US mid-term elections - November 2006

[Taz]

I was devastated to hear John Kerry's faux pas attempt at a joke at a Democrats rally this week. I hope it hasn't done too much damage to the chances of the Democrats giving the Republicans a good metaphorical thumping next week.

I'm still hoping that the American public view George W. Bush's years in office objectively and make their voting decisions based on facts rather than personalities.

What are your thoughts?

My views are clear: if I was an American I would vote for the Democrats.

[Rack]

I doubt there are many international people (aka non-us citizens or US citizens outside the US) who would vote for the Bush Republic again. Though we still don't know who's taking over yet do we?

I was really interested to read some of the personality attacks that both parties have been making in The Independant the other day. It's such a bullpoo system.

[Byatt]

I've been watching the midterm buildup in another forum and if nothing else it reassures you how much better we are at elections than them. The average voter intelligence over there, and the way of campaigning...ugh, it's hideous. Almost no coherent debate over policy, just partisan sniping over issues like Stem Cell research/Gay Marriage/personality. I'll post a few examples in a bit.

Re : Kerry. His response to the GOP was superb - just a shame the news networks over there didn't pick that up and run with it (quel surprise).

Response

His original comment was retarded though, I agree, but I don't honestly think it'll have that much of an impact, he's not in any election race at this time and midterms (I'm told) tend to be quite a local affair.

Dems will utterly blast the republicans out of the House (unless something appalling happens and the GOP can scare the crap out of everyone again), the real question is whether they can get back the Senate. I struggle to see how anyone outside of the US (apart from possibly those the US is fighting against) could want anything but an absolute and wilful destruction of all things republican at the moment.

More soon.

[Byatt]

An example of just how insane it gets over there.

Here's a fairly full scenario. I'd explain but the video really does pretty much everything.

For background, Limbaugh is probably one of the forefront right-wing commentators in the US - which is probably why he's only brought this up now Fox is backing a Dem (Fox did a similar campaign video for Wisconsin supporting a Republican some years ago and no comment was made).

More soon...

[Byatt]

Here's what happens if you ask a complete asshole of an incumbent a question about spousal abuse.

For some more background, here's a link to the controversy area of his wikipedia page. This is the sort of man that gets elected (and still feels confident that he can win again - polls showing otherwise thankfully) to the Senate in Virginia.

For even more background, this is one of the (6, I think) close-run seats in the Senate the Dems need.

[Byatt]

OK, last one for now - here's an attempt by the complete nutcase who is Rick Santorum to justify the Iraq War - by saying it diverts the eye of Mordor from the United States. Who's the fellowship then, Rick?

I'm sure that we pretty much see only the very worst of the crap that flies around over there during election season, but man, is their crap so much worse than ours!

[Taz]

Thanks for the posts and links, Byatt. Some very interesting content there.

[JPreston]

The problem is, the majority of americans are incapable of forming or articulating even the most rudimentary kind of coherent political opinion. So naturally their elections are dumbed down even more than the voting on Big Brother.


On the Today programme today they were interviewing people at a republican rally why they intend to vote for the republican candidate, and reasons were along the lines of "Because Bush believes in Jesus, and loves Jesus" . These people vote. Can any of them be expected to understand economics, foreign policy, environmental protection, fiscal policy? Can they even point to Iraq on a map? Not with their level of education and partisan tendencies. One might as well give a chimpanzee a ballot paper and expect him to be able to vote according to his economic interests. This is why you get Bush and Cheney stating that the terrorists want you to vote democrat, and huge swathes believing them. After all, they sho' do love Jesus.

Seriously, the US elections are way too important to be left in the hands of the american electorate (well, in Florida their electronic voting machines vote for them...) and I hope for the sake of the world the next ones will be offshored to somewhere civilised. Like Sweden.

[SteveC]

Can any of them be expected to understand economics, foreign policy, environmental protection, fiscal policy? Can they even point to Iraq on a map?

Agreed. But, thinking about it, I'm not sure our electorate would be too hot on this stuff either..

[Rack]

The problem is, you can't trust an uneducated public to choose who to run the country, and similarly you can't let a group of elitist rich people choose either.

Only answer is to educate the public, or to have an independant body of officials with local links who really understand the situation choose who is elected - yet somehow remain unbiased and impartial and uncorruptable, lol.

If only the US government was slightly interested in doing that. As I see it they are on a downward spiral.

UK/Australia are going the same direction IMO.

You see that they cut that bit out of the StarWars films where Padme says "We soon realised the public could not be trusted to choose a leader, which is why the council works" or some such reference to the failings of the US system.

[IBM]

...those star wars references get bloody everywhere, don't they?

Byatt...cheers for the posts mate, well informed

[Taz]

This comment was from the BBC Have Your Say site discussing the US mid-term elections:

I am 80 years old and have been a registered Republican all of my voting life. I despise George Bush and I believe that our country must have a new direction. I will be voting in the mid-term elections for every Democrat on the ballot, no matter how stupid or inexperienced. Anything has to be better than what we have now.

Jimmie Aranda, Peoria, Illinois

Recommended by 109 people

If only there were more Americans that thought this way!

[Byatt]

For those not planning to go to bed too early these evening CQPolitics has a list of toss-up House/Senate seats that should be called before 1am GMT, which may act as a decent barometer for just how big the swing to Democrat is... add 5 hours to Eastern time to get GMT.

edit: this includes the Virginia Senate race - if that goes straight either way without a recount it's going to be an interesting night.

[coco]

Just wonder if there will be a repeat of previous US elections with large scale irregularies in the voting system.

[Byatt]

Initial reports reckon Dems get the House but not the Senate - a couple of races are pretty close but I think the GOP will probably just about hold on...will see what the morning brings though.

[awm]

Senate is still up for grabs. The Democrats definitely are winning the house though. This will mean the first female speaker of the house. Hopefully the Democrats can undo some of the embarrassment that the current administration have brought on our country.