Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Battle won, war still ongoing.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Americans barely caring about Afghanistan is so last month.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Infrastructure week. at last.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

No one could have predicted…

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2016 / Here’s Another Open Thread For You

Reader Interactions

105Comments

  4. 4.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    Making serious plans to leave the country as soon as Canada or Mexico starts taking refugees. Anyone who can get out should.

  7. 7.

    Dadadadadadada

    I remind everyone that a great many Latin American and Caribbean countries allow entry and indefinite stay to US passports, no visa required and no questions asked.

  11. 11.

    Caravelle

    Clinton is closing the gap in Michigan with 33% of districts in, but that third party vote is increasingly pissing me off.

  12. 12.

    Arclite

    Funny how people crapped all over Nate Silver when he gave a higher % chance to win to Trump. He’s l looking pretty good about now though.

    Also thanks Comey.

  13. 13.

    SenyorDave

    I just can’t come to grips with Trump as POTUS. He demonstrated in the debates that he has no concept of almost any major issue. The “cybers” he referred to showed he doesn’t even know what a cyber-attack is. He’s going to rip up Nafta? Fine, but you don’t get only good things in a trade deal. What bad things would he accept?
    Unfortunately, MI looks awful, the county analysis is truly alarming when compared to 2012.

  14. 14.

    RaflW

    Even if HRC pulls this out (and she may well), we are within a hairs breath of a pariah nation.

    So. Much. Work. To. Do.

    And I’ve been far too comfy and insular. Dammit.

  18. 18.

    gogol's wife

    You know, I really don’t give a s–t which pollster comes out of this looking better. Just not one shit.

  25. 25.

    Caravelle

    @Daulnay: It did so awhile ago though, didn’t it ? I think that’s what I heard Michigan’s governor say when she was explaining why she still thought Michigan would go to Clinton. What are they basing their judgment on, exit polls ?

    ETA – annnd the gap widened a scooch again… I should probably slow down on the refresh button.

  26. 26.

    eric

    Benchmark Politics @benchmarkpol
    Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Flint still out in Michigan. Narrowed to 2%.

  27. 27.

    Patricia Kayden

    Hubby is keeping me sane by scoffing at any suggestion that Trump will win. Wow. So tight.

  28. 28.

    Soprano2

    I am appalled and saddened to see how many Americans are more racist and misogynist than I ever thought possible.

  34. 34.

    Ajabu

    Just told my wife that if the unthinkable happens, we’re gone.
    We only moved back to the states from the Caribbean because Obama was elected
    (And had no comprehension of the magnitude of ODS) but this is beyond absurd.
    If it all actually all turns to shit I feel most badly for the President, who’ll have to turn the government over to essentially the KKK and try to be gracious while doing it.

  36. 36.

    Elaine Benis

    Mr Benis and I are at our winter home on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Watching this travesty, I seriously want to make it our perminate home.

    Unfuckingbelievable.

  37. 37.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Soprano2: It’s scary that so many Americans are okay with placing Trump in the White House. I’m hearing that Florida won’t be fully counted until tomorrow.

  38. 38.

    Mai.naem.mobile

    @Soprano2: forget the racism and the misogyny. He is completely unqualified. This would be like electing my British computer programmer cousin to the presidency. He wouldn’t even understand the system of government.

  40. 40.

    Suffragete City elftx

    I have a case of heartburn..not felt it in years..this is insane.
    also too Thanks Comey

  42. 42.

    Larkspur

    @Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism: Not me. I’m not leaving, even if the Bad Thing happens, and it hasn’t happened yet. First, I’m too old and too poor for any other country to even consider me as an immigrant. Second, I’m old and poor and don’t have children, so I figure I can be of use here fighting back, without risking anything but my own self. But it isn’t over yet.

  44. 44.

    Caravelle

    However things shake out, I’ll really want to know how it came to happen that the polls were this wrong.

  46. 46.

    Betty Cracker

    @Patricia Kayden: I thought we’d win FL — had a good feeling about it. Looks like I was wrong. If we win MI, I think we’ll pull through. If not, we’re screwed.

  47. 47.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Ajabu: Jealous of you. What a nightmare for President Obama to even have to interact with a classless toad like Trump.

  49. 49.

    Anya

    I blame Sanders campaign for cementing the “rigged system,” “burn down the system” crap, the media for legitimizing racism and all of Trump’s ugliness & Comey’s FBI. Fuck them all.

  53. 53.

    Dadadadadadada

    @Larkspur: Many Caribbean and Latin American countries take in anyone with a US passport without a visa, and let them stay as long as they like. Their currencies are basically worthless, so even a few thousand US$ in savings can keep you in style for years. The only downside is some of the highest homicide rates in the world.

