US elections...map of states involved

[Tero]

This explains how the country will eventullay split in two. Or three. Color all the white ones blue in the Norh.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... crats.html

[pErvinalia]

Retarded country. Can't believe they could vote the republicans full control of both houses. The repubs are close to one of the most extreme mainstream parties in the western world. Maybe we should hope you get a repub president in two years and the full implosion of your country can hurry up and happen. Then you can get on with reforming your broken political system.

[mistermack]

With a republican president and both houses, you can bet your life there will be lots of wars.

American people don't like taxes, but they love fighting expensive wars. Or, they love sending other people to fight expensive wars.
Basically, they are so dumb, they think they can have their cake, and eat it too.

That's not uniquely american, but they take it to excess.

[pErvinalia]

That's not all Americans. Only the republican and libertarian ones. Don't tar the all with the same brush.

[mistermack]

That's not all Americans. Only the republican and libertarian ones. Don't tar the all with the same brush.

I wasn't. I didn't think that needed saying.
I'm talking about Americans as a voting majority, not including every individual.

As a block, their dumbness is proved by the way that money talks. If a candidate can spend more on campaigning that his opponent, he can turn the vote his way. They all know it.
That indicates an electorate that is incredibly fucking gullible.

The republicans win, because their supporters own nearly all of the news media.
It's a built-in campaigning advantage, because nobody expects them to be unbiased.
Most are blatantly pro-republican.
And then they criticise countries like Russia, for controlling the media.
It's the absolute height of hypocrisy. But people expect that too.

[JimC]

Two-thirds of Americans couldn't be fucked to vote, apparently...

[klr]

Two-thirds of Americans couldn't be fucked to vote, apparently...

Just like a lot of other countries then.

Don't you Aussies have to vote?

[JimC]

Two-thirds of Americans couldn't be fucked to vote, apparently...

Just like a lot of other countries then.

Don't you Aussies have to vote?

Yep, it's compulsory here. I can appreciate the arguments against compulsory voting, though...

It's more a matter that such a large proportion of people not voting isn't a good look for democracy... I suspect other countries with non-compulsory voting have at least a bit better turn out than one third.

[klr]

Two-thirds of Americans couldn't be fucked to vote, apparently...

Just like a lot of other countries then.

Don't you Aussies have to vote?

Yep, it's compulsory here. I can appreciate the arguments against compulsory voting, though...

It's more a matter that such a large proportion of people not voting isn't a good look for democracy... I suspect other countries with non-compulsory voting have at least a bit better turn out than one third.

Can you at least declare "no preference", or something similar?

[JimC]

Two-thirds of Americans couldn't be fucked to vote, apparently...

Just like a lot of other countries then.

Don't you Aussies have to vote?

Yep, it's compulsory here. I can appreciate the arguments against compulsory voting, though...

It's more a matter that such a large proportion of people not voting isn't a good look for democracy... I suspect other countries with non-compulsory voting have at least a bit better turn out than one third.

Can you at least declare "no preference", or something similar?

The traditional Aussie way is to scrawl "fuck off the lot of you" on the ballot paper, which means it's counted as an informal vote...

[klr]

...
The traditional Aussie way is to scrawl "fuck off the lot of you" on the ballot paper, which means it's counted as an informal vote...

People do things like that here as well, thus spoiling the ballot paper.

In this day and age, I can't see the point of an anonymous protest action that is statistically very unlikely to get noticed and reported. Why don't they just go nuts on social media instead?

[JimC]

Well, the other way is to vote for an independent, of which there are increasing numbers. However, many are complete and utter weirdos...

[klr]

Well, the other way is to vote for an independent, of which there are increasing numbers. However, many are complete and utter weirdos...

... and who are unlikely to have influence even if they do get elected. Just a useless protest vote IMHO. Same problem here.

[pErvinalia]

...
The traditional Aussie way is to scrawl "fuck off the lot of you" on the ballot paper, which means it's counted as an informal vote...

People do things like that here as well, thus spoiling the ballot paper.

In this day and age, I can't see the point of an anonymous protest action that is statistically very unlikely to get noticed and reported. Why don't they just go nuts on social media instead?

The Australian Electoral Commission do count informal votes. Not specific kinds,, though. So there's no way to tell how many people drew dick and balls on their ballot versus those who wrote "fuck off" or the like.

[pErvinalia]

Well, the other way is to vote for an independent, of which there are increasing numbers. However, many are complete and utter weirdos...

... and who are unlikely to have influence even if they do get elected. Just a useless protest vote IMHO. Same problem here.

Independents held the balance of power in our last parliament.