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You are here: Home / Science & Technology / The Day After

The Day After

by John Cole|  November 5, 20089:43 am| 101 Comments

This post is in: Science & Technology

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At an all-day presentation, when all I want to do is watch the news and hear more about last night.

At any rate, do any of you have any experience using acrobat.com?

*** Update ***

Sully has a list of reactions, including a lot of right-wingers sharing sentiments like this:

There are about 1,460 days until the next Presidential election, and I assume that I will spend approximately the next 1,459 of them opposing Barack Obama. But I’m spending today proud abut what my country has overcome.

I just don’t know how to respond to this. Right now it alternates between “NO THANKS TO YOU” and asking them what they are proud of since they fought it so damned hard.

Christ- this is the same Corner that spent the last 6 months trying to convince America that Obama is a terrorist who wants to kill your baby and the dance on its corpse while playing George Clinton and sharing a .40 with Al Sharpton. Oh yeah. He wants to give the Jews to Iran, too.

I mean, sure, a lot of us are proud of Obama today, but the thing to remember is that in order to get this done, WE HAD TO DEFEAT DOUCHEBAGS LIKE YOU.

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Reader Interactions

101Comments

  1. 1.

    zzyzx

    November 5, 2008 at 9:48 am

    Check out this recap from the Corner:

    1) We got this the old-fashioned way: we earned it. The other side took the fight to us, and we never took the fight to the other side, except coyly and obliquely. That’s not a mistake we should make the next time. "Honorable campaigns" are for losers. Next time, call ’em as they really are, not as you wish to see ’em.

    2) Where was Bush? Once again, and right to the bitter end, he let his passion for "loyalty" supersede what was stragetically right for the party, not to mention what was best for the country. I think his reputation has nowhere to go but down; yes, he got one big thing right,
    but he got everything else wrong. Enough of this family in our
    country’s politics!

    …

    4) Hillary comes out smelling like a rose, plus unbloodied. She and Bill are already scoping out 2012.

    …

    12) Understand, once and for all, that the old media is part of the Democratic Party now. Ignore it. Never send Michele Bachmann onto Hardball again. Never send Sarah to play nice with Katie. We need to develop and create our own work-arounds — Fox, talk radio, NRO, etc. — and use them. Don’t play by their rules: make our own.

    Damn block quote problem. The quote ends here.

    *******************************************************

    So the problem is that McCain didn’t fight dirty enough – I’m not quite sure how exactly – and didn’t campaign enough with Bush. The solution is to make sure to avoid the media over the next 4 years in order to prevent there being any chance of converting anyone outside the base. And the best bit ever, the bit that shows how this writer (posted by K-Lo but not by her) truly understands politics, is to speculate that Clinton is somehow going to run in 2012 against a sitting president.

    Remember when National Review was the intellectual wing of the Republican party?

  2. 2.

    cleek

    November 5, 2008 at 9:54 am

    Rohm Emanuel will be Obama’s Chief Of Staff.

    huh.

    Remember when National Review was the intellectual wing of the Republican party?

    nope

  3. 3.

    r€nato

    November 5, 2008 at 10:00 am

    We need to develop and create our own work-arounds — Fox, talk radio, NRO, etc. — and use them. Don’t play by their rules: make our own.

    yes, that’s right, burrow yourselves deeper into the reality-distortion field. Sterling advice.

    (uh, don’t they already have a media cocoon to insulate themselves from reality???)

    "Honorable campaigns" are for losers. Next time, call ‘em as they really are, not as you wish to see ‘em.

    Heh. Yes, accusing the Democratic candidate of palling around with terrorists, not being a loyal American and being a socialist or Marxist is playing nice. In 2012, the GOP nominee should go burn a cross in Obama’s lawn and promise to bring back lynchings. That’s sure to be a crows

    Where was Bush? … I think his reputation has nowhere to go but down; yes, he got one big thing right, but he got everything else wrong.Enough of this family in our country’s politics!

    ROTFLMAO! Gee, I thought that until not that long ago, NRO was saying that history would render a positive verdict on Bush. Now, they’re hating on our president in a time of war. TRAITORS!

  4. 4.

    Mr Furious

    November 5, 2008 at 10:00 am

    Pretty much all I could think during McCain’s really good concession speech…"Fuck You! Twelve hours ago you called this guy everything short of Communist Muslim Nigger, and now you want to tell me about your respect for him? Kiss my ass."

  5. 5.

    r€nato

    November 5, 2008 at 10:01 am

    uh, ‘crows’ should be, ‘crowd-pleaser’.

  6. 6.

    demkat620

    November 5, 2008 at 10:02 am

    Jeebus, Tucker Carlson is incoherent. On MSNBC:

    Shorter Tucker:
    I am mad and going to act like a toddler cause other people are happy.

    What an asshat.

  7. 7.

    EnderWiggin

    November 5, 2008 at 10:03 am

    This is not mine, passed on to me, but it is really cool.

    Flickr captures of most major websites just after the race was called for Obama.

  8. 8.

    voice of reason

    November 5, 2008 at 10:03 am

    As the first poster pointed out, there are also plenty of graceless and deranged comments at the corner and elsewhere in Wingnutia.

    I have no intention of being a graceful winner. I hope and pray (literally) that, before the inauguration, McCain is dead of cancer and Palin takes her own life.

  9. 9.

