Canada Votes

[Chadd 916]

So why are only the citizens of the US automatically "Americans" and no one else is?

Seems kind of exclusionary to me in that we are the only ones with a claim to the "American" moniker.

Remember, up until 1867 Canadiens referred to themselves as "British Americans"

The US is the only country with America in the actual name, The United States of America. I have never met anyone from outside the US that calls themself an American. They identify their nationality, not their continentality.

I don't understand the angst behind ACORN.

The analysis of the mishap with the 2000 vote in Florida suggested as many as 20,000 voters were denied the right to vote because they had the same name as someone ineligible (felon and/or ex-felon, I'm not sure which). The presumption was the majority of these people were poor and would likely have voted Democrat, yet Kathleen Harris' department wouldn't allow the review. (I'm not positive on the timeline, but those were essentially the events.)

Why do you think Republicans tend to be against voter registration at the DMV? Because they know that poorer people are less engaged in the political process and would not likely register otherwise. The also know poorer people tend to vote Democratic.

The point is voter fraud is shameful, but the outcry smacks of, "Oh, man, that sucks! They're beating us at our own game!"

An organization funded mostly from government grants that is actively participating in voter fraud and you don't understand why some people have issues? Personally I'm not all that opposed to uninformed people not voting, regardless of their party.

Yes, but Republicans have been caught committing voter fraud many times in my lifetime, far more than I ever recall Democrats had been.

I'm not endorsing this in the slightest, but I find the selective memory disingenuous.

Are you ruling out decades of actions in places like NYC, Chicago and Philadelphia or is this just selective memory?

[Trooper 8]

Yes, but Republicans have been caught committing voter fraud many times in my lifetime, far more than I ever recall Democrats had been.

I'm not endorsing this in the slightest, but I find the selective memory disingenuous.

Defending it with "they did it too!" from years past is not a legit argument for an adult. Obama comes from Chicago Machine politics, possibly the most corrupt in history, so there is legitimate reason to raise an eyebrow.

Judge things on their merits, not on what the other guy did in the past.

[Jason Harris 31]

Okay, after reading both of your posts, I realize I probably should have worded my original response differently:

While I am not in any way condoning voter fraud -- and while I understand this is strictly a political position -- I do not understand the Republican uproar over ACORN, given my memory of voter fraud over my lifetime is probably about 90-10 with the Republicans committing the majority. In other words, one is either against voter fraud or one isn't, but it can't just be that one is against it when it hurts one's side.

Chadd, I'm not ruling out or having selective memory. I'm saying my memory is the scandals I've read about seem to be about 90-10.

Trooper, I agree with your last sentence. And I admit that I can't make a one-to-one comparison between those making an uproar today and those committing fraud in the past, but let's just say I get suspicious in the game of politics when people make an issue out of current events that "their side" has committed in the past

[Trooper 8]

Trooper, I agree with your last sentence. And I admit that I can't make a one-to-one comparison between those making an uproar today and those committing fraud in the past, but let's just say I get suspicious in the game of politics when people make an issue out of current events that "their side" has committed in the past

Then you might as well throw out 90% of what all politicians say!

While you may read about voter fraud at a 9:1 ratio, that doesn't mean it's true. Relying on the gatekeeping of the media to portray things as they really are is faith indeed. I would think Chicago alone could even things up with all the Republican fraud in history. Chicago's organized crime never went away, it's just being run by politicians now.

[Chadd 916]

Chadd, I'm not ruling out or having selective memory. I'm saying my memory is the scandals I've read about seem to be about 90-10.

You're catching the news on the right days then, it's not even close to a 90-10 split.

[Jason Harris 31]

What do you have against Peru? Technically almost everyone in the western hemisphere is an American, The only exception are the people in the Caribbean area. So when people refer to "Americans", who do they mean? To Paraphrase Jules Winfield: " America aint no country I've ever heard of. Do they speak English in America?"

Um....what?

Citizens of the country known as the United States of America, are referred to as 'Americans'.

Just because you live in the continent of North or South America, you are not automatically 'American'. I guess if you want to go around categorizing people as to what continent they are from as opposed to the nation they belong to, you could do that. But it would be stupid.

Why aren't you? Are German's not automatically European?

Ask a German if he is European, German, or both. He will say both.

Ask a Canadian if he is Canadian, American, or both. He will say Canadian.

Case closed.

I'm going to Toronto for the weekend, so I checked-in online at Air Canada. In the section regarding the passport, they asked what nationality. The first two choices were "Canadian" and "American."

So I no longer feel I'm being jingoistic saying I'm an American. ;)