US Elections 2008

[yezhanquan]

Anyone thinks that Obama might go the way of Grover Cleveland, and serve 2 non-consecutive terms?

[Cherudim Arche]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

John McCain: Reformed Maverick

Yep, maverick is just a aesthetic title he uses.

[cors8]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/1..._n_137710.html

I feel sorry for John McCain. His campaign is ruining him.

[Cherudim Arche]

Originally Posted by cors8

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/1..._n_137710.html

I feel sorry for John McCain. His campaign is ruining him.

He made a decision to go this way, rather than opting for better ways to campaigning responsibly.

[Seifall]

Originally Posted by Shadow Minato

In the end, people will start to think that joining the military may be a bad idea which might result in future soldier shortages, when necessary wars occur. However, it is not McCain's fault that soldiers and future soldiers will end up facing a harsh time, because of hawkish foreign policies. After all, America had always adopted a strong foreign policy and tends to have war from time to time. There is nothing unusual about that. Its a Republican tradition, after all.

This is already the case. The Economist already revealed in 2007 that the US army was recruting strangers to join the movement. And seeing how things aren't doing well in Irak or Afghanistan this is not surprising that a lot of young americans aren't attracted to the army anymore.



Obama's strong point actually is the economy but also the foreign policy.
The two are related.
So how can a republican adhere to McCain's economic program and still want to vote for a candidate who clearly claimed that he will pursue the war ?
I try to understand it but can't.
The war cost three trillion dollars(without counting the others trillion provided by the others countries) according to Stiglitz.
So more than 700 million dollars by day.
Even if McCain reduces the troops in Irak, even if the things settle down a bit there, his tax plan will not have a single impact on more than 60 % of Americans payers.


Obama 's politic of Robin Hood on the other side, to take from rich to give for poor is not that simple.
His tax politic centered principally on the income tax's reduction will be of no consequence on the income's inequality. So it will not affect a significant part of the American population.
I also wonder how Obama will do to pay the bills concerning the establishement of the Health Care's Insurance for 46 million of Americans who don't have one.
Even if Obama increases the tax for the high class, even if the crisis which shakedown all the global stocks markets, comes under control, the middle classes may see an increase of their purchasing power but since it depends pretty much of the credit granted by the banks, the impact on their economy will not change that much.


They both had a good chance to enter the White House.
But seeing how Palin wasted so much money for make up, without talking about the holidays... and how the Republican camp choose her to be the vice president for McCain , he ruined his hightest chances to take over Bush 's rocking chair.


But McCain defending Obama saying he would make a good president or envisaging returning to his old life and being the happier man in the world if he comes to lose the presidential tells a lot about McCain's confidence in his campaign.
Obama seems so much more confident than him. Of course the polls are in his advantage but it's as if McCain 's team and collaborators are politics refugee on their own country. This is strange.


The only chance for McCain to win now is a weak mobilization from Obama's voters during the j day most of all from the young voters and the reappareance of the racial question which just a few days before the election can be catastrophic for the image that Obama payed attention to built since the beginning.

Obama is the logic choice for an American after 8 years of Bush's policy.

This being said I'm not American, my english betrays me often, but find the two programs hard to apply.
To Reduce the Carbon dioxide emissions by 80 % below 1999 levels by 2050 ?
60 % below 1990 levels by 2050 ?

They sure can believe in

[Luminisk]

Originally Posted by cors8

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/1..._n_137710.html

I feel sorry for John McCain. His campaign is ruining him.

This is unbelievable, 08 Election will be historic in more than one way.
The McCain Campaign demonstrated that they not only drained of real currency but also moral currency.

[yezhanquan]

Voter turnout is the key. That, and how many votes get properly registered. When Time Magazine decides to run an article on how voting can become something akin to rocket science, I'm sure that there is a problem which needs solving, fast.

[Cherudim Arche]

Originally Posted by Luminisk

This is unbelievable, 08 Election will be historic in more than one way.
The McCain Campaign demonstrated that they not only lack real currency but moral currency.

Even the current Bush has better morality than McCain.

[einhorn303]

I wonder if there'll be any people with backwards J's (for John) on their cheeks in red sharpie marker in the coming weeks, as a small cheeky commentary on this whole Ashley Todd hoax fiasco.

