It’s election week in the United States. I am an American. The election is hot news, not only in the United States, but all over the world. These are all facts. Even with all of these facts, I have had little to say in regards to the US Presidential Election. Over the past few months, I have regularly gotten e-mails from readers asking me why I have not addressed the subject. Some have even asked me why I haven’t “endorsed” a candidate for the US Presidency. So, with the election happening within hours, I figured I would address the subject, but perhaps in a different way from what some might expect.
OK, the big question that I keep hearing from people is this – “Who are you supporting to be President of the United States?” The answer to that question is something I have struggled with over the previous months, but I have come up with an answer, and am ready to share it with you.
Who do I support?
Nobody.
Frankly, I don’t see either of the major candidates who gets me excited, or who’s policies I can get behind. I see pluses with each candidate, and I see negatives with each as well. I have come to the conclusion that overall, I don’t think it matters greatly which candidate is elected. On some issues, I would think that one would be better than the other, but on other issues, I think that the other candidate would be better. Thus, I have decided to remain undecided.
I think that a big part of the reason that I cannot commit to one candidate or the other is that I am an expat. I have not lived in the United States for more than 8 years now. I have not even visited the United States in that time. About the closest I have come to the USA in the last 8 years is a telephone call to family or friends there. Because of my absence from the United States, I think that the issues that are of concern to me are different than what most Americans are concerned about. Certainly, neither candidate has addressed the issued that concern me.
I do not believe that either candidate has policies that will benefit my new home any more than the other. At least, nothing has come up in the campaign that would lead me to believe that one candidate or the other has much interest in policies that would benefit the Philippines at all.
Now, I am sure that some of you are thinking that I am being short sighted, because the election is about more than the Presidential race. After all, the composition of the House of Representatives and the Senate will also be decided! However, as an expat, I am not eligible to vote in any race, except the election of the President and the Vice President of the United States. Having no residence in the United States means that you become eligible only to vote in Nationwide races, and there are only two offices that are nationwide – President and Vice President. So, even if I wanted to, I could not vote for any other offices, except for the two mentioned.
So, because of my inability to see any real reason to get behind either of these candidates, I have chosen to remain relatively silent on the subject. It simply is not a topic that I have a great interest in this year. That is kind of suprirising to anybody who knows me well, because since I was about 16 years old, I have been active in politics and campaigns, working in grass-roots organizations in every election season for the past 30 years. Not this year, though.
Although time can change a lot of things, ideas and attitudes, I already have my eye on somebody for the 2012 or 2016 race, though.
Whoever wins the election on Tuesay, I do wish the best for my country. I am ready to support the President as best I can, regardless of who the winner is. I hope that the real winner is not Obama or McCain. I hope that the real winner of this election is the American people.
Sidenote: The comments section will not be allowed to be turned into a campaign area, no badmouthing one candidate or another. I would prefer to keep the comments focused on expat voting and that sort of thing. No name calling and such, because I will delete those comments. That’s not what this site is all about. There are plenty of “Politics Sites” where you can easily get into heated discussions, not here, though. Thank you for exercising self-control on this matter.
BRAVO !
Hi Bob- You surprise me by not voting in your Presidential election. We say in Britain, not to vote is a vote lost for democracy. I just heard on television tonight that this coming election will bring out the largest number of voters for many a year to avoid the fiasco of the last election and its outcome.
I would have thought it better to toss a coin in order to decide who gets your vote than not to vote at all. However we are lucky to both be citizens of countries that practice true democracy and gives us that choice. Whoever wins, they cannot be any worse than the current occupant of the White House thats an odds on certainty.
Morning Bob,
As a typical laid-back Aussie, I don't have a great deal of interest in politices – as a rule both sides are equally dishonest. There does seem to be a huge contrast between the candidates, however. Go back a few years, Bob, would you have ever thought an African American would become the President? It was either Obama or Hillary! Would you have ever thought of a female candidate either Bob? It appears to me that Obama will win comfortably? If you are going to stay in the Philippines for ever then you are right to focus on whats best for your new home. With this economic crises I will be interested to see what the fallout is in the Philippines.
Hi John- Thank you.
Hi Jim- Firstly, I never said in the article that I did not vote. Maybe I did vote? Maybe I didn't? That, I'm not saying….
Hi AussieLee- It will be historic no matter which candidate wins the election, in respect that Obama would be the first African American President, or Palin would be the first woman. That, I do like, and I think that it's time for such a change in the United States.
