Paul Constant at Seattle’s Stranger, rebutting the National Review revanchists, writes “Crush Them Back, Harder“:
Liberals have a rare opportunity today to do something they signally started in the landslide election of 2008: finish the job. Bill Clinton’s victory was vitiated by the inclusion of Dick Morris and quickly revenged by Kenneth Starr, leading to his replacement in 2000 by George W. Bush, a man who exactly nobody thought was qualified to be president of the United States, probably including Bush himself.
In retrospect, of course, George W. Bush was Pericles of Athens compared to Mitt Romney, who far more than Bush has revealed the true face of contemporary American right-conservatism in all its coercive ugliness: a blizzard of shifting policies; the deployment of ignoramuses to spread disinformation and discontent on cable airwaves; and the naked Randian appeals to race and class hatred. The most anti-American of American presidential candidates has run the most un-American of campaigns.
And that, by rights, should be it. Romney’s campaign has been so ugly, so founded on lies and nothingness, that nobody should want to vote for the man. But somehow, it’s a close race. From Day One of the Romney campaign, real conservatives pretended there was an explicit threat from Obama’s “fundamental change.” They imbue whole conspiracies into Obama’s offhand “voting is the best revenge” remark, when for the Right, “revenge” is precisely what this election is all about. For them and their constituents, it’s payback time: payback for the thought that taxes should be fairer; payback for the death of Osama bin Laden; payback for the policies of FDR; payback for America’s changing demographics. They’ve long used the civil-rights movement — which after all was directed precisely against bigots– and the Vietnam-era “pro-war” movement — which arose in opposition to the foreign policy of the Democrats led by George McGovern— as wedges with which to crack the larger social structure and now, so close to realizing the ultimate expression of their “critical theory” — that everything about un-wealthy America stinks — they and their media allies are doing their best to swing an last election for Romney…
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ETA: Second favorite — “Is Nate Silver A Witch?”
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Further ETA, for the lulz: John Cassidy at the New Yorker:
On Sunday, as a blizzard of new polls confirmed the lack of a last-minute bounce for the Mittster, I tweeted out: “Apart from George Will, does anyone still think Romney will win the electoral college?” Apparently, they do. Here are the names of the Romney optimists: Karl Rove and Dick Morris, who need no introduction; Michael Barone, the veteran political analyst; John Ellis, a media pundit who used to be a senior executive at Fox News; Jennifer Rubin, neoconservative columnist at the Washington Post; and Donald Trump.
Two days on, with Election Day upon us, not much has changed. The vast majority of pundits, academics, and forecasters agree that Obama will win. Indeed, there is a broad consensus about his likely margin of victory in the electoral college: 303 to 235. In addition to myself, a number of prognosticators have settled on these figures. They include the Democratic strategist Joe Trippi; the Slate blogger Matt Yglesias; the Huffpo’s Pollster tracking model; the Web site PredictWise, the consulting firm CabPolitical. Most other forecasts are grouped around the 303-235 projection. Early Tuesday morning, Nate Silver’s 538 model was predicting Obama 315, Romney 223; Sam Wang’s Princeton Election Consortium had it at Obama 309, Romney 229. Larry Sabato and his colleagues at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics were predicting that Obama would do slightly less well but still win. Their figures for the electoral college: Obama 290, Romney 248…
Jeff Spender
Yes, yes. Doom! DOOM! DOOOOM!!!
I think people have been going on about this since fire was the hot new thing.
Sorry. I’m really, really grumpy right now. This day turned out to be worse than I feared.
Soonergrunt
And for buried lede of the day, “White Panthers intimidate voters in California”
hildebrand
I am starting to panic a bit – why in the world is Romney’s team so damn happy and contented today? It feels like they think this election is in the bag. It is making me very edgy.
Linnaeus
I’m sure at some point, someone (not on this blog) will make a Very Serious Comment about how Constant is being overly divisive and partisan and isn’t it so sad that we all don’t get along like we used to and work together blah blah blah.
chopper
@Soonergrunt:
with the sheer amount of this shit, i expect a real baby boom in the rat population in a few weeks.
Waldo
I voted as hard as I could. What more can ya do?
David Koch
@hildebrand:
they’re happy cuz they no longer have to consort with Mittens and Lady Ann.
KG
@hildebrand: because they’ve all already negotiated advances on the failed campaign book deals?
Linnaeus
@hildebrand:
They’re “acting as if”. Don’t let it get to you.
TaMara (BHF)
An acquaintance of mine (friend of Bad Horse) went to the polls in NYC dressed as…BIG BIRD.
I kinda “heart” him now. He’ll be on CNN later.
The Moar You Know
@Soonergrunt: One of the only black neighborhoods on the San Francisco peninsula. Former employee of mine was pretty much raised in that church.
