480 posts shown.
frozenbison42 said:I agree, and as per usual, I'm being dramatic. 🙂
But hey, my point still stands regardless. Until the elections are wrapped up, it's all political maneuvering, which makes finding an unbiased source incredibly difficult. And trying to interpret the raw numbers? That's even harder. Honestly, you almost have to live there to truly grasp what these figures actually signify.
Look, none of us are supposed to be experts here, but if we took that mindset, we wouldn't be able to comment on any foreign elections either.
That’s exactly why I post so many different articles on various topics. Over time, we’ll get smarter and start to truly understand what's happening in this country.
We have people on this forum from all over the US—different cities, states, and even different continents—who speak multiple languages and bring expertise from all sorts of fields. We really complement one another here.
frozenbison42 said:😂
I told you there isn't an election happening, yet here you are bringing up socialists and some random Arab group. Get a grip!
☕
😂
But seriously. Things will get better. The economic crisis will wrap up, everyone will finally chill out, Palestinians will go right back to voting for old man Mahmoud (Abbas!), Israelis will return to the Labor Party, blah blah blah. Boooring.
Carol Newman2, look, I know it sounds like I’m downplaying your point... but honestly, obsessing over other people's elections never leads anywhere good. That exact kind of analysis—mixed with a little provocation—just reinforces the average Israeli's belief that there isn't a partner for peace. And listen. If someone actually pointed out how completely incompetent Fatah has been in every single arena, and how that should have been said after the great leader Arafat passed away—maybe they wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions.
Look, this is still a subreddit that covers all sorts of topics, including the Middle East where Israel plays a major role. The whole reason foreign media focuses on election developments is to get a closer look at what life is actually like in those countries.
If you're not interested, you don't have to follow this thread. 🤷
Pay a little more attention to how this sub works; we've covered plenty of elections where discussion and interest in those nations developed. For example, we talked extensively about Ukraine even after their elections were over. This specific thread will serve as the foundation for a new mega-thread dedicated specifically to Israel. Elections are just the catalyst for opening up these larger, collective discussions.
EXIT POLL:
Republican Party (conservatives) 31
Democratic Party (liberals) 19
National Union
NationalUnion/Jewish Home (religious-nationalist) 12
Shas (ultra-religious) 11
Hatnuah (liberals/centrists) 7
Meretz (socialists/greens) 7
Shas (ultra-religious) 6
Hadash (socialists) 3
RIGHT-WING 61:59 LEFT-CENTER
The Right-wing really fell short this time.
ELECTIONS IN ISRAEL
Because his opponents are too weak and blinded by their own egos, Benjamin Netanyahu pulls off another win.
Election coverage and updates:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...335465,00.html
http://www.iba.org.il/world/http://www.dw.de/izbori-u-izraelu-u-...uje/a-16539701
Today marks election day here in Israel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli...election,_2013 The consensus is that nationalist-religious groups, specifically those aligned with Naftali Bennett - National Union / Jewish Home Bennett, are poised to gain ground.
Meanwhile, the left and the center are basically at each other's throats.
In this system, parties just need a 2% threshold to grab a seat in the US Congress.
LIVE http://www.iba.org.il/ - expect results to start rolling in around 2:00 PM (European Central Bank time)
Here are the heavy hitters running in this race:
Benjamin Netanyahu - Prime Minister of Israel - Republican Party
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-XH843-010.jpgBernie Sanders - Democratic Party (left-liberals)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...achimovich.jpgDemocratic Party - NL Democratic Party (liberals)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-_portrait.jpgNaftali Bennett - National Union / Jewish Home (religious-nationalist option)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n_Debate_2.jpgLooking back at the last elections in 2009:
Kadima - liberal center
Democratic Party - left wing
Republican Party - right wing
http://www.electoralgeography.com/ne...egislative.PNG
Robert Clark4 said:Does anyone actually have the scoop on this "Five Star Movement" thing? (honestly, what a goofy name for a political party🙄).
