What the US needs is Bill Clinton.

[MrJonno]

Taxation is an issue but raising or lowering by a couple of % is not , whether I get a pay rise or keep my job will the main determinant of my take home pay not income tax.

To be honest I can't think of any great moral political issues in the UK, even who we bomb or go to war with doesnt actually have that much affect on how people vote. A large majority of people were against the last Iraq war but the only main political party who was against it didn't get any votes out of it..

Gay marriage is going to happen in the few years whoever gets elected, it may be a major issue for gay people (through I suspect not) few people are going to change how they vote on it.

My main concern is probably the looking after the NHS and whether my bus turns up on time

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Wouldn't it be terrible if we had a balanced budget at the end of term or two?

[MrJonno]

Does a balanced budget really that much affect on day to day living?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Does a balanced budget really that much affect on day to day living?

We don't get much chance to find out, do we?

But, why that particular quibble?

[MrJonno]

If you don't know if a balanced budget (something no country has) has an effect on day to day living then how do you know the cost (in public services) justifies it?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

If you don't know if a balanced budget (something no country has) has an effect on day to day living then how do you know the cost (in public services) justifies it?

Who said I didn't know?

[Coito ergo sum]

Sorry if someone said they thought the Earth was 6000 years old and the other guy was a pedophile rapist who have a £/$200 a day crack habit it won't be the creationist getting my vote.

Its quite possible to rationally run a government with a decent salary to pay for your crack and a supply of 12 year old girls its not possible to do so if your understanding of reality is from 2000 year old goat herders or that supernatural angels go around leaving magical plates in the middle of the desert.

Taxes unless they are going up by stupid amounts really arent that important in the general scheme of things

Yeah, but Romney hasn't said the Earth is 6,000 years old. He belongs to a religion, like 80% of the population of the western world. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are in a very tiny minority. Even those who are non-religious overwhelmingly believe in some sort of god and think it's a good idea. Those "spiritual but not religious" folks are no less deluded than the folks who claim the Bible is true.

[Coito ergo sum]

Taxation is an issue but raising or lowering by a couple of % is not , whether I get a pay rise or keep my job will the main determinant of my take home pay not income tax.

That depends on how many percentage points, and the overall tax policy of the gubmint can impact whether you do, in fact, get that job at all.

To be honest I can't think of any great moral political issues in the UK, even who we bomb or go to war with doesnt actually have that much affect on how people vote. A large majority of people were against the last Iraq war but the only main political party who was against it didn't get any votes out of it..

Sounds more like apathy than thoughtfulness. I wouldn't take that as a plus.

Gay marriage is going to happen in the few years whoever gets elected, it may be a major issue for gay people (through I suspect not) few people are going to change how they vote on it.

My main concern is probably the looking after the NHS and whether my bus turns up on time

Well, that is the way of it these days. Government has become a source of funds, which is all many folks really wind up caring about. It allows people to be apathetic about the really important issues.

[Coito ergo sum]

Wouldn't it be terrible if we had a balanced budget at the end of term or two?

It would be great, but we're not headed in that direction at the moment.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Wouldn't it be terrible if we had a balanced budget at the end of term or two?

It would be great, but we're not headed in that direction at the moment.

True, the damage done between 2001-2008 will take quite a while to fix.

[Coito ergo sum]

Does a balanced budget really that much affect on day to day living?

Some issues are bigger than one's own doughnut and coffee in the morning. Some issues involve whether the economy will thrive or crash, whether our children and grandchildren will have a society in which they can thrive and actualize, etc.

I'd prefer to care about the wars, and the economy than about the bus schedules.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Does a balanced budget really that much affect on day to day living?

Some issues are bigger than one's own doughnut and coffee in the morning. Some issues involve whether the economy will thrive or crash, whether our children and grandchildren will have a society in which they can thrive and actualize, etc.

I'd prefer to care about the wars, and the economy than about the bus schedules.

Agreed.

[Coito ergo sum]

Wouldn't it be terrible if we had a balanced budget at the end of term or two?

It would be great, but we're not headed in that direction at the moment.

True, the damage done between 2001-2008 will take quite a while to fix.

You mean, 2007 and 2008? Prior to that, there wasn't much of a problem.

And, the way to solve the problem wouldn't be by increasing the national debt in 3 years more than Bush did in 8. If that's a step in the right direction, the right direction must be off of a cliff.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Wouldn't it be terrible if we had a balanced budget at the end of term or two?

It would be great, but we're not headed in that direction at the moment.

True, the damage done between 2001-2008 will take quite a while to fix.

You mean, 2007 and 2008? Prior to that, there wasn't much of a problem.

Okay, so the war Bush whipped up wasn't doing any damage to the economy.

And, the way to solve the problem wouldn't be by increasing the national debt in 3 years more than Bush did in 8. If that's a step in the right direction, the right direction must be off of a cliff.

You have to be joking. Obama is trying to fix Dudya's debacle and that takes money. If Bush hadn't fucked up the economy Obama wouldn't be needing to spend money to fix it. That bullshit you keep trotting out is fucking absurd and it makes you look rather stupid.

[MrJonno]

Some issues are bigger than one's own doughnut and coffee in the morning. Some issues involve whether the economy will thrive or crash, whether our children and grandchildren will have a society in which they can thrive and actualize, etc.

I'd prefer to care about the wars, and the economy than about the bus schedules.

I guess in this you are more positive than me. I'm not convinced people vote in the nations economy except where it affects their own personal one. In fact I don't think people ever vote in the national interest full stop. They may vote their own groups interest (or they they are) but as the country as a whole dont think so.