New President......the Winner Is...

[MargaretR]

Originally Posted by andrewb

The last election was 2004. 2000 is another story.

It just shows how the register of electors is complex and open to unscrupulous manipulation

[garinda]

Colour shouldn't make one jot of difference to how a person can do the job, just as gender shouldn't.

The only problem will be that the person will have to prove themself more worthy, because of biggots.

[mani]

steel jack - not being funny - but oakland is a world famous black people's ghetto - if blacks werent the only ones commiting crimes there i'd be worried!

for any that arent aware gangster rapstars like to wear oakland as a badge of honour that they survived that area or they come from there eg tupac and the game.

yeah no one's sayin blacks are saints or sinners but its the person within not the skin color that determines what crimes they'll commit.

but as a black police officer said blacks will have to work twice harder to prove themselves

[garinda]

Originally Posted by steeljack

Without being seen as non PC , can anyone tell me the name of just one Black person who has reached the Presidency/Prime Ministership of his/her country and made a success of it?

Barack Obama is of mixed race, just as Presidents Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Harding, and Coolidge were.

Some of whom must have been successful.


http://www.geocities.com/cureworks1/5blkpres.htm

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by MargaretR

It just shows how the register of electors is complex and open to unscrupulous manipulation

They keep coming up with new fangled ideas for polling day, especially n the States, but to me what's wrong with putting your cross in a box next to your candidate of choice, its stood the test of time, there is no need to use machines that punch holes in cards (aka USA 2000), all you need is some one with half a brain to count the votes correctly

[Lolly]

Can anyone actually tell me how the election works? What are key states? I know that the winner is the the first to get 270 votes, but 270 votes from what?? It was in the paper yesterday: The American Presidential Elections for Dummies, and i still didnt understand it. lol

[Neil]

Originally Posted by jaysay

all you need is some one with half a brain to count the votes correctly

You must have been to enough counts to know why they tried to make the count done by machine

[tosh]

Originally Posted by jaysay

To be quite honest I'll be happy when the all shooting match is over, have never been able to get my head around American politics, in fact it bores me to death, roll on November 6th, I know its on the 4th, but it will be wall to wall her all the next day

i totally agree with you

[cashman]

Originally Posted by jaysay

To be quite honest I'll be happy when the all shooting match is over, have never been able to get my head around American politics, in fact it bores me to death, roll on November 6th, I know its on the 4th, but it will be wall to wall her all the next day

think yer missin summat mate, it will not be over on nov 6th, if obama wins, he will not be sworn in until Jan 2009, if he survives that long.

[West Ender]

The last time I really cared who became U S president is precisely 48 years ago. I knew zilch about American politics but I saw a debate on TV between Richard Nixon and a young Senator called Jack Kennedy. Charisma just oozed from the handsome Kennedy and I fell, ever so slightly, in love with him (bear in mind I was only 17). What's more, from that evening on, I knew he was going to win. There was a magic about him that I haven't seen since, and the Democrat banner he was representing was right for its time, with the equal rights question coming to the fore across the States.

Now, the equality that Kennedy endorsed may well have paid off. Obama looks like he has a good chance of being elected. If he wins, I wish him well but I fear for him too. They killed Jack Kennedy for, among other reforms, advancing the cause of the black American. The same factions are going to be gunning for a black president and, despite all the security, they'll find a way.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by West Ender

The same factions are going to be gunning for a black president and, despite all the security, they'll find a way.

Sadly you're not the only person to make that prediction.

It seems beyond ironic that the country that sees itself as the most democratic of nations, and has set itself up as the one to police our planet, by going to war against it's 'baddies' to fight for freedom, is on the eve of electing a President who many think will be assasinated because of the colour of his skin.

If I was voting it would be for Obama.

Of the two I think he'll make a better President, and I hope he is allowed to serve his full term.

His colour will make no difference to how he'll do the job, prejudice might though.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by garinda

Sadly you're not the only person to make that prediction.

It seems beyond ironic that the country that sees itself as the most democratic of nations, and has set itself up as the one to police our planet, by going to war against it's 'baddies' to fight for freedom, is on the eve of electing a President who many think will be assasinated because of the colour of his skin.

If I was voting it would be for Obama.

Of the two I think he'll make a better President, and I hope he is allowed to serve his full term.

His colour will make no difference to how he'll do the job, prejudice might though.

i hope he will be allowed to START his term if elected, but wouldn't put me house on it.

[carpon]

My only hope is that whoever takes office has some common sense and understanding and can do a better job than the guy who is leaving Pennsylvania Avenue. After watching Panorama tonight and some of the stats that were put accross in that programme, ( Afghanistan ) I hope whoever takes over from "dubbya" has both common sense and the steel to get such issues resolved. ( i.e. Iran, North Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan; and in an ever more emerging light, the Russians)

After all, where the Yanks go we will follow. Thay are and undoubtedly will continue to be, looked upon as the "policemen" of the modern world. Indesputably, we still owe the good old U.S. of A. a great deal from when they jumped on board in the last two world wars.But one fact remains. A war, (in whatever it's auspice) cannot be fought and won on two fronts.For proof of that read throughout history.

There are times when common sense and diplomacy will work and there are times when inevitably conflict will determine an outcome to difficult situations. Whoever get's the job for Uncle Sam, I just hope they can use a bit of common and try and resolve things without unnecessary bloodshed.

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by Lolly

Can anyone actually tell me how the election works? What are key states? I know that the winner is the the first to get 270 votes, but 270 votes from what?? It was in the paper yesterday: The American Presidential Elections for Dummies, and i still didnt understand it. lol

Here goes..

Each state has a number of electoral college votes, depending on how big the states population is. For example Florida has 27 votes, and Idaho 4. In most states getting the majority vote from the people, means you take all the states electoral college votes.

Then the one who gets to 270 wins the presidency.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Neil

You must have been to enough counts to know why they tried to make the count done by machine

To be quite honest Neil I've not been to that many counts, the last one was 1986 in Ossy Town Hall. I my early years in politics I went to every count, but in resent years it lost the magic, I much prefer having a pint than going to the count and now I don't get involved at all