Yeah, they do have skinheads up there. NorCal is not the liberal mecca that it’s made out to be. Although it’s miles better than anything south of Orange County.
Thoughtcrime
Want a call from Michael Moore?
Michael Moore will personally call (3+ / 0-)
From his FB page:
“”If you know someone who still hasn’t voted yet and is on the fence – and you think a personal call or text from me may help – text me their cell # at 810-522-8398. I will try to personally contact as many of them as I can in the next few hours. Every minute counts! (don’t post their cell on Facebook – you must text it to me at my personal phone number – which i guess i’ll have to change after today hahaha).”
Thx Michael/sh
Captain Goto
[whine]
Put in an hour of phone banking, followed by 2 hours of canvassing in the Hill District (and yes, the name is appropriate). I’m whipped.
[/whine]
Enough feeling sorry for myself. CRUSH the MFers.
Spaghetti Lee
@hildebrand:
It’s easy to freak out about that (I know I’ve been doing some of that) but what else are they supposed to do? Wail and moan about how badly they’re losing before the votes are counted? Yeah, good luck getting a job with a candidate after that. You don’t go into political PR if you’re filled with self-doubt.
FlipYrWhig
Just back from voting in Virginia. Much longer line than usual — but also a new polling place compared to last time.
The Moar You Know
@hildebrand: I imagine working for the Romneys is a job straight out of hell.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@hildebrand: campaigns are a bubble, maybe the ultimate in epistemic closure. Romney’s desperate quest for a hook over the last few days, ending with the whole “revenge” thing, is not a sign of good internal polls. I’ve seen hints that African American turn-out is beating expectations (whose expectations, I guess is the question) in VA, PA and OH. I’m nervous too, but don’t fall in to the “body language” trap. I actually read the Carville/Matalin book about ’92 (I was very young, it felt like a good way to learn about politics) and she was stunned by a Clinton win that had been in the cards for weeks.
SatanicPanic
@hildebrand: dude, chill out
Cris (without an H)
Here’s a steaming bowl of turd for you: via Yahoo! News, I give you Walter Shapiro. “If Obama wins, will he finally tell us his second-term agenda?”
Up your hole with a mello-roll, Walt.
TaMara (BHF)
@hildebrand: Heavily medicated?
BGinCHI
@hildebrand: Because they are fucking psychopath rich fuckheads.
They will have plenty of Benjamins tomorrow, no matter what. Why worry?
Xecky Gilchrist
@hildebrand: It feels like they think this election is in the bag. It is making me very edgy.
They may well think so. When have they been right about anything?
EconWatcher
TPM has some screaming headlines about mass confusion in PA, with ID being demanded even though not required because of the court rulings. Not sure how much I trust TPM to assess how much of a problem it really is, though. They seem to have become pretty ruthless in trawling for clicks.
hildebrand
@SatanicPanic: I know, I know. I just have the late afternoon of election day ‘John Kerry all over again’ feeling. I know its irrational, but because it is an irrational fear it is somewhat tough to shake.
Gravenstone
Were it not for the fact I needed to ensure my vote against Tommy Thompson was going for a worthy cause, I’d have seriously considered a vote for Nimrod Y. U. Allen. Granted, having Tammy Baldwin as the future junior Senator from Wisconsin will be enough to make Ron Johnson’s wingnut melon explode. But imagine the carnage that would result if he’d had to share the Senate with Mr. Allen.
kindness
Nate Silver is the new antichrist to wingnutz. That would be funny if it didn’t highlight the right’s hatred of math & science.
Chris
Saw that on facebook today, with one of the usual suspects chirping up about how voting was “the best revenge” for all the “suffering” they’d endured in the last four years.
It’s just made them absolutely fucking rabid to have a black liberal in the White House, especially for people like her who grew up in the Bush era and have no experience having the country run by someone they didn’t vote for (in other words, democracy).
Gravenstone
Amusing observation, even though I live in blood red SE Wisconsin, there was not a single R candidate on the ballot at the county level. All four local offices were D, unopposed. I was encouraged.
Chris
@kindness:
If Obama wins this election, the biggest winner to me will be Nate Silver. Not to minimize all the good that we can do by keeping the rabid psychopaths out of the Oval Office for another four years.
schrodinger's cat
@kindness: Not just wingnuts, also punditubbies. For he exposes them for the frauds that they are.
Enhanced Mooching Techniques
@EconWatcher: Not to mention the whole anecdotal evidence thing so it’s hard to tell how wide spreed the problem is.
As for the gloom and doom, eh? What else is there to do but vote wait? We won’t know tell the polls close. They didn’t even call the election until 8:00pm Pacific time in 2008.
