So...The American Election...Thoughts?

[FayeW]

As much as it goads me to admit it, the American election will have an impact on us. As such, I try to pay attention to the candidates and have formed some pretty strong opinions. Almost everyone I speak to has the same opinion as I do which is that being on the outside looking in, seeing things objectively, Obama and the Democrats are the only clear choice. We are scratching our heads trying to figure out how half the American population can seriously be considering John McCain!

With that said, I do have one friend that distrusts Obama, but she was pulling for Hillary anyway. She and I disagree about Canadian politics, too (but she did agree that the Democrats should win).

What are your thoughts on the election? Do most of your friends/colleagues feel the same. Do the opinions differ based on where we are regionally?

 

[Hoogy]

Well I have a brother and 2 sisters in the states and they still can't believe their fellow Americans put Bush in AGAIN during the last election. Based on that is it any wonder that MCCAIN could win? I REALLY hope that he doesn't (as do they) but look at all the MCCain support banners (I"ve noticed quite a few in this area of the internet.... if you know what I mean) I understand there may be issues with Obama too but it is more than time to shake up that government!
As far as areas my siblings are in 3 different States (Tennesse, Maryland and Illinois)

 

[damo]

All I know is that a not very flattering picture is painted when you read the community board. Yowza, that's a scary place!!!

 

[FayeW]

All I know is that a not very flattering picture is painted when you read the community board. Yowza, that's a scary place!!!

You got that right! My 11 yr old son came up to me a couple of hours ago and said "I don't think we should go to DisneyWorld this year". I asked him why and he said that he just saw on TV that the American government passed a law that people could bring guns to work!

I am sure it is not as black and white as that, but now my kid is afraid to go to the States in case somebody shoots us! To tell you the truth...I'm scared too.

Kinda ironic, isn't it. Republicans are afraid Obama's going to take their guns and I'm afraid because they have them to begin with. Stupid NRA...

 

[rjan67]

I work in an ICU in Detroit and have done for 17 years. My patient yesterday happened to be someone who was shot by his brother. My coworkers and I were discussing the impact something like this has on an entire family etc and one of my U.S. coworkers turned to me and said "Why would someone shoot their brother in the head" and my response was..."You're asking a Canadian that question?"

With that being said, as much as I like Obama, I wish he had chosen a different running mate. I don't think the back up of experience he was looking for with Biden has helped his campaign. I wish he had chosen a woman, not necessarily Hilary to run with him. There are other Democratic Governors etc who would have helped the campaign. I would vote for him. That being said, the Republicans have won the last two elections and I would have expected Al Gore to be a sure win before. There are a lot of people who will not vote for Obama, for obvious reasons I'm sad to say. I hope I am wrong, but I am predicting that the Republicans will win. I think chosing Palin was a very strategic choice that may prove to be the winning choice. My two cents anyway.

 

[snickerboo]

I need to hear more on their platforms and how they plan to achieve them to make a decision. I was hoping for a Clinton-McCain election. I worry that Obama has enough knowledge and experience to get things done. I also worry about whether he's just 'walking the walk' to get the votes. I don't agree with some of McCain's ideas but, on the whole, I like him better than Obama. For me, as a Canadian, economy is the number one issue, with ours being tied so heavily to theirs. My dh works for a big American company so their economy is also a personal issue for our family.

I am hoping that Americans will vote based upon the issues truly effecting their country this time. I think too many people voted for Bush because they liked his conservative stand on moral issues and weren't looking at the bigger picture. And you can count me among those that went when they voted for Bush the second time!!!

 

[momdad4kids]

