The General American Politics Thread

[D-Metal X]

Just got back from casting my vote for Obama as well. Maybe it won't make a difference as far as electoral votes are concerned, but it felt pretty good.

[-Robin-]

The way I see it, one more vote for the predicted loser just makes the gap of victory narrower.

May not be worth much for now, but a steady increase of an opposing-party influence could bring interesting consequences for future elections, bringing your state into swing-state territory.

If that happens, you can say you were part of what made that happen. That's how I'm viewing my vote.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Joshua

[VO.SUPER]

I've now done my part, though I think Obama will be just fine here in Jersey.

Still this election has me on edge. I still fear for any possible Romney victory, and I fear for the aftermath. I just want this election to be over so I can relax.

[Dr. Mechano]

The way I see it, one more vote for the predicted loser just makes the gap of victory narrower.

May not be worth much for now, but a steady increase of an opposing-party influence could bring interesting consequences for future elections, bringing your state into swing-state territory.

If that happens, you can say you were part of what made that happen. That's how I'm viewing my vote.

This is true. Society seems to get progressively more... well, progressive as time goes on. So maybe someday Louisiana will graduate from red state to swing state.

[Nintendoga]

It's pretty obvious who's going to win this election, though I'm not too sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing

"I tried casting my vote, but it didn't have the person I wanted to vote for!"

Edited November 6, 2012 by Nintendoga

[Carbo]

With my dad being in the US during the election he's going to vote for Obama. I feel I didn't even need to ask for him to do that quite obviously seeing how he's a Chicago kid.

This being one of the few kinds of days when I actually pick up a newspaper to read into news they were asking people in Florida who they're voting for and Gary Johnson seemed to be the popular "I don't like either" opinion. Is there a particular reason as to why Florida is such a decisive swing state? I'm not that into American politics but I do enjoy following the sort of hype going behind elections. I heard some people say that Ohio could possibly be a rather decisive one for this election but I kind of don't hear much about that.

[Tornado]

This being one of the few kinds of days when I actually pick up a newspaper to read into news they were asking people in Florida who they're voting for and Gary Johnson seemed to be the popular "I don't like either" opinion. Is there a particular reason as to why Florida is such a decisive swing state? I'm not that into American politics but I do enjoy following the sort of hype going behind elections. I heard some people say that Ohio could possibly be a rather decisive one for this election but I kind of don't hear much about that.

Old people and minorities and huge populations of both.

I wasn't going to comment on this, but whatever:

This is the same doofus who said "Romney looks more Presidential, and thats what our country needs right now." AND he said that Global Warming is not a priority.

He's not really wrong on either of those things, and on the latter I would argue that he isn't wrong at all.

Now, for the former, he is arguing two things:

Voter confidence in government is low, so it is important to have someone who looks presidential is very important to reestablish rapport between the two; and Romney does a better job at that. I don't agree with that, because I like to think I see through Romney's game; but if someone has bought it I can easily understand why they would think that; and even if he doesn't believe it I suppose it depends on how much a voter is disenfranchised with Obama.

And for the latter? Call it global warming. Call it climate change. Call it searching for renewable energy. It's irrelevant what you call it, and it's irrelevant what you want being done about it. People don't care about it during this election beyond a job-making/losing and/or government spending capacity, at least not compared to primary concerns. Obama passed sweeping legislation dealing with it and could have built it into a huge feather in his cap during this campaign, and he practically ran away from doing so when Romney brought it up.

I see, it appears I misunderstood their slogan, because AFAIK, "fair and balanced" meant if Obama is doing well, they would say it in the same tone as Romney doing well.

No, not necessarily. Using that slogan as a point of ridicule is valid, but many of the times it is done it is done for reasons that I don't think Fox News actually intended it to mean in the first place (though the way the network conducted itself circa-2004/2005 does justify it, I suppose).

But since you brought that up, are they "fair and balanced?" No. Absolutely not.

That is also a perspective thing.

Do they cover things that the rest of the media ignore? Yes they do. They do all the time, in fact. Do they cover everything impartially? No, most of the time they don't. But if you are interested in the former but not concerned with the latter, then they absolutely do stick to their slogan.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Tornado

[Nepenthe]

There's nothing inherently fair and balanced by merely covering stories other stations don't though. That still seems entirely dependent on the quality and relevance of stories they cover. This is barring the fact they've hidden behind the slogan plenty of times to deflect attacks of being partial to conservatives.

