What happened?


I’ve been drinking Ardbeg and working on a talk while studiously avoiding all the news (my wife is watching it, but I’ve got headphones on to block the idiot chatter)…but twitter just exploded and I looked up to see CNN showing a mob of black children dancing, so I guess the election agony is finally over. Yay, Obama.

You’ve got 4 more years to secure a place in history as something other than a backpedaling compromiser. Push. Do something. Something other than killing foreigners, please.

Comments

  1. anareenseer says

    Thanks America, from a Chinese.

    The popular vote worries me slightly though. The count still shows a Romney lead in popular vote, what happens if Obama actually loses the popular vote? Would this make his job even tougher in second term?

  2. Akira MacKenzie says

    Well, the election must be over and Obama must have won because I just heard my father exclaim “WE ARE FUCKED!” from downstairs.

  3. nohellbelowus says

    Mittens can still run for Grand Effin’ Idiot on Planet Kolob.

    Yay OBAMA!!!

    You’re a laugh riot on Twitter, Prof Myers. I’ve been missing all the fun!

  4. imkindaokay says

    FUCKING FUCK YES! I can tell you, from Britain, FUCKING FUCK YES!

    Ohio had me worried for ages, and I’m disappointed in Disneyworld, but YAAAAAAAY! OBAMA! OBAMA!

  5. thebookofdave says

    Hmmm…maybe the pro-rape voter wasn’t such a catch after all. Oh well, easy come, easy go. Better luck next generation!

  6. Charlie Foxtrot says

    On behalf of myself and the guys I work with – the general feeling is “Phew!”.
    More thanks from Australia.

  7. Alverant says

    Not to rain on the parade (well it’s raining here) but until Rmoney gives his concession speech I’m not accepting it. I made that mistake 12 years ago. And last I checked, Obama is still losing the popular vote by nearly 200k. I’d say it was karma, but I know there’s no such thing. Based off the current numbers, he’s going to win the rest of the states but still lose the popular vote.

    I want to run outside with both middle fingers in the air shouting, “FUCK YOU REPUBLICANS!” but as I said, it’s raining and cold.

  8. Crudely Wrott says

    All I can say is, whew! At least the next president is not Romney.

    There will surely be some challenges to the vote in the coming days. Karl Rove is sputtering on Fox because only 73 percent of the Ohio results are in and we all know how Florida rolls.

    While no great fan of Obama, I do admire the man and most of what he stands for. Because he is rid of the worry and busy-work of standing for re-election in his second term I am cautiously hopeful that he can begin to flesh out the potential of the promises that buoyed him to the White House four years ago.

    Best news of all? The campaign is over! Ominous cloud on the horizon? Sullen Republican challenges.

    As of now it doesn’t look like the two houses of Congress are going to change substantially and that means Obama will still have to deal with a recalcitrant legislature. To that extent, prepare for the same old same old.

    I’ll be staying tuned, and I know that the Horde will too. Interesting news will be coming over the next days and weeks giving us ample opportunity for discussion and snark.

    We live in interesting times, don’t we?

  9. frankb says

    Yay, the two rape apologists, Atkins and Murdouck(?) lost. Yeah, that MRA vote isn’t what it used to be.

  10. says

    Thank the FSM. I do believe we’ve all just been caressed by a noodly appendage.

    Now, if only Willard will show a little class in his exit strategy.

  11. Crudely Wrott says

    . . . and Massachusetts passed med weed. Small steps but at least in the right direction.

  12. Charlie Foxtrot says

    Ha!

    would put Colorado to the left of the Netherlands

    Well, that one is going to be interesting to watch!

  13. Ichthyic says

    The amendment would allow those 21 and older to purchase up to one ounce of the drug at specially regulated retail stores. Possession would be legal, but not public use. Adults could grow up to six marijuana plants in their homes.

    Read more: Colorado measure legalizing marijuana passes – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_21941918#ixzz2BVfxzel2
    Read The Denver Post’s Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse

    ….

    Maine passes same sex marriage equality!

    looking like a good night overall.

  14. imkindaokay says

    Go Colorado! America’s doing well today.

    I think Florida will vote Ooboomoo, I mean, Disneyworld!

    I’m surprised Florida isn’t a blue-state in general actually, considering its location/inhabitants/fact it’s a popular holiday destination for Europeans

  15. nohellbelowus says

    Washington State will likely legalize pot also, along with Colorado.

    Rain or snow? Tough choice. Microsoft is hiring mechanical engineers in Redmond, WA.

    Lots of six-degrees-of-freedom joints need to be studied, or so I’m told.

  16. Ichthyic says

    Microsoft is hiring mechanical engineers in Redmond, WA.

    FWIW, a old buddy of mine worked for MS as a project manager up there for about 6 years.

    he really liked it.

  17. says

    now it’s 91.3% counted, and the non-asshole is leading by just over 4000 votes.

    this back-and-forth is costing me years of my life, i swear

  18. Crudely Wrott says

    Ryan was re-elected to congress :(

    Better there than in Blair House!

    One thing I’m waiting for is the timing and the content of Mitt’s concession speech. That is likely to be as revealing as his Etch-A-Sketch campaign.

    Mitt? Are you there, Mitt?

  19. nohellbelowus says

    @Ichthyic:

    Thanks for that info!

    It’s GOTTA beat sitting dead-still in traffic on Hwy 101 near Palo Alto at 10AM. Gettin’ crazy here in the Silly-Con valley.

  20. Ichthyic says

    It’s GOTTA beat sitting dead-still in traffic on Hwy 101 near Palo Alto at 10AM.

    been there, done that.

    (Santa Cruz commute over the hill to SV)

  21. bbqdude says

    Best thing that could happen now is that Obama could lose the popular vote, and we could have enough Democrats angry about Bush in 2000, and enough Republicans angry about Obama 2012, that we could finally kill the electoral college.

  22. Ichthyic says

    Mitt? Are you there, Mitt?

    twitter says he is refusing phone calls from the Obama campaign.

    I can’t see why at this point, it’s not even close.

  23. Ichthyic says

    been there, done that.

    also spent time in Seattle.

    I’d recommend it.

    you get used to the rain.

  24. Alverant says

    #36 I heard Rmoney has only prepared one speech and it wasn’t one where he congratulates a black man for winning.

  25. ednaz says

    Alverant @ 12

    I want to run outside with both middle fingers in the air shouting, “FUCK YOU REPUBLICANS!” but as I said, it’s raining and cold.

    I like this!

    *snicker*

  26. nohellbelowus says

    @Ichthyic:

    Funny! I lived in Santa Cruz for a year (worked in Scotts Valley at Watkins-Johnson with all the hillbilly engineers… but what a GREAT reverse commute… ten minutes through the trees along Hwy 17. Never should’ve quit that one, but my pro golf career was calling… AHEM. Cough.)

  27. glodson says

    It was fun seeing Karl Rove arguing with Fox News when they called it for Obama. The denial of reality is strong with that one.

  28. kreativekaos says

    The ‘weed deed’ sounds more like decriminalization rather than full legalization–certain restrictions/limitations apparently still apply.

  29. Crudely Wrott says

    Another thing to be listening for in the coming days is commentary relating to how the Rethuglican animus towards women, immigrants, gays and people who are not classic WASPs has isolated them from the younger members of American society.

    Speaking as a 61 year old and recalling the burgeoning liberalism of my youth, I am heartened. There is a growing hope in me that a more inclusive population is growing.

    I grew up with a very bigoted father and experienced violent treatment of minorities in my community during my formative years. I’m so glad that I didn’t drink that kool-aid. (Thanks, Ma. Thanks a lot.)

  30. says

    Minnesota is still waiting for the results on Bachmann (she’ll probably be reelected) and our ballot measures on gay marriage and requiring photo ID for voting.

  31. Ichthyic says

    In Minnesota, Michele Bachmann is in trouble – leading by just 434 votes with 56% counted.

  32. says

    Huh.
    Looks like all the people who told me I was going to Ruin America® by voting for Jill Stein in California instead of Obama were wrong.

    Drat. Foiled again.

    Etc.

  33. kreativekaos says

    @4, @12: Yes, the discrepancy between the popular vote and the electoral is a bit unsettling. And some commentators have pointed that out as being potential for continued gridlock for Obama (not to mention a carbon copy of the Senate and House makeup of the past two years.)

  34. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    The MittBot 3000 is a spoiled child who was denied his favorite toy.

    HOW DARE YOU DENY ME!

  35. nohellbelowus says

    @Ichthyic:

    Um… it was oka… oh hell, it was a fucking disaster.

    At least I’ll be competitive in the Assisted-Living Seniors Open, some day.

  36. Pteryxx says

    <3 twitter.

    RT @torgospizza: Rumor has it Romney didn’t write a concession speech, but I think he wrote one on golden plates and buried it in his yard

  37. says

    The ‘weed deed’ sounds more like decriminalization rather than full legalization–certain restrictions/limitations apparently still apply.

    er, that’s exactly the opposite of how those words usually get used. legalization = legal and regulated/restricted; decriminalization = legal and unregulated

  38. nohellbelowus says

    Romney can’t read his concession speech until he finds his seer stone and hat.

    Myers gold on Twitter.

    LMAO

  39. kreativekaos says

    Jafafa Hots @ 49:

    Kudos to you for having the guts to vote for Jill Stein. I couldn’t quite do it at the national level, but did favor Greens at many lower positions here in ma’ lil’ corner of Southeast Michigan.

  40. Crudely Wrott says

    Interesting coverage from Romney headquarters in Boston.

    As the jumbotrons switch through the various networks and the tabulations appear the crowd has gotten very quiet. Boxes full of little American flags have been passed out and they are wiggling about with a vapid vigor over the heads of supporters that aren’t talking much, not cheering at all, mostly being quiet (for once). But they are waving those little disposable flags, oh, yes.

    There also seems to be some confusion concerning whether or not Mittens will show up or not and whether he will have anything thing to say before tomorrow.

    Stay tuned.

  41. Ichthyic says

    At least I’ll be competitive in the Assisted-Living Seniors Open, some day.

    I lived in Palm Springs for 10 years.

    don’t retire there.

    even if you REALLY like golf, and you know they have over 200 golf courses there.

    just… don’t.

  42. Ichthyic says

    Donald Trump appears to have launched a one-man Twitter frenzy of rage:

    Donald J. Trump

    @realDonaldTrump

    This election is a total sham and a travesty. We are not a democracy!

    it’s a SHAMESTRY!

    lol

    shave your fucking head, donald.

