Topic: US Elections 2008

[Michael]

First, let me say that the whole world is watching. What happens in the US this year is of such critical importance to everyone else in the world, that some commentators have suggested we should all be voting.

But I have to confess, I don't understand.

Could someone inform me as to what is this Iowa thing? I know it's important, along with the subsequent states, but I don't get how this works.

Now in Aus, who gets to the top of a political party's pole, is a vote by the elected members of that party. In one party only (which now longer exists), the members of the party vote for who will lead them, well almost.

So what I gather is that what is being decided now is who will lead the party in the real election later in the year. But who can vote now? Can anyone vote for Hillery or whoever? Or can only people who are signed up members of the Democrats, or Republicans etc vote for their leader?

I can't understand how anyone can vote for who will be the leader of a political party - is this really the case?

Now I have heard this whole thing in the US is mind-bogglingly complex and many say stupid. I don't want a long spiel on it. But could someone just enlighten me as to who is allowed to vote (and why, if it's not too long).

[nichi]

During presidential election years, the caucuses are the first step toward picking delegates to national conventions where the parties pick their candidate for the presidency.

http://www.iowacaucus.com/

Then, at the respective National Conventions of each party --
Members of the Democratic Party vote for who their candidate will be.
Members of the Republican Party vote for who their candidate will be.

When it comes to the actual election, "Registered Voters" vote for whomever they please. At that juncture, for example, a member of the Democratic Party is not "obliged" to vote for the Democratic candidate.

Hypothetically based on whom the popular vote elected, the "Electoral College" then puts in their votes.  Some say that here is where things go askew.

Yes, I wish the world could vote too! 

[Michael]

OK, so who is voting in Iowa?

[nichi]

Party-members.
Those who have made it to Iowa, that is.
As for further weeding out at that point, I don't know the mechanics there in Iowa. There may be another elitist demarcation at that point, I'm not sure.

All I know is, dear god, pray that Huckabee won't make it into the ring. You should see his advertisement --- this subliminal panning around the Oval Office, with him at the center of a Cross. Shivers down the spine.

[Michael]

i saw a picture of Huckabee today, that was enough - i have been trying to understand where that name fits in - I thought it was a movie.

so you say, that only party members vote in Iowa. But they have been going door-to-door. Does this mean there are a lot of people who are signed up members of the parties? In Aus there are very very few people who actually 'join' a political party. You have to be a bit weird to do that.

[nichi]

There is a movie, "I Heart Huckabee". Very offbeat and unconnected to Mr. Huckabee, so far as I know.

The residents of Iowa are the most likely to make it to the Caucus... hence the door-to-door.   The Press follows the goings-on at the Caucus very closely --- it's viewed as grass-roots.

But is it really grass-roots? Needless to say, campaigning is a function of money -- lots of it.

When one registers to vote in the US, one has to declare a party.... The obligation ends there, really, except that much red tape is thereby created. There are other parties besides the 2: the Independent and the Libertarian are the ones we hear about the most.   

When one registers to vote, one is required to do jury-duty if one's name is pulled. One's name gets on all these lists, undesirably so. In my opinion, these things are why this country does not have 100% voter registration.

[Michael]

so you are saying that when a person registers to vote - by which I mean they can vote in the final ellection (ie, if they are not registered they can't vote) - they have to specify a party as their preference? That's a bit weird.

Then according to what party they nominated, they are able to vote in these Caucus things - which i assume occur in every state.  Or can they vote in more than one party's scene?

So, registered voters, get to vote first in this round, which elects people to go to the College thing, where the elected people then vote for their leaders? But then how come the leaders are so concerned now? I don't get it. Are the voters now also specifying who they want as the final leader, or do the elected delegates pre-align themselves with a leader of their choice?

It's very hard to grasp.

[nichi]

When I fill out my voter registration card, I have to check a box stating whether I'm Democrat, Republican, and I can't remember at the moment what other party is on that card.

If I am a declared Democrat, I can't go vote at the Republican convention. I've never been involved at any of the conventions/caucuses, so I'm out of my area a bit to answer this uncertainty: is it enough to just have checked the box, or does one need to have made dues or somesuch? ~Don't know the answer there.

But if I'm a declared Democrat, if I can negotiate the voting booth, I am not obliged to then vote Democrat.

You're right: it's thick stuff, very complicated indeed.

[nichi]

They're concerned about the Iowa Caucus because it's understood that the winners at the Caucus are typically the candidates-to-be, at the Conventions.

Caucus -->> Convention -->> Election

[Jennifer-]

Im of no help to this thread as my knowledge of politics and american government is not very keen.

Ive only registered to vote once in my whole life (this needs to be done at each new location of living) but the options I were given also included 'independent' 

[nichi]

Im of no help to this thread as my knowledge of politics and american government is not very keen.

Ive only registered to vote once in my whole life (this needs to be done at each new location of living) but the options I were given also included 'independent' 

That's another good point, Jen.

As one moves from town to town, one has to re-register all over again. That's another thing which throws a wrench into the works.

It's technically "against the law" to duck jury duty. If I know, for example, that I'm going to be in California for large chunks of time, it does not behoove me to have that possibility hanging over my head, that I've been called in to jury-duty in my town of Norfolk.

Of course, you can eventually get the picture here ... that they have made voter registration a complicated thing.  Personally, I don't think that's an accident.

[TIOTIT]

I'll post this again because Huckabees name
came up

've seen a couple of stories out of the States in the last week
about  gunmen always referred to as "shooters" going on a
rampage through shopping malls,churches and schools.
Then I saw this story about a presidential candidate,who likes
guns ....and religion...the best mix....I wonder if the "shooters"
feel like the angels help them to?...mass psychosis....

But what about angels? As I've noted previously and elsewhere, Huckabee gave a rather intriguing speech at the NRA in September, during which he deftly merged his heartfelt evangelical beliefs with his deep passion for gun rights and hunting. He recalled the time he was in an antelope hunting contest in Wyoming. After several hours of stalking prey on a miserably cold, windy and snowy day, Huckabee had his chance. An antelope was 250 yards away, but right at the edge of his range as a "Shooter". Then a miracle happened....praise the lord!!!!

I decided that one way or the other, this hunt is about to be over, because I can't stand any more of this cold. And somehow, by the grace of God, when I squeezed the trigger, my Weatherby .300 Mag, which has got to be the greatest gun, I think, ever made in the form of a rifle -- for my sake in hunting, I've never squeezed the trigger and not gotten something -- did its work, and somehow the angels took that bullet and went right to the antelope, and my hunt was over in a wonderful way.

Thanks to those angels, that elk was dead.

[nichi]

*shudder*

[erik]

We are given a free will, aren't we?

[TIOTIT]

??