USA Election: TGiO!

[Kingfish]

Starting this thread early cos – I just voted! It’s done. Now – I wait < 24 hours to file it for free at the public repository in City Hall that looks striking like a recycle bin.

I don’t know about you - but my time is precious: Between October 24 to November 3, I received no less than 22 unanswered robot calls on my business line. I can’t tell you how many when unreported because caught the incoming call with CallerID and promptly hung up before the report could be generated. There’s a Law here that prevents solicitation in any form on my line, but it poorly enforced. I have Call-Blocking, but it won’t allow me to block calls from charities/NfP and political parties. Some of the calls made it to my answering machine: A few were quite professional, clear, well-framed, and concise, whilst at the other end of the spectrum was a scratchy garbled message – like it was recorded over a cellphone with poor reception to a remote dialing host and using two child-like sounding actors.

Of the 22 reported, one faked the caller number, and three faked the caller name, and one called four times over four days. Reviewing the Law, it says exempt parties may call up to twice a day! Obviously these lawmakers have never been at the receiving end. :x

With 16 hours to go, I cannot wait for this process to be finished so that I can get some semblance of normality back to my obscure life.

I don’t need to know who you voted for, but I am curious if you have voted already, and by what method.

May the best candidate win, KF

 

[EMF]

My wife and I voted early as well. We used the mail in ballot, but we went ahead and dropped it off. We had one caller tell us, that until we did, they would not remove us from the call list.

Once we voted- the calls really tapered off - almost instantly. I just get 1-2 calls a day and the same with emails. They want volunteers to help get the vote out. I was a bit shocked how quickly they knew I voted and even had my email address and could tie it to the name so accurately. I think the first one hit within 24-48 hours.

Prior to that, we were inundated daily. So, I am going to vote early from now on!

 

[dnmun]

Bama beat LSU so now we just need to get the O across the goal line too. OBAMA!

finally got to vote yes on legalization!!! you cannot imagine how great this is. i still remember from the '60s when i knew of people whose lives were ruined by long sentences for nothing more than possession.

i am so amazed to see how many intelligent people think that pot is addicting and harmful. just amazed. almost intelligent people.

 

[Jeremy Harris]

I can't wait till this show is over.............

Why the internet is to be assumed to be American and everyone in the world that uses it is assumed to be as interested in the election of the US President as some citizens of the US, is beyond me. Even this strongly multi-national forum seems to be over-run with US election arguments, multiple threads etc, with no regard for the fact that hundreds of forum members probably aren't that interested in what happens thousands of miles away from them.

Did you see multiple threads on here when we had our general election a couple of years ago? No.

Did you see multiple threads on here when Australia elected their government 2 years ago? No.

Did you see multiple threads on here when Canada elected its government a year and half ago? No.

The same goes for pretty much every other country represented here. Unlike some citizens of the US the citizens of other countries don't, in the main, automatically assume that everyone on any forum anywhere on the internet will be interested in their domestic politics

 

[The fingers]

My wife and I voted early as well. We used the mail in ballot, but we went ahead and dropped it off. We had one caller tell us, that until we did, they would not remove us from the call list.

Once we voted- the calls really tapered off - almost instantly. I just get 1-2 calls a day and the same with emails. They want volunteers to help get the vote out. I was a bit shocked how quickly they knew I voted and even had my email address and could tie it to the name so accurately. I think the first one hit within 24-48 hours.

Prior to that, we were inundated daily. So, I am going to vote early from now on!

Now that you mention it...........

 

[dnmun]

i learned something during this election cycle. it turns out that chester b arthur was the only canadian president we ever had. turns out he was born in quebec so he was canadian born and should not have been able to run for president. but he never answered when people asked. don't ask, don't tell.

i think that when he was president it was the only time we did not start a war with another country. that canadian anti war thing.

 

[bigmoose]

I voted early too on Monday. Felt good to get the ballot in. In my county we use the computerized machines. There has been reports in my state of votes for one guy registering for the other... so I am being very careful reviewing my vote against the paper tape. The poll guy walks over and says "How long have you been getting that button?"

