Your reaction to American politics?

[Lerxst]

I've joined this group because I'm curious what our neighbors to the North think of the last year or so worth of evens down here in the US. Our media's influenced by so many outside interests that getting a feel for what the rest of the world thinks, cares, does is nearly impossible.

We have FOX News, the Wall Street Journal and most financial papers which are owned by Republicans and their allies. We have CNN, MSNBC, the NY Times and Washington Post that are owned by Clinton allies. We only have a couple media outlets that voice an outside view on things and those are few and far between.

Do people up there even follow what's happening down here with the coming election? Is it just a casual, conversation in passing; "water cooler talk"? Are there people who take it seriously and think "Oh crap" when they see any of the news about us?

I talk to some people from the UK and Canada who give me a smile and a big thumbs up - kind of like patting a small child on the head when they do something good - when they hear us talk about Bernie Sanders.

And then I also get the "Holy Hell! What is this thing you let loose!" when they hear us talk about Trump. But that's from the people who are already down here.

What do people who are safely tucked in nice and comfy up in Canada think of all of this?

[Topaz]

My view is the USA has gone down the tubes, since JFK was killed, Reagan was shot at and the foreign policies suck! What I'm hear, and not on main stream news, is Trump doesn't like what has been happening in his country and wants to bring it back with some respectability and make the USA great again....to the world. The problem with that is some of the elite or globalist within the USA and the world, don't want him in the White House messing up their plan for the world and the US. Even the Bilderberg Group is trying to get him stopped because Trump being a billionaire, HE knows too Much about the elites and can name names. I think if elected, he could be one of the best Presidents the USA has had but he has to get there. The very action of sending his youngest son an envelope with white powder saying his dad better quit or the next time it will be the real stuff, just shows how THEY want him out and the US has been down this road before threatening candidates to quit.

[eyeball]

What do people who are safely tucked in nice and comfy up in Canada think of all of this?

It confirms a lot of prescient thought about the direction things are going.

[Lerxst]

My view is the USA has gone down the tubes, since JFK was killed, Reagan was shot at and the foreign policies suck! What I'm hear, and not on main stream news, is Trump doesn't like what has been happening in his country and wants to bring it back with some respectability and make the USA great again....to the world. The problem with that is some of the elite or globalist within the USA and the world, don't want him in the White House messing up their plan for the world and the US. Even the Bilderberg Group is trying to get him stopped because Trump being a billionaire, HE knows too Much about the elites and can name names. I think if elected, he could be one of the best Presidents the USA has had but he has to get there. The very action of sending his youngest son an envelope with white powder saying his dad better quit or the next time it will be the real stuff, just shows how THEY want him out and the US has been down this road before threatening candidates to quit.

I actually never have thought of it looking like that. Well, I sort of have and that's the reason I would vote for him. He would definitely shake things up quite a bit and that's just what the government needs.

His tendency to attract some of our most militant hate groups (KKK, Aryan Brotherhood, etc.) though, would give pause to most sane people. Wouldn't stop us from voting for him, but would definitely place some doubt in people's minds. And his track record with both, business and marriage - several bankruptcies and divorces - cause most moderate financial types to scratch their heads.

I think , if given an option, many of his followers would vote for another candidate. But with our 2 party system restricting people on one side from crossing to the other for most of the Primaries, his supporters have little choice.

[waldo]

What do people who are safely tucked in nice and comfy up in Canada think of all of this?

your country 'reaps what it sows'! Unfortunately, given the alignment of our trade/economy, we in Canada may incur incendiary fallout...

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[Argus]

The corruption of American politics and the lack of representation for regular people due to the big money and gerrymandered districts has led to enormous frustration. Trump at least talks like he's not a politician, and people have come to despise the weasel words of lying politicians. The fact Trump's policies are ridiculous, unrealistic, unworkable or illegal don't seem to phase people. He talks like they talk, not like a political weasel. That's why they're supporting him. It's a bit sad because even if he managed to become president he wouldn't actually be able to do any of the things he's said he would, which just lead to even more disillusion.

The US needs to fix its gerrymandered electoral districts and get all that big money out of politics.

[ReeferMadness]

I've joined this group because I'm curious what our neighbors to the North think of the last year or so worth of evens down here in the US. Our media's influenced by so many outside interests that getting a feel for what the rest of the world thinks, cares, does is nearly impossible.