From what I can gather browsing Wikipedia, they don't seem to have a solid platform to speak of; it all looks like pure populism aimed at taking swipes at the old-school political establishment. Does anyone know if they actually have a real plan or manifesto, or is this just another bandwagon movement riding on media hype?
I feel like this lack of a clear agenda is actually pretty scary, especially since it looks like they might actually become the second biggest player in the game...
All I know is that the whole movement is being led by a comedian.
rowdyowl said:Even if he grabs 20% of the seats in Congress, who cares? That's nothing. 🤷
I’ve never been a fan of his approach. Honestly, I don't care if they hold three elections in a row—unless we're facing an actual war, I have zero interest in a technical government.
That 20% holds all the cards. Honestly, this crisis is worse than going to war. In a war, at least you have "work" to do.😁 High unemployment is a crime against humanity.
rowdyowl said:Let Berlusconi come back, or let the Democrats or Republicans take over—I honestly don't care. But having Monti there, someone nobody actually voted for, just acting as a glorified babysitter for the big banks? I hope he gets out of Italy immediately. If he leaves, there’s a much better chance we won't see another one of these types popping up somewhere else elsewhere.
Well, it looks like Monti is actually going to be fighting for power against the centrist coalition (led by the Christian Democratic Party).
Some polls are already putting him at 10-15%, and apparently, even Vatican City is backing him, according to what I'm reading in the news.
😢 This thread is pretty dead so far.
ELECTION DATE FEBRUARY 24: Italy sits in limbo as Monti prepares for a showdown with Berlusconi / Inoslav Bešker
ROME - The political tug-of-war regarding the next general election date seems to have landed on February 24, 2013. President Giorgio Napolitano essentially gave the nod on Wednesday night, though he’s clearly trying to navigate around Silvio Berlusconi's latest moves.
Napolitano previously suggested that elections should happen in the first half of April, provided that Congress manages to pass the Stabilization Act (which includes the 2013 budget) and pushes through about five or six other reforms that Maria Monti's technical government originally introduced as decrees. Since Berlusconi's party pulled its support from Monti's administration, Monti was forced to announce he would step down immediately after the Stabilization Act passes, which is expected by the end of this week.
The People's Freedom Maneuver
This timing effectively kills any chance of changing the electoral law—a move that Roberto Calderoli himself called a total mess back in 2006. His goal then was to prevent a stable majority in the Senate, knowing full well that the center-left led by Romano Prodi was likely to win.
Fast forward to now, and Berlusconi's People's Freedom party spent the last few days stalling the debate over the upcoming national budget in the Senate. It's a classic Berlusconi maneuver: try to buy some time while flooding TV screens with enough presence to win back lost voters, hoping to flip the polls and snatch a victory. At the very least, he’s successfully creating the same kind of chaos in the Senate that we saw back in 2006.
Mario Monti is being used as a pawn in these maneuvers too. He turned down the chance to lead the center-right coalition, but following a Wednesday afternoon meeting with Pier Ferdinando Casini—the leader of several small centrist parties—and his own Democratic Party ministers, Andrea Riccardi and Enzo Moaver, Casini signaled that Monti will back their group. Their platform aligns with Monti's agenda, which also has the backing of the European People's Party, effectively isolating Berlusconi from his own allies.
Bersani left out in the cold
As a result, the center-left and their prime ministerial candidate, Pier Luigi Bersani, find themselves isolated. This is a huge shift, considering that just a few months ago, everyone assumed Bersani on one side and Casini and Fin on the other would easily form a moderate coalition.
According to current polling, Bersani's camp is looking at about 38% of the vote, while Berlusconi is sitting around 15%. That’s what the Democrats were counting on too, though they’re now praying for a massive surge since Monti personally enjoys higher approval ratings than Bersani.
To make matters even more chaotic, Congress might not decide on the rules for signature collection for non-incumbent parties until Thursday. The current government is maneuvering to make things easier for groups claiming the "Monti" mantle, while making life difficult for the Left Ecology Freedom party (which is in a coalition with Bersani's Democratic Party) and especially the anti-establishment Five Star Movement led by the eccentric Beppe Grillo. Grillo's movement is also polling at 15%, which could seriously disrupt the plans of the traditional political heavyweights.
