[Politics] The 2024 US Election - *MATCH DAY*

[Pavilionaire]

Tremendous day for the USA and the world. Biden has been a disaster, I'm not convinced Harris would have been any better given her performance in interviews where she had no idea what she was talking about. No idea why Michelle Obama bottled coming back as I think she may have been a decent bet.

God bless America.

I know 52% of Americans THINK he has been a disaster, but the reality is 2.8% growth, 4.1% unemployment, 2.4% inflation, falling interest rates and saving Ukraine from a Russian takeover might not be everything voters would have wished for but is hardly "a disaster", i.e. Liz Truss.

As for Michelle Obama, sadly I don't see why that black woman would have fared any differently to Harris. America has some way to go when it comes to racism and sexism.

 

[jcdenton08]

Absolutely agree that this is the way it is. But I disagree that this is the best way to make our decision.

If the electorate settle for slogans, songs, lies and vague notions of sunlit uplands then we get what we deserve.

Spin is king and damn any accountability.

And ain't life grand.

Tim Rice’s lyrics in Evita seem appropriate;

The people belong to no-one!
They are fickle, can be manipulated, they don't matter!

 

[WATFORD zero]

Having got up this morning, seen the results, logged on here and read the last few pages, I don't think I could be more depressed. So I may as well spend the rest of the day doing my accounts which I've been putting off since April

 

[Sea Cider]

I know 52% of Americans THINK he has been a disaster, but the reality is 2.8% growth, 4.1% unemployment, 2.4% inflation, falling interest rates and saving Ukraine from a Russian takeover might not be everything voters would have wished for but is hardly "a disaster", i.e. Liz Truss.

As for Michelle Obama, sadly I don't see why that black woman would have fared any differently to Harris. America has some way to go when it comes to racism and sexism.

Precisely. I'd love to know why Giraffe thinks Biden has been a "disaster". Too much time on Facebook and Twitter I would guess

 

[Greg Bobkin]

You said no one would have beaten Trump, but that surely has to do with the calibre of the candidates which is what the guy said to me in November 2016?

Just out of interest Greg, in almost a fantasy election type scenario, are you saying Michelle Obama (many people's candidate choice) would have lost?

Yes, probably.

 

[sparkie]

Very professional.

We need to build strong bridges fast.

 

[BadFish]

Tim Rice’s lyrics in Evita seem appropriate;

The people belong to no-one!
They are fickle, can be manipulated, they don't matter!

Agreed.

'The public wants what the public gets' Paul Weller. Always rings true for me.

 

[BBassic]

Think I might move over the pond and setup a snake oil business. They seem to do quite well.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Just out of interest Greg, in almost a fantasy election type scenario, are you saying Michelle Obama (many people's candidate choice) would have lost?

He's already beaten one wife of an ex-President, and she was white.

 

[sparkie]

How deeply depressing. It's like Brexit all over again. To my mind a main root of both event outcomes is the vast vomit of misinformation that spills forth from FB and X. No idea how this will ever be fixed. The human race & our planet is in serious trouble.

Bingo.

Shut them down ASAP and heal society.

 

[jcdenton08]

My theory about US President’s is, Obama aside, they all look like the president. Old, white guys.

I think this is so ingrained in people too, it makes a difference. Think about depictions of the president in practically every movie and TV show before the 2020’s.

Obama broke the mould because he was a brilliant candidate and man. And male.

What Hillary Clinton and Harris both have in common, aside from being women, is how bang average they were. Both campaigns were about stopping the other guy, not what they could actually offer.

 

[BadFish]

I can't wait to see how tax cuts, spend spend spend and protectionism interact with his other pledge to "end inflation". Any student of GCSE Economics knows how that will turn out.

Apparently this doesn't matter though, as long as everyone feels good about it.

 

[dsr-burnley]

He'll doubtless try and change the rules on that. He's already hinted at it. Worked for his mate Putin

In his victory speech he said it was his last campaign.

Besides, to change the constitution needs two thirds of the senate, two thirds of the House, and three quarters of the state to ratify it. To abolish Roe v Wade just needed the Supreme Court to agree that abortion was a state issue, not a federal issue.

 

[BadFish]

Bingo.

Shut them down ASAP and heal society.

.... Or put one of the owners right amongst the Government of one of the most powerful countries in the world.

What could go wrong.

 

[AK74]

No idea why Michelle Obama bottled coming back as I think she may have been a decent bet.

Michelle Obama "hates politics and Washington and has no intention of going back into the White House".

Michelle Obama has star power - but no desire to run

Katty Kay looks at why the former first lady's speech at the Democratic Convention is so anticipated.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[jcdenton08]

In his victory speech he said it was his last campaign.

Besides, to change the constitution needs two thirds of the senate, two thirds of the House, and three quarters of the state to ratify it. To abolish Roe v Wade just needed the Supreme Court to agree that abortion was a state issue, not a federal issue.

Donald Trump repeats controversial ‘You won’t have to vote any more’ claim | Donald Trump | The Guardian

Republican presidential nominee denies threatening to stay in office after end of possible second term in Fox interview

amp.theguardian.com

He wants to be Putin. Mark my words, sooner or later in his term, there will be a totally organic *cough* “groundswell of support” for Trump to take an unprecedented third term.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

If you are an American in a small town that used to have a power plant / factory / car plant that most of the town worked in and brought prosperity and a comfortable existence to the town and it's people, and was shut down years ago due to globalisation / climate change policies, and now there are every few opportunities and a fairly miserable existence, then when someone comes along and tells you he will bring all that back and make things like they used to be, then surely you can see the attraction in that?

If you are an American in a small town in a pretty miserable existence who has never left your State, let alone the US and somebody comes along and says that rather than send £150 billion to a country you've never heard of in a far away continent you have never even considered visiting, he is going to invest that money back in the US in towns like yours to make your life prosperous again, can you really say you wouldn't be tempted to vote for that?

The fact is that America is not New York and Washington and San Francisco like we picture in the UK. Most of the country is much more like the scenarios described above. And I totally understand why people in that section of America would vote for Trump. In fact, it's blindingly obvious why they would. It's the same phenomenon with Brexit- people in well-to-do, wealthy and prosperous Sussex can't understand why somebody with a shit life in a dump like Hartlepool would vote for Brexit, because they are doing OK. But put yourself in those people's shoes and you would very likely have a different world view.

To be clear, I voted Remain, voted Labour in this year's election, and wanted Harris to win. But people here dismissing seventy million people as fat racist idiots for voting for Trump is just embarrassing.

I think Trump's win is a terrible result for Ukraine, and a pretty poor result for the UK and Europe. But for your average American? Not convinced it's a bad thing for them, and that is what people tend to vote on- how it will affect their individual lives.

This is pretty much spot on.

Too many Brits think that because they've been to New York / DC / California they think they know and undertsand Americans and the States. Sneering down their noses at those who don't see the world through the same liberal glasses. Plenty of those on here.

I've spent some time in the flyover States and the people there, especially in rural areas feel left behind.

They feel that under Trump they will be better off, and safer.

 

[dwayne]

Apparently this doesn't matter though, as long as everyone feels good about it.

He got away with it last time. Inflation wasnt bad then. I think it's a lot more complex in modern times. I'm sure he will try every trick in the book to put a shiny veneer on things. But suspect the country will be more of a mess in 4 years even if the good times continue now for a few years.

 

[BadFish]

Think I might move over the pond and setup a snake oil business. They seem to do quite well.

Clacton?

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

Trump is now speaking to the Americans.