SatanicPanic
@hildebrand: Take a deep breath, you can make it til 11pm or so when they call it for Obama
The Moar You Know
@EconWatcher: Problems in all the swing states, as designed. I am very certain that Team Obama was awake and watching during the 2000 elections, and are ready to deal with this as required (one sign would be their massive emphasis on early voting). If for some unfathomable reason they aren’t they fucking deserve to lose. I find the likelihood that they’re not prepared to go to war if needed exceptionally low.
And it will be war if the GOP manages to ratfuck it enough (I don’t think that’s going to happen either) and unlike in 2000, the Supreme Court will not touch this election. Roberts has made that very, very clear.
I think it gets called tonight, and it will be for Obama.
NotMax
@hildebrand
Because that’s what they are paid to do. Campaign staff that comes out and says they will lose doesn’t last long and won’t get hired again down the line.
MikeJ
Does Nate Silver weigh the same as a duck?
hildebrand
I think late afternoon on Election Day is the official ‘dark night of the soul’ time for political junkies. May explain why everything looks bleak at the moment. Just waiting for the sun to rise.
Alex S.
@hildebrand:
Romney still campaigned today. You don’t do that when you’re ahead.
Eric U.
they were assuming you would give them ID at my PA polling place. “you don’t have a card?” — I didnt answer. Very republican area. I hope we can get this law overturned.
Cris (without an H)
Nate’s real win will be if the electoral vote is within 5% of his prediction. He’s a details guy, and the details is where he will stand above everybody else.
General Stuck
I swear by the earth beneath my feet, if Romney wins the election by winning states like Penn, and maybe Ohio from the massive vote suppression effort the past two years, I will not recognized him as my president. I will consider the constitution breached with the country being ruled by a right wing junta, of the plutocrats and the Army of Morons that prop them up.
I just hope the swing states not tea party infested goes for Obama, and we can spend the next four years investigating republicans and their anti American, anti democracy seditious bullshit.
kindness
@The Moar You Know: I just don’t do TPM much any more. For a long time they were a site I’d read several times a day. Now? Not so much. Now they are just another aggregator (OK my spelling sucks) and not very intersting. Going the clickhunt way is a fools game. You can only make money that way if your workforce is free a la HuffPo.
Hill Dweller
@The Moar You Know: As I was saying in an earlier thread, OFA is aware of the problems with the voter rolls in Philly. Registered voters aren’t showing up on the voter rolls. One woman had her registration confirmation card in her hand, but she wasn’t on the voter roll.
FWIW, ThinkProgress and Washington Monthly are covering the PA ID and registration problems, too.
FormerSwingVoter
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
What I saw on the Twitter (so take it for what it’s worth) wasn’t that African American turn-out was higher than expectations – I saw that it was higher than it was in 2008.
NotMax
@General Stuck
Relax. Ain’t gonna happen.
See response for PA above.
Enhanced Mooching Techniques
@hildebrand: Beyond what NotMax said about that’s what they are paid to do they’ve been full of shit this whole election. They were claiming their internals showed Romney ahead in Ohio, tied in Wisconsin and New Hampshire and then walked it back today. The New York Times reporter embedded with them said they come across as spining against reality to him.
NR
@General Stuck:
Ha. If Obama wins, all the Republican vote suppression will be ignored and dismissed right away because “We have to look forward and not backward.”
TaMara (BHF)
@hildebrand: I understand for sure…I’ve had those moments off and on the last month. But that’s why we’re all here together, to help each other through.
And really – those Romney people are probably drunk (or I like my first thought when you asked, heavily medicated). I would be if was running a campaign, but especially Mittens.
SiubhanDuinne
@TaMara (BHF):
Saw him (or someone else who had the same inspired idea) on Facebook a few minutes ago.
Svensker
@General Stuck:
Even my hub, who is mister “Where the hell is my unicorn, Obummer?!!?” has said the same thing. He is fighting mad — and he called all his ultra lefty friends today and demanded they vote.
Culture of Truth
What a relief this will be for Mittens. He will never have to step into a Wendy’s again.
geg6
@Captain Goto:
The Hill District in the ‘Burgh? I would imagine they are fired up to vote.
I’m in Beaver County and they sent me to GOTV in the very neighborhood in which I grew up in Hopewell. I still know a lot of the people who live there and a lot of them are elderly and were friends of my parents. It was great!
There was one elderly man (I think he was 88 and I didn’t know him) who was obviously an immigrant from Italy and his English was impossible to understand completely. But he was thrilled to see me and to tell me how he voted. I couldn’t quite get what he was saying and just kept smiling and nodding. Finally, he pointed to the door hangers I had and said “Who dose?” and I showed him the hanger with Obama smiling away on it. And he smiled a huge happy smile and said “Vote all Dem! Every one! All Dem!” Now I don’t know if he meant all Democrats (mostly likely) or all the black candidates. But he was adorable and so happy when I thanked him. He pointed at me and said “No, tank you!” A couple other people thanked me for doing what I was doing. It was such a good day.
