Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States

[Oy_the_Great]

Lifetime republican, voted for Obama today. I did it for the rest of the world really. Billions of people off shore prefer Obama to McCain. The United States has a huge affect on the world, therefore I figure the world should have some say in the election.

 

 

 

By the way, I don't care if your for Obama or not, American or not, whatever. Watch his victory speech, its one for the history books. So full of morals, strength, and done with no notes or teleprompter. Best speech I have ever seen:

 

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.h ... xnews.com/

 

I never realised your thoughts were republican-coloured Trapical, and that's a good thing. Thoughts too blue or red are never good thoughts. You voting for Obama is probably the most noble thing I have seen in this thread, thanks for that.

 

 

 

Btw, may I ask what so many people have against socialism? Is it the words of your families echoing through, or the cold war still playing a part? Don't get me wrong, or don't be deceived by my avatar, I'm a Christian-democrat, but if Marxism, or socialism for that matter, were actually compatible with human nature, I would definitely be a lot more left than I am now.

[Ginger_Warrior]

Btw, may I ask what so many people have against socialism? Is it the words of your families echoing through, or the cold war still playing a part?

 

It runs counter to the American dream. The ideology that anybody can come to America and make a living for themselves.

 

 

 

That said, how the Republicans can honestly sit there and call Obama a socialist when it was their own President who used government spending to buy up $700 billion's worth of bad assets is beyond me. That was the finest example of socialism going, except that only favoured the rich while the poor has to now pay for it.

[Sly_Wizard]

What I'm scared about is what he will be able to do with a senate and house majority. I really don't like the "Freedom of Choice Act". It basically lifts the partial abortion ban, and invalidates most of the state bans and regulations on abortion. What about the choice of the baby?

 

 

 

That act will never get passed. I'd bet everything I own on it.

[magekillr]

 

Btw, may I ask what so many people have against socialism? Is it the words of your families echoing through, or the cold war still playing a part?

 

 

 

Ignorance. People in America are just ignorant. They think that they live in the greatest nation on Earth, chant USA, and then leave it at that. If people would just take a look around them, they'd realize that our country isn't even on the center, but that we are center-right (now anyway, we were far right with Bush).

 

 

 

People all around me are threatening to leave now that Obama has won, and I just ask, "Where are you going?" They don't realize that Obama is rather conservative compared to foreign politicians. Harper, a conservative in Canada, is about as liberal as Obama, perhaps even more liberal. After all, he'd never seek to get rid of the national health care there, and he'd lose if he proposed to.

[user1991]

 

Btw, may I ask what so many people have against socialism? Is it the words of your families echoing through, or the cold war still playing a part?

 

 

 

Ignorance. People in America are just ignorant. They think that they live in the greatest nation on Earth, chant USA, and then leave it at that. If people would just take a look around them, they'd realize that our country isn't even on the center, but that we are center-right (now anyway, we were far right with Bush).

 

 

 

People all around me are threatening to leave now that Obama has won, and I just ask, "Where are you going?" They don't realize that Obama is rather conservative compared to foreign politicians. Harper, a conservative in Canada, is about as liberal as Obama, perhaps even more liberal. After all, he'd never seek to get rid of the national health care there, and he'd lose if he proposed to.

 

 

 

Progressively, I think America will become more and more left.

 

 

 

Either systematically, or through a bloody revolution. Either way, it's going to happen.

[magekillr]

 

Progressively, I think America will become more and more left.

 

 

 

Either systematically, or through a bloody revolution. Either way, it's going to happen.

 

 

 

I hope so. Gay marriage was banned in Florida and Arizona last night, though.

 

 

 

California is still undecided...but it's not looking good.

[Ginger_Warrior]

I think you have to be careful when saying "America" will become more left or more right. What this election shows is there is one half of America that embraces change, tolerance and liberalism, and another half of America that would sooner go to Hell than see an "Arab Muslim black pseudo-Socialist" man elected President of the US.

 

 

 

While these folks are still around, there's no hope of America as a whole ever becoming a leftist country, especially as Europe is currently moving right-wards.

[Range_This11]

This was well needed. I am not guaranteeing that Obama will fix this country, but with the way he speaks and the ideas that he has, I think he has the tools to do it. I'll give him a chance, but damn I wanted Ron Paul.

