Looks as if Mr Obama has won ... How do you feel about that?

Originally posted by MonkeyFishFrog
In Canada we were just as glued to our televisions, computers and phones and when we got the news a collective cheer went up across the wintry tundra.

Seriously though, Canadians love Obama. We are very happy for Americans.

edit on 11/7/2012 by MonkeyFishFrog because: (no reason given)

Are you joking? And I'm NDP! Amercian's call him a socialist. HE IS NOT! He is a fascist, and a puppet. You can never vote for the main parties. You are supporting Murder Incorporated and the Mafia at the top if you do. You cast an endosement for all they do? That would mean you wear the blood on your hands?

reply to post by Unity_99


I'm NDP. I even had the pleasure of meeting and shaking hands with Jack Layton a few months before he died.

Obama is for the people. He is trying to make things better.

The last murderer in the White House was Bush.

As if the BS election had any meaning at all. Get a life. The election changes nothing for you or the country. Focus on staying alive and shoot your TV. Stop propping up the bastards.

reply to post by rollsthepaul


I started this thread to give people an oppertunity to voice thier opinions in a clear and detailed manner, about how they see the election process, its result, and the future ahead. I did this because a) I am interested in world events and b) I wanted to learn what the ground level attitude is.

What I didnt want, was people comming in, and offering two line, embittered rants like that. Would you mind clarifying your position in more detail please?

I am an American living in Japan so I was a little detached on the direct American experience. What I can tell you is what it is like for Americans living in Japan during this time.

Most of the people in the US military here in Japan are either hard line right-wingers or libertarians while most of the non-military people are either socialist or democrats. So, the American community in Japan becomes very divided during a national election season.

I usually avoid talking politics with anyone in the US military over here because they want to either scream and shout at me or simply try to beat me up. I would prefer to avoid both of those situations. The few conversations I did have with members of the US military did not turn out well this year.

As far as most other Americans I talked to, there was the general feeling that both Obama and Romney are not the leaders we need in America right now. A lot of Americans here in Japan view Obama`s first term in office as a bunch of broken promises and spinning of wheels.

You would be surprised as to the perspective an American can gain if you live outside of America long enough.

Originally posted by TrueBrit
Speaking as a British person, I often wonder how Americans feel when these huge elections, in the most powerful nation in the West, finish. How do you feel about this result? I hear that although Obama won the election, the Republicans did enough to make things hell in the senate, and put stumbling blocks in the way of Obamas plans.

How does it feel to live in America during an election year? How did you find your communities during this process? Were they united or highly divided? I would really love to hear the American ATSers veiw of the process, and of the result, so please...

....Your thoughts?

It doesn't really 'feel' like anything. I am not happy that Obama is president, but I am happy that Romney is not. I suppose the only real thing I feel is disappointed in all of the nasty behavior. I have seen gloating from the dems and outright name calling and venom spewed from the reps. I notice how a lot of Romney supporters have taken to calling people stupid, traitors, ect... all because someone didn't vote the way they thought they ought to have. I have seen posts from people going on and on about how it's time to come together, be a country together... and essentially trying to not gloat. Most of them sound like "yay my guy won.. now now don't get upset little reps, lets work together now" It seems almost condescending and rude in a way.

All in all I am ambivalent towards it all. So long as people think we have a two party system then nothing will ever change.

I dealt with this using this logic:

It is better to deal with the devil you know than to deal with the devil you don't know.

Originally posted by TrueBrit
Speaking as a British person, I often wonder how Americans feel when these huge elections, in the most powerful nation in the West, finish. How do you feel about this result? I hear that although Obama won the election, the Republicans did enough to make things hell in the senate, and put stumbling blocks in the way of Obamas plans.

How does it feel to live in America during an election year? How did you find your communities during this process? Were they united or highly divided? I would really love to hear the American ATSers veiw of the process, and of the result, so please...

....Your thoughts?