Bob: over the last few years traveling the world, I have heard an awful lot of crap about the States, especially in the Middle East and Europe. It seems most people outside the States seem to think some magical change will occur with this election. I agree with you… Regardless of who wins, the effect on me is negligible (aside from military contracts). Personally, I am disgusted with how nasty the whole process has become and the obscene amounts of money spent on the election this year. Also disgusted with the nonstop media coverage… I've avoided watching the news wherever I happen to be. If I had not met Rebecca, I would be an expat still… Perhaps not in the Philippines, but outside the States. I have very strong philisophical differences with the stae of my country and I'd personally prefer to remain separated from it all (along with the constant Britney baby daddy dramas, et al, ad nauseum.)
Hi Bob,
As an Australian I have followed the campaign because I know the result will affect the world economy and my country indirectly. The rest of the world is already suffering badly from the results of poor policy and government administration in the US with the financial crisis.
I can't help but agree with you that neither stand out – an experienced but old and very tired looking man who one would expect to be looking towards retirement and a young man with virtually no track record but youthful looks and celebrity status as potentially the first black president.
What really surprises me is how the US with a large population of very talented people could throw up such a poor choice of candidates. I would have expected two brilliant candidates at the peak of their powers.
Following on from George Bush though I can't help but wonder is there something wrong with the system?
Hi Bob- With the reply you gave me you are more of a politician than the two candidates lol.
Hi John Miele- I have never in my life faced an election where I felt strongly that neither candidate was offering anything beneficial to the country. I find it a strange position to be in!
Hi Michael- I believe that the US Presidential campaign process has become so difficult that the people who have greatness to offer are no longer interested in putting themselves through it. It has gotten to the point where if you stole a cookie from your Mom's cookie jar when you were 8, that's going to come out during the campaign! 😆
Hi Jim- Not trying to be evasive. However, I didn't write the article as a means of opening up a debate over whether I voted in the election. I don't plan to reveal whether I voted, or who I voted for if I did vote. The fact comes down to a matter of not seeing anybody that I would want to vote for.
Hi Bob
I think voting for either one is now the lesser of two evils. I think the biggest long term mistake is that both candidates have not addressed the huge costs that the entitlement programs are projected to be and left untouched will bankrupt this country. Its also sad that we have not been able to put in place an electronic voting system nationwide just like the Philippines. It wouldn't surprise me if the Philippines gets there first. (My brother is still on the voting roll though he has not lived in the district for the past 10 years).
Hi neil- Most certainly true regarding the financial aspects in the States right now. I don't see any way that the country can afford it.
Your brother isn't from Chicago, is he? 😆
Bob you bring up an interesting point about neither candidate being that much different or better than the other. (my words not Bob's-I assume that is his intent)
The real election is about the congress as they are the only part of government that can make real change. We have been grid locked in our system due to partisan politics for a very long time. It appears that we are headed to Democratic control in both the legislative and the executive branches. So maybe a breaking of this grid lock is a good thing-maybe its a bad thing-only time will tell. Personally I think either candidate is going to have a difficult challenge ahead of them. Let us hope that whoever wins is up to the task-we need them to be.
I vote for Durian! He's ripe for change, a spiny character but soft inside. He has good taste although his opponents say he stinks.
Or maybe I'm just a Simpson's fan… Vote for Quimby!
Hi Ron LaFleur- It's funny, even though I think that neither candidate is who I would choose, I also think that they have vast differences. It's just that neither is right for me. I agree with you that, while virtually unnoticed, the Congressional races are more important this year. On those races, I am not qualified to vote, and cannot legally do so.
Hi BrSpiritus- Now there is a candidate that I can get behind! 😆
Americans have lost hope, neither candidate offers much , most of the people I talk to …and I'm very active in political debates, have the same attitude. We are starving for a leader who tells it like it is, hold the sugar coating and sticks with the issues instead of trying to score a bullseye bashing your opponent. Few realize that our Country is in deep dark and dire straights. I myself have lost faith in our government to do the right thing, it sickens me to think that this is the best our Country has to offer for Presidential candidates !! God help us !
PS: one of the major issues is our national debt, heres a link to a very short but informative non-partisian video: http://www.iousathemovie.com/
well worth a 29 minutes of your time !!!
hope u don't mind the link Bob.
Hi brian- You mean to tell me that the US has debt??? By listening to the candidates you would never know it!
Honestly, I could not agree more with your assessment, Brian.
Hi brian- No problem at all on the link.
