Originally Posted by Peto

I think that Independants and 1st time voters will decide this election. Talk to a hundred of them from different areas and you can pick the winner of this election fairly easily (except for those who have yet to decide). Pollsters are asking the same group of people the same old questions this year (I've gotten a couple calls).
That ensures that the election appears close and they have job security as interest is so high this year.

What they don't realize is that the same old way of polling probably doesn't work so well this time. It leaves too many newcomers to the scene out of the picture and unrepresented by the numbers. There's an under-current running through the US that will have change regardless of who is in office. We're not so far from tipping-point of that happening now. What happens when Americans get too PO'd? It's in the history books. So whoever wins the election better deliver. (Pessimistic view but maybe not so far fetched. I'll leave the blanks unfilled in this one).

My predictiion: Come November, which ever side wins will win big. I seriously doubt there'll be any need for re-counts.

Normally I try to influence people's choice by information or drinking them under the table (coffee of course). Not this time. Many Independants are just watching and listening right now--saying that they haven't made up their mind. Some haven't, most have but won't tell. At this point, unless something in the debates changes what I've learned through quite a lot of reading and digging, my decision is made.

But I won't say what my decision is. I think many if not most Independants are doing this this year.

Undecided? :hmm: There's power in that word this year.

Originally Posted by Mikhayl

That's hardly "his whole time...when the congress isn't in session". This is really typical, people keep saying empty things like "Obama is handsome, he should be an actor not president arh arh arh" and in the same breath they complain that "it's a shame the electoral race isn't about the issues". Seriously, there's a LOT of things that you could shoot down in Obama's ideas so why resort to the same old same old chain emails that have circulated in different colours but same taste ever since internet got public ? That's not the idea I have of "intellectually stimulating".

Originally Posted by TDK1044

I think the dynamic is different now than it has been in any other election. Typically, people have always voted for the top of the ticket....not this time.

This time, the Democrats know that they need Biden's experience to complement Obama's eloquence and appeal. The Republicans know that Sarah Palin has totally energized the Republican base, and significantly reduced worries regarding John McCain's age and health.

This time it's the package that counts. The duo that most Americans believe will really make changes in Washington, will win the day.

A month ago, this was a done deal for the Democrats. Now, all bets are off and the 'Palin effect'' is in place. It's going to be a close one!:D

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

But, no matter who is selected...we are probably still screwed.

Originally Posted by Platapus

Sadly I think this is something we can all agree with. :yep:

Originally Posted by Mikhayl

Agreed, among others :)
I thought I exposed it, what is stimulating is talking about the issues, i.e what's Obama's or McCain's plan for health care, or for this and that, why do you think it's deemed to fail, what you're looking for etc. Lance makes annoyingly long posts but he gets into the politics part :D
Personnaly I'm mostly bothered about foreign policy and on that matter I would hate to have to vote between the two :damn:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Yep, it took 8 years to get here and certainly more than 4 is needed to straighten it out. But, we have to keep hope alive that someone, either Obama or McCain, takes the bull by the horns and sets us on the right path. In my heart of hearts, I really think Obama is sincere in what he says and what he wants to do. I feel the same for McCain. It is the red tape on Capitol Hill that creates the bottlen neck. No matter who makes the White House, they get my support in one form or another.

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Not my numbers Steve. Just a something I found. I have trouble with 2+2.

Originally Posted by USA Today

Under-30 voters came through in big numbers this year, with more than 20 million casting a ballot for president, researchers found. The turnout bested their 2000 showing by more than nine percentage points and heartened activists who worked to get young voters to the polls.


Researchers at the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement at the University of Maryland found that 18- to 29-year-old turnout was up by 4.6 million voters from exit poll data from the 2000 election.

They based their calculations on exit polls done for The Associated Press and others by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International.

The figures also beat exit poll numbers from 1992, the last time the youth vote spiked amid an otherwise general decline in turnout since 18-year-olds first got the chance to vote in 1972.

Turnout increased among other age groups, too, leaving young voters with roughly the same proportion of the total electorate nationally as in 2000. But activists who were part of an unprecedented effort to get out the vote — from Rock the Vote and Declare Yourself to the Youth Vote Coalition — felt that didn't detract from their accomplishment.

"To have beaten the '92 number is incredible," said Ivan Frishberg of the nonpartisan New Voters Project. Back then, Bill Clinton defeated the first President Bush.

This time, young voters were the only group that favored Democrat Kerry. The AP's exit polls found that under-30s favored Kerry over Bush, 55% to 44%, compared to a 48-46 edge for Al Gore in 2000.

Originally Posted by Mikhayl

Interesting point, I can see where it leads indeed. It seems the compulsive lawsuit tendancy is gaining ground slowly here too, as a result (only considering health care here) the insurances price for doctors have increased a lot in case they have to cover a suit, and so the doctors tend to raise their price too, even though there's still a handful of limitations. I didn't think about it but I guess that would a tough fight to kill that lawsuit illness. It seems people just can't accept that sh!t happens, there has to be someone responsible, and better someone with big money :damn:

Originally Posted by geetrue

You must be a writer for Saturday Night Live, uh asanovic?

Have you heard about those rumors that the young people are going to make a difference this election?

Originally Posted by TDK1044

What's going to be interesting here, is whether we're seeing a slightly enhanced bump in the poll numbers for the Republicans because of the novelty value of Sarah Palin at the convention, or whether a 'Sarah surge' is under way.

If it's the former, then we'll have a close race that's too close to call. If it's the latter, then the Messiah could be in trouble.

Originally Posted by Mikhayl

No no no, Palin is the only messiah, remember that Barack Hussein Osama is a prophet :D