Foreign Observers criticize US elections

Rob Lister said:
Then they have no purpose except their own entertainment.
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You are in a mood today. They would be there to help reassure the rest of the world that we haven't gone nuts. It worried quite a few people, both Americans and otherwise, last time when we actually went what, a month? without knowing who the next president would be. Having these foreign jerks wandering around will give other countries less ground to make snide comments about cowboy presidents and how crazy the US is.


Besides, I for one would like to improve international relations. Specifically, and personally, by meeting a hot Scandinavian or two and showing them what, specifically, America can do to them. I mean, for them.
 
Kerberos said:
Actually pedantic doesn't quite cover it, dishonest might be closer. Did you notice that he didn't post a link to Wikipedia? It could be because he didn't want people to follow the link, and see this quote: "The term [Banana Republic] has come to be used to describe a generally unstable or "backwards" dictatorial regime or a country where fraudulent elections are regularly held." which seems to be the definition of the term you used (though still somewhat loosely). I suppose it's possible that he simply forgot to include the link, and he didn’t read the entire article. After all the article is all is all of seven lines long.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_republic
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Think what you like but in my opinion the definition you provide applies even less to his "abstract" use than the first.
 
TragicMonkey said:
You are in a mood today. They would be there to help reassure the rest of the world that we haven't gone nuts.
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So would you like to retract...

TragicMonkey said:
Nothing they say or do will affect the results at all.
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If not, then what about after the results are implemented.
 
Rob Lister said:
So would you like to retract...
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Lol. Sure. I wasn't considering things in depth, because I don't see this as a big deal.


If not, then what about after the results are implemented.
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Since I'm of the opinion that anything short of a landslide victory for one man is going to result in court cases anyway, I still think the only practical impact will be these foreigners' findings being brought up to defend or attack either side in the legal battle.

I will add that rejecting the observers would probably cause more bad press internationally than anything they might find. I think our voting process is unwieldy and complicated, and mistakes are made, but I doubt any serious hanky-panky goes on.
 
Although I believe this country has plenty of problems, I could not possibly care less what outsiders think about our internal political working. I'll listen to those that can demonstrate both that they understand the subject, and that they can do a better job themselves. So far, no one has come remotely close to satisfying these requirements.
 
Rob Lister said:
Let me put it another way. It is nothing less than prostituting soverian independence. I know that many on our left would love to see this, JJ being but one of them, but it strikes me as something beyond unamerican and approching treasonous.
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Again, the stalker Rob Lister lies about his opponents.
 
Rob Lister said:
So would you like to retract...



If not, then what about after the results are implemented.
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If the elections are okay, the observers will confirm that, and you´ll have something to shut up the "lefties" with.

If the elections are rigged, and the observers notice it - well, then you´d had coming whatever happens.
 
Chaos said:
If the elections are okay, the observers will confirm that, and you´ll have something to shut up the "lefties" with.

If the elections are rigged, and the observers notice it - well, then you´d had coming whatever happens.
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What makes you assume any of that? Are you by chance assuming the observers are impartial to the outcome?

Will they 'take an oath' or something?

Will Kofi Annan be there making sure everyone plays nice?

Maybe Jimmy Carter will help too! He's international now, right? Surely he's fair and honest.
 
Rob Lister said:
What makes you assume any of that? Are you by chance assuming the observers are impartial to the outcome?

Will they 'take an oath' or something?

Will Kofi Annan be there making sure everyone plays nice?

Maybe Jimmy Carter will help too! He's international now, right? Surely he's fair and honest.
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Good heavens. Both Republicans and Democrats are going to have armies of lawyers in as many polling places as they can. Nobody's leaving all the ballots in a pile under Sven and Ziao's watchful gaze while everyone else goes to a long lunch.

Anyway, is there anyone, anywhere, in the whole of space and time and the universe that you'd be willing to accept might possibly be neutral to the outcome?

I think you're overreacting. This is a handful of foreign nobodies who are here for a free vacation, and will scribble in their notebooks "why are all the voters mostly old women?"
 
TragicMonkey said:
Good heavens. Both Republicans and Democrats are going to have armies of lawyers in as many polling places as they can. Nobody's leaving all the ballots in a pile under Sven and Ziao's watchful gaze while everyone else goes to a long lunch.
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That Sven can be one sneaky SOB.
 
Rob Lister said:
What makes you assume any of that? Are you by chance assuming the observers are impartial to the outcome?

Will they 'take an oath' or something?

Will Kofi Annan be there making sure everyone plays nice?

Maybe Jimmy Carter will help too! He's international now, right? Surely he's fair and honest.
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What do you think they´ll do? Tell all the world "The elections were rigged, but, no, we won´t show you the evidence" (woo-woo style)?
No, my guess is they´d look for evidence, and if they found any, show it around.

And I have more trust in Kofi Annan than in both Bush and Kerry combined.
 
Rob Lister said:
Huh?

Wikipedia: A Banana republic is a country which has a government imposed upon it by foreign power in a cynical, non-democratic way, and which serves as a form of colony providing some sort of raw natural resources (for example, bananas) in exchange for military support.

No matter how you cut it, unless you are going to present an Israel Conspiracy, your assertion fails.

But don't let that stop you.
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Ah, so the US makes Banana Republics. Viva Iraq, la Banana Republic!
 
Chanileslie said:
Ah, so the US makes Banana Republics. Viva Iraq, la Banana Republic!
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It's time I cleared this up for everybody:

www.bananarepublic.com

Banana Republics are where you can go to buy crappy clothes for high prices. They are owned by the GAP, but you're supposed to be fooled into thinking you're at a sophisticated European boutique. You aren't.
 
Tony said:

Yes.
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Got a fact you'd care to share?


And a "conservative" passion.
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Have anything specific in mind?


So it has to directly effect me for my concern to be legitmate?
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Nope. Got a fact on something that directly effected anyone you know that you also know the facts of the case you are citing?
 
Foreign Observers can criticize US elections all the want but I doubt many in the US will care. I also doubt those obserbers care, showing up 2 weeks before the election to recommend changes? Yeah that sounds like a good plan to me. Sounds like some people around the world need attention and have nothing better to do.
 
What fact did I make up? I said I didn't know who used the word more. Clearly it seems the answer is Shanek.
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You just used the word 'pedantic' in your post, Rob. Does this mean that I can make a misleading claim that you and Shanek use that word all the time?

Although I believe this country has plenty of problems, I could not possibly care less what outsiders think about our internal political working. I'll listen to those that can demonstrate both that they understand the subject, and that they can do a better job themselves. So far, no one has come remotely close to satisfying these requirements.
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Michael, honestly, after the 2000 election and probably this one too, it's pretty clear that we don't quite have a monopoly on smooth and corruption-free elections.

perversion of the constitution

A liberal passion ... do the words Warren Court mean anything to you?
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Do the words "loyalty oath" mean anything to you? How about "protest area"?
 
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