Maayong Buntag Bob
There were some good candidates in the running a few years ago but the press has taken them out a long time ago and now we are left voting on these two. Trouble is I will agree with Jim that we need to vote to have democracy so again I will vote against a candidate instead of voting for a candidate. But Jim I will disagree that you could not get any worse than the present administration. I remember to well the Carter years and there are many countries worse off than the US. I will vote for Mccain since his tax policies at least look practical but if Bug Bunny was running he would get my vote. Since I am still in the states I will vote for candidates for the senate and congress. With job they are doing I will vote against all incumbents. We need some new ideas in congress and we can only hope it will be better.
Hi Larry- I agree that I don't think the current administration is that bad, I avoided responding to Jim's comment, because I just didn't want to argue over it. I think that Bush has faced challenges that few Presidents have faced, and given that, he has not done that bad.
I hope that the next President does better than I expect.
I would tend to call the choice the evil of two lessers.
There was a Republican candidate who had a clear message about fiscal responsibility, but that message obviously didn't resonate with American voters during the Republican primaries – although his campaign received an unprecedented amount of money over the internet.
Bob, since you brought up the point of not being allowed to vote for anything other than a national office, do you maintain a US address, such as for business, credit, etc.?
Oh, it looks like my gravatar is missing.
Spoke too soon 😉
Hi Gary- I do maintain an address in the US, but only for things like recieving bank statements and other mail. I really don't have any credit activity in the States, so my credit there is probably zilch by now. I don't use the address for voting registration or anything like that, because that would be considered voting fraud, since I don't live there.
Hi Gary- I notice that the Gravatar server is acting kind of weird today, not sure why!
Hi Bob,
I still think there is time to do a last minute blitz of Mindanao Bob TV commercials!
Cheers!
Hi Martin- Hmm… I forgot about that "TV Commercial" I had a while back with a TV commercial for Mindanao Bob for President! You think I still have time, Martin? Can you make a contribution toward the air time purchase? 😆
Ha Ha Ha!
My contribution will depend on which TV market you're talking about! I think we should give people the link again so they can refresh their memories. It was a really fun post that really made a lot of people chuckle.
Cheers!
Hi Martin- I was going to give a link on my last comment, but I notice that the video is no longer working. The service who was offering it must have taken it down now! 😥
Bob
I blamed my gravatatar on the Mozilla Firefox I am running, let’s see if gravatatar works now.
Brian
Liked the video on the dept. Does this mean our politicians cannot keep using out tax dollars to buy votes forever?
Oh well,
There will probably be another opportunity in 2012!
Good luck with your next run at the oval office!
Hi Larry- I believe that Gravatar.com is having problems of some sort today. Maybe their server is overloaded in some way. I've seen gravatar problems on other blogs too.
Hi Martin- Thanks for your support, Martin! If you need a backer for your run for Canadian Prime Minister, let me know! 😆
Interesting comments today. I did find someone running in the general election whose policies I can support and who I think has the ability to take us in a different and better direction. While we don't need to get into which candidate that might be, I can tell you that for the first time in a while I did not hold my nose while voting.
Hi Tom N- I am happy for you that you found the candidate that fit your views. I hope that your opinion proves to be better than mine in this, because I don't feel there is a lot of hope right now.
Hi Bob,
I for one will be happy when this election is over! Both parties have campaigned incredibly hard. That does not go without saying how ugly some of their tactics were. The mud slinging has gone on long enough. True this is an historical event in ways we all know too well. So perhaps come Wednesday morning we can breath a sigh of relief. 🙂
Hi Henry- Unfortunately, I saw an article on one of the online news sites yesterday. The headline read: "The race for 2012 starts on Wednesday morning!" My goodness…. a small respite would be nice! 😆
Hi Bob
I will vote on tuesday because it is not just a right but a responsibility. I don't like either of the choices for President so i may flip a coin. The real election may be who holds the majority in Congress.
Hi Dan Mihaliak- I believe that not voting makes a statement too. Regarding Congress, I agree that it is the important election. However, I cannot legally vote in the Congressional elections, because I am not a resident of any State in the Union.
Hi Bob Not to say we are off the beaten track here in africa . But whats this election thing you are all talking about.
Hi Larry – I mentioned Bush tongue in cheek due to the current economic state of the world today in my opinion all due to his influence on world leaders and his agressive actions in the Middle East and beyond.
