2012 United States Presidential Election

[Troy]

Read this article before about Obama raising $181 million for his campaign during the month of September. That right there is one of the biggest issues I have with American politics, why is so much spent by each presidential candidate when that money could be put to much better use. This is a country that is in very serious debt because of poor decisions by their government and yet the American people are still happy for them to spend over a $1 billion on a campaign. That money should be saved by those that donated it or spent on some products made in the USA. That alone would be a big saving every four years.

Cut campigning to six weeks like most other countries do and stop allowing this massive waste of money to continue. This is a time when everyone needs to tighten their budgets and yet ridiculous sums like this are being thrown around.

Note: Not attacking Obama, just using him because I read the figure that he raised, the issue is the system.

 

[Troy]

I'm not gonna lie, saying he was going to cut funding to PBS was extraordinarily stupid, but I agree with more of what he's doing than what Obama's doing. Unfortunately, defense in one thing I don't think any president will be able to cut funding to. I believe we do need to spend a good amount on defense, but diverting some of the money from defense to education would be a smart move. I mean it's appalling how you go to a city like Newark and their aspirations are to become a professional sports player or rapper and if that doesn't work, you can always deal. I challenge anyone to call me out on this because you know damn well it's true so don't even try to tell me otherwise. For everyone 1 kid in an inner city area that has real aspirations in America, there are 10 who couldn't give a fuck less. I'm not saying it's entirely their fault, but at some point we all need to take responsibility for ourselves and we need to stop blaming everything on the system. Then you have idiots like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson who only perpetuate this belief amongst the minority populations that everyone is working against them. I digress though, we need to get kids educated and we need to make it possible for people who aren't as well off but still have brilliant minds to actually go to college.

I'm so sick of certain issues being made into political issues. Education should not be a political issue. It should be an issue of if we don't get kids educated, you end up with a nation of people who can't think for themselves.

If a President really wanted to they cut save huge amounts of money from the defense budget without impacting on the security of the nation. Currently the US have 11 aircraft carriers, the most any other country has is two (Italy). They serve no purpose in wars these days as they can't get close enough to be useful whilst remaining out of missile range, they are purely ceremonial. The US gives out signing bonuses of $50k when they already have more than enough troops signed up to the forces. There are over 75k troops stationed in Europe including over 50k in Germany. Europe should be able to look after itself now and there is no need for that many to be assigned to that region. It is little things like this which are pointless exercises and can easily be cut without making it so that America is so weak that any country could easily invade them.

In the end the goal is to protect US borders and currently they are spending too much of the budget protecting other countries borders. The $3.7 trillion spent on Iraq and Afghanistan is around a quarter of the US debt which is just an insane amount. The fact that US spent $711 billion this year on military spending and that the next biggest spender was China with $143billion shows that US is wasting a ridiculous amount of money each year with their defence budget. China need to spend a lot to catch up to the level that most other nations are at whereas there is no need for the US to consistently spend that much each year.

Spending on education is an absolute must. US, like almost all other western nations, can't compete in manufacturing anymore due to it being much cheaper for companies to produce in Asian and African countries. The only way to combat that is through higher education, US needs to spend a lot more ensuring that students get a quality education and to ensure that higher eduction is more easily accessable for all citizens.

Unfortunately I don't see either party pushing in that direction any time soon and I can't see the parties working together even when it is vital for the US that the two parties actually start working as one.

 

[Ryan]

If a President really wanted to they cut save huge amounts of money from the defense budget without impacting on the security of the nation. Currently the US have 11 aircraft carriers, the most any other country has is two (Italy). They serve no purpose in wars these days as they can't get close enough to be useful whilst remaining out of missile range, they are purely ceremonial. The US gives out signing bonuses of $50k when they already have more than enough troops signed up to the forces. There are over 75k troops stationed in Europe including over 50k in Germany. Europe should be able to look after itself now and there is no need for that many to be assigned to that region. It is little things like this which are pointless exercises and can easily be cut without making it so that America is so weak that any country could easily invade them.

In the end the goal is to protect US borders and currently they are spending too much of the budget protecting other countries borders. The $3.7 trillion spent on Iraq and Afghanistan is around a quarter of the US debt which is just an insane amount. The fact that US spent $711 billion this year on military spending and that the next biggest spender was China with $143billion shows that US is wasting a ridiculous amount of money each year with their defence budget. China need to spend a lot to catch up to the level that most other nations are at whereas there is no need for the US to consistently spend that much each year.