Wow the American election,like so many other Canadians I too can't believe that after Bush the republicans would ever stand a chance BUT, for as much posturing about human rights and freedom in the states ,we as Canadians seem to get more information about the states than they themselves do on certain topics. Ultra coservative religous groups, big business and if you ever watch CNN you soon realise the American public only sees what these groups allow them to see.I agree we have to much of that here as well .
Abortion will undoubtedly be a big issue ,gay and lesbian rights and the Iraq war will all take center stage at some point.The economy will be huge especially after 8 years of Bushnomics. Speaking for myself abortion and gay rights are non issues,The economy would be at the forefront but alas its not an election for me to vote in and after observing the last 4 or 5 Presidential elections I wont even make a prediction on who WILL win.What I will say is I hope its not the McCain Palin ticket.
Americans dont seem to understand the roots to most of their problems internationally stem from a self serving international policy of going where the oil is. Really nothing has changed much from the days of chasing communist across the globe.
What if the worlds wealthiest nation changed its focus from being the largest military spender to that of being the largest humanitarian spender?Would organisations such as Al Quieda be such a threat? After all who trained Bin Laden and supported his early causes? The USA is an easy target for people like this,sort of the "biggest man in the bar " syndrome, everyone sees them and its easy to get everyone else to hate them.Changing Foriegn policy would be a start.
Having said that is "experience" really an asset? Maybe whats needed are fresh new ideas? I dont see that with McCain/Palin.In fact I find Palin just a little scary, if it werent for gender would she be that attractive,dunno maybe Jimmy Swaggart in a skirt,lol? Wow im gonna hear about that so I apologise in advance.
Obama has issues but no candidate is perfect, however his race is going to be an issue with a LOT of americans,the religous right isnt going to support him(theyll be to busy supporting Palin and her 17 yo daughter during her pregnency and upcoming marriage to the babys father? As a parent thats my dream .....)again I apologise but family values?Id expect that from someone who parents like myself but I dont pretend otherwise.
Enough for now I have to go do something constructive Im getting very dark looks from the powers that be AT my house.

 

[Csaks]

Almost everyone I speak to has the same opinion as I do which is that being on the outside looking in, seeing things objectively, Obama and the Democrats are the only clear choice. We are scratching our heads trying to figure out how half the American population can seriously be considering John McCain!

Isn't that a bit one sided.
Clear choice for you and a clear choice someone else on the other side of the equation are two different things. Objectively seeing things your way, what about 'Objectively' seeing things from the other way. But I guess some peoples views are better than others.

Left wing or Right wing have the same problem on either side of the border. They are so hung up on their own ideals they can not bring themselves to listen to each other and solve problems. People on both sides of the fence have great ideas, if they could only get off their respective high horses and listen to each other for the common good we would all be better off. But the People on the Left and Right are to busy wondering why half the population would be seriously be considering supporting the other guy.

And around and round we go.

 

[FayeW]

Isn't that a bit one sided.
Clear choice for you and a clear choice someone else on the other side of the equation are two different things. Objectively seeing things your way, what about 'Objectively' seeing things from the other way. But I guess some peoples views are better than others.

.

It's not one sided at all. I clearly said that most of my friends and colleagues shared my opinion, and then I asked what other people thought, and if their associates shared their opinion. I also wondered if our opinions differed regionally. I never said my opinion was the only one, or that it was the right one! All I said was that anyone who I have personally spoken to about it thinks the same way I do.

 

[Csaks]

It's not one sided at all. I clearly said that most of my friends and colleagues shared my opinion, and then I asked what other people thought, and if their associates shared their opinion. I also wondered if our opinions differed regionally. I never said my opinion was the only one, or that it was the right one! All I said was that anyone who I have personally spoken to about it thinks the same way I do.

OK, Sorry but that wasn't the way it came off.
Either way, McCain is the same old, same old with one foot on deaths door. Obama is a good talker and would not make it through his term in office because Bubba Joe would not put up with a black man running his country and that's to bad for them. If I was an American I would have a hard time deciding.

 

[declansdad]

All I know is that a not very flattering picture is painted when you read the community board. Yowza, that's a scary place!!!

The community board has gotten completely out of control. There is so much fear mongering over there is is incredible. Unfortuanately, much of that is coming frmo one side.

I find it ironic that we have a party here that employs the same sort of tactics. I think this plays to the voters who don't take the time to find out about the issues. Too many people in both sides of the border vote their votes on the sound clips that are picked up by the media.

Now we are having an un-needed election that seems to be nothing more than a power play. A complete waste of time and money.

 

[damo]

The community board has gotten completely out of control. There is so much fear mongering over there is is incredible. Unfortuanately, much of that is coming frmo one side.

I see the same thing. I wonder if we see it coming from the same side.

 

[declansdad]

I see the same thing. I wonder if we see it coming from the same side.

I see it most when I look to the right of my screen, but sometimes it shows up on the left side.

