Bush wins.... what now?

Memnoch

So it looks like america has voted. Bush wins not just the electoral but also a fair majority of the "popular" vote it would seem.

The people of america have shown their decision weather we like it or not.

So i guess the key question now is.. how are the next 4 years going to pan out under bush?

On the international front i don't see much changing. I'm pretty sure that Bush won't attack any other countries, except MAYBE syria. He just doesn't have the military resources without a draft, which is unpopular everywhere.

OfflerCrocGod

Yes the idiots came out and voted for their kind I hope they enjoy each others company for the next 4 years Bush is not going to change anything in his stance towards the rest of the world. The ass will still be an ass.

Hobbes

Its far from over. Most of what you are seeing is projections. If you were to believe some channels Bush has already won.

Memnoch

i think its safe to say its over at this stage hobbes. Most international networks outside the US seem to agree on this from what i hear. I've been sitting in a "dem" irc channel for a couple of hours and most of them have pretty much conceeded defeat.. though a few are complaining that Ohio is this elections Florida from the last election with "provisional ballots" and the like because republicans "challanged" black voters to prevent them from casting their vote.

Micheal Wittman

He's won.....


First I heard about it. I'm getting this strange urge to kill myself or him for that matter. It's going to be a long four years in the White House.

At least now he will have the time invade Iran and N Korea.

p.pete

Micheal Wittman wrote:

At least now he will have the time invade Iran and N Korea.

Don't be daft, I hear they have weapons... :rolleyes:

Memnoch

america fights wars for profit, they will not invade countries capable of defending themselves or hitting back.

N. Korea has nukes... iran will prolly have em soon.

If bush invades anywhere it will be Syria.

you can already hear the war mongerers among them going on about how the insurgency in iraq is supported by a large influx of "foreign terrorists" from accorss the border from Syria.

probably won't happen for a couple of years while they "pacify" iraq and put an "elected government" there. Then they will leave ~18,000 troops in iraq like they did in afghanasthan and conquer syria. By then tony should have been "re-elected" with labour in the UK, and since Howard won in australia recently the "coalition of the killing" will be ready to roll!

SkepticOne

Memnoch wrote:

probably won't happen for a couple of years while they "pacify" iraq and put an "elected government" there. Then they will leave ~18,000 troops in iraq like they did in afghanasthan and conquer syria. By then tony should have been "re-elected" with labour in the UK, and since Howard won in australia recently the "coalition of the killing" will be ready to roll!

Looking good so far, but Kerry is still in with a chance. It all hinges on Ohio.

Yoda

Memnoch wrote:

So it looks like america has voted. Bush wins not just the electoral but also a fair majority of the "popular" vote it would seem.

It is far from over. Every vote is going to count in this election, and they have not all been counted. There are hundreds of thousands of provisional ballots yet to count, and the overseas ballot (7 million potential voters) have to be counted.

If it does come down to Ohio, it may take 11 days before anything is known.

Villain

Provisional Ballots in Ohio are estimated between 150,000 and 250,000, and it could end up up that the gap is only 100,000 so it won't be over until Kerry's lawyers have fought for every vote. New Mexico is looking towards Bush at the moment but is still very close.

However you have to accept that Bush has won the popular vote beating Kerry by 3 million.

Memnoch

Yoda wrote:

It is far from over. Every vote is going to count in this election, and they have not all been counted. There are hundreds of thousands of provisional ballots yet to count, and the overseas ballot (7 million potential voters) have to be counted.

If it does come down to Ohio, it may take 11 days before anything is known.

if it comes down to fighting over provisional votes, it will go to the supreme court and Bush will win. Either way its over. Its hard to accept but its the truth.

Yoda

I'll wait until all the votes are counted, thanks.

including Ohio there's another 4 states left to be completely counted. Its not over yet.

However, it is disturbing that its gotten this close. A difference of abt 126k votes, with Bush in the lead, gives me the chills that the American People actually want Bush to be their President.

pickarooney

Fox called Ohio a few hours ago (to Bush, amazingly). Why are they allowed to do this?

its a game. Its been allowed for years. Last election they got embarrassed because they were wrong. This year they could be right <shrugs> I'm not sure I can say why any part of the US election process works or is allowed. :rolleyes:

Gurgle

So it looks like 4 years of a GWB who doesn't have another election to worry about. For his second term he can do anything that won't actually get him impeached, and we know what he considers 'presidential' behaviour.

I would not like to be living in Iran or Syria right now.

humanji

pickarooney wrote:

Fox called Ohio a few hours ago (to Bush, amazingly). Why are they allowed to do this?

It's because the networks in america are run by Bush supporters. Last year they did the same thing.