The US was founded on or has come to adopt a myriad of mythologies, none of which is more important than the great American dream. There has long been an underclass, mainly black, that has seen it for what it is but the vision has survived in the mainstream. The crash of 08 shook the dream and the failure of the Obama administration to deliver on the change agenda has caused people to look outside the mainstream for answers. I just saw The Big Short yesterday. I think that Americans have long understood that the financial system is corrupt but now they are starting to see a clear linkage between their personal tragedies and Wall Street wealth. The movie claimed that 6 million people lost their houses in the crash.

The fact that people are turning to a mendacious demagogue like Trump in much larger numbers than Bernie Sanders is bizarre and worrisome. I truly believe that nobody knows what a President Trump would do, not even Trump himself.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that it looks like our neighbor, a country that revels in its own greatness, the most heavily armed country on the planet, the country that, without any trace of irony, refers to its president as "the leader of the free world" (even as the rest of the planet routinely votes it the world's largest threat to world peace), is off its f*cking nut.

We have FOX News, the Wall Street Journal and most financial papers which are owned by Republicans and their allies. We have CNN, MSNBC, the NY Times and Washington Post that are owned by Clinton allies. We only have a couple media outlets that voice an outside view on things and those are few and far between.

You might be asking the wrong people. Our media is heavily concentrated in the hands of a very few people and are heavily influenced by your media. I would suggest reading the English press.

What do people who are safely tucked in nice and comfy up in Canada think of all of this?

I wish that I felt safely tucked up here. Anyone Canadian (or Mexican) who feels safer because they border the most heavily armed country in history (both state-wise and individually) needs to be taught history and critical thinking. There are lots of people who hope you folks discover sanity soon.

[ReeferMadness]

I think if elected, he could be one of the best Presidents the USA has had but he has to get there.

Truly. You think a mendacious, narcissistic demagogue who uses racist and Islamophobic sentiments to rally people to his cause (with only vague notions of what that cause even is) would make one of the best Presidents ever? I'm trying to surmise your ranking criteria.

[bush_cheney2004]

It's a pity that some Canadians are so concerned about American politics, even to the point of its prime minister (Trudeau) recently begging for more attention, as the United States is "definitional" to his version of Canada and the Canadian identity.

The U.S. will select a president, just as it has always done without concern for what the world may think about it.

Love Obama...hate Trump...it is all the same reaction...the Americans are not going away anytime soon.

[Lerxst]

I'll tell you the kinds of Trump supporters we have and I have seen (know of personally as well):

The idiot - They know nothing about politics and spend their time watching Reality TV shows on Fox. They know Trump because of his shows, airlines and casinos but know nothing else about the man. These are also people that have no clue how politics work and the nuances of things like trade agreements, interest rates and the Federal Reserve.

The capitalist - Likes money, wants money and will get money no matter what. They see Trump as their means of amassing as much wealth as possible and take a "scorched earth" policy towards doing so. Other billionaires who have been in the game for a while don't like this approach though, as it tends to be bad for business if half your clientele are dead and/or boycotted you.

The pissed-off - Another "scorched earth" approach, only this time, at the entire political process. (Fair notice - I'm a borderline member of this) We hope for 1 of 3 things: Complete implosion of both major parties; finally seeing cooperation among both major parties as they try to oust Trump; total rioting and anarchy among the people that could normally care less, rebelling against Trump.

Now, for those of us who turn beet red at the mention of other country's minimum wages, paid vacations, maternity leaves and national healthcare systems, we want our government to do a total 180. We feel like passengers in a horse carriage that's running full speed off a cliff... and the team of horses is too ignorant to know the screaming and yelling in back doesn't mean "go faster!".

Not all of us are the idiots the news networks make us out to be There are a large number of us who know what Democratic Socialism means and have spent the past year+ campaigning for Bernie Sanders. But our system is crooked and corrupt. Our political candidates "own" the owners of the media networks - the NY Time, Wall Street Journal, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, etc. There is nearly no way a candidate rallying against the type of oligarchy can stand a fair chance at an election... and that brings us to the Trump factor.

[Topaz]

Reefer, I said he COULD be not IS and what is so great about the presidents since WW2? The congress will control him for the most part and he'll learn what he really can and can't do.

