[Archived] US Presidential Election 2012

[BuckyRover]

I think Obama is going to win but it's going to be far closer than he would like. With a slightly more credible and solid Republican candidate Obama would be just serving the one term imo.

If he does get in he will be in one of the few Western governments to get re-elected since 2007. Think how many have been toppled since then. Impressive really

[RibbleValleyRover]

If he does get in he will be in one of the few Western governments to get re-elected since 2007. Think how many have been toppled since then. Impressive really

I think it is more a question of "What is the alternative?" If there was a credible alternative then I don't think Obama would stand a chance. He isn't as popular a president as you would think and he appears to be far more popular outside of America.

[BuckyRover]

I think it is more a question of "What is the alternative?" If there was a credible alternative then I don't think Obama would stand a chance. He isn't as popular a president as you would think and he appears to be far more popular outside of America.

Just highlighting that other governments (Spain, Italy, Greece, Spain, Ireland etc.) have all chosen new governments (some of them more than once). I don't imagine they all had credible alternatives. They were voted out in the most part (IMO) because they were the government and thus were blamed for the economic crises (even if it wasn't their fault)

[RibbleValleyRover]

From CNN:

The first nationwide exit poll results are in, and here's some preliminary data heading into election night:

60% of voters say the economy is the most important issue facing the country, followed by 15% who said the deficit, and 17% who said healthcare.

What's the most important candidate quality? 29% said "a vision for future," 28% said "share my values," 19% said "strong leader," and 20% said "cares about people.

"Who is more in touch with people like you? 52% said Obama and 44% said Romney.

Who would better handle the economy? 47% said Obama and 51% said Romney.

[dave birch]

Similar to Brazil, your economy has been held up because of mining supplying the Chinese explosion.

Given that the mining industry accounts for a small % of the total workforce and that our unemployment rate is something like 5.3% would tend to debunk that theory.

Whilst mining is a significant contributor to national income, it is not the sole reason for Australia doing well through the GFC.

The ALP via Hawke and Keating set in train changes to the regulations governing banks, floated the AU$, and set the economy up by giving the RBA the job of containing inflation.

The Aussie economy also survived the Asian crisis, from which the Japanese economy has not yet fully recovered. That was prior to the real burgeoning of the Indian and Chinese economies.

[SydneyRover]

CNN reports an exit poll from Ohio showing Obama ahead 51-48. It's a lot harder to claim oversampling with exit polls...

[BuckyRover]

CNN reports an exit poll from Ohio showing Obama ahead 51-48. It's a lot harder to claim oversampling with exit polls...

It's a liberal conspiracy

[SouthAussieRover]

Obama won't win. This morning there was a storm in a teacup when it was announced that a Q poll has Obama 5 points ahead in Ohio. Then it materialized that they sampled 37% Democrats and only 29% Republican, which is contrary to both 2008 and 2010 turnouts. When they have to fiddle the numbers to show an Obama lead, it means they're desperate.

Still confident Steve?

[SydneyRover]

This is much more entertaining when you watch Fox. They've wheeled out Sarah Palin and now Karl Rove. :lol:

[SydneyRover]

Rove is falling apart. Brilliant television.

[SouthAussieRover]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...canada-20233064

So its Obama for another term although early reports suggest the "Washington gridlock" will persist.

[dave birch]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...canada-20233064

So its Obama for another term although early reports suggest the "Washington gridlock" will persist.

Gridlock indeed. It's a wonder that anything gets done, just look at the "debt ceiling" debacle.

[dave birch]

Steve, one of the things I've learnt over the years is not put all my eggs in one basket.

As an outsider, the difference between Romney and Obama is miniscule. To me, the American political system seems to work against itself.

Perhaps you (as a nation) need to look at how you elect your politicians. The amount of money spent was mindblowing, and you do that every four years!

Finally,(and this is going to raise a few comments) less than 50% of eligible voters got off their backsides and made a statement. That is sad, when less than 50% care enough about the running of their country. Even if they had voted and said none deserves my support.

Any way, my best wishes to you and your fellow Americans, get out of your wars, use your economic might to defeat those that have ill will against you. It's a hell of a lot cheaper (in terms of deaths) than fighting a futile war.