[Cherudim Arche]

Originally Posted by einhorn303

I wonder if there'll be any people with backwards J's (for John) on their cheeks in red sharpie marker in the coming weeks, as a small cheeky commentary on this whole Ashley Todd hoax fiasco.

I highly doubt it unless they are very fanatical supporter of McCain or trying to stir up another fiasco.

[Luminisk]

I'm tired of this election, for a quite a while now actually.

I can only hope that after the dust has settled a state of mutual forgiveness will emerge, as all sides have said pretty nasty things about one another, because these are tough times and a nation divided by fear, hate, and resent will not be able face it effectively. A time of healing is needed before the US embarks on rebuilding itself.

[mg1942]

The far right won't let go on Obama, kinda like how the far left continued to hound Bush 2.0 for 8 years.

[nanafan]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

John McCain: Reformed Maverick

seen it, lol he contradicts what he was like in the past...wtf? who would make up something that stupid? i don't like mccain much, but now i feel a bit sorry for him... a video was also posted about a reporter going to mccain's volunteer place in florida, and those volunteers are paid..one of the volunteers gets all mad at the reporter....

[SaintessHeart]

As far as I know after this election will prove to be the downfall of US.

Yes they will still have the most technologically advanced military in the world, but that is of little advantage when less physical wars are fought. The Geneva Convention and ABM Pact already stifled many ways to wage war, and we all know that US has to be moral to maintain its image, unlike North Korea.

There might be 2 possibilities happening in this century as I predict...

1. US's downfall.
US falls from its world power status and lives in isolation from the rest of the world. The rest of the world, without US idealistic pragmatism (oxymoron intended) struggles to get back on its feet.

2. Rise Of The East
North Korea becomes a superpower after annexing the South, buys technodollars from Chinese black markets. It becomes the new US, albeit with less morality and technological advancement, but controls through fear using its Special Forces around the world, in which US, UK and Russia are the only ones able to counter. Wars become en-masse espionage wars, with hundreds of secret agents conducting assassinations on a daily basis on each others' agents and VIPs.

3. No More Oil
The oil companies around the world collapse one after another due to overblown debts, leaving the oilfields in the Middle East unattended and resulting in an oil war in that region. The people in there are not happy, forms a rebel group, and destroy the oilfields to deter countries and PMCs (hired by oil companies) from waging war on their region. Some idiot decides to take revenge on the rebels and proceeds to level the holy city of Mecca with a Daisycutter, further worsening the conflict.

4. Revolution of a New Resource
The lack of US control over the world economy worsens the world overall, until nanotechnology broke through and became revolutionary. Nanites are used for everything in the world, from production and to as a new energy source. 3 offspins will come off IMO......

- Nanotech implantation in everyone minds through a nanite storm, the human conciousness links together and humankind became a hive mind collective.

- Someone abuses the nanite technology and a nanite programming war wages, in which infrastructure are created and destroy rapidly in seconds. The rest of the world cannot take such a change and is rapidly destroyed.

- All the nanites were working fine until one day everything just stops working. Humankind enters a new Dark Age.

5. History repeats itself, at 2x the impact on our world (or Solar System).
Great Depression -> World War I -> World War II -> New Superweapon -> New technology/space/arms Race -> New Vietnam/Korean War -> <name the next important world event, I am too lazy to do so.>

I would say 5 is the most probable. History always repeats itself to remind what is most important to us, after all with our day-to-day hectic schedules, those are the things we tend to forget.

[nanafan]

i wonder what it will be like when america won't be a
"super power" anymore..hmmmmmm interesting thought

[Luminisk]

http://www.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=c5yG6...dSMzQwMDY4Mzg-

Get out and vote!

[Hari Michiru]

Originally Posted by nanafan

i wonder what it will be like when america won't be a
"super power" anymore..hmmmmmm interesting thought

It's already happening. Soon India and China will rise from the ashes of this economical downturn. OR, we can get another WW again...

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

As far as I know after this election will prove to be the downfall of US.

Not likely. The US has survived far worse and emerged ok. The US really isn't as divided as it seems. All the nasty politics aside, McCain and Obama really aren't that different on a lot of issues. There's a lot of common ground.