Our previous Prime Minister was sucked into joining forces with Bush despite the fact that they are opposits in terms of party politics i.e. Republican and Democrat (Socialist) and the only winners were the oil moguls and the share dealers with their big bonus's.Now the world will stumble on and things will change soon I hope and the current situation will be passed over to the next generation. Bush and Co and all the rest will fade into history and be remembered for all the wrong reasons……….such is life. No wonder we prefer to retire to the Philippines ha!ha!ha!
Hi FRANK FEALEY- Well, let's see, Frank… you see, there is this thing happening in the USA. It includes one of your continent-mates……
Hi Jim- I think it's best if we stick with the part about retiring in the Philippines….
For all of your comments in the past about supporting capitalism & the free market, it is incomprehensible to me that you would not make a decision to support the candidate that hasn't claimed he's going to "spread the wealth", and/or is a supporter of "income redistribution". The U. S. is on the verge of electing a man that is clearly in favor of a socialist society. The destruction of the free markets – not to mention the punishment of excellence & entrepreneurial spirit are at hand. It's to be a sad day for America tomorrow when the dumbed-down populace decides to put a man in office that has accomplished almost nothing in his life except a high degree of self promotion.
Hi Spencer- Actually, it is the whole financial situation that turned me off on the whole election. George Bush, who is supposed to be a free market guy, a capitalist, and a conservative is throwing money around like there is no tomorrow. Do you think that the $700 Billion bailout was huge? A lot more money than that was spent before the bailout even came about. So, for me, George Bush walked away from his supposed conservative free market principles. John McCain voted for the bailout and so did Barack Obama. When they both supported this non-free-market solution for the economy, that is when I could no longer support either of them.
The destruction of the free market system is not at hand, it happened about a month ago. Either candidate will just continue it.
Hi Bob
Apart from the political comments, that I will not comment, it is an interesting collumn. Pls. allow me to "twist" it a little.I am not an expat allthou I have often been away from my country of birth for an extended period of time.
When beeing an expat, do you think that it is possible to ever completely loose interest/feelings for your country of origin?
This quetion is not only to you Bob, but also to other expat.
The reason for my question are many, but what triggerd me was this:
"Whoever wins the election on Tuesay, I do wish the best for my country. I am ready to support the President as best I can, regardless of who the winner is."
I myself feel proud whenever I see my national flag in a foreign country. How do you feel?
I think it is a very good collumn, I just got carried away, maybe a little winter depression.
I would like to know how any person thinks that they
vote to elect the President of the United States!
The people that run for President are selected by
other than the People. The people select (suposedly)
from the persons that are offered by the people that
have chosen them.
In most states the popular vote comes down to "winner"
takes all of the electorate votes. So One vote is what decides
which electorates vote.
Those electorates vote which ever way they want and are
not bound to which side chose them.
Ie. if that was the case Bush would not be president today.
Thanks
Hi Preben,
If I can be permitted to answer on behalf of the Scots in this circle, no we never forget our country our culture or our heritage where ever we may be. I have lived in Africa (Nigeria) for 10 years and England (Durham) for the last 18 years and always been able to celebrate our national bards day(Robert Burns) or our Patron Saints day (St Andrew).But I'm also British and sometimes I try and forget that at times depending on the political shenanegans going on.
its only Nov 3 here in Ca, but I am looking forward to vote tomorrow. The presidential election is not as hot as Proposition 8. Yesterday, thousands of supporters of both YES and NO lined the main streets of our mall, causing traffic and police intervention. So Proposition 8 ( GAY Marriage) is attracting more attention than OBAMA and McCain, since OBAMA is leading by double digits according to the poll.
It is an exciting election for the Katague family- our vote for President is split. My wife and son is for McCain. My daughter and myself is for OBAMA. May the best man win!
Good Day to ALL!
Hi Bob,
What it came down to, for me, is to vote for the candidate who still believes in the United States of America. I would hate to see this country be ruled by those whose intention is to abolish the Constititution. I also love to see a woman's voice be in a more prominent seat in Washington besides as first lady – a refreshing idea. I believe, this presidential election, has a lot to do to topple the structure of the country more than the economy.
I compare this time period to the years of revolutionary period 1762 to the spirit of 1776. There maybe an attempt to revise the Constitution (?).
Hi Preben- Yes, whenever I see an American flag or some other symbol of my country it gives me a little rush in my heartbeat and a feeling of pride. I think that will be the case forever, no matter how long I stay in the Philippines.
Hi Vincent- Yes, of course it is the Electoral College that makes the final and official vote for President. However, those folks are chosen by the people, and I don't think there is a case when they have ever gone against the wishes of the people.
