Update: US Presidential Election

[bdmoderator]

I think Bush will elect as the president again.

[rafiq]

Originally posted by ghor_jamai

Orpheus;

I think it is the other way around. If Bush gets elected...

Economic strength is the biggest deciding factor to determine who rules (or ruins) who in today's world. As I write, the Canadian dollar value is almost at par (1 CAD = 0.7985 US $) with the US and will be equal in 18 months as predicted by Canadian economists. Import numbers are lower and export numbers higher despite a strong currency. On top of that, globally the US $ is losing international demand. In the past everyone would invariably trade in US$; now, Euro is displacing the US$ fast as default currency for international trade. If we are to see any balance in world power, I say Bush should get re-elected. For Canadians Bush will bring better news than Kerry. Not many people realize that.

canada is a nice country. I love going up to toronto to visit family and friends, in fact am in Mississauga, from where ghor_jamai writes, quite a bit. canada has many social policies which I agree with much more than what you find in this country. I am sure canadian women are awesome, although I don't know too many of them.

But Canada is going to balance US power? The looney going up is well and good, but puleez, ghor_jamai, get a reality check. Get your own housing, it might help...

[rafiq]

Some useful things YOU can do if you are willing to send some mails or make a few calls in the US - don't have to be a US citizen to do this. Please copy the links from here.

Write to a OHIO voter...

http://guardian.assets.digivault.co.uk/clark_county/

Get the address of a registered independent here by typing your email and write a letter to say why he should vote for Kerry.


There are phone calls to be made to Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania , Florida and other key states. The link below is an easy way to sign up to make 15 minutes of calls to volunteers in the swing states. Last night people made over 20,000 calls to Florida and signed up 5000 democratic volunteers who are going door to door this coming weekend. so even if you don't live in a swing state, you can do something to impact the vote down there by mobilizing people

http://calls.johnkerry.com


finally, if you want to contribute, the Dem party has set a target to raise $4M by this weekend in order to do very focused campaigning over the next 3 weeks in the swing states.

https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html


thanks!!

[ZunaidH]

Originally posted by rafiq

canada is a nice country. I love going up to toronto to visit family and friends, in fact am in Mississauga, from where ghor_jamai writes, quite a bit. canada has many social policies which I agree with much more than what you find in this country. I am sure canadian women are awesome, although I don't know too many of them.

But Canada is going to balance US power? The looney going up is well and good, but puleez, ghor_jamai, get a reality check. Get your own housing, it might help...

Rafiq;

Thanks for reminding me of reality. I do realize the fact that Canada is only 10% of US economy, population etc. and will not poise any threat. There is absolutely nothing Canada can do (or anyone) to balance the world power. The US is so huge in proportion to everything everywhere else that the only thing that would bring anything down would be themselves. It is something like the Roman empire, the reason they went down is something they did to themselves. By saying that I don't want to undermine everything the US has achieved. For example, the universities in the US by far have the best resources in the world for basic research. Not to digress from the issue, I think re-electing Bush does Canada (and in a hindsight, the world) a ton of good and following are my reasons:

1) Since war in the Iraq is the hottest topic of debate, I'll start with that. The war has already started, we can't change the fact about that. Electing Kerry could potentially mean him attempting to influence more countries (Canada a very likely candidate) in Iraq directly with military presence. Bush at least walked away saying something in the essence of you are with us or with them.

2) Foreign policy (in the mid-east): Do you suppose there is any president in the US would ever really try to solve the real issue? I agree Republicans would bring the wound out in the open but Democrats would not do anything to heal it.

3) I believe the only reality remains that Bush is a big spender and that sooner or later is going to pinch the pockets of Americans. The bigger the blow, the wider they will wake up. One more term by Bush will surely ensure that. The interesting thing here is that Canada really isn't doing much in this respect to put any pressure on the US. Because 80% of Canada's export is to the US, Canada benefits indirectly. For the past 30 years or so, the currency Canada has been trading is in the US dollar. Because the looney has gained so dramaticaly against the US $ recently that many Canadian businesses are whining as apparently it is hurting export. But soon they will wake up to the fact that CAD$ and US $ are really same in value and hence may shift a trade in CAD $. That takes away the leverage US$ has enjoyed historically. Perhaps many countries in the world may choose to do that where US is not one of the parties doing business. For example, if I am a Nigerian wanting to buy hundre cows from Australia, instead of paying in the US$, i pay with Euro. A worldwide phenomenon would take away the gas out of US$. I understand that this is a wishful thinking but hey may be it will happen.

I personally believe greenback gives Americans the title "super power" and not their stock of strategic missiles. Because really, if they ever use it they also lose the power. It is somewhat like you can't eat your cake and have it to.

I think I have elaborated my theory to quite a detail. Canadians by far are significantly less ambitious than Americans and first generation immigrants contribute a lot more into main stream politics. Sikhs and Muslims have representation in the parliament and civil liberty is a thriving phenomenon.

I understand you or many in the board may disagree with me. One personal disclaimer: I realy don't care who becomes the president of the US as I strongly believe it is destiny. Whatever happens, happens for a reason.

[rafiq]

Well there is something to be said for Empire crumbling from within, I can't disagree with that. But you can understand the above scenario may be quite depressing for someone who has to live and work in that Empire. It's like saying we can't fix it so let it all go to hell and then we'll start all over again. Today I hear Bush has taken a 3 point lead again, and since Kerry bungled on healthcare and didn't have a strong, big picture close in the 3rd debate, no one should be surprised.

