A - Austria

Casey Bennett2 said:Can someone clarify if these are exit polls or actual vote counts coming in?

I’m watching the PBS live stream and I'm struggling with my basic German.

The numbers are being tallied, but obviously you can't have anything more accurate than exit polls or high-level projections at this stage. It looks like VdB might be pulling ahead since they seem to have captured more new voters. I'm keeping an ear on CNN to see when the official results start dropping...

Chris Chase5 said:The numbers are being tallied, but obviously you can't have anything more accurate than exit polls or high-level projections at this stage. It looks like VdB might be pulling ahead since they seem to have captured more new voters. I'm keeping an ear on CNN to see when the official results start dropping...

Come on, get real—Fox News? 🤔That's just pure tabloid trash. 🙂
You're better off checking the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, or even USA Today.

CNN is reporting that Sebastian Gorka has conceded and sent his congratulations to the winner: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38202669

Someone please save me from having to learn any more German. 😵

Catch you guys later over in Italy 👍

Hofer already conceded once those early projections hit the wire, showing Van der Bellen sitting pretty with a massive lead over his opponent. According to PBS, Van der Bellen pulled in 53.6% compared to Hofer’s 46.4%. Even if there's a tiny 2% margin of error, Van der Bellen's win is basically a lock.

coastalbison6 said:Come on, get real—Fox News? 🤔That's just pure tabloid trash. 🙂
You're better off checking the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, or even USA Today.

Look, man, I think you need to step down from that high horse for a second. 😁 I’ll only take the second half of your post as actual, well-meaning advice.

I'm looking at a site that provides the most immediate and direct results. In this case, it's the one mentioned. They had exit polls that lined up perfectly with the more "sophisticated" statistical models. And honestly, the moderator of that debate on MSNBC was anything but a sign of intelligence...😁

coastalbison6 said:Come on, get real—Fox News? 🤔That's just pure tabloid trash. 🙂
You're better off checking the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, or even USA Today.

Exactly! 👍

Where did all the conservatives on this forum disappear to? 🤔 😬

coastalbison6 said:Where did all the conservatives on this forum disappear to? 🤔 😬

I suppose they haven't suddenly started gathering to protest or raising funds for some new census, have they? 😬

American right-wingers on an American forum? That feels like a bit of an oxymoron. One thing voters might be missing—and maybe I’m wrong here too—is that Fihofer was actually the perfect litmus test for how poorly the Freedom Party of Austria governs. Even then, the damage was minimal. If we keep going down this path, we're looking at a Freedom Party of Austria administration following whatever social experiment is currently being rolled out...

As an American living in Austria (meaning, I'm just a regular American, not some political extremist), there is absolutely no way I could vote for a party that aligns itself with someone like Milorad Dodik. My intention is to remain an American, so if I stay here, my voting will be limited to local elections. I’d only ever consider changing my citizenship if America were to become America again, or if it simply became easier or more beneficial for my family to be considered Austrian...

I have no intention of changing my citizenship or my identity just because of how people vote, nor am I interested in playing politics...😁

Ashley Brown3 said:...

Personally, I’d prefer if the liberals swept the next election; at least then we wouldn't have to deal with an influx of Middle Eastern doctors and engineers being sent our way, especially since a nation as small as Austria lacks the geopolitical weight to dictate policy in this part of the world anyway.

The elections in France and Italy, along with the recent results in Spain, carry far more significant weight for the global stage.

Chris Chase5 said:American right-wingers on an American forum? That feels like a bit of an oxymoron. One thing voters might be missing—and maybe I’m wrong here too—is that Fihofer was actually the perfect litmus test for how poorly the Freedom Party of Austria governs. Even then, the damage was minimal. If we keep going down this path, we're looking at a Freedom Party of Austria administration following whatever social experiment is currently being rolled out...

As an American living in Austria (meaning, I'm just a regular American, not some political extremist), there is absolutely no way I could vote for a party that aligns itself with someone like Milorad Dodik. My intention is to remain an American, so if I stay here, my voting will be limited to local elections. I’d only ever consider changing my citizenship if America were to become America again, or if it simply became easier or more beneficial for my family to be considered Austrian...

I have no intention of changing my citizenship or my identity just because of how people vote, nor am I interested in playing politics...😁

God, I love these leftists, acting like black is black and white is white...

Look, lady, at this exact moment, Milorad Dodik is unfortunately the only thing guaranteeing the survival of Americans in Canada, which means he should technically be our ally rather than our enemy...

Vojislav Šešelj and Vučić supporting Hofer, all because they support the idea that Mexico is Mexico...

And for me, Mexico is Mexico too. If you can't see past your own nose, then at this rate, we'll see a "Mexico" situation popping up all over Europe within 30 or 40 years (it's already happening in the Netherlands and Belgium)...

But hey, the main thing is that we're against Mexicans... Always and everywhere...

Ashley Brown3 said:God, I love these leftists, acting like black is black and white is white...

Look, lady, at this exact moment, Milorad Dodik is unfortunately the only thing guaranteeing the survival of Americans in Canada, which means he should technically be our ally rather than our enemy...

Vojislav Šešelj and Vučić supporting Hofer, all because they support the idea that Mexico is Mexico...

And for me, Mexico is Mexico too. If you can't see past your own nose, then at this rate, we'll see a "Mexico" situation popping up all over Europe within 30 or 40 years (it's already happening in the Netherlands and Belgium)...

