U.S. Election Day

[Lyinginbedmon]

MEANWHILE

Being in England, I'm cognizant that pretty much everyone outside the US was rooting for Obama. However, divided as the US was over the matter, does anyone happen to know what the reaction "in house" (so to speak) was to that near-global opinion?

[Metcarfre]

Mostly indifference, I would imagine. Or disdain.

[AlexanderDitto]

MEANWHILE

Being in England, I'm cognizant that pretty much everyone outside the US was rooting for Obama. However, divided as the US was over the matter, does anyone happen to know what the reaction "in house" (so to speak) was to that near-global opinion?

Like everything. Democrats pointed to it as further proof Obama would be good for the country. Republicans either ignored it (most), or, in the case of the crazies, derided it, twisting it around and claiming that it underscores the fact that he's a failure on foreign policy, that we're somehow "not respected" in the world because of it. I'm sure it'd be pretty easy to find clips of Fox News pundits claiming that our global respect rating is at an all time low (when that's demonstrably untrue).

Because apparently if everyone's not pissed off at us, ultraconservatives aren't happy.

[Kapol]

I remember seeing a poll shortly before the election where 27 countries were polled and the only one who chose Romney was China. Sadly I've been unable to relocate it.

[AdmiralMemo]

With a few specific exceptions, it's my opinion that Democrats typically have better foreign policy than Republicans. Also, conversely, with a few exceptions again, I believe that Republicans have better domestic policy than Democrats.

Hence, they should be working together, to form the best things... But they don't... Because they're politicians, and more importantly, mostly lawyers...

[Metcarfre]

I guess it depends what you mean by "best"... Democrats are relatively protectionist, for example, and Republicans tend to be bad for the economy.

[AdmiralMemo]

Well, as I said, it's just my opinion. I'm a social conservative and a fiscal moderate-to-liberal.

[Metcarfre]

Remember that a "moderate" American fiscal perspective is very conservative relative to the rest of the world.

[empath]

Bit of a non sequitur here, but something that occurred to me while my hands were busy with a routine task and my mind wandered:

With regards to the Electoral College, why are Electors even NECESSARY anymore?!? Each state has its own rules on how its electoral votes are distributed (first past the post gets all, distributed proportionally, etc.), and someone commented on the possibility of these entrusted people going against those rules which brought forth the information that very strict regulations constrain them and severe penalties for malfeasance exist...

...but why BOTHER with all this crap?

1) the voting results for a state become a known fact,
2) the rules for how the state's Electoral Votes are applied are equally concrete,
3) the result should be automatic - anyone who can look at a list of numbers (in most cases down there, the list is only two entries long) and then look at the state's regs and come to the obvious conclusion.

There's no NEED for this 'middleman' to stand between #1 and #3 and 'interpret' #2!

[Lord Hosk]

The most Fed up thing... its a paid position.

[Master Gunner]

Ah, jobs. That explains it.

[Lord Hosk]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/secession-petitions-now-filed-50-states-183500440.html

ALL 50 STATES!

the entire country now wants to quit the country, FTW!

What terrible timing for feed dump.

[Metcarfre]

what if they all band together it will ttly work.

[Lord Hosk]

Thats brilliant!

I was kinda hoping that you Canadians could also file secession requests.

[Metcarfre]

Been there, done that.

[Lord Hosk]

no no, you need file requests to secede from the united states.

[Metcarfre]

But your milk is so cheap and full of hormones!

[empath]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/secession-petitions-now-filed-50-states-183500440.html

ALL 50 STATES!

the entire country now wants to quit the country, FTW!

What terrible timing for feed dump.

Aw; I feel bad for poor Puerto Rico; just as it's decided to join the Union...






Oh, this too:

"How The (American) Civil War Began"

[AdmiralMemo]

What terrible timing for feed dump.

I'm pretty sure that with Desert Bus coming up, Feed Dump will be filmed quite early. Therefore, it might be just in time.

[JackSlack]

Texas doesn't have a legal option to secede, but it DOES have the right to split into smaller states, which it could use to try and force the issue. There ya go.

[JayBlanc]

Texas doesn't have a legal option to secede, but it DOES have the right to split into smaller states, which it could use to try and force the issue. There ya go.

Not strictly true, in that *all states* have the same right to divide themselves up into multiple states, or merge with other states, if their legislatures and congress approve. Texas's odd language in it's annexation documents is due to disputes over borders that would have seen it be an even larger state than it was taking up half of what is now New Mexico and part of Colorado. (And there's some issues around the souther slave state parity...)

[Lyinginbedmon]

I almost wouldn't mind seeing a second American civil war specifically within Texas. Most of the smart folk have already left it...which in turn probably explains a few things...

[Dubious_wolf]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/secession-petitions-now-filed-50-states-183500440.html

ALL 50 STATES!

the entire country now wants to quit the country, FTW!

What terrible timing for feed dump.

I like that gov. Rick Perry is back tracking now on his previous sea session comments. I wish we could vote the bastard out already. He's so useless.

[Dubious_wolf]

I almost wouldn't mind seeing a second American civil war specifically within Texas. Most of the smart folk have already left it...which in turn probably explains a few things...

Hey hey hey!
You watch yourself bud. >:(

[TheRocket]

We actually have quite a few forumites residing in Texas.... sooo...