  43. Ichthyic says

    Well, well, well: Michele Bachmann’s lead in the sixth Minnesota congressional district has shrunk to just 206 votes, with 61% of precincts reporting.

  44. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    For the older people here.

    When told it is time to deliver his concession break, I picture Romney reacting like Herman Munster, stomping his feet and bellowing; “I don’t wanna! I don’t wanna! I don’t wanna!”.

    Should I check Freepland and the WND for shits and giggles?

  45. says

    NBC has been saying that once the votes are counted in the west, Obama will win the popular vote, by a per cent or so.
    My big hope is that the republicans will again fail to understand why they lost, and keep up with the cheezy Vegas double-down strategy to the point of ruin.
    Wow, Jerry Brown got old.

  46. nohellbelowus says

    @Ichthyic:

    One of my friends lives in Palm Springs (yes I do have a gay friend, believe it or not, despite my character flaws and general hetero-unpleasantness).

    I like warm weather, but I’d probably opt for Tucson in retirement, ‘cuz it’s hella cheaper.

  47. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    This election is a total sham and a travesty. We are not a democracy!

    The people richer than me bought the election! And we are being denied!

  48. Ichthyic says

    Same sex marriage wins in Maine and Maryland

    Here’s two amazing firsts: Maine and Maryland voters both approve measures to legalise same-sex marriage.

    That’s notable because in the previous 28 attempts to establish or defend a right to marriage equality through referendums, the same-sex marriage side had lost.

  49. Crudely Wrott says

    shave your fucking head, donald.

    Come to think about it, Trump the Chump would probably look a hell of a lot better with a chrome dome. Might even get marginally more respect from those who have a hard time coming to terms with hair.

  50. Menyambal --- Sambal's Little Helper says

    Well, George W Bush “won” in 2000 because somebody on Fox News declared him the winner, and it just snowballed, and conservatives just can’t change their minds about anything. So, even if the popular vote were to go against Obama, the conservatives are hoisted, well and truly.

    Conservatives have got to be feeling lost and confused and betrayed right now. Mitt had better get up and give a good speech to them—I hope he has the decency to patch things up like McCain did. Obama, of course, will give a gracious speech promising to be the president for all Americans.

    Good luck to President Obama, and may his second term be a better one.

  51. Crudely Wrott says

    Romney has reportedly made a congratulatory phone call to president-elect Obama.

    Romney is slated to speak in about five minutes.

    I can hardly wait.

  52. Crudely Wrott says

    Romney’s call has been reported as being “short and polite” by CNN.

    Yeah. I’ll bet it was short.

  53. mildlymagnificent says

    Aha! Romney has finally! rung Obama.

    Speech shortly, I hope. Want to see that crowd squirm.

  54. raven says

    It has to be said.

    God is in control and everything happens for a reason.*

    Romeny lost.

    Todd Akins lost.

    The Morlock in Ohio lost.

    I’ve pointed it out before. God hates fundie xians.

    (Well Bachmann. I suppose we could blame it on the other xian god of the underworld.)

    * I don’t think we will be hearing this for a hew hours until the fundies forget what just happened. With memories like fruit flies, it won’t take a day for that to happen.

  55. kreativekaos says

    feralboy1 2@ 64:

    Yes, one would hope they would continue in their clueless ways, but they are beginning to scratch their heads, trying to rethink their strategies to bring in more minorities.

    As I’ve heard one commentator mention, Lindsey Graham had said something to the effect that there simply aren’t enough old, white men to keep up GOP successes anymore (ie, they need to tap into new methodologies to brainwash minority and youth electorate).

  56. nohellbelowus says

    Romney: Hello Mr. President. Congrats.

    Obama: Thank-you, Mitt.

    Romney: I suppose Treasury Secretary is out of the question?

    Obama: Uh, yes, no fucking way.

    Romney: Right. Just checking.

  57. raven says

    I’ve been following the popular vote.

    It’s going to be close, no doubt about it.

    But the west coast went strongly for Obama and has 43 million people. Obama might well pull ahead in the end.

  58. says

    NBC has Obama now leading the popular vote, and it promises to get worse as the remaining votes are mostly California.
    And in Oregon’s 4th district, wingnut congressional candidate Art Robinson is going down 59-40. This is a guy who, two years ago, blamed Obama for the Wall Street bailout and insisted that the government had taken over the health care system.
    Yeah.
    I’m looking forward to continuing my series on losing presidential candidates with They Also Ran Good: Mitt Romney.
    Yeah.

  59. anareenseer says

    (Obama’s pulled out slightly ahead–a hair’s breadth–in the popular vote)

    Honestly, even though I am rather relieved that Romney didn’t actually become the President of the United States, I still feel kind of scared that he actually got as much popular vote as Obama.

    I always thought that in a saner universe, the election should be between Obama and somebody with policies on his left, then I can probably understand the closeness of the popular vote. But Mitt Romney winning so many votes is kind of…scary.

  60. Ragutis says

    I want to run outside with both middle fingers in the air shouting, “FUCK YOU REPUBLICANS!” but as I said, it’s raining and cold.

    My neighborhood is papered in Romney and local Republican signs. I walked outside, popped the cork on a bottle of Brut and let out a jubilant “Woo-hoo”!

  61. kreativekaos says

    (As pleased as I am that Romney lost, even more relieved that Ryan is out of the picture as a VP.)

  62. mikel says

    More good news. It looks like not only can you get gay married in Washington state but you’ll be able to serve pot at the reception!

  63. Crudely Wrott says

    Candy Crowley reports that the silence in Romney head quarters has been broken by quiet refrains of God Bless America.

    This is not surprising.

    Ah! Here’s the loser.

    A gracious start, giving deference to the entire Obama family.

    Thanks his wife. Says she would have been a “wonderful first lady”. Thanks his sons.

    Thanks his campaign manager and the crew.

    Thanks everyone for the hard work, prayers and “humblism”. (is that a word?)

    Mentions integrity and family. Jobs. People before politics. Confesses belief in “the people”.

    Mentions founding principles as being the only true values.

    Joins in prayer with his wife and all present for the values of America.

    Invokes supernatural blessing on America.

    Goes upstage to embrace family and other co-conspirators. Waves and smiles. Poses for pictures. Leaves.

    Crowd very quiet. Flag waving falters. Crowd remains fixed.

    Now a weak chant begins.

    End of campaign.

    (You don’t have to go home folks, but you can’t stay here. Cue the roadies and janitors.)

  64. raven says

    But Mitt Romney winning so many votes is kind of…scary.

    Yeah, not good.

    The problem with living on the edge and having lots of close calls is obvious. One of these days, there will be a call and it won’t be close, it will be you.

    Oh well, at least the New Dark Age is put off for 4 years. I spent months preparing for it. Now what am I going to do with the spinning wheel and the horse?

  65. spamamander, internet amphibian says

    Just adding another drunk incoherent post to the happy gathering. Wheeee. Looks like 502 (marijuana legalization) is passed in WA, Maria Cantwell kept her senate seat, and the Democrat won the governor’s mansion. The same sex marriage initiative is too close so far for my comfort but so far passing. My county was red as usual, thank FSM that Sea-Tac outvotes us. And hefeweizen is a glorious thing.

  66. kreativekaos says

    anareenseer @ 92:

    Agree, most definitely. It is a bit scary; tends to dull my enthusiasm.

  67. Crudely Wrott says

    Now what am I going to do with the spinning wheel and the horse?

    Put the spinning wheel on the horse and go to market! There are bound to be some end o’ the world types who will buy both. One for spinning thread, the other for the freezer.

  68. kreativekaos says

    Interesting. Observing the scariness of the close call here– especially of the popular vote, and the seemingly bottomless determinism of the far right social and economic psychosis that seems to be almost viral among the electorate, it doesn’t bode well for 2014 midterms, or 2016,… unless there is demonstrable change that can carry a political momentum.

  69. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Obama’s victory tonight is going to be fuel for the far right, just like his first victory four years ago. Nothing has changed in that regard.

  70. Ragutis says

    Should I check Freepland and the WND for shits and giggles?

    A month a ago I would’ve said Christie, but I’m guessing he’ll feel the brunt of Republican anger and scapegoating.

    Rubio if the party figures out that they’ll never win without the Latino vote.

  71. Ichthyic says

    I think this would have been his victory speech if he had won.

    huh.

    *thinks*

    pretty damn close, I would guess.

  72. nightshadequeen says

    Also marijuana in Colorado, medical marijuana in Mass, Elizabeth Warren, and gay marriage!

    *Squee*

    (sorry, usually lurk. Also usually not up this late)

  73. Ragutis says

    Oops. Clearly I was trying to quote Janine @ 108:

    So, who is the 2016 Republican front runner?

  74. Brad says

    @119, I don’t know, but we should try to split the ranks of the religious wingnuts. Stoke some infighting between the catholics, protestants, and other protestants.

  75. Amphiox says

    So, who is the 2016 Republican front runner?

    More important for progressives to think about is who will be the Democratic front runner in 2016.

    Remember, if you care about progressive causes going forward, this election is only step one.

  76. Crudely Wrott says

    Jeesh,..what IS it about Florida?????)

    Snakes, mosquitoes and love bugs. Not to mention nearly all real estate subject to flooding. Oppressive heat and sink holes. Not to mention indigenous redneck population. Wicked redneck. But the beaches are nice. Nearly 90% of the population lives within just a few miles of the coastlines, both coasts. Actually, the interior is pretty cool, especially for zoologists and botanists.

    (I lived there from ’71 to ’79. Best thing I did was to head north.)

  77. Amphiox says

    So far almost every single high profile race or question is going or has gone to the good guys.

    My faith in just over half the American population has been restored.

  78. kreativekaos says

    A month a ago I would’ve said Christie, but I’m guessing he’ll feel the brunt of Republican anger and scapegoating.

    Rubio if the party figures out that they’ll never win without the Latino vote.–Ragutis @113

    CBS just talking about how the GOP can’t win without the votes of Hispanics, women and other minorities. How is that possible without a near complete rejection of what it means to be a Republican and support radical conservative values and policies? Seems mutually exclusive to me.

    And Christie actually redeemed himself (somewhat, though as you say, not necessarily within the GOP) by acting as a real, appreciative human being in his reaction to Obama’s handling of Hurricane Sandy

  79. Alexander the Good Enough says

    Well, tonite the wingnuts, Thugs and TP’s can just eat Mitt. But tomorrow’s another day. They still have far too much control in Congress. Everyone keep their powder dry! We are going to be fighting 1850’s mentality for some while to come.

