Why do Americans attend so many political rallies?

Seriously? I mean here in Australia we have people attending this and that, but not to the extent of the USA. Is the job situation really that bad or do you skip work to get on T.V?

Pointless crap. It's the same thing every 4 years. People with stupid placards, wasting time and money. I am not against people attending rallies, but it seems rather stupid in this case, it's a presidential election, you're not fighting for democracy in <insert oppressed country here>.

On that note, it's amazing how vastly different it is in politics here and there. I remember when we were in Canberra once, we saw John Howard (the then prime minister) going for a jog, we waved at him, and he waved at us. There was no security, no one bothering him, nothing.

Even now, you can bump into a prime minister or some minister at the shopping mall, there'll be probably two body guards some distance away, anyone can talk to them and shake their hand.

The USA on the other hand, with all those weird gun laws and strange religious groups deviating from the norm

Americans have a very strong beliel in Feedom and Democracy as they see it.

I remember in Iowa having a heated discussion about Freedom - he coudn't understand that the USA is not the only country to have similar values.

I would be happy to live in San Francisco - it's culture is rather like down under

Most Americans, if not most Westerners have a warped or unreal sense of freedom and democracy. A large amount take it to mean that they can do whatever they want or say whatever they want. That's not freedom. That's anarchy.

Idiots running loose practicing hate of all kind so strongly (against gays, soldiers, whatever else) is supposedly an extension of free speech -- presumably this is something to do with those stupid gun laws too.

What's next on the agenda, the freedom to walk your pet lion around? Oh sorry, that's already legal.