US Elections

[stefaclese]

Well it looks like the world is going to be a much safer and better place now that they've finally voted someone sane in to power

[Drew]

backed with that much money, im not sure its just him running the place!

Drew

[munky]

Its never 'just him' running america... its the lizards!!!

[TomcatDan]

I for one welcome our new African-American Lizardman Overlords...

[MarkCoupe]

It makes no ends who sits in the throne.

[Vard66]

I for one welcome our new African-American Lizardman Overlords...

[Nom]

backed with that much money, im not sure its just him running the place!

Drew

IMO he needs good backing because the outgoing administration have done their best to spend every penny they could everywhere they could with minimal payback clauses.
In order to rescue America's financial situation, he may have to get legislation and regulations passed that are retro-active

[SubCat001]

I stayed up a bit too late watching this(and suffering for it now). A shame really, as it's been a while that we've had two genuine and viable candidates in a race for the Whitehouse.

[-Alex-]

I stayed up a bit too late watching this(and suffering for it now). A shame really, as it's been a while that we've had two genuine and viable candidates in a race for the Whitehouse.

+1 - paying for it now bigtime but was very much worth keeping track of.
The first hour's coverage had Obama in the lead by 2-1 and already taken some unexpected victories, it looked harder and harder to have a fightback of any kind.

Look forward to watching the progress being made - scary the amount of people who said they fear for the safety of this man "if he wins" there does seem to be a history/real problem there...

Obama or Brown? Fiiiiiight!

[SubCat001]

I must admit I do fear for his safety too .

[Drew]

i remember the uk voting for 'change' in 1997, look where that got us!

Drew

[Sheaf]

I must admit I do fear for his safety too .

I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking that.

I find it ironic that he's the first black US president, which is obviously a massive thing due to the slave history in America, however he's not actually descended from any of those black Americans, he's the son of a white American woman and a Kenyan man.

So, ironically, they're putting him up on a pedestal and saying it's a huge step for the country partly because of the colour of his skin and not because him himself, which is actually racist.

Maybe it's just me that sees the irony.

Oh, and I'm glad he got in.... wasn't too keen on the other guy or Sarah Palin... she's a creationist apparently, and having somebody with strong (and controversial) religious views in a lot of power seems pretty dangerous to me.

[rovex]

Palin is totally contemptible, a foul woman. Accord to Fox news even McCains staff hated her. She is Bush 2.0, but with even less charisma.

I stayed up to 5.30 watching it wih my American house mate. He called it long before the end because he knew what states would go to who. I dont think we as brits can understand the impact of a black man becoming president. Our equivalent would be an openly atheist transsexual lesbian becoming PM!

Still its snot all good, Proposition 8 (to define marriage as being between man and a woman only) looks to have passed in California and similar propositions passed in Florida and Arkansas, so although America is becoming more accepting they are still a fair way behind Europe.

[stefaclese]

Yeah I stayed up til around 5am, regretted it when I had to get up at 8am

Did anyone hear the prank call a Canadian radio presenter made to Sarah Palin pretending to be Nikolas Sarkozy?! That was brilliant!

The way I saw it was that either candidate would have been an improvement over Bush, however despite being a seemingly nice enough person, McCains politics are waaaaaayyyy too right wing for my liking! Obama certainly has got a lot of hard work to do if he plans on getting a second term in office!

I was quite shocked at the sudden ban on gay marriage in California immediately after Obama won that state, just goes to show how weird the US political system is as there is no plain left and right, both parties encompass both left and right.

Also, the reactions of EU heads of state seems encouraging, looks like the EU will be prepared to make much closer ties to the US and vice versa.

[rovex]

Indeed the US system is stranger than ours. California is democrat, but voted against gay marriage and has a republican governor, although he is quite left for a republican.

[Punx0r]

It's going to unbearable I couldn't give a monkey's what colour he is, but everyone's going to be making a huge issue out of it. At the start I thought he wouldn't win no matter how good he was, simply because he's black. I'm quite surprised, although he is quite possibly the least "black" black man I've ever seen.