[thenodrog]

Hard luck Steve Moss, you did your best. US politics is crap but thanks to TV too much emphasis is placed on a never ending supply of vacuous candidates who possess the now necessary qualifications of a full head of hair, a toothbrush smile and a gushing wife and kids instead of personality, strength and substance. btw the UK political circus is almost as bad!

Unfortunately Romney was imo the wrong man as I said previously. Would you buy a second hand car off him? Cos I wouldn't. I could never have voted for him cos to me he appeared flaky and belonged to a flaky religion. Just a thought BUT forget the economy and the health and the tax etc and consider with all the who ha about the unstable nut jobs in charge of Iran and Pakistan do we really want the man in charge of the worlds deadliest nuclear arsenal to be a staunch believer in life after death?

Moving on from the individual but the workings of modern democracy are fatally flawed. Two famous US mantra's from previous Presidents are working at odds with each other...."Government by the people, for the people" and "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what can you do for your country" are in direct conflict. The US just like the UK sees the triangle of votes skewed numerically toward the people who contribute least to the country with those who contribute most having the ledast influence. The principal of one man one vote has now become a recipe for disaster in the western world.

[philipl]

Phew what a relief.

We have a President in the White House, not a lying spinning opportunist. The World is MUCH safer today than it would have been under Romney.

Pretty substantial thrashing too 303-206.

Good advances by the left in the House elections too and the morons advocating rape pregnancies got shown the door. Looks like some of the more progressive propositions passed in a number of States so legalised pot and gay marriage becoming more common. All in all a good night.

[jim mk2]

End result, Romney will crush Obama this Tuesday.

Completely wrong, as you've been told time and again. If we can see it from this far away, why couldn't you ?

I hope you enjoy another 4 years with your right-wing President because to British eyes the Democratic party is to the right of our Conservative party. The idea that Obama and the Democrats are some sort of "socialist" (if only he were) is laughable.

Reaction here generally and I suspect around the world is a huge sigh of relief. Very few people want a Republican in the White House.

[philipl]

Looks like Karl Rove and George Will could not have been more wrong. Obama gets the biggest mandate since Reagan.

Fox was better watching than Comedy Central!

Andrew Sullivan pretty well got it right with this post:

It's been a long long slog these past five years of backing the skinny guy with the funny name. But this election, to my mind, is immensely more important than the breakthrough of 2008, after the catastrophe of Bush-Cheney. What it has done is rip open the complete epistemic closure on the Republican right about what America now is. It has revealed that Fox News, Drudge, and the rest have been engaged in a massive propaganda campaign to create an alternative reality and get the rest of us to go along.

But this president has never been a radical; he has always been a moderate; he has been immensely skilled at foreign policy, ended one war and won another, killed Osama bin Laden and saved the American auto industry, deflected a Second Great Depression and initated universal access to healthcare. He has presided over a civil rights revolution and the beginning of the end of prohibition of marijuana. He has created the new and durable coalition that was once Karl Rove's dream.

Americans saw this. They were not fooled. And they made the right call, as they usually do. What was defeated tonight was not just Romney, a hollow cynic, but a whole mountain of mendacity and delusion. That sound you hear is the cognitive dissonance ringing in the ears of ideologues and cynics. Any true conservative longs for that sound, the sound of reality arriving to pierce through fantasy and fanaticism.

We are the ones we have been waiting for. And now we have entrenched it deeply in the history of America and the world. That matters. May the next four years make it matter even more.

[dave birch]

Looks like Karl Rove and George Will could not have been more wrong. Obama gets the biggest mandate since Reagan.

Fox was better watching than Comedy Central!

Andrew Sullivan pretty well got it right with this post:

It's been a long long slog these past five years of backing the skinny guy with the funny name. But this election, to my mind, is immensely more important than the breakthrough of 2008, after the catastrophe of Bush-Cheney. What it has done is rip open the complete epistemic closure on the Republican right about what America now is. It has revealed that Fox News, Drudge, and the rest have been engaged in a massive propaganda campaign to create an alternative reality and get the rest of us to go along.

But this president has never been a radical; he has always been a moderate; he has been immensely skilled at foreign policy, ended one war and won another, killed Osama bin Laden and saved the American auto industry, deflected a Second Great Depression and initated universal access to healthcare. He has presided over a civil rights revolution and the beginning of the end of prohibition of marijuana. He has created the new and durable coalition that was once Karl Rove's dream.