I replied "Really haven't been paying attention, but it has been the same on each screen that I reviewed. Will my ballot count?"

His answer: "Yes, as long as you get the ACCEPTED line at the bottom of the tape.

My printed tape matched my choices and I got the accepted line as he said I should.

Now the interesting part. He said I should have been seeing a button that said "REVIEW" for each page, then a "CAST" ballot button once at the end. I got a "CAST" ballot button for each page! So with 8 or so pages, did I vote 8 times? Who knows?

As I say, "Vote early and vote often!" ... ha perhaps the machine voted me 8 times! ^8th

 

[Jeremy Harris]

i learned something during this election cycle. it turns out that chester b arthur was the only canadian president we ever had. turns out he was born in quebec so he was canadian born and should not have been able to run for president. but he never answered when people asked. don't ask, don't tell.

i think that when he was president it was the only time we did not start a war with another country. that canadian anti war thing.

Years ago I sat on NATO committee for a few years. Just before I moved jobs (and so had to leave the committee) I had to give an after dinner speech to my NATO colleagues. I was stuck for a theme, so resorted to looking at the history of all the NATO states represented on the committee. It was interesting doing the research, and allowed me to start the speech by saying: "We, the British, have been at war with every single one of the nations gathered around this table, except Canada..........."

 

[Kingfish]

"We, the British, have been at war with every single one of the nations gathered around this table, except Canada..........."

:lol: Does that mean Brits were at war with itty bitty Iceland and Luxembourg too?

Personally, I have no want for war with my auld ancestors. I like British culture & of course the Queen. Not too sure about her son, but we likes the Queen. <nods> At my last wedding, my Best Man was a Brit from Middlesex (I think he's still a Brit, though married a nice gal from Seattle). Lovely country - that, and London. (Notice I didn't say "and Scotland too" in the same breath. I like'm both and make no favorites, but there you are.)

Bloody well right. KF

 

[boppinbob]

I like British culture & of course the Queen. Not too sure about her son, but we likes the Queen. <nods>

I like the Queen and British culture and in my younger days the working man's pubs especially the northern part of England around Leeds and Sheffield. "Stones, it goes down great" Gaa Blimmey. Oh yea, Blackpool too. It's classy.

 

[Dauntless]

i learned something during this election cycle. it turns out that chester b arthur was the only canadian president we ever had.

FALSE! And an odd myth at that, there was never anything that suggested that his mother picked up and went to Canada for his birth. His father had lived there for a short time before marrying his mother, the family moved about Vermont for the father to teach at different schools, they did NOT live in Canada. At least Obama's grandmother SAID he was born in Kenya, nothing ever pointed to Arthur being born in Canada. According to the 14th Amendment, there would have been no issue if he HAD been born in Canada, but he was not.

Oh, noone has brought up the Broadway musical taunt, "Ma, ma, where's Pa?" Or the eventual retort after "Pa's" election: "Gone to the White House. HA HA HA!"

Why the internet is to be assumed to be American and everyone in the world that uses it is assumed to be as interested in the election of the US President as some citizens of the US, is beyond me.

Because it's TRUE. So you answered "No" to your own questions, but you don't seem to get what that means.

Of course, manufacturing once belonged to the U.S., too. . . .

 

[Dauntless]

"We, the British, have been at war with every single one of the nations gathered around this table, except Canada..........."

:lol: Does that mean Brits were at war with itty bitty Iceland and Luxembourg too?

Bloody well right. KF

If they's dont wotch they's Norths and Souths, right, they'll cop wot they got comin ter ffem. Try letting' them rabbit and pork 'round the pub in the sound o' Beau Bells. Right.

 

[TylerDurden]

Did Wall Street Just Give Up on Romney?
Published: Monday, 5 Nov 2012 | 6:12 PM ET
By: John Carney
Senior Editor, CNBC.com

Many on Wall Street are increasingly convinced that Barack Obama will win the election.

On the eve of the election, many financial professionals on Wall Street believe that Mitt Romney has lost the election. In phone conversations, email and instant messaging exchanges, and text messages with over 20 people in different jobs on Wall Street today the message I picked up was almost universal: The president will be re-elected tomorrow.