Yes they will still have the most technologically advanced military in the world, but that is of little advantage when less physical wars are fought. The Geneva Convention and ABM Pact already stifled many ways to wage war, and we all know that US has to be moral to maintain its image, unlike North Korea.

North Korea? Really?

There might be 2 possibilities happening in this century as I predict...

1. US's downfall.
US falls from its world power status and lives in isolation from the rest of the world. The rest of the world, without US idealistic pragmatism (oxymoron intended) struggles to get back on its feet.

Why do people believe this? Current eocnomic troubles aside, the US isn't weakening. The "decline" in American power isnt the US becoming less powerful, it's other nations gaining power and joining the US on top of the hill. Sure either way means the US simply won't be able to force it's agenda on the world for much longer, but it's not like the US is going to implode, unless this economic crisis becomes worse than the great depression.

2. Rise Of The East
North Korea becomes a superpower after annexing the South, buys technodollars from Chinese black markets. It becomes the new US, albeit with less morality and technological advancement, but controls through fear using its Special Forces around the world, in which US, UK and Russia are the only ones able to counter. Wars become en-masse espionage wars, with hundreds of secret agents conducting assassinations on a daily basis on each others' agents and VIPs.

The hell? China might be able to become a superpower, if it can overcome some internal problems currently brewing, even Japan if it changed the constitution to allow an offensive military and was able to secure trade deals for the resources it would need, but North Korea? How exactly are they going to annex South Korea, a country with a larger population, much larger economy, a military much better equipped and almost as large, and who would likely get support from every major player in the region, let alone that other stuff?

3. No More Oil
The oil companies around the world collapse one after another due to overblown debts, leaving the oilfields in the Middle East unattended and resulting in an oil war in that region. The people in there are not happy, forms a rebel group, and destroy the oilfields to deter countries and PMCs (hired by oil companies) from waging war on their region. Some idiot decides to take revenge on the rebels and proceeds to level the holy city of Mecca with a Daisycutter, further worsening the conflict.

Oil companies don't have huge debts. If there are going to be energy wars, it'll be because we're running out of oil, not because there are huge fields that are untapped because of local conflict.

4. Revolution of a New Resource
The lack of US control over the world economy worsens the world overall, until nanotechnology broke through and became revolutionary. Nanites are used for everything in the world, from production and to as a new energy source. 3 offspins will come off IMO......

- Nanotech implantation in everyone minds through a nanite storm, the human conciousness links together and humankind became a hive mind collective.

- Someone abuses the nanite technology and a nanite programming war wages, in which infrastructure are created and destroy rapidly in seconds. The rest of the world cannot take such a change and is rapidly destroyed.

- All the nanites were working fine until one day everything just stops working. Humankind enters a new Dark Age.

That makes no sense.

5. History repeats itself, at 2x the impact on our world (or Solar System).
Great Depression -> World War I -> World War II -> New Superweapon -> New technology/space/arms Race -> New Vietnam/Korean War -> <name the next important world event, I am too lazy to do so.>

I would say 5 is the most probable. History always repeats itself to remind what is most important to us, after all with our day-to-day hectic schedules, those are the things we tend to forget.

Your timeline is way off there.

[Daggett]

Originally Posted by Hari Michiru

Soon India and China will rise from the ashes of this economical downturn.

But that doesn't mean, that the United States won't be a superpower anymore.

The whole "United states predominance in the world is now over" is all blown something out of proportion. I'd say that the U.S. will be a or the major player in international politics and most powerful states und institutions like the E.U. will still co-operate with the United States as an equivalent partner, even if China and India or some other state will be more powerful than now. 'Experts' have prognosed the death of the United State for a long time now and it's still 'alive'. Possible future superpowers named by this 'experts' back then (f.e. Saudi-Arabia and Japan) are still no real superpowers compared to the influence of the United States. Be it Obama or McCain who will be elected, it still will not cause the United States to go down.

I'm not really interested in American politics, but I like neither Obama nor McCain even the Libertarian party's candidate seems to be a conservative idiot this time. Not much of a choice here from _my_ point of view...

[mg1942]

USA just have to face the reality that everyone around them is rising... in the "Post American World."

USA will (always) remain competitive in a changing world.

more in detail...