  54. 54.

    Mai.naem.mobile

    @NW Phil: hey asshole, I remember people saying Clinton would have bargained better with Congress than Obama because the GOP will treat a white POTUS better. The GOP will destroy a Dem candidate no matter who it is.

  59. 59.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Anya: Despite all that, Trump shouldn’t be doing so well. He is an awful person and that was on full display during this election cycle.

  62. 62.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Betty Cracker: there was a story on MSNBC about this, and Manchin has denied them. He’ll go with the majority, is my thought.

    also,

    ‏@vmbsimon
    @vMitch_Stewart @vanamariecox Oakland (my home county) holding Obama ’12 margin. Detroit always reports late,everyone nervous. 27% in. Chill.

  63. 63.

    D58826

    @guachi: If this comes down to sexist/racist/nativist it might well be that no democrat could have won. I know you can eliminate the sexist part if Biden had been the candidate but he ran twice in the primaries and never made it past the first round.

  64. 64.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @Larkspur: You know those people who are already prepped when we get a hurricane warning? That’s me. If the time comes that it becomes necessary, I want to be able to pick up and go.

  66. 66.

    NoraLenderbee

    Now Clinton is ahead in Iowa??
    If she wins Iowa, loses Michigan, and wins ALL of New England, it’s a tie, 269-269.

    I’m going to throw up.

  68. 68.

    SWMBO

    Is there a site that tells where all the votes are UNCOUNTED yet? I see the counted ones but it doesn’t tell me where to look to see where the uncounted ones are yet. They must have some idea how many votes have been cast but uncounted. Where do I look?

  69. 69.

    Aleta

    In the old days they just looked at the count as it came in, without these prediction sites. It was drawn out and slow, not so much rush to call it every second.

    I’m going to try that way, try to stop with the predictions, none of which have happened yet. Live in real time for the rest of the evening. Probably better for my brain, which takes so long to calm down anymore, so it affects my sleep and the rest of me too much. Predicting things that might happen but often don’t is what the news shows do now, but that’s not the same as reporting the news.

  70. 70.

    Karen

    1, No checks or balances with three all levels of government.

    2. Women will be more shit on than ever.

    3. I bet he delegates running the country to Pence.

    4. He’ll start a nuclear war within the first week.

  72. 72.

    Daulnay

    If/When Hillary wins, it’ll be because Bernie’s people joined her campaign. Almost none of them defected to Trump.

  74. 74.

    Larkspur

    @Dadadadadadada: I guess. But the thing is, if we fuck it up here, with Trump, the whole fucking world suffers. I forget how the saying goes, but it’s sort of like if America sneezes, EVERYBODY stocks up on cough medicine and extra soup. So I’ll stay and take my metaphorical medicine at the scene of the crime. Not that it’s over yet. Although I’m headed for the shower now, then more wine and a semi-interesting alt-history novel about world-wide nuclear war. Cause surely that will distract me.

  78. 78.

    Caravelle

    @D58826: It is also true that from a political science “fundamentals” and economy point of view, this election seems to be considered as one that would (weakly?) favor a Republican in any case.

  81. 81.

    TriassicSands

    @Arclite:

    No, Nate got it wrong, too. His final numbers gave Clinton a 71.4% likelihood of winning and 302.2 Electoral votes. What too many people failed to realize is just how stupid tens of millions of Americans are.

    (Being racist is stupid. Believing Trump’s promises is stupid. Voting for a sociopath is beyond stupid. Etc.)

  82. 82.

    Anya

    @Patricia Kayden: apparently, white people hate blacks and browns more than we thought. They voted for an ignorant clown who didn’t offer them any solutions other than: vote for me and I’ll oppress POC. They chose white supremacy over competence, sanity and decency. Even if Hillary wins, this is depressing.

  84. 84.

    maeve

    Its not the wrong candidate – others would have been wrong for different reasons

    Trump galvizeed the low information white voter – when I was canvassing in 2008 I met them in their garage/rec room and they scoffed at me for the very idea of being involved in politics – not hostile but didn’t vote

    All “likely voter” models are out the window. Fot better and for worse.

  85. 85.

    Daulnay

    @Anya:
    Actually, it’s not that. As Maeve said, he got out people who didn’t used to vote – Pew spotted them in the polls in the 2012 election; uninterested voters who mainly followed celebrities on television, about 10%, and another group of about 15% who were desperate and felt abandoned by both sides.

  86. 86.

