What is up with Americans and politics?

[chri'stina 190]

On VJ in 2004 before those elections, there were a lot of threads about it too. Not as many I don't think. But there was even a thread for people who woke up depressed because Bush won again(lol). And then there were the "election stolen" ideas and bla bla bla.

I guess in the US people feel like the president is a huge job to give to someone, so they may get passionate about who and why. And yeah the campaigns start really early, which does get annoying, but by the time the elections come, you know pretty much all you can know about that person. I can't imagine only having a couple months to choose the President. That's too short in my opinion.

[chri'stina 190]

BTW, I also don't bring up politics with strangers. Usually if it's brought up, some people lecture me for making the "wrong" choice. Like it's their business to make me feel bad for not voting the way they did. (This happened to me at my old job, a father of a child lectured me for not voting Gore, rude! I didn't bring it up, he did.) If someone tells me they are voting for Obama, I don't lecture them or give them a hard time or try to sway them.

[MariaBonita 11]

Do you want me to tell you what's up?

Everybody thinks they know everything and those who do not agree with their opinion are wrong.

What I've learned in life is not to talk about politics nor religion. People just waste their time, get angry at each other, and think they are is going to change the other person's view by voicing the differences, well, WRONG. For them the only thing coming out of ones mouth is bla bla bla bla and what's coming out of theirs is worth a Nobel Prize.

Well said.

[SpiritAlight 1]

Okay, I didn't know where to dump this nor did I want to start a new thread.

Check this out on a subject I have been asking about:

Does the president have too much power?

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/284822/

Please resume current subject/question....

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

My husband's theory is that it's because we don't have football (soccer) to absorb all our petty tribalism - like some Liverpool fans will hate Man United with an all-consuming passion, so will "Repugs" hate "Dems". Thinking about it - the political parties even have team colors and mascots. The only thing missing is fights in pubs.

i'm not sure how americans would respond to football hooliganism, do you think they'd call for military backup?

I'm not exactly sure but if it started becoming a problem here I'd probably invest in taser stock.

[rocks 494]

My husband's theory is that it's because we don't have football (soccer) to absorb all our petty tribalism - like some Liverpool fans will hate Man United with an all-consuming passion, so will "Repugs" hate "Dems". Thinking about it - the political parties even have team colors and mascots. The only thing missing is fights in pubs.

i'm not sure how americans would respond to football hooliganism, do you think they'd call for military backup?

I'm not exactly sure but if it started becoming a problem here I'd probably invest in taser stock.

haha! good idea. if only tasers were legal in the uk.

i think people here would be afraid if they saw football hooligans, they're something else, they really are. i'm pretty tired of them and can't wait to escape them! living near a football ground is a baaad idea.

[Mrs.J06 4]

I think it gets way too personal here. Who cares about what family members of the candidates do/did/have to say? So much time is wasted on this #######, now wonder it takes a year to get the to the final decision...

[Ban Hammer 14,648]

My husband's theory is that it's because we don't have football (soccer) to absorb all our petty tribalism - like some Liverpool fans will hate Man United with an all-consuming passion, so will "Repugs" hate "Dems". Thinking about it - the political parties even have team colors and mascots. The only thing missing is fights in pubs.

i'm not sure how americans would respond to football hooliganism, do you think they'd call for military backup?

round up a few of your friends and go flip over vehicles and find out. i suggest texas and florida for a good state to find out

[rocks 494]

My husband's theory is that it's because we don't have football (soccer) to absorb all our petty tribalism - like some Liverpool fans will hate Man United with an all-consuming passion, so will "Repugs" hate "Dems". Thinking about it - the political parties even have team colors and mascots. The only thing missing is fights in pubs.

i'm not sure how americans would respond to football hooliganism, do you think they'd call for military backup?

round up a few of your friends and go flip over vehicles and find out. i suggest texas and florida for a good state to find out

are you calling me a hooligan? i would hope not.

btw, those people go around in groups of hundreds of people. they are truly scary

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

My husband's theory is that it's because we don't have football (soccer) to absorb all our petty tribalism - like some Liverpool fans will hate Man United with an all-consuming passion, so will "Repugs" hate "Dems". Thinking about it - the political parties even have team colors and mascots. The only thing missing is fights in pubs.

i'm not sure how americans would respond to football hooliganism, do you think they'd call for military backup?

I'm not exactly sure but if it started becoming a problem here I'd probably invest in taser stock.

haha! good idea. if only tasers were legal in the uk.

i think people here would be afraid if they saw football hooligans, they're something else, they really are. i'm pretty tired of them and can't wait to escape them! living near a football ground is a baaad idea.

I used to live in Peckham, near the Millwall ground. Seeing someone with a blood-stained football jersey was not unusual.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

My husband's theory is that it's because we don't have football (soccer) to absorb all our petty tribalism - like some Liverpool fans will hate Man United with an all-consuming passion, so will "Repugs" hate "Dems". Thinking about it - the political parties even have team colors and mascots. The only thing missing is fights in pubs.

I think your husband is mostly right. Identity politics, hyped up to the nth degree by the news media because they literally feed off of it. However, all political discourse doesn't amount to that, just like religious zealots don't represent all religious people.

Trailmix, you have to filter through a lot of it to find meaningful and important dialogue on the issues that effect most of us Americans. I don't know how one cannot become political to one degree or another when wondering how you're going to pay your medicals, pay your mortgage and even put bread on the table. These are troubling times for millions of Americans and the fervor of political discussions isn't merely pi$ing in the wind...although for some, they even yell at a cloud in the sky.

Edited October 21, 2008 by Jabberwocky

[Ban Hammer 14,648]

My husband's theory is that it's because we don't have football (soccer) to absorb all our petty tribalism - like some Liverpool fans will hate Man United with an all-consuming passion, so will "Repugs" hate "Dems". Thinking about it - the political parties even have team colors and mascots. The only thing missing is fights in pubs.

i'm not sure how americans would respond to football hooliganism, do you think they'd call for military backup?

round up a few of your friends and go flip over vehicles and find out. i suggest texas and florida for a good state to find out

are you calling me a hooligan? i would hope not.

btw, those people go around in groups of hundreds of people. they are truly scary

hundreds of people trumped by one 12 gauge pump shotgun filled with double aught. easy math

[jundp 191]

Gay vs Conservative

I don't know, my brother is gay gay gay and also incredibly conservative on most issues (except gay marriage )

BTW, I also don't bring up politics with strangers. Usually if it's brought up, some people lecture me for making the "wrong" choice. Like it's their business to make me feel bad for not voting the way they did. (This happened to me at my old job, a father of a child lectured me for not voting Gore, rude! I didn't bring it up, he did.) If someone tells me they are voting for Obama, I don't lecture them or give them a hard time or try to sway them.

That's because you are intelligent and open-minded.