    Napoleon

    November 5, 2008 at 10:04 am

    In a lot of ways I am disappointed in the results last night. The Obama win is great in so many ways, not least of which we will no longer have a know nothing nut in the White House, even if he happens to work out to not try to push policies I would prefer that he does, but I really thought the Dems should have picked up at least 7 Senate seats and 30 house seats.

  10. 10.

    South of I-10

    November 5, 2008 at 10:05 am

    The bullshit I am having to listen to this morning at the office is almost bearable following the big win last night. There are some hard core Repubs here and they seem to be completely unconnected from reality.

  11. 11.

    r€nato

    November 5, 2008 at 10:05 am

    jesus, ‘voice of reason’, get a grip.

  12. 12.

    Joshua Norton

    November 5, 2008 at 10:06 am

    We can probably expect the asshats like Bill Kristol to write rainbow-and-bluebird-enchanted columns all about why liberals should be cheerful, and they hope that we will treat them and all other rethugs with the same consideration, sympathy, hugs and magic unicorn love they have shown us lo these many years.

  13. 13.

    cleek

    November 5, 2008 at 10:06 am

    @voice of reason: that was unnecessary, at best.

  14. 14.

    Some Guy

    November 5, 2008 at 10:07 am

    I think moving immediately into full opposition mode is a deflection tactic to avoid addressing their own political failings. Anything but introspection. Which is great. If they want to avoid learning from this, be my guest, I say.

  15. 15.

    Rudi

    November 5, 2008 at 10:07 am

    What so funny about peace, love, understanding and George Clinton? I loved seeing Hank Jr’ at the McCain rallies. Hank Williams family values…

  16. 16.

    Krista

    November 5, 2008 at 10:11 am

    I’m slightly hung over and headachy from wine and from giddiness.

    But man, oh man…I still can’t believe it. I’m so excited.

    And I don’t know if you guys fully realize it, but this really does change things well beyond your borders. Our Prime Minister is right-wing. If McCain had won, then Harper would be leaning even more rightward in an effort to ingratiate himself with the U.S.

    But because of Obama’s win, Harper will know which way the wind is blowing, and will temper some of his more rightward stances.

    I can see other governments following suit. This really does change everything.

    p.s. Looking forward to you guys getting the hell out of Iraq and back into Afghanistan so that we can finish the job together and bring our troops the hell home.

  17. 17.

    r€nato

    November 5, 2008 at 10:11 am

    …wow, it looks like Bob Barr’s 25,000 votes tipped NC to Obama!

  18. 18.

    Svensker

    November 5, 2008 at 10:11 am

    Let’s the Cornerites and fellow travelers continue to marginalize themselves. The Republican Party as currently constituted needs to be ground up and thrown….into the Dustbin of History!

    Rahm? Boo. Something to be mad at Obama about already.

    George Clinton? Boo ya! Bow wow wow yippie yo yippie yay!

  19. 19.

    jenniebee

    November 5, 2008 at 10:12 am

    Tucker Carlson is on MSNBC right now pretty much saying "it’s disturbing that anybody is noticing that it’s a historical milestone that America elected a black president because I really hope that in the future people will stop planning to will be call me a racist if I just object to universal health care."

    K, Tucker, tell you what. When you say that you don’t like Obama’s weak-ass health care proposal because saving people’s lives and ending the rash of medical bankruptcies isn’t anything you care about, it doesn’t make you a racist. It just makes you a douche.

    And now he’s claiming that the country doesn’t want any real change and Obama understands that. Also Mika and Tucker are making lemonade saying that it’s a "purifying experience" to be fired and spend time in the wilderness.

    And jesus, now it’s all about how talking about the historicism of the election alienates people who didn’t vote for Obama.

  20. 20.

    r€nato

    November 5, 2008 at 10:14 am

    they could make a lot of vinegar with those sour grapes.

  21. 21.

    Joshua

    November 5, 2008 at 10:14 am

    There are 2 wingnut storylines floating around. The first is as you said, "Americans should be very proud of what they did" (yea, by ignoring racist liars like the people spouting this).

    And the other is that Obama must be "very careful" because this is still a "center right" country and the country doesn’t want "liberal stuff" like card checks and higher taxes on rich people and more government spending. Because, you know, the fact that Obama was elected on these things proves America DOESN’T want it.

    I’m so sick of these assholes.

  22. 22.

    Mr Furious

    November 5, 2008 at 10:14 am

    I’m with you, cleek. Over the top.

    If nothing else I want them to live with this for a while…McCain will return to Washington a pariah for the race he ran and still lost.

    And I want the Right to continue their Palin fantasy. She is a fucking dead end, and as long as they keep her as The Savior, they are doomed.

  23. 23.

    Joshua Norton

    November 5, 2008 at 10:16 am

    McCain will return to Washington a pariah for the race he ran and still lost.

    And Lieberman, don’t forget Uncle Joe. His ship has sailed and his pier has collapsed.

  24. 24.

    Mr Furious

    November 5, 2008 at 10:18 am

    According to Glenn Beck, nobody but Cindy voted FOR McCain, all 55M votes were a rejection of Obama, and that is a GOOD thing…

    Oh, and the Republicans need to tack right. Go ahead, asshole!

  25. 25.