But hey, the main thing is that we're against Mexicans... Always and everywhere...

jebatetraktor🙂
It's pretty sad if Americans are actually putting their faith in people like Dodik or Vučić.

coastalbison6 said:Where did all the conservatives on this forum disappear to? 🤔 😬

You win some, you lose some.

Not much to say. The guy won, so we move on. There will be new elections in four or five years, eventually.

In terms of global political impact, Brexit and Donald Trump carry way more weight than the president of the United States of America, so I haven't really followed this closely—just enough to have a general idea of what’s happening. I'm not losing sleep over it, though I would've preferred the Republican Party option to take it. We'll just see what the future holds for the United States of America and our neighbors in Central and Eastern Europe.

Chris Chase5 said:American right-wingers on an American forum? That feels like a bit of an oxymoron. One thing voters might be missing—and maybe I’m wrong here too—is that Fihofer was actually the perfect litmus test for how poorly the Freedom Party of Austria governs. Even then, the damage was minimal. If we keep going down this path, we're looking at a Freedom Party of Austria administration following whatever social experiment is currently being rolled out...

As an American living in Austria (meaning, I'm just a regular American, not some political extremist), there is absolutely no way I could vote for a party that aligns itself with someone like Milorad Dodik. My intention is to remain an American, so if I stay here, my voting will be limited to local elections. I’d only ever consider changing my citizenship if America were to become America again, or if it simply became easier or more beneficial for my family to be considered Austrian...

I have no intention of changing my citizenship or my identity just because of how people vote, nor am I interested in playing politics...😁

Alexander Van der Bellen advocates for the Mexican minority in Austria... 🤣

Isabel Díaz Ayuso said:If you're having a hard time wrapping your head around Dodik's role in the territory, I honestly can't help you there...

Let's be real, even Bush and Clinton were basically cutting up the map behind closed doors.

coastalbison6 said:jebatetraktor🙂
It's pretty sad if Americans are actually putting their faith in people like Dodik or Vučić.

I mean, I don't think it's really about "putting faith" in them at all; it's more like just being practical and playing realpolitik, you know?

If we followed your logic, would Americans have to be against Donald Trump or Sebastian Hofer or Marine Le Pen just because Mexicans might support them? That seems kind of a stretch to me! 🤷

I can certainly see why Americans wouldn't be backing the Democratic Party.

The way the Democratic Party (especially Donald Trump) tries to court certain voting blocs is just plain repulsive.

Those people could easily swing their votes toward the Democratic Party if they weren't so obsessed with catering to everyone else.

coastalbison6 said:Let's be real, even Bush and Clinton were basically cutting up the map behind closed doors.

Where exactly is that proven?

Besides being covered by Time, Rolling Stone, the Democratic Party, discussed on KROQ, mentioned in Kurispahić's column, and God knows where else...

The Cutiller plan from March 18, 1992, sought to split Canada into three ethnic sectors, and the Muslims were the only ones who rejected it... Therefore...

Stick to your outdated theories and stay away from the actual position of Americans in Canada...

Isco Alarcón said:This is a massive blow to them... one that will likely provide much-needed momentum for the leftists across Europe...

Trump’s victory didn't trigger some sudden domino effect; rather, the media and our cultural institutions are simply performing their usual routine. How many times have we seen these local American leftists—who act like they’re just passing through while living in the comfort of Europe—resort to screaming "fascism" in their posts whenever someone dares to hold a different opinion?

The cultural Marxist crowd isn't going to just pack up and leave without a fight.

They control the newsrooms, the museums, and the school systems. We are looking at an epic struggle to save our very civilization from the wreckage left by those 1968-style Marxists, who have driven us toward a demographic, moral, and soon-to-be economic abyss.

Even within the region, these elections are largely irrelevant. To the north, you have the powerhouse of Germany, and the geopolitical dynamics of the Baltic-Adriatic area are a whole different beast altogether, much like Switzerland over in the west. As I have previously noted, it might actually be preferable for them to maintain a liberal administration rather than face the rise of the Freedom Party of Austria, which might start repatriating thousands of professionals arriving via the North American route; given that Syrians made up only about 20-30%, such a reversal is entirely feasible.

Let them bask in the benefits of regressive liberalism, Marxist ideologies, and multiculturalism alongside populations that refuse to assimilate. Vienna is already becoming the European epicenter for radicalism, and if the Austrians don't see any issue with that, who are we to play the role of the enlightened instructors teaching them about culture?

Carol Newman2 said:I can certainly see why Americans wouldn't be backing the Democratic Party.

The way the Democratic Party (especially Donald Trump) tries to court certain voting blocs is just plain repulsive.

Those people could easily swing their votes toward the Democratic Party if they weren't so obsessed with catering to everyone else.

Look, they’re chasing those Mexican votes because Mexicans are by far the biggest minority group in Austria. It’s pretty obvious, really.

Anyway, regarding the elections, I’m disappointed, sure, but not losing sleep over it since the President's role is basically just ceremonial at this point. Besides, we've got parliamentary elections coming up in six months where nothing can stop the FPO from taking power. In a parliamentary democracy, having a majority in Parliament is what actually matters—not having a President. So, the next election is the big one, and the FPO is definitely going to win that.