Hi David B Katague- You really do have a split household there! Might lead to some fighting amongst the family! 😆 Yes, I think that an Obama win in California is a certainty!
Hi Marcelina De Lorez- Long time since we heard from you! I hope you are doing well. I hope that whoever you support, he is good for the country.
What an interesting discussion. Lots of varying viewpoints and no ranting. Commendable in what is really a timely column on civics.
It is interesting to me how much blame President Bush gets. He is far from perfect. But let's let history judge whether the challenges he faced should have handled things differently with the information he had. He did what he thought was right and lots of folks voted with him and his decisions. It is very easy to be a Monday night quarterback.
Anyone vaguely familiar with the system knows that congress is the law maker and controls the purse strings. The President can only agree or veto.
What may be happening is lots of folks in Congress are voting for their pocketbook or their incumbency rather than for the interests of the U.S. They should recall that they are United States Representatives and United States Senators and as such, their first responsibility is to the country as a whole.
Maybe that explains why their popularity is far worse than the Presidents, even when his is bad.
I agree that it is not only a privilege but also a responsibility to vote. I receive the benefits, I should exercise my responsibilities. There are no benefits without responsibilities.
I doubt that many U.S. expats will forego their social security benefits when the time comes.
Who you vote for is nobody else's business. Whether you vote is everyone's business.
The microscope of running for office should not keep any good person from running. No one expects perfection. We all do want to know exactly who we are electing, based on their character, experience and judgment. The process is not unlike that of our marriages. None of us thinks that we have the perfect spouse. But I suspect that we all spent some time getting acquainted before we cast our "marriage vote".
Historically, in the U.S., people have put their personal interests aside and chosen to give some part of their life to public service. Jack Kennedy said it best, "Ask not what your country can do for you. . ."
It's time that we get back to voting for what we think is best for the country, our state, and our community rather that what is in it for me personally.
As for the U.S. and world financial system, this is not the end of the world.
Of course the playing field has changed dramatically this year. I don't like many of the "solutions" better than anyone else. But what I do notice is that there is international consensus in the process, even if though most is motivated by self-interest. At any other time in history this would have caused a major collapse. We learned from the crash of 1929.
We have had such a long run of growth and prosperity that many folks have not experienced a downturn and have been in denial that it could ever happen again.
This is the latest version, not anything new.
The point is that after an adjustment period, things start recovering. Interestingly to me, no one was complaining when things were flying high and they were the beneficiaries of the system.
Those that set something aside for a rainy day are just fine. Those that were highly leveraged have felt the sting.
Reward is always balanced by risk.
Do you know the difference between a recession and a depression? A recession is when YOU don't have a job. A depression is when I don't have a job. 🙂
P.S. Great shot of the eagle.
Hi R L Graham- very interesting and insightful comment. I don't agree with 100% of it, but I agree with most of what you say.
That quote of the difference between a recession and a depression? That's from Reagan, during his campaign for the Presidency, against Jimmy Carter in 1980. 😉
I will be voting for the candidate that loves America. For the candidate that served America. For the candidate that is not ashamed to wear the American flag. For the candidate that is proud to be American. That person is not Obama.
Hi Bobby- I'm glad that you were able to find a candidate that suits you. Good luck!
Hi Bob – I'll try stay clear of any political commentary. My wife & I actually voted 3 weeks ago (just in case we would be out of the country by Nov 4). Our first votes as American citizens & they went to Obama (actually my 4th presidential vote – 3 in the Philippines — If Obama wins, he'll be the first candidate I voted for who actually won, haha).
I actually feel good about my vote. As you know, I follow the news consistently & certainly keep myself informed. I admired McCain in 2000, but this time, I'm 100% behind the other guy. I feel he represents a lot of things I believe in. You know, that one 🙂
Also, David Katague's comment above was spot on. California's 55 electoral vote is a forgone conclusion, but prop 8 is a hot topic. it's very close, making it even more exciting on election day. we voted no on prop 8 (amendment to ban gay marriage).
was that too much political talk? I hope not. One thing I can say is that I can now easily compare Philippine voting (that also includes the senatorial/mayoral elections & overseas voting) with US voting. Boy, no comparison. It was a breeze here in California & minus the uneven chairs & blue ink! But then again, I don't live in Florida…
By the way, I still plan to vote in the Philippine Presidentials 2010. I'm just a guy who isn't comfy with debating issues when I didn't even cast a vote. That's not a knock on you since you simply declined to say if you voted or not.
