U.S. election ...

[beautifullybree]

Just curious to hear from some of you over the presidential election so far? I personally feel like I'm having to try to chose between the lesser of two evils. I'm very respectful of everyone elses opinion and would gladly engage in friendly discussion. What does everyone think about Melania and Michelle's speaches being oddly similar? I think that It was a little too word for word for me to believe she didn't steal some of it.

 

[Pandora]

To me personally, I feel like America is going to have a horrible two years no matter whom ever wins. We get to fight about who is the least horrible person to run our country. My daughters and I are wishing that this year we are allowed to vote for your own dog, a friends horse, or a school's teacher. Anyone has to do better then what is up there right now. Do you know what will happen if no one votes this year beautifullybree ? I have always wondered about that. I would be willing to watch what America does when no one votes. That would be better to watch then all this crazy ideas! I am worried that we, as Americans are heading into doom. Now that idea would get anyone anxious about. (Please don't slam me for my own ideas. Thank you. )

 

[Alex]

Isn't it better the devil you know and the one with more experience? The speech that ripped off Michelle Obama was amateur and foolhardy. A proper campaign would never have allowed that and while they may blame a staffer, who is to say Melania decided to say those things herself? Either way it was unprofessional, as you quote someone in that situation.


Sadly, I don't feel Melania had that knowledge either as she said she admired Michelle Obama which is not the best thing to say at a Republican convention. Ultimately the choice will be in the halls of Congress; will they choose Trump and control him, or will they back Clinton because at least they know what she will do?

 

[hades_leae]

I'm tired of the election process. I thought the new president was going to be in office this January actually. I was fooled thinking the inauguration was this year because I thought the presidential campaigns lasted like 6 months or so, not almost 2 damn years.


Either person who is elected president, the nations is still going to have it's major problems and neither the Trumpster, or crooked Hillary can or will do anything about the nations worst problems. We have a national deficit that no president has dared to take on because we'll just raise the debt ceiling.

 

[Astrollo]

I once read a channeled message that said, "All that does not value life, above profit, will crumble." I think this election is proof that this channeler spoke the truth. I have never seen anything like this election and I have been around for almost 70 years. Suddenly, it is as if all the dirt that has been hidden is being exposed right before our eyes. And it is happening in both parties. And it is very tied to money and power.


It makes one wonder.. if we even need political parties. Why not have an election without any parties? Why can't the candidates go on TV and the internet and just tell us why they believe they would be the best choice? The two party system is very old. Maybe it's time to get rid of it. It seems to me they only exist to raise money and to have control over which candidates can run. I think after this election, "we the people" will either form a new party or two, or else just get rid of the whole "party" system altogether.

 

[Tshaka]

The 2016 U.S. Presidential election is the most historic and most important since the 1980 election when Ronald Reagan won. This election is between globalism in Hillary Clinton and populism in Donald Trump. The fate of this country for the next 60 years depend on this election. The most recent Brexit vote was a sign that times are changing and it is a political and cultural revolution happening right now in America. 2016 is 1776 all over again. Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States, the people have spoken.

 

[rootle]

Most people I know seem to have the same feeling of having to pick between the lesser of two evils. It's a terrible situation to be in for sure. But as a lot of people I know are pointing out on Facebook there are alternative options in the Green Party or the Libertarian party. While those parties are unlikely to win giving them your support allows you to have voted without feeling guilty and may help their party expand in the long term.

 

[beautifullybree]

To me personally' date=' I feel like America is going to have a horrible two years no matter whom ever wins. We get to fight about who is the least horrible person to run our country. My daughters and I are wishing that this year we are allowed to vote for your own dog, a friends horse, or a school's teacher. Anyone has to do better then what is up there right now. Do you know what will happen if no one votes this year beautifullybree ? I have always wondered about that. I would be willing to watch what America does when no one votes. That would be better to watch then all this crazy ideas! I am worried that we, as Americans are heading into doom. Now that idea would get anyone anxious about. (Please don't slam me for my own ideas. Thank you. )

I actually agree with you. Even though some people don't like him I've been wishing "can we just keep Obama". Even if that was solely based on his professionalism alone! The others just seem to be one step closer to doom. I personally won't be voting this year, because I don't think either choice is for me.