    Aleta

    I’m told that NYT calls:

    Va called for clinton
    Oh called trump
    CA and Ore called for Clinton of course

    NYT says:
    NH not called
    ME not called
    MI Trump leading by 1percent
    Iowa Clinton leading by 1500 votes (dead heat)
    MN Clinton leading
    NV one county only reporting
    MI Trump ahead by 1%
    PA Clinton ahead by 2%

  87. 87.

    Suzanne

    I legitimately do not know what to do.

    This doesn’t feel like losing an election. This feels like the start of a war.

  88. 88.

    scottinnj

    @Caravelle: Basically I think the polls underestimated how many rural voters would come out. They clearly were meh on Romney but something got them motivated on Trump. It seems in say rural areas that went say 1200-400 for romney went 1350-350 for Trump. Those extra few hundred vote times dozens of counties matterred.

  90. 90.

    Caravelle

    @Aleta: The fact is, following this moment-by-moment isn’t *useful*. It’s, I’m going to say entertainment even though I’m sure it doesn’t feel that way to many people, but you can’t really describe it as something else. Unless you’re watching with children in which case it would be educational I guess. Following predictions can be useful before the election, since it can orient your behavior as far as voting, donating, volunteering etc go, but on election night ? Outside of fairly specialized jobs and roles you won’t be getting any information you need to act on before morning.

    Note how a lot of those results depend on heterogeneous returns county-by-county, meaning the percentages you get before all precincts have returned aren’t as reliable as even polls are, because polls are designed to compensate for biases and the partial returns aren’t, because they aren’t actually predictions, they’re just… partial returns.

    So basically it’s a bit like when there’s a catastrophe and now people are pretty explicit, saying “take all the real-time news with a grain of salt and trust more the information that comes out as things shake out in the days or weeks following”. It’s the same thing here; the only REAL, ACTIONABLE information to be had here is the vote TOTALS, and the identity of the actual winners. And that’s info that isn’t available now, but will be available in the morning (short of a 2000 scenario, that was a fun morning) and days following. So it is completely reasonable and indeed smart (if one doesn’t like political edutainment and the excitement of following election night) to just wait until the answers have actually been determined.

    Same thing with deciding how good or bad the polling and the forecasts were btw.

  93. 93.

    Caravelle

    @Suzanne: Yeah. Even if Clinton wins (fingers crossed), the fact that it isn’t a landslide is a problem.

    I’m reminded of that time Le Pen made it to the second turn in France. It galvanized people and Chirac won in a landslide. It’s different for Trump because he’s the candidate for a major party and that definitely matters, but still. It would have been nice if it could at least have been a frank repudiation. I’m also not sure the same thing would happen a second time if the situation arose again in France.

    @scottinnj: That sounds plausible. Where are y’all getting all your county-by-county info ?

  94. 94.

    Aleta

    @Suzanne: I think the war for the US judicial system began when no one was prosecuted for torture and the Roberts SC did not sufficiently defend the rights of US citizens against being easily accused (by lower courts) of supporting terrorist organizations. And the long practice of protecting law enforcement over black citizens. This election is a major battle in that war, but it was going to be fierce even if H wins. Because of the FBI, CIA and judicial system’s political allegiances and protection of each other instead of citizens, and believing themselves to be at war against dissenters.

  98. 98.

    Ajabu

    @Patricia Kayden:
    Well, my wife is arguing the point with me. Says nobody’s going to run her off.
    I told her, you probably don’t have anything to worry about as long as you’re not Black or a woman.
    Oh, wait…
    We’ll see what happens. Maybe if I guarantee we’ll take the grandchildren with us (who also fall into both the above categories as well.)

  100. 100.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @scottinnj: They’ll manufacture the scene Alex Jones was sobbing about this weekend if they have to.

    Gods, I’ve already lived through one Satanic moral panic. I don’t want to live through another.

  101. 101.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    we might be looking at Attorney General Rudi Giuliani. I can’t believe this shit

  103. 103.

    greennotGreen

    When Kerry lost, I went to bed so depressed because I realized my country was not a good country, that our citizens had voted for a man who had failed to protect us and then lied us into a disastrous war.

    If Trump wins, I will believe that our country is not a sane country. Idiocracy was, in fact, a prophecy. I can’t imagine that His Orange Incompetence would be more than a one term President, but the damage he could do will perhaps never be undone.

  104. 104.

    DeeFromTexas

    Right now we’re still waiting and hoping. This is the dark night of the soul. An hour or so ago a friend told me, “Just saying, we could move to France–I have relatives” and I was just now thinking “What shall I do?”

    One way or another, I WILL STAY and in my feeble, little-old-lady way, I will do what I can. A few of us may be in clear and present danger, and they should take care of themselves, but a lot of us are middle class straight white people, so what the hell. Do you think it will hurt less to watch what happens to your country from Belize? It’s not over until we quit.

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