The 2024 US presidential election.

[BrokenSam]

44 billion well spent for musk. Good news is Trump will be out of our lives in 4 years. Every cloud. Silly, silly America.

 

[Class 466]

Trump winning the popular vote was a pretty unexpected twist. Might be a good place to start the inevitable post mortem of the Dems' overnight failure.

Ultimately he won the election in July. America has a weird deep rooted obsession with “Heroes” and rich people

 

[dosxuk]

I'm glad that the UK political system means you have to be a Member of Parliament before becoming Prime Minister, unlike in the USA whereby they don't need to know much about politics

You might want to look up Alec Douglas-Home...

 

[AlterEgo]

History could've been made, the first female US President

Sure if Biden has a heart attack in the next couple of months.

 

[jfollows]

It seems a bit silly that the election has not been “called” by the networks etc. but Trump is being officially congratulated on his win by world leaders.

 

[ainsworth74]

It seems a bit silly that the election has not been “called” by the networks etc. but Trump is being officially congratulated on his win by world leaders.

Harris doesn't have a vaguely plausible path to 270 though anymore so it is in effect done. I can see why he's getting congratulations already in that scenario. I'd argue it's more surprising that the networks haven't called it yet!

 

[jfollows]

Harris doesn't have a vaguely plausible path to 270 though anymore so it is in effect done. I can see why he's getting congratulations already in that scenario. I'd argue it's more surprising that the networks haven't called it yet!

Sorry, I wasn’t clear, I agree with you, the result is obvious so why won’t the networks say so?

 

[ainsworth74]

Ah gotcha!

 

[danm14]

Sorry, I wasn’t clear, I agree with you, the result is obvious so why won’t the networks say so?

It's still mathematically possible for Harris to win, even if it's practically impossible. They are terrified of a repeat of the 2000 election fiasco.

 

[nw1]

One thing I think we could all do is boycott the red states of the USA as a holiday destination for the next 4 years, or longer if he changes the constitution and makes himself dictator for life.

 

[dgl]

One thing I think we could all do is boycott the red states of the USA as a holiday destination for the next 4 years, or longer if he changes the constitution and makes himself dictator for life.

Though given his recent appearances for life might be quite a short period of time, or if Melania doesn't miss again!

 

[Highview]

One thing I think we could all do is boycott the red states of the USA as a holiday destination for the next 4 years, or longer if he changes the constitution and makes himself dictator for life.

All do? There may be other opinions!

 

[nw1]

I still find it hard to believe how America can vote for a deranged, far-right psychopath with fascist tendencies.

Do they not get the irony that they see him as "alternative" yet him and his pal Musk are more part of the "system" than anyone else? These people who rant on about liberals as if Bruce Springsteen and Michael Stipe were the real danger, yet worship a pair of fabulously rich right-wing businessmen?

I guess we have to think about what might happen. These are my fears, I hope some are unfounded; any comments?

1. Free speech becomes eroded and the orange idiot uses his pals in the IT industry to implement an increasing surveillance society, in which people could be blacklisted for posting critical comment about him online (which could effect employment, for example).
2. Civil rights get eroded, abortion is banned, LGBTQ+ rights are severely restricted. Marches and protests are cracked down upon in an increasingly authoritarian society.
3. What I call "extremist capitalism" becomes even more ingrained. By this I mean the concept that in the US it's acceptable to have to spend your life savings on medical care. Will this become even more endemic and even more things will become prohibitively expensive?
4. Internationally, will he reach some kind of deal with his mate Vlad and Ukraine will be taken over by Russia? If this happens, will Putin become more empowered and try to take over Moldova?
5. Increasing partisanship on the Middle East, with increased support for Netanyahu leaving the US and the West more open to retaliatory terrorism.

Those are my main fears now - but would be interesting to see whether people think they are founded or not.

 

[nlogax]

One thing I think we could all do is boycott the red states of the USA as a holiday destination for the next 4 years, or longer if he changes the constitution and makes himself dictator for life.

Honestly, no-one would bat an eyelid. Most tourists aren't going to stop going to Disneyworld or other major attractions in red states.

Trump has already stated this is his final term and for once I actually believe him.. Even if he's lying he's in too bad shape to get beyond 2028.

 

[Cross City]

I still find it hard to believe how America can vote for a deranged, far-right psychopath with fascist tendencies.

1. Petrol and food was cheaper under Trump... That's by far the biggest factor. They don't care about anyone or anything else other than the money in their pocket. That's why they're the richest and most productive nation on earth.

I think some people here would be shocked at the price of even basic food in US supermarkets.

2. The US was not involved in a war under Trump. They we're not going around policing the world.

3. A perceived increase in immigration.

All that combined with a population as insular as the US citizens and it's not really hard to see why he won. Life for the average American was probably better then than it is now, whether that's down to Trump/Biden or not it doesn't really matter. American don't, and shouldn't, vote for what is better for the world as a whole.