Many of those with whom I spoke—all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity—had a sense of resignation about this forecast. They were Romney guys. They ate at expensive rubber-chicken fundraisers in midtown hotels, they coaxed friends and coworkers into donating to Romney and Republican campaign funds, and just a few weeks ago they were enthusiastically predicting a victory for Romney.

Not any longer. The word that comes to mind is: capitulation. The sudden and simultaneous collapse of hope that we sometimes see in markets just as they reach their lowest points.

(Please note: this is far from a scientific survey of opinion on Wall Street. It’s very possible that my list of contacts is heavily skewed toward pessimists or biased in some other way.)

My colleague Bob Pisani has explained that some on Wall Street believe that some stocks seem to be pricing in an Obama victory.

There has been something of a paralysis on Wall Street during this political cycle. Knowing that Romney could not afford to be branded the “Wall Street” candidate, a lot of folks on Wall Street shied away from too much visible support. But at off-the-record dinners and cocktails parties in New York City, Connecticut, New Jersey and Long Island they took out their check books and quietly supported the candidate from Bain Capital.

Some said Super Storm Sandy was to blame.

“His candidacy was the ultimate hurricane victim. Once the storm loomed, he vanished from public thought,” one investment banker said.

“It’s a shame really. He had the momentum. Then Sandy overtook him. Now we have Chris Christie hugging Obama. Game over,” said another.

“Where was he in the last few weeks,” asked a young hedge fund Republican.

Others say that the Romney campaign just never really capitalized on its gains after winning the first debate.

“All eyes were on them and we got…nothing,” a Wall Street executive long involved in Republican politics said.



“It kind of just feels like he didn't want it enough and his PR campaign just didn't do the right thing,” a hedge funder said.

Another Wall Streeter pointed to the lack of a Ryan bounce as a reason for Romney not doing better.

"It was a wager that didn't pay off. Ryan did nothing for the campaign," he said.

Some of these people supported Obama in the last election but were disappointed with his performance over the last few years. Others are stalwart Republicans who reluctantly supported John McCain four years ago but once had genuine hope and enthusiasm for Romney.

Now they seem deflated.

One of the more optimistic investment bankers in the bunch said that some of the “big money guys” on Wall Street were already planning for the next presidential election.

“There’s always 2016. Chris Christie looks great coming out of Sandy,” one source said.

Not everyone is depressed about forecasting an Obama victory, of course. Obama still enjoys a substantial amount of support on Wall Street, although not nearly as much as he did four years ago. These people expressed guarded optimism—they think they’ve won but don’t want to jinx the outcome.

There’s even a certain amount of schadenfreude among a few of the Obama supporters. They’re enjoying watching the capitulation of their Romney supporting friends and coworkers.

The rarest of birds on Wall Street today—at least according to my completely unscientific survey—was the Romney optimist. I only encountered one guy who really believes Romney will win.

How was he still clinging on to confidence?

“I’m a contrarian about Wall Street consensus. Everyone is saying Obama’s going to win. And when everyone on the Street says something will happen, I figure the opposite will,” he said.

 

[StudEbiker]

Meanwhile.... back in the real world....

Obama plays to half empty arena for his last campaign stop (featuring Jay-Z and Bruce Springteen) before the election.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/11/05/Obama-closes-to-half-empty-stadium-in-Ohio

and Romney speaks to 30k in PA.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/11/04/Gigantic-Rally-For-Romney-In-PA

 

[Jeremy Harris]

"We, the British, have been at war with every single one of the nations gathered around this table, except Canada..........."

:lol: Does that mean Brits were at war with itty bitty Iceland and Luxembourg too?

Neither Iceland nor Luxembourg were in that particular NATO Group, because neither country had a navy. IIRC membership of that particular Naval Group was just France, Italy, UK, The Netherlands, USA, Canada and Germany.

BTW, the speech finished by pointing out that we (the British) had been at war with France for longer than with any of our other NATO allies (more than 400 years) and technically were still at war with them (there was never a formal treaty or declaration to end the last war we had with them). I was just thankful that my Canadian colleagues gathered around the table didn't include any Québécois...............

