The American Politics thread

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by Burgey

I'll be interested to see how this plays in the States, because if an aspirant to PM here made that comment, they'd simply have to hand in their ticket. There is no way they could reasonably survive a week or two, effectively saying "I don't give a **** about half the country, but please vote for me."

It wouldn't even be a straw that broke the camel's back thing here. If you were a mile n front in the polls and spoke like that, you'd be completed ****ed. It would be game over.

I think the difference is compulsory voting and smaller proportion of swing voters; here pollies are speaking to a population who have to vote whereas Romney's just saying what we all know he thinks so supporters be supportin', h8rs be h8in'.

[silentstriker]

I feel embarrassed that I didn't know that Australia has compulsory voting. What do you guys think about that? Do you feel that people, since they have to (I assume under penalty of a fine or something), they'll just walk in and pull a random lever instead of thinking about it? (Not necessarily any better than what a lot of people do even in voluntary voting countries, but still).

[Burgey]

^^Quite possibly. I think this comment would go down as the equivalent of a "Don't you now who I am?" comment here, which is basically an invitation to Australians to hate you. I wonder if the sentiment is the same in the US with that kind of thing,

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

I feel embarrassed that I didn't know that Australia has compulsory voting. What do you guys think about that? Do you feel that people, since they have to (I assume under penalty of a fine or something), they'll just walk in and pull a random lever instead of thinking about it? (Not necessarily any better than what a lot of people do even in voluntary voting countries, but still).

I don't have a problem with it. If you don't vote you really lose the right to whinge imo.

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

I feel embarrassed that I didn't know that Australia has compulsory voting. What do you guys think about that? Do you feel that people, since they have to (I assume under penalty of a fine or something), they'll just walk in and pull a random lever instead of thinking about it? (Not necessarily any better than what a lot of people do even in voluntary voting countries, but still).

I'm more a fan of it than voluntary voting but it's not without its issues. The number of invalid votes in theory sends more of a message to pollies here than people just not turning up in voluntary scenarios, in my view, but there's the idea that some policies here are more about being appealing to the broadest number of people instead of the most effective solution. And preferencing is a whole 'nother issue that's just a quagmire not to mention there's still swathes of rusted-on Labor/Liberal voters.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

I feel embarrassed that I didn't know that Australia has compulsory voting. What do you guys think about that? Do you feel that people, since they have to (I assume under penalty of a fine or something), they'll just walk in and pull a random lever instead of thinking about it? (Not necessarily any better than what a lot of people do even in voluntary voting countries, but still).

You don't actually have to vote; you just have to show up to vote and submit a ballot paper. People who really have no idea and don't want to vote just don't fill the thing out.

[Spark]

Yep. You can draw a great big penis on your ballot paper if you want.

[vic_orthdox]

Plus the fact that you don't have to spend millions on trying to get people to bother to vote.

[Fusion]

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by Spark

Yep. You can draw a great big penis on your ballot paper if you want.

Would be misconstrued as a vote for Milliband over here

[Uppercut]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

I'm more a fan of it than voluntary voting but it's not without its issues. The number of invalid votes in theory sends more of a message to pollies here than people just not turning up in voluntary scenarios, in my view, but there's the idea that some policies here are more about being appealing to the broadest number of people instead of the most effective solution. And preferencing is a whole 'nother issue that's just a quagmire not to mention there's still swathes of rusted-on Labor/Liberal voters.

As opposed to most policies being about appealing to the broadest number of people that are likely to vote, really. Can't think of any political system that churns out the most effective solution very often.

[Agent Nationaux]

Originally Posted by GIMH

Would be misconstrued as a vote for Milliband over here

He really gets on my nerves. Talks like a cartoon character.

[Top_Cat]

Full Transcript of the Mitt Romney Secret Video | Mother Jones

Mother Jones getting some serious mileage out of the story they broke. Good stuff.

[Fusion]

I'll be posting Jon Stewarts opening monologue from tonight as soon as it's available online. GREATEST. RANT. EVER.

[silentstriker]

From tonight or yesterday? Yesterday's (about 47% and Romney's dad) is already up.