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Kabu,
is it any better in Australia?
posted by
Ciel
on September 11, 2008 at 7:25 PM
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Re: Thank you for your Opinions!
Thanks, Cap! The virtue of being opinionated without being an expert is that I am somewhat representative, I believe, of most Americans--though we are certainly not all in agreement, or on the same page...
posted by
Ciel
on September 11, 2008 at 7:24 PM
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Troosha, I appreciate your view from outside the fuss and mess!
And you're right, our electoral system in the US is outdated and outrageous in any number of ways! It is never-ending! There should be limits on the time devoted to electioneering, and it is way past time to eliminate the Electoral College that sometimes actually prevents the majority voice from being respected.
posted by
Ciel
on September 11, 2008 at 7:20 PM
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Yes I'm watching the electios from outside and now I'm glad I don't
have to make a choice.
posted by
Kabu
on September 11, 2008 at 7:13 PM
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Thank you for your Opinions!
You have excellent thoughts and perspective and that comes from you and your heart. It looks like you didn't need Political Science after all ;-) Thanks for your comment on my blog as well. I appreciate your time. Oh, and Happy Birthday this October!
posted by
Captivation
on September 11, 2008 at 4:13 PM
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Ciel
Although not American as an outsider looking in he would seem a logical choice to me. I feel for you Americans though - you must be suffering from a bit of political fatigue. The process has consumed over 2 years, has it not? By contrast, here in Canada we've called an election and with approx 50 days we will have voted in a new Prime Minister. It minimizes the time frame in which politicians can get ugly or start making ridiculous but supposedly strategic moves.
posted by
Troosha
on September 11, 2008 at 3:57 PM
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TAPS, I like you too!
posted by
Ciel
on September 11, 2008 at 1:59 PM
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mousehop, I once believed most Americans are smart enough to learn
but close enough to half of American voters chose this Bush twice. I believe he was able to finagle Florida for the first win, with the help of the Supreme Court judges, and I believe he was able to finagle Ohio last time--in other words, he stole the election twice. He lied through his teeth to draw us into a war in the wrong place, against the wrong target. He has never been able to tell the difference between saying something is so, and it actually being so. He has dismantled environmental protections, treated science as a matter of opinion, and made the US a laughing-stock around the world, where we used to have a few friends and allies.
Neither Gore nor Kerry had a clear enough margin of votes--because of Nader in one case, and over-handling, perhaps, in both: independents and undecideds were not given a clear enough choice.
On top of that, the Dems in the Congress have never called Bush to account, though the evidence is there. Kucinich has the right idea. But not enough of the Party has supported his call for impeachment. That has also made me sad.
This time, Ron Paul is the Nader. He has not a chance of actually winning the White House: a vote for him will be a vote for McCain. And Palin. I like Ron Paul better than Nader. He has more than one idea, one issue in his head. But I hope his people will spend the next several years building up the Libertarian Party to the point where its candidate actually can vie against the two old standards, and then I will consider voting for their candidate. But not this time. This time, we have got to take the White House away from the Republicans.
posted by
Ciel
on September 11, 2008 at 1:58 PM
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Interesting post, Ciel. It show you are thinking. I like people who think.
posted by
TAPS.
on September 11, 2008 at 10:56 AM
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I was sad after George II won the election in '04 because it meant the public couldn't see the failures of the administration, and didn't listen to predictions of what was to come. So it came: scandal, continuing deficits, lack of progress in addressing the nation's ills, slow or non-existent progress in Iraq and Afghanistan, increasing polarization both politically and economically, and marginalization of the president due to accumulated failures.
So, either McCain or Obama will be a marked improvement, though I question McCain's judgment on Iraq, taxes, and campaign finance reform. I agree with you about Palin, because I'm not a social conservative, and have learned from experience to distrust their judgment on pretty much everything. I am a little concerned about Obama's lack of experience, but he's clearly smart and his ideas are mostly sound. The worst thing about this election, other than all the distractions from real issues, is that whoever wins will spend most of his time repairing the damage done over the last eight years. We could have been much better off if people had paid attention. Do you think they have learned from their mistakes? Will they demand accountability? Will they at least look for answers to meaningful questions? Right now, it seems doubtful.
I liked your post. I may join you in your choice.
posted by
mousehop
on September 11, 2008 at 10:52 AM
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