 

[TylerDurden]

...
The same goes for pretty much every other country represented here. Unlike some citizens of the US the citizens of other countries don't, in the main, automatically assume that everyone on any forum anywhere on the internet will be interested in their domestic politics

Agree with caveat:

It was a US president that dragged us into wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it was US financial deregulation that begat the GFC.

"Jubilation" might be a fair term to describe the global response to the result of the 2008 US presidential election, for good reason. And, if not jubilation, at least a collective sigh of relief, akin to learning one is free of terminal cancer.

 

[neptronix]

"Jubilation" might be a fair term to describe the global response to the result of the 2008 US presidential election, for good reason. And, if not jubilation, at least a collective sigh of relief, akin to learning one is free of terminal cancer.

Collective sign of relief from half the population. The tea party formed out of fear of Obama immediately, and strongly organized to vote in as many republicans as possible.

Then we had a remission of that terminal cancer when we realized that Obama is just as big of a warmonger. When Obama announced that the Iraq combat mission was over - we still had 50,000 people on the ground. And during this election season, he quietly redeployed combat troops. This is after trying to extend the timeline for withdrawal that Bush set - yep - Obama wanted to stay in Iraq longer.

He started drone wars in multiple countries. He signed off on NDAA. He signed an executive order saying that all property can be seized at any time. He has a kill list that he administers. Guatanamo is still open and we are still torturing. He started an invasion in Africa.

http://stpeteforpeace.org/obama.html

^-- read all about it here.

You'd expect this all from Bush, but for some reason he gets a free pass. And a nobel peace prize as soon as he takes office! a sign of orwellian doublespeak to come.

As for the economy and deregulation - why are all the financial firms moving gold around behind the scenes and talking about another recession even though we haven't recovered from the current one?
Is it deregulation this time around?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704422204576130192457252596.html

http://beforeitsnews.com/economy/2012/10/central-banks-now-scrambling-for-physical-gold-2459652.html

What about the stimulus? did it really save the economy?

http://www.aei-ideas.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/080312jobschart2.jpg

It's all in the marketing. Not the action.

Just like how studebiker says that he wants a president that respects the constitution, and upon further prodding, he is not concerned whether that candidate actually upholds the constitution or not ( hint: Mitt Romney will not ).

The liberals want a guy who will appear to be a socialist-leaning democrat ( yes, give us the new deal part II! ). The republicans want a guy who will appear to give lip service to capitalism and individualism, but both agree on the same failed policies and neither want to cut any govt. programs to prevent collapse.

We lose either way. So let's find out who the loser is already

 

[Kingfish]

Whoever wins, I just hope it’s decisive so we don’t have another GWB-Gore knock down drag out prolonged debacle that shreds further hope for chance of unity.

Both parties have a responsibility to come together and fix the problems delayed by the last 4 years by stonewalling & partisanship. We elect representatives to FIX problems, not create them.

May the passionate losers have strong Kool-Aid to calm their nerves. It’s time to get back to work and figure out how to get out of the ditch that’s been dug by all sides. At the end of the day, we’re still human and we share basic needs and desires: We all want good bread, a home with a roof over our heads, security, and freedom. You and I, no matter where you live – inside or out of my realm, we are neighbors, and we should behave that way - with respect. :wink:

Our fences may be battered, and some – broken. I’m willing to step forward and fix my half and reach out to help fix yours. And though we may be different, we have a better chance to survive day-to-day, year-to-year, by whatever devil may come - collectively together in partnership. I’d rather face the trials of life knowing I can trust my neighbor to watch out for me – regardless of our differences, with hope that our diversity can bring new ideas to the table and make something of it with benefit to all.

It’s a noble goal. All it takes is a bit of compassion and thought, and a willingness to take a risk for association, and ultimately friendship – for the long term.

Vote. Vote for whomever. Just express your indelible right and vote.
Best of luck, KF

 

[The fingers]

Post any good crow recipies here. :lol:

 

[Jeremy Harris]

"Jubilation" might be a fair term to describe the global response to the result of the 2008 US presidential election, for good reason. And, if not jubilation, at least a collective sigh of relief, akin to learning one is free of terminal cancer.