 

[Bungle73]

It's clear as day now, democracy DOES NOT WORK. First brexit and now this. Too many stupid people able to make illogical far reaching decisions that affect us all in a seriously negative way!

 

[zero]

Hopefully if he tries anything dictator like (which is probably a given) then a secret service employee will accidentally discharge their weapon in Trump's direction and that checks and balances are put on any replacement, though that might not be a given.

The replacement is going to be Vance. What sort of checks and balances are you envisaging?

Sadly it looks like the US isn't ready for a female president and I doubt it will be in 4 years' time so the Dems will probably want a white male unless they can find an Obama 2.

 

[JamesT]

It's clear as day now, democracy DOES NOT WORK. First brexit and now this. Too many stupid people able to make illogical far reaching decisions that affect us all in a seriously negative way!

This quote by HL Mencken seems appropriate:
'Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.'

 

[InkyScrolls]

There's a lot of people on here claiming that Trump will do this terrible thing or that terrible thing. How about we just wait and see. The next four years are going to be interesting whatever happens.

 

[wilbers]

It's clear as day now, democracy DOES NOT WORK. First brexit and now this. Too many stupid people able to make illogical far reaching decisions that affect us all in a seriously negative way!

Despite that, this is still true.


‘Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’

Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947

 

[WelshBluebird]

44 billion well spent for musk. Good news is Trump will be out of our lives in 4 years. Every cloud. Silly, silly America.

The issue is what damage does he do in the next 4 years. Especially if he gets to appoint more supreme court judges etc. We've already seen women literally die because of the abortion bans that were able to be put in place thanks to Trumps appointments to the court the last time around.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Nov 2024 ==

There's a lot of people on here claiming that Trump will do this terrible thing or that terrible thing. How about we just wait and see. The next four years are going to be interesting whatever happens.

So we should just ignore the things he and his teams have said they want to do?

 

[Stossgebet]

It's clear as day now, democracy DOES NOT WORK. First brexit and now this. Too many stupid people able to make illogical far reaching decisions that affect us all in a seriously negative way!

Isn't it yet clear to people on the left/liberal/democrat side of the swing-o-meter, that the more you abuse and insult half the electorate. The less likely they are to vote the way you want? You can't hate people into supporting you. You have to win them over with actual policy ideas that they support, and a likely chance of delivering those policies. Just pushing hate, smears and abuse is no way to win support. Brexit, boris and now trump (for a 2nd time) has proved this.

 

[jfollows]

CNN finally projects Trump to be winner because he won Wisconsin, at 10:30 UK time. BBC at 10:34.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Just pushing hate, smears and abuse is no way to win support. Brexit, boris and now trump (for a 2nd time) has proved this.

You don't see the irony there?

 

[DelW]

The issue is what damage does he do in the next 4 years. Especially if he gets to appoint more supreme court judges etc. We've already seen women literally die because of the abortion bans that were able to be put in place thanks to Trumps appointments to the court the last time around.

There are some small glimmers of hope on that front, though they may come under attack again under Trump's presidency:

Abortion: Seven US states expand rights as Florida ballot fails

The ballot initiative in Florida would have allowed abortion until the point of foetal viability or about 24 weeks.

www.bbc.co.uk

Voters in six states have approved measures to protect or expand abortion rights, but a bid to restore protections for the procedure failed in Florida.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Oh and let's not forget this means there's going to be an antivaxxer conspiracy theorist in charge of health policy.

 

[Cross City]

You have to win them over with actual policy ideas that they support

No, you should try to explain to them in real terms why they're wrong and how voting for them would make their lives better. Insulting doesn't work, but neither does lurching further right.

 

[Bungle73]

Isn't it yet clear to people on the left/liberal/democrat side of the swing-o-meter, that the more you abuse and insult half the electorate. The less likely they are to vote the way you want? You can't hate people into supporting you. You have to win them over with actual policy ideas that they support, and a likely chance of delivering those policies. Just pushing hate, smears and abuse is no way to win support. Brexit, boris and now trump (for a 2nd time) has proved this.

We've already seen with brexit loons that these types are terminally stupid and absolutely refuse to listen to anything except what they want to hear, or believe anything except what they want to believe.

 

[DustyBin]

Sadly it looks like the US isn't ready for a female president and I doubt it will be in 4 years' time so the Dems will probably want a white male unless they can find an Obama 2.

Whilst I think there may be an element of truth in this, you really need to look at the quality of the nominees. Clinton and Harris were both absolutely terrible choices and completely toxic to many voters, as evidenced by their respective defeats to Trump of all people....

I actually think there's a good chance that the first female president will be a Republican (when it happens, which it surely will at some point).

 

[Bungle73]

Quite frankly it beggars belief that a man who provoked an attempted coup is allowed to run for President in the first place........

Sadly it looks like the US isn't ready for a female president and I doubt it will be in 4 years' time so the Dems will probably want a white male unless they can find an Obama 2.

What a said indictment that is of America, when the UK had its first female PM nearly half a century ago......