Americans saw this. They were not fooled. And they made the right call, as they usually do. What was defeated tonight was not just Romney, a hollow cynic, but a whole mountain of mendacity and delusion. That sound you hear is the cognitive dissonance ringing in the ears of ideologues and cynics. Any true conservative longs for that sound, the sound of reality arriving to pierce through fantasy and fanaticism.

We are the ones we have been waiting for. And now we have entrenched it deeply in the history of America and the world. That matters. May the next four years make it matter even more.

Please, phillip, there was no winner tonight, if there was, it was inertia, for that is what the US political system is.

Andrew Sullivan is describing his side of politics as Steve described his. Sullivan highlighted one thing that Obama did. In four years! That is the testament of the US political system

No, there was no winner, just a few nudges one way or the other.

As China grows, the US diminishes, just as the US grew and the UK diminished.

We (the rest of the world) will have another four years of the same old same old out of the US.

[BuckyRover]

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/11/trump-is-election-nights-most-unhinged-goper.html

[thenodrog]

Phew what a relief.

We have a President in the White House, not a lying spinning opportunist. The World is MUCH safer today than it would have been under Romney.

Pretty substantial thrashing too 303-206.

Good advances by the left in the House elections too and the morons advocating rape pregnancies got shown the door. Looks like some of the more progressive propositions passed in a number of States so legalised pot and gay marriage becoming more common. All in all a good night.

You were doing OK until your final paragraph. Could you please explain....

1. to anybody under 45 what 'pot' is?

2. What is the purpose of legalising homosexual marriage and why would it be good?

[thenodrog]

Looks like Karl Rove and George Will could not have been more wrong. Obama gets the biggest mandate since Reagan.

Fox was better watching than Comedy Central!

Andrew Sullivan pretty well got it right with this post:

It's been a long long slog these past five years of backing the skinny guy with the funny name. But this election, to my mind, is immensely more important than the breakthrough of 2008, after the catastrophe of Bush-Cheney. What it has done is rip open the complete epistemic closure on the Republican right about what America now is. It has revealed that Fox News, Drudge, and the rest have been engaged in a massive propaganda campaign to create an alternative reality and get the rest of us to go along.

But this president has never been a radical; he has always been a moderate; he has been immensely skilled at foreign policy, ended one war and won another, killed Osama bin Laden and saved the American auto industry, deflected a Second Great Depression and initated universal access to healthcare. He has presided over a civil rights revolution and the beginning of the end of prohibition of marijuana. He has created the new and durable coalition that was once Karl Rove's dream.

Americans saw this. They were not fooled. And they made the right call, as they usually do. What was defeated tonight was not just Romney, a hollow cynic, but a whole mountain of mendacity and delusion. That sound you hear is the cognitive dissonance ringing in the ears of ideologues and cynics. Any true conservative longs for that sound, the sound of reality arriving to pierce through fantasy and fanaticism.

We are the ones we have been waiting for. And now we have entrenched it deeply in the history of America and the world. That matters. May the next four years make it matter even more.

What a load of balls! If he were right only a dose of kryptonite could have prevented Obama winning.

[SouthAussieRover]

Looks like Karl Rove and George Will could not have been more wrong. Obama gets the biggest mandate since Reagan.

WTF PhilipL.

You must be constantly dizzy, given the amount of spin you put on any story.

[Amo]

But this president has never been a radical; he has always been a moderate; he has been immensely skilled at foreign policy, ended one war and won another, killed Osama bin Laden and saved the American auto industry, deflected a Second Great Depression and initated universal access to healthcare. He has presided over a civil rights revolution and the beginning of the end of prohibition of marijuana. He has created the new and durable coalition that was once Karl Rove's dream.

Ahahahahaha.

[Mike E]

You were doing OK until your final paragraph. Could you please explain....

1. to anybody under 45 what 'pot' is?

2. What is the purpose of legalising homosexual marriage and why would it be good?

Because it gives gay people the same rights as straight people. Or 'normal' as you like to say.

[thenodrog]

Because it gives gay people the same rights as straight people. Or 'normal' as you like to say.

For what purpose exactly? Lots of heterosexual people don't feel any need to marry do they?

btw I do like to be accurate whenever possible ...... http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/normal?q=normal