Enhanced Mooching Techniques
@TaMara (BHF):
Isn’t there some anti-depressant that is the drug of choice for the Wall Street types? You can be sure all of Romney’s staff is on something with this election.
Hill Dweller
The Twitter machine is telling me CNN is reporting a second electronic machine in PA is selecting Romney when you touch the Obama square.
PA is turning out to be a complete clusterfuck.
General Stuck
@NR:
Shut up you stupid fuck.
Punchy
Gunna give one more update….offshore odds moving strongly in favor of Obama. Things looking good.
Spaghetti Lee
@Hill Dweller:
Well, better these things get noticed than not noticed, assuming it’s accurate.
Culture of Truth
When does the whitey tape come out? They’re cutting it a little close.
LanceThruster
For the record, I was just on an LDS website with an offer to live chat a missionary.
Ryan and his helper, Chris came online (20 year olds from Utah and Idaho respectively). I asked if an LDS adherent could be considered to be a member in ‘good standing’ if they publicly and repeated had been shown to be lying. They said they do not talk about individual members and that it would be up to their ward president to make that determination (but added that not following the commandments could cause one to lose their standing).
I said I did not ask about a particular LDS member but about the policy on a member in good standing.
Seems they could tell who I was talking about (hint – it wasn’t Harry Reid). They said they only wanted to discuss the New Testament of Jeebus Christ (though the chat link was on a piece on politically active LDS and the church’s “neutrality” in that regard).
They hung up on me. They must be the only ones manning the fort as I could not get any response going back in trying to ask more Q’s in a chat.
Pretty much proof of “The One True Church” if you ask me.
GxB
@schrodinger’s cat:
Why do we have to go through this every 2 years? I know, I know the collective attention span of our electorate falls just shy of a container of Q-tips… Rhetorical question, sorry just venting.
JGabriel
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Anne Laurie @ Top:
That Walsh piece at NRO ticked me off so much that I actually responded to it in comments — first time I’ve ever posted at NRO, I think. Rather than make people give NRO a click, I’ll re-post the response I wrote here:
.
General Stuck
@NotMax:
In a free and fair election I am confident of an Obama victory, but I was responding to reports of mass confusion created by tea tard governors in a few crucial states, that always impact urban areas the most as concentrated dem voters. I don’t know if they can pull the cheat off, and neither do you.
eric
The real issue is gonna be how hard the GOP gets to spin their own projected story of voting irregularities favoring Obama as evidenced by how out of whack the vote totals are from the polls. The more of a mandate Obama generates, the less legitimate it becomes. That is, I think, what to look for if Obama wins big.
LanceThruster
@MikeJ:
What floats?
Rocks!
Rocks?!
Little ones??
NR
@General Stuck: The kind of intelligent and well-reasoned arguments I’ve come to expect from Obama supporters.
I wonder what you’ll say when I’m proven right after the election.
TaMara (BHF)
News reporting long lines in swing counties here in Colorado. I just don’t know if this is a matter of the news reporting on every little thing as “danger, danger” and it’s just one polling location having an issue or if it’s happening at others. Who can tell anymore.
Culture of Truth
VOTER OF THE DAY
A pregnant suburban Chicago woman didn’t let being in labor stop her from voting in a presidential election for the first time.
Malone said she breathed through her contractions while she voted. “I was just trying to read and breathe, read and breathe,” she said. “That’s what I kept telling myself… ‘Read and breathe, read and breathe’.”
Malone drove herself to the hospital after casting her ballot.
General Stuck
@NR: I will say Shut up you psychopath.
I thought someone was moderating these insipid moronic trolls for election night.
Hill Dweller
@Spaghetti Lee:
The voter roll craziness in Philly is infuriating. One of the Philly papers is speculating that city commissioner incompetence is to blame. They just didn’t process all the newly registered people in time for the election.
Some are using provisional ballots, but some are walking away and not voting when told they’re not on the ballot.
Maude
NJ has a lot of provisional ballots because of Sandy. No one is bothered by it here.
SatanicPanic
@Culture of Truth: And it looks like they made it the first 4 years without the N Word Event.
R-Jud
@Jeff Spender: DOOOM!! is pretty good, but couldn’t you take it further?
Or something like that.
NotMax
@General Stuck
What I do know is that the demographic slices most targeted by suppression efforts have been aware of them and organized as never before to muster resources and voters to counter them.
That is whence my confidence derives.
