RE: Let's Talk Politics and the U.S. 2016 Election
Let me add the european point of view ;)
First: the public
We're not really introduced to the promises you get from the different candidates, all the media gives us are vague feelings for them.
Their favorite is Clinton, by far. She's a democrat woman, who needs more than two reasons to vote for someone? Sanders isn't mentioned much, and if it's only because he won a poll. Sometimes he's presented as the good guy in this race, but not without mentioning that he doesn't stand a chance.
On the republican side, Trump is the troll and all the others are just statists. I think the republicans still suffer from the murderous image Bush Jr. stamped - not only in Europe.
So what's my personal opinion? I'd go for Sanders. Not because of the promises, but because of the different candidates' histories and principles. Clinton is a puppet, standing for nothing but what suits her best. Trump can't be calculated - I expect him to agree to everything which brings him a financial profit. But Sanders voting history on important issues impresses me, especially his stance against the wars. And I share his antipathy against big finance.
I may have to add that I don't know anything about the other guys, Cruz and whatever they're called. As an anarchist, I usually don't agree with a lot of conservative viewpoints, and if one of them would be an exceptional candidate I think I'd have heard about it by now.
people think bernie would put us further into debt, but I have to say that legalizing (and taxing) marijuana alone would free up hundreds of billions yearly across america.
I tend to think that coupled with a huge drop in the prison industrial complex could make for a great step toward kickstarting the economy.
i love the European view. When I was travelling around Asia and told people I was from America, I learned so much about perceptions of americans.