Thread: Europe mags - thoughts about election?

I was just in Greece for 10 days (jealous? you should be - it was AMAZING!!!), and nearly every single person I met wanted to talk about the US election. Every person I spoke with - the cab driver, the chef in the taverna, the waiter, the business owner was for Obama. I'm a huge Obama fan, so of course I was thrilled, but I was surprised.

I'm not sure why - I suppose I'm just used to more contention here. But of the people I talked to, not a single one was pro McCain. The general consensus seemed to be that this was our great hope to redeem ourselves.

I also read an article in a Greek magazine that quoted the stats: 85% of Greeks support Obama, 5% McCain... Again, surprised (but in full disclosure, pleased).

I hadn't travelled outside of North/South America in years, so I didn't quite know what to expect.

So, would love to hear from Europe mags on this.

Originally Posted by watersnowdirt

The general consensus seemed to be that this was our great hope to redeem ourselves.

That's the reaction that this ex-pat is getting from everyone he's spoken to.

I'm suprised you are suprised.

Originally Posted by Trackhead

I'm suprised you are suprised.

I'm surprised that you're surprised that I'm surprised.

This is all quite surprising.

Many shots this evening...surprised I did that... Holy shit.

Indeed, all of yurp and even those parts of "yurp" that are a little further east than what you might think of as yurp are totally in the tank for Obama.

As is all of Asia, south and central america, africa and the south pacific. And Canada too, eh.

Only Antarctica isn't and that's merely a contractual issue that prevents them from supporting Obama. There are a suspicious number of Obama buttons there.

Palin is scary. She's so totally out of her league (not to mention a religious wacko) that the idea that she could be the leader of the free world is unreal. Un real. As the fact that Mc Cain chose her as a VP.

I also think that the election of Obama would be very positive to restore the moral leadership of the USA. Everybody would love you guys... It would be a very powerfull statement.

Otherwise, politics as usual. Lots of negative ads (mostly from the GOP, but not only), not much real debate. Not to brilliant, but to be expected.
Mc Cain is disapointing (I thought he had more moral spine) and I like Obama. That's what campaigns are made for. To make up your mind.

And I'm surprised you're surprised. Too.

Originally Posted by philippeR

I also think that the election of Obama would be very positive to restore the moral leadership of the USA. Everybody would love you guys... It would be a very powerfull statement.

.

It would certainly help, but you'd still hate us after a month or so.

Originally Posted by watersnowdirt

The general consensus seemed to be that this was our great hope to redeem ourselves.

I agree with that, and would even add, "...our last great hope to redeem ourselves."

Originally Posted by Trackhead

I'm suprised you are suprised.

Me, too.

Originally Posted by Trackhead

Originally Posted by philippeR

I also think that the election of Obama would be very positive to restore the moral leadership of the USA. Everybody would love you guys... It would be a very powerful statement.

It would certainly help, but you'd still hate us after a month or so.

Yeah, but the way you used to be hated - with affection. After a few years respect might even make a comeback.

I'm optimisic. I'd like to see Obama recoup some of the US' moral capital, but even McCain is better than what you've had for the last eight years.

Both steps in the right direction.

as every day goes by, mccain choosing palin seems a more bizarre move

if i had the vote, it would probably still have gone to obama regardless of who mccain had chosen, but choosing palin seems to have compromised mccain massively

I tried to work out what was actually going on here http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...=132196&page=2 and failed miserably.

i was told by an american colleague that they were actually banned from talking about the last election at work because they were people got so partisan about it

it's the comments about obama being a "communist" or a "socialist" that really bemuse me. by euro standards, obama is probably at the right end of centre right. mccain seems relatively liberal for a republican, but generally they are off-the-scale-right

My latest favourite partisan attack is that Obama will ruin the country with his secret agenda!!!!!! He'll get into office, and then just go against everything he says!

Yeah, like the Republicans have a good track record to make attacks like that. Hello Enron? Anyway, what kind of attack is that? "Everything they say is the exact opposite of what they'll actually do!" I mean obviously you can't know something like that.

I don't really see why appeasing the fanatics is a good way to win an election anyway - surely people blind enough to be that stupid are voting for you anyway. Then again, I guess between beating the same drum beats the UK way of trying to be whatever type of government the papers are braying for this week....

yeah, it's not like UK politics is without its charlatans, bullshitters and zealots. reading through the comments on the guardian's comment is free blog reveals just as much nuttiness as some of the stuff on here

I live in Argentina full time and most people are more interested in talking about the Governator Schwartezenger that El Diablo Bush and the election.

Israel: for Obama
France: thinks were are the biggest joke


*from my conversation with my Israeli ex-wife's family and a few French folk.

I have to hand it to the French on this one.

I am not looking forward to four more years of ridicule from my Dutch friends if McCain/Palin get elected. The last eight have been bad enough, and my only response has been, "at least I didn't vote for Bush". If McCain/Palin get elected I will have to stop visiting Europe; it will be too embarrassing.

Obama and morals... Hmmm... I'll really have to figure out where that one is going. He's surrounded himself with people of great moral fabric, ya know...

Originally Posted by watersnowdirt

I hadn't travelled outside of North/South America in years, so I didn't quite know what to expect.

That explains your surprise then.

Originally Posted by hutash

I am not looking forward to four more years of ridicule from my Dutch friends if McCain/Palin get elected. The last eight have been bad enough, and my only response has been, "at least I didn't vote for Bush". If McCain/Palin get elected I will have to stop visiting Europe; it will be too embarrassing.

....or maybe you could just move your whiney ass over there. That way you can avoid all embarrassment.

Jer,

No one cares what you think. Fuck off.

Originally Posted by slyguy

Jer,

No one cares what you think. Fuck off.

Again - if you don't care, then why take the time to reply to me?