[waldo]

I'll tell you the kinds of Trump supporters we have and I have seen (know of personally as well):

The idiot - They know nothing about politics and spend their time watching Reality TV shows on Fox. They know Trump because of his shows, airlines and casinos but know nothing else about the man. These are also people that have no clue how politics work and the nuances of things like trade agreements, interest rates and the Federal Reserve.

The capitalist - Likes money, wants money and will get money no matter what. They see Trump as their means of amassing as much wealth as possible and take a "scorched earth" policy towards doing so. Other billionaires who have been in the game for a while don't like this approach though, as it tends to be bad for business if half your clientele are dead and/or boycotted you.

The pissed-off - Another "scorched earth" approach, only this time, at the entire political process. (Fair notice - I'm a borderline member of this) We hope for 1 of 3 things: Complete implosion of both major parties; finally seeing cooperation among both major parties as they try to oust Trump; total rioting and anarchy among the people that could normally care less, rebelling against Trump.

albeit they're not mutually exclusive, care to offer a percentage breakdown of your 'Trump supporter' categorizations... %idiots, %capitalists, %pissed-off?

your "capitalist" summation is most at odds with what "experts" suggest Trump's fantastical, detail lacking, one-liner intentions are; example:

.

[waldo]

It's a pity that some Canadians are so concerned about American politics, even to the point of its prime minister (Trudeau) recently begging for more attention, as the United States is "definitional" to his version of Canada and the Canadian identity.

it's a pity some (claimed Americans) won't accept that the recent U.S. State Dinner was one held by the United States government to honor (throw attention towards) the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

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[Lerxst]

albeit they're not mutually exclusive, care to offer a percentage breakdown of your 'Trump supporter' categorizations... %idiots, %capitalists, %pissed-off?

your "capitalist" summation is most at odds with what "experts" suggest Trump's fantastical, detail lacking, one-liner intentions are; example:

.

Immediate short term tax cuts and other incentives (or lack of deterrents). Pro business is not pro market. GDP may decline, but business profits and the top-tier money will increase. Once they have theirs, whatever happens next is beyond their interest.

Last poll shows 30+% of Bernie Sanders supporters will not support Clinton. That leaves 3 choices - 3rd party, abstaining or voting Republican. An average of that would be a 10/10/10 split. And those voting Trump are doing so for anti-establishment purposes in the first place.

The "idiot" category can be seen in our TV ratings and political polls. People who don't pay attention vote by name recognition - explaining why Clinton does well in the "deep south"despite being against everything that would help them. If they think a name is enough to be a President, then they are idiots by default

[Moonlight Graham]

America, a great nation, is slowly destroying itself. The GOP and many major news outlets (like FOX News and CNN) has become The Jerry Springer Show. The right-wing in that country has become radicalized. Trump is basically FOX News running for POTUS and doing well.

Democracy doesn't work very well if the masses of voters are just damned ignorant of wtf is really going on. I'm not saying Canada is much better in that regard. Americans vote every 2 years for Congress, flipping back and forth from GOP to Democrats looking for an answer but they don't understand the whole damn system is corrupt, candidates bought off, huge corporations and other private interests controlling US policy. The US constitution is wonderful, but failed to account for the corrupting influence of business money, they were too worried about the next King George.

Private interests will continue to buy off politicians to ensure their own wealth while not giving a shit about what they're doing to America itself. The 2008 recession was just one example, you'd think that might be enough to wake people up?. The country is a big boat taking on more and more water and voters don't understand how to fill the holes or what's causing them. Hopefully they figure it out before it's too late. Sad thing is they're gonna take all of us down with them.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Moonlight Graham

[bush_cheney2004]

America, a great nation, is slowly destroying itself.

Ummm...no...this is how the United States was built...and became "great". It is why American politics is so important to some Canadians, including Trudeau.

[Lerxst]

America, a great nation, is slowly destroying itself...

*sigh* yep, and yep to the rest.

As a transplant from New York City, I'll give you a taste of what I go through living in the good ol' southwestern USA.

