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Who's staying up late or getting up early to see the results


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Francophile American friend in LA e mailed after Ohio result announced, "Can't believe Bush is picking up so many votes in the industrial belts.  I know the Democrats in hometown Cleveland, they work hard to get people out to vote.   It must be in the bag for him now.  Thank god CA (California) went decidedly Kerry but it's small consolation.  Feel as though we've let the whole world down tonight, not just the U.S."

 

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I stayed up till about 4.30, and found it really frustrating not to be able to follow every word. One thing I noticed was that 'it's too close to call' seems to have wriggled it's way, untranslated, into French. The former American Ambassador to France was really easy to understand though. Terrible accent, probably not unlike mine.

Did anyone else see the long queues of people snaking around the block still waiting to vote after the official close of polling, I think in Florida.

tresco

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[quote]Go on, admit it ? How many of you will stay up late to see early indications, or get up early to see what the news is from the USA ?[/quote]

Why, what is happening in the US at the moment?

Do you mean the latest reality show where viewers vote for who they want to stay in the show for next week?

It looks like the winner is the one with the Bush! factor.

Weedon(53)

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We had some Americans stay with us last week. One was a 'former republican' she was stating that Dubya would win as most Americans dont give a hoot about foreign policy - those which see the war in Eyraq as legitimate will obviously vote, but the middle-roaders will vote for Bush on the basis of supporting 'the troops' which are currently in Eyraq and on home policies.

So they voted and its a sad day, but whose to say that Kerry would have been very much different? Would he have withdrawn his pawns? Doubtful.

Don't fancy being a US citizen when the country is so divided - doesn't make for a happy nation.

Deby

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It looks to me that Bush has 254 electoral college votes to Kerry's 252,
which means Ohio (20) decides it. But Bush's lead over Kerry in the
popular vote in Ohio (136,221) is less than the number of uncounted
military and provisional and absentee ballots, so those must be counted.
But Ohio law requires a delay of 11 days before that count can begin.
So it is a version of Florida 2000 all over again, but I don't think Kerry will be as
stupid as Gore was. So we wait.
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I stayed up all night watching events as they failed to unfold (suffering from it now) & have just seen that Kerry has conceded defeat (presumably rather than put the US through another Florida 2000).

I can't help feeling that there is something fundementally wrong with an electoral system which routinely deals out inconclusive results, involves people queuing at the Ballot Box for hours and hours, and (by default) concentrates real power in such a small number of key states. 

I'm not convinced that, even had Kerry won, that things would have been that much different (given the huge Republican majority in the HOR), but I do worry about that Muppet Bush being given another 4 years in office because I am just not convinced  that the man actually has a brain let alone intelligence, integrity and good judgement!

The French friends I have spoken to today are grieved by the result and they feel that the repercussions of this elections will haunt the world for many, many years to come. I fear they are right.

 

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Everyone seems to know (or be) American's who don't support Bush, but my daughter is on a forum where there is an American man who is absolutely for Bush and claims that people who don't support him are immature and naive! Apart from me being anti-war, the other thing that really gets to me is the speech they televised a few times where he refuses to take part in ecological measures. It's all one form of distruction or another! I really thought Kerry had a good chance of winning!
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Unfortunately, Jill, there are many of them.

Have a look at this webpage about boycotting France and French products. 

http://boycottfrenchproducts.org/LettersInFavor.htm

It's a bit long, but quite scary that people can take it all so seriously.  Here's a quote from it:

"Like our Commander in Chief said--(not an exact quote)--
You are either for us or for terrorism." 

 It's the stuff of nightmares!  Interesting to see the huge number of French companies though, I don't remember José Bové complaining about FRENCH globalisation.  

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I don't know if anyone else caught Bush speaking in one of his victory acceptance speeches, he was listening to an admirer who said to him " how lovely it is to see God back in the White house"

And good old George simply said, "thank you".......................

I didn't know how to take it myself, just sat their gazing at the screen and wondering if I had dreamt the whole thing up

 

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But you're not a grad, so what's your excuse? Please forgive me if you are a graduate and at the same time take a little heart and forgive those that taught you.

Any opinions on the denial of Darwin's theory of evolution and the promotion of creation theory.

Judging by most creationists I've met, I'm convinced that they were created in a mere 6 days and that the good lord then rested on the 7th!!
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The Americans are forgetting their history. They have a  lot to thank the French for.

Wasn't it a French General, Lafayette (sp?) who led a decisive victory over the British, at or near the end of the War of Independence. The statue of Liberty was a tidy little gift too.

 

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OR, you can take pity on the poor Yanks - see the web site, www.marryanamerican and you'll see how many are emigrating to Canada first, then the UK second and guess where third?!

What is so amazing is that of these very same people who voted for Bush, 87% don't have health insurance and many have only a high school diploma. They're the ones who are complaining about rising unemployment / 'out-sourcing' of jobs but yet the penny doesn't drop. How can this be?

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