  80. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    But Amphiox, Nate Silver is a fag and fag cannot kick ass.

    (It hurt my fingers to type that out.)

  81. Charlie Foxtrot says

    Woohoo. Chalk up a big win for Communism!
    (well, of you believe the guy from Noo Joisey I met in Hong Kong, trying to convince me that Obama was a communist. Which I didn’t. I wanted to say that I thought Fox had declared Obama a Socialist, but I was on holidays and too relaxed to engage beyond vague “oh really?”s.)
    Lovely gent. After hearing him praise John Howard’s tough stance on “the Islam’s”, I hope he has noisy democrat neighbors tonight.

  82. kreativekaos says

    Actually, the interior is pretty cool, especially for zoologists and botanists.

    You got me there, Crudely. So true.

  83. Menyambal --- Sambal's Little Helper says

    Yeah, it’s scary that Romney got so many votes, but look at it another way. He spent bazillions of dollars, he took any position at any time, he lied out the wazoo, he got all the crazy people to vote for him, he did anything he could to get elected, his friends blocked the vote, and he still lost.

    Actually, writing that paragraph, it’s still scary that he got any votes at all. I meant to say it was like W Hush in Florida, when he lied, cheated and stole, with all his friends helping, and squeaked through on a technicality.

    I’m going to say it’s like hurricane Sandy, then. Scary, dangerous and deadly, but we survived. Or maybe a terror attack.

  84. Ichthyic says

    More important for progressives to think about is who will be the Democratic front runner in 2016.

    progressives that ran against Obama for the nomination this year were never mentioned in the media, but I haven’t forgotten they existed.

    what about Darcy Richardson?

    who do these guys endorse?

    http://www.pdamerica.org/

    you want to see a progressive run for POTUS? better get your fucking ass in gear, like, tomorrow.

    the election is only 4 years away.

  85. says

    The President draws nearer!
    (Blazing Saddles)
    As lukewarm as I’ve felt towards Obama, having sat through two Nixon elections, two Reagan, and three Bush, I feel pretty good.

  86. Menyambal --- Sambal's Little Helper says

    “So what’s Mitt going to do with his magic underwear?”

    “Looks like he’s going to have to change it.”

  87. kreativekaos says

    Yeah, it’s scary that Romney got so many votes, but look at it another way. He spent bazillions of dollars, he took any position at any time, he lied out the wazoo, he got all the crazy people to vote for him, he did anything he could to get elected, his friends blocked the vote, and he still lost.

    Actually, writing that paragraph, it’s still scary that he got any votes at all. I meant to say it was like W Hush in Florida, when he lied, cheated and stole, with all his friends helping, and squeaked through on a technicality.

    I’m going to say it’s like hurricane Sandy, then. Scary, dangerous and deadly, but we survived. Or maybe a terror attack.—-Menyambal

    Yeah,… for the past 48 hours, I was really expecting this would end up at the SCOTUS,…again.

  88. Ragutis says

    Anyway, so I decided to count how much political junk mail I got this election. 102 pieces, plus conservatively a dozen that I threw out at the beginning. Overwhelmingly Republican. Life in a swing state. I’ll have to count robocalls and polls next time.

    Snakes, mosquitoes and love bugs. Not to mention nearly all real estate subject to flooding. Oppressive heat and sink holes. Not to mention indigenous redneck population. Wicked redneck. But the beaches are nice.

    That’s a pretty good assessment. I love it. But then again, I surf and fish.

  89. Charlie Foxtrot says

    Thats probably the greatest compliment for the US this time around – even with all the crap being pulled it didn’t have to go to the courts!

  90. Crudely Wrott says

    Now, as Obama delivers his acceptance speech, my national right wing apoplexy meter is pegged and smoking. Just imagine the level of angst in all those red states including my home state, Wyoming (muffled sob).

    Prepare for a sudden rise in temperature throughout the interior of the nation.

    *breaks out fire suppression devices*

  91. kreativekaos says

    want to see a progressive run for POTUS? better get your fucking ass in gear, like, tomorrow.

    the election is only 4 years away.

    –Hard to argue with good advice like that.

  92. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    What a relief. I decided to go to bed before hearing any projections, but woke early and turned the radio on just before 6am here – a few minutes after Robomormon conceded.

    Obama’s being very emollient in his victory speech, but he did note the long lines to vote, and say:

    By the way we have to fix that.

    A nice hit at the voter suppression efforts.

    Now, my fellow humans assigned to the American granfalloon – FFS get on with building a progressive movement that will ensure a candidate and party who will take the fight to the enemy!

    – Hey, Obama mentions inequality and global warming! Will he actually try to do anything about them in his second term?

  93. kreativekaos says

    Charlie Foxtrot @ 142:

    Yep, exactly. Also, thanks to the monitoring at problematic election sites across the country.
    ( A damn shame that we have to be so vigilant in this chest-beating ‘bastion of democracy’.)

  94. Rodney Nelson says

    Nick Gotts #145

    Hey, Obama mentions inequality and global warming! Will he actually try to do anything about them in his second term?

    Considering the House remains Republican controlled and the Democrats don’t have enough Senate seats to override a filibuster, Obama can try but whether he’ll get anything through Congress is iffy.

  95. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Rodney Nelson@147,

    Quite true – but the trying is an essential step on the way: getting these issues into public and political discourse.

  96. Charlie Foxtrot says

    I’ll be checking YouTube tonight for Fox News highlights – need more schadenfreude!

  97. says

    97.7% counted, the non-asshole leading by 2952 votes.

    and I don’t think I’m going to manage to stay awake until they’re done counting

    (also, wtf California? Y U NO abolish the death penalty?)

  98. Crudely Wrott says

    Obama calls for love and duty and patriotism.

    Well, two out of three ain’t bad. (sorry if you get the impression that I am not patriotic; I am, but patriotism sleeps with jingoism and that frightens me more than burglars and serial killers).

    Seriously, this man does have a vision of a nation united despite its differences. That’s realistic. We are, after all, a nation of immigrants and children of immigrants and a wide diversity is unavoidable. There is no sense striving against that.

    “We are not as divided as our politics suggest”. Thus says Obama. I dearly hope that one statement can sink in.

  99. JAL: Snark, Sarcasm & Bitterness says

    But Mitt Romney winning so many votes is kind of…scary.

    I know right? I keep thinking “This dude? This worthless, fucked up douche of a person got 53 million votes? Really?“.

    Well, now I have a ballpark on how many people that I hate, I guess.

  100. kreativekaos says

    Obama’s victory speech juxtaposed against Robomney’s tepid address: a perfect study in contrasts.

  101. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Obama’s popular vote lead is gradually rising: now 49.6 to 48.9; and the Dems have now got 51 Senate seats (a net gain of 2 so far).

  102. kreativekaos says

    (Republican somewhere striking off item on ‘to-do’ list of making Obama a ‘one-term’ president…. Next.)

  103. Ichthyic says

    Obama’s victory speech juxtaposed against Robomney’s tepid address: a perfect study in contrasts.

    yup.

    Romney could have said many of the same things Obama did, even in defeat.

    instead, he “prayed” for Obama and schlepped off the stage like a big schmo.

    loser.

    complete and utter loser. Hope never to hear his name again.

  104. consciousness razor says

    CBS just talking about how the GOP can’t win without the votes of Hispanics, women and other minorities. How is that possible without a near complete rejection of what it means to be a Republican and support radical conservative values and policies? Seems mutually exclusive to me.

    Lying is central to their platform, so I bet the Republican party will remain basically unchanged for quite a while. The lesson they’re probably going to take away from this (after lots of inconsequential infighting) is that they need to lie more (and more convincingly) to people who aren’t old, straight, white, Evangelical dudes.

  105. Crudely Wrott says

    Ugh: Obama ends with a burst of God-talk.

    I agree. Ugh.

    But it has become custom; it is expected; it is a sign, an advertisement of unity predicated on artifice to reassure the insecure among us, however unfortunate and rife with idiocy and superstition. Really, it is only conspicuous in its absence.

    In a nation of diversity it is unavoidable. Everyone craves to be catered to. Slogans are endemic.

    le sigh

  106. kreativekaos says

    Ich..@ 157:

    ‘zactly. I don’t want to hear P. Ryan’s name either.

    (Looks like Obama is running just under about 1 Megavote, of the pop vote right now.)

  107. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    consciousness razor@158,

    I think more likely they’ll draw the lesson that MOAR VOTA SUPPRESHUN is required.

  108. kreativekaos says

    consciousness razor @ 158:

    Yeah,.. I agree. I don’t see how else they could influence the electorate in any other way without alienating the kooks in their base.

  109. consciousness razor says

    I think more likely they’ll draw the lesson that MOAR VOTA SUPPRESHUN is required.

    More likely? I’d say both are very likely. :/

    And I’m too tired to express that in a way that avoids a conjunction fallacy.

  110. consciousness razor says

    Bully for Elizabeth Warren. I so want to see her run for prez.

    Definitely happy about that. She’s pretty awesome.

  111. kreativekaos says

    MOAR (devious and conniving) VOTA SUPPRESHUN…..

    (Little doubt of that–continued escalation. The crap just never seems to f’ing end, does it?)

  112. kreativekaos says

    Oh yes!! So glad to see Liz Warren win!!!! She is awesome–scares the hell of the conservatives.

  113. Amphiox says

    An interesting observation made by Rachel Maddow on NBCNews’ coverage:

    The party that has been in power every time the country has just started to emerge from a great financial crisis, which is what will be happening from 2012-2016, has always gone on to dominant electoral politics for 20-30 years afterwards.

    If this turns out to be true, then tonight is even bigger than one might think at first glance.

    Two other observations of note:

    In almost all the most high profile races in which thanks to Citizen’s United obscene amounts of anonymous money got pumped into the Republican side, they lost.

    In the states with the most stringent voter suppression attempts by the local Republican administrations, voters came out and stayed in line, and waited as long as it took to vote. And in the states were this was most prominent, Ohio and Florida, it looks like Obama and the Democrats will win.

    The precedent these results will set in terms of the practical practice of politics going forward may prove significant.

  114. mikeyb says

    The southern anti-vagina anti-gay strategy is finally dead and gone for good- not enough angry white guys left -victory for demographics!

