The Official US President Election Thread

[Nurvingiel]

There is a polygamy thread EJH, we would appreciate your input. There's a very intersting discussion going on there. I have questions and comments about your post, but I'll see you in the Polygamy thread.
Cheers, Nurv

[The Gaffer]

1) Am I right in thinking that the method of selecting a presidential candidate mirrors the method of electing a president? i.e. Democratic party members in each state vote for their preferred candidate, then they tally the votes in each state and then each state sends a bunch of representatives to a big meeting where they have the final vote.

2) Will Ralph Nader stand this time around?

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
1) Am I right in thinking that the method of selecting a presidential candidate mirrors the method of electing a president? i.e. Democratic party members in each state vote for their preferred candidate, then they tally the votes in each state and then each state sends a bunch of representatives to a big meeting where they have the final vote.

At the Democratic and Republican Conventions - all the representatives from each state and the District of Columbia will meet. Once voting starts - they will take role call in alphabetical order and each state will declare who they are, give a short description or something about their state, declare who they are voting for and the number of votes which are going to the candidate. It is traditional that they will skip the home state of the canidate and then come back to them - so that way it is the canidate's home state that essentially votes them in as the presidential nominee for the party.

As an example, when it is New Jersey's turn to vote, the representative might say this...

The great state of New Jersey, known as the Crossroads of the Revolution and the Garden State, home of Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson, home of the lightbulb, movies and blueberries, from Highpoint to Cape May, from the green Mountains to the sandy beaches of the Jersey Shore, hearby declare that our 15 votes go to....

Sometimes states have to be interrupted in the middle of describing their state because of going on and on and told to just get on to the part where they declare their votes.

By the time the Convention starts - you know who is voting for which candidates - it's really just a formality. Just like we don't wait for Congress to count the presidential electorial votes.

The Republican National Convention will be in NY - I think the Democratic one is being held in Boston - but I'm not sure. The 2000 Republican Convention was held in Phildelphia.

Hope this helps.

2) Will Ralph Nader stand this time around?

There are rumors that he is going to run on the Green Party. There hasn't been anything really going on with any of the third parties this time.

[Baby-K]

Originally posted by Dúnedain
I know I didn't go into great detail here, but does that answer it better for you?

Yes it did, thanks for taking the time to do so. I still have a few questions, but I'm not sure if you'd feel comfortable discussing your own political beliefs on a public forum. After all, who you vote for is entirely up to you and a private matter.

[Valandil]

Originally posted by Insidious Rex
that’s a clear apples and oranges comparison. Are you saying developmentally and intellectually two gay adults are the equivalent of two 6 year olds?

No... it's just that they're either both two apples... or two oranges!

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Valandil
No... it's just that they're either both two apples... or two oranges!

Im resisting the strong temptation to make a joke about fruits here. *whistling*

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by evil jedi hobbit
I just wanted to say that if you think there's nothing wrong with polygamy you should read a book called "Under the Banner of Heaven." I actually do live in Utah, though I'm not Mormon, and Polygamy is a real issue here. Most of the instances with Polygamy, the GIRLS are married at ages younger than 15. If their husbands die, and if they live in a polygamous community, such as Colorado City, they are veiwed as property and just passed along to the next husband. I think you should consider the girls who are being raped, prejudiced against because of their gender, and brainwashed that their families are going to go to Hell if they don't get married before you say you think this should be legal.

so according to this logic if any type of marriage can lead to abuse or immoral behavior then it shouldnt be allowed? I think you see where that will lead to rather quickly. But then weve been over that before so like Nurvingiel said we should take that to the polygamy thread if you want to get into details.

[The Gaffer]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
Hope this helps.

Thanks, it does.

So, what happens, say, if Iowa votes for Candidate Bloggs, then by the time it comes round to campaigning in, say, California, it comes out that Mr Bloggs has a sizable collection of pictures of naked animals on his PC and is forced to resign? What happens to Iowa's votes at the convention? Do they go to whoever was second in their caucus? What if that person has already dropped out because they were losing?

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
Thanks, it does.

So, what happens, say, if Iowa votes for Candidate Bloggs, then by the time it comes round to campaigning in, say, California, it comes out that Mr Bloggs has a sizable collection of pictures of naked animals on his PC and is forced to resign? What happens to Iowa's votes at the convention? Do they go to whoever was second in their caucus? What if that person has already dropped out because they were losing?

Well the Caucus is different than the primary and not all states have a caucus. The primary is where people vote for the canidate.

At the convention - hardly ever do they vote for anyone but the front runner. Mostly by then everyone else has dropped out and the front runner even has his vice-president picked - which a lot of times was someone they may have been running against in the primaries.