Strontium 90
I am hearing news and anecdotal reports of very high turnout. Here in Houston for example, including early voting, they are expecting as many as 1.2mm people to vote which would shatter the record for Harris County (where Houston is).
This large turnout should favor the Dems. Amirite? Please confirm while I crack the chardonnay I have in the fridge
David Koch
@Punchy: yet another transparent effort by socialist jewish mathematicians to suppress the vote of hard working god fearing christian white men.
General Stuck
@NotMax:
Well okay then, you have convinced me.
Right wingers Fucking around with our votes always ticks me off,
Spaghetti Lee
@Hill Dweller:
Is the Philly city government Democratic? I would assume so. So it’s not just Republicans trying to throw votes into the void.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, they really should have their shit together, but if it’s incompetence as opposed to malevolance, I would assume the folks in charge will be trying to fix it.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@NR: Looking forward to reports about your personal activism lobbying state legislators and media in the states concerned. Surely your commitment to getting off your ass and not just whining on the sidelines with your arms folded and an adolescent sneer fixed on your spotty face will be an inspiration to us all.
Spaghetti Lee
@Strontium 90:
Large turnout tends to favor Dems. Why else do you think Republicans are always trying to block people from voting and restrict registration laws? That’s also why ‘registered voters’ leans more Democratic than ‘likely voters’ in most polls.
mai naem
If we have the same original swing states, Obama needs to win NH,IA, CO, and NV and he can afford to lose NC,VA, Fla and Ohio. Or if you want him to win quicker he wins NH,VA,IA and CO.
Tony J
@R-Jud:
Is that Theoden? Got a ‘Rohir about to charge into myth’ zing about it.
Onion Theoden could be even better that Onion Joe Biden.
PsiFighter37
Friends,
I’m ready to moderate your asses. I’m going to be helping the liveblog flow smoothly.
Popped my beer, took my pants off, got MSNBC on – all I need is pizza.
BTW – what’s the deal with PA? Is my college homestate fucking things up with the voter rolls?
geg6
The voting in some places here in PA is a complete clusterfuck. Multiple reports locally of lack of preparation or functioning machines. Most are in majority minority areas, but not all. Local Pittsburgh news had problems in Greentree (among other places), not a bastion of diversity as far as I know.
And I’m not even convinced that it’s a deliberate thing. The commonwealth is being run by huge asshole Tom Corbett and his coterie of incompetent boobs. If you paid attention to the law suit that got the ID law postponed, you know that our Secretary of State might be the proudest stupid person I’ve ever come across.
Hill Dweller
FWIW, Jonathan Martin(Politico) on Twitter: A senior GOPer w close ties to Romneyland emails a single word: “worried.”
BGK
Help me, Democratic Jesus: I’ve been stuck in my Florida voting line for 2 hours, with likely one more to go, in the middle of a pack of raging Romholes. I’m Offering It Up ferociously.
PeakVT
NEEDZ MOAR RUMURS.
Haydnseek
@General Stuck: General, let me be the first to proudly state that Ihat I will gladly follow you to hell it that’s what it takes to vanquish this scourge! No, really man, I totally would……….
mai naem
I heard Norm Ornstein on CSPAN. He said there needs to be separate Federal ballot and let the states do what they want to with the state stuff. I think that’s an excellent idea.
Joel
@hildebrand: Here’s your answer, in more ways than one.
Culture of Truth
Actual headline:
“Internet Poker Largely Irrelevant In Presidential Race”
Spaghetti Lee
@mai naem:
I think the first four are pretty much sewn up. I checked the polls yesterday and it was all O by at least 3, probably more. Probably why Romney and the media have been focusing on OH and FL and VA so much. (PA I don’t get. Republicans always fantasize about winning PA, along with MI and WI and MN, but they never actually do.)
Strontium 90
@Spaghetti Lee: That is what I thought. I live in TX (from NY though) and I have been so isolated from the ads and “campaigning” such that it feels like we are in a bubble down here. I go from this to Ohio tomorrow for work. Should be interesting, I will be in a smallish town in the Northwest part of the state and meeting with people who are likely pretty conservative…. I hoping that I will have to work hard to hide my glee.
General Stuck
@Haydnseek:
Way to hot in hell for my advanced years. Though it is a dry heat. :)
TaMara (BHF)
My SIL in Florida is STILL in line (she’s a republican), I think going on 3 hours now. In Lee County, which I think swings heavy republican.
So how does fucking everyone over help Mitt again?
I will never understand wanting to suppress anyone’s vote, ever.
Enhanced Mooching Techniques
@NR:
Listen to Chickenshit talk here. We all know you want Obama to win so cut it out troll boy. This is getting old.
And the answer to your question is “fuck of and die” because tomorrow you will be the same pathetic coward you are today.
