As far as campaign reform, I think one of the first things they should do is not allow the current politicians to use tax payer dollars to campaign for their next elections Furthermore the taxpayers dollars are paying these politicians for time spent on these campaign trails rather than being present in Washington DC doing their jobs.

Remember me wrote:As far as campaign reform, I think one of the first things they should do is not allow the current politicians to use tax payer dollars to campaign for their next elections Furthermore the taxpayers dollars are paying these politicians for time spent on these campaign trails rather than being present in Washington DC doing their jobs.

What are the alternatives?

I don't like Hillary, I don't like Trump (except on his show, he's good there). I like Rand Paul, but being one of those middle or disenfranchised people I could lean toward that neurosurgeon as well. I just feel blah about politics as usual anymore. We almost need another party to shake things up, but then there would be three groups trying to say the same thing differently lol.

Of course we totally obsess over who's going to be president, with our absurdly long campaign season magnifying the obsession. The only mildly positive thing that can be said for this 2-year marathon is that it provides economic stimulus.

How much does it matter, in proportion to the time and money spent to elect, which individual grabs the brass ring? Whoever it is quickly becomes overwhelmed by the inertia of the entrenched powers and the need to keep the party in power.

This go-round, it's interesting to see how much the distrust of experience has progressed, with both top Republicans being political virgins and dong better because of it.

I'd have to choose Trump over Carson if absolutely forced.

A lot of people are not paying any attention to all this election "noise" right now. They will decide two weeks or one week before the voting day. I watched a street poll being taken by the news media (forget which one, I think it was CNN) and some people didn't even know who the candidates were - unbelievable!!!
I don't think that either Trump or Carson will be the Republican candidate. Can't really guess who it may be. Personally, I like Kasich. But the person whom I like never makes it. ...

"It can be argued that the US has been aggressive all along so these other nations are simply growing and demanding the respect they deserve. "

I do not think this can be argued by any but people with an agenda against Current Western democracy and liberal freedoms. I am an international person in some ways - I do read a couple international news papers every day, and have lived in many places. I do believe if any system other than Western Powers, and the Anglosphere really, were dominate, the world would be pretty much a Save/Master place.

Russia and China in the 1900's killed 70 to 80 million of their own people in the greatest slaughters ever known in the history of man.( OK, the Moguls killed 80 million in India according to some, but that was over a long time, of course they only had swords and spears, arrows and famine - may say something about Muslim conquest)

I am 100% behind Trump because I do not like the way immigration is going, nor the slide in patriotism under the Democrats. If you know Europe, England particularly, the demographic change in 30 years is utterly unbelievable.

The demographic change in USA during the last 40 years similar, but a different group of migrants. I worked in factories on lighting during the late 1990's and the automating is happening so fast it will change everything we know in 20 more years. The latest report from England is 7,000,000 jobs to be shed directly from automating in 15 years.

Sanders is pure decline. Clinton is more corporatism and internationalism with vote buying by free things to the migrant and lower income communities.

Trump is a complete ass and nuts - but he will bring the topics of what is good for USA to the table to be seen.

I am 100% behind Trump

Until now I thought Trump supporters were a myth. The man's an idiot.

Kinmle wrote:I am 100% behind Trump...
Trump is a complete ass and nuts...

That might explain a lot!

Regarding the question that this topic is about: it doesn't truly matter which person is our next president, except for Trump. That would be truly horrible. The rest of the idiots are just more of the same.

The President of the US is the leader of the free world, and we in Australia have been following the election campaigns with close media interest, since it is the biggest entertainment circus in the world, apart from the serious policy content.

I am also somewhat torn. There is a blogger I like called Mike Cernovich who is a Trump supporter, who really likes the cultural renewal theme of making America great again and confronting the airhead politics of the social justice warriors. The work Trump has done to make his money and build his public profile is really impressive and dynamic. But I have to admit, Trump reminds me somewhat of a potential fascist demagogue, liable to make some very stupid decisions deploying an awesome level of resources leading to dangerous conflict.

I consider that the rise of the internet left has been a disturbing recent social phenomenon, exemplified by Bernie Sanders. I feel Sanders is disengaged from some core principles of capitalist economics and would be too much of a tax and spend big government guy, sending the US on a stagnation path. On principle my economics follow Friedrich Hayek, who held that the role of government should be minimised in order to create room for private enterprise and growth of small and medium businesses in a free market. But given the plutocratic control of American politics, a big shake up may be a useful corrective so Sanders is not all bad.

The rest of the Republicans leave me cold. I think that Hillary Clinton is the most safe and sensible candidate to protect America's national interests and build friendly and peaceful international relations, given her immensely strong policy background. Bill Clinton was easily the best American President since JFK, and Hillary will follow in Bill's footsteps.