  115. Amphiox says

    Let the Republican Party entrench to the right their bigotry, misogyny, and general insanity, if they wish. All the demographic indicators are moving against them and will move even further by 2016.

    This year was their best shot, and even with Citizen’s United and wholesale voter suppression, they lost.

    Try the same in 2016 and they will lose by even more. Try it again in 2020 and they will be landslided out of existence.

    So if they want to hitch their wagon back to the Tea Party and cleave even more rightward, I say to them, go right ahead and drive that oxcart off the demographic cliff and into the dustbin of history. That way lies electoral obliteration and the world will not miss your party one bit.

  116. says

    OK, I’m pissed.

    In my city in the San Francisco Bay Area, looks like a Tea Party asshole is going to win and serve as mayor.

    Nobody KNOWS he’s Tea Party, he was a late entry and never mentioned it, nobody brought it up but I did some research and found that he is virulently anti-gay, calls Obama a muslim, and has pledged to “take his ministry to the public schools and city hall” (yes, he’s a preacher)

    A totally dishonest scumbag. Got his congregation to pay for his campaign materials, got them to go out after services every Sunday and take down other people’s signs, etc.

    I gave this info to the current mayor and others, but it was too late. They knew he’s a snake, but had no idea he was this disgusting.

    The previous mayor started a “faith-based” program to involve churches in the city. This guy joined that as a preacher, that was his entry into politics. Now he is claimed HE started it, the liar, and is about to replace the man who DID start it.

    (That man is not overtly religious, it’s just that this is a very religious community and he wanted to get people involved.)

    So now I have work to do, compiling all of the (apparent) new guy’s sleazy racist and homophobic comments and getting them out there so people know. It was too late to do that before the election.

    This guy is a fucking scumbag and he may be serving for 4 years, but I am damned sure going to make sure everyone in the Bay Area knows about this amoral piece of shit.

  117. kreativekaos says

    An interesting observation made by Rachel Maddow on NBCNews’ coverage:

    The party that has been in power every time the country has just started to emerge from a great financial crisis, which is what will be happening from 2012-2016, has always gone on to dominant electoral politics for 20-30 years afterwards.

    If this turns out to be true, then tonight is even bigger than one might think at first glance.

    …..

    In almost all the most high profile races in which thanks to Citizen’s United obscene amounts of anonymous money got pumped into the Republican side, they lost.

    …..

    The precedent these results will set in terms of the practical practice of politics going forward may prove significant.

    Amphiox,… hopefully, good news. Time will tell.

    Hard to say though, given the essential character or declining level of information/education/knowledge, etc., etc., possessed by many an average voter these days.

  118. DLC says

    Obama has been declared the winner, Romney has given his concession speech. (and a fairly well made speech it was, also, IMO) and “the people have spoken”. What they said will be debated over by the pundits for the next couple of months.

    conservative estimates are that the big money pacs spent a half billion dollars in ad buys just in the presidential contest alone. Congressional races aren’t included in that number.
    And by and large they aren’t getting what they wanted.

  119. firefly says

    As a green card holder in TN (who has to pay taxes but doesn’t have the right to vote), THANK YOU!!!!!

    And mikeyb, @170 – damn straight! :)

    Now… Warren 2016!

  120. kreativekaos says

    Amphiox @ 171:

    Ah,… to sleep, perchance to dream. A scenario I would love to see in my lifetime.

  121. Suido says

    A moment of happiness for Tammy Baldwin, first openly gay US senator. Not to mention first female senator from Wisconsin.

    A moment of sadness that the Republicans haven’t lost convincingly enough for the moderates to kick the extremists to the kerb, tempered by happiness at the thought of the intra-party shitstorm that Donnolly will have kicked off by defeating Mourdock.

  122. Amphiox says

    Amphiox,… hopefully, good news. Time will tell.

    Hard to say though, given the essential character or declining level of information/education/knowledge, etc., etc., possessed by many an average voter these days.

    Well, the seed is planted, as one could say. But progressives will need to water it with vigilant political activism, going forward.

    Ah,… to sleep, perchance to dream. A scenario I would love to see in my lifetime.

    I suspect the Republican Party is neither that stupid or that self-destructive to actually do this. So they will either change, or try to pretend to change and fool the electorate. If they go the first route, then perhaps we will see the restoration of a healthy two party system where either party could present a viable choice. If they go the second route, then it will be the job of progressives to make sure they do not get away with their lies.

  123. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Obama is now leading the popular vote by over a million; 49.8% to 48.6%.

  124. says

    So, who is the 2016 Republican front runner?

    Boehner or Ryan, I guess.

    I liked Obama’s speech, especially the mentioning of climate change and the “gay or straight” bit.That was good!

  125. Akira MacKenzie says

    The southern anti-vagina anti-gay strategy is finally dead and gone for good- not enough angry white guys left -victory for demographics!

    Now, now, let’s not get cocky (no pun intended). The right wing has not instantly evaporated. They are still out there. They still have money, power, and the will to use them. They can still be trouble.

  126. says

    Yeah, they have not evaporated.

    If an anti-gay tea partier can be elected mayor of a city in the San Francisco Bay Area, things are still shit.

    Nobody will read this probably, but if you do, a warning. The Tea Party months ago switched to a strategy of getting people elected LOCALLY. School boards, town councils, etc. – and doing it by HIDING their tea party affiliations.

    They are planning from the bottom up. It will be DECADES before we are rid of their political influence.

  127. Suido says

    A note on libertarians… they can be useful.

    Obama’s lead in Florida: 43,170
    Johnson’s vote tally in Florida: 43,389

    Source: Guardian at the time top right.

  128. Rodney Nelson says

    Akira MacKenzie #183

    The right wing has not instantly evaporated. They are still out there. They still have money, power, and the will to use them. They can still will be trouble.

    FIFY

    Nearly half the voters went with a right-wing, religious-fanatic, homophobic 1%er. The Religious Right and the Corporate Plutocrats still have huge amounts of money and lots of hate for the rest of us.

  129. Crudely Wrott says

    Jahafa Hots (btw, nice nym):

    Yeah, they have not evaporated.

    True, but the evidence is that our recon drones, continuously updated with new software intelligence, have significantly enhanced detection capabilities. Estimates of future capabilities are encouraging. Detection rates are expected to increase.

    Fear not and be of good cheer.

  130. F says

    The Morlock in Ohio lost.

    Which particular Morlock would that be?

    —-

    Does this mean the Pope can give Thomas S. Monson a magic-underpants wedgie?

    While I don’t suspect anything could mean such a thing, by all means, let’s him and him fight.

  131. says

    alright: 100% reported, non-asshole up by 3000 votes. so either she’s won, or the fun of the recount starts in the morning. In any case, I’m calling it quits for the night. really this time. :-p

  132. Crudely Wrott says

    Who you callin’ a drone!

    Hee heeee! Not you, Jafafa.

    Feeble Star Wars reference, but you got that, didn’t you? ;^>

  133. Crudely Wrott says

    Looks like the only swing state that swung for Romney was my present location, North Carolina. Indiana also swapped from blue to red. The voting map is identical to the last election save for these two.

  134. Ichthyic says

    probably was supposed to be Mourdock, and just got the state wrong

    damn, now i have…

    “Hi, I’m Rupert Morlock, welcome to my underground lair.”

    rolling through my head.

  135. Crudely Wrott says

    From what I am aware of at this moment it looks like SSM has fared well this cycle. I’m not up to the moment on all the potawana decisions but at least two states are showing some intelligence.

    My fellow Americans are impressing me. If only the entrenched government agencies would follow suit. Perhaps we need to work and wait some more. And pummel them with our will.

    It’s a labor of love, I tells ya.

  136. Ichthyic says

    Romney has given his concession speech. (and a fairly well made speech it was, also, IMO)

    bah.

    the only good thing about Romney’s concession speech was that it was blessedly short.

    he could have been gracious in defeat, but all he was was barely polite.

    nothing to encourage anyone.

    hopefully he will just be entirely forgotten in a week.

  137. dorfl says

    Woo!

    Mister “if I died and was replaced by an emotionless replicant awkwardly impersonating humanity, noone would ever notice any difference” lost the election!

    Congratulations from Sweden!

  138. Crudely Wrott says

    This from MSNBC:
    Fred Sainz, vice president of communications with the Human Rights Campaign:

    “The hearts and minds of the American public have changed,” he said. “For years now we’ve been having a long extended conversation and connecting with them about how marriage equality is about love, family and commitment, which are common human factors.”

    In all, voters in four states – Maine, Maryland, Washington and Minnesota – considered ballot measures Tuesday on the issue of same-sex marriage.

    In Washington and Minnesota, the votes were too close to call early Wednesday morning.

    Look at me, a straight, white man of European descent, doing a happy dance!

    Also:

    Voters in Colorado and Washington on Tuesday approved measures allowing adults to use marijuana for any purpose, NBC News projected, marking an historic turning point in the slow-growing acceptance of marijuana usage.

    In Massachusetts, voters also approved an initiative allowing people to use marijuana for medicinal purposes, NBC News projected. In Arkansas, a similar initiative failed, according to NBC News projections.

    Don’t bogart that joint, muh friend, pass it over to me.

    I once rented a trailer in El Dorado, Arkansas. I started finding seeds and other traces of pot in various places around the trailer. I suspected there was more. After an exhaustive search I found a four-finger bag of weed inside of a “secret compartment” in the closet of an unused bedroom.

    This boy was so happy he started doing the Eagle Rock up and down that dock!*

    *please see Jamie Brokett, Ballad of the USS Titanic.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XFYMjkFYPg

    This maximum dude used to play for free at the Student Union at the University of New Hampshire. I was fortunate enough to be there. The Eagle Rock reference comes at the end of a thirteen and a half long rave like you seldom hear.

    Enjoy all these things, dear Horde. Progress is slow but it does come with small pleasures that, combined, enhance life and increase freedom, which gives life its meaning.

    Even more when shared.

  139. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    When are the FEMA camps for Republicans opening? When is Shari’a law going to be declared? Come on Obama, no need to hold back now!

  140. says

    I just watched the German news coverage. I tried to spot the black person at the Republican party, couldn’t find them.

    So, plain relief over here in Germany (91% of people would have voted for Obama). It seems like conservative chancellor Merkel doesn’t even try to look like she’s sorry the conservative candidate lost…
    Congratulations to all those who managed to pass or block ballots and who kicked the pro-rape cround in the ass.

    But I have a question: watching the long lines of people queuing up for voting: How would you manage if actually like 70-80% of people voted?

