Comments on: what to make of the american election: a guide to the brit-perplexed http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/2008/09/19/what-to-make-of-the-american-election-a-guide-to-the-brit-perplexed/ Casual Dismissals from Danny O'Brien Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:17:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Petty. Me. Uk. » Recent Links, 20080923 http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/2008/09/19/what-to-make-of-the-american-election-a-guide-to-the-brit-perplexed/comment-page-1/#comment-481 Petty. Me. Uk. » Recent Links, 20080923 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:35:59 +0000 http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/?p=1153#comment-481 [...] Danny O’Brien’s Oblomovka » what to make of the american election: a guide to the brit-perplexe... This clarifies a few things. It’s nice to have a fellow ex-pat explaining these things to [...] [...] Danny O’Brien’s Oblomovka » what to make of the american election: a guide to the brit-perplexe… This clarifies a few things. It’s nice to have a fellow ex-pat explaining these things to [...]

]]> By: Matt Petty http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/2008/09/19/what-to-make-of-the-american-election-a-guide-to-the-brit-perplexed/comment-page-1/#comment-464 Matt Petty Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:04:30 +0000 http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/?p=1153#comment-464 Thanks for this. As a confused Brit living in San Diego for the last three months, your analysis has been indispensable. Thanks for this. As a confused Brit living in San Diego for the last three months, your analysis has been indispensable.

]]> By: Marion http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/2008/09/19/what-to-make-of-the-american-election-a-guide-to-the-brit-perplexed/comment-page-1/#comment-455 Marion Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:16:45 +0000 http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/?p=1153#comment-455 Your take on the American election seems very accurate. Obama was in Elko, Nevada last week. It is a tiny mining town in eastern Nevada that is something like 80% Republican. In all of American history no presidnet or presidential candidate has ever visited Elko. As I understand it Obama will take Las Vegas by a lot. He hopes to take Reno which used to be Republican but is becoming much more close as Californians (like me) move in and then if he can just move places like Elko to more like 60% Republicanhe will win Nevada. You can read more about it in the Reno Gazette Journal rgj.com, Your take on the American election seems very accurate. Obama was in Elko, Nevada last week. It is a tiny mining town in eastern Nevada that is something like 80% Republican. In all of American history no presidnet or presidential candidate has ever visited Elko. As I understand it Obama will take Las Vegas by a lot. He hopes to take Reno which used to be Republican but is becoming much more close as Californians (like me) move in and then if he can just move places like Elko to more like 60% Republicanhe will win Nevada. You can read more about it in the Reno Gazette Journal rgj.com,

]]> By: nick s http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/2008/09/19/what-to-make-of-the-american-election-a-guide-to-the-brit-perplexed/comment-page-1/#comment-451 nick s Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:54:16 +0000 http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/?p=1153#comment-451 <i> one curious aspect to the American party political system is how loosely-joined the parts really are. </i> From experience, working in a limited capacity on a congressional race, it's more like 'barely joined'. You had the candidate's organisation, the county party, the state party, the national party, various local presidential volunteers and national single-issue groups, and in some cases, there were actually legal limits on how much co-ordination there could be. <i>the Democrat-led Congress gets to make the decision of who is President, and you can see why he has a slim structural advantage.</i> Ah, but it's more complicated than that, isn't it? You'd most likely have a number of one-person (D) House delegations where the state voted for McCain, or split delegations where you might see all sorts of shenanigans. one curious aspect to the American party political system is how loosely-joined the parts really are.

From experience, working in a limited capacity on a congressional race, it’s more like ‘barely joined’. You had the candidate’s organisation, the county party, the state party, the national party, various local presidential volunteers and national single-issue groups, and in some cases, there were actually legal limits on how much co-ordination there could be.

the Democrat-led Congress gets to make the decision of who is President, and you can see why he has a slim structural advantage.

Ah, but it’s more complicated than that, isn’t it? You’d most likely have a number of one-person (D) House delegations where the state voted for McCain, or split delegations where you might see all sorts of shenanigans.

]]> By: Julian Bond http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/2008/09/19/what-to-make-of-the-american-election-a-guide-to-the-brit-perplexed/comment-page-1/#comment-449 Julian Bond Sat, 20 Sep 2008 07:35:15 +0000 http://www.oblomovka.com/wp/?p=1153#comment-449 I love the image of the 4 protagonists in Mecha suits. We want to see the show down! Which made me think of this in terms of mammalian politics. I can see where Palin (matriarch), Biden (retired king/advisor) and McCain (Alpha male on his last legs) fit but what is Obama? He doesn't seem like an Alpha Male to me. "have-funny-chins". Weird haircuts and perfect teeth? As ever the most disturbing thing about the elections for a Brit is the obsession with religion and religious weird science and all its implications. Asking all the Republican candidates their position on creationism, science and right to life seemed downright bizarre. I cannot in my wildest dreams imagine Gordon Brown and David Cameron being subjected to that (though perhaps in an Irish election). I love the image of the 4 protagonists in Mecha suits. We want to see the show down! Which made me think of this in terms of mammalian politics. I can see where Palin (matriarch), Biden (retired king/advisor) and McCain (Alpha male on his last legs) fit but what is Obama? He doesn’t seem like an Alpha Male to me.

“have-funny-chins”. Weird haircuts and perfect teeth?

As ever the most disturbing thing about the elections for a Brit is the obsession with religion and religious weird science and all its implications. Asking all the Republican candidates their position on creationism, science and right to life seemed downright bizarre. I cannot in my wildest dreams imagine Gordon Brown and David Cameron being subjected to that (though perhaps in an Irish election).

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