Cantr II Discussion Forum

For those of you Americans, obviously the 2008 presidential election is coming up. For those of you nonAmericans, there's a good chance you know about this too.

lol is it just me or has the political race this year increased in its hype? Not only nationally in the U.S. but internationally as well. I have a feelings may be because of the booming of media on the web. YouTube, for example, is at the fingertips of every computer user in the world. This video sharing website was launched in early 2006 and now, 2 years later, seems like nothing is gone unseen.

With YouTube and other sites (Facebook, MySpace, etc), politicians can effectively reach out to the younger generations who used to think politics a bore (I know I used to.. dang U.S. History classes). Anyway, I kind of like it. What are your thoughts about this?


But also in contrast to more media exposure online, there's also exclusion in the older medias. It is unfortunate that the candidate I support has only been invited to one political debate on NBC.. early last year. =\ All other debates he was allowed to attend which is a travesty because the mass majority don't know who the heck he is. What are your thoughts on media censorship?

It has it's good and bads. The fact that campaigns themselves have become more important than the actual presidency is bad. Ron Paul and his annoying viral marketing is bad. The ability for politicians to spread their believes to more people is good. Hillary Clinton...yeah i'd tap that.

Media is a business like any other, and sadly they can do whatever they like. It's up to the consumer (in regards to TV, the consumer is pretty much everybody) to be educated and rational enough to figure things out on his or her own. There's really not much of a way around, and maybe it's for good reason. I don't know.

As for the exposure, the U.S. Elections are important for a lot of people outside your borders, because the outcome affects everybody. In some cases this is especially true for we Canucks to the North, specifically surrounding border and free trade issues. So far, the US Government has a pretty bad rapsheet when it comes down to NAFTA, and such. I'd like to see a president more true to it's international organizations.

Whether the world likes it or not, the USA is an economic hub for most countries, and if the US economy continues down it's slippery slope (or perhaps, crumbling cliff would be more appropriate nowadays), then... well.... we will be in a "world of shit", as Stanley Kubrick might say.

The candidates with the most internet support (Edwards and Paul) have not been able to compete seriously without also having the support of MSM, so there's still a long way to go. But the YouTube debates are important, and, along with the new schedule, have done much to energise the primary process as witnessed in record turnouts so far, largely by giving an early forum to people who don't live in the tiny white states.

my biggest regret for this election is the fact that Romney did not win Florida

Regardless, I don't really care who the democrat cannidate is, i hate both hillary and obama, so either mccain or romney will be awwwwright for me.

Well, way I see it is, if the US dosen't pull full a 180 on its foreign/economic standpoints This election, it'll fall within the next 15 years. Spending greatly exceeds income. The dollar is failing. And it seems like at least 1/8 of the world hates us for maintaining military bases in their countries.
And unfortunately, corporations own America these days, not the people. That means, political speaking, we're about to loose sovernity to the globalization of the markets.

I honestly see only one chance of redemption, however unlikely, and that is Dr. Paul.

Annoying viral advertiseing? Maybe, but it is the only way to compete with the massive corporate funding the rest of the main canidates have. It's also the only way to get past the corporate media that is conventional news. Besides, if people didn't support his views, there would be no viral advertising.

Paul: He's the one that's quite a bit more "awkward" in debate than his the other on the republican side, right?

If he's elected, I think he just might "re-humanize" the presidency. You can really tell the difference between the political machines and human beings. The problem with him, however, is he gives the impression that he might be easily pushed around. He needs to step up his debating skills if he plans on winning. Or even getting close to winning, for that matter.

McCain: I hate politicians like this, when it comes to appearance. He's one of those American Politicians that will turn and give this weird fake smile straight into the camera after everything he says in a debate. I hate that. I can visualize it now, if he wins. He'd flash that same smirk immediately after every single direct question he manages to dodge in his career.

Romney: The quintessential corporate politician. His presidential horoscope has "wars to come" all over it. His charismatic ways tend to make his Suisse cheese policies look like solid cheddar. If he's elected, then I'm moving to Australia.

Tangential wrote:With YouTube and other sites (Facebook, MySpace, etc), politicians can effectively reach out to the younger generations who used to think politics a bore (

sanchez wrote:The candidates with the most internet support (Edwards and Paul) have not been able to compete seriously without also having the support of MSM, so there's still a long way to go.

That's because young people don't vote. Last November my wife told her underlings that if they needed to come in late or leave early to vote, it was fine, and they looked at her like she had three heads.

"Young people" come in different genres, you know. :p But generally, it's too true.

i dont mind that young people dont vote, as they tend to be democrat, but not for the correct reasons.

I do not vote by party, do not call me an independent (I have no party lines). I vote who I think can best lead our nation.
Yes I voted bush both times. If Bush could run again. I would vote for him.

All this internet campaigning. Nothing wrong with it.
Irritates the hell out of me, but... I do not watch it.

As far as political parties:
Be rid of all political parties.
We should not vote by party, but by what they say will do.

I agree 100% Delgrad, but the average american doesn't pay enough attention to even know the names of more than 2 cannidates on either side, if that.

problem with USA is that we let the uninformed vote. If we had a short quiz for the election, like "who is running, what party are they for, what state are they from, and what is their focus" counted votes based on who gets those questions right, perhaps we'd have a better political system.

As soon as you institute that, you're handing over the reigns of the country to the people that have the privilege to define what it means to be an informed voter and taking the first (big) step towards oligarchy.

The elite already tried this when they instituted literacy tests to qualify to vote (to eliminate blacks) and when they instituted a poll tax (to eliminate the poor). The Supreme Court struck both of those laws down.

I honestly would rather see ten ignorant people vote than one person who misses the point about what it means to live in the United States.

There are plenty of countries run by oligarchy:

USSR (then)
Russia (now)
China

Would you want to live in any of them over living in the US?

I haven't read the thread - but Zanthos? Really? The hell?

So, the 'uninformed' - who still pay taxes, who are still regulated by judicial system - who still live their lives governed by laws about anything from who they can and cannot marry, where and how they can work, their rights as citizens

etc
etc
etc
etc

Shouldn't have any kind of say in who lay down those rules and regulations?

Patriarchal Oligarchy Yay!

it doesn't have to be a hard quiz, nothing more than in depth than knowing who is running and where they stand, things everyone who takes their vote seriously should already know in the first place.

Sorry, when I hear someone saying "vote for hillary!" and i ask why, and their best answer is "because shes a woman, and awesome, and a democrat!" i feel like kicking them in the shins.