Things will stay much the same as the last two years, at least until the midterms in 2014. Dems still hold the senate, white house, repubs still hold the house, supreme court still split about evenly. So, yeah, its the same as its been. I do think that there will finally be a budget deal to stave off the potential damage of sequestration, and eventually some deal will be made to preserve military spending as a a part of that deal. At the same time, with all of the new Obamacare taxes, the repubs could end up gaining seats in the senate in the midterms, and holding the house, but its still way too early to tell. Obama could move to the center over the next four years like Clinton. He could move to the far left and stay there if he convinces himself that he has won a mandate like the one in 2008. If that happens, he stands a good chance of becoming the democrat's Bush. Also, looking to 2016, his only viable democratic replacements would be Hillary or Joe, whilst the republicans would have Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio, and Chris Cristy. I think the repubs will go with Rubio/Cristy ticket next time around, which could provide a major challenge to the potential democratic Clinton/Biden ticket. Just some thoughts..............

I haven't taken the time to read the comments over the various pages leading up to this, yet. This is just my reaction to the election, and to a ridiculously titled thread on ATS that was cancelled before I could reply to it.

It seems that most Americans realized that Mitt Romney was not "looking out" for them. Romney eliminated an entire 47% of Americans because they did not mean anything to him. Romney was out to protect his people: the wealthy elite and corporationso (which, in his view, are people). PEOPLE of the middle class know they are under attack as the wealthy get wealthier and the poor struggle harder and harder. Romney said to President Obama, "Attacking me is not an agenda." Well, that is precisely what Romney/Ryan did: attack, blame, attack, blame.

People know that the economic disaster was gift-wrapped for President Obama by the previous administration and their eight years of terrible policy-making which benefitted the rich and big corporations. An analogy is that they caused a major physical wound. President Obama put a bandage and dressing on that wound. The wound will not stop bleeding magically. It keeps bleeding until a scab is formed. The scab is not painless and it takes time to heal. The republicans did everything they could to prevent that wound from healing with a highly successful strategy dubbed "I hope you fail." Several republicans actually said that their primary agenda was to make sure President Obama would not have a second term. They essentially flipped-off the country, America, and stonewalled everything in a brilliant strategy of non-cooperation. Look what happened, or rather, what did not happen. The lowest scoring congress: ever. Good job, fellas,thanks for "giving it" to the American people. People know what they did. That is one reason why President Obama was re-elected.

The average American has no advocate. President Obama has done and is doing his best to look-out for the middle class. The rich don't even see anyone of "normal means" as people, more like cattle. The rich feel entitled to making 20 million dollar severance packages while average folks struggle to put meat on their tables and gas in their cars. When the economy had crashed, they threw $7 million dollar birthday parties for their children. There is a huge gulf of inequity in America. Sure, throw those wealthy parties and gain those huge salaries/bonuses, but when so many people are suffering below the poverty line in America, something is hugely wrong. America has become a veiled ARISTOCRACY.

People know who is at least doing his best to look-out for them, the average American of average means. Romney gained so much support and money from people because the rich wanted to keep paying less in taxes than struggling middle/lower class folks. It simply is not fair and cannot work any longer in America. However, the rich control congress because they pump so much more money into the system than middle/lower class people can.

That removed/blocked thread on ATS was titled: Everyone who voted for Obama is a traitor to the country, --or something like that. Stated or not stated, there is a huge amount of HATRED towards the guy, --more than just not liking him. Hatred. Venomous hatred. I'll say it: a lot of that hatred is racism. Only, other reasons are given. The economy. His policies (which are similiar to G.W. Bush, only Bush didn't get that venomous hatred). What's the main difference? I think it is clear, and people KNOW what the hatred is really about. For people who think that others are not perceptive to their true nature, just know that WE know what the venomous hatred is really about. Say what you will, deny, deflect and hide. Know that people KNOW.