 

[beautifullybree]

It makes me wonder where the peoples thoughts counts on this. If so many people agree like most of you above then why are they even running. Obviously America isn't happy with the candidates.. Can we please get a redo this year?

 

[abonnen]

I think that we are getting screwed with our options with this election and feel the same that we are picking between two evils. I hope that our future will not be in danger and that society will not crumble after the election. I feel like this year is fueled by hate more then anything else.

 

[beautifullybree]

I've heard there is third choice the media doesn't want us to know about. I'm very interested in finding out if this is true and if I'm able to vote for him. If they keep the other people unknown how can we ever know to vote for them. I think the american people should stand together and demand other choices. Why do politicians make our vote for us if they don't listen to what we want!

 

[EntropiaAddict]

Most people I know seem to have the same feeling of having to pick between the lesser of two evils. It's a terrible situation to be in for sure. But as a lot of people I know are pointing out on Facebook there are alternative options in the Green Party or the Libertarian party. While those parties are unlikely to win giving them your support allows you to have voted without feeling guilty and may help their party expand in the long term.

While I love this thought process, I actually think it can be more harmful to our nation in the long run. With the current way that the voting process works, if you are a Republican and live in California (or a Democrat living in Texas) for example, you can vote for whoever you wish guilt free as your vote really doesn't hold any sway anyways... Texas will always be blue and California will always be red (as long as the electoral colleges exist). However, if you live in one of the swing-states, voting for a third party candidate can actually hurt the Republican or Democratic candidate for that state. Unfortunately, until the nation goes to a person by person count, those living in the swing-states are best off voting for the lesser of two evils in hopes that whichever they view as the greater evil doesn't get elected.

 

[Alex]

I've heard there is third choice the media doesn't want us to know about. I'm very interested in finding out if this is true and if I'm able to vote for him. If they keep the other people unknown how can we ever know to vote for them. I think the american people should stand together and demand other choices. Why do politicians make our vote for us if they don't listen to what we want!

I doubt there will be a third choice as an independent party would be leaving it very late to start a campaign, but think about it; if people voted what difference would it make? You vote to feel good or you vote for actual change? Voting for the Green Party may make you feel less guilty, but all you have done is weaken another party and this is why Gore lost to Bush because of a third party vote.


The electoral college will remain, and I can't see any reason why it should change, and any laws that allow it to, and thus it's down the them and the popular vote is really just for reference. Presidents have lost the popular vote before, but the only one that matters are those electoral college ones.

 

[beautifullybree]

I think the guys name is Gary Johnson and he is a Libertarian. I will be the first to admit I need to learn more about this topic. I don't even know anything about the libertarian party. I've actually never heard of it. One way or the other I'd at least like to know about my options.

 

[taco]

This election is like choosing between being hit in the face with a hammer or a sledgehammer, both options are pretty much the same and both options pretty much suck but one is going to hurt just a little bit less than the other.

 

[EntropiaAddict]

I doubt there will be a third choice as an independent party would be leaving it very late to start a campaign, but think about it; if people voted what difference would it make? You vote to feel good or you vote for actual change? Voting for the Green Party may make you feel less guilty, but all you have done is weaken another party and this is why Gore lost to Bush because of a third party vote.


The electoral college will remain, and I can't see any reason why it should change, and any laws that allow it to, and thus it's down the them and the popular vote is really just for reference. Presidents have lost the popular vote before, but the only one that matters are those electoral college ones.

This part right here is why I feel that the electoral college should go away. It is this (although it has only happened 2 or 3 times in election history) coupled with the fact that the electoral college is NOT required to vote with the popular vote for their state that bothers me, especially in this upcoming election where people are almost fanatical over their hate for one candidate or the other. To me, the electoral college should have gone away once America had the capability to process a vote-by-vote count in a reasonable amount of time. I also believe that voting results should be withheld until everyone has completed voting (close of the polls on the West coast). This last part is to avoid people having their vote swayed by what is happening in the rest of the country. Going to a vote-by-vote count seems to be the only way to truly make every vote count.

