Election 2004

[Severian]

Sorry' date=' but that's laughable.

[/quote']

 

Why is it laughable? Kerry would hopefully have overturned the idiotic Patriot Act. At the moment, I can't get into the US without applying for a visa or a new passport, and even if I did apply for one (and pay the outrageous fees), I would still be fingerprinted in the airport like a common criminal. I'll stay in Europe thanks...

 

Besides, the statement 'BUSH BREAKS ALL-TIME POPULAR VOTE TOTAL' makes me think less of the American people - not more.

[Ophiolite]

This will make it very hard to be sympathetic to Americans in the future. I will be cancelling all my planned trips to the US for the immediate future....

Sorry' date=' but that's laughable.

[/quote']I think perhaps you confuse farcical with tragic. From his posts it is clear that Severian is an intelligent, well educated, thoughtful, mature individual. You might then wish to consider the depth of feeling that will generate such a quote from such an individual.

Bush is progressively isolating the US from the rest of the world. He will lose most of the UK's support during 2005, when Blair is replaced. That will leave Australia, which is great if you just want to organise a BBQ or win Olympic medals.

Unlike Severian, I shall continue to visit the US. I shall continue to admire the many fine qualities possessed by the country and its people, and I shall regret that I did not take US citizenship twenty years ago and so provide one more vote for Kerry and for sanity.

[blike]

Kerry would hopefully have overturned the idiotic Patriot Act. At the moment, I can't get into the US without applying for a visa or a new passport, and even if I did apply for one (and pay the outrageous fees), I would still be fingerprinted in the airport like a common criminal. I'll stay in Europe thanks...

Kerry voted for the Patriot Act. You would still be fingerprinted had Kerry been in office.

[Douglas]

and there are almost half a million absentee ballots that have not been opened' date=' not only that, but the people voting on absentee ballots were likely the people turned away by conservatives.

[/quote']

Sorry, but it's common knowledge that absentee votes go heavily to the republicans.

[r1dermon]

lol douglas, as reported by who? fox news? think about this, the conservatives are not letting people vote at their precinct, so they go to town hall and file an absentee ballot, now, why would conservatives turn away republicans voting for bush? they wouldnt, so, show me where it is proven that absentee ballots heavily favor republicans. especially in this race, where the absentee ballots are not wholly comprised of 60+ year old voters. but it really doesnt matter, because bush won anyway.

[Aardvark]

vote for Kerry and for sanity.

 

I take it your not a supporter of the monster raving loony party?

[Severian]

Kerry voted for the Patriot Act. You would still be fingerprinted had Kerry been in office.

 

Really? I didn't know that. That makes it even worse - to know that even the moderates in your country don't want me to visit.

 

To be honest, it is not so much that I need a new passport - I could get one faily easily and at a cost of only £120. However, I have colleagues who are well respected scientists but cannot get a visa to the US and therefore cannot attend any conferences held there. So, as a matter of principle, I won't go either. LCWS05 will be held in Stanford next year; unfortunately it doesn't look like I will be going.

[Dave]

Kerry decided to pull out, which I think is rather sensible. However, I am really not looking forward to the next 4 years. I had rather hoped Kerry would make it, but, of course, he didn't.

 

Great.

[Douglas]

lol douglas, as reported by who? fox news? think about this, the conservatives are not letting people vote at their precinct, so they go to town hall and file an absentee ballot, now, why would conservatives turn away republicans voting for bush? they wouldnt, so, show me where it is proven that absentee ballots heavily favor republicans. especially in this race, where the absentee ballots are not wholly comprised of 60+ year old voters. but it really doesnt matter, because bush won anyway.

In 2000, Al gore and company didn't want the absentee ballots to count. (I think the ballots came in late). The reason.........they knew that a huge portion of the military votes would go to Bush.

[Ophiolite]

I take it your not a supporter of the monster raving loony party?

Now really. Any right thinking UK citizen would readily concede that we get more sense out of one monster raving loony candidate than a cabinetful of any other political persuasion. And unlike the so called bona-fide politicians these chaps have the decency not to get elected.

[r1dermon]

ok, im not talking about the military absentee ballots, im talking about the OHIO absentee ballots. where people were declined the right to vote by republicans who challenged them at the polls. all because they didnt bring ID. so they went and got absentee ballots at the town hall where they live and cast them there. these votes totalled approximately 450,000 and kerry was trailing ohio by 150,000 votes. it is suggested that the majority of those votes would be in favor of john kerry, and that ohio has 10 days to open them and count them immediately following the election.

[Douglas]

Really? I didn't know that. That makes it even worse - to know that even the moderates in your country don't want me to visit.

