Obama is U.S. President Elect

[CE]

Congratulations to everyone in the US! I really welcome Obama as a new president who for a change is the first in decades who's not a fan of Reaganism/Thatcherism and will at least try to fight poverty!
Obama's election will have a huge influence on politics all over the world, and it might slow down neo-liberalism / libertarianism in Europe as well.




- I wish that you guys finally get the free public health-care that the rest of the developed world has! And that he may do the things required to save your country's economy from collapsing!

And to you neo-liberals / libertarians: Now you know how people felt for decades that do not agree with your point of view. - It sucks, but live goes on.


Exciting times!

[Legend76]

He made a lot of promises and common sense will tell you that theirs no way all or even half of them is likely to come to pass, so I'm just as skeptical as anyone as to what he'll actually accomplish.

Yup and if he's wanting an 8 year term, which I know he does, than he'll have to play to the center to garner support from moderates.

[Fightn Words]

It all depends on what comes to pass. After Bush Jr. I became very jaded about politics in general, it's really because of him that I started to become more self-aware. If he does good, I'd love to see him elected again. Even McCain wasn't a bad choice honestly (he has a great reputation), I just think Obama has more to offer. I hope.

- I wish that you guys finally get the free public health-care that the rest of the developed world has!

Me too! I could really use it right now.

[Damon Caskey]

Public health care is the very, very LAST thing the U.S. needs. I've been up close and personal to government run healthcare both through my employment and family experience. It isn't a pretty sight. Walk into a VA or government supported nursing facility and have a look around at the dingy lifeless atmosphere.

Sit for a few minutes and watch the glass eyed staff mill about, unmotivated and unconcerned. Have a chat with one of the doctors (who will likely have a tenuous grasp of English and thus be very difficult to communicate with). Who cares if you can't understand the guy selling you a milkshake or hotel room, but do you really want to have communication issues with your DOCTOR?! You'll also find they are transient and using the place as a stepping stone. There is no chance to build any doctor patient relationship, and the doctor has no motivation to excell or care for the people in his pratice (because it isn't his/her's at all). That's the current reality of government run healthcare.

Here at UK, there is no better way to see the contrast, as the UK hospital is literally connected to the regional VA via walk tunnel. It's like driving in a city and passing over to the wrong side of the tracks. That's the future of all healthcare if it goes universally public.

DC

[Legend76]

You said it DC! My wife actually has contacts with some vets from her work and the stories she hears are disheartening. Those who have given so much to this country and this is what the gov. provides back to them? No thanks.

It all depends on what comes to pass. After Bush Jr. I became very jaded about politics in general, it's really because of him that I started to become more self-aware.

Don't forget that the Dem's have had control of congress for 2 years now, they are FAR from blameless as far as our current economic stand point. Barny Frank, Chris Dobbs are IMO very connected to the who Fannie May and Freddy Mac debacle. Unfortunately most people don't pay attention to things like that and go straight to blaming the guy at the top for everything.
Not that Bush is blameless either, but come on! Everyone mentions the Pres's approval ratings, but look at congresse's they're in the teens! Thats abysmal at best!

[Orochi_X]

Yeah , I have absolutely zero faith in public health services and would gladly welcome it's demise.

I've had my fair share of bad experiences both personally and through the media. Many public health services are only marginally better than a hospital in some third world country.....

One "funny" example was when I slashed my leg the other month. I went up to a nurse , poking the muscles back into leg , blood everywhere... All she said was "And what's wrong with you?"

After explaining my situation , I had to wait for 4 hours before being attended to......

Money is a big motivator , even in healthcare.

[Fightn Words]

With respect guys, I disagree.

I've had some of these same experiences with my regular medical visits. It's something that has nothing to do with who's footing the bill. I've also had good stories- I really think this has more to do with how the place is run. Medical insurance is outrageously expensive, and if you get sick (which no one plans on) your basically screwed. Well I'm in that situation right now, and I have to say I'm completely dependent on what coverage I do have- I need my coverage. I'm not exaggerating by saying that my situation has kept me from working like I'd like to be. If not for Medicaid, I would be much worse off or dead- but even Medicaid doesn't cover everything. Theirs a medicine I don't think it covers that I could really use.

Don't forget that the Dem's have had control of congress for 2 years now, they are FAR from blameless as far as our current economic stand point. Barny Frank, Chris Dobbs are IMO very connected to the who Fannie May and Freddy Mac debacle. Unfortunately most people don't pay attention to things like that and go straight to blaming the guy at the top for everything.