I heard that two supreme court judges are in thier seventies and due for or close to retirement. Do you good folks believe that the capacity for Obama to replace these individuals will be of any significance politically?

reply to post by TrueBrit


America has just sealed it's judgement. Watch what happens geologically.

reply to post by GhostLancer


Well, Romney was not lying about the 47%. The country now is formed of people that want the government to give them everything and that want to live of welfare and foodstamps.

I'm not a fan of socialism, but it seems that over 50,000,000 americans are....

I feel about the same as before the election. I wanted Ron Paul. It always was Ron Paul, or the other corrupt same same.

Our government is out of control. By that I mean voters have no control of who gets elected. We're just bystanders like the rest of the world. We all need to be very afraid. Global economic collapse is a 100% certainty, because our government has no backbone to make the changes necessary to to prevent it. Forget about NWO crap. After the collaspe if it becomes a free for all, our government will show the world what it's like to live under nazi control, because there's no way it will relinquish power over the rest of the world, and it's already proven human life means less than nothing to it.

Meanwhile life is good, because we're spending $11 for ever $7 we take in. Enjoy it while you can, it can't last forever.

reply to post by mrnotobc


How much of that overspend is due to poorly arranged contracts between government and private enterprise I wonder. In my nation we loose tens of billions per department of government, so I wonder if your nation might have the same or similar issues.

Being from the red heartland of America... I am RELIEVED that Obama has won another 4 years.. whats even better... all the new democratic women voted into the senate... WOOT WOOT 1/3 of the democratic caucus is now FEMALE... so 2012.. women ROCKED the vote... take notes GOP.. women voters are important.

I am very happy that I won't be getting any more annoying phone calls. Even last night after our polls closed, I still got two more robo-calls. I guess they we hoping I would call friends who live in states where they had not closed yet, or someing.

I am also proud of our kids, both first time voters, both of whom not only voted, but one voted early and the other actually prepared by reading the propositions and reviewing the candidates before election day, which I didn't know he had done, until yesterday, when he came home from college to vote.

I was surprised to hear on the radio that it is illegal for businesses to ask people to wear in their "I voted today" stickers and receive a discount or special offer. Especially since I had just received such a marketing email from one of our local car dealerships and thought it was kind-of a neat "help get out the vote" thing for them to do. Guess not.

I was not too heavily vested in the outcome this time. Although my guy won, I was pleasantly surprised by Romney and Ryan during the debates. If their ticket had won, I think I would have been ok with it, my hope being that Romney would have gotten into office and showed his moderate side instead of carrying out the Tea Party agenda. I think they are both decent guys and would have done alright. Indeed, the fact that Romney was classy enough to concede and didn't try to drag it out and call for recounts, just enforces my opinion that he would have been fine if he had won. Hubby, though, would have been very upset.

I was very interested in the breakdowns this morning, especially the ones by age. I am 44 and that is the cutoff before the 45-64 age group. From my age downwards, the majority lean blue. Above my age, they trended red. So that makes me think there are going to continue to be disappointed Republicans, in the years to come, as the Baby Boomers pass on and more young voters join the ranks.

reply to post by gnosticagnostic


Can you tell me what you mean by red? I mean, in my nation red either means Labour or communist (not the same thing by any means), and the election broadcast calls red states, those that were taken by the republicans, so any pointers you can give on your specific meaning would be awesome!

Originally posted by TrueBrit
reply to post by gnosticagnostic

 

Can you tell me what you mean by red? I mean, in my nation red either means Labour or communist (not the same thing by any means), and the election broadcast calls red states, those that were taken by the republicans, so any pointers you can give on your specific meaning would be awesome!

Generally speaking, if there are more cows than people, its a red state. If there are more buildings than trees, its a blue state.

reply to post by gnosticagnostic


I cannot even being to tell you how happy I am for you guys and the outpouring of women to the polls. With Obama not having to worry about re-election he might be able to do some drastic overhauling on policies that still discriminate against women, minorities and the LGBTQ community.

Seriously, I wish we could have your president... could we work out a custody agreement?