  141. Marcus Hill (mysterious and nefarious) says

    anareenseer @92:

    I always thought that in a saner universe, the election should be between Obama and somebody with policies on his left

    In the civilised world, he would be. I also literally laughed out loud when I read this xkcd, as it labels people who have actually been elected to the US congress as “far left”, when anywhere else they would be thought of as being on the centre right or (in the most extreme cases) centre left. It’s just scary how far to the right the Overton window is in the US.

  142. Ichthyic says

    twitter is overflowing with rethuglicans gnashing their teeth and saying they want to leave the US…

    where the hell would they go?

    who the fuck would want them?

  143. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Obama’s now nearly 2 million ahead in the popular vote, and his share has gone just over 50%. So Rethugs whining about the injustice of it all will have to fall back on what so many of them actually think – that only white males should vote. (After all, that’s what the Founding Fathers decided.)

  144. Crudely Wrott says

    twitter is overflowing with rethuglicans gnashing their teeth and saying they want to leave the US…

    where the hell would they go?

    who the fuck would want them?

    Well, I hear that there is lots of space in places like Greenland, Antarctica, the Sahara and Atacama deserts. It’s not like any one is holding them back.

  145. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Bully for Elizabeth Warren. I so want to see her run for prez. – paleomancer@165

    Knowing next to nothing about Warren, I googled, and only needed to get as far as “Elizabeth” – her name came up as the first option. Looks like an impressive person – but the Republicans would surely demand to see her great-great-great-grandmother’s long form birth certificate.

  146. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Well, I hear that there is lots of space in places like Greenland, Antarctica, the Sahara and Atacama deserts. – Crudely Wrott

    Fuck no! Greenland and the Sahara already have permanent inhabitants (not sure about the Atacama) – what have they done to deserve an influx of racist scumbags? As for Antarctica, will no-one think of the penguins?

    They could accompany Newt Gingrich to the moon, I guess – after all, the magic of the free market is surely going to create a moonbase any day now.

  147. says

    where the hell would they go?

    who the fuck would want them?

    Given these people’s records on women’s and homosexual’s rights and their beliefs regarding the age of the earth et cetera, places like Afghanistan, Nigeria or Iran might be interested. It should not be too difficult for Republicans to make the jump, after all, you can easily stay in the Abrahamic fold, just transfer your bigotry across.

  148. anareenseer says

    In the civilised world, he would be. I also literally laughed out loud when I read this xkcd, as it labels people who have actually been elected to the US congress as “far left”, when anywhere else they would be thought of as being on the centre right or (in the most extreme cases) centre left. It’s just scary how far to the right the Overton window is in the US.

    Yeah, I actually don’t think America has any “far left” in play, at least not any far left that has any power in national stage – because I haven’t heard any. Considering how much I hear about the far right, I will have to assume that there is none – or close to none.

  149. Mario says

    Thanks a lot! Thanks for making the world a better place, at least for the next 4 years. And congratulations to Maryland and Maine!

  150. kassad says

    Congrats from France kids! That one could have sucked big if it had gone in the wrong direction :S

    A little fun with some polls here:

    Left: 85% Obama – 1% Romney

    Right: 75% Obama – 9% Romney (to be clear, some of our conservatives would not vote Obama because he is too much on the right).

    In total, the French would have voted 67% Obama and 5% Romney;
    54% of the Front National voters would go for Obama! That’s a fucking right wing extremist, nationalist, homophobic and racist party. And they still thought that Romney was a religious loon with moronic ideas on defense.

    Just to be clear, my country is very, very far from perfect in politics. But I think it illustrates well that at least half of the political scene in America is just fucking nuts (and the left isn’t always better to appeal so much to right-wing extremists here).

  151. Crudely Wrott says

    @211:

    Point taken, Nick. Indigenous populations should not be so carelessly polluted.

    Perhaps we need to wait for the Hundred Year Starship. Why, such an luminaries as Bill Clinton are behind the project. If we could just make it big enough and send it far enough . . .

    *takes up slide rule to figure volume, thrust and time dilation factors*

  152. Crudely Wrott says

    Well, seeing as the die is cast and that it’s a bit after five AM, I say good night, good morning, good day to you all. Quite a night, eh?
    As I used to tell my daughters when they were small, sleep well, because tomorrow just might be a big day.

  153. blf says

    When are the FEMA camps for Republicans opening?

    They were opened years ago and now hold enough thugs to explain why the commie atheist moolsin gay fascist icky furrinor won — real ‘merkins are all locked up and so are prevented from voting (and lynching those who voted wrong).

    When is Shari’a law going to be declared?

    They are still working out the implementation problems in the FEMA camps, where it is in effect…
    Tip: Watch to see which book that icky furrin gay fascist commie moolsin is sworn in with — teh hole babble or teh [pack of lies written by hitler, satan, and Obama that must not be named]. That’ll be a clew as to how far along the problem-solving has succeeded, and hence when Shari’a law will be declared.

  154. says

    So, statistics say:
    55% of women
    60% of 18-24 yo
    93% of blacks
    69% of hispanics
    voted for Obama

    52% of men
    55% of 65+ yo
    58% of whites
    voted for Romney

    Can we now stop pretending that a dominance of old white guys is not a problem?

  155. Emrysmyrddin says

    Thank fook. I checked the news at 12:30am GMT and it all seemed up in the air. I didn’t realise how tense I’ve been over the past week until I heard the result…thanks, US; sincerely, Most Of The Rest Of The World.

  156. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    I didn’t realise how tense I’ve been over the past week until I heard the result – Emrysmyrddin

    Same here – but over the last several months.

  157. katkinkate says

    Yep, the wind generated by the sigh of relief from the rest of the world is on it’s way.

  158. Brad says

    @222
    What the fuck is wrong with

    45% of women
    4o% of 18-24 yo
    7% of blacks
    31% of hispanics

    that they voted romney?

  159. jose says

    Republicans have been the biggest obstructionists in history in hopes that Obama looked bad enough to be a one term president. Now that they’ve failed, will they continue to hinder all efforts to help America just out of spite?

  160. Alex the Pretty Good says

    Well US, it seems like a tiny majority of your citizens has shown that you still deserve to run your own country … No serious electile dysfunction this year ;)

    Some general remarks from a Euro-Liberal Euro-trash observer:
    – Well, “Colorado Rocky Mountain High” will never have the same meaning again.
    – Same-sex equality wins. One ban shot down, two pro-laws approved and a third still a possibility. So does that means that the relinuts will accept that “the people” have spoken and it’s not just the will of “some activist judges”?
    – The first openly gay person to get elected into the Senate and her preference was never a real issue during the campaign? Good show Wisconsin.
    – Blatant anti-woman stances will cost you a senate seat … Looks like some improvements have been made over the last century after all.
    – Democrats may have lost House seats in non-battleground states because these were ignored in the campaign. Once again shows that the electoral vote just doesn’t work. Even a “split the EV per state by percentage of votes received” would make the election that more “about everybody’s vote”.
    – Faulty voting ballots, hours of waiting in line, voter suppression, need to register on the day itself … are you sure that’s describing the most important election in the largest Western Democracy and not the going-ons in one of those countries that had their first democratic elections since the Arab Spring?
    – Wondering what kind of nutbaggery Paul “Public Advocate” Delgado will be sending to my spam-catcher account.

    In short, the “secondary” choices made this election even more about Hope than those of 2008 … and it look like Hope did if not win, at least not go down in flames.

  161. Red-Green in Blue says

    Well, thank goodness for that. It seems the clusterfuck is delayed slightly, albeit nowhere near being averted yet.

    @Jafafa Hots,
    Thank you for voting with your conscience – I would have done the same. I do agree with PZ that the Greens need to build from the local upwards, but it is not fair to accuse any voter of “splitting the vote” because that is laying responsibility on them for decisions over which they have no control. If the electoral system discourages people from freely and independently voting for their favoured candidate, then the fault lies with the system, not the people.

    @mikel:

    More good news. It looks like not only can you get gay married in Washington state but you’ll be able to serve pot at the reception!

    God will not be mocked! Poorly-aimed, poorly-timed vengeance will be his!

  162. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Thanks, Lofty. If you click on http://natesilverwrong.com/, you get the message:

    This website is temporarily unavailable, please try again later.

    (Silver called every one of the states so far reported correctly, and Florida looks likely to make it a clean sweep.)

  163. says

    @230 (Alex the Pretty Good)

    Just one note:

    Democrats may have lost House seats in non-battleground states because these were ignored in the campaign. Once again shows that the electoral vote just doesn’t work. Even a “split the EV per state by percentage of votes received” would make the election that more “about everybody’s vote”.

    Votes for Representatives and Senators is not decided by electoral votes – they’re actually a straight, winner-takes-all vote (except Vermont, which has a weird 50%+1 rule.)

  164. blf says

    Now that [the Thugs have] failed, will they continue to hinder all efforts to help America just out of spite?

    Yes. Another in the series of simple answers…

    Two lines from R-Money’s concession blathering (as reported in The Grauniad) struck me (my emboldening):

    … At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work.

    We look to our pastors and priests and rabbis and counsellors of all kinds to testify of the enduring principles upon which our society is built …

    Is the first a swipe at the obstructionists in Congress?

    The second is just plain insulting. Most people don’t rape children — don’t rape anyone — and think raping kids is exceptionally wrong. As is covering-up and lying about it… And then demanding tithes (untaxed) to continue…

    (In the middle — omitted from the above excerpt — is standard boilerplate blither about the importance of teaching and education.)

  165. Nick Gotts (formerly KG) says

    Katherine Lorraine@234,

    I think you’ve misunderstood: the point was that because of the electoral college system, the bulk of the political effort goes into the “battleground” states, which affects all contests in the remainder.

  166. dianne says

    @222 and 228: Heck, what’s wrong with 55% of men and 58% of whites that they voted for Romney? It’s not in their interest either. And it’s sure as shit not in the interest of the 55% of people age 65 and older who voted for him.

  167. kemist, Dark Lord of the Sith says

    twitter is overflowing with rethuglicans gnashing their teeth and saying they want to leave the US…

    where the hell would they go?

    who the fuck would want them?

    Ship B ?

    With coordinates set for the Sun ?

  168. dianne says

    twitter is overflowing with rethuglicans gnashing their teeth and saying they want to leave the US…

    where the hell would they go?

    Somalia. The government there is much as they describe to be the ideal.

