|
Post by meeshhead on Sept 10, 2008 15:07:30 GMT
Adrian described it very well. The "points" are called "Electoral votes". The amount of "Electoral votes" each state has, is based on the number of Representatives and Senators it has in the US Congress. Many people, including myself, think it's an outdated and poor system. In the year 2000, Al Gore had more popular votes than Bush, but Bush won by getting the necessary 270 out of the total of 538 "Electoral votes" needed to win.
|
|
|
Post by Jo Pearson on Sept 10, 2008 19:38:22 GMT
Yeah, that's a pretty good description, Adrian...
I had to learn all about the way the system works as part of the tests and stuff when I was going for my US citizenship - Luckily, we'd done all about it at school (that's where going to school in the US helped!!), so it was easy to pass!! And yeah, it's definitely a flawed system - like the UK system, where not all seats in Parliament represent the same number of people, and you need to get a hell of a lot more votes to win an inner-city seat than you do to win a rural seat.
(That's one thing I love about dual citizenship - I can vote in both elections!!! ;D)
|
|
|
Post by mischalover85 on Sept 10, 2008 20:34:33 GMT
Mmh, seems pretty complicated, and a bit unfair too...
|
|
|
Post by california on Sept 10, 2008 20:53:07 GMT
A girl from Boston explained that to me once and I was totally lost... and I am now too
|
|
|
Post by california on Sept 10, 2008 21:28:38 GMT
Perez...
John McCain may be experiencing a sudden surge in popularity, but…..
According to a new poll, the entire world wants Barack Obama to win the U.S. presidency!
All 22 countries covered in the poll would prefer to see Senator Obama elected US president ahead of Republican John McCain.
In 17 of the 22 nations, people expect relations between the US and the rest of the world to improve if Senator Obama wins.
More than 22,000 people were questioned by pollster GlobeScan in countries ranging from Australia to India and across Africa, Europe and South America.
The margin in favour of Senator Obama ranged from 9 per cent in India to 82 per cent in Kenya, while an average of 49 per cent across the 22 countries preferred Senator Obama compared with 12 per cent preferring Senator McCain. Some four in 10 did not take a view.
The world may want it but….
It's Americans that do the voting.
Make sure you cast your ballot!
|
|
|
Post by meeshhead on Sept 10, 2008 21:31:20 GMT
Thanks for that, Ash!
|
|
|
Post by california on Sept 10, 2008 21:36:21 GMT
You're welcome ;D
|
|
|
Post by Jo Pearson on Sept 11, 2008 0:09:11 GMT
Yeah, thanks for that, hun!! I certainly intend to vote, and I know the rest of my family do too... And don't worry about being confused about how the system works - I think there's a lot of people in the US who don't understand it either!!
|
|
|
Post by mischalover85 on Sept 11, 2008 6:20:50 GMT
And don't worry about being confused about how the system works - I think there's a lot of people in the US who don't understand it either!! That's not good if they have to vote...
|
|
|
Post by meeshluv on Sept 11, 2008 10:24:20 GMT
Phew - I got it right!!!! And don't worry about being confused about how the system works - I think there's a lot of people in the US who don't understand it either!! That's not good if they have to vote... I think a lot of that is possibly to do with the whole thing of certain families always voting the same way - sort of: (Adopts southern accent): "Mah daddy an' granddaddy always voted Republicuhn, an' that's how ah intend tuh vote too..." We get the exact same thing in the UK too - some families always vote Labour, because that's what they've always done, while others always vote Conservative. If you do that, you don't need to understand the system at all...
|
|
|
Post by Jo Pearson on Sept 11, 2008 19:52:54 GMT
|
|
|
Post by G-Man on Sept 12, 2008 0:11:18 GMT
Great posts everyone!
Yes both the UK & US electoral systems seem odd and illogical in places, but I don't think there would be a dramatic change in the system in either countries for a long time to come.
Whatever the presidential candidate's religion is, it should be respected, the whole 'In God we trust' IMO should be scrapped.
Going off the beat and track here, but personally as an atheist I find religion to be a hindrance to society, and only in small cases has religion improved a society (Islamic Medicine for instance). Everyone has a right to practice their religion, preach it, and believe it, but the fact that you have to swear before the Bible in court is wrong to me.
Scientology absolutely disgusts me, a cult set up by a failed Sci-Fi writer to extort money out of the vulnerable. I wouldn't dream of saying they weren't allowed to practise, preach or believe it. However when someone does have something bad to say about it, suddenly free speech doesn't apply to them, and the cult goes gung-ho on their a**es.
Religion should be dropped from the legal system IMO, not because I don't believe in it, because I shouldn't have to.
So, if Obama does believe in Islam, than I couldn't give a monkey's, as long as it doesn't affect his appointment to the White House.
BTW, what is this Obama-Osama about?
Come on Democrats!
I hope that the Democrats aren't going to go overboard on the 'green' stuff. Global warming is a theory, and until that is conclusively proven, I see it as a worldwide scam to control the masses, now that good ol' terrorism hasn't flared up for a bit.
|
|
|
Post by Jo Pearson on Sept 12, 2008 0:56:18 GMT
Going off the beat and track here, but personally as an atheist I find religion to be a hindrance to society, and only in small cases has religion improved a society (Islamic Medicine for instance). Everyone has a right to practice their religion, preach it, and believe it, but the fact that you have to swear before the Bible in court is wrong to me. You don't HAVE to swear on the Bible - As an atheist, you can't be forced to, and can just "swear to tell the truth". Personally, I was brought up to be a good catholic girl (boy, did I go wrong there!!! ;D), and I do still go to church occasionally, but not very often. But I don't see my religion as the only one, and think that everyone must believe in what I do - like Greg, my b/f's an atheist, and I'm cool with that. He respects what I believe, I respect what he believes, and we don't let it get in the way of our relationship. Has my religion hindered me? Well, I used to have all the usual catholic neuroses, but I've grown out of them now. So now its something which helps support and strengthen me when I really need it, but doesn't really have a significant impact on my daily life. And yeah, you're right about how it should be kept out of politics...
|
|
|
Post by mischalover85 on Sept 12, 2008 7:59:02 GMT
I agree with Jo, religion doesn't hinder your daily life, if you don't let it do that. I was brought up to be a good Catholic too, I spent most of my life in a Catholic school after all, but I live it pretty much as Jo does.
Of course, it should be kept out of politics...
|
|
|
Post by meeshluv on Sept 12, 2008 11:15:47 GMT
Personally, I was brought up to be a good catholic girl (boy, did I go wrong there!!! ;D) You know what, Jo? - In my experience, it's the "good catholic girls" who usually turn out to be the wildest and most fun!!!! ;D As for my views on religion and politics, I think Napoleon summed it up best: "Religion is the way the rich have of stopping the poor from killing them." I'm an atheist too, even though my dad used to be a church organist, my mum was a Sunday School teacher, and I went to a Church of England school, but I respect other people's right to believe in what they want to. The only time I do have a problem is when someone tries to force their beliefs down my throat - THEN I do push back...
|
|