The thing is that the world has a hard-on for Obama... Why? It's not as if John McCain is some tyrant who will follow in Bush's footsteps.

The world seems to think that Obama will do magical things on the world stage... Why? He has no international experience. He's the one who was squawking about pulling troops out of Iraq. What good would an unstable Iraq do the world? Sure, the US would be gone but then everyone would be left with an unstable country with massive oil reserves. Great idea. McCain is the one who fought for the Surge, which has now put Iraq in the position of possibly being a stable entity within a few years. Now we're hearing Obama talk about "responsible withdrawal"... Yeah, he could institute a responsible withdrawal... Thanks to McCain. A year ago, the rhetoric was a lot different from the Obama camp.

And wouldn't the world want an American president who isn't afraid to cross party lines to do what he feels is right? McCain's last two bills were co-sponsored by a former Democrat (Lieberman) and a current Democrat (Feingold). Obama, on the other hand, is looking to be a pretty strict partisan voter. On the *upside*, he hasn't been around long enough for us to really know. Oh, wait... That's a bad thing.

In short, if you agree with Obama's policies, good for you. I have yet to hear what they really are. But this worship of a man who talks a lot and really says nothing is discomforting. The world's infatuation with him is even more disturbing because, really, we have no idea what he's going to do on the world stage. It's all show, no go. With McCain, you get loads of experience, a willingness to be open and listen to opposing viewpoints, and a solid idea of what his plans for the future are. I don't particularly like McCain (well, not anymore) but the way people talk of Obama as a saint and persecute McCain is downright silly.

I'm not the one who started this dialogue with "He's got to be better than Mcain and don't try to argue differently."

There's the arrogant comment. I'm simply saying that, as Americans, it's our right to choose who we want to represent us, the world be damned. We're the ones who have to live with the prick we choose for four years. Yes, I realize that we affect the entire world but there's a lot more to it than that. We have to suffer through bad economies and shitty domestic policies, you don't.

I think all politics is silly. It's a roll of the dice no matter what. Anything they say or do now is completely irrelevant to what will happen when they are in office.

Absolutely. But at least with McCain, you have a history to base your opinions. I'm not saying that people shouldn't vote for Obama if they feel he is right, I'm simply saying that the world populace needs to take a step back and question why they're so in love with the man and whether it makes sense.

Absolutely, but then you'd be changing the long held shallow american tradition. Americans don't know jack about politics, they vote based on who they like personally. It's always been that way, Obama isn't the first and certainly won't be the last. It's the pitfall of democracy.

Luckily, it's a crapshoot. Even if america votes for a president based on his choice in suits, they've got just as good of a chance of getting a putz as if they voted for the guy in the terrible suit. Fatalistic perhaps, but with alot of truth.

Have you ever read the book "The drunkards Walk?" I highly recomend it. It's about how random influences and statistical anomolies have far more influence in our lives that determinable, controlable, predictable and sensical influences. Looking to the past to predict the future is often an incredibly flawed method. And while I'm not saying that a record should be ignored, under the right circumstances (and there could be so many) a record is quite irrelevant.

I don't really care who wins, or why. The results of either is completely unpredictable and thereby rather equal.

Edit:I figure I should throw in that I'm agreeing with rocketpig, and then just expounding on some things I said earlier.

American politics is looking more like a circus everyday.
With the ridicoulus ads from both side, if a candidate breaths in an incorrect way you can bet that it'll receive a political debate on cnn/fox/etc, ...

Why do you get all wrapped up in the fake drama? Anyone who has an opinion can have it published nowadays. The media will cover almost anything now. The internet is full of constant spin.


Quoted from http://network.sponscore.com/kickapps/_Whats-Wrong-With-American-Politics/BLOG/89645/41185.html

"Politics have moved in astounding new directions over the last century and a half. Imagine trying to explain a podcast to Abraham Lincoln. Now it’s a campaigning tool. But this does not get to any roots of the real problems. The modern public now has to accept a much more flawed president than any that have come before. Through the media everything about them gets exposed, mulled over, debated about, and examined at least one more time. Presidents of the past had none of these pressures to deal with. They could hide.

The media has turned the nomination and election processes into a joke. Twenty-four hour a day coverage, seven days a week, 365 days a year; has done irreparable damage to the political landscape, and people’s perceptions of reality. Gone are the days when audiences received concise reports, fit into a certain timeframe, with only the facts on delivery. Today’s coverage goes on indefinitely from live feeds and up to the minute coverage. Reporters often scrounge to ask pertinent questions off the top of their heads, in an effort to keep the momentum going. Generally, this only results in personal and mundane questions, like a news related reality show based on gossip and hearsay. There is nothing unusual about detecting a strong note of bias in the reporting style either. Political parties seem to have some say in the news’ content.

Lastly, politics have become a simple game of economics. The money talks almost louder than the candidates, or the voters. It does not make the process so interesting anymore. In this presidential election Barack Obama has raised more money than any other candidate in history. The sad part is, some other candidates like Hillary Clinton and John McCain raised astounding figures as well, simply shocking.

It appears that in the future the presidency will go to the best fundraiser, not the best candidate. Perhaps good fundraisers typically make the best leaders as well. Perhaps money does level the playing field and separate the weak from the strong. Perhaps money just fixes everything. Whichever way this trend ultimately takes the country; one thing is for sure. A skilled candidate cannot simply deliver a stirring oratory anymore, or rest on strong principles; but must lead people right into digging into their pockets and paying for their new leader. Handshakes and smiles alone just do not cut it anymore.

People should go out and speak up, vote, and display opinions with actions, instead of only funds. The world will not be able to afford buying its leaders forever. "

@ Rocketpig : wait, who do you think we should pick as Prime Minister? It looks like we could be having an election pretty damn soon.

Me!

O Canada...

Back on topic, Biden has a really hot daughter. Here is another pic:

I actually agree with pretty much everything you just said.