  169. says

    I wish I owned a US gun shop for the next year or so. The “Obama is coming to take away my precious, precious guns!” crowd will probably be out buying guns and ammo in large quantities, just like they did in 2008-09. The guys at Colt, Federal, Winchester etc.etc. are probably all rubbing their hands in glee at how much they’re going to fleece the paranoids for.

  170. truthspeaker says

    Now Republicans and Democrats have an opportunity to work together on the issues they agree on – murdering civilians with drones.

  171. slowdjinn says

    Democratic voters: Thank you, congratulations, and please work on getting a more liberal candidate next time.

    The rest of you: (you know who you are) WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING*?!

  172. slowdjinn says

    truthspeaker – don’t talk bollocks. You know the Republicans would rather be carpet-bombing or nuking them.

  173. Rev. BigDumbChimp says

    Really, I’m happy for the results (mostly), but the best part, at least for me right now, was watching Karl Rove implode on Fox.

  174. Rev. BigDumbChimp says

    The sad faces of many at work today are feeding into my schadenfreude nicely.

    I’d hope they’d shut up about everything for a while but I’m sure that’s not the case.

  175. chigau (棒や石) says

    Rev.
    Your coworkers should be happy.
    If Mitt had won he would have outlawed coffee.

  176. Josh, Official SpokesGay says

    American electorate to bigoted, ignunt, racist, xenophobic, queer-hating, classist, militaristic misogynists: “Suck it, fuckbags.”

  177. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    [crosscomment from the Lounge]

    One of the right-wingers I know: “Obama only won because he let all the illegals vote. And they suppressed the GOP turnout. And they fiddled with the voting machines. And Romney wasn’t conservative enough.” Not verbatim, not all at the same time, but all said in the last hour. [turns up Zen — currently playing some Bach organ music. at high volume]

  178. Crudely Wrott says

    A couple reasons to feel good deserve mention this morning.

    First, a lesson in how to communicate to a broad and diverse audience without eating shoe:http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/07/14980822-rape-remarks-sink-two-republican-senate-hopefuls?lite

    And in the Good Ol’ Granite State,

    New Hampshire will be the first state in history with an all-female congressional delegation, as CNN and the Associated Press declared Carol Shea-Porter the winner over incumbent Frank Guinta in the first Congressional District race shortly after 1 a.m.

    See http://www.unionleader.com/article/20121107/NEWS06/121109406

    In addition,

    Democratic former state Sen. Maggie Hassan of Exeter defied the polls and pundits Tuesday by turning what had been forecast as a tight governor’s race into an easy victory.

    See http://www.unionleader.com/article/20121107/NEWS06/121109404

    This can only be good. The ladies are showing their strength and are being recognized. This trend is growing not only in that small state, but across the country. As I’ve said before, small steps in the right direction are better than broad strides in the wrong one.

    In the interest of full disclosure, I have fallen in love with more than one woman from New Hampshire and, with but a single exception, am still delighted that I did.

  179. md says

    hey, even more interesting…

    Colorado just LEGALIZED MARIJUANA!

    This along with various states passing SSM proposals and eminent domain restrictions please me. Its good to see Democrats embracing change via Federalism.

  180. says

    Several posters up-thread noted the Trump meltdown on twitter. Well, Trump scrubbed his Twitter feed of his most obnoxious comments, but Salon had the foresight to screen-grab them earlier.

    http://www.salon.com/2012/11/07/donald_trump_loses_it_calls_for_revolution/

    “We can’t let this happen. We should march on Washington and stop this travesty. Our nation is totally divided!”

    “We should have revolution in this country!”

    “House of Representatives shouldn’t give anything to Obama unless he terminates Obamacare.”

    etc.

  181. dianne says

    Well, Trump scrubbed his Twitter feed of his most obnoxious comments

    So much for the courage of his convictions.

  182. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Got a chance to look at the Trib. In Illinois news, Teabagger and hypocritical person behind on his child support payments Joe Walsh lost to dem. Tammy Duckworth, who lost her legs serving in Iraq. Walsh tried to minimize Duckworth’s injuries in service, which didn’t go over well.

    And for the first time since I moved to Illinois, I have a democratic congresscritter, who edged out the incumbant rethug by 2,400 votes.

  183. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    Its good to see Democrats embracing change via Federalism.

    Since there is no federal policy for state issues, MD is as relevant as ever. A total non-sequitor and bit of idiocy. Might as well hang up its politial trolling now that the election is over.

  184. says

    Let’s enjoy some words of wisdom from right-wing pundits … before reality slapped them:

    Peggy Noonan (Wall Street Journal): “All the vibrations are right.” “Romney is stealing the election while we’re not really noticing because we’re too busy looking at data.”

    Karl Rove (Wall Street Journal, and man behind the curtain): “Mitt Romney will be declared America’s 45th president. Let’s call it 51%-48%, with Mr. Romney carrying at least 279 Electoral College votes, probably more.”

    Bill Kristol (Weekly Standard): “As president, Mitt Romney will have the extraordinary opportunity to rescue America from the spirits of the shady night of a decadent liberalism.”

    David Martosko (Daily Caller): He predicted Romney would win 296-244, including Pennsylvania, “partially because Hurricane Sandy will depress some turnout in Obama-friendly Philadelphia, and because the new Black Panthers have been warned this time.”

    There’s more, but maybe this is too much fun for one day.

  185. dianne says

    Canadians, you know what to do. I look forward to the election of someone who is not Harper so we in the US can start thinking fondly of emigration again.

  186. Pteryxx says

    via BB, because Jennifer Ouellette is just that awesome:

    Particle physicists not yet willing to call the election for Obama —
    Sure, there’s a 99.2% probability that he will win, but that is several standard deviations away from the 99.99995% confidence that the particle physicists would need to declare the election won. (This is satire, obviously.) Via Jennifer Ouellette.

    http://freakofnature.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/particle-physicists-unwilling-to-call-election/

    BB quote from here: http://boingboing.net/2012/11/07/particle-physicists-not-yet-wi.html

  187. md says

    Since there is no federal policy for state issues

    No federal policy and law enforcement for marijuana sales, really?

    No federal policies proposed in the past for the definition of marriage, really?

    No recent relevant Supreme court decisions regarding eminent domain, really?

  188. says

    It was so lovely to see right-wingers assuming that Romney would take Minnesota because the marriage equality proposition would bring out droves of Romney voters.

    Then Obama kicked Romney’s ass in Minnesota, and Minnesotans decided they didn’t want to be anti-gay marriage after all.

    Case in point: Kathryn Jean Lopez of the National Review tweeted: “George Will is right. Romney will take Minnesota, and on account of the marriage vote.”

  189. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Got a chance to look at the Trib. In Illinois news, Teabagger and hypocritical person behind on his child support payments Joe Walsh lost to dem. Tammy Duckworth, who lost her legs serving in Iraq. Walsh tried to minimize Duckworth’s injuries in service, which didn’t go over well.

    Not only that. For the last two weeks, local terrestrial radio kept playing an ad that claimed that Tammy Duckworth was a Rod Blagojevich stooge who would implement his policies in the House.

  190. says

    Bill O’Reilly on Faux News: “… the white establishment is now the minority” and the country is “not a traditional America anymore.” And this is from the Faux News anchor who was arguably the most repetitive when it came to bashing liberals for noting the racism within the right wing? Way to prove us right, Bill.

    Todd “legitimate rape” Akin, in his concession speech: “We believe life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness come from almighty God, not an almighty government.”

    BTW, it is so odd that Paul Ryan won his House seat back in Wisconsin. So I guess he does have a job after all. Really, Wisconsinites? You should have kicked that guy out.

    And BTW, it is so sweet to see the look on my mormon neighbor’s face when God did not make sure that Romney won. Head asplode time.

  191. says

    Video of Karl Rove melting down is available here:
    Talking Points Memo link. Scroll down for the video.

    The best part is Meghyn Kelly’s exasperated “But you know how the science works! They know the counties and the makeup of the remaining electorate.” Some tiny surviving fragment of intellectual dignity wouldn’t allow her to be party to it.

  192. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    No federal policy and law enforcement for marijuana sales, really?Two different sets of laws, as you know. Who ever tries to enforce the law wins. Many cities and states have differing policies and enforcement for maryjane use. The feds can’t force the states to stick to their fuckwitted standards.

  193. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    But Meghyn Kelly still did the long walk to the computer room in order to question them about the numbers.

    So much fun to watch the turdblossom wilt.

    I hope that dubya had fun in the Cayman Islands.

  194. says

    But Meghyn Kelly still did the long walk to the computer room in order to question them about the numbers.

    And she’s participated in similarly stupid acts all along. But that brief moment in which reason resisted was most enjoyable.

  195. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    “But you know how the science works!

    I missed that. She actually told Karl Rove, architect of ‘our ideas create reality’, that he knows how the science works?
    Heh.
    Hehehe.

    Falls on the floor and rolls while laughing. Laughing my fucking ass off.

  196. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    But she is smart enough to remember who pays her salary. Do not want to make the aging pirate king, Rupert Murdoch, and his head morlock, Roger Ailes too upset.

  197. says

    Its good to see Democrats embracing change via Federalism.

    Ah, the continuing enshrinement of foolish dead white men who hated them*, and the continuing assumption that all that is good arose from them. Libertarians never fail.

  198. says

    Thinking about Janine’s links to music … am reminded of Romney’s tin ear for music, am reminded of his shifting from Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man to Kid Rock’s Born Free.

    Now that’s a sin.

    Does he have to hurt me even as he’s getting ready to exit the freakin’ political stage?

  199. says

    I missed that. She actually told Karl Rove, architect of ‘our ideas create reality’, that he knows how the science works?
    Heh.
    Hehehe.

    The fact that the words were uttered there is marvelous. I think people should save that clip and insert it in response to any of their dismissals of expert projections for global warming, sea-level rise, etc. Just Meghyn Kelly’s voice: “But you know how the science works!”

  200. spamamander, internet amphibian says

    Joe Walsh and Todd Akin both lost. To women.

    First openly gay senator elected (who happens to be a woman as well).

    SSM initiatives in 4 states voted the “right way”.

    Recreational marijuana legalization in 2 states. (Still can’t believe it didn’t pass in Oregon, they’re bigger stoners than we are in WA)

    I like where this is going.

    What I’m scared of is how many anti-women and anti-gay bills there are going to be in the next few years in backlash by the Right. Let’s hope the people buck that trend.