[dragoonson]

This was well needed. I am not guaranteeing that Obama will fix this country, but with the way he speaks and the ideas that he has, I think he has the tools to do it. I'll give him a chance, but damn I wanted Ron Paul.

 

 

 

I wanted that Boston Tea Party guy.If only for the party name :twss:

[Utopianflame]

You know what drives me nuts? People treat W. like he's mentally [developmentally delayed]. And so you see all of those dumb flash adds showing him flopping around like a [developmentally delayed], and it says "His IQ is 125! Are you smarter than Bush?" Yet 125 is actually quite intelligent. And already they now show Obama looking all statesmanlike and intelligent, and it says "His IQ is 124, are you smarter than Obama?" They give Bush the higher IQ in those adds and call him [developmentally delayed], give Obama the lower IQ and make him look smart. Media bias, anyone?

 

 

 

As a raw number IQ is meaningless, the assorted tests give different values to the percentiles which is the important thing. Frankly though in my opinion Bush earned his reputation as being dense when he publically called a war in the middle east/SE asia a crusade.

[Barihawk]

I think you have to be careful when saying "America" will become more left or more right. What this election shows is there is one half of America that embraces change, tolerance and liberalism, and another half of America that would sooner go to Hell than see an "Arab Muslim black pseudo-Socialist" man elected President of the US.

 

 

 

That's just an ignorant, arrogant, and offensive statement. I am fairly damn sure most people who voted for McCain did not do it based on your criteria there.

[Ginger_Warrior]

I think you have to be careful when saying "America" will become more left or more right. What this election shows is there is one half of America that embraces change, tolerance and liberalism, and another half of America that would sooner go to Hell than see an "Arab Muslim black pseudo-Socialist" man elected President of the US.

 

 

 

That's just an ignorant, arrogant, and offensive statement. I am fairly damn sure most people who voted for McCain did not do it based on your criteria there.

 

Given all the digs Europe gets for being "socialist" from some Americans I think it's fair I equally criticise some aspects of American society. If that makes me arrogant, so be it.

 

 

 

Where did I say most people who voted for McCain fitted that criteria? I'm well aware Obama did not win a landslide so many people must have voted McCain on policy.

 

 

 

I'm merely stating there are a handful of people in America who are like that, and unless you're trying to convince me the selection of Sarah Palin brought the rank and file of the Republican party in-line (which it didn't for anything longer than four days after the GOP convention) I stand by my statement.

 

 

 

There are people quite convinced that Obama is either one or more of those adjectives I listed, despite none of them being true to any rational thinker besides the fact he's black.

 

 

 

In no other country in the world would Bush have been elected on such a far-right interventionist agenda, twice, and it's partly thanks to those people.

 

 

 

In any case, the main point of my post still holds true - America will never be a leftist country. This isn't even the most 'left-wing' America's ever been. Obama is still to the right of Johnson, and even Johnson supported Vietnam.

[mott555]

Btw, may I ask what so many people have against socialism? Is it the words of your families echoing through, or the cold war still playing a part?

 

It runs counter to the American dream. The ideology that anybody can come to America and make a living for themselves.

 

 

 

That said, how the Republicans can honestly sit there and call Obama a socialist when it was their own President who used government spending to buy up $700 billion's worth of bad assets is beyond me. That was the finest example of socialism going, except that only favoured the rich while the poor has to now pay for it.

 

 

 

Except that around 70% of the nation's tax money comes from the richest 5% of the population. Most poor people don't pay income taxes, and social security and sales taxes combined don't amount to much, so how exactly are the poor paying for it?

[Barihawk]

Sorry Ginger. I didn't appreciate the sarcasm because of the generalization. Two wrongs don't make a right, you know. Or a left, for that matter.

[Ginger_Warrior]

a) I find it difficult to believe most poor people don't pay income taxes.

 

B) Everyone pays taxes, not just the rich, so of course the poor are paying for it. Everytime they put fuel in their car, pay their bills, do the shopping, earn a wage, drive on the road, they're paying tax. Saying only the rich pay taxes in just ridiculous.

 

c) When you say 70%, are you actually talking about taxing the individuals in that 5%, or are you talking some sort of excess profits tax on big business?

[user1991]

I think you have to be careful when saying "America" will become more left or more right. What this election shows is there is one half of America that embraces change, tolerance and liberalism, and another half of America that would sooner go to Hell than see an "Arab Muslim black pseudo-Socialist" man elected President of the US.