    Punchy

    November 5, 2008 at 10:18 am

    John, you missed the much "better" quote: I give you K-Lopez:

    What freaks me out about this election is how oblivious to facts people have been. Everything about Obama’s judgment and radicalism — whether Sean Hannity or Stanley Kurtz or Andy McCarthy etc. is telling you about it — was essentially deemed irrelevant (including largely by the McCain campaign, save for Palin eventually talking about Ayers). Abortion? Near no one outside a handful of conservatives were talking about his record on infanticide — beyond abortion.

    She’s actually implying that "we" (Dems? Huh?) should have listened to Sean "Fucking" Hannity and Andy "Kerning" McCarthy. I honestly don’t know how she finds the light switch and toothbrush in the morning (it is clear she finds the fridge just fine, however).

  26. 26.

    Mr Furious

    November 5, 2008 at 10:19 am

    Yup, if we got to 59, he’d have some pull, now I hope they give him an atomic wedgie and kick his ass across the aisle.

  27. 27.

    South of I-10

    November 5, 2008 at 10:19 am

    @Mr Furious: I actually just had someone in the office say it was a good thing Obama won cause it gives Palin 4 years to get ready for the next election???!! I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.

  28. 28.

    r€nato

    November 5, 2008 at 10:19 am

    It may be too much to hope for, but I hope that Rush Limbaugh says something really ugly WRT Pres. Obama, which leads to the demise of Rush’s program.

    …that is, it’s inevitable that Rush will make some ugly racist comment about Obama or his supporters. I hope that that leads to advertisers abandoning Rush and his audience dwindling to something smaller than Art Bell’s.

  29. 29.

    Krista

    November 5, 2008 at 10:23 am

    Well, I guess Obama has agreed that the kids’ puppy will be a rescued shelter dog, which is beyond awesome.

    I vote for a pit bull puppy. With lipstick. ;)

  30. 30.

    r€nato

    November 5, 2008 at 10:23 am

    Near no one outside a handful of conservatives were talking about his record on infanticide — beyond abortion.

    jesus.

    The simple fact is, time after time the majority of Americans solidly back reproductive choice and don’t buy the anti-choice extremist rhetoric. No amount of waving bloody fetuses and screaming, ‘baby murderer!’ and ‘infanticide!’ will change that.

    Even GOP political insiders know this, though they are loathe to admit it. The abortion issue is useful for milking the fundies for their time and their money.

  31. 31.

    Laura W

    November 5, 2008 at 10:25 am

    @South of I-10: Imagine how much worse you’d feel if you’d had a bottle or two of good Pinot.

  32. 32.

    nevsky42

    November 5, 2008 at 10:25 am

    There are about 1,460 days until the next Presidential election, and I assume that I will spend approximately the next 1,459 of them opposing Barack Obama.

    No doubt while blaming Obama for the huge mess Bush and the Republicans left for the grownups to clean…

  33. 33.

    realbtl

    November 5, 2008 at 10:26 am

    Too lazy to link but go check out the palinaspresident site. Needless to say there’s been some changes made. It will likely bring on the tears again.

  34. 34.

    John Cole

    November 5, 2008 at 10:27 am

    @voice of reason: Try not to be a total classless dick.

  35. 35.

    South of I-10

    November 5, 2008 at 10:27 am

    @Laura W: I did. Maybe I should take some of those crazy pills . . .

  36. 36.

    Laura W

    November 5, 2008 at 10:27 am

    @jenniebee: Mika-free for 1:14.
    One hour at a time.

  37. 37.

    gex

    November 5, 2008 at 10:29 am

    Contra voice of reason’s ugly, ugly post, last night my feeling was that I wanted my side to be as gracious as can be. I know it doesn’t change their side. The Dems can, and should, continue to be the grown up party – rescuing the country by fixing the financial situation like we always do after enough Republican rule. It will not be acknowledged or appreciated. It is thankless work. But it must be done for the good of the country (that’s Country First, mf-ers!).

  38. 38.

    Krista

    November 5, 2008 at 10:35 am

    At any rate, I bet Obama is freaking TIRED. Poor man — he’s got a definite uphill battle, cleaning up the neocons’ mess.

    I hope he’ll take some time to relax and recover before taking the reins.

  39. 39.

    Laura W

    November 5, 2008 at 10:36 am

    @realbtl: Wow. No shit. Brilliant. Very moving and a great punctuation mark ending. Beginning.

  40. 40.

    Mr Furious

    November 5, 2008 at 10:38 am

    @gex: Yes and no. Be gracious winners, but don’t forget the bullshit we had to fight past. The right deserves some time with our boot on its throat, not a hand up.

  41. 41.

    Dress Left

    November 5, 2008 at 10:38 am

    Just can’t help thinking that Dean’s 50 State Strategy took perfect advantage of the Worst President of all time.

    Oh yeah, and the best run campaign ever.

    If the GOP runs Kegel Palin in 2012 (please please), they’re done for a generation.

  42. 42.

    Laura W

    November 5, 2008 at 10:39 am

    @Krista:

    I hope he’ll take some time to relax and recover before taking the reins.

    Well, first up is a memorial for his grama. Surely it will be held in Hawaii, which will cause accusations to fly that he is already taking his first vacation and he’s not even president.
    Or something like that.
    I’m not good at imitating sociopaths.

  43. 43.

    Montysano (All Hail Marx & Lennon)

    November 5, 2008 at 10:42 am

    K-Lo:

    Everything about Obama’s judgment and radicalism — whether Sean Hannity or Stanley Kurtz or Andy McCarthy etc. is telling you about it — was essentially deemed irrelevant

    And hopefully Hannity, for whom my dislike is intense, will be rendered irrelevant as well. For a solid week, Hannity has been raving like a maniac, with the result being: FAIL.