I wonder he's going to finally let go and have a banquet of fried chicken, water melon and grape soda for his inaugral dinner

Why are people fearing for his safety? A lot of US presidents have had attempts on their lives. I'm surprised no one made an obvious attempt on GWB. Should he be treated differently because he's black?

I'll laugh my socks off if he does away with all the "affirmative action" and other positive discrimination stuff

[stefaclese]

although he is quite possibly the least "black" black man I've ever seen.

Never heard of Clarence Thomas then?!

[Punx0r]

This guy?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Thomas

[stefaclese]

Yep, thats the to$$er.

[victor3]

Are you sure you're not getting confused here?

http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Judge_Roy_Snyder

[radddogg]

Someone sent a very funny but cheekily racist joke earlier about the presidency, but I can't put it up.

[TomcatDan]

Palin is totally contemptible, a foul woman. Accord to Fox news even McCains staff hated her. She is Bush 2.0, but with even less charisma.

Admit it though, you still would...

she's a creationist apparently, and having somebody with strong (and controversial) religious views in a lot of power seems pretty dangerous to me.

*Cough* The Pope. Tony Blair. Gordon Brown. Pretty much all our Prime Ministers in fact. And most Presidents. And indeed most leaders. Senator Palpatine. (Ok that last one was a joke...)

If they're a good leader, it shouldn't make any odds. It's when you get the crazies in that you have problems. Let's not forget that the national religions of both the US and ourselves is Christianity, which is a creationist religion.

I do however agree that Palin is a crazy, therefore there would have been issues.

[rovex]

Palin is totally contemptible, a foul woman. Accord to Fox news even McCains staff hated her. She is Bush 2.0, but with even less charisma.

Admit it though, you still would...

I mosr certainly would not under any circumstances imaginable or unimaginable. She is offensive.

[stefaclese]

Palin is totally contemptible, a foul woman. Accord to Fox news even McCains staff hated her. She is Bush 2.0, but with even less charisma.

Admit it though, you still would...

I mosr certainly would not under any circumstances imaginable or unimaginable. She is offensive.

Totally agree, her shear stupidity alone is a big enough turn off for me, if she had some intelligence and wasn't a fascist creationist looney then she would be quite the milf lol

What about the Hilldog then?

[calibrax]

I'm surprised no one made an obvious attempt on GWB.

Because if you're going to shoot someone in the brain, it helps to have a target larger than the bullet...

[SubCat001]

It's going to unbearable I couldn't give a monkey's what colour he is, but everyone's going to be making a huge issue out of it.

Maybe you can't give a "monkey's" because colour has never been an issue for you. Let’s not forget its only 50 years since segregation was enforced in the USA. 16 years since the LA riots, and 8 years since a portion of the black vote was allegedly suppressed to bring George Bush to power. It is an historic event, and hopefully a sign of progress.

Why are people fearing for his safety? A lot of US presidents have had attempts on their lives. I'm surprised no one made an obvious attempt on GWB. Should he be treated differently because he's black?

No, but he has already had to plots against his life uncovered before the election. Ignoring his race, his politics aren't universally approved, with talk of healthcare reform and views on gun control. America has had a habit of killing Liberal and black political icons.

[Punx0r]

Maybe you can't give a "monkey's" because colour has never been an issue for you. Let’s not forget its only 50 years since segregation was enforced in the USA

Only in some of the southern states. Why do you assume colour has never been an issue for me? Have you ever been to Belgrave in Leicester?

Sure, let's all go and point out how he's different because he's black. Afterall, it's amazing how he managed to become president, being a dumb nigger and all.

[rovex]

As my American housemate pointed out, the fact that he is referred to as black is in itself a sign that racism is not dead. Its a throw back to the old 'Jim Crow' laws. Under those US discriminatory laws you didnt have to be fully black to be affected, any black ancestry was enough. Obama is 50% white, but under those laws he is black and even now he is regarded as black even though he is just as white. Its the same with Lewis Hamilton, he is 50% white, by my definition he isnt black, by the US discrimination laws he is black and the media considers him black, i wonder if he considers himself black? At what percentage does one become black?

[Sheaf]

Palin is totally contemptible, a foul woman. Accord to Fox news even McCains staff hated her. She is Bush 2.0, but with even less charisma.

