As long as we're doing photos

That's me and my better half with the next POTUS and a pretty damned good Senator.

And for Lula, I also exist...

With my MUCH better half!

(I'm the one on the right!)

November 4, 2008 @ 10:08 p.m. - Grant Park

Photographic evidence of my existence.... (I am the one on the left)

How did the rich vote?

In response to the post below about Adam Smith and his invisible hand of love, I noticed that Nate Silver's got a post up at fivethirtyeight containing some interesting breakdowns of exit polls. Those who reported an income of over $200,000 (basically those who will pay more under Obama's intended tax plan) voted for him 52-48. Apparently, those who make the money aren't as worried about paying a bit more in taxes as those who wish they made that much money.

A visit to the (Freeper) zoo

THIS is rich.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2127917/posts

Spread the wealth around, circa 1776

"The necessaries of life occasion the great expense of the poor. They find it difficult to get food, and the greater part of their little revenue is spent in getting it. The luxuries and vanities of life occasion the principal expense of the rich, and a magnificent house embellishes and sets off to the best advantage all the other luxuries and vanities which they possess. A tax upon house-rents, therefore, would in general fall heaviest upon the rich; and in this sort of inequality there would not, perhaps, be anything very unreasonable. It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion. "

From that wacky radical Adam Smith.

I'm almost feeling sorry for Sarah Palin..

Readers here know how I feel about Caribou Barbie, that she is a miserable, mean-spirited and corrupt person ill-equipped seemingly for any job she has held and certainly the one she most recently sought.

So why would I possibly feel sorry for her? Because I have never seen such callous and classless attacks on a running mate coming from within the camp of the head of the ticket.

OK, I admit that it is funny that she doesn't understand either North America or Africa, but memo to the "staffers" who are dumping on her. You are putting yourselves in a very untenable position. If it's true, I assume you are trying to scapegoat her for McCain's drubbing, but that only makes you and your boss look like mega-chumps for picking her. If it's not true (doubtful, but possible) you have committed actionable defamation.

The word that comes to mind is "schadenfreude."

A View from Abroad ... in Cartoons

Aislin, The Montreal Gazette



Novaes, Jornal do Brasil

In my mind I'm gone to Carolina

Obama blue or Tarheel blue? In any case, a blue Carolina is a beautiful thing!

Plus the Dems pick up the Oregon senate seat.

The teeny tiny brain of Sean Hannity

Here is the absurd "poll question" from the even more absurd Sean Hannity:

With ACORN fraud, military ballots missing, and people voting more than once do you believe that Obama would have won this election without all those situations?

Feel free to laugh uproariously.

A couple of reactions from African Americans

Whoopi Goldberg on “The View”:

And the realization that hit me and really messed me up for a lot of the night was that as an American, I always thought of myself as an American with all of the promise that America holds. But suddenly last night I felt like I could put my suitcase down finally.

And this from a voter in Washington:

Rosa sat so Martin could walk.

Martin walked so Obama could run.

And run he did. And (smiling broadly) win he did.

Wow.

Won't you please help?

Hundreds of political hacks and industry insiders will soon be out of work in an Obama administration. Mine owners will no longer be able to feed their families with their pay from the Mine Safety Board. Chemical company lobbyists will no longer serve on the EPA, and representatives of companies that make