Personally, I sort of wish that people just didn't make a big deal about whether or not the next president of the US will be male or female, or black or white, or whatever. Sure, people will have different perspectives because of their background and genetics. But that's true for everyone, and gender or race doesn't really make any more of a difference than other parts of someone's background and genetics. I'd be perfectly happy if no one talked about the race or gender of candidates for the rest of the election cycle.
And to address the recent slight osgilliation--there are plenty of people both in America and abroad who don't care about politics and don't know about politics. Voter ignorance is slightly higher in America compared to other developed nations, from the research that I've seen, but not by as much as you'd think. Frankly, I think the majority of the world knows very little about what's going on even in their own country. And really, what's the incentive other than personal enjoyment or a vague sense of "civic duty"? There are a hell of a lot more things that the average person would rather be doing than reading up on the elections in a different country. There are definitely people (many of whom post here
) who enjoy doing this, and I think that's terrific. But it takes all kinds of people to make a world, and I don't really find it too disappointing or unpardonable that most people don't spend a lot of time following politics in other countries--whatever nationality they are. To be completely honest--and I might get some crap for this
--if you can't change the political situation (which for an individual is very difficult), why bother knowing about politics at all? Personal fulfillment? Sure, if that's what fulfills you. But for most people it doesn't. And your one vote isn't going to make a different overall. If you have the time and energy to campaign or run for office, yeah that'll make a difference. But again, most people have neither the time nor the energy. There have to be different levels of political awareness for a large country to work--we can't all know everything. And while I find it a little annoying that many people in America, for example, can't name their Congressman, that's not a fact that's really going to change anytime soon. Voter ignorance has been at about the same level since scholars first started looking at it statistically in the 1950s.
Democrats: Ron Paul would be my vote if it came to it. He seems intelligent and reserved. I agree with his foreign policy, which is most important to me. Domestic in America is important to me too btw, due to my three young cousins who will grow up with the new presidents policies, but directly it won't have that much of an effect on me personally, I think.
Paul is running as a Republican actually. Though he's really a libertarian--his views don't quite fit into either major party.