 

 

 

While these folks are still around, there's no hope of America as a whole ever becoming a leftist country, especially as Europe is currently moving right-wards.

 

 

 

Honestly, I think it will either be a bloody revolution or a slow cultural change, but I think that in about 50-60 years, most of the world will be far more left than it is today. The problem is the mentality of the people. All it takes is a change in culture - it happened with slavery, women's suffrage etc, I see no reason why it cannot happen for other things such as capitalism.

[user1991]

I think you have to be careful when saying "America" will become more left or more right. What this election shows is there is one half of America that embraces change, tolerance and liberalism, and another half of America that would sooner go to Hell than see an "Arab Muslim black pseudo-Socialist" man elected President of the US.

 

 

 

That's just an ignorant, arrogant, and offensive statement. I am fairly damn sure most people who voted for McCain did not do it based on your criteria there.

 

 

 

I've heard countless people call Obama a socialist. Whilst the majority of McCain supporters aren't racist, I have heard the muslim/socialist allegations thousands of times, on youtube, on forums, in the street (and I'm in the UK wtf)..

[assassin_696]

I believe America made the right choice. The world needs this change, I would be extremely proud and honoured to be an American today.

[darthnixon16]

americans voted simply.

 

Obama. Black. america look good if he gets anywhere.

 

McCain. Old.

 

Palin. she so dum......

 

 

 

 

 

From what i read over the net and talking in UK most most people are clueless on Obamas polices just just wanted "that black guy".

 

 

 

For my opinion the word "change" needs to be taxed it was so overdone that it was better than a advertising campain. You have people who have no idea how Obama plans to change things just that he wants to in some shape or form.

[Ezz]

Sweden is a very socialist country and it's working totally fine, pretty much no homeless people and still a lot of people with a good amount of wealth. I don't get all the idiots who are saying "boo socialism!", I think they're mixing it up with communism or something.

[tennisnick12]

The reason that I don't like socialism or the idea of spreading the wealth is, because if I ever become a successful businessman I want to get paid for the work that I do. I do not want to pay the poor for not working. I am not even a real supporter of Bush, but every man that has ever been elected to the office of president was smart. There have been no dumb presidents in the US. Going to Iraq might not have been the greatest decision, but it will be interesting to see how long it take Obama to "bring the troops home".

[magekillr]

The reason that I don't like socialism or the idea of spreading the wealth is, because if I ever become a successful businessman I want to get paid for the work that I do. I do not want to pay the poor for not working. I am not even a real supporter of Bush, but every man that has ever been elected to the office of president was smart. There have been no dumb presidents in the US. Going to Iraq might not have been the greatest decision, but it will be interesting to see how long it take Obama to "bring the troops home".

 

 

 

He's not even spreading the wealth around! He is giving tax breaks to people that make under a certain margin, instead of George Bush's way of giving those tax breaks to rich people.

 

 

 

Obama--> Economic growth from the ground up with small businesses

 

 

 

McCain--> Economic growth from the top down (trickling down) with large corporations.

[tennisnick12]

The rich already pay to much in taxes. I am by no means rich, but the only people in this country that deserve tax breaks are the rich when. How would you feel if you paid a 40% income tax? Then most of your money goes into helping other people. If I want to help other people I would donate to charities, but it should be a choice.

[Utopianflame]

The rich already pay to much in taxes. I am by no means rich, but the only people in this country that deserve tax breaks are the rich when. How would you feel if you paid a 40% income tax? Then most of your money goes into helping other people. If I want to help other people I would donate to charities, but it should be a choice.

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty common to do so in the UK.

[oegly41]

I would like to congratulate mister Obama, who is the lesser of two evils. He is far from socialism, but it's a good stepping stone. And the fact that the USA would be the first Western country to elect an ethnic minority as their president shows how far they have come. It's so great that I would accept it even if it was a pure façade.

 

 

 

The rich already pay to much in taxes. I am by no means rich, but the only people in this country that deserve tax breaks are the rich when. How would you feel if you paid a 40% income tax? Then most of your money goes into helping other people. If I want to help other people I would donate to charities, but it should be a choice.

 

Why should it be a choice? They never chose that they had to be helped. Everyone is not created equal.