Humanities Grad
@FormerSwingVoter:
So long as it’s higher than it was in 2008, we’re golden.
African-American turnout in 2008 was higher than it had been in any other presidential election in history. If Af-Am turnout this year is beating 2008, then African-Americans will represent a larger % of the U.S. electorate than has ever happened before.
And, given the R-D split among African-Americans, that would mean Romney would have to do even better among white voters than _they_ did in ’08 just to keep pace.
R-Jud
@Tony J: It is totally Theoden and the Riders of Rohan.
–R-Jud +2
David Koch
@Hill Dweller:
transparent effort by Christie operative to undercut romney’s turnout and clear the way for a Christie
runwaddle in 2016Spaghetti Lee
@mai naem:
That’s a terrible idea. I mean, voting for president is important, but can you imagine wingnut legislatures given free license to monkey around with who’s actually allowed to vote for Democrats and where, and how those votes get counted? I mean, I think redistricting should be a federal thing, myself.
Raven
@Enhanced Mooching Techniques: fuck OFF and die
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Humanities Grad: Salon reporting that according to exit polls (so FWIW), Latino vote up from 9% in ’08 of voters to 10% this year. I won’t pretend to be able to read those tea leaves.
Raven
@Spaghetti Lee: Rotsa Ruck
NotMax
Wondering if the Republicans will double their membership in the state Senate here. Stranger things have happened.
Currently it is
Dem: 24
Rep: 1
Seebach
Why is Christie so intent on angering the GOP by being so buddy buddy with Obama? Doesn’t he want to be president in 2016?
nastybrutishntall
@hildebrand: It’s a mass effort to depress turnout. You see it on all the blog comment sections today, the “body language” bullshit. Even Charlie Pierce’s blog is featuring a stupid Kasich interview in which he says they have it all locked up in OH.
I mean, what the hell else are they gonna say? They are thinking 1) people want to side with the (perceived) winner, and 2) people who think their candidate will lose won’t bother to go out to vote.
But it’s not working!
Mnemosyne
@hildebrand:
If you’re having flashbacks to 2004, I would call it PTSD rather than irrational.
But I will remind you that in 2004, Romney was in Kerry’s position as the non-incumbent. The feeling you really don’t want to have is how a Bush Sr. supporter felt in 1992.
JGabriel
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TaMara (BHF):
We had a line at my polling station in Manhattan. A long line, which hardly ever happens. And we’re nowhere near being a swing district. There’s no doubt about how Manhattan is going to vote — I joked with the man in front of me that the biggest contest here would be whether Obama and Gillibrand won on the Democratic line or the Working Families line.
Turn-out is high everywhere.
.
R-Jud
@Seebach: Obama let him talk on the phone to Springsteen. I think that’s more important to Christie than the presidency.
Paul
@mai naem:
Amen. We are not much better than a third world country with our election system. Hell, 7 hours in line to vote.
Some pundit said this morning that we are the leading democracy of the world – well, leading democracies do not have lines of 7 hours to vote.
moda31
Ugh I’ve been a wreck all day, talking to a bunch of people who didn’t vote because they think there’s no difference between Romney & Obama, and they don’t want to pick the lesser of two evils certainly didn’t help. I think I’m going to start drinking early tonight.
Spaghetti Lee
@NotMax:
Hawaii? That little bit of trivia always tickled me. The one Republican in the Senate is the ranking member on every committee! He’s probably rooting for himself to take a break from that as much as anything.
Strontium 90
Winter is fucking coming for Romney and his little toady. Bookmark it troll.
PsiFighter37
@R-Jud: Yeah, it sounds like Christie has a huge Springsteen man-crush. Going to over 100 of his concerts?…
Shawn in ShowMe
@geg6:
I seem to recall similar issues in 2008.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/politics/18002279.html
Readers and Inquirer reporters attempting to cast ballots this morning found long lines across the region created by broken machines.”
—-
Many of those freshly-minted voters had difficulties using the one machine that still functioned. “Hell of a day for one of the machines to be down,” said one poll worker.
—–
In the city’s Spring Garden section, home to State Sen. Vincent Fumo, both machines were down at St. Andrews Lithuananian Church at 19th and Wallace. Voters grumbled when they learned their provisional ballots would not be counted tonight.
Seebach
@R-Jud: I guess that seems to be the explanation. But since I can’t game out 2012 anymore, I’m forced to try and game out 2016. If Christie disqualifies himself by being a RINO Obama buddy, who’s their leading candidate then? I suppose it could be Romney if he wins, but hmm…
kindness
@PsiFighter37:
What kind of moderation are we talking about eh?
max
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Salon reporting that according to exit polls (so FWIW), Latino vote up from 9% in ‘08 of voters to 10% this year. I won’t pretend to be able to read those tea leaves.