Spending on education is an absolute must. US, like almost all other western nations, can't compete in manufacturing anymore due to it being much cheaper for companies to produce in Asian and African countries. The only way to combat that is through higher education, US needs to spend a lot more ensuring that students get a quality education and to ensure that higher eduction is more easily accessable for all citizens.

Unfortunately I don't see either party pushing in that direction any time soon and I can't see the parties working together even when it is vital for the US that the two parties actually start working as one.

I don't agree entirely with what you said about military spending, but I do agree it needs to be cut somewhat. Well said and I especially agree that politicians do way too much campaigning. And life terms for Congress with full pension and health benefits? That shit has got to go. Almost everyone in Congress is a worthless piece of scum.

 

[Slim]

I was bout to say this on my facebook but I'm sure I'd get a whole lot of lash and crap for it.

But I find it kinda funny how when the first debate... Romney clearly won and nobody said anything. But this one they say Obama won and they plastering it all over Facebook like... yeah Romney got his ass handed to him. Romney got beat. smh Romney ain't did shit.

Its like... shut the fuck up.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

But in all seriousness, I haven't seen the debate yet, but I have been hearing that Obama was a lot better this time around.

 

[John McHenry]

I heard from a bunch of people via facebook that Romney won the first one. I didn't see that one but based on what I saw of this one Romney won again. The Moderator was also pretty biased.

 

[Ozymandias]

But in all seriousness, I haven't seen the debate yet, but I have been hearing that Obama was a lot better this time around.

Fox said it was a draw, so Obama clearly won

 

[Slim]

you couldn't tell that to the folks on my facebook. They all over Obama how he won, schooled Romney, owned Romney, all that shit.

its irritating really.

 

[The Cork]

Obama was a stuttering mess, I don't know how that translates to "he fucking OWNED Romney".

 

[Slim]

Well its those typical people. I mean I'm not trying to be racist or anything, but its the same black community that is all over Obama's junk that anytime he "steps up" they are all over like he the man. he gonna do it. he owned.

I dunno. Just idiocy.

 

[Ozymandias]

Slim, I didn't say you mentioned Nader, you said;

"The last time a third party candidate was taken seriously was Ross Perot. Other than him... third party has been irrelevant. And whoever that chick is... irrelevant"

I offered Nader and the 2000 race as an example which disproves that.

And to be honest it's not really about who "the chick" is, it's about a presidential candidate being arrested, in the middle of the race. Third party or not it, in a democracy it's a pretty interesting event. Whether you personally find it relevant or not.

 

[Ryan]

Obama did a hell of a lot better last night than in the first debate, but considering it was a tag team effort between him and the moderator, I expected nothing less. Not only did Obama consistently get to have the last word, but the moderator actually corrected Romney - incorrectly, I might add since what Romney was saying was pretty much the truth - to make Obama look better. I was getting extremely aggravated by her, but all in all, Romney held his own. If the next moderator is a bit more, well, moderate, I think Romney will take it again.

 

[Ozymandias]

I dunno man, Obama was dreadful first time around, Romney took his chance well, but last night Obama came out strong and stayed solid and Romney made a lot of unforced errors. I'm not a big one for "draws" in debates. Romney took the first one clearly and Obama took last night's as far as I'm concerned. It's all square going into the last debate.

I've heard lots of people accuse the first debate moderator of the things you've said above about last nights. I think it's one of those things that are influenced by your own partisan viewing of it, that's pretty natural. I actually think both of them did their job pretty well.

 

[Slim]

Slim, I didn't say you mentioned Nader, you said;

"The last time a third party candidate was taken seriously was Ross Perot. Other than him... third party has been irrelevant. And whoever that chick is... irrelevant"

I offered Nader and the 2000 race as an example which disproves that.

And to be honest it's not really about who "the chick" is, it's about a presidential candidate being arrested, in the middle of the race. Third party or not it, in a democracy it's a pretty interesting event. Whether you personally find it relevant or not.

I'd still say Mickey Mouse is more of a candidate than she is. I mean I guarantee you that you go down the street and ask folks about this chick and they'd be like... "Who? She is a what?" Then they'd look at you like an idiot. Anybody can declare themselves a Presidential candidate. Just declare themselves an Independent.

I'm just saying also compared to Perot... Nader looks like nothing which is why the "irrelevant" comment was made.

 

[PHX]

I watched it and Obama won quite easily mostly due to Romney shooting himself in the foot contradicting himself multiple times, coming off sexiest against women (His binder full of women comment became a running gag and meme quickly) and just generally coming off like a dick. If you want clear proof that Republicans know he lost look back at all the nitpicking some of them did after the debate talking about how Obama had 3 more minutes to talk and how Michelle Obama broke rules by clapping, lol.