    A single tear rolls down my cheek.

  44. 44.

    Mr Furious

    November 5, 2008 at 10:43 am

    @Dress Left: Absolutely true. Obama singled out Plouffe as the unsung hero, but to me it was Dean. He got this started, despite all the static from within the party. Obama stepped right in and bulked that machine up, but Dean gets credit for starting it off in my book.

    Any of the other candidates would have ignored it in favor of Kerry states plus Ohio. It would have been closer, and the coattails diminished.

  45. 45.

    Shygetz

    November 5, 2008 at 10:46 am

    I am actually looking forward to shuffling around with glazed-over eyes chanting "Elections mean something."

  46. 46.

    libarbarian

    November 5, 2008 at 10:47 am

    Finally those capitalist pigs will pay for their crimes. Eh, Comrades? Eh?

  47. 47.

    Montysano (All Hail Marx & Lennon)

    November 5, 2008 at 10:49 am

    @libarbarian:

    Finally those capitalist pigs will pay for their crimes. Eh, Comrades? Eh?

    Here at work, my wingnut colleagues have been told to gather their personal possessions. The bus to the reeducation camps will pick them up at noon.

  48. 48.

    greynoldsct00

    November 5, 2008 at 10:50 am

    @Mr Furious: I actually just had someone in the office say it was a good thing Obama won cause it gives Palin 4 years to get ready for the next election???!! I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.

    Sorry you have to be surrounded by that in-your-face crap on such a momentous day… the conservs in my office are laying low, thank goodness, they know they are outnumbered.

  49. 49.

    libarbarian

    November 5, 2008 at 10:51 am

    Also Mika and Tucker are making lemonade saying that it’s a "purifying experience" to be fired and spend time in the wilderness.

    Their right.

    Performing tapas in the forest will earn you boons from Shiva and you can then use your karmic power to destroy Raskshasas.

    Duh!

  50. 50.

    Napoleon

    November 5, 2008 at 10:52 am

    Well its already clear that the wingnuts aren’t even going to slow down with their BS. Our local NPR station had a call in on the election and of course one wingnut got on and vomited all the ussual Corner/LGF fare all over the place, and I just got done reading the WaPo piece on supporters of both sides reactions and of course one guy wanted to talk about birth certificates and one guy about Acorn stealing it (although there was also the neat tidbit in the article that someone had hung a sign on the chain link fence surronding the inaugural site "welcome home Malia and Sasha").

    This is going to be Clinton times 2.

  51. 51.

    Brian J

    November 5, 2008 at 10:53 am

    Check out these three post. First, we have Matt Yglesias:

    Early word on the shape of the Obama administration:

    1. Chief of Staff: Jeremiah Wright
    2. Secretary of State: Rashid Khalidi
    3. Secretary of Defense: Bill Ayers
    4. Attorney-General: Bernardine Dohrn
    5. Secretary of the Treasury: Tony Rezko

    Obviously, that still leaves a lot of posts to be filled, but the feeling is that given the current state of crisis in the country the new administration needs to act swiftly to fill the major jobs and these are them.

    UPDATE: New appointments — Franklin Raines at HUD, Michael Phleger for the office of faith-based initiatives.

    Second comes Ezra Klein:

    According to recent campaign narratives, the American people have now given Barack Obama an overwhelming mandate for the following projects:

    1) Socialism.

    2) Putting the coal industry out of business.

    3) Wealth spreading.

    4) More socialism.

    5) Making Joe the Plumber’s life a living hell.

    6) Taking away everyone’s guns. Even those held by police.

    7) Government-run health care. Government-run mandate health care. Indeed, a mandate for government-run health care with an individual mandate!

    8) Reinstituting the Fairness Doctrine.

    9) Surrendering in Iraq.

    Am I missing anything? This is going to be a helluva first 100 days.

    Finally, look at what Mark Kleiman had to say:

    Your candidate called our candidate a socialist. None of you pointed out that your candidate was full of it. Our candidate won convincingly.

    You can’t come back now and announce that he country is still "center-right" and that the winner has no madate for progressive policy.

    Well, you can. But only because you have no intellectual integrity or self-respect.

    Gracious concession speech aside, that’s the McCain campaign argument in a thousand words or less, with my response to it.

  52. 52.

    Shygetz

    November 5, 2008 at 10:53 am

    @Svensker: I think Rahm Emmanuel is a brilliant choice as Chief of Staff. CoS needs to be someone who will kick ass to keep the staff in line, and if I wanted a Democrat to kick ass in Washington, Rahm would be on the top of my list. That way, Obama gets to play Diplomat-in-Chief, which is a role he is much more suited for.

  53. 53.

    greynoldsct00

    November 5, 2008 at 10:53 am

    And Lieberman, don’t forget Uncle Joe. His ship has sailed and his pier has collapsed

    He’s been quoted as saying something to the effect of the country is now going to be destroyed now that we have a Dem majority and pres.

  54. 54.

    libarbarian

    November 5, 2008 at 10:55 am

    @Mr Furious: I actually just had someone in the office say it was a good thing Obama won cause it gives Palin 4 years to get ready for the next election???!! I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.

    DUDE!!!!!!

    Obama = Drago
    McCain = Apollo
    Palin = Rocky.

