American Elections - who's going to win?

[gerry]

Does anyone have a view on the American elections? If so, who will most likely win the Democratic primary and the Republican primary?

[mockney piers]

Most pundits seem to think McCain is practically a shoo-in for the republican nomination.

The other one seems too close to call. The momentum seems to be with Obabma, who seems to me a more decent politician, and the Kennedy endorsement must have helped. But it can all look oh so very different after super tuesday.

Was it the BBC bloke who suggested Obama may have flown too close to the sun?

In summary...breezes.

[gerry]

MP, interesting twist in the story how Obama and Hillary are now friends.....what a dream ticket that would be!!! How could the country resist having such a politically acceptable pres and vice pres.......I wonder if the deep south could live with it??

[mockney piers]

Ha ha, they could always secede...on second thoughts.

I don't believe for a second they're friends, I think the democrats weighed in and told them they could be risking both tickets by running personal/dirty campaigns.

A bit like how I hoped the brown blair factions would sink their party, but nooo Gordon came out all lovey dovey and rescued the election. Errr, or something

 

[gerry]

Correct...they are not friends in that sense, but as you say, for the sake of the election, they will do anything not to hand it to the republicans...don't you think? Hillary especially would feel cheated......again!!!

[mockney piers]

I don't know if you caught these on my beloved daily mash.

US electorate not ready to vote for harpy

Why are my eyes leaking?

[gerry]

That is hilarious....Romney also tied his dog on top of his car on a family holiday......is there really a choice????

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

I hope Obama gets it, Hilary seems as slimy as any of her male counterparts.

[gerry]

I'm sure being married to Bill helped to nourish that quality

[mockney piers]

For anyone to have made it into the senators office there has been some serious politicking going on. Noone gets that far by being earnest.

That said, it may (or may not) be possible to do good things once you've done it; think Carcetti.

LBJ really wanted to be the next FDR, but ended up the next Harry Truman and it basically killed him.

Obama's no angel, but in terms of the lesser of evils, I'd like him to win it, I think he could bring some positivity to a really rather f****d country.

[gerry]

I'm not sure he could be tough enough when called on.....shame Rudy dropped out. I would like to see a woman in the White House.....especially one who has been around the block a few times, and has the inside experience of having almost been there and done it. She was usually the voice in Bill's head for most of that time.

[mockney piers]

Personally I've had enough of 'tough'.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what's so intrinsically good about tough.

I'd much rather have measured, intelligent, or even, asking too much, wise.

[gerry]

Tough is necessary when pushed into a corner, or willing to take a stand on something....Tony Blair was not tough enough....a good diplomat, wise and intelligent, but not a tough leader. All of those qualities are necessary.....Bush is tough but stupid....very deadly combination.

[paragon]

I don't think there is any other option than to go Democrat. The tide was turning during Dubya's re-election but hadn't turned enough (arguably it had turned enough but the result didn't mirror that) For me it doesn't matter which democrat is elected but who they surround themselves with. HC will surround herself with the same people Billy boy did whereas Bazzer Obama, with limited history + favours oved etc, will be able to take more of an objective view and hopefully surround himself with a genuinelly centre left group of advisors. With zero foreign policy experience he is still in a better position to soften America's approach.

Bet he gets in and makes an Axis of evil speech within 2 months.

[mockney piers]

Hmm.

The mark of a leader is surely making good decisions. Including the decision not to do anything, a highly highly under-rated skill imho.

That decision may be easy, it may be a real bitch.

In bush's case I'm not even convinced he was that tough. It's easy to make a hard decision when you're stupid. If he'd have shown real resilience it would have been in thinking for himself and NOT following the cynical agenda of his advisors.

Likewise standing in rubble isn't tough, it's expedient. He was quick to stand in new york rubble, slooooow to stand in New Orleans rubble because it served him no purpose. Invading a country you've reduced to a third world status definitely isn't tough, that's just bullying, and as we all know bullies aren't tough, they're scared.

As for Blair, I'm inclined to agree with you, he baulked at a lot of decisions and he never dared take on Brown; but then I don't think he ever really knew what he was doing full stop frankly.

He was good with the speeches, he was good with the press, he could charm the voters, but apart from hand-waving desires for reform/change/progress/other synonyms to do with making stuff different than it was in 1997 (apparently), he hadn't the foggiest what or where that change/progress should go.

More handwaving, education, nhs, third way [pause...look profound, furrow brow furrow brow]. Competition, choice, accountability (unless your bribing arabs/party funders) [breathe deeply, act statesmanlike]

etc etc, you get my point....I'll shut up before I actually start winding myself up.

As for diplomacy I draw attention to this independent cover...that's not senisble diplomacy, and it sure as hell ain't the classic british 'balance-of-power' strategy.

 

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Damn that's depressing Mockers (The front page)

[mockney piers]

That was the Lebanon invasion a little while back, just to put it into context.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Oh ok, thought they were talking about the Isreali's and the Pelestinians!

[mockney piers]

Anyhow, sorry, there I go guns blazing again.

I entirely agree with your sentiment Paragon. I remember how depressing it was when Bush won a second term. I got about 20 emails from American friends apologising for their nation in the days that followed, but never underestimate the ability of the US electorate to vote for the god fearing warmonger. Religion has a great deal to answer for....err...no offence ;-P

[gerry]

Americans hate the war and are much worse off economically since the Republicans took over. That's all that matters right now. Bill delivered the goods, and putting Hillary in the White House will put Bill back there as well.

I think, as Paragon says, there is no other option.

MP Bush went into Iraq to finish a job his father started and failed.....and his advisers were dreamers.

[Gerrard]

Gerry - I think Bush went into Iraq to avenge for the 9/11 attacks and to gain some American interest in Iraqi oil. I think it had little to do with the first Gulf War.

[david_carnell]

Don't bank on a Republican backlash electing a Democrat president. McCain is vehmently anti-war and has the added benefit(?) of being a 'Nam veteran. The worse the war gets, the bigger an issue it becomes. This will play well for McCain. He's not tainted with the Bush regime and appeals to conservative Democrats. He'd be the dangerous candidate.

On a lighter note, classic footage of why American citizens should never be allowed to vote...

Be afraid, be very afraid.

[mockney piers]

- Korea

- Why Korea

- They're trouble

priceless

[david_carnell]

Can you point to Iran on a map?

Points to Australia

Wife nods in agreement.

Genius!

[mockney piers]

Now I think about it, I never realised how much bigger North Korea is than South Korea!

[points to Australia and Tasmania respectively]