[rant]

Which, to be honest, is a little stupid. I'll admit, I live in a country full of sheep (in more than one way), and so anything that happens in the US affects us directly - rap music (:notrust:), economic slowdowns that only happened because people thought we were in an economic slowdown, whatever. I think it is silly that a country that was formed as we know it only 400 years ago can have so much more influence than countries that have existed for millenia. The only reason they have so much power is because they stabilized a strong economy very quickly. Seeing as economics have no bearing to real life, they are simply something invented by a group of people that wanted to capitalize off everyone else, I think my cynicism over not only the standing of America but the entire economic situation of the world is warranted.

[/rant]

I'm glad our new Prime Minister is getting stuck in to actually putting his election promises into action - and doing so despite criticism from supporters of the previously elected party. They would complain, because he's fixing all of their mistakes. :OK: :bleh:

50 million US Americans elect a president out of two candidates, and the world (6.7 billion people) has to live with him.

Oh well...

Every economical, political, religious system has always fallen apart sooner or later, only to be replaced by something else...I think this one now is just a step or two away from a complete colapse.

Shame that when it's gonna collapse it will be on our heads, and I don't know if I will like the alternatives, China ruling the world or even worst .....

Deutschland, Deutschland etc. :trumpet:

Exactly.
The USA is a very powerful country, and the choice of president really affects the whole world. The previous elections also had attention worldwide - but this time I noticed how people agreed on who would be the best man.

I haven't looked into this much personally, but from what I've seen I think I agree with the majority of the voters this time :) I just hope he stands up to the expectations.

Perhaps the majority of the world that must concede to "living" with the president should research the role of the executive branch rather than idiotically assume that the president himself represents anything beyond another check and balance in the rappelling snake of US government - only then will you truly elevate yourselves above the ignorant state of many uneducated Americans.

But the fact that there are other influential individuals does not change the fact that the most influential of them all must be a fair and preferably a smart one. He's the face of the USA, it's image, and having a stupid president (or any powerful person, in any country, no matter of it's size or powers) is in general considered a very bad thing.

Don't you agree, piglet?

true the power is not only in the hands of the president, however due to the nature of th eelection system in USA the party of the president is also all too often reflected in other branches of executive power.

Too often happens that when president is elected his party also has majority in congress and senate. as a result he is in the same position as PM in parliamentary systems. which is quite powerful. in fact it is th emost powerful position appart from referendum, which doesn't happen often on a national scale in USA. reason for that might be in federalist constitution.

Obviously, how one views the presidency depends on which side of the US borders one lives. The US president has little effect within the US, as the president only enacts and enforces the laws, often indirectly throw appointments of judges and attorney-general, but has a lot of clout in foreign relations. The president could be described as having maius imperium in barbaricum. Although he needs congressional approval to actually declare war and enter treaties, there is much latitude about other actions. Bush could send elements of the USN along the east coast of Africa with orders to sink all suspected pirates purely through his authority as CinC. Congress has to approve trade deals, but the president sets the tone and pace of negotiations. The US president often looks for foreign relations to score points domestically, as that is what he is most effectively able to do. Of course foreigners care who is president, as (to us) he is the only US political office holder that matters.