I will be so happy

[SeaCat]

I will be so happy when it comes time to vote and all of the ads are off the TV and out of the mailboxes.

Here in Southern Florida the races have reached a new low in Mudslinging and personal attacks. (Many of them humorous if you know your facts.)

And then you have the dipshits buttonholing people on the streets and at stores. I had one asshole who thought he would put a Bumper Sticker on the tank of my bike. (He's alive.)

All of this is from both sides. Neither the Reps or the Dems are innocent of political lies or personal attacks.

Like I said I'll be happy when this vote is over and we get a break from the ads for about six months.

Cat

 

[litfan10]

I would love to see all the money that is spent to promote all the lies via mail, phone, TV, bumper stickers etc which have such a small window of purpose be put to better use in a country with so many financial issues.

You show me a candidate who would document all sorts of effective charitable donations rather than spending it on the campaign promotional crap and I would vote for that candidate in a heartbeat!

 

[sadangel]

I will be so happy when it comes time to vote and all of the ads are off the TV and out of the mailboxes.

Here in Southern Florida the races have reached a new low in Mudslinging and personal attacks. (Many of them humorous if you know your facts.)

And then you have the dipshits buttonholing people on the streets and at stores. I had one asshole who thought he would put a Bumper Sticker on the tank of my bike. (He's alive.)

All of this is from both sides. Neither the Reps or the Dems are innocent of political lies or personal attacks.

Like I said I'll be happy when this vote is over and we get a break from the ads for about six months.

Cat

Why did you let him live after that? Anyone does that to my vehicle, I'll have their ass in a sling!

 

[squarejohn]

My wife ran for office once (she lost). But during the race, a bunch of characters came out of the woodwork, offering everything from bumper stickers, through billboards, radio and tv ads, and managing the her campaign.

I used to wonder who arranged for campaign paraphernalia. Now I know there's a huge industry catering to political candidates.

I don't mind all the signs, etc, just as long as the candidate has the RIGHT outlook on things.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I voted by mail weeks ago but they don't know that so my mailbox is constantly full of campaign trash, my phone machine is constantly getting hit with campaigners trying to get to do what I've already done (or not!) and the news is full of blowhards of whatever stripe trying to impress me with their inflated personal image. Yeah, get it over already!

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I bitchslapped a friend pretty hard just for putting a Britney sticker on the bumper of my piece of shit Nissan back in 98, and I thought she was hot. I can't imagine what I would do to someone for putting a political sticker on my Camaro...

 

[EmeraldKitten]

I can't wait til it's over either.
I'm tired of looking at their ugly mugs all over tv.
It's nice not having a land line.. no phone calls!

 

[oggbashan]

Every time the US has an election I'm pleased that the UK isn't so febrile about our own elections. We have more excitement about the X factor than local elections.

At the General Election I had one leaflet from each of the candidates, a passing greeting from our then and now Member of Parliament, and a chat with the representatives of all three parties standing outside (as they have to) the Polling Station. That's it.

The media were different. The TV news was frantic but by changing channels or watching a DVD, or even switching off, I could avoid "The Election" completely.

Og

 

[Bebeslut]

Campaigning has gotten way out of hand -- mud, mud, mud. Of course, during the off season you still have Fox News, the permanent right-wing campaign.

I'm disgusted. I used to be for the Democrats, but people like Charlie Rangel have finally convinced me that the Demos really do have an interest in a permanent victimocracy, whether it be the poor or the War on Drugs or whatever (Mexico is really suffering now thanks to the US's War on Drugs). The president is not an experienced enough politician to pull off his program, and unfortunately, it would just add to the deficit, and apparently may make insurance harder to get.

The Reps are no better, they just pander to the homophobes, Islamophobes and whatever.

Neither party has the guts to confront what is going to sink this country: the deficit. The tea party thinks it has, but it will be interesting to see the reaction of tea party voters if people like Rand Paul actually put the tea party program into practice: so many people are going to see their slices of the pie so drastically reduced, I think it will fail.

Whoever gets into office will have to deal with the economy, and there's only so much politicians can do about that without making things worse.

We're fucked, people!

 

[MagicaPractica]

My name changed this month so I've had the pleasure of saying "no one here by that name" whenever anyone c alls campaigning and asks for me by my former last name. I haven't seen a single candidate this year who is still clean after all the mud that has been flung.

 

[Handley_Page]

Every time the US has an election I'm pleased that the UK isn't so febrile about our own elections. We have more excitement about the X factor than local elections.
. .
The media were different. The TV news was frantic but by changing channels or watching a DVD, or even switching off, I could avoid "The Election" completely.

Og

The one thing I really like about UK elections is that the run-up time is only three weeks. There's also a few cases of terrible mud-slinging, but by & large, it's not bad.
Telephone sales (or canvassing), is also subject to rules. As I have an "opt out", I do not get may canvassing or sales calls.

I get the feeling that the broadcasting companies share-holders are the only beneficiaries.

 

[oggbashan]

The one thing I really like about UK elections is that the run-up time is only three weeks. There's also a few cases of terrible mud-slinging, but by & large, it's not bad.
Telephone sales (or canvassing), is also subject to rules. As I have an "opt out", I do not get may canvassing or sales calls.

I get the feeling that the broadcasting companies share-holders are the only beneficiaries.