Anyhoo, I haven't voted yet. An all-nighter ensured I was not waking up in time for the polls to open, but my class ends at 1:30, so I'll be sure to make my way to my voting station afterwards.

Also, I wish people would stop trying to turn Sandy into Obama's Katrina. Having to listen to a dude rant that the administration botched it because people still need help.... It's a fucking hurricane.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Nepenthe

[Mr. Taxi]

I'll just leave this here.

[Dr. Homem]

I think this is the best way to describe the 2012 election. I support Obama, but there is no way he could ever succeed in making the change he promised. And Romney, well.

[Autosaver]

I think we posted that before earlier in the thread (along with 30 other versions ha ha).

...It's happening!

[Barry the Nomad]

The dude was pretty much saying that black people can not look like what a president should look like. If you knew the guy, which you're lucky not to, that was his basic argument. Really, he wasn't putting in any more thought than that. White man with gray hair looks like president, mixed race white/black man does not look like president.

[tenchibr]

I think this is the best way to describe the 2012 election. I support Obama, but there is no way he could ever succeed in making the change he promised. And Romney, well.

Why is Obama's sign red and Romney's blue? To avoid getting sued?

[Tornado]

Oh. If he's just being racist, then yeah. You're right.

Why is Obama's sign red and Romney's blue? To avoid getting sued?

Because Obamney.

[Patticus]

Tea Party Republican voter suppression taking place in Florida today:

Tea party activists in Florida’s largely black and electorally significant Interstate 4 corridor have worked furiously to put a damper on what has been a record-setting turnout thus far. In one of the most striking examples of voter suppression to emerge, Voting Rights Watch obtained a list of several dozen Hillsborough County voters who will be surprised to learn they cannot vote regular ballots thanks to last-minute challenges filed against them.

http://colorlines.co...challenges.html

What fucks.

A voting machine in Pennsylvania has been taken out of service after video was captured showing it turning Obama votes into Romney votes.

[tenchibr]

I gotta tell you though, being a FL resident, I have received not 1, not 2, not 3, but FOUR calls to go out and vote in Obama's favor.

How many for Romney, you might ask? ZERO.

Obama REALLY wants FL, and I like it.

[Carbo]

Apparently a bunch of people are posting pictures of their ballots online and because of this a lot of Obama's votes are being invalidated.

I don't know how true this is but it seriously can't be stressed enough for people to not do this.

[-Robin-]

Having 2 minutes of glory and pride for obtaining Internet Cool Points is much more important than making an influence in American politics though.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Joshua

[Badnik Mechanic]

Not sure if this has been posted yet... but from the BBC text updates....

1703:

Earlier, we saw a pregnant woman vote while in labour. Now we have a report of a near-death experience involving a voter. A Michigan man was filling out his ballot when he apparently dropped dead, only to awake moments later, the Detroit News reports. "He had no heartbeat and he wasn't breathing. I started CPR, and after a few minutes, he revived," the man's wife told the newspaper. She added that the first question her husband asked when he regained consciousness was: "Did I vote?"

Fucking hell!

[Hexadecimal]

I just got back from voting.

It's just an extra big deal now for MN since now we get to see just how homophobic our state is. I'm just as anxious to hear the results for this as I am for who will be president.

In case someone out there is confused, we're voting on whether our constitution should specifically say that marriage is a union between one man and one woman; stupid, really. If it doesn't pass I have hope that one day during my lifetime gay marriage will be legal here.

[Dr. Homem]

I lot of internet forums (including this one) seem to be mostly pro-Obama. I wonder what will be the reactions if Romney wins.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

I lot of internet forums (including this one) seem to be mostly pro-Obama. I wonder what will be the reactions if Romney wins.

Find the nearest bomb shelter as the GOP begin their regime of de-minoritizing the country, rapists are also law enforcement, the rich use everyone else as their personal slaves, and America turns into a wasteland due to mass oil spills and contamination.

But in all seriousness, I'd be worried.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Malpercio

[Solkia]

I lot of internet forums (including this one) seem to be mostly pro-Obama. I wonder what will be the reactions if Romney wins.

I don't know, but they'll probably be hilarious.

[Dr. Homem]

I don't know, but they'll probably be hilarious.

Same thoughts. While some places (like this thread) won't make a big fuss, the rabid websites would pull a shitstorm

[Solkia]

I think we posted that before earlier in the thread (along with 30 other versions ha ha).

...It's happening!

Holy shit, touch screens fucking up, that so rarely happens.