I say we get a couple of hundred thousand Iraqi soldiers and liberate America. Then we can finally give them the democracy they yearn for! We can claim they have weapons of mass destruction (we'll have to be careful because they actually do :eek: ).

pickarooney

By the same token, he doesn't have to spend 4 years making people so afraid they vote for him again.

sanvean

Didn't Kerry criticise Bush for being too leniant on Iran? And doesn't Kerry hold identical views with Bush re Israel? And didn't Kerry support the war in the first place? He was also claiming to have a 'secret plan' for solving the crisis in Iraq. In the past these 'secret plans' (see Kennedy, Nixon) involved pumping ever increasing soldiers into the problem area.

Now, I'm not saying that Bush winning is a good thing. Far from it. But I'm still annoyed at those people saying that you couldn't vote for the third choice, because *this time it's too important*. Every election, you hear that. And so nothing will change.

SkepticOne

Deleted User wrote:

However, it is disturbing that its gotten this close. A difference of abt 126k votes, with Bush in the lead, gives me the chills that the American People actually want Bush to be their President.

It does look like he has the overall popular vote.

It's because the networks in america are run by Bush supporters. Last year they did the same thing

Not all networks. Fox has always been extremely pro bush. Some of the other networks have been very cautious abt saying who will gain Ohio.

I say we get a couple of hundred thousand Iraqi soldiers and liberate America.

They couldn't defend their own country and you want to invade the strongest military nation in the world. A country whose populase has enough weaponary and training to block any such "liberation". Might be best to wait for Aliens.

I would not like to be living in Iran or Syria right now.

Oddly enough there's alot more nations out there that should be worried. Remember this is Bush we're talking abt being the President. Any nation that doesn't fall to its knees in worship of teh Coalition of the Almighty could face similiar responses.

meepmeep

Yep, 56.5 million votes for Bush and 52.8 for Kerry

Yoda

Deleted User wrote:

A difference of abt 126k votes, with Bush in the lead, gives me the chills that the American People actually want Bush to be their President.

Half the American people, you mean.

Carpo

Say yer prayers?

Horde iodine pills, duct tape and canned goods?

Invest in Heckler and Koch shares?

But seriously, we've had 4 years to see how Bush operates and we can expect pretty much more of the same now, with maybe a slight increase in the trend (or spiral) now that the proverbial reelection leash is off. Tomorrow will be pretty much like yesterday only moreso.

Also, although many people dismiss the chance, if I were a 18 - 34 year old (or 18 - 44 year old with skills in medicene or computers) 'Merkin I'd be pretty worried right now.

bonkey

pickarooney wrote:

Fox called Ohio a few hours ago (to Bush, amazingly). Why are they allowed to do this?

Because their word carries as much actual weight as you or I saying that someone has won.

They are giving their best guess, and its not in their interest to look stupid calling it wrongly. Being first to call it right gives bragging rights. So its a calculated guess.....how early can you call it accurately.

jc

Memnoch

bonkey wrote:

Because their word carries as much actual weight as you or I saying that someone has won.

They are giving their best guess, and its not in their interest to look stupid calling it wrongly. Being first to call it right gives bragging rights. So its a calculated guess.....how early can you call it accurately.

jc

tbh at this stage i think you can be pretty sure that bush is staying in. Bush has the "popular vote" and it looks like Ohio is the "key" to the electoral vote, which barring miracles like all of the last 2% voting for kerry will go to bush.

Kerry will protest and maybe even file law suits over the whole provisonal and absentee ballot issue, but bush is the one with the real power in his hands and the USSC to do his bidding, IF it gets to that stage (which i don't think it will on this occasion ) they will simply award the presidency to Bush like they did last time.

ixoy

Doesn't the fact he won the popular vote mean that, even if the electoral college system was dumped, we'd probably still have seen a Bush victory?

meepmeep

ixoy wrote:

Doesn't the fact he won the popular vote mean that, even if the electoral college system was dumped, we'd probably still have seen a Bush victory?

Yup, Bush winning the popular vote means the argument of 2000 on popular vote against electoral college vote is obsolete, seeing as he has won both this time.

bonkey

Or, perhaps more relevantly, doesn't it mean that should Kerry pull a miracle and actually get the election then many boards.ie members who supported him would have to also complain about how he was unfairly elected

jc

meepmeep

bonkey wrote:

Or, perhaps more relevantly, doesn't it mean that should Kerry pull a miracle and actually get the election then many boards.ie members who supported him would have to also complain about how he was unfairly elected

Absolutely! We'll have no hypocrisy on boards

Bard

At the moment, according to BBC News, it's BUSH 254 - KERRY 252.

Doesn't look over to me. Looks like it all hangs on Ohio...