I'm not sure that it was looked at with much interest, over here, certainly nothing really akin to jubilation, from what I recall. The only observation I made at the time was that Obama appeared to be more intelligent and literate than other recent US Presidents. We've rather got used to recent US Presidents appearing to be buffoons in one form or another, and Obama seemed to break the mould..........

 

[EMF]

I was jubilant about Obama, although I was not hopeful of any change after they all agreed to bail out the banks prior to the election. I was just afraid if McCain was elected, he could kick the bucket and Sarah Palin would have been commander in Chief! As it turns out, McCain lived, but- at least I did not have to go thru that. I have enough grey hair as it is.

 

[neptronix]

I was jubilant about Obama, although I was not hopeful of any change after they all agreed to bail out the banks prior to the election. I was just afraid if McCain was elected, he could kick the bucket and Sarah Palin would have been commander in Chief! As it turns out, McCain lived, but- at least I did not have to go thru that. I have enough grey hair as it is.

+1, that's exactly where i was. I didn't think the guy could change anything, but he was better than McCain, and Palin was rather scary.
I was one of those liberals who thought that only the republicans were corrupt warmakers. I came to that conclusion by only paying attention to liberal media of course. I figured the trend would die down when Obama took office. That's what i was told anyway.

But when he continued a third term of Bush's worst policies, signed off on things like NDAA, SOPA, PIPA, arctic drilling, more drone wars, expansion of the patriot act, and a variety of other things, i decided that i was not a democrat anymore. Seeing my liberal friends stop rallying against things Bush was doing while Obama was doing the same thing really cemented that. I realized that these parties were not about principles.

The only thing i've got from these 4 years is a wake up call.

 

[EMF]

I had also hoped that Obama, a Constitutional scholar - would restore or roll back the damage of the reaction to 911. Sadly, as you say, it turned out differently for us.

 

[StudEbiker]

Just like how studebiker says that he wants a president that respects the constitution, and upon further prodding, he is not concerned whether that candidate actually upholds the constitution or not ( hint: Mitt Romney will not ).

This is a distortion of what I said.

What I actually said was the mere fact that this country could elect someone as distanced from being a Constitutionalist as BO is undeniable proof that a TRUE Constitutionalist wouldn't have a snowballs chance in hell of being elected.

If Obama wins a second term his obligation to appeal to the middle (in order to win re-election) will be gone and he will go full tilt redistributionist on this country.

Romney, while far from an ideal Constitutionalist will be beholden to people that do respect the Constitution and he will be wanting to get re-elected so that fact alone will moderate his positions (for better and worse) in order to win more votes.

Your third party vote has the same effect as voting for Obama and a MAJOR vote AGAINST the Constitution. You can vote your principles.... just be prepared to pay the price.

 

[Jeremy Harris]

I had also hoped that Obama, a Constitutional scholar - would restore or roll back the damage of the reaction to 911. Sadly, as you say, it turned out differently for us.

That would have been a tough thing to do. The knee-jerk "revenge" taken so soon after the Sept 11th attacks, on Iraq, a country that had little to do with international terrorism (and which had little to do with Bin Laden, who considered Saddam Hussein to be a immoral despot who abused Islam) fuelled the widespread global hatred of the US and UK (and the other countries who took part) in many previously relatively friendly Muslim states. That ill feeling isn't going to go away just because a US President tries to undo things a few years later. I understand why Bush wanted to be seen to do something at that time. He was clearly totally out of his depth in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and desperately needed to get public support by creating what was going to be widely seen (and misunderstood) as an act of revenge. I regret to say that Bush was aided and abetted by Blair, possibly the most devious and untrustworthy Prime Minister we've ever seen.

As I've mentioned before on here, I can't understand how the US people have stood by and watched the freedoms granted to them under their constitution get eroded as they have. The US government has seemed, from the perspective of an outsider, to be adopting the tactics used by governments that the West usually criticises, by suppressing many of the freedoms that make for a just and fair society. If things continue as they are, then I can see there being greater freedom for an individual living in China than in the US, before too long.