Re: #22:2012.11.05 Madison, WI, Alliant Energy Center, USA (Political subject changed)

[twm]

Just a name to me.

And, anyway, if Mark had a vote in the US of A, I'm pretty certain he'd go for Obama.

[Jules]

Just a name to me.

And, anyway, if Mark had a vote in the US of A, I'm pretty certain he'd go for Obama.

He is listed for voting in the UK

 

[dmg]

Just a name to me.

And, anyway, if Mark had a vote in the US of A, I'm pretty certain he'd go for Obama.

She's a pop star who did campaigning for Bob.  Can't sing a note and famous more for her latex attire!

Don't understand the celebrity campaigning thing.  It's a cultural thing obviously, but it just would make me angry if Mark campaigned for Cameron or Milliband!  It's just cheap and tacky and I can't believe anyone would actually change or decide their vote upon a celebrity campaign.

[Rkd]

Here's pretty close to what I said last night in Madison. I said from the stage that we had to play better than good tonight, that the president was here today and he

[dmg]

I'm often reminded of the Robert Redford film The Candidate at the American election times.  A truly great film.

[twm]

Celebrity endorsement does happen in the UK but it's bit less prevalant and generally a bit less obvious. 

A whole gang of people went out on tour in support of Labour back in Kinnock's time - Red Wedge springs to mind. I think Thatcher had some celebs endorse her, too.  I seem to recall that the SNP had some celebs on board, as well. The only Lib Dem celeb supporter, however, that comes to mind is John Cleese. And I think there were celebs supporting candidates in the London mayoral election. As I say, it does happen here.

Whether any of that actually influences voters, I have no idea but presumably the political parties do, otherwise they would prevent or at least discourage it.

If I lived in the States, I would be more concerned about the shadowy groups who finance some of the "attack ads" on television. They seemingly operate anonymously, so lack transparency, at arm's length from the candidates and without any oversight, so could be anyone. How do you know that the money isn't being put up by some foreign governemnt, with ill-intent towards the USA?

Getting back to the UK, I was right about Red Wedge. I've just looked it up:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Wedge

[dmg]

I'd also be concerned about Obama's birthplace.  If, as is expected, he wasn't born in the USA then he is a crook and a con man for hiding this.  Why did he not produce papers when asked recently?  His favourite charity lost out on $5m in any case.  Poor show Obama.

[Rkd]

If I lived in the States, I would be more concerned about the shadowy groups who finance some of the "attack ads" on television. They seemingly operate anonymously, so lack transparency, at arm's length from the candidates and without any oversight, so could be anyone. How do you know that the money isn't being put up by some foreign governemnt, with ill-intent towards the USA?

Exactly! Citizens United is the worst thing that ever happened to this country.

I'd also be concerned about Obama's birthplace.  If, as is expected, he wasn't born in the USA then he is a crook and a con man for hiding this.  Why did he not produce papers when asked recently?  His favourite charity lost out on $5m in any case.  Poor show Obama.

Barack Obama has produced his birth certificate. No other candidate or elected official has ever been asked  to do this.

[dmg]

Barack Obama has produced his birth certificate. No other candidate or elected official has ever been asked  to do this.
[/quote]

Sorry.  I thought when Romney requested this, Obama laughed it off on some talk show.

[twm]

The general point about the birth certificate is that it is a requirement that the President of the USA has to be born in the USA. Thus, for example,Schwarzenegger could never be President even if his political ambitions lay in that direction.The question was posed by Republicans in order to undermine the legitimacy of Obama's presidency. 

The ironic thing is, if you go back to the 2008 election, his opponent, John McCain, was the one who could have been questioned on this score. McCain was actually born in the Panama Canal Zone, his father having been posted to the US Navy base there, with his family. Whether that base was sovereign US territory at the time McCain was born, I do not know but it is clearly outside the states that make up the United States.

Personally, I did not then, and do not now, question McCain's legitimacy as a Presidential candidate, whatever the legal niceties involved.  IMHO, there was a certain hypocrisy, on the part of the Republicans, in challenging Obama in this way and I find it difficult to put out of my mind the thought that, underlying this challenge, was an element of racism.

[dmg]

The general point about the birth certificate is that it is a requirement that the President of the USA has to be born in the USA. Thus, for example,Schwarzenegger could never be President even if his political ambitions lay in that direction.The question was posed by Republicans in order to undermine the legitimacy of Obama's presidency. 

The ironic thing is, if you go back to the 2008 election, his opponent, John McCain, was the one who could have been questioned on this score. McCain was actually born in the Panama Canal Zone, his father having been posted to the US Navy base there, with his family. Whether that base was sovereign US territory at the time McCain was born, I do not know but it is clearly outside the states that make up the United States.

Personally, I did not then, and do not now, question McCain's legitimacy as a Presidential candidate, whatever the legal niceties involved.  IMHO, there was a certain hypocrisy, on the part of the Republicans, in challenging Obama in this way and I find it difficult to put out of my mind the thought that, underlying this challenge, was an element of racism.

I always thought that that McCain had a chip on his shoulder!

[Pottel]

Forgive me if I've said this before, Pottel, but the Series of Dream video uses a different take of the song from the one given to the guy that made the video. I'm sure I have said this before, so I'll say "sorry" again.

got link?
Not sure i've seen that vid. But I simply love the bootleg series version.

[Rkd]

.
Personally, I did not then, and do not now, question McCain's legitimacy as a Presidential candidate, whatever the legal niceties involved.  IMHO, there was a certain hypocrisy, on the part of the Republicans, in challenging Obama in this way and I find it difficult to put out of my mind the thought that, underlying this challenge, was an element of racism.

Spot on!

[Rkd]

I always thought that that McCain had a chip on his shoulder!

John McCain was not my choice of candidate but he is an honorable man that went through a lot in Vietnam. I was never more proud of him than at this point of his campaign.



I hate to even reference this because of how stupid and bigoted the woman is in this video. Please don't judge all Americans by her!

[dmg]

What does this have to do with the concert?  Politics and religion everyone!