 

[damo]

I see it most when I look to the right of my screen, buy sometimes it shows up on the left side.

Yup...we must have the same computer screen.

I often wondered if I was seeing things with a bias even though I shouldn't have one.

 

[FayeW]

Now that we are also heading to the polls, it will be interesting to see if we have the same clarity about our own politics as we have about theirs!

 

[declansdad]

Now that we are also heading to the polls, it will be interesting to see if we have the same clarity about our own politics as we have about theirs!

I want to know why were even having an election?

 

[Csaks]

I want to know why were even having an election?

Exactly, 300 or 400 million to be right back in the same place again.

 

[FayeW]

We don't need an election...but the Conservatives have a good popularity rating and polls show they would win, so he is calling the election now to try to get a majority government this time so he won't have to worry about Stephan Dion's threats for a non-confidence vote. The Parti Quebecois could bring down the government and force an election any time they wanted to. You can be sure that if at any time in the last couple of years the polls had showed them in the lead, or the Liberals, we would have already had the non-confidence vote and the election.

I am not happy about the wasteful spending for the election costs, but I understand why he called it now. If he hadn't, eventually Dion would have forced it.


ETA: I just looked at election history on Wikipedia. It seems that with majority governments, the elections tend to be 4-5 yrs apart (except for once when Chretien had a majority, and he called an election 3 yrs later) but minority governments tend to only last 2 yrs-3 yrs. Trudeau was elected with a minority in '72 and called an election in '74. Paul Martin had a minority in 2004 and we had an election in 2006. I think it is just due to the tenuous nature of the minority government. Each side wants to force the election when polls show they will win. Let's hope for a majority this time for one side or the other.

 

[declansdad]

We don't need an election...but the Conservatives have a good popularity rating and polls show they would win, so he is calling the election now to try to get a majority government this time so he won't have to worry about Stephan Dion's threats for a non-confidence vote. The Parti Quebecois could bring down the government and force an election any time they wanted to. You can be sure that if at any time in the last couple of years the polls had showed them in the lead, or the Liberals, we would have already had the non-confidence vote and the election.

I am not happy about the wasteful spending for the election costs, but I understand why he called it now. If he hadn't, eventually Dion would have forced it.


ETA: I just looked at election history on Wikipedia. It seems that with majority governments, the elections tend to be 4-5 yrs apart (except for once when Chretien had a majority, and he called an election 3 yrs later) but minority governments tend to only last 2 yrs-3 yrs. Trudeau was elected with a minority in '72 and called an election in '74. Paul Martin had a minority in 2004 and we had an election in 2006. I think it is just due to the tenuous nature of the minority government. Each side once to force the election when polls show they will win. Let's hope for a majority this time for one side or the other.

To me that is the wrong reason for anyone to call an election. The job of a government is to govern not consolidate their power. This past Parliament passed the vast majority of every major piece of legislation that was brought before it. It may have been ugly but it was working. Harper was just as bad as the rest of them with trying to force an election. He called for confidence votes on many things that didn't need to be.

Our parties have become to Americanized. We now have ads focusing on the leader yet we don't vote for the leader, unless you live in that riding. The pre-election ads are a strong indicator of that. The Conservatives ran ads with people saying they were looking forward to voting for Harper. The Liberals have been trying to show that Dion is an effective leader. These things have nothing to do with the person you vote for in your own riding.

 

[FayeW]

To me that is the wrong reason for anyone to call an election. The job of a government is to govern not consolidate their power. This past Parliament passed the vast majority of every major piece of legislation that was brought before it. It may have been ugly but it was working. Harper was just as bad as the rest of them with trying to force an election. He called for confidence votes on many things that didn't need to be.

Our parties have become to Americanized. We now have ads focusing on the leader yet we don't vote for the leader, unless you live in that riding. The pre-election ads are a strong indicator of that. The Conservatives ran ads with people saying they were looking forward to voting for Harper. The Liberals have been trying to show that Dion is an effective leader. These things have nothing to do with the person you vote for in your own riding.

I completely agree. I wish we had two selections on our ballot. One for who you want to represent your riding, and one for the Prime Minister. Sometimes the person who can look after your best interests locally is not of the same political stripe as who is best suited to run the country.