• I have a college degree in Business, industry certifications in IT and years of corporate training under my belt.
• I decided to use that expertise to work for non-profits and took a massive pay-cut.
• I was ultimately fired from my last job in the field because the employer just plain didn't like having someone who knew more than they did.
• They denied me unemployment insurance, so I took them to court.
• The court agreed that they had no reason to fire me and granted me the insurance.
• I now work a part-time job, driving a passenger van, that I've had for 4 years because at full-time employers have to provide you with benefits and there are no full-time jobs available that need or want to pay for my qualifications.
• I have 0 time off since I am only part-time and when my son broke a bone a few weeks ago, I not only didn't get paid, but had to pay out about $700 in medical bills... WITH insurance that I had to purchase myself to the tune of $225 a month after the Affordable Care tax credits people are raving/bitching about down here.
• We have no labor unions in the so-called "right to work" states because the hillbillies down here think that's come kind of Commie Socialist thing.
• I have to drive by Koch Brother funded Tea Party signs on my way to work almost every day and wait behind faded GW Bush and Mitt Romney bumper stickers at stop signs.
• I then get to come home and somewhere on my news feed at least once a week is an article complaining about our "Socialist" President Obama...

I'm saying this because I have talked to people in real life and online from the UK, Japan, Australia and other places and end up in a debate with them, only to find they don't realize how far to the Extreme Conservative Right the reality in this country is. A lot of those debates have usually revolved around workplace policy or different aspects of local governments. For example, people may start talking about how Conservative they are and how they want more traditional values,etc. in their society and they don't realize that I not only live in that type of society, but I live about 1,000 times to the extreme of what they're talking about. So to me, someone saying they want things to be more Conservative, I see the only place left for us to go is all out Nazi Party or donning white hoods and hanging black people.

My neighbors are freakin' idiots. People I work with are freakin' idiots. Even some of my family members are freakin' idiots. I gave up on the idea of the "American Dream" years ago when I moved to Arizona and had an employer that under-paid and stretched the limits of the law thanks to the lack of collective bargaining in the state. It was a culture shock, considering labor unions were simply a fact of life when you live in the New England area.

I've seen money buy out companies, then pay off local officials to get ordinances removed that would get anyone else fined, or even thrown in jail for violating. And that's just in this small town of 4,000 people!

I would have to argue though, that the masses of us aren't all stupid; ignorant, maybe, even oblivious or gullible, but not always stupid. Looking at the presidential primaries in this country, we have Hillary Clinton running against... ? If you ask most people that only read the newspapers or watch TV, her opponent is a mystery at best, a failure of a radical Left Wing nut-job at worst. All of those news outlets though, have a money trail that leads directly to the Clintons, some even have CEOs that are good friends with them. Even one of our satire outlets, "The Onion" recently came under new Clinton-friendly ownership and started running articles that are less satire, and more of a compliment to Clinton.

None of those major outlets will say a word about Bernie Sanders, and if they do, it's only to paint his as the aforementioned "nut job". hey fail to point out the hundreds of legislation and amendments he passed while in office. They fail to mention that he was there marching with Martin Luther King Jr and getting arrested while protesting for Civil Rights. They fail to mention how much money his plans would actually save in overhead costs for people, and instead, focus on the immediate tax increase that amounts to pennies on the dollar compared to the savings they "forget" to mention.

I can go on with this list for pages, upon pages. Meanwhile, Clinton gets asked a bunch of fluff questions that offer no real challenge to her and gets invited to TV shows that already like and are already in bed with her.

Welcome to American politics!!

Oh, and the GOP is a lost cause. I'm not even going to talk about that lead weight dragging us down.

I think I'm going to bash my head against a wall now until I lose consciousness....

[waldo]

Last poll shows 30+% of Bernie Sanders supporters will not support Clinton. That leaves 3 choices - 3rd party, abstaining or voting Republican. An average of that would be a 10/10/10 split. And those voting Trump are doing so for anti-establishment purposes in the first place.

The "idiot" category can be seen in our TV ratings and political polls. People who don't pay attention vote by name recognition - explaining why Clinton does well in the "deep south"despite being against everything that would help them. If they think a name is enough to be a President, then they are idiots by default

I would suggest your 'idiot category' of Republicans represents the overwhelming majority of pro-Trumpers! Your supposed "pissed off" category grouping can have no intellectual weight to it in the face of the the statements made by Trump, particularly those focused on foreign policy, immigration/deporting, trade and the U.S. economy... anyone satisfied with a non-substantive, detail lacking, headline grabbing, one-liner from a race-baiter fits well within your idiot categorization.