  201. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Lynna, that was just the MittBot 3000 trying to reach out to all of the hip young adults who love Mr Loaf and The Nuge.

  202. says

    More good news from Florida, the voters defeated an amendment that would have provided state funding for religious institutions:

    Florida’s Amendment 8, which would have lifted restrictions on state funding of religious institutions, was defeated in Tuesday’s election.

    The Associated Press and the Orlando Sentinel reported that the amendment fell far short of the 60 percent it needed to pass, with 55 percent opposed and 44 percent supporting. The amendment would have overwritten the Blaine Amendment, which exists in nearly 40 state constitutions and blocks funds for religious schools.

  203. says

    Arrgggh. Paul Ryan is still going to give us headaches:

    “I am immensely proud of the campaign we ran, and I remain grateful to Governor Romney for the honor of being his running mate,” he said. “I look forward to spending some time with my family in the coming days and then continuing my responsibilities as chairman of the House Budget Committee and representative of Wisconsin’s First Congressional District.” — Paul Ryan

  204. says

    80 corporate jets descended on Boston last night as the super rich supporters of Romney landed there in order to attend what they thought would be a victory rally. The 80 jets were about double the usual number the airport sees.

    Freni [Logan’s director of aviation, Edward Freni,] compared the traffic to what he sees on busy college graduation weekends in Boston or for the Ryder Cup golf tournament in Brookline in 1999.

    Wasted jet fuel. Add that to the millions down the drain for Sheldon Adelson, for the Koch Brothers, and for mormons everywhere.

  205. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Concession Of A Salesman

    You know it’s over when The Donald sings.

    They started leaving Mitt Romney’s victory party at the convention center here just moments after Fox News projected President Obama would win Ohio, and pretty soon it became silent a stampede toward all available exits. Donald Trump, his face a mask of — oh, who the hell knew what it was a mask of? — glided down the escalator to the adjacent Westin Hotel lobby. So did Romney senior campaign advisor Ron Kaufman, who simply shook his head and said, “It’s over.” So many of the 5,000 hand-selected party-goers were leaving, in fact, that it seemed as though staffers would have to start locking the doors to ensure enough of Mitt’s good, close friends remained to provide an appropriate backdrop for the candidate’s actual concession speech.

  206. says

    Is the first a swipe at the obstructionists in Congress?

    no, just standard Republican reaction post-election:
    Republicans won? “we have a mandate, therefore no compromises”
    Democrats won? “this is no mandate, this is a time for cooperation and bipartisanship”

  207. says

    Lynna, that was just the MittBot 3000 trying to reach out to all of the hip young adults who love Mr Loaf and The Nuge.

    LMAO. Oh, ho. Perfect analysis.

    Even uncool Paul Ryan called Mitt out on his musical taste, noting during his RNC speech that Mitt had elevator music on his iPod.

  208. says

    One more note for Janine: Mitt doesn’t call young adults “young adults.” He calls them, mormon style, “youth” or “the youth.”

  209. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    The uncool zombie eyed granny starver lovse Rage Against The Machine. Missed out on the meaning of the songs.

    I guess it is easy enough, Tom Morello is an amazing guitarist.

  210. says

    From Janine’s link @287:

    … in what might have been one last sop to the Tea Party, the Romney campaign refused to credential almost all foreign press, leaving the Westin lobby full of it — a reporter from France was insisting to a woman named Helen that she had to admit her candidate had lost the race.

    Read more: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/mitt-romney-concession-14544479#ixzz2BYqiF67t

    They refused to credential most of the foreign press? Effing tribalist Romney.

  211. says

    From The American Conservative:

    “You probably once contemplated voting for Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, or Rick Santorum precisely because Romney was a flip-flopper who invented Obamacare…So how can you be surprised that other Americans never warmed to him as a choice for president?”

    They went on to note that all those brown people voted Obama in, so what can you do?

  212. dianne says

    Can someone explain Florida to me? That is, are they ever going to call it or are they going to recount or what? I know it’s irrelevant for the result, but am curious…

  213. says

    I am such a mean old bitch. I could not stop laughing as the fools of the American Patriarchy Association pondered why they lost so badly.

    Republicans are sorry they lost. Republicans want to win in the future. Republicans do not want to change.

  214. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    They went on to note that all those brown people voted Obama in, so what can you do?

    It is the twilight of the (white) gods!

  215. says

    From Janine’s link @297:

    Elizabeth Warren was elected to the Senate because Massachusetts had been inundated by gays who destroyed the educational system as she watched in horror the breaking news that Todd Akin was being “blown out” in his bid for the Senate.

    Morton Blackwell was then brought in to explain that President Obama was going to win re-election because he “did not underestimate the capacity of people to harbor envy and hate and greed for something for nothing,” while Bryan Fischer suggested that perhaps we ought to just split the country in half and let conservatives run their half and liberals run the other … with a massive wall in between, of course, to keep out all the liberals who would try to sneak in.

    For Tim Wildmon, Obama’s re-election could best be explained by the fact that he was re-elected by the states where people don’t go to church…

    Twilight of the White Gods cannot come too soon. Actuarial tables are also on the side of the Democratic Party.

  216. says

    Ted Nugent melts down on Twitter:

    I cry tears of blood for The Last Best Place & the warriors who died for this tragedy

    So 4 SCOTUS idiots dont believe in self defense. Pure evil

    Goodluk America u just voted for economic & spiritual suicide. Soulless fools

    What subhuman varmint believes others must pay for their obesity booze cellphones birthcontrol abortions & lives

    So Obama still demands the hardest workers provide for the nonwotkers. Shared opportunitiesmy ass

    Vote for Obama & vote for US Constitution hating SCOTUS crazies

  217. says

    Former SNL member Victoria Jackson melts down on Twitter:

    I can’t stop crying.

    America died.

    I can’t stop crying. America died.

    The Democrat party who voted God out of their platform and adopted Romans 1 as their platform won.

    The Democrat Party voted God out and replaced Him with Romans 1. In the Good vs. Evil battle…today…Evil won.

    Thanks a lot Christians, for not showing up. You disgust me.

    I see she believes in repetition.

  218. says

    Stay classy Mississippi:

    400 students from the University of Mississippi staged a riotous protest last night at the news of Obama’s reelection. The Jackson Clarion Ledger reported that “students were heard shouting racial epithets about Obama and African Americans in general. Police were called to the scene and the crowd broke up around 12:30 a.m.

  219. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    I cry tears of blood for The Last Best Place & the warriors who died for this tragedy

    The Nuge shitted in his pants so that he did not have to be a warrior. If only he were a Mormon, perhaps he could have joined the MittBot 3000 in France.

  220. says

    From my liberal embeds inside Goldman Sachs, I bring you this news:

    There is no heat or hot water in our office, and the cafeteria can only put out certain things – so we have prepared sandwiches and salads trucked in, and soups. Since it is COLD in here, the soup is the most popular. So we have soup lines at Goldman Sachs.

    There are some long faces at Goldman this morning. I am fueling the fire by leaving my copy of the Times (“OBAMA’S NIGHT”) out on my desk. I am so, so happy to have it confirmed that money isn’t everything.

  221. says

    Facebook posts from True Believing Mormons, courtesy of an ex-mormon who still has believing relatives:

    “I have to have faith that God is in control. After the 2008 election I cried all the way home . . . I was inconsolable. Then the Spirit whispered gently to me that one day the whole world will be done away with and He will be our one true leader.”

    “We discussed the Book of Mormon [with my family] where it talks about what happened when the wicked out numbers the righteous, and then prayed for faith and strength to endure this new trial.”

    “Seriously. This and thinking about the lowered missionary age, the building of temples…the second coming is quickly upon us. Get our lives and houses in order!”

  222. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    . . . what happened when the wicked out numbers the righteous, and then prayed for faith and strength to endure this new trial

    I am sick of Christians and they’re persecution complex. The world doesn’t kowtow to their every belief so they are persecuted. Bleah.

  223. a_ray_in_dilbert_space says

    Today,I woke up in a country that re-elected a black President, despite the fact that his first term was less than stellar and that he presides over a country with nearly 8% unemployment. If you think about it, this may say more that is hopeful than having elected black man in the first place.

    I awoke in a country where maybe, just maybe, people will be able to get medical care they need and not have insurance countries laugh in their face.

    This morning, I awoke in a state where gay and lesbian couples can affirm their commitment to each other and have it recognized by the state–they can marry.

    I awoke in a state where a bright young person can realize their dreams of an education, whether or not their parents possessed the right paperwork to reside here.

    So again, on the day following election day, I am a wee bit proud of my country, fucked up as it is.

    And now I am walking on eggshells so as not to offend the smackasses who are saying that this is the end of civilization. I want to tell them that if they want to leave, I’d be happy to help them pack.

  224. says

    What? They turned off the heat out of spite?

    No. If that were the case, feudal overlords would suffer as well as the peasants. We can’t have that happening at Gold in Sacks.

    Hurricane Sandy knocked out the steam system in the part of Lower Manhattan where the Goldman Sachs building is located. It’s not back on line yet.

  225. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Thank you, Lynna.

    I am still listening to that video. It is so fucking unhinged and I am mean enough to find it hilarious!

  226. imkindaokay says

    @Janine

    You may regret posting that. She has convinced me that Obama is evil and Romney is fantastic, and I think her rhetoric and eloquence may convince most people on this blog.

    I love how she understands the English healthcare system. That’s my favourite part. That’s what turned me.

    GO DISEASE!

  227. says

    Someone up-thread asked us to explain Florida.

    Florida was a mess before the November 6 election day voting began.

    The long lines in Florida, which began during early voting this weekend, result in part from a bill pushed through last year by Republican Gov. Rick Scott that drastically cut the state’s historically generous early voting period.

    Link.

    In addition to problem noted above, broken voting machines, broken ballot scanners, reduced numbers of polling places, and reduced polling hours were all prevalent, especially in high-population-density areas (where most of the minorities live).

    More here: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-florida-vote-20121106,0,1320003.story

    Al Sharpton video on voter suppression: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45755884/#49702183

    Another Al Sharpton segment on voting in Florida: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45755884/#49667498

  228. stubby says

    Boehner is talking and it appears he is the same obstinate ass he always was. Apparently “common sense” still means following reaganomics and cutting social programs, while leaving defense alone.

  229. Ichthyic says

    Yep, the wind generated by the sigh of relief from the rest of the world is on it’s way.

    oh, another hurricane for the East Coast. I’m sure they’ll be very thankful.

