BS: Good luck USA

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Charmion
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 11:45 AM

From Donuel: "I saw many Trump voters as evidenced in my opinion of demographics, behavior and dress i.e. red hats etc."

If anyone showed up at a Canadian polling place displaying a partisan symbol or slogan, he or she would be intercepted at the door and sent away to remove the said partisan thingie.

Also, in our elections, campaign signs and materials may not be displayed any closer to a polling place than 100 metres. Partisan poll workers (scrutineers) represent the party that won the last election and the party that came second; they sit together beside the ballot box and make sure that you, personally, with your own fair fingers, insert your ballot -- which is a carefully folded slip of paper -- into the box.

Mind you, our federal elections are simple affairs in which voters are asked only to select their Member of Parliament. With every American election cycle, I am more and more grateful for the Westminster system of government.

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Rapparee
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 10:29 AM

Thank you.

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 10:18 AM

No photo ID required but after we gave our name and were confirmed with a receipt that went into a paper pocket on a folder we had 3 destinations to traverse while holding our oversized Manilla envelopes concealing our ballot   It was simplicity itself.?

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 10:17 AM

I just hope to get there early enough to get a cream cheese & olive sandwich. (Ladies' Auxiliary sells baked goods and sammiches.) Will probably come home afterwards, but I may hang around outside for a bit. I'm tempted to Facebook "live", but I probably won't.

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 10:01 AM

There was about 200 people and 4 strollers in our elementary school polling place at 7 AM that went out the door. It was about the same for Bush in 2004. I saw many Trump voters as evidenced in my opinion of demographics, behavior and dress i.e. red hats etc.. There were no "observers for Trump".

Actual voting was done by a pen filling in an oval space in a booth then in another line scanned by a machine that collated all votes digitally. At one point the streams/lines got crossed but was quickly sorted out. The last step seemed like a weak link by the time all data is transferred to a thumb drive and transported to larger collating machines.
This was still less redundant than last time.

40 minutes total time spent in line until out the door.

The mood was much more quiet, subdued, insulated and self absorbed than ever before.

No one had a clothes pin on their nose.

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Stu
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 09:45 AM

"I am pretty sure it's not as close as it seems from the media"

Don't be complacent! If you get stung, it'll hurt a damn sight more than you realise.

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 09:39 AM

That's the big fear even if she wins. The brexit issue has caused a surge of race hate crime here. What's going to happen to you could well make brexit look like a walk in the park.

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 09:30 AM

Whatever happens, and I believe Clinton will win, Trump has exposed the seedy underbelly of the US, and the racists, insane haters, easily fooled, and those who desire a dictator, have crawled out of the woodwork and into the light.

Where are they gonna go?

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 09:25 AM

Mrs Steve and I are horrified by the whole thing. Civilisation is in suspense today. Enjoy your tea. If you catch me posting after UK midnight tonight I may well be under the influence of something stronger.

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 09:21 AM

Thank you! I am pretty sure it's not as close as it seems from the media - that is, if there are 999 reasonable people and 1 loon, the media tend to report 1000 people and here is an opinion, and quote the loon. I'm fairly confident in the 999 reasonables that don't make the news.
That said, I'll go in a while, after a cuppa and get my courage up...

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 08:31 AM

Bruce Springsteen was in good voice last night.

Bottom line is, always vote against anyone who advocates torture.

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Stu
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 08:05 AM

"establishment, corporate dynasty,"

Because Trump isn't corporate at all, isn't part of the corporate machine and lives humbly and behaves according his own deeply held believe in being compassionate to all human beings?

If Trump wins, then corporate capitalism of the worst kind would now hold so much more political power than it does now as an uber capitalist will be in charge, only being reigned in by his advisors and other wonks. It'll represent the utter and profound failure of democracy in the west, and the victory of unfettered, unregulated, pure capitalism. And that is BAD.

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: akenaton
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 07:14 AM

The campaign has exposed the blatant corruption within both Parties......that is the best thing which could have happened.

The American people will probably end up with anther establishment, corporate dynasty, but at least the massive flaws in the American political system and the political media have been brutally exposed.

Next time no one will be able to say "We did not know"

Subject: RE: BS: Good luck USA
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 06:31 AM

They'll need it whatever happens. This campaign has been traumatic and damaging and we'll all take long time to recover from it. It would help considerably if Clinton won by a margin that was not too narrow.

Subject: BS: Good luck USA
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Nov 16 - 06:10 AM

Hope you don't need it!

DtG