Who will be the next President of the United States?

[August]

Originally Posted by Peto

PS. The last 8 years may well have reawoken a sleeping giant. Lets all pray he's in a reasonable state of mind when he gets out of bed.

Not to discount your theory but i've been hearing much the same things since the Nixon administration. Young people are always reported to be fired up but come election day most of them can't be bothered to turn off the TV long enough to go vote.

[Peto]

And yet, there they were in Iowa... Typically, I would agree with you.

[August]

Originally Posted by Peto

And yet, there they were in Iowa... Typically, I would agree with you.

This is only the first of the state primaries. We got a long way to go before the actual election...

[Jimbuna]

Considering what little I know and understand about US politics Peto, I think your points are truly valid and certainly come across as sensible in there meaning to me
But as August said, there is still "a long way to go"

I follow events with much curiosity and interest

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Peto

She'll be around but I think Obama will win. Why? Change is the buzz word for this campaign and will continue to be. The last 8 years have woken up many politically sleepy Americans (about time something did) and many are waking because it is change that they want.

Hillary isn't as much of a change as Obama. Yes--she's a woman and that would be "something completely different" (based as much on her political views as gender) but she has been around and in the White House before. To much risk of no change.

Obama is African-American, Young, hasn't been around long enough to owe special interest groups and actually does want to change the flavor of the political coffee. His lack of experience (I believe) will actually work in his favor in the Presidential Campaign. Less Washington experience = a Higher Probabilty of Change.

I agree on your general line. However, I want to add one thing about Obama, my subjective impression of him. He adresses the wishes of the people for change, yes, he serves them what they want. But behind his facade I got the impression he is one of the most ice-cold power-hungry sharks of the whloe bunch currently in the race, counting both Republicans and Democrats. I do not trust any of the candidates in this race, but I think he is one of the most dangerous ones. His facade is almost perfect. Too perfect, for my taste. It triggers my alert.

A german newspaper today said "Amerika ist die Rechthaber satt." (America is browned of with know-it-alls). In his rethorics, Obama cleverly avoides to give an impression to be a know-it-all, like Huckabee and Giuliani also avoid that impression and sometimes playing the innocent lamb. At the same time Obama is able to turn around any personal criticism against him and dark spots on his past biography and counterattack by letting the attacker appear in a bad light for having attacked him. A mentally extremely flexible Teflon blender he is.

He probably has excellent chances for making it into office. But that does not change my attitude towards him.

Glad I must not vote in this election at all. the candidates, I would sink them all in the ocean, and America's political dynasties as well.

[Peto]

Well, you all cerainly have good points. And there sure is a long way to go (we'll all be pretty sick of campaigning by November I'm sure).

@ Skybird: You don't trust any of the Candidates in this Presidential race?!? Well--I respect that!!!! After all, what kind of person would want to step into that job at this time.... The lure of power, of changing things, of creating a New New World? That's what my "Sleeping Giant" statement refers to.

I don't know who will win. It might even be somebody who hasn't begun to campaign. There are a lot of Wild Cards yet to be played.

:hmm:

[AVGWarhawk]

Peto:

Change is the buzz word for this campaign and will continue to be.

You nailed it right on the head. Romney said it best. The people want change not just a change of seats. That is all we will get if Hillary is elected...a change of seats only. The status quo is just not working anymore. There needs to be new thinking in Washington. We have been Clinton'd and Bush'd to death. We need fresh thought. The only problem, Washington will not allow it.

I betting Obama will be in it hard and possible to take it all. I think we are in big trouble is Hillary is elected. We can not afford Hillary. We also can not afford another Clinton disgracing the presidency. One of Bill's great legacys. What blue dress????? Spot????

[dean_acheson]

After watching the debates tonight.

McCain: "Well Governor, we'll agree on one thing, you are the candidate of change."

That was the line of the night.

Fred did well, McCain looked happy to be out of Iowa.

Ron Paul looked medicated.

Hillary, besides the one angry outburst, did well.

Obama looked a bit tired. Edwards looked... like somebody who doesn't care much for free markets.

Did you guys know that Bill Richardson was a governor? Or that Ron Paul thinks the war in Iraq is the reason that the United States isn't utopia on earth?

[Skybird]

Insightful especially for people on my side of the pond, who may occasionally wonder why the American presidential election circus is such a blown-up show, and why - in european understanding - harmless scandals like the Lewinski job can cause so much uproar in America:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7171581.stm

[Tchocky]

A nice quote

Originally Posted by Barack Obama

I think if you don’t have enough self-awareness to see the element of megalomania involved in thinking you can be President then you probably shouldn’t be President. . .There’s a slight madness to thinking you should be the leader of the free world.

[dean_acheson]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Insightful especially for people on my side of the pond, who may occasionally wonder why the American presidential election circus is such a blown-up show, and why - in european understanding - harmless scandals like the Lewinski job can cause so much uproar in America:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7171581.stm

It was a scandal, because he's a lawyer, and he lied to a grand jury.

[Skybird]

Nobody of honour of course would ever try to lie in order to hide his little fella hanging out of his trousers. Considering that this was blown up (pardon the joke) like some very much more seriously lies from office when it came to milliuons of dollars, wars and intel surveillance of another political party, Clinton's libido was a very nation-shaking problem for a change - potentially threatening and US-killing enough as that until the very day of the present every democratic politicians must be brought into connection with it, and must be warned of not behaving like this bad, bad fella.

The wonderous miracle world of political priorities. Nobody talks of Nixon and Watergate anymore. But Clinton and is smaller ego - omg, he tried to hide his mishap! What a criminal offender! Tell your children! Let future generations know, foreva!

[Onkel Neal]

Yep. Morals, they ain't for everybody.

[Peto]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Yep. Morals, they ain't for everybody.

That's right. I gave mine up for lent a few years ago and never looked back .

Seriously--all Clinton really needed to do is confess. It would have been a short term mess that over the long haul would have been largely forgiven. It's the lying that made it a true scandal.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Yep. Morals, they ain't for everybody.

Yep. Considering questions of war and peace and lying about these as more important than a quickie in office and trying to hide it - how immoral!