    ;)

  230. Ichthyic says

    What the fuck is wrong with

    45% of women
    4o% of 18-24 yo
    7% of blacks
    31% of hispanics

    that they voted romney?

    if you eliminate the obvious (they always voted republican, so, inertia), then I’d guess the second major factor would simply be age.

    old people tend to vote republican, for a variety of reasons.

  231. says

    From the Miami Herald:

    Even after the networks called the race for President Obama, people in South Florida remained in line.

    From Hialeah to Country Walk and Brickell, people waited as long as seven hours to vote. In Broward County, voting at some precincts came to a halt when the ballots ran out. At the South Kendall Community Church, 1,000 people were in line at closing time, and at least 200 remained three hours later.

    From The Maddow Blog:

    If you hadn’t decided to stay in line, maybe Michigan’s emergency manager law stays in place instead of getting repealed. Maybe Maine doesn’t pass marriage equality. Maybe Virginia has a different result. Maybe those deciding votes don’t come pouring out of Cleveland, Ohio. Maybe Florida, still undecided now, is a different landscape. Maybe the popular vote goes to Mitt Romney instead.

    With voting, you just don’t know. Not everyone could make it through those lines. But everyone who did, whomever and whatever they supported, struck a blow for the right to vote in this country. You protected your own vote from the political forces who stood to profit from your giving up….

    The roots of the problem are many and tangled. Republicans cut the time for early voting, guaranteeing a crush at the polls. What’s more, elections departments seem stumped by the mechanics of early voting (printing those 12-page Florida ballots voter by voter?). They fail to put enough machines at the polls. They fail to provide enough ballots. They staff the polls with workers who are confused about the basic rules of the job….

  232. says

    SC @327, That Glenn Beck presentation closely mirrors what I’m seeing on Facebook from True Believing Mormons. (See post #315.)

    All that emergency prep won’t hurt Beck’s bottom line either. He sells preparedness goods.

  233. says

    … a survey by Hart Research, commissioned by the AFL-CIO, found that minorities and Democrats were more likely to experience long wait times than others.

    Nearly a quarter of blacks — 24 percent — and Hispanics — 22 percent — reported waiting in line more than 30 minutes, compared to 9 percent of whites. Obama voters were nearly twice as likely as Romney voters to face long lines, at 16 percent to 9 percent.

    Link.

    Republicans are about suppressing just enough of the vote to make a difference. They failed for the most part simply because they underestimated the determination of people who really wanted to vote.

  234. Ichthyic says

    Glenn Beck.

    …laments the end of his career as a schlock jock for the GoP.

    and the orchestra of tiny violins is right there with him.

  235. says

    “I have to have faith that God is in control. After the 2008 election I cried all the way home . . . I was inconsolable. Then the Spirit whispered gently to me that one day the whole world will be done away with and He will be our one true leader.”

    “…And being reassured of total destruction followed by cosmic totalitarianism cheered me right up! Hope it helps you, too! Hugs and kisses!”

  236. says

    How fucking bad is the House of Representatives? And why are those jokers still in power?
    Link.

    Experts attribute the GOP’s comfortable victory to the timing of the 2010 tea party wave, which gave Republicans huge redistricting advantages that let them alter the congressional map to their benefit.

    “Much of this was pre-baked through the redistricting process,” Larry Sabato, a leading election expert, told TPM. “The GOP won the House at just the right moment, in a wave election that gave them many governorships and state legislatures in a Census year. Bingo. Many weaker House members elected in 2010 who would have lost in their old districts in 2012 have been given better districts that will reelect them.”

    Consider Pennsylvania, for example. Seth Michaels noted that if you add up all of the votes Pennsylvanians cast in U.S. House races in 2012, you’ll find a pretty even split, with Democrats enjoying a slight edge, 2.71 million to 2.64 million. Given that the state has 18 members in the House, you might think that would translate to 9 or 10 Democrats, right?

    Wrong. State GOP lawmakers carefully drew the lines for partisan ends — only five of the state’s 18 members of Congress will be Democrats, even though a majority of Pennsylvania voters backed Democratic candidates.

    Cockroaches.

  237. Ogvorbis: broken and cynical says

    You would think that Florida could fix it’s voting process.

    The GOP is working on fixing Florida’s voting problem. They had it in 2000 but their fix didn’t work in 12.

  238. says

    being reassured of total destruction followed by cosmic totalitarianism cheered me right up! Hope it helps you, too! Hugs and kisses!

    Anything, anything to get out of those three-hour-long, soul-sucking church services.

    Oh, wait. The era cosmic mormon totalitarianism would mean “sacrament meetings” that go on for eternity. Maybe a few breaks for procreation of “spirit babies.”

  239. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    What’s going on with the American people?

    It is so much when when reality shatters hateful little fantasies.

    Hey, did you know that liberals have tun the US for the last thirty years and that conservatives only get a short time to clean up the mess before they are swept out again?

    *snicker*

  240. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Nate Silver was right, and I was wrong.

    Chambers’ method of “unskewing” polls involved re-weighting the sample to match what he believed the electorate would look like, in terms of party identification. He thought the electorate would lean more Republican when mainstream pollsters routinely found samples that leaned Democratic.

    In other words, he pulled the numbers out of his ass.

  241. nms says

    Nate Silver was right, and I was wrong.

    I expected better of Dean Chambers than to simply admit defeat in the face of reality.

    Well, maybe “better” isn’t the right word.

  242. gravityisjustatheory says

    Crudely Wrott
    7 November 2012 at 12:48 am

    Now, as Obama delivers his acceptance speech, my national right wing apoplexy meter is pegged and smoking. Just imagine the level of angst in all those red states including my home state, Wyoming (muffled sob).

    I just popped over to one of the libertarian/gun-rights forums I used to hang out on in my libertarian days (until they became so extreme and sociopathic I gave up on them well before giving up on libertarianism itself).

    They’re… not taking it well.

    Sample posts:
    http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=0o945igeaok08gfij3jvf1v6q0&topic=36886.msg742601#msg742601

    I’m not a fan of Romney in the least, and I completely agree that he is a “Northeastern Republican” with many Dem tendencies but at least he didn’t absolutely hate this country and everything it stands for. I highly doubt Romney would actively work to destroy the nation through his actions nor would he deliberately nominate justices like Elena “The Wise Latina” Kagen, justices who actively hate the constitution. Romney would have been a fairly lame-duck president IMHO but he’s not the guy that grabs the wheel, cranks it over to aim the car at a bridge abutement, and stomps on the gas pedal.

    We are not dealing with an inept idiot at the helm, remember that, folks. Obama is a highly indoctrinated communist who absolutely wants to wreck the country and he will do what he can to effect that. He’s already given us so much in his first four years, now he’s going to really crank it up I think. And his constituents will cheer mightily because one of the things he’s going to do is to use mugging by federal government to give them what they want.

  243. Janine: Hallucinating Liar says

    Elena “The Wise Latina” Kagen

    wut

    Obama is a highly indoctrinated communist who absolutely wants to wreck the country and he will do what he can to effect that.

    GET THE FUCK OFF THE INTERNET!

    *snort*

  244. kreativekaos says

    The uncool zombie eyed granny starver lovse Rage Against The Machine. Missed out on the meaning of the songs.

    I guess it is easy enough, Tom Morello is an amazing guitarist.—Janine @ 291

    Well said. Although he must not know of Tom Morello as The Night Watchman–it would REALLY hard for him to misinterpret THOSE lyrics.

  245. kreativekaos says

    Janine @ 328:

    Lawyers, Guns and Money– beeeaaautiful! Couldn’t be more appropriate as satirizing the severe, modern Rethuglican mentality (think: Nugent, for one of many)

    I’ll have to pull out my Zevon album (yes ALBUM) Excitable Boy, and reacquaint. Nice job on the musical suggestions.

  246. What a Maroon, el papa ateo says

    Joe Walsh and Todd Akin both lost. To women.

    I guess life’s not so good to them these days.

    Anyway, it was a great night for gays and tokers, and even though I’m neither, I like the direction this country is going in.

    Nice to see that Obama finally mentioned global warming in his speech last night. I would’ve liked to have seen him talk about it during the campaign, but on the other hand I suppose that might have cost him enough votes in places like VA and OH to lose the election. I hope that’s a sign of his priorities in his second term.

  247. What a Maroon, el papa ateo says

    Anyway, it was a great night for gays and tokers, and even though I’m neither, I like the direction this country is going in.

    Hmm, that didn’t come out quite right, did it? It doesn’t matter who or what I am; what’s important is that the world became a bit more free last night.

  248. gravityisjustatheory says

    Janine: Hallucinating Liar
    7 November 2012 at 6:44 pm

    Obama is a highly indoctrinated communist who absolutely wants to wreck the country and he will do what he can to effect that.

    GET THE FUCK OFF THE INTERNET!

    I think two things were happening there:


    The first is something that seems common to a lot of extremists and single-issue obsessives on all sides. First, they take one issue that they think is the only thing that matters (either because it is the only thing that is important, or because – in their world view – everything important derives from it). Secondly, they invoke a lot of slippery-slope / excluding the mean / etc fallacies, such that anyone/thing who doesn’t perfectly fit their utopia is the antithesis of it. Hence if the government taxes your property, or restricts what you can do with it, then you don’t have full control over it, hence you don’t have control over it, hence you don’t have real ownership of it, hence the government does, therefore COMMUNISM!!!111!!!


    The second issue is that a lot of these libertarian/ Objectivist types seem to view America not as a country or nation (or even a federation of those), but as an ideology. Specifically, an ideology defined by (their interpretation of) the Constitution. Hence someone who disagrees with (their interpretation of) the Constitution “hates America”, and if they go further and try to change society they are “trying to destroy America”. (This is presumably also the source of the “we are Real Americans” meme, and the implied accusation that people who disagree with them are not Real Americans).


    (Btw, how do I do Comic Sans in posts? I feel I ought to be using it when quoting/explaining wingnut idology, if for nothing else to make sure no-one mistakes it for my own views).

  249. Rodney Nelson says

    Btw, how do I do Comic Sans in posts?

    <q cite=”comic sans”> should give . Let’s see if it works.

  250. Rodney Nelson says

    I got comic sans but not the way I expected it. Let me see if <q cite>comic sans</q> does it: comic sans.

    BTW, preview is broken.

  251. John Morales says

    [meta]

    BTW, preview is broken.

    If so, the problem is at your end; works fine for me.