The local canvassers usually avoid me because they know I won't commit to stating who I'll vote for. I deliberately stay neutral because that helps my work with the community.

However I do try to work with whoever is elected, whether MP, County Councillor, City Councillor, or Parish Councillor - but if an arsehole is elected, they remain an arsehole when an elected representative.

Og

 

[TE999]

I have no data to support this supposition, but these barrages of TV, radio, print media, leaflet, bumper sticker promotions, etc. of one candidate over another must have some effect on a segment of the electorate or so much money wouldn't be allocated to it.

It's scary to think an individuals' decision on whom to cast their vote for hangs on a slogan on a bumper sticker or a mud ball thrown at an opponent.

Twas' ever thus, however.

 

[Handley_Page]

The local canvassers usually avoid me because they know I won't commit to stating who I'll vote for. I deliberately stay neutral because that helps my work with the community.

However I do try to work with whoever is elected, whether MP, County Councillor, City Councillor, or Parish Councillor - but if an arsehole is elected, they remain an arsehole when an elected representative.

Og

It gave me great pleasure, last time, to tell that exit-poll recording idiot, that 'no, I will not say for whom I voted'

 

[Liar]

It gave me great pleasure, last time, to tell that exit-poll recording idiot, that 'no, I will not say for whom I voted'

I usually tell them "papa smurf" with a straight face.

 

[Trinique_Fire]

Every fucking day my inbox has another fucking email from Barack Obama or Joe Biden or Harry Reid or Al Franken or Madeline Albright or Bernie Sanders.

Believe it or not people, I can make an intelligent decision about who to vote for without all the smarmy impersonal SHIT in my inbox.

Lay the fuck off.

 

[SeaCat]

I bitchslapped a friend pretty hard just for putting a Britney sticker on the bumper of my piece of shit Nissan back in 98, and I thought she was hot. I can't imagine what I would do to someone for putting a political sticker on my Camaro...

Well the cop who showed up was rather unsympathetic. Especially after the store owner, myself, my wife and several witnesses had described what had happened when I told the guy not to put his blasted sticker on my bike. (The guy had told me he could put the sticker on any vehicle he wanted and none especially a biker was going to tell him different.)

The Cop told the guy to stop his yelling, he was lucky that all that had happened was him being taped to a gas pump and having his head wrapped with his own Bumper Stickers.

Cat

 

[SlickTony]

a bunch of characters came out of the woodwork...

When I read that, before I got any farther, I assumed it was going to be that they came out of the workout to tell discreditable stories on her...I mean, that's why I wouldn't run for public office, besides the fact I'm temperamentally unsuited to it....

 

[Handley_Page]

I usually tell them "papa smurf" with a straight face.

I must have a look for him on the Ballot Paper next time. . . .

 

[carrie-on]

I have no data to support this supposition, but these barrages of TV, radio, print media, leaflet, bumper sticker promotions, etc. of one candidate over another must have some effect on a segment of the electorate or so much money wouldn't be allocated to it.

It's scary to think an individuals' decision on whom to cast their vote for hangs on a slogan on a bumper sticker or a mud ball thrown at an opponent.

Twas' ever thus, however.

I've said for years that each person running for office (no matter what office) should have a limit on what they can spend for advertising (say a million bucks). After that is gone, then tough shit you don't get anymore! It seems like lately the ones who have raised the most campaign funds are the ones that win!

 

[oggbashan]

I've said for years that each person running for office (no matter what office) should have a limit on what they can spend for advertising (say a million bucks). After that is gone, then tough shit you don't get anymore! It seems like lately the ones who have raised the most campaign funds are the ones that win!

In the United Kingdom there are strict rules on what can, and cannot be spent. For example:

Third party expenditure to promote or disparage a candidate

Any third party (i.e. any individual, group or organisation) who intends to act independently to promote or disparage a candidate at an election is subject to controls and restrictions on the campaigning that they can undertake. This is governed by the legislation controlling candidates' election expenses.
Guidance on these controls has recently been revised in light of new legal guidance, and third parties are advised that no expenditure can be incurred by a third party in respect of:
1.holding public meetings or organising any public display
2.issuing advertisements, circulars or publications
They can however incur expenditure up to a specified maximum amount on otherwise presenting to the electors the candidate or his views, or the extent or nature of his backing or disparaging of another candidate.
The maximum amount of expenditure that can be incurred by a third party is:
at a local government election: £50 + 0.5p per elector
at a general election: £500
at an election to the Scottish parliament: £500 promoting or disparaging a constituency candidate or an independent regional candidate
at an election to National Assembly for Wales: £500 promoting or disparaging a constituency candidate and £1000 promoting or disparaging an independent regional candidate
These limits are separate to the limits on national third party spending introduced by PPERA.

 

[Katyusha]

I usually tell them "papa smurf" with a straight face.

I told them Donald Duck when they asked who my vote for president went to.

 

[SeaCat]

I told them Donald Duck when they asked who my vote for president went to.

During the last presidential election one of these exit pollers came up to me and the wife as we were leaving. He asked who we had voted for and why. Instead of answering I asked him if he had noticed that the polling booths were private, ie. no one could see who you were voting for or against. When he admitted that they were I asked him if he thought there might be a reason for this. He didn't answer and I somehow didn't expect him to.

Cat