What happens after presidential defeat?

[Mr Mystery]

How do?

Just a quick question for our American chums, and fairly self explanatory. Historically, what have those who ran for President and weren't elected gone on to do?

Do they remain in politics, or something else? Have they ever tried to run again?

[Psychosplodge]

I'd assume they go back to making megabucks as director of whatever company they worked for before.

[Wildeybeast]

Probably the same as what happens over here. Their party swiftly remove them from the limelight and fight amongst themselves to decide who gets to try next time. As for the individual, I guess it really depends on what they want to do next. He's still a governor or senator or something isn't he?

[Psychosplodge]

No he was a governor something like 8 or 10 years ago, they keep the title apparently.

[Wildeybeast]

Oh. So does he not actually hold an elected political post at the moment then?

[Wolfshade]

Nope, just like the current Prime Minister...

[Psychosplodge]

?
The prime minister is merely the leading MP from the Biggest party in Government. We have never elected prime ministers, it's just a stick the papers have found to beat Gordon Brown with and continued into this government...

[Wildeybeast]

Exactly. You can't hold any political position without being an elected MP, it's why they put the top dogs in safe seats. Of course you can be one of those 'advisors' that The Thick of It is all about.

[Wolfshade]

I was just noting that less people voted for the Prime Minister than will vote for the leadership race in China. After all only party memebers can vote for the leader, we vote for the party but there is nothing stopping the party replacing it's leader

[Psychosplodge]

It's doesn't generally do them any favours next election though does it?

[Wildeybeast]

I was just noting that less people voted for the Prime Minister than will vote for the leadership race in China. After all only party memebers can vote for the leader, we vote for the party but there is nothing stopping the party replacing it's leader

Exactly. We chose the party to govern us, the party chooses the leader, limits his power accordingly and gets rid of him if he's inept or losing public confidence. Far better than giving all the power to one nutjob with his finger on the button. And I'm pretty sure they don't vote at all in China....

[Wolfshade]

Is this a bad thing?

[Wildeybeast]

Depends on whether you are the one in charge or the one not voting.

[Wolfshade]

I just think the biggest weakness and strength is the voters themselves.

After all everyone votes for tax cuts and more services/benefits...

[Wildeybeast]

That's because people are stupid. Taking away their right to express their stupidity does nothing to fix the inherent problem.

[Wolfshade]

New test, you must have a certain educational/intelligence level to be allowed to vote

[Psychosplodge]

New test, you must have a certain educational/intelligence level to be allowed to vote

I'm ok with this, but I think to breed would work too...

[Mr Mystery]

New test, you must have a certain educational/intelligence level to be allowed to vote

I'm going to file this alongside eugenics. It's a relatively benign principle. But it can never be practiced for obvious reasons.

Far better to burn down the Daily Mail. That'll stop a lot of people being misinformed.

[Wildeybeast]

New test, you must have a certain educational/intelligence level to be allowed to vote

But if everyone is stupid, who gets to set the test? We need some aliens or perhaps orang-utans to make an objective independent test.

[Psychosplodge]

That would probably work with most the papers really...

[Wolfshade]

Certainly it should be instilled that it is a privellage and not a right.
I am also happy with the plans to cap cut off benefits where a parent earns £50k+, though I think it should be tested against joint parental income.
I also like the plan that the governmental support for children is limited to a number of children, this should stop people having children as a career choice

[Wolfshade]

But if everyone is stupid, who gets to set the test? We need some aliens or perhaps orang-utans to make an objective independent test.

Double blind testing :) Maybe people from Doncaster, I hear they are equivalent...

[Psychosplodge]

I'd have suggested the people of Chesterfield (still can't be arsed to fix their church spire, lazy b*stards) but I suppose donny would work too...

[Wildeybeast]

I'd have suggested the people of Chesterfield (still can't be arsed to fix their church spire, lazy b*stards) but I suppose donny would work too...

Hey, that's a cultural icon of Derbyshire. Besides it doesn't need fixing. Not like those lazy Italians and their stupid falling down tower.

[Wolfshade]

I'd have suggested the people of Chesterfield (still can't be arsed to fix their church spire, lazy b*stards) but I suppose donny would work too...

I was told that it would stand to attention when a virtuious woman gets married in the church...

[Psychosplodge]

Never happen in chesterfield, they don't let you marry that young.

[DarkLink]

You should at least be required to present an ID in order to vote. If that's an issue with minorities not having IDs, then just give everyone a frikin' ID for free. There's no excuse for letting random people vote without actually knowing who they are.



Just a quick question for our American chums, and fairly self explanatory. Historically, what have those who ran for President and weren't elected gone on to do?


One guy, I forget who, was president, lost, then came back to win a few election cycles later. Most just retire and go on to be highly successful retirees/speakers/writers. Pretty much all presidents have been rich, because having an extremely successful career prior to running is pretty much a prerequisite.

[wittdooley]

I'd be okay with the voting age being upped to 25. There are too many college students living in the sheltered, myopic bubbles of academia and haven't actually participated in the 'real' workforce, and as such have no real concept of the reasons why they're voting. They either A) listen to their (completely unbiased, of course) professor or the (again, completely unbiased) media.

With that being said, I'd be fine if you had to pass the basic naturalization test that immigrants do to be able to vote as well.

[Nabterayl]

Do they remain in politics, or something else? Have they ever tried to run again?
It's rarely a bar to participating in politics, which means that those who were politicians when they ran tend to stay politicians. Those who were not politicians at the time that they ran tend not to get into politics after failing, but then, since they tend already to be highly successful at something else (as DarkLink said), the non-politician candidates generally have something else to keep them busy instead.

However, it does tend to torpedo your chances for running again. If you're defeated in a party primary (i.e., attempted to gain your party's nomination and failed) then you can generally try again, on the theory that if only you had been your party's candidate, things would have turned out differently. It is rare, though, for a candidate in a general election to gain his party's nomination a second time - in general, the assumption is that fielding the same defeated candidate will simply result in another defeat.

[Mr Mystery]

Cool. Cheers guys :)