Can someone explain to me how the voting works? I've just seen that Clinton got the majority vote but because Trump reached a certain number first he won?
You mean the popular vote? It's like FPTP. You can hit 55% of the country but the other party won more constituencies.
As someone said interesting times are ahead. Many here have seen the break-up of the former Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, the reunification of German, the Indian sub-continent subdivided, the ending of the apartheid regime in South Africa, and so on. Given last night's result, could Californians dare start thinking about cessation from the US? Their economy is certainly strong enough to enable this.
If they're wrong, they're wrong. And if they're wrong, they should be ignored. This has almost nothing to do with income or the economy. People who stated that the economy was their major concern voted something like 65% for Clinton. I'm sure Trump supporters hate the rich, because everyone hates the rich. But the real "hate the rich" crowd were Sanders supporters. Trump IS the 1%. And... the most undeserved of the 1% considering his track record of bankruptcies and how he treats employees. Why would you vote for him if that was a problem? I don't know how many more times I can explain this. It's not about money. The average Trump voter is wealthier than the average Clinton voter. When they see "Make America Great Again" it's not the geopolitical entity. It's the culture. They think their culture, the "American" culture is dying. That's what this is about. Race and religion.
Pretty much all the good economies and wealthy areas are blue. And now even some of the minerals and water. If you split the country into West America, Trumpland in the middle, and East America, West and East America could do just fine. Just need to convince Canada to sell us some oil. Trumpland would be totally screwed. All they have going for them is Texas, but Texas does not play nice with others. And a very, very angry Chicago that would be looking to overthrow.
It isn't as simple as narrowing it down to race and religion. Perhaps the biggest reason for this outcome is the fact Trump offers something different to the usual candidate. Many see Clinton as just another politician that will continue with the same old practices. In a time where people are disillusioned with the way things are, many have voted Trump solely because they know he will offer a different type of politics. They have taken a huge risk and it may well turn out to be a case of better the devil you know.
As bad as Trump is there are a lot worse people in the world than him. How do we fight IS without the military power from the USA? I trust Putin far less than Trump simply because Trump has got to behave like a president now. There's a huge difference between saying stuff when you're campaigning and actually doing it when you're president.
Also Putin can basically do what he wants but Trump will find, like Obama before him, that he's not got as much power as he may think.
The Republicans run everything. Not since 1928 did they have this much power. The great depression happened a year later... He can do anything he wants.
In the Fats household, a trump is a gas that is emitted from one's backside, often leaving a nasty smell. These are usually noisy, but it is the silent trump that is most dangerous. Just saying.
Trump doesn't have to behave like a president now. Quite the opposite; he has been handed the most extraordinary validation of his impulsive, ignorant approach that one can imagine. He has been unleashed.
The parallels to 2000 are rather staggering. Both times, the Republican candidate won while receiving fewer votes, and because the GOP controlled Congress, they were handed a blank cheque to do whatever they so pleased. Bush put in place economic policies that will haunt the US for decades, started two wars, and will be remembered as one of the worst, and the most consequential, presidents in American history. And I'd still take him over Trump without a moment's hesitation. Bush knew what he didn't know. Trump doesn't.
Yes. I think you are absolutely right. They are definitely trying to put the government on blast. They are trying to shake up the system as much as they can. I don't think they are actually accomplishing that objective, because in my mind Trump is really the depressing, inevitable, hit-rock-bottom, ultimate politics-as-usual. But I'm sure they would disagree. But I believe reason they are doing so is out of desperation for their way of life. They had nothing to lose, because the rural, white, non-educated, manufacturing worker class is going to hell in a handbasket. There is no doubt that for a lot of these people, their future is very grim.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37921376 Canada's immigration website crashes during US vote. High usage apparently.
I am saying, and it is my conviction that we are better off getting closer to our European allies politically and economically than to stay in "bed" with the USA. As for fighting IS, why is that? It is because of our foolish foreign policy in supporting everything the US does, except over Vietnam in the 60s, and Suez when the UK and France were turfed out. Russia is a "European" country with 70% of its population facing Europe. It has huge resouroces of power and it would benefit the EU and Russia to develop economic, social, cutural and educational programmes together. Oh, I forgot, some in the UK think that GB is too great a power to be in the EU.
Crazy stat from last night: the counties where the unemployment rate has dropped the most since 2008 all went for Trump by large margins. He won the whitest counties by record margins (and there's some overlap in those two categories). "Economic anxiety" is part of this, but a large percentage of it is good old fashioned xenophobia. Part of the reason they feel like things are going to hell in a handbasket is that they haven't had political control in recent years; a coalition of educated white people and non-whites had gained a political foothold that allowed them for the first time to win elections. That's what they took back.
Russia will have to change some of it's military policies dramatically before the UK starts cosying up to them I hope.
