I've been following the US presidential candidate election with interest.
Progress is on the UK news every evening, but there's a few things I don't understand. Perhaps one of our American members can enlighten me.

Just who is voting for these candidates :?:
Is it only party members or all the electorate :?:
If it's everybody who has the vote, do you have one vote for the Democratic candidate of your choice and another for the Republican candidate you like :?:

Most confusing :!:  :!:

It is so complicated, Jeff - and at times I'm glad not having the vote.  I couldn't keep up with the process :?  I'm getting the hang of it, but would rather someone else, more knowledgable, to write the essay :lol:  :lol:

US Elections

I hope this is some help, but there's no short answer :!:

Help :?:  You hope this is some help :?:  :?:

Sorry I asked :!:  :roll:  :roll:

Sorry, Jeff, but you did ask :!:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

For those who haven't read this essay yet, my favourite quote is:

Why democratic elections at the national level have failed to adhere to (this) simple logic is beyond me. Our presidential primaries are perhaps one of the most discombobulated occurrences sanctioned by a government body, followed only by the presidential election itself. We have constructed a system that only a political wonk can figure out, and only a super delegate (more on that later) could love.

 :?  :?  :?  :?  :?

Yes, trust the Yanks to have a different method than others in the Democratic world. I think Aust & UK are similar but not being a polictal animal, I am not sure.

And I thought there would be a simple answer.

Hundreds of rallies with thousands of supporters, billions of dollars spent and only a poxy few thousand people get to vote :!:  :!:
It could only happen in America.

What are all those flag wavers and cheerers doing :?:  What is their purpose :?:

unbelievable

I totally agree with you, Jeff, yet although I don't wish to defend the US system, I will say this:  The American selection process is a little more democratic than the way in which the UK parliamentary system chooses its own leaders, and thus its potential Prime Ministers.  On the Tory side a closed vote within constituencies, and on the Labour side a hotch potch of party member votes, union block votes and various interested groups.

My biggest moral concern is not the process, but the obscene amount of money spent    

In the Uk political partys spend large amounts of money on campaigning

But that is a tiny amount when you hear the figures that are quoted being spent on US campaigns.

I dont wont to start a political debate but we all live in democracies
but in reality often the people who get the most votes are often the ones who can spend the most money on thier campaigns.
Are we all in the so called free world forgetting the true ideas and values of a democracy.
Perhaps campaign money capping is the answer . i dont know

cheers Brian.W

Perhaps this is a loaded question, but who picks the delegates :?:
and why do they have these big rallies :?:  Can't the delegates make up their minds on who to support without billions being spent :?:

No matter who gets in where in any dam country we the public suffer whilst they coin it in and they go to war if that country aint doing what they want,then they retire and get a money spinner of a new job do sod all and just laugh at us when they look at the bank account they have got through us voting them in.
So stuff them all i say, a load of gas winded, ego trippers etc etc etc  :evil:  :evil: .
Sorry rant over  :D  :D
Phill

Oh Boy! you want an American to tell you how our political system works? I seriously doubt that anyone can completely tell you that answer.

The short of it all is:

Delegates are supposed to cast their vote based upon the populace vote of their State. However, there is NOTHING that says they MUST vote that way.
This was set up this way to prevent a densely populated State from controlling who gets elected. 10 million people in a State only have their number of delegate votes, not 10 million votes. In this way a State like Utah or Montana which have low population densities have just as much voting power as the highly populated States like New York, New Jersey, etc.

We have had the majority of Americans vote for one candidate and the electoral vote went for the other candidate.  :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:

If you want a better explanation than this you will have to talk to someone "Older" than me! :roll:

Wayne

Why oh why cant the Americans do it a simple way, always have to do it large  :D  :D  :D
Phill

Careful Phill. On 4 July 1776 they did something quite simple - they got rid of us. :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

On the topic however, all democracies have faults with their systems, the perfect one dosn't exist. I admire the American one because, amongst other things, whether you love the President or hate the President, the people can certainly remove the President.  :wink:
 
Les

Thats true we had Maggie, blimey took some 13 years to get rid off her and look what she did to the country, tut send a woman to do a mans job,  :D  :D  :D  :D . Did i say that, no it was a echo from my son  :D  :D
Phill