    She’s going back to Alaska to pull a truck through the snow and prepare for ’12.

  55. 55.

    Cyrus

    November 5, 2008 at 10:55 am

    @zzyzx: Heh, that’s a classic post at the Corner. There are a lot of gems where the author is right, but for completely ridiculous reasons:

    5) Time to clean house. McCain should have been president in 2000, not in 2008. No more "it’s my turn" for the last loser. We need to be looking for our candidates in the ranks of returning war vets — think Eisenhower in ’52 as the model …

    I hope she’s right about this. Think about what it would mean for the Democrats and the country if, after Obama, the Republicans find themselves in the same position as in 1952. Yes, I would like a new New Deal, please.

    6) You know what? McCain never did sell himself as a leader. He sold himself as a maverick.

    Really? You think so? No, I’m sorry, I should elaborate: DUUUUHH.

    11) Unlike the Democrats, let’s show some class in defeat. That doesn’t mean lie down and roll over: it means fighting for what we believe in, doubly so now. But their sneering childishness is not for us; and now that they’ve won, they won’t be able to control it even in victory.

    If "grace in defeat" only means not being too hostile to Democrats, I think Lopez might be proud of her party’s conduct in coming years. They might manage it. After all, points 3, 5, 7 and 9 show they have plenty of backstabbing and rubbing salt in the wounds of their own former allies to do before they can pay attention to the rest of the country.

  56. 56.

    Charity

    November 5, 2008 at 10:58 am

    @Krista: Well, first he has to bury his poor grandmother. *sigh* Bittersweet.

  57. 57.

    eyeball

    November 5, 2008 at 11:11 am

    By God, I LOVE the Korner. It’s gold, comedy gold!

    Anyone share my feeling that the grownups have finally taken back control of the schoolyard and made the bullies don their dunce caps?

  58. 58.

    Dress Left

    November 5, 2008 at 11:27 am

    one wingnut got on and vomited all the usual Corner/LGF fare all over the place

    There will always be these viruses in the body politic. Constant vigilance is needed to identify, isolate, and stamp them out.

    It will be ever thus.

  59. 59.

    Svensker

    November 5, 2008 at 11:28 am

    @Shygetz:

    @Svensker: I think Rahm Emmanuel is a brilliant choice as Chief of Staff. CoS needs to be someone who will kick ass to keep the staff in line, and if I wanted a Democrat to kick ass in Washington, Rahm would be on the top of my list. That way, Obama gets to play Diplomat-in-Chief, which is a role he is much more suited for.

    Yeah, I sorta agree. But the fewer neocons around Obama, the better. Don’t want Rahm to be Wormtongue, whispering "Bomb Iran" in O’s ear.

  60. 60.

    Bubblegum Tate

    November 5, 2008 at 11:30 am

    Christ- this is the same Corner that spent the last 6 months trying to convince America that Obama is a terrorist who wants to kill your baby and the dance on its corpse while playing George Clinton and sharing a .40 with Al Sharpton. Oh yeah. He wants to give the Jews to Iran, too.

    I mean, sure, a lot of us are proud of Obama today, but the thing to remember is that in order to get this done, WE HAD TO DEFEAT DOUCHEBAGS LIKE YOU.

    This just needs to be reiterated. I love this "we’re gonna spend a year calling Obama a commie Nazi Marxist terrorist Islamofascist, then, when we lose, we’re gonna be all about graciousness and good temperament." Please.

    However, if you want to see some real bitterness, check out the 100-waaaaaahmbulance pileup at HillaryIs44.

  61. 61.

    TheHatOnMyCat

    November 5, 2008 at 11:33 am

    I have no intention of being a graceful winner. I hope and pray (literally) that, before the inauguration, McCain is dead of cancer and Palin takes her own life.

    John, I think you should take that post down. I can’t see that it serves any purpose here.

  62. 62.

    Hyperion

    November 5, 2008 at 11:36 am

    I skipped to the end (in a hurry) so apologies for any redundancy…

    Mr. Cole, thank you for nailing it. This will be my rejoinder for quite a while (leaving the bold on for the excellent emphasis):

    WE HAD TO DEFEAT DOUCHEBAGS LIKE YOU.

    But one cavil: COBAG is the preferred gender neutral term. deviating from the Approved Vocabulary is allowed today. But don’t make it a habit. Otherwise, gay abortions at GITMO for you.

  63. 63.

    Nate

    November 5, 2008 at 11:40 am

    I think John is being pretty unfair here. Can you not simultaneously be proud of your country for electing a black man, but still having preferred the other candidate because you thought his policies were better?

  64. 64.

    Libby Spencer

    November 5, 2008 at 11:41 am

    Ow. My head hurts. But I just want to thank you John Cole and Michael and Tim and all the Balloonjuicers again for everything you did to make this moment possible. It feels so fucking good to have a president I can be proud again. You all rock my socks off. …..Libby +mega-hangover.

  65. 65.

    b. hussein canuckistani

    November 5, 2008 at 11:42 am

    I agree with Krista – Obama’s victory should curb the excesses of the Harper government. Thanks for that!

  66. 66.

    ChrisA

    November 5, 2008 at 11:43 am

    Christ- this is the same Corner that spent the last 6 months trying to convince America that Obama is a terrorist who wants to kill your baby and the dance on its corpse while playing George Clinton and sharing a .40 with Al Sharpton. Oh yeah. He wants to give the Jews to Iran, too.

