First president in a skirt?

[Judah14]

Just wondering, I noticed that you people in the US tend to judge politicians by their party affiliation, but here in the Philippines we judge politicians by their track record. Also, why conservative politicians are anti-poor elsewhere while here in the Philippines practically all politicians, regardless of party affiliation, have a pro-poor stance? For example, Jejomar Binay, a presidential candidate in the coming election is a member of the conservative United Nationalist Alliance, has eradication of poverty and better access to basic services as part of his platform.

[moonshadow]

Just wondering, I noticed that you people in the US tend to judge politicians by their party affiliation, but here in the Philippines we judge politicians by their track record. Also, why conservative politicians are anti-poor elsewhere while here in the Philippines practically all politicians, regardless of party affiliation, have a pro-poor stance? For example, Jejomar Binay, a presidential candidate in the coming election is a member of the conservative United Nationalist Alliance, has eradication of poverty and better access to basic services as part of his platform.

You are correct, most people DO judge politicians by nothing more than party affiliation. If we judged based on track record the future might not look so scary.

In reality, all politicians here are anti-poor. Republicans are just more vocal about it. Which is contrary to the values conservatives "preach" at the church pulpit about helping the poor.

Only in America do you hear "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” and "We need to get all these welfare queens off of food stamps, force them to tie their tubes, and make them work!" all in the same statement....

Yep... that's us. One big contradiction. What they don't realize is most people on government assistance do work their tail off. Often times working two part time jobs totaling 60 hours, yet since it's split between two employers, there is no time and a half pay. Lots of single mothers do this. And the conservatives are quick to throw them under the bus and make statements like "well next time she'll keep her legs closed!" What a rotten wicked thing to say! We don't even know if she's the one that made a "mistake" for all she know the father of the baby promised her the moon and walked out on HER. It happens... A LOT. But she will pay, she'll work, and toil, and agonize over how to put food on the table making $7.40 per hour with no benefits. While multi million dollar CEO's run corporations into the ground and take lavish vacations on severance pay. THOSE are mistakes that actually erode the economy, and hurt real people... but hey... it's okay... look see... he's republican, and everyone knows all republicans go to heaven...

What's really interesting is an old story back where I used to live in Pulaski regarding a soup kitchen being run out of a church basement. It came under fire by the trendy "yuppie" type residents in the town, where they regarding it as a blight on the community and lobbied the town to have it shut down. What makes this interesting is the yuppie types tend to be liberal democratic voters. Thankfully the soup kitchen survived. While I can't take credit, I was proud to go to a few town meetings, and other discussions to voice to support of the kitchen.

Sorry if I get a little wound up on this. Where I work I hear the woes of the working poor class all of the time. I hear the tales of the single mother's, the screwed men, etc, and some of the stories literally make me tear up, and some of their tales of circumstance anger's my soul how so many rich elite live their lavish lifestyle while these people suffer. A "Christian" nation shouldn't need a socialist government to FORCE the wealthy to help the poor. A "Christian" nation should gladly help the less fortunate not only because various passages in their holy book command it... but because it's the right, and KIND thing to do!

[Sinned]

I see that Frump has opened his big mouth about abortion and put his size whatevers into it without firing up more than two of his brain cells. It will soon be apparent whether this will be the death knell to his Presidency ambitions. Better men have fallen on less contentious issues.

[dillon]

I see that Frump has opened his big mouth about abortion and put his size whatevers into it without firing up more than two of his brain cells. It will soon be apparent whether this will be the death knell to his Presidency ambitions. Better men have fallen on less contentious issues.

It's sad to think that there are Americans dumber than Trump, but there are still some following him...

[crfriend]

It's sad to think that there are Americans dumber than Trump, but there are still some following him...

That's because nobody remembers what happened the last time we "went to the polls mad" -- and it really wasn't all that long ago...

Here we go again.

[Sinned]

A couple of years ago although it may have been longer as it didn't really impinge upon my consciousness at the time, we elected for the first time Police Commissioners who were supposed to be locals who steered the direction of crime detection. The poly tishans seemed to like the idea but the plebs either didn't have any taste for it or were just ignorant of what was happening, why where or even who was running. Consequently some turnouts were appalling with some in single figure percentages. I didn't vote, don't know who won for my area and to be truthful I don't know if it has made any difference except to elect people on 60k salaries with discretion on multimillion pound budgets and the authority to employ cronies. Anyway just received our poll cards today to say that in early May these elections are coming around again. I shall treat these elections with the same contempt as last time. What a waste of effort, money and time.

We also have a referendum in summer as to whether we want to stay in Europe or not. I have mixed feelings on this as even if we vote to pull out it is reckoned that it will take three or four years to withdraw and there's no guarantee that we won't be asked to vote again to produce the right answer as happened with Ireland when they voted against the Maastricht Treaty. Call me a sceptic if you will but I just don't trust our MP's.

[Disaffected.citizen]

A couple of years ago although it may have been longer as it didn't really impinge upon my consciousness at the time, we elected for the first time Police Commissioners who were supposed to be locals who steered the direction of crime detection.................. except to elect people on 60k salaries with discretion on multimillion pound budgets and the authority to employ cronies.

I don't know about them all, but Northumbria elected Vera Baird; if you review her attitude, she appears to be of the nasty feminist misandrist type. Her campaign against domestic abuse was completely biased and discriminatory.

Essex isn't much better, and there are numerous other examples around the country. Credit though to West Sussex and Surrey who appear to recognise problems exist.

[Big and Bashful]

UK Police commissioners? is that an England only thing? don't remember it happening up in the land of Scottishness?

[Sinned]

BB, glad to see that you appear to have escaped this abominable trend. Too ill thought out without any form of being able to remove them from office if they turn out to be totally incompetent, as pointed out some have turned out to be. I will be interested in the turnout figures this time around. Here in York we have had no advance literature from any of the candidates or local news items so don't know their names or any background so wouldn't have any idea how to vote even if I wanted to. And no, I don't know who our current PC is or even what they are meant to do aside from in a very misty way.

[Sinned]

I jut looked up the official report on the turnout in 2012 and it can be found here http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/_ ... Report.pdf. In short there were just over 36 million registered voters and the turnout was about 15.1 percent. The summary makes interesting reading about reasons for not voting and so on. It will be interesting to see if the turnout improves this time. Watch this space.