you know what I find really strange?

[Keith]

I don't recall us discussing the American elections at all. By the time you read this, it will all be over!

Hopefully, by the time I awake, 'we' will have a black man in charge of the most powerful country in the world.

God help us if we have a really nice, doddery old fella and his
warmongering...
'anti-abortion even if you were raped'...
shoot it cause it moves...
'I care about poor black people, look, I spent $150,000 on clothes, that keeps poor black people in jobs doesn't it?'...
'sack my ex-brother-in-law or I sack you...

bitch from hell running mate...

[Keith]

still awake in time to see the result, thankfully...

crazy lady is gone!

[Keith]

Gracious McCain, statesman like Obama... and a puppy for the kids at the White House. Genuinely a shame his grandmother didn't live a few more days.

[P/T Indie]

If I have read it right McCain was only 4.7% behind in the popular vote. Now considering he is from the same party as Bush that is not a bad effort you think everyone would just think we're voting for the other lot this time and he would be much further behind.

I really don't get the voting system over there

[Heysham_Shrimp]

I don't recall us discussing the American elections at all. By the time you read this, it will all be over!

Hopefully, by the time I awake, 'we' will have a black man in charge of the most powerful country in the world.

God help us if we have a really nice, doddery old fella and his
warmongering...
'anti-abortion even if you were raped'...
shoot it cause it moves...
'I care about poor black people, look, I spent $150,000 on clothes, that keeps poor black people in jobs doesn't it?'...
'sack my ex-brother-in-law or I sack you...

bitch from hell running mate...

Just to add a bit of balance it could be said that "the "really nice , doddery old fella" sacrificed several years of his life as a prisoner of war in the Vietnam war, a war which was started under a Democratic president.

[wijit]

Wasn't a voluntary thing though was it? I mean, it wasn't any sense of patriotism that made him join up.
And tthat certainly wouldn't balance up the sort of leadership they'd suffer from with him and Psycho-Bitch running the place!

[Heysham_Shrimp]

Wasn't a voluntary thing though was it? I mean, it wasn't any sense of patriotism that made him join up.
And tthat certainly wouldn't balance up the sort of leadership they'd suffer from with him and Psycho-Bitch running the place!

So you know for certain that McCain was drafted and not already in the forces do you?
He must have made a meteoric rise from conscript to Captain.
When his captors found out who he was they offered him early release which he refused as he didn't want to get favourable treatment and leave his comrades in jail.
A remarkably brave man who probably had little say in picking his running mate which was a big mistake.

[Keith]

Just to add a bit of balance it could be said that "the "really nice , doddery old fella" sacrificed several years of his life as a prisoner of war in the Vietnam war, a war which was started under a Democratic president.

If you were going to 'add a bit of balance' it should be to the 'bitch from hell' part of my post! The point of the 'doddery old fella' comment is that there would be a high chance that the bitch from hell would have become President at some point over the next four years, simply because McCain is in his seventies. Shame he wasn't the Republican nomination eight years ago.

Saw this last night when I got in and thought "I hope someone is recording this for Youtube"... Gore Vidal, arrogant AND drunk?
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=k2L8iUHZ2sY&fmt=18

[Posh]

If I have read it right McCain was only 4.7% behind in the popular vote. Now considering he is from the same party as Bush that is not a bad effort you think everyone would just think we're voting for the other lot this time and he would be much further behind.

I really don't get the voting system over there

The Labour Party got 51% of the popular vote in the 1951 election (the highest ever share of the popular vote in a UK election) and lost.

As for your other point McCain fought the campaign as being independently-minded and a maverick in order to distance himself as much as possible from George Bush and 'Washington Republicans'. He really had no other choice. If George Bush had turned up a single rally he would have sunk without trace.

[Keith]

...McCain fought the campaign as being independently-minded and a maverick in order to distance himself as much as possible from George Bush and 'Washington Republicans'.

And the only reason a 'maverick' was allowed to run for the Republicans is that anyone with serious ambitions didn't want to come forward this time.

[Ady]

Wasn't a voluntary thing though was it? I mean, it wasn't any sense of patriotism that made him join up.
And tthat certainly wouldn't balance up the sort of leadership they'd suffer from with him and Psycho-Bitch running the place!

So you know for certain that McCain was drafted and not already in the forces do you?
He must have made a meteoric rise from conscript to Captain.
When his captors found out who he was they offered him early release which he refused as he didn't want to get favourable treatment and leave his comrades in jail.
A remarkably brave man who probably had little say in picking his running mate which was a big mistake.

John Mcain volunteered for the Navy. His grandfather and father were both admirals in the navy. He wasn't drafted and joined the navy before the Vietnam war. He was actually a pilot who was going to drop battleground nukes on Cuba if the Missile Crisis had gone south. He also went to the US Naval Academy so he wasn't a conscript when he joined, he was already officer class.

[outsider]

not ANOTHER thread of arguments

I don't recall us discussing the American elections at all.

[Keith]

it's what shrimpsvoices does best! And it's better than arguing about something important... like Morecambe FC!

[thegentlegiant]

Its good for america the first black president....but unfortuantly can't see him being in power long....There are so many idiots in America that don't agree with this...I think its about time and think he will be the change that America needed!!!!!

[steve mfc]

Will there be change, Obama has said he will use diplomacy to meet the needs of the 21st Century, so far so good.

When it comes to Iraq he talks about successfully ending the war and removing the troops in a responsible and phased manner, not much new there.

On Israel he will ensure a strong U.S. Israel partnership. Support Israel's right to self defence, support foreign assistance to Israel to include both economic and military aid. Definitely no change there.

It looks like there might be some change in domestic policy, but it seems the new president still sees the united states of America as the "policeman of the world", so as far as foreign policy goes it will probably be the same old story.