The Next President of the United States

[neeko]

MintTrav obviously the most knowledgeable on all things US, so guess this is for him

From the outside, and with very limited knowledge of the US, and it's politicians.

Obama has always seemed to be the most stable/balanced president in my short lifetime, but a fair few Americans that seem to make the most noise talk about him being the worst president ever.

Would I be mistaken in thinking that probably means that he has actually been very good, and it's just the loons spouting?

How would you describe a President who starts office with a National debt of $9 trillion, and is about to leave office with a national debt of $20 trillion?

I would say that it was the obstructionist congress that stopped him doing anything.

He was trying to stop a second Great Depression - he should have spent a lot more.

[Karabiner]

What would you say is the actual colour of The Donald's barnet?

Lemon curd, lemon sorbet, or just yellow?

[MintTrav]

   No sound on this - do not adjust your set.


The saddest part of last night was watching Chris Christie standing behind during Trump's speech. It's hard to feel sorry for someone like Christie, but you could tell he was suffering. He has sold his soul - and it's not even clear whether he will get anything out of it in the end. So why are these two unloveables hitching their wagons together?

Firstly, Trump gets status. Christie is a Governor, and not of some maverick State like Minnesota, but a proper North-East wealthy State. No-one is more establishment than Chris Christie. He has the inside track with all the Republican heavyweights (or he did until he did this). Secondly, Trump gets to show off his bitch. 'This guy is a big-shot, Number One in the whole State of New Jersey. Now look where he is, my bag-man. He is king of nine million people in Jersey but he is my pussy. See, he does what I say. Stand Christie. Now beg.'

Christie gets a shot at being No 2 to the Prez. There is nothing left for him in New Jersey. Everyone there hates him. Where can he go from here? There is a possibility that Trump will put him on the ticket and he could even become Vice-President. For that, he has to swallow what is left of his self-respect and endure Trump's speech and the world's ridicule while clearly dying inside. And this was just the first time - he is going to have to relive this many times before the Summer. And after all that, Trump might not even choose him, but he'll just have to close that bridge when he comes to it.

[Woodsey]

Few of these sorts of things popping up,on FB, being a massive James bond fan this one made me smile 

[MintTrav]

The President's Religion

Almost every President the US has ever had has been a Protestant and there has never been a President who practised any religion outside Christianity. Of the 44 Presidents, 39 have been a Protestant of some kind, one was a Catholic and four (Jefferson, Lincoln, Andrew Johnson and Ulysses Grant) are not believed to have had any religion (Grant had a deathbed conversion). There could be another non-Protestant this year.

Of the seven candidates remaining, five are Protestant. Four of them are devout practising - Cruz is a Baptist (though his father was originally Catholic), Clinton is Methodist, Kasich is Anglican and Carson is Seventh Day Adventist. Kasich was raised a Catholic, drifted away to become non-practising, but rediscovered religion (though a different one) at the age of 35 when both his parents were killed by a drunk driver. Trump is Presbyterian, but his attendance is sporadic and there is some doubt about whether he really believes.

Rubio has been a devout Catholic all his life except for three years between the ages of 8-11 when he practised as a Mormon. He and his wife go to church twice at weekends, attending both Catholic and Baptist Churches, but they identify as Catholic.

Sanders is Jewish, though he is not practising and says he is Jewish by culture, but not by religion. He spent some time in Israel when he was younger, including a few months in a kibbutz, but he is openly non-religious. His wife was raised as a Catholic and has said she still practises "in my own way".

So we could see the first Jewish (and first non-Christian), the second Catholic or the fifth non-believing President (depending on how you look at it). If Romney somehow got in the back door, he would be the first Mormon.

[Tal]

It's fascinating how big an issue religion is in what is arguably the most secular nation on Earth. How many other countries forbid religious laws in their constitution?

Mint, is the nation changing attitudes towards the importance of religion in politics?

[neeko]

There was a great article this week somewhere (that I now can't find) which explained why cruz did worse than even he expected.

He is an evangelical Christian and was supposed to do well in all the southern states that voted on Tuesday and all the polls come back with people saying they are religious. But he did badly and trump won these states because it turns out that a lot of Americans say they are religious but don't actually go to church. Where they actually go to church cruz did well ie Oklahoma but others not so much.

The Christian Right provide a fire and enthusiasm inside the Republican Party but there are not really enough of them to get anyone voted in nationally.

[MintTrav]

Two of the leading candidates, Trump and Sanders, are effectively non-practising. I'm not sure whether attitudes are changing or whether it's just that this is a rogue year and things will return to normal next time.

Obama is also vague, being Christian, but not specific about what church he follows. It's incredible thst he has been able to swing that one. Both his father and step-father were nominally Muslim (though they don't seem to have done much about it), which is also a first.

[MintTrav]

Another big night coming up on Thursday.

The Republican debate features the long-awaited rematch between Trump and Megan Kelly.

And Romney is making a major speech on the election. He is expected to attack Trump again, but not endorse any of the others. Watch this space.

[AdamM]

It's fascinating how big an issue religion is in what is arguably the most secular nation on Earth. How many other countries forbid religious laws in their constitution?

Mint, is the nation changing attitudes towards the importance of religion in politics?

Most secular nation? Really?
I know on paper there's a separation of church and state, but in practice to next to impossible to get elected to any public office without being overtly religious, school children pledge allegiance every day "so help them God," not only is "in God we trust" on the money, it's even turning up on the back of police cars, and almost half of all Americans believe the Earth is 10,000 years old.

Doesn't seem very secular to me

[MintTrav]

It's fascinating how big an issue religion is in what is arguably the most secular nation on Earth. How many other countries forbid religious laws in their constitution?

Mint, is the nation changing attitudes towards the importance of religion in politics?

I'm sure your question was just to emphasise the point rather than being a request for information, but it intrigued me, so I had a check. I knew that the separation exists in the Irish Constitution, ie a country with a higher rate of religious observance than here, and virtually 100% at the time the Constitution was written in the 1930s.

I was surprised that the answer is bloody loads. We are almost in the minority in not having such a separation, though most of the countries listed have much higher levels of participation in religion than the UK.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_state

[TightEnd]

mitt romney's speech tonight has been leaked and is a corker, like trump or not it rips into him



http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/how-mitt-romney-decided-to-take-on-donald-trump?utm_term=.xpe66Rlz7

[TightEnd]

this was posted by a US Poker player, matt Glantz today

an interesting perspective

[Pinchop73]

It's nice to see you post that Tighty, this is essentially the very reason why Trump is so popular with the people. It is also the reason why all politicos are absolutely shitting themselves hence you see the smear campaigns left and right.

It's also the same reason I have feared for Trump's life for the last 6 month's. They got away with it with JFK, I'm not sure the American public will be so ready to swallow it this time.

Also the people who fear Trump will take us to world war 3, 4 and 5. Can he really be any worse for world piece than the Bush family?

[TightEnd]

It's nice to see you post that Tighty

i try to pop stuff up from all viewpoints, that's all

finding pro-trump stuff is tougher than the knocking copy, which is understandable (and probably deserved given some of hte stuff he comes out with)