We're almost reverse expats, you & I. I practically moved here the same time you moved to Mindanao.
Hi macky- Nice to hear from you! When I first started reading your comment, and you said that you voted 3 weeks ago, I first thought you were going so say you already voted 3 times! Ha ha… Of course, you aren't in Chicago, though. You know what they say there – "vote early and vote often!"
Interesting to read your comparison between US voting and Philippine voting. I have voted in 6 Presidential elections now. This was the hardest one, though. For me, anyway.
Both of these fine gentlemen have put their heart and soul into their campaigns. they both are for the greater good. Not voting is wrong. You should not be selfish but rather selfless. Understand the facts and how it relates to the world as a whole vote. God Bless the voting process.
Hi Robert Hobbs- Not casting a vote is a vote in itself. Yes, I agree that each man has tried hard, but that does not mean that I agree with their policies. There is nothing selfish about that.
American Politics is always quite interesting for us British to observe from outside. In my adult life, I have never actually seen an american presidential candidate who actually soundsto me like a real live human being. The insincerity they appear to display seems almost like some kind of satirical comedy programme. In the UK, of course, we don't elect a leader as such; the Prime Minister is the leader of the party which wins most seats (as distinct from votes), and that is only assuming that he or she manages to win their own personal seat, or they would not be a member of parliament anyway, and therefore ineligible. In fact, the system dictates that we vote for a candidate and their party, with no certainty that the current leader of that party will be elected at all. The aim of the system is that people should be voting for the policies of a party, and less so for individual personalities. Their are definitely plusses and minuses to both systems. Unfortunately, as a somewhat cynical observer/participant in the political process, it seems to me that worldwide, we elect our governments based on the least incredible candidates. I think the current US election is interesting because of the various issues involved. Some have suggested that Obama may be hindered by a percentage of "closet racists" who may be a sizeable so far undeclared percentage of the electorate. Who knows, but not long to wait now to find out. The analysis afterwards will inevitably be excessive and quite outstandingly boring imho, but in that particular respect will be interesting.
Electoral College – There is no such thing. It is just a media tag.
The Electorates are not the final vote they are the only vote for the President.
When in history did a person vote to elect an electorate. Never!
The Electorates are chosen by party members not by the people.
There have been several times when the electorate vote has gone against
the popular vote, and as I mentioned the latest was the last election between
Bush and Gore where Bush was declared the president by the Supreme Court.
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electora…
In 48 out of 50 states its a winner take all so in those states the only vote
that counts is the odd vote and the one that determines which electorates
count.
Hi Jim Hannah- It is my sincere hope that a person's race plays no role in the vote today. I hope that the talk of the "Wilson Effect" and voting based on race turn out to be nothing but talk.
Hi Vincent- The US Constitution specifically spells out the Electoral College and how it works.
Congratulations! You now have a new President!!
Hi Ellen- I hope that President Obama can handle the job. As I said in the article, I am willing to support whoever is elected, and hope for the best. I am fully behind Obama, and I pray for his success.
Hi Bob- Now the US has a new president I hope this is also a new beginning for the worlds ecomomy where greed is put aside and common sense prevails for a change.
Regards.
Jim.
Hi Jim- I don't see how Obama could possibly put greed aside, based on the fact that he supported the $700B bailout package. I do hope, though, that he sees the light, and that he does move in the direction of common sense.
Hi Bob- From where I'm sitting, I would have signed the agreement myself just to prevent fiscal chaos as to be frank there was no alternative for the US and Britain. It's not over yet so only time will tell but I cannot fathom your logic of calling him greedy when Bush & Co letf the nation in the mire not the Democrats.
Hi Jim- Firstly, I did not say that Obama himself is greedy. I said that his vote, and his policy supported greed. That is two different things.
Frankly, the financial crisis started with the whole sub-prime mortgage mess, which was implemented by the Clinton administration, not "Bush & Co".
Anyway, as I have said, I am willing to give President elect Obama my support to see if his programs work or not. I also hope that he has great success.
Morning Bob, Ah yes it's finally over!! I really think the greed came from the Loan companies and Banks that lent money to idots that try to live beyond there means! And the trickel up caused Gaints like AIG to take the rest of the world with them… At least Obama is talking to people like Buffet,Gore, and a few other that have money and want to make more. A green enviorment could fly, and the US leading the way!!
Hi Ed O’Brien (O’Bie)- I agree that talking with Warren Buffett is a good move. Talking with Gore is of no value, IMHO. We'll see how he does. Here's hoping for the best.