Why is the President of the USA celebrated like a hero?

[EL]

How come americans celebrate their president in the way they do?
At least that's the impression one gets here in Europe.
Before every public speach he makes, there is always a lot cheering, "Yeah!", "Wow!", and so on, like he was a sports star or a hero or something...
To me this seems very surreal.
Or have I got the wrong impression?

 

[Smurf]

What you don't see is the people holding up signs behind the camera's with "APPLAUSE" written on them, oh and there's something having to sign a contract before going into those things but whatever.

 

[Tom McCurdy]

Many people in America hate the president... the people who go to his rallys and such are people who support him. I on the other hand take pleasure in knocking down bush/cheny signs (or did)... i noticed that when I went over to england. I also was surprised to find out that not everyone supports Blair over there. Over here its about 50/50 of those who support bush and those who don't.

 

[wasteofo2]

How come americans celebrate their president in the way they do?
At least that's the impression one gets here in Europe.
Before every public speach he makes, there is always a lot cheering, "Yeah!", "Wow!", and so on, like he was a sports star or a hero or something...
To me this seems very surreal.
Or have I got the wrong impression?

You have the wrong impression.

51% of the voting population voted for Mr. Bush (assuming no cheating was involved)

Only 59% of the US population voted this time around.

So just about 30% of the US wanted 4 more years.

But about the ravenous crowds, in order to get into some Bush rallys, you have to go through a screening process, in which (in some cases) you have to sign a loath of loyalty swearing to vote for him (before Nov. 2 obviously). They pretty much don't allow anyone who doesn't support bush 150% into see him, since he can't handle dissent at all.

 

[Zeteg]

Indeed. They won't let people who won't cheer in. Those bastards! Anyway, any man who pronounces "Nuclear", "Nukular" doesn't deserve to speak.

 

[russ_watters]

Or have I got the wrong impression?

Well the election was recently - so for the past 6 months, most of his public appearances were rallys. Those kinds of gatherings are specifically orchestrated to be like pep rallys, cheering your team on to victory. Most non-election oriented public appearances aren't that way.

 

[EL]

Just to clearify what I wrote:
I was talking about the U.S president in general. Not Bush in specific.

As I said the cheering looks very surreal to me.
If someone of the Swedish politicians would bring "cheerleaders" to their speaches before an election, people would laugh there asses out!
It's so non-real!
In fact I can't imagine how anyone could vote for any person coming up with such silly profounds. However you do not have much of a choice over there? I guess the democrats are as bad as the republicans in that sence...

 

[wasteofo2]

Just to clearify what I wrote:
I was talking about the U.S president in general. Not Bush in specific.

As I said the cheering looks very surreal to me.
If someone of the Swedish politicians would bring "cheerleaders" to their speaches before an election, people would laugh there asses out!
It's so non-real!
In fact I can't imagine how anyone could vote for any person coming up with such silly profounds. However you do not have much of a choice over there? I guess the democrats are as bad as the republicans in that sence...

As you've probabally deduced, America seems to be MUCH different from Sweeden.

We like to fancy our leaders as surreal, larger than life blah blah blah.

I don't know if I'd call Democrats as bad as Republicans in fabricating cheering crowds and dismissing dissent. I've heard/seen plenty of Kerry rallys with people shouting "4 More Years", lots of Democratic candidates came up with lots of real good off-the-cuff ways of dealing with Republicans. I remember specifically one Howard Dean rally (a man who ran against Kerry for the Democratic nomination) a Bush supporter started yelling some crap, and Howard Dean just answered all the accusations and put him in his place embarrasingly.

I'll always remember one rally that Teresa Heniz Kerry was speaking at. Some Bush people were in the crowds chanting "4 More Years!", and very naturally she said "They want 4 more years of hell!". God, I loved that woman...

 

[PerennialII]

As you've probabally deduced, America seems to be MUCH different from Sweeden.

We like to fancy our leaders as surreal, larger than life blah blah blah.

Around here they are just common folk ... but the hype that is gathered and put up for whatever occation & event in the US ... surreal.

I'll always remember one rally that Teresa Heniz Kerry was speaking at. Some Bush people were in the crowds chanting "4 More Years!", and very naturally she said "They want 4 more years of hell!". God, I loved that woman...

Well you can tell that she ain't native (and this time in a good way ).

 

[Shahil]

Odd!

EL: Have u ever seen a rally in South Africa or most African countries for that matter? People here absolutely adore their president or leader of their political party with the same amount of enthusiasm that English soccer fans have for their teams!

There's all the cheering as well as dancing and singing and chanting and everything else that goes with a celebratory mood!

Oh well!

 

[loseyourname]

Indeed. They won't let people who won't cheer in. Those bastards! Anyway, any man who pronounces "Nuclear", "Nukular" doesn't deserve to speak.