 

[Alex]

This part right here is why I feel that the electoral college should go away. It is this (although it has only happened 2 or 3 times in election history) coupled with the fact that the electoral college is NOT required to vote with the popular vote for their state that bothers me, especially in this upcoming election where people are almost fanatical over their hate for one candidate or the other. To me, the electoral college should have gone away once America had the capability to process a vote-by-vote count in a reasonable amount of time. I also believe that voting results should be withheld until everyone has completed voting (close of the polls on the West coast). This last part is to avoid people having their vote swayed by what is happening in the rest of the country. Going to a vote-by-vote count seems to be the only way to truly make every vote count.

I see the logic, however it's impractical in many senses as you can't force a state to all vote at the same time due to the time zones. How much would each election cost trying to manages a person to person vote, and it opens up more gates for rigging and fraud. Poorer people could be paid to vote, there would be more identity theft, and who would pay for it all and then the law would be introduced at some point on recounts.


The electoral college did adapt in the early days when there was more than one party, and they realized you couldn't really have a VP on the other side, but changes were possible because the men who wrote the Constitution were implementing them and were able to say "That's what I meant" and developed it around what worked for them. Change would be unlikely as it would require some amendments, and then people will start calling for things such changing the rule so a President can be non-American born and the like. As it stands in this case the electoral college may well prevent someone unqualified from taking office, and if it had been left to the popular vote, well let's say money can talk.

 

[EntropiaAddict]

This part right here is why I feel that the electoral college should go away. It is this (although it has only happened 2 or 3 times in election history) coupled with the fact that the electoral college is NOT required to vote with the popular vote for their state that bothers me, especially in this upcoming election where people are almost fanatical over their hate for one candidate or the other. To me, the electoral college should have gone away once America had the capability to process a vote-by-vote count in a reasonable amount of time. I also believe that voting results should be withheld until everyone has completed voting (close of the polls on the West coast). This last part is to avoid people having their vote swayed by what is happening in the rest of the country. Going to a vote-by-vote count seems to be the only way to truly make every vote count.

I see the logic, however it's impractical in many senses as you can't force a state to all vote at the same time due to the time zones. How much would each election cost trying to manages a person to person vote, and it opens up more gates for rigging and fraud. Poorer people could be paid to vote, there would be more identity theft, and who would pay for it all and then the law would be introduced at some point on recounts.


The electoral college did adapt in the early days when there was more than one party, and they realized you couldn't really have a VP on the other side, but changes were possible because the men who wrote the Constitution were implementing them and were able to say "That's what I meant" and developed it around what worked for them. Change would be unlikely as it would require some amendments, and then people will start calling for things such changing the rule so a President can be non-American born and the like. As it stands in this case the electoral college may well prevent someone unqualified from taking office, and if it had been left to the popular vote, well let's say money can talk.

The points on rigging and fraud, identity theft (for those old enough to remember when people used to claim pets as dependents on taxes prior to SSN's being required), and changing the laws make a lot of sense. I would argue that money talks now just as much as it would in a person by person vote. The only difference would be in who directly received the money from "paying" for votes. While I believe that we have the right idea and one of the better systems in the world for elections, I still feel that there are a lot of problems with it that need to be addressed... corruption within being one of the biggest (though I realize there is no easy answer to fixing this).

 

[LovelyLiz]

It's actually a Green Party policy to abolish the electoral college, and elect the President purely on the popular vote - so it could be worthwhile voting Green to help promote that policy, amongst others.


Personally I'm terrified of a Trump presidency. Clinton will be awful, but in the normal Obama - Bush spectrum. (Obama expanded the use of drones, and the reclassification of civilians as terrorists, so he's hardly an idealist.) Trump will be off the scale though - he's talked about putting his sister on the Supreme Court, his daughter in the Cabinet, has asked why America doesn't use nukes in war, didn't seem to realise that Russia has already invaded Crimea, and on top of all his ignorance, he's arrogant that he's 'the best' at everything.