I don't blame Bush at all for the economic crisis. It's because our country has almost no control's in place for big business- also, it's a cyclical thing- something you can't put too much blame on a single president for- much as I'd like to. 

[Legend76]

I don't blame Bush at all for the economic crisis. It's because our country has almost no control's in place for big business- also, it's a cyclical thing- something you can't put too much blame on a single president for- much as I'd like to. 

Yup I do believe that some of this started when the housing marked began its decline over a year ago. I think some of that is the market correcting itself. In the Chicagoland area your average house on the market has dropped to 250-300 K which IMO is still a lot, considering that only 10years ago it was 125-150. Maybe its me but I feel that if you looked at pricing on cars. A civic for example: 10 years ago retailed for around 16k, would now be around 30k, which is to high a rise in price in such a short time. So logically the market now is reacting to this.

[Fightn Words]

Your dead on right, it was the housing. It was all about the greed and lack of common sense or foresight. All they saw were magical dollar signs, and of course the expectation now is to bail them out. It's a ridiculous situation. Problem is, in a certain sense we do have some responsibility to help our economy otherwise we wouldn't be bailing some of them out. Unfortunately.

*EDIT* Sorry if it seems like I'm monopolizing this thread, guys. As you can probably tell I'm passionate about this stuff.

[Hanzo]

Money is the root of all evil but now it makes sense nowadays.

[robovine]

I'm cautiously okay with this guy being president.  I'm not jumping-up-and-down excited about it like all the other people young people I know.  I'm kinda wary about Obama because he is so popular and it was trendy to support him.  I've got an indy music fan sort of mentality toward things, so I'm inclined to think that popular, mainstream stuff sucks.

Also, many Obama supporters I've ran into seem to be really intolerant of people who have different opinions than them.  It's like "OMG Sarah Palin doesn't believe a woman's right to choose to kill her unborn baby?  WTF How can she call herself a woman? She's not a real woman!"  I don't mind abortion, but I just found it kinda hypocritical since the Democratic party's gimmick is that they're supposedly tolerant of people with many different backgrounds.

I also think his taxing business plan is dumb; big business won't want to see their profit margins shrink, so they're just going to increase the prices on their product, neutralizing the tax break for the common man since cost of living will go up.

He does have upsides, though.  He'd be better for diplomatic relations with friendly countries (we'll see how he does with hostile ones soon enough), for the lower-to-middle class (though I'm concerned about how he's going to pay for all of it) and for race relations.

I'm mostly curious as to whether or not he'll back up his flowery speeches with actions and results.  If he actually makes the country better, that's great.  If he ruins it even more, I'll be laughing at all the suckers who bought into his crap while I pack up my things and move to Australia.

[NickyP]

Also, many Obama supporters I've ran into seem to be really intolerant of people who have different opinions than them.  It's like "OMG Sarah Palin doesn't believe a woman's right to choose to kill her unborn baby?  WTF How can she call herself a woman? She's not a real woman!"  I don't mind abortion, but I just found it kinda hypocritical since the Democratic party's gimmick is that they're supposedly tolerant of people with many different backgrounds.

Ain't that the truth. I've gotten into some heated arguments at school with Obama supporters... as flowery and nice as the guy speaks, the people who voted for him foam at the mouth if you hint at something negative towards him.

  And on the subject of abortion real quick, well... From a moral standpoint, I can argue with it all day about how wrong it is, but from a legal standpoint, it's complete hypocrisy. How? In the US you have murderers on death row like Scott Peterson who only technically murdered one person but was charged for two: for their wife and for their unborn child. Now, I ask you; how can a judge possibly give a man a death sentence for the murder of an unborn child, when if he had done it as doctor with a PH.D it would have been just another legal and ethical business transaction?

What scares me about the above comment, though, is that I'm not even a lawyer yet and I'm already coming up with scumbag defense attorney arguments. Great

[kbandressen]

On abortion, my stance is the one I've had since my professor in an anatomy class said this:

"At around seven and a half weeks, the fetus begins to emanate the same brain waves whose absence we use to determine legal death.  Why shouldn't these same waves be used to determine when life begins?"

To me, that seems like the way to go; I can't speak from experience obviously, but that seems like it would be long enough for someone to find out they're pregnant and get an abortion if they want to.  And also, I've got no problem with the special cases like rape and when the child puts the mother's life at risk.

[KingHerb]

tp://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=65I0HNvTDH4

XD

[kbandressen]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_TiQCJXpbKg

I like this version better.   

EDIT - Though this one is my favorite 2008 election video:

http://www.jibjab.com/originals/time_for_some_campaignin

You can always count on JibJab to make fun of both candidates equally.