[The Gaffer]

I get it, so by the time of the Convention, it's so obvious who the winner is going to be that everyone votes for him (and it's always a male, I guess) so as to have party unity.

Now I understand why everyone gets so excited about primaries.

[Earniel]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
The great state of New Jersey, known as the Crossroads of the Revolution and the Garden State, home of Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson, home of the lightbulb, movies and blueberries, from Highpoint to Cape May, from the green Mountains to the sandy beaches of the Jersey Shore, hearby declare that our 15 votes go to....

Really, they say things like that? That's kind of sweet.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Eärniel
Really, they say things like that? That's kind of sweet.

Yeah -0 tehy say things like that. it's the representative of the state - so it's a way of advertising and showing pride for your state. All the states say something aobut themselves - like I said.

The Iowa Caucuses are finished and surpirsed no one put in that John Kerry made a surprising comeback.

Dean who was the front runner ended up coming in third.

Gephart ended up leaving the race.

I feel sorry for the losers - they have their families up there, and they put so much effort into it. It's got to be hard, and it's got to be hard to watch the returns come in when you know you aren't doing well. There is a lot of rejection in politics. I think sometimes it can be the hardest on the children though - especially with negative ads or just the fact of seeing their parents put so much work into it and then seeing them not succeed.

[Dúnedain]

I'm telling you, Edwards is gonna get the Dem. nomination, just wait to see the results in the South. The first southern one is on Feb. 3rd I think...

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Dúnedain
I'm telling you, Edwards is gonna get the Dem. nomination, just wait to see the results in the South. The first southern one is on Feb. 3rd I think...

From watching the debates - I think Edwards is too liberal though. I think one of the reasons he might have beat Dean is because Dean has been making so many mistakes the last couple of weeks. Also - the front runner always gets the most heat - and Dean was the front runner. Not many people paid attention to Edwards before. Now they will start looking at him with a stronger microscope.

But it's actually just the caucus anyway - now people have to vote in the primary.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by jerseydevil

I feel sorry for the losers - they have their families up there, and they put so much effort into it. It's got to be hard, and it's got to be hard to watch the returns come in when you know you aren't doing well. There is a lot of rejection in politics. I think sometimes it can be the hardest on the children though - especially with negative ads or just the fact of seeing their parents put so much work into it and then seeing them not succeed.

well Gephart is the only one that wound up getting screwed over. 4th place in a state he had to win to stay in it. and he has already said that it was president or bust and that he would be taking himself out of politics if he lost. so thats got to be a painful rejection. Dean doesnt seem at all down about the results. from his little diatribe/speech after the results came out he sounds more motivated then ever. and so do his supporters. I think hes actually relieved not to be the front runner now.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Insidious Rex
Dean doesnt seem at all down about the results. from his little diatribe/speech after the results came out he sounds more motivated then ever. and so do his supporters. I think hes actually relieved not to be the front runner now.

No - I think Dean was in shock and didn't know how to act. I think his upbeat attitude and screaming was all for show. He expected to be first. A lot of what he did seemed almost forced and "I can't believe this happened". He stumbed a lot of him words and just looked like he was going crazy because he didn't know what to do.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
No - I think Deam was in shock and didn't know how to act. A lot of what he did seemed almost forced and "I can't believe this happened". He stumbed a lot of him words and just looked like he was going crazy because he didn't know what to do.

well whatever i was ammused by his little speech especially the animal cry at the end.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Insidious Rex
well whatever i was ammused by his little speech especially the animal cry at the end.

I think you are one of the view. I think a lot of his actions on tv and his screaming and stufff is going to turn a lot of people off.

[Insidious Rex]

Do you often equate the word "amused" with "inspired"? Im trying to say he made me laugh. Now is that a good thing for a candidate to do? To do something that makes people laugh at him and say "what the hell". Ask Michael Dukakis. Just because im not a right wing conservative doesnt mean I cant make fun of liberals you know.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Insidious Rex
Do you often equate the word "amused" with "inspired"? Im trying to say he made me laugh. Now is that a good thing for a candidate to do? To do something that makes people laugh at him and say "what the hell". Ask Michael Dukakis. Just because im not a right wing conservative doesnt mean I cant make fun of liberals you know.

I never claimed you were inspired. Do you always put words in people's mouth? It just didn't seem by you using the word "amuse" that you were turned off by his antics. You weren't actually indicating that he made you laugh in a bad way. I would have used the word "ridiculous" to describe his antics on stage - not "amused" if I was going to express what you just described as your feelings.

There are many was one can take the word "amused".