Romney the Mormon who believes the garden of Eden is in Missouri. Reason I find that a crazy claim is because I live in Missouri. He's probably the best leader because of his past but like Gulliani he believes Islamic Extremist hate the US because we love freedom. Ron Paul got the correct reason.
Thompson- the actor who made a few remarks about the Soviet Union not being able to help with Iran last year. Seems to be losing his mind. He entered the race late too.
Huckabee- Really nice guy, easy to listen to. He won big in Iowa and is tied with McCain. His politics are creepy in my book but his personality would allow him to win over Hillary and have a shot over Obama in a general election.
McCain- A man of integrity is right. He spent several years being tortured. I don't like his immigration policies. I'm all for setting landmines along the southern boarder and kicking out anyone in the US illegally. They're criminals and should be treated as criminals. He also wants to stay in Iraq for an unlimited amount of time, similiar to what we do in Korea. Personally I think to stop terrorism you really need to look at the causes and staying in Iraq would be one of the causes.

None are in favor of the space program. All besides Paul, Huckabee, and Romney are oldsters to Washington. Romney used to be a liberal democrat. Huckabee and Romney are Regan era Republicans with the rest of them besides Paul who is a pre-Reagan era Republican.

None really have a chance except for Huckabee if Clinton wins. Then Huckabee could be the new president.
That's what I think of the Republicans.

sunnyside · Post by **sunnyside** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:03 pm

I'm thinking the republican frontrunners will eventually be Romney and McCain. But we'll see. Both have the ability to distance themselves from bush and catch some independent voters.

Still I think this is the Democrats election to lose. However I thought the same thing in 2004 when Kerry suffered a total failure to communicate and lost it.

I think how much the rest of the world has to care about the presidential elections varies wildly country to country.

Post by **Mikey** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:49 pm

Don't read too much into Huckabee's win in Iowa. He won there for the same reason that he lost in NH. His religious fervor, and the fact that it permeates everything he says and does, won't play in the urban centers and corridors.

If I had to pick from the Republican contenders, I'd have to say McCain has the integrity/war hero/history of standing up to his party thing going, but Romney is a bit more charismatic. Unfortunately in this day and age, the fact that he is a Mormon may count against him in certain areas.

sunnyside · Post by **sunnyside** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:20 am

Huckabee actually seems to be an interesting fellow.

For one thing he's in a rock band. And has opened for groups like REO Speedwagon,[5] Willie Nelson, Percy Sledge, .38 Special, and Grand Funk Railroad .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Offense_%28band%29

Frankly that's one case where I had to double check some of the sources just to make sure I wasn't being put on.

Also I've heard that the man has incredible charisma. Something most other candidates, democrat and republican, are lacking.

However I think his opposition to homosexuality, abortion, and his views on serious changes to the tax code will probably cost him the nomination, or put his presidential run at risk if he does by some chance get the nomination.