Admit it though, you still would...

she's a creationist apparently, and having somebody with strong (and controversial) religious views in a lot of power seems pretty dangerous to me.

*Cough* The Pope. Tony Blair. Gordon Brown. Pretty much all our Prime Ministers in fact. And most Presidents. And indeed most leaders. Senator Palpatine. (Ok that last one was a joke...)

If they're a good leader, it shouldn't make any odds. It's when you get the crazies in that you have problems. Let's not forget that the national religions of both the US and ourselves is Christianity, which is a creationist religion.

I do however agree that Palin is a crazy, therefore there would have been issues.

I cant really say that I think this country, or its leaders are strongly religious one way or another. In fact they're pretty neutral I'd say. Anything strong about any religion seems to cause uproar and them saying we'll offend somebody.
Americans are far more strongly religious than us as a country, and IMO if a leader is strongly religious it's a recipe for disaster.

Ok, this country is 'apparently' christian, but in reality I dont think that many people who are actually practicing christians (although as you know I do know some who are very much so).

[rovex]

Blair was always religious and just went catholic, but he didn't let his religion rule his politics, thats where American politicians fall down.

[SubCat001]

Maybe you can't give a "monkey's" because colour has never been an issue for you.

Why do you assume colour has never been an issue for me? Have you ever been to Belgrave in Leicester?

I think you have the wrong end of the stick. I mean the colour of someone skin may not have been an issue for you, as maybe you don't discrimnate.

[rovex]

The I saw a clip from the US TV show 'The View' (its like loose women), the black woman on there said that obama being president means that she can now say to her children that there are no limitations any more, that they can grow up to be just as good as anyone else. Ok its a bit sappy, and she is as thick as pig poop normally, but it shows the feeling there is about it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/0 ... tml?page=4

[Punx0r]

Maybe you can't give a "monkey's" because colour has never been an issue for you.

Why do you assume colour has never been an issue for me? Have you ever been to Belgrave in Leicester?

I think you have the wrong end of the stick. I mean the colour of someone skin may not have been an issue for you, as maybe you don't discrimnate.

Ah right, gotcha You're completely right, the colour of his skin isn't important to me. If people want to be "unracist" then they'd not make a point about him being black. Besides, all I'm hearing is "first black president", I've heard bugger-all about his policies, qualifications, views etc. If people keep pointing him out to their children and saying: "look! A black president" he's going to be sideshow rather than a (potentially) legitimate politician.

The I saw a clip from the US TV show 'The View' (its like loose women), the black woman on there said that obama being president means that she can now say to her children that there are no limitations any more, that they can grow up to be just as good as anyone else.

That woman is an idiot. There weren't any limitations before, nothing's changed. That sort of self-pitying, man-keeping-me-down attitude is exactly why there are a lot of problems IMO. Following her logic the gingers, welsh etc are going to have to continue living as voluntary second-class citizens until one of them is elected president/PM.

The US and UK are supposed to be secular states - religion should not enter into politics.

Percentage black is a good point. Logically, someone half white/black could be either, but I think practically they will always be black in appearance. I'd certainly appraise them to be so (well, half-cast). I'd guess the next generation at 25% would have a more mediterranean skin colour, and probably slip from "black" pigeon-hole, but probably still wouldn't be considered traditionally white.

[rovex]

I think you are very underestimating the effect of the president on the US psyche and the effect of race. Acquired power and loyalty are very much more important to them than to us, even when they dislike the president they are still loyal to him and respect his position, when we dislike the PM we just think he is a tw@. Although blacks have had power before, like Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, their positions are considered nothing compared to being president.

There is a very much a glass ceiling for blacks in most aspects of life in the US,even today and remember that when Obama was born blacks didn't even have the vote.

[Sheaf]

even when they dislike the president they are still loyal to him and respect his position, when we dislike the PM we just think he is a tw@.

When I was in the US, I chatted to a quite a few random Americans the subject of the president came up quite a few times (and the PM, turns out they love Blair over there), but I think every single one of them had a rant at how Bush was useless and a complete idiot, so I'd have to disagree about them all respecting the president. They seemed to have the same opinion of him as we often do of our PM.

Although I actually only went to Democratic states, so that probably swayed the opinions slightly.