 

To be honest' date=' it is not so much that I need a new passport - I could get one faily easily and at a cost of only £120. However, I have colleagues who are well respected scientists but cannot get a visa to the US and therefore cannot attend any conferences held there. So, as a matter of principle, I won't go either. LCWS05 will be held in Stanford next year; unfortunately it doesn't look like I will be going.

Interesting, I honestly don't know what countries require a visa to visit the U.S.....Can you let me know?

[Sayonara]

As of last week, you need a visa to enter the USA if you do not have one of the various electronically keyed passports.

 

[edit]

 

That's for countries which previously used the old-style passports, obviously. Not for countries which already needed visas.

[Douglas]

ok, im not talking about the military absentee ballots, im talking about the OHIO absentee ballots. where people were declined the right to vote by republicans who challenged them at the polls. all because they didnt bring ID. so they went and got absentee ballots at the town hall where they live and cast them there. these votes totalled approximately 450,000 and kerry was trailing ohio by 150,000 votes. it is suggested that the majority of those votes would be in favor of john kerry, and that ohio has 10 days to open them and count them immediately following the election.

I haven't heard of anyone having to go to city hall to get an absentee ballot. Anyway, these ballots went into a pile referred to as provisional ballots, I believe that the absentee ballots went into the same pot as the provisional.

I think the number was more like 200,000, not 450,000.

Believe me, if Kerry thought he had a miniscule chance of winning in Ohio, he wouldn't be conceding today.

[YT2095]

Right, Well, Kerry conceeds, Bush wins, ball game over, end of chat ))

 

this Politics takeover is now dead for another 4 years! ))

 

 

let`s chat about Science !

[Douglas]

As of last week, you need a visa to enter the USA if you do not have one of the various electronically keyed passports.

 

Wow, if that's true, I didn't know it. I feel a little sheepish about that.

[Sayonara]

It would not surprise me if it didn't even make page 10 in the US press.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3953237.stm

 

Apparently this anti-terrorism measure affects 27 of the countries who are signed to the whatever-the-hell-it-is passport treaty thing.

 

Incidentally, assuming this was not the case, I can answer your question by naming one country of origin that needs a visa - Grenada.

[Douglas]

The last prez to serve more than two terms was FDR, who died in office at the end of WW2. I believe (someone check me on this) that the 22nd amendment changed the constitution to limit prez's to two terms during the next (Truman) administration.

Yeh, FDR was elected for 4 terms, but died during his 4th term, somewhere around '46 or '47.

 

[edit] Phi, just read your post, didn't mean to be redundant.

[Douglas]

let`s chat about Science !

Nobody talks about electronics or earth sciences.....though I like to read the physics posts.

[YT2095]

Nobody talks about electronics or earth sciences.....though I like to read the physics posts.

I`ll talk to you about electronics all day long

and even earth Science(s) to the limit of my knowledge (with hopes of learning more myself too).

 

I`m not to hot on maths though, so simple is key here

[Douglas]

It would not surprise me if it didn't even make page 10 in the US press.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3953237.stm

 

Apparently this anti-terrorism measure affects 27 of the countries who are signed to the whatever-the-hell-it-is passport treaty thing.

 

Incidentally' date=' assuming this was not the case, I can answer your question by naming one country of origin that needs a visa - Grenada.[/quote']

Page 10!!! I feel a little better now.

 

Grenada is a surprise, I think they're part of the Caribbean basin initiative, which allows extra tax free goodies to be brought into the country.

[Sayonara]

I'm sure there are many others, I just happened to know that one as I have a friend with a Grenadan passport.

[Douglas]

I`ll talk to you about electronics all day long

and even earth Science(s) to the limit of my knowledge (with hopes of learning more myself too).

 

I`m not to hot on maths though' date=' so simple is key here [/quote']

I'm not hot on math either.

 

I like physics, but not read/write, it's read only.

You guys are out of my league.

[r1dermon]

technically a president can serve for 10 years, and two terms and a half. because if they are VP and the president dies, and they takeover within the last two years of presidency, then they can be re-elected twice. equalling ten years. i think thats how it went, i remember learning about it in history class. grade 7.

[Ophiolite]

Interesting, I honestly don't know what countries require a visa to visit the U.S.....Can you let me know?

"Starting October 26, 2004, visa waiver travelers from ALL 27 Visa Waiver Program countries must present either a machine-readable passport at the U.S. port of entry to enter the U.S. without a visa, otherwise a U.S. visa is required"

The twenty seven countries are basically the EU, before the last expansion, Australia, NZ, Singapore and Brunei.

And if you come from the middle east, it doesn't matter that you have worked for a US company for ten years, thereby contributing to the wealth of the US, you will be subject to long queues, long delays, and a patronising almost abusive interrogation, when you initially apply for the visa and when you seek to enter the country.