    And don’t forget he’s’ a socialist, too!

    I’m personally waiting for the Democrat truck that has the wealth-distribution checks. I hear through the inter-toobes that they’re going to be on a weekly delivery schedule.

  67. 67.

    Svensker

    November 5, 2008 at 11:44 am

    However, if you want to see some real bitterness, check out the 100-waaaaaahmbulance pileup at HillaryIs44.

    Wow! Brit Hume has always been in the tank for Obama? Blacks are racist assholes and they don’t deserve any more welfare payments? God damn America? Bill and Hillary put party over country and we hate them now, too? Look to see Farrakhan as Sec State and Ayers as Sec Def?

    Seriously deranged.

  68. 68.

    Jeff

    November 5, 2008 at 11:50 am

    Can you not simultaneously be proud of your country for electing a black man, but still having preferred the other candidate because you thought his policies were better?

    Only if you run against his policies and not that he is a scary black man.

  69. 69.

    Nate

    November 5, 2008 at 11:53 am

    Only if you run against his policies and not that he is a scary black man.

    Pretty sure Jim Manzi never said anything like that, so maybe John should find a better example.

  70. 70.

    jrg

    November 5, 2008 at 11:55 am

    I’m spending today proud about what my country has overcome.

    Seymour Hersh: ‘You cannot believe how many people have told me to call them on 20 January [the date of the next president’s inauguration],’ he says, with relish. ‘[They say:] “You wanna know about abuses and violations? Call me then.”

    "proud about what my country has overcome" my ass. From now until January, expect them to be destroying evidence of what this country has overcome.

  71. 71.

    binzinerator

    November 5, 2008 at 11:57 am

    Heard a wingnut on the radio this morning while on the way to work. Stupid fucker kept insisting Obama’s decisive win meant a smack-down of George Bush, not conservatism.

    Ah, yes. Conservatism cannot fail, it can only be failed.

    These people have zero ability to even grasp what just happened, they have zero ability for introspection.

    Last night the GOP was unmasked as the Party of the Old Confederacy, and this morning reaffirmed its determination to continue post haste its mean and ugly pursuit of increasing irrelevancy.

  72. 72.

    Screamin' Demon

    November 5, 2008 at 11:58 am

    sharing a .40 with Al Sharpton.

    A .40?

    When did we start measuring the consumption of malt liquor in calibers?

  73. 73.

    redbeardjim

    November 5, 2008 at 12:01 pm

    @Svensker:

    On the other hand, at least it gets Rahm out of Congress. That’s something.

  74. 74.

    Cris v.3.1

    November 5, 2008 at 12:01 pm

    @Mr Furious: If nothing else I want them to live with this for a while

    This reminds me of an earlier comment on this site, pointing out that the saddest thing about Jesse Helms’ death is that he didn’t live to see a black president.

  75. 75.

    John Cole

    November 5, 2008 at 12:06 pm

    I think John is being pretty unfair here. Can you not simultaneously be proud of your country for electing a black man, but still having preferred the other candidate because you thought his policies were better?

    Oh boo god damned hoo. We are talking about the Corner here, not the public at large. I give the millions of Americans who voted for McCain a pass because I think it is possible to do just what you said- be proud of your country for electing a black man while voting for the other guy, because I am sure a lot of them did.

    On the other hand, Jim Manzi and those douchebags at the Corner spent every god damned day smearing and lying and publishing every piece of filth they could find. Did you read Manzi or anyone else smack down any of McCarthy’s bullshit? Did you see him tell K-Lo to STFU when she daily accused Obama of supporting infanticide.

    Yeah. Me either. After WWII, we didn’t go around summarily executing German civilians. We did, however, pay special attention to the fuckers in the SS uniforms. There is a difference.

  76. 76.

    John Cole

    November 5, 2008 at 12:08 pm

    @Screamin’ Demon: Things are still a bit hazy and groggy here at BJHQ.

  77. 77.

    Cris v.3.1

    November 5, 2008 at 12:11 pm

    @Screamin’ Demon: When did we start measuring the consumption of malt liquor in calibers?

    Since we started drinking Colt 45, duh.

  78. 78.

    Ash Can

    November 5, 2008 at 12:11 pm

    This Newsweek article has some nifty glimpses into the two campaigns, as well as moments of high hilarity. Like, for example,

    …Palin’s shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported…An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast"

    Read the whole thing; at the end of the article is a delightful little gem about Barack Obama that indicates he might fit in quite well at a snarkfest such as Balloon Juice.

  79. 79.

    Krista

    November 5, 2008 at 12:17 pm

    I just want to go home now. It’s not like I’m getting any work done today anyway, between the hangover, reading the happy, happy coverage, and also reading the occasional righty blog for the sheer joy of the schadenfreude.

  80. 80.

    Nate

    November 5, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    After WWII, we didn’t go around summarily executing German civilians. We did, however, pay special attention to the fuckers in the SS uniforms. There is a difference.

    They call Obama a terrorist, you compare them to Nazis. Maybe you’re not too different from them after all.

  81. 81.

    gbear

    November 5, 2008 at 12:23 pm

    Mr. Cole in 5….4….3….2…

  82. 82.

    Cris v.3.1

    November 5, 2008 at 12:32 pm

    @Nate:
    Oh for Charlie Crist’s sake. Please at least try for some intellectual honesty.

  83. 83.

