Posted on 04/27/2015 7:37:42 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Now that I'm back after some travels, I often wonder what my European and Asian friends will think of the upcoming 2016 Presidential race. On the Democratic side, they believe that Hillary Clinton appears to have the upper hand. However, somewhere out in Iowa, former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is trying to build an insurgency to Clinton's left. On the Republican side, it appears that everybody under the sun is off and running, including moderates Jeb Bush, evangelicals like Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, Tea Partiers like Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and Libertarians like Rand Paul.
In the end, most of my friends think that the race will boil down to another Clinton-Bush race, mirroring what took place in 1992. However, what drives my friends within many Asian and European investment communities batty is why our Presidential elections have become such a crazy reality show.
They're left puzzled why candidates spend so much face-time in places like Iowa and New Hampshire, locales with little industry, no financial industry, and fewer people. They often wonder why these farmers have an inflated importance. They're also left scratching their heads because when the primaries come to larger states like New York and California, the nomination is often a foregone conclusion....
(Excerpt) Read more at huffingtonpost.com ...
Hahahaha! Des Moines, Iowa is one of the three insurance & financial services capitols of North America. Shows you how much Mary and her friends know.
Nope, nothing but corn and meth from the Hudson River to the Sierra Nevadas. They've flown over in and they know it.
Yeah, like they’re doing so much better.
We’d all be better off if we chose our leaders by random lottery, I think.
I have no Idea, so here is a song about a Taxis and Muslim Invasions.
When I was working in Australia my mates were asking about our election process for president. It took me several hours what with questions and all .... they responded with trying to teach me cricket. A game that lasts for days ... but they do love American football.
I didn’t know that and I’m 46. interesting fact.
This article is what you get when you have an ignorant writer writing about the ignorant opinions of ignorant people - something of no relevance to anyone at all.
Greater Des Moines regional industries include financial services, insurance, government, manufacturing, trade and service. The metro area’s finance-insurance sector has a $3 billion annual payroll.
A selection of the largest private employers in our service area is shown below, and a printable listing of those employing 500 or more people follows the list.
Wells Fargo & Co. - Financial services and home mortgage
Principal Financial Group - Financial services
UnityPoint Health - Des Moines - Healthcare
Mercy Medical Center - Des Moines - Healthcare
Nationwide - Insurance
DuPont Pioneer - Crop inputs for worldwide agribusiness
Mercer - Insurance
Meredith Corporation - Magazine, book publishing, TV, integrated marketing, and interactive media
John Deere companies - Agricultural machinery, GPS, consumer financial services
Hy-Vee Food Stores Inc. - Retail grocery and drugstore chain
Wellmark Inc. - Health insurance
UPS - Logistics, distribution, transportation, freight, customers brokerage
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations - Global distribution center for ag tires
Emerson Process Management Fisher Division - Control valves and systems, divisional headquarters
JBS USA, LLC - Pork processing and packaging
Lennox Manufacturing - Heating and air conditioners
Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company - Reinsurance
Vermeer Manufacturing Company
Publicly held companies in Greater Des Moines are American Equity Investment Life Holding Co, Casey’s General Stores Inc., Dice Holdings Inc., EMC Insurance Companies, FBL Financial Group, Inc., Meredith Corp., The Principal Financial Group, West Bancorporation Inc., and Windstream Communications.
We choose our presidents like they do- we vote for the ones the media like.
“Wed all be better off if we chose our leaders by random lottery, I think.”
Most people are totally stupid, evil, incompetent, or a combination of the three. So we’d just be in the same boat.
I was the lead veteran’s representative at the unemployment office there for many years.
I think we need a national lottery with the stipulation that if you play you forfeit your vote.
The jackpot will run into the billions and wipe out the democrat voter base.
She is writing about “unnamed others” think.... uh huh... this is about what the author thinks.
Mary is one of the provincial writers out there
bump
That’s awesome. I hope they were able to get good jobs. I can see where the discipline would make someone ideal for many positions.
was sent long ago by temp agency to graphics dept by accident. did low level bookkeeping. But the manager liked me and trained me from scratch. She said a good foundation is the most important thing.
Never served but when I became supervisor at investment bank graphics dept I hired three vets. Great workers.
except the submarine guy was a little crazy lol.
The present primary and caucus system is not inherently American for picking Presidential candidates. I would say the current system is inherently 1970’s Liberal. For most of our history, the candidates were chosen in the proverbial smoke filled room at party conventions. Sometimes just being nominated by a state convention was enough to put someone on the ballot, as was common during the Jacksonian era. Considering the pygmies that have been chosen, Reagan being the exception, I think they did a better job in the smoke filled room. But the leftist good government types came along in the 1970’s and created this waste of money free for all every four years. The same people you hear talking about taking money out of elections, another words restrict free speach, were the same ones who created the primary system back in the 70’s.
Americans select their presidents using guidance from the same kind of people that use to create commercials for cigarettes.
It’s not for everybody.
Well, regardless- you have a relevant comment. Let’s vote!
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