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[rotary]

Ummm...no...this is how the United States was built...and became "great". It is why American politics is so important to some Canadians, including Trudeau.

It did become, and has been "great" in it's day. But recently the politics has become nothing more than silly daytime TV that Canadians only tune into to laugh at, as well as cringe a bit. And has been recently pointed out Americans are actually begging Trudeau to run for president.

[bush_cheney2004]

It did become, and has been "great" in it's day. But recently the politics has become nothing more than silly daytime TV that Canadians only tune into to laugh at, as well as cringe a bit. And has been recently pointed out Americans are actually begging Trudeau to run for president.

The point being that the "great America" that some Canadians point to in past tense has always had political and personal discord, and it is not any worse just because rancor it is readily available in American media. Canadians have been listening to and watching American media for at least 75 years, because it is a window on American culture...and apparently more engaging than what is available domestically. Gov. George Wallace ran for president in 1968...was that silly daytime TV as well ?

Trudeau admitted that for many Canadians, America and American culture (including politics), is..."definitional".

We already have a Canadian running for president, and Trump is kicking his ass.

Edited March 20, 2016 by bush_cheney2004

[rotary]

The point being that the "great America" that some Canadians point to in past tense has always had political and personal discord, and it is not any worse just because rancor it is readily available in American media. Canadians have been listening to and watching American media for at least 75 years, because it is a window on American culture...and apparently more engaging than what is available domestically.

Trudeau admitted that for many Canadians, America and American culture (including politics), is..."definitional".

We already have a Canadian running for president, and Trump is kicking his ass.

No you don't, you have Ted Cruz. And he may well kick the Donald's ass enough to bring it to a brokered convention, and then the party, and believe ir or not, Mitt will very likely really kick his ass down the road.

But hey, we here in Canada do appreciate the day time trivia humor he and the GOP provide as they all crater.

Edited March 20, 2016 by rotary

[bush_cheney2004]

No you don't, you have Ted Cruz. And he may well kick the Donald's ass enough to bring it to a brokered convention, and then the party, and believe ir or not, Mitt will very likely really kick his ass down the road.

But hey, we here in Canada do appreciate the day time trivia humor he and the GOP provide as they all crater.

Ted Cruz was a Canadian until he renounced his citizenship to run for president. Hell, he may still be considered a Canadian citizen in his native country. As of today, Donald Trump is winning in the delegate count.

In Canada, the CRTC makes sure that American media is made available...day and night. How ironic is that ?

[rotary]

Ted Cruz was a Canadian until he renounced his citizenship to run for president. Hell, he may still be considered a Canadian citizen in his native country. As of today, Donald Trump is winning in the delegate count.

In Canada, the CRTC makes sure that American media is made available...day and night. How ironic is that ?

No, that makes him not a Canadian, and while I can't speak for others, I think most are quite happy to have him back to his proper place where he can flog the brand of evangelical nonsense that fits with his chosen party. Who'd a thunk he'd emerge as the possible savior of the GOP? Now there is some REAL irony.

[bush_cheney2004]

No, that makes him not a Canadian, and while I can't speak for others, I think most are quite happy to have him back to his proper place where he can flog the brand of evangelical nonsense that fits with his chosen party.

It is not hard to find evangelicals in Canada. Former PM Steve Harper certainly knows that. He was in office for about 9 years.

Most Americans don't really know or care about the politics/politcians in Canada, but the opposite apparently isn't true. Must be that Trudeau "definitional" thing.

Edited March 20, 2016 by bush_cheney2004

[rotary]

It is not hard to find evangelicals in Canada. Former PM Steve Harper certainly knows that. He was in office for about 9 years.

Most Americans don't really know or care about the politics/politcians in Canada, but the opposite apparently isn't true. Must be that Trudeau "definitional" thing.

Recently Americans have been begging Trudeau to run for president of the US. Luckily he's already employed. And Trump's successes at party level have already started to drive property values higher in certain parts of eastern Canada. And yes, I'm sure there are a few evangelicals in Canada. We have a charter of rights allowing for freedom of religion.