Former US President Bill Clinton said he could take a role promoting the United States around the world if his wife Hillary becomes president.

Clinton said the US government had "squandered" widespread global support after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
"There was a period after 9/11 when we decided on a go-it-alone, my way or the highway approach which I think really alienated a lot of the world," he told BBC Radio.
Asked what role he might take if his wife became President, he said: "I'd be of most use to her doing something to try to help restore America's standing in the world and build more allies and get us to work together again."
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll showed Hillary Clinton pulling away from her Democratic rivals for the nomination with 53 percent support* compared with 20 percent for Senator Barak Obama and John Edwards with 13 percent.
Bill Clinton stressed he knew who would be boss if she wins the presidency.
"In the end she would make her own decisions just as I did when I was President," he said.
"She would be a great president and I would be the happiest person on earth if she could get elected," he added.

lucky "one person, one vote" doesn't count when electing an american president... i have never really understood how the electoral college voting system works, and why it exists at all

It's because of the will of the states with smaller populations. In other words, states with small populations may forever have their voices not heard if the voting system was absolutely direct and electoral college not in place.
At least, technically.

Inferno; in a nutshell

Each state is assigned a certain number of electoral votes based on its population density. For Example since California had the most number of people it has 59 electoral votes. Hawaii and Alaska have only 2 because hardly anyone lives there.

To be president you must have 270 electoral votes.

Its a winner-takes-all-contest. So if Hillary wins California in 2008 Presidential race she takes ALL 59 electoral votes with her.

Thats precisely how we got stuck with Bush in 2000. Because he "won" (under debious circumstances) in Florida by 150 votes, he took ALL the electoral votes, Despite the fact that half the people in Florida voted for Gore.

Thats why I think the electoral college system should be abandoned.

13 Redneck

Actually it had to do with the fact that the Founding Fathers wanted a more aritocratic membership in politics. The idea of the common man directly choosing the President was deemed vulgar at the time. The USA is the only country that keeps this system every other country has chosen the parlimentarian system.

Originally Posted by mmarsh

Thats precisely how we got stuck with Bush in 2000. Because he "won" (under debious circumstances) in Florida by 150 votes, he took ALL the electoral votes, Despite the fact that half the people in Florida voted for Gore.

Thats why I think the electoral college system should be abandoned.

I am not sure that getting a result that we don't like is a good enough excuse to abandon an electoral system, if it was every country on earth would be swapping systems after every election.

Yeah he knows who would be boss if she was elected. Because it wouldn't be any different than his terms in office,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,she'd still be in charge.

I think the electoral college should've been thrown out a long time ago. How un-American to say that certain peoples' votes don't count because they live in an area that will vote predominantly red or blue!

Originally Posted by major liability

I think the electoral college should've been thrown out a long time ago. How un-American to say that certain peoples' votes don't count because they live in an area that will vote predominantly red or blue!

yeah this is my thinking on it, seems to needlessly complicatethe voting process....is there a historical reason why a straight popular vote isn't used for the presidential elections?

Bill Clinton had his 8 years. We don't need another Clinton term, Hillary or Bill.

could say the same of bush jnr?

Originally Posted by MontyB

I am not sure that getting a result that we don't like is a good enough excuse to abandon an electoral system, if it was every country on earth would be swapping systems after every election.

There are only two countries still use the electoral system, the USA and somebody else whom I forget. Everybody else is on the Parliamentary system.



TomTom

I agree in theory (and I liked Bill Clinton) however its the people that should decide. If they want a return to the Clinton era, so be it.