That’s GOOD! Particularly if they break for Obama like 08 or better. If the black vote stays the same or increases a bit that’s an overall fall in the white vote which offsets any losses there. (If there ARE any losses.)
max
[‘What we’re worried about is a falloff in turnout among D’s. If it all comes in the same, we win.’]
PsiFighter37
@kindness: I believe it’s called the “John Cole goes to the DNC half-packed” moderation.
Spaghetti Lee
@JGabriel:
That makes me optimistic. As someone pointed out, Obama could lose all four of the big swing states and still win by carrying all his other states, and I really doubt he’s going 0-4. But a great turnout in NYC and Houston and the like like people have been saying would do really well for the popular vote too.
R-Jud
@PsiFighter37: Worse than my Dad’s. And Dad’s actually from Asbury Park.
Chyron HR
@PsiFighter37:
I’ve been to over 100 Yes concerts–many of them featuring actual original members of the group!
David Koch
so white vote continued its 20 yr decline and latinos continued their 20 yr climb.
This is Great News for McCain
Calouste
@hildebrand: Mitt told them what their share of the loot, uhm I mean bonusses, is going to be.
Tony J
@R-Jud:
Rohir fist-bump. – Tony J + a bottle of Merlot and quite a bit of Shiraz.
Chris
@NotMax:
I’ve completely given up on “ain’t gonna happen.” Florida 2000 should have been impossible. In any other developed democracy, it would have been. Ditto the Iraq war. Both happened anyway. I still think Obama will win, but I’m not gonna tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing.
Hill Dweller
The exit polls look good in terms of turnout: Evangelicals down from ’08; white % of vote down from ’08; younger voters same as ’08; Latinos projected to be 10% of electorate(a record).
In economic polling, approximately 50% blame Dubya for economy; right track/wrong track much better than 3 months ago.
gwangung
No kidding that’s good. And they’re gonna break for Obama. DREAM, anyone?
kindness
@PsiFighter37: Works for me. Go at it buddy.
Joel
@Mnemosyne: We should also evaluate 2004 with a clear-eyed view of history.
Chyron HR
@David Koch:
Yes but what if CNN is wrong and whites made up 100% of the electorate? Then ROMNEY #VICTORY #WINNING #200POINTSTOSLYTHERIN
R-Jud
@Tony J: Are you also in the UK? I am losing my shit over here, as a US expat. I need to meet a friend at 6 am and I am still sitting up refreshing BJ.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Speaking of the preciousss preciousss looooot….
…and “white working class men” voted for this. Morans.
LanceThruster
One of the Rmoney blowhards (can’t remember his nick) bet me $100 months ago here on the Mittens sure-thing win. My atheistnetwork.net email died since then. I hope he comes back and looks me up. I would not put money in ‘escrow,’ but told him the bet would be an honor bet and I would pay him accordingly should Mittenstein become the new POTUS.
Who wants to bet that I get my $$$?
JCT
Apparently a CNN tweet claims that youth turnout is the same as 2008 — this was a BIG democratic worry going in.
My newly-turned 18 year-old UCLA freshman voted for the first time today and said he got teary-eyed over it. This is my big ballplayer son who is still wrestling with joining NROTC because he said Obama makes him want to serve!
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@gwangung: I don’t doubt it’s good news, is it good enough? I mean. I won’t, can’t, relax till Willard concedes and I drink (through the TV or internet) the bitter tears of Tagg, Jagg and the other Mittlets. I predict Ann’s eyes will be as dry as her soul.
MikeJ
@gwangung: You coming by tonight?
Humanities Grad
@gwangung:
Per TPM’s polltracker this morning (yeah, I know, it’s imperfect, but it’s all I’ve got to work with) Obama was leading Romney among Hispanics by a margin of 67% to 29%. Which would be right about on track with his showing in ’08–probably actually a slight improvement.
feebog
I’m just going to kick back and enjoy the evening. Plan to monitor Red State every hour or so and wallow in the weeping and gnashing of teeth. Could go to a victory (fingers crossed) for my local Assemblyman, but Mrs. Feebog is recoverying from sinus surgery and still not up to par. Also just got word that my hearing dates for the rest of the week have been cancelled (wimp attorneys, letting a little thing like a throat infection get in your way). I think I may go out and play golf tomorrow, since I don’t have to work. Life is good and about to get better.
Raven
So, we’re supposed to stop commenting here in 20 minutes? I hope it works.
JGabriel
@Seebach:
Christie is (warning: ugly ass web design) pro-green energy, anti-off-shore drilling on the Jersey coast, pro-civil unions, pro-drug treatment instead of jail, and he supported the President’s intervention in Libya.