    Napoleon

    November 5, 2008 at 12:37 pm

    @Ash Can:

    I assume that its the quote I read elsewhere about "changning the f—- light bulbs at home". I printed the article out to read tonight. Alledgedly they got that quote from a tape someone made of him sitting around shooting the bull with Axlerod and some others while they were discussing how he would handle debates.

  84. 84.

    Comrade Darkness

    November 5, 2008 at 12:37 pm

    Even GOP political insiders know this, though they are loathe to admit it. The abortion issue is useful for milking the fundies for their time and their money.

    If they were honest partners in trying to reduce abortion, I’d cut them a tiny bit of slack, but like all issues, they don’t want to solve anything, just lay blame and bully the powerless. Obama made some comments about holding this counterproductive behavior up to scrutiny and I was glad to see it. He needs to get the press to help pound it home. Every time they squeal about sex ed, about family planning, about condom distribution they need to be pounded on as not serious about actually addressing the issue. Pounded hard, until the pragmatics among them splinter off and decide to come together with dems on the issue so we can make a difference.

  85. 85.

    Comrade Darkness

    November 5, 2008 at 12:42 pm

    Seriously deranged.

    Good riddance is the kind way of summarizing my feelings on these guys. I’m not usually one for party purity, but if the purity test is self administered… what the heck…

  86. 86.

    Rob

    November 5, 2008 at 12:42 pm

    I’m stunned by the hillary44 site. These wacky people would vote republican? after what that party did to her for 8 years??? It’s just a cult of personality… there is no strand of reality there at all. Someone needs to call the booby hatch and lock them all up. They could jump across party lines and then call Obama supporters programmed robots?

    I have to get off the blogs and just enjoy the moment – without the bitterness of fools spoiling it.

  87. 87.

    South of I-10

    November 5, 2008 at 12:42 pm

    I really don’t even know where to put this or how to begin. A woman I work with just told me that her sister called her to let her know they are organizing a prayer service for this afternoon to pray for all the babies that will be aborted because Barack Obama won. The sister is one of the super hardcore Catholics. The woman I work with is Catholic and she mocked her sister. It’s called 40 years of precedent, get over it. My question was, is Barack Obama going to be forcing abortions, or carrying out these abortions himself? Now I know I am taking crazy pills.

  88. 88.

    Ash Can

    November 5, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    @Napoleon: Yep, that’s the one. Maybe it’s because I’m giddy and sleep-deprived today, but it made me laugh out loud.

  89. 89.

    John Cole

    November 5, 2008 at 12:52 pm

    They call Obama a terrorist, you compare them to Nazis. Maybe you’re not too different from them after all.

    Fail.

    Nowhere did I compare them to Nazis.

    Does someone else want to handle this? And before we address this, are we dealing with a spoof, a concern troll, or a Republican? No, those are not mutually exclusive.

  90. 90.

    Chris Johnson

    November 5, 2008 at 12:55 pm

    There will always be these viruses in the body politic. Constant vigilance is needed to identify, isolate, and stamp them out.

    Just because the Republicans became the terrorists doesn’t mean we have to become the Republicans, ‘k?

    The word you are missing is ‘citizen’. Our country was based on the fact that you are allowed to be a citizen and be WRONG.

    I think you need to rephrase that, since people are allowed to be wrong but are not allowed to commit crimes and injustices just because they’re wrong… we control people’s behaviors but don’t propose to control their beliefs.

    Think what you want and keep your fists to yourself…

    "Constant vigilance is needed to identify, isolate, and CONTAIN them."

    We’re the melting pot. A little poison heightens the excitement of the flavor- accepting that doesn’t mean you’re signing on for all-poison all the time.

    Dead serious here. Our only hope is to grow up and learn how to work intelligent tolerance that isn’t cutting our own throats. NOT trying to create a utopia where there are no racists, homophobes or bankers ;)

  91. 91.

    The Dangerman

    November 5, 2008 at 1:06 pm

    When are we going to hear the virtues of "Unitary Executive" from their side? Know any good hangover tips? Other than hair of the dog.

  92. 92.

    Comrade Stuck

    November 5, 2008 at 1:06 pm

    withdrawn comment

  93. 93.

    Comrade Stuck

    November 5, 2008 at 1:10 pm

    Try again.

    " rel="external">The new and old NRO Headquarters

    Was trying to link You Tube. Total FAIL.

  94. 94.

    Brian J

    November 5, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    I’m stunned by the hillary44 site. These wacky people would vote republican? after what that party did to her for 8 years??? It’s just a cult of personality… there is no strand of reality there at all.

    Yeah, really. I doubt any of these people would have the excuse of being solid Republicans who supported her because of her gender.

    Man, if there was one development that shocked me over the course of the campaign, it was the use of Hillary Clinton as a campaign tool to help Republicans. Never in my life would I have expected her to be cheered at some Republican rallies or for there to be a mailer using her image as a reason to vote for the Republicans.

  95. 95.

    Comrade Chaos

    November 5, 2008 at 1:47 pm

    @Ash Can
    Once again, Barack FTW. This is gonna be a fun four years.

    First time post. I’ve enjoyed your election comments immensely.

  96. 96.

    eyeball

    November 5, 2008 at 1:53 pm

    Does someone else want to handle this? And before we address this, are we dealing with a spoof, a concern troll, or a Republican? No, those are not mutually exclusive.

    I got it, John:

    1) The Korner and ilk are not "average Republicans" who voted by party affiliation or a set of ideals (those folks are fine Americans in my book). They are lazy, virulent propagandists who tried quite literally to brand the majority Democratic party (not lefty loons, who do exist and who are utterly discounted) with the equivalent of a yellow star (‘liberal fascism’ ring a bell?), and make Obama into a cloven-hoofed racial beast. They did so because when you’re out of bullets, you throw the gun, turn tail and run. Even Saddam Hussein’s retreating minions didn’t launch ammonia bombs at our soldiers (they must have had one or two shitty ones lying around). These people are radical outliers who nonetheless imagine themselves the intellectual heart of a vast "movement." This is called a delusion. Think Baghdad Bob: "There are no Democrats out there … do not believe what you see on the screen behind me."

    2) The people who post there are quite literally the gunk underneath the barrel’s bottom. They will spread every idiotic punk-ass lie they can get their teeth into — Obama has no birth certificate; Obama’s wife says "whitey"; Obama is strangling babies to death, Obama’s aunt in Boston eats cat food and lives in a Boston slum (I’ve been there recently – it’s a very clean crime-free development). The baby thing: Look back at your propaganda history. This was said about the Germans in Belgium in WWI — and it wasn’t even true about them! Same for the Iraqis in Kuwait. When you reach for the baby killer meme, you have stepped so far into frothing spittle territory you cannot see the shoreline anymore.

    3) They NEVER admit they are wrong about anything, which is why they love Palin so much. That is her central political skill. This is a very bad character trait. The first thing we teach our kids is "take responsibility" and "it’s better to admit a mistake then try to lie and rationalize your way around it." In other words, they are children. Children have no business being in charge of anything.

    4) when all you have left are hate, division, chicken-hawk "patriotism" and a few bromides about big government while you have scuttled the Constitution through FISA, and misrun 2 wars and the Katrina response and the entire economy, and been DEAD WRONG in everything you say about the country, the electorate, the future and the world, time and again, and lied about it all, you need to be watched. That doesn’t mean you aren’t free to build your own private booby-hatch in Idaho or South Carolina and make up rules for who gets in and out. It just means you have to be watched. Not by the government — although apparently you think that’s OK since you support federal eavesdropping (I do not.). But by freedom-loving people who can call you out.

    5) But if you still feel sorry for them, send them Cheetohs and Dew.

  97. 97.

    jim

    November 5, 2008 at 2:00 pm

    Yeah, all that "graciousness" pretty much stinks like roadkill in the sun, coming the day after so many months of total Rovian sliming & bullshit. The delicious irony being that it was the complete lack of any such civility that likely cost them the election in the first place … the dumb buggers picked their knuckles up – one day too late.

    There’s also a branch of Planet Wingnut that’re already yowling about election fraud & vowing to bring back the militias of the 90s – prelude to a spectacle of self-pwnage which will be even more ridiculous now than it was then. Suburban wannabe-survivalists having endless purity-feuds among themselves while fighting over their last precious bag of Cheetos? BRING IT ON!

    Palin running in 2012? Sounds like that could’ve come straight off the top of Obama’s political Wish-List. Can Sarahcuda & her gang of nutbar witch-hunters give the GOP the final hollow-point headshot it so richly deserves? You betcha!

    They call Obama a terrorist, you compare them to Nazis.

    When you keep going further & further to the right – much like the Republicans have been doing since at least 1980 – guess where you eventually wind up? It’s sure as hell not Kansas, Dorothy.

    Google "Tony Zirkle" or "World Anti-Communist League" or "Prescott Bush – Reichsbank – Trading With The Enemy Act" if you actually think that’s mere hyperbole … the GOP that called Obama another Neville Chamberlain a few months ago is the same GOP that held tight to its isolationism right up until Pearl Harbour, while Europe burned.

    It’s also the same GOP that has set up postage-stamp "Free-Speech Zones" from which to contain & monitor dissent, kneecapped habeas corpus, wiretaps phones & spies on private e-mail, & says it’s okay to hold you on SUSPICION of terrorist activity (examples: belonging to an anti-war group or environmental coalition), without a trial, without a lawyer, & without actual charges. Those are all things fascists like to do.

    Now a lot of the wingnuts are calling Bush a "closet liberal" & whining about how he didn’t go far enough – so I can just imagine what kinds of policies they’ll be advocating in another year or two.

    Loyalty oaths? Purges? Anti-Muslim pogroms? "Country First" registries for selective breeding of ubermenschen? Friday Torchlight Parades? Mandatory Old Glory Armbands? The sky’s the limit.

  98. 98.

    gil mann

    November 5, 2008 at 2:13 pm

    Well, I guess Obama has agreed that the kids’ puppy will be a rescued shelter dog, which is beyond awesome.

    That thrills me. If he bought ’em a puggle, I’d be like Greenwald after the FISA vote.

  99. 99.

    Ash Can

    November 5, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    @Comrade Chaos: Many thanks. :)

  100. 100.

    liberal

    November 5, 2008 at 3:04 pm

    @Krista:

    p.s. Looking forward to you guys getting the hell out of Iraq and back into Afghanistan so that we can finish the job together and bring our troops the hell home.

    Problem is that history indicates that the job in Afghanistan is likely impossible to complete.

  101. 101.

    mike

    November 6, 2008 at 1:55 pm

    And let’s not forget that the sainted Wm. F Buckley was flat-out racist, simple and plain.

    Motherfuck him and K-Lo.

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