[ZunaidH]

Rafiq;

The truth about all difficult time is that there is hope at the end. Otherwise, we can't live, can we? I understand your plight and alike everybody else you are probably trying to find the same light. If you are askig me I am searching for the same light. Be honest, these are very difficult times. Perhaps we'll survive and live to tell our grand children all of these.

[Piranha]

Originally posted by ghor_jamai
Rafiq;

The truth about all difficult time is that there is hope at the end. Otherwise, we can't live, can we? I understand your plight and alike everybody else you are probably trying to find the same light. If you are askig me I am searching for the same light. Be honest, these are very difficult times. Perhaps we'll survive and live to tell our grand children all of these.

Will we tell our grandchildren that hope came here shaped as a person named John Kerry who could not speak clearly about what he belived in? Will we tell them that the morons who vote in this country might just sacrifice moral clarity for the sake of a little spoken clarity? The situation is pretty pathetic.

[Fazal]

10/20/2004: Election 2004 Reuters/Zogby Daily Tracking Poll: Race for White House Still Deadlocked (Bush 46, Kerry 46);

[ZunaidH]

While driving to work, I heard an interesting statistics today on a poll that surveyed Canadians. The question was who would make the world a more dangerous place to live in if elected as a president between Busch and Kerry. 62% believed it to be Bush. 15% believed it would be Kerry. The rest were split and did not know who's worse of the two. I personally belong on the 3rd category.

[Fazal]

10/27/2004: Election 2004 Reuters/Zogby Daily Tracking Poll: It's Déjà vu; Kerry Bounces Back and Closes the Gap; Kerry 47%- Bush 48%.


Election 2004 Zogby Battleground State Polls: Kerry Ahead in 5 States (CO, MN, PA, MI, WI); Bush Still Leads in 4 States (FL, NM, NV, OH); Tied in Iowa (45% Each), New Reuters/Zogby Ten States Battleground Poll Reveals

Edited on, October 27, 2004, 10:13 PM GMT, by Fazal.

[bourny3]

But who is leading all the other states. Who do you think would be better. arent they both crazy.

[rassel]

bourney3 you could say rest of the states already been decided. Also why do you think Kerry is crazy?

[bourny3]

I dont know thats what ive heard. I dont take much notice of this election. I dont want Bush in though.

[rassel]

That will do bourney3. Whoever say no to bush is a good thing.

[Fazal]

Amar Bhai Tomar Bhai Kerry Bhai Kerry Bhai

[Vote to Debo, Kintu Busher moto abar Giter Por amader abar Bash Na delai Hoi]

[rafiq]

After casting two "jaal" votes for the same guy in Dhaka parliamentary elections a couple of decades ago, when I was young and foolish and under the legal voting age to boot, I have been unable to vote in a general election ever since. So finally got to do it this morning, I guess it's a personal milestone since it's my first "legal" vote.

For the first time in the campaign, it seems that Bush may actually lose. There are many new voters, more on the left than on the right, who don't necessarily show up in the polls. There may be more of them than the growing number of Christian evangelical conservatives who are possibly breeding faster than immigrants and have taken over the Republican party under Bush.

We spent some time in the last few days helping the Kerry campaign with canvassing in Wisconsin, and it's amazing how America has become divided between urban and rural populations - with Democrats holding on to the urban areas, while the right has taken over the farmlands. Wisonsin is real tight, but the organization was superb and I think the Dems will prevail out there.

[Pundit]

I would have thought that WI was among the least likely swing states where Kerry would be winning. But if does not happen, then he really might have a chance, one could guess.

[Fazal]

Yahoo.............

Final Zogby Prediction ( 5:00 PM EST NOV-2)

2004 Presidential Election

Electoral Votes:
Bush 213
Kerry 311

To Close To Call: Nevada (5), Colorado (9)

He has FL and OH trending Kerry.

Popular vote - Bush at 49.4%, Kerry at 49.1%

:f ire:

Edited on, November 2, 2004, 10:44 PM GMT, by Fazal.

[bourny3]

That is not necessairly the final result though. Remember last vote everyone said Gore had won it but it ended up going to bush.

[Rubu]

fazal, your zogby predection is not coming any where close.

bush is leading 170-112 (9:53PM, EST).

not only that bush the evil is leading in key states like FL, MI, OH or WI.

what can i say, a sad day for the man kind.

these guys has to be the moronest nation of all time.

Edited on, November 3, 2004, 3:58 AM GMT, by AgentSmith.

[Nasif]

Unfortunately, Bush is winning. This is truely a sad day in world history.

[fab]

This is utterly devasting 195 vs 112. The world is full of idiots!

[bourny3]

No not the world just USA. No offence to anyone here.

[Tintin]

197 v 188 in cnn.com

California (53 votes) and Pennsylvania (21) have gone for Kerry


=======

234 - 188 now.

Florida for Bush. Bush is leading by 52% to 48% in Ohio. That is the end for Kerry.

Edited on, November 3, 2004, 5:18 AM GMT, by Tintin.

[Tintin]

Off topic :

There is this quote about democracy by Alexander Taylor from 1779.

A Democracy

by Professor Alexander Taylor, circa 1779 AD

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.

These nations have progressed through this sequence:

1) From bondage to spiritual faith.

2) From spiritual faith to great courage.

3) From courage to liberty.

4) From liberty to abundance.

5) From abundance to selfishness.

6) From selfishness to complacency.

7) From complacency to apathy.

8) From apathy to dependency.

9) From dependency back again into bondage.

Edited on, November 3, 2004, 5:18 AM GMT, by Tintin.