I think Christie knows he’s not getting a Presidential nomination in the GOP with those stands. Yeah, Christie is a neanderthal on a whole host of issues, but the listed beliefs will keep him from getting the support of the GOP’s purity base.
Edited to Add: Christie is’s also pro-gun control, believes in global climate change, and isn’t an Islamophobe.
.
Haydnseek
@Seebach: It looks like he’s distancing himself from Romney the loser in an effort to remove some of the stench that still clings to him from his Repub. convention speech. In an effort to look more moderate, he also gets some separation from the teatards, whom he might see as somewhat less influential in 2016. Just my take on it. Christie is many things, but stupid isn’t one of them.
JCT
@Seebach: First he wants to be re-elected gov… and kissing Romney’s ass won’t help with that.
hildebrand
@JCT: Some of these bits of data are a good tonic.
BGK
@TaMara (BHF):
I’m in Lee County and 3+ hours waits have been the norm across the county all day. Your Republican government at work.
NotMax
@JCT
That perfectly encapsulates my main beef with all voting by mail.
18-year-olds and first-time voters, particularly, miss out on discovering that visceral connection to the civic community and to the government.
KG
@Seebach: Usually, for the Republicans, you look at who came in second the last time. Gingrich and Santorum seem like non-starters, I doubt the Christianists would go for a Mormon again, so Huntsman is probably out. My money is on Huckabee or Jeb Bush. As dark horses, I’ll say Jindhal and Haley, because they’re from the South, they’re governors, and the GOP may be thinking a minority nominee is the way to break through.
Tony J
@R-Jud:
Yeah, I’m of the English persuasion. One of BJ’s surprisingly large cohort of furrin readers.
Chill yo’self the frick out. It’s Election Day, when everything happens and you can only do your part of it and then wait for the wheels to turn at their own glacial pace.
Have another drink, followed by a glass of juice, then check out 538 and NumberWang! to calm your heart before GOING TO BED!
Obama is a lock for President, the Senate is going to stay Blue, and the only wobble is in how much Bluer the House becomes. You’ll have a lot more fun tomorrow if you can stay awake long enough to properly celebrate it.
LanceThruster
Was saddened to learn that freethought Professor Paul Kurtz (http://freethoughtblogs.com/reasonabledoubts/2012/11/04/rd-extra-remembering-paul-kurtz-1925-2012/) died recently. He was quite active in CFI-West and was one of the main reasons I became involved in the freethought movement.
David Koch
I just voted.
wrote in Bradly Manning/Matt Taibbi
R-Jud
@Tony J:
Heh. Okay, mum. ;-)
LD50
@KG: They’ll certainly try running Ryan if he keeps his House seat.
LanceThruster
@LD50:
Why didn’t he resign his seat much as Bob Dole did for his run?
NotMax
@David Koch
Waste of a vote.
Manning is only 24, thus ineligible for the office.
;)
UNLIMITED CORPORATE CASH (aka danimal)
Which way to the hookers and blow? Elections aren’t my thing anymore.
Tony J
@R-Jud:
That’s ‘Dad’ to you, buster. Now be a good boy, and come the morning you get a cookie. That fair enough?
(ruffles hair)
Hey, I’ve got one of those baby things due to debut in January, I need this practice.
handy
@David Koch:
That Barr/Sheehan ticket is looking unstoppable.
Tony J
Non-Livechat Boom about to come down. Good luck America, we’re thinking of you.
Do NOT let us down.
Schlemizel
@Tony J:
So, let me ask you about TV election coverage for the UK. Do they do a reasonable job? Do you get a lot of useless hot air from over-inflated pustuals? Do they actually discuss how the issues affected the results or is it all ME ME ME like here?
LanceThruster
@handy:
I *do* wish we had a workable IRV system.
Death Panel Truck
@NotMax: @NotMax: If they live in a caucus state, they can get the “visceral connection” by participating in that. I have, and it’s a satisfying experience.
Drew
@KG: no chance of it being Jeb Bush. And I don’t just mean his name.
Tony J
@Schlemizel:
Its… not quite as bad. I’d like to say that British media does a better job of holding our politicians to account than your MSM, but the facts speak for themselves.
Tony Blair was still Prime Minister in the 2005 Election, which came two years after he joined George Bush Junior in the invasion of Iraq. A decent MSM would not have had to tell that story. They had the power, they chose not to use it.
Sound familiar?
NotMax
Voting mission accomplished.
Dr. Morpheus
@Strontium 90:
Those are really short people. Do they have accommodations?
;-)
R-Jud
@Tony J: “Be a good girl,” you mean. Congrats on the sprog, BTW.
And in this house, we call them biscuits. We’re bilingual.