Political savvy - I think it's cute that people think a total outsider can come in and successfully work the system, but in reality a President needs to have an intricate knowledge of the way the government works. Breadth of experience, both inside and outside of the country. Someone who has spent their entire life living in only one way and who is not familiar with the rest of the world isn't going to know how to interact with world leaders. Other stuff.

@beep: As to Hillary, she beats out every Republican in the field. Which is saying something horrible about Republicans. Bernie is my pick and I actually do think he has a chance (I once thought some unknown black politician from Chicago had a chance too. Well.). So I'm going with Bernie and it really is because Elizabeth Warren refused to run. She was my first pick. Exactly, sadly having Clinton as a front-runner says nothing about the Democratic party and everything about the Republicans. Hell, I'm jaded enough to think the insanity of the Republican Party is just a conspiracy to make us accept that Hillary's views are actually progressive.

No one is touching gay marriage, that ship has sailed, the world didn't end, Jesus didn't come down from heaven with an AK-47 and kill the heathens. There will be issues related to "religious freedom" a la Kim Davis, but gay marriage is here to stay.

I think it's a false starter to claim that same-sex marriage doesn't have any role in changing the way that society and especially young people view homosexuality and its acceptability. It isn't just about taxes, and civil unions ARE an insult because they're the propagation of the "separate but equal" doctrine that has been foisted upon SO many minorities over time. There is no reason that we can't focus on transgender rights, homelessness, immigration issues, discrimination, etc, at the same time we demand marriage equality. It's false to pretend that somehow activism in one part of society is going to deprive another part of society of support. If people want to support all those things they will, be support what is important to them. In terms of HIV/AIDS, it is not a "gay" problem at all, it is a worldwide problem, more women than men are being infected, there is no way the fight for same-sex marriage is going to slow the battle for a cure for AIDS. As a scientist, I can tell you we will never stop researching or trying to make new discoveries in ANY field, much less one that is as important as HIV/AIDS.

Please do not get me wrong, put where has this support been for the millions of other people in these countries that deal with this every day of their lives.  It happen in Italy and the world gathers around to support them, but what about the people that are in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey etc etc.  These people are so afraid to walk out their front door every day.  Where were we when they need help.  Not all Muslims are our enemy. My heart and prays goes out to Paris, but it goes out to all these other countries as well.

I would love to see a woman as president but I do not like Hillary Clinton.  She is a fool, back tracking on everything see does.  She is the one that started TPP and now says she does not like it.  She wanted health care when her husband was president until she got paid off not to push the issue with the Health Care lobbyist.  She only say thing that she things the people want to hear, no matter if she believes it or not.

The UK is very expensive, on a cost of living basis.    Obviously, some areas are cheaper than others. Salaries fell in 2007/08 when the global economic crisis happened, but prices and taxes kept going up. Not only do we pay VAT on the actual cost of an item, we also pay VAT on other taxes and surcharges included in the price.  This changed about 10 years ago.

Pretty much every other candidate ends up faltering when it comes to jobs, which seems the defining topic of the coming election. The only other candidate that seems to be doing at all well on the Republican side is Carson, but he's kinda wonky when it comes to things like abortion and his comments on evolution just make him seem like a whackjob. Trump basically has the others stumped since he's wanting to promote rich fucks bringing their money back to the US, protecting American's jobs, lowering taxes, and doing more about border security all while not giving a shit about the PC police the same as every other Republican candidate. On the Democrat's side it seems like the main person the media wanted to push forward was Hillary, but she's been so atrocious whenever she's asked any questions that she just seems like a bumbling buffoon like if you took Cheney's hand out of Bush's ass a decade ago. When you can make Bush seem eloquent there's something dreadfully wrong.

Amoral.  Willing to kill his party members in order to reach HIS goals.  Self centered, vain, and just mean.

No, absolutely not!

@raphjd: The most stable jobs are in the blue and white collar areas. Jobs based on luxury (maids, car valets, etc, etc)  have the highest job instability. I agree

Actually, Obama has been good for the US, as was Clinton.  Neither are perfect, but they have improved the US. The economic figures for Clinton and Obama are amazing compared to when they took over.

It's a topic and the right the hill promote when it benefits him but otherwise he doesn't think that it exists

Think of Russia as our Far Far Right Republicans, and you can understand the politics in Russia.  They do not truly care for their people, all they care about is the money that they can make off the back of each citizen.  Once Vladimir Putin was put back in office, he took major control, amended the constitution a few times.  I was a Lieutenant Colonel of the KGB and Boris Yeltsin's right hand man.  I do not hate people, but man I do not like to say this but I hate this man.  :puke:

Well, situation in Greece is critical, Germany wants to re-create Europe by its own standards and build a German Europe but let's be some sort of realistic here: we Greeks are kinda responsible for the Greek austerity. We are a hard working people, despite the fact we're getting paid less for our services than other European countries but we kept on voting for the same "thieves" again and again. Though our monthly salary was low, we wanted to drive two or even three cars, had more cell phones than one, we liked to live in a fake luxurious life etc. etc. If we don't change the way we think then nothing will change for the rest of our lives

@Opiam: France is not in the top 20  :cry2: Must be the fashionable ennui.