Are you biased against any person speaking with a regional drawl? Many words in the English language, or any language, are pronounced differently depending on where you live.

 

[loseyourname]

Around here they are just common folk ... but the hype that is gathered and put up for whatever occation & event in the US ... surreal.

Everything is bigger in Texas, my friend.

 

[EL]

Odd!

EL: Have u ever seen a rally in South Africa or most African countries for that matter? People here absolutely adore their president or leader of their political party with the same amount of enthusiasm that English soccer fans have for their teams!

There's all the cheering as well as dancing and singing and chanting and everything else that goes with a celebratory mood!

Oh well!

No, I havn't seen it, but that is something I can understand due to the history of South Africa. In time I'm sure it will fade away.

 

[EL]

As you've probabally deduced, America seems to be MUCH different from Sweeden.

In fact, it's not that much of a difference in every day life. As from what I have seen you writing earlier I think you would like living in Sweden.
But one major difference is how the politics works:
Usually we don't vote for a party because of the charisma of the leader, we are more goverened by the basic ideology.
Therefore we see it in the way that it's really not the persons we have elected, they are just there to carry out what the people wants. We use to almost "look down" on the ministers, keeping them under sight, so that they will do a good job. (Some years ago a Swedish minister had to resign because she bought a Toblerone for a couple of dollars with a government pay card.)It's even very common to critizise the politicians you have voted for yourself. AND no one would blame you for being a treater just for critizising the government.

 

[PerennialII]

Usually we don't vote for a party because of the charisma of the leader, we are more goverened by the basic ideology.
Therefore we see it in the way that it's really not the persons we have elected, they are just there to carry out what the people wants. We use to almost "look down" on the ministers, keeping them under sight, so that they will do a good job. (Some years ago a Swedish minister had to resign because she bought a Toblerone for a couple of dollars with a government pay card.)It's even very common to critizise the politicians you have voted for yourself. AND no one would blame you for being a treater just for critizising the government.

Yeah, in many parts of Europe it's been considered a real downturn of politics that it has started to focus as much as it has on persons, rather than ideologies, agendas etc. Politicians are seen as guys doing their job, not mythic heroes or in any way different from the average joe. It has its good and bad sides, I'd put focusing deeply on issues on the good side and the whole thing getting kind of official and boring on the bad side (if you care about such things).

 

[Smurf]

(Some years ago a Swedish minister had to resign because she bought a Toblerone for a couple of dollars with a government pay card.).

If only that would happen in Canada!

 

[Shahil]

EL: I don't think that the passion for politics as such will die down. Especially in 3rd world countries, politics is REALLY an important part of life. People do see political figures as gods. Probably in 1st world situations where people are so busy caught up in their own lives - so much so that they don't even bother voting - is politics not that big an issue. Take a look at voter turnnouts as well - in 3rd world countries, turnout figures are astronomical with most of the eligible people voting.

 

[EL]

Politicians are seen as guys doing their job, not mythic heroes or in any way different from the average joe. It has its good and bad sides, I'd put focusing deeply on issues on the good side and the whole thing getting kind of official and boring on the bad side (if you care about such things).

Yeah, I agree there's a problem with politics getting boring. However I personally prefer it a little boring instead of having Austrian moviestars, or rich -have lost grip of reality a long time ago- patriotic men in charge.

What's strange is that in "boring" Sweden the election participation is higher than in the "entertaining" USA...

 

[EL]

EL: I don't think that the passion for politics as such will die down.

Believe me, when the standard is raising, it will.

Especially in 3rd world countries, politics is REALLY an important part of life. People do see political figures as gods. Probably in 1st world situations where people are so busy caught up in their own lives - so much so that they don't even bother voting - is politics not that big an issue. Take a look at voter turnnouts as well - in 3rd world countries, turnout figures are astronomical with most of the eligible people voting.

I totally agree.

 

[Smurf]

What's strange is that in "boring" Sweden the election participation is higher than in the "entertaining" USA...

I think a large portion of the USA has just given up on the system either because they don't like either candidate or because they think the system is rigged or just because they realize it's the social elite who control the country anyways.

 

[PerennialII]

Yeah, I agree there's a problem with politics getting boring. However I personally prefer it a little boring instead of having Austrian moviestars, or rich -have lost grip of reality a long time ago- patriotic men in charge.

What's strange is that in "boring" Sweden the election participation is higher than in the "entertaining" USA...

I think a large portion of the USA has just given up on the system either because they don't like either candidate or because they think the system is rigged or just because they realize it's the social elite who control the country anyways.

So in the US its considered that with politics you can't really affect anything, in Europe (at least its northern part) the feeling is that irrespective of what we do pretty much same things are going to happen anyway ... the "officials" will do what they do and feel is necessary pretty much no matter who is running the show. Go figure which one is better, actually they resemble each other quite a bit in the end although the constructs differ (and I'd still take the subject focused any day).