Any existential risk angles to the US presidential election?

Stuart_Armstrong

Don't let your minds be killed, but I was wondering if there were any existential risk angles to the coming American election (if there isn't, then I'll simply retreat to raw, enjoyable and empty tribalism).

I can see three (quite tenuous) angles:

Obama seems more likely to attempt to get some sort of global warming agreement. While not directly related to Xrisks per se, this would lead to better global coordination and agreement, which improves the outlook for a lot of other Xrisks. However, pretty unlikely to succeed.
I have a mental image that Republicans would be more likely to invest in space exploration. This is a lot due to Newt Gingrich, I have to admit, and to the closeness between civilian and military space projects, the last of which are more likely to get boosts in Republican governments.
If we are holding out for increased population rationality as being a helping factor for some Xrisks, then the fact the the Republicans have gone so strongly anti-science is certainly a bad sign. But on the other hand, its not clear whether them winning or losing the election is more likely to improve the general environment for science among their supporters.

But these all seem weak factors. So, less wronger, let me know: are the things I should care about in the election, or can I just lie back and enjoy it as a piece of interesting theatre?

I can see three (quite tenuous) angles:

Obama seems more likely to attempt to get some sort of global warming agreement. While not directly related to Xrisks per se, this would lead to better global coordination and agreement, which improves the outlook for a lot of other Xrisks. However, pretty unlikely to succeed.
I have a mental image that Republicans would be more likely to invest in space exploration. This is a lot due to Newt Gingrich, I have to admit, and to the closeness between civilian and military space projects, the last of which are more likely to get boosts in Republican governments.
If we are holding out for increased population rationality as being a helping factor for some Xrisks, then the fact the the Republicans have gone so strongly anti-science is certainly a bad sign. But on the other hand, its not clear whether them winning or losing the election is more likely to improve the general environment for science among their supporters.

But these all seem weak factors. So, less wronger, let me know: are the things I should care about in the election, or can I just lie back and enjoy it as a piece of interesting theatre?

Certainly.

The main question is: will Obama's disastrous foreign policies turn catastrophic? In other words, will there be a major terrorist attack or war in the near future as a result of crippling American military and intelligence agencies, apologizing, appeasing, and empowering terrorist groups and radical countries? The probability has been creeping up dangerously over the last few years, and seems to be at an all-time high today.

The second question is: will Obama's disastrous economic policies turn catastrophic? In other words, will there be a major economic collapse in the near future as a result of Obama's extremely loose fiscal policies of printing and borrowing money at an unprecedented rate, while at the same time strangling economic growth with irrational taxation, regulations, and other government interference? Again, the probability of such a catastrophe has been escalating in the past few years and is also at an all-time high today.

Bottom line: existential risk is escalating at an alarming rate under Obama due to his irrational economic and foreign policies and judicial nominations, and this would change dramatically by electing Romney. Just voting for Romney isn't enough (especially if you're not in a swing state) - you need to be donating money to his campaign and other PACs, and knocking on doors in swing states.

I should also mention the Democrats' judicial nominations:

Justices Kennedy and Scalia are in their late 70s, and both are the critical fifth vote on tremendously important libertarian principles:
There are four justices on the Supreme Court ready to hold that the First Amendment does not bar Congress from regulating political speech against incumbents.
There are four justices on the Supreme Court ready to hold that the Second Amendment does not create any individual rights against the government.
There are four justices on the Supreme Court ready to hold th

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Any existential risk angles to the US presidential election?

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Any existential risk angles to the US presidential election?

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