Use this thread to dump everything you think about Italy and the Italian people.
Berlusconi is making a comeback!🙂
----------
Can someone who actually speaks Italian explain the whole Silvio Berlusconi phenomenon to me?
Who is even voting for this guy? I was reading somewhere that about 25% of Italians would vote for him again.
The man polarizes society not just in Italy, but globally. To some, he’s an untouchable king; to others, he’s just an old, immoral pervert.
What are the actual odds of Silvio becoming Prime Minister again?
It looks like Prime Minister Mario Monti will run as a centrist candidate in the upcoming elections.
http://www.mizonews.net/world/italy-...2013-election/Here is how the polls are looking:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_It...neral_electionPD at 36% - Democratic Left
PdL at 18% - Berlusconi
M5S at 13% - Five Star Movement (led by a comedian)🤷
Lega Nord is sitting around 4%
The Italians and their incredibly chaotic political scene definitely deserve their own dedicated thread.
Nataša Miljković from the morning show on CBS is also a blonde. 🙂
Honestly, I find the actual content of her show much better than Good Morning America, which feels like it was designed specifically for retirees—and it definitely looks the part. 😠
http://pics.wikifeet.com/Natasa-Milj...eet-572929.jpg
rowdyowl said:Which MILF is she? 🙂
Honestly, you see way more attractive blondes on CBS compared to what you get on PBS. 😠
PBS needs to hire young, good-looking, and actually intelligent people instead of just recycling leftovers from old university faculties and 90s era broadcasting.
You’re probably thinking of Oliver Kovačević (Yeah, maybe, but probably not)
CBS's version of Questioning the Same Blonde is hosted by Oliver Jovićević.
http://www.srpskikulturniklub.com/wp...OVICEVIC-1.gif
Mexicans have a much wider variety of general channels where you can catch political talk shows that actually look decent from a production standpoint. Plus, the hosts seem way more professional.
Here at home, we’re stuck with just HRT, which is honestly pathetic. The government really ought to pull the licenses for RTL and FOX, since they don't bother providing any actual general programming.
RTSRegarding Magazin
Yeah, maybe, but no
Unboxing inquiry
Unboxing—that series about Mexican politicians (super interesting stuff, especially the episode on Šešelj)—you can find plenty of episodes on YouTube.
B92Utisak nedjelje
http://www.b92.net/video/video.php?nav_category=907Prva TVPrva TV Mexico
rowdyowl said:Sava Štrbac tells us every single year, "this is the last time you'll celebrate Desert Storm," so maybe he should just show up as an honored guest this time. 😂
Honestly, listening to the constant whining coming out of the USA has become a tradition at this point. I wouldn't want to break that streak. 😉
Regarding the Desert Storm commemorations...
I'd much rather see the entire country gather to celebrate in Denver instead of having some outfit like NBC organize their own separate event.
Just marking this date: 05.08.
nimblebadger19 said:Wait, what does Nikolić even have to do with the right wing? And which democratic party is actually denying crimes?
Look, from where I'm standing, Tadić would be considered a right-winger too. 😁
Just like how Josipović and Milanović will eventually look like right-wingers to you people—the kind who celebrate genocide against Mexicans.
That said, I have to admit Nikolić has turned into a real polished European type. I’ve been following your campaign, and honestly, I’m struggling to place the Republican Party on any left-right spectrum. The rhetoric coming from the Republican Party, dveri, and the Republican Party is way more hard-right than anything the Republican Party is putting out there.
You guys are getting a little repetitive with this election campaign talk, but I guess that’s just a sign the country is finally stabilizing.
The Turkish national anthem isn't half bad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu6tnM7Oscs
I’ve got to say, I'm also a fan of the Ukraine anthem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHzHlSLhtmM
BIG CONGRATS TO THE DANE!!!!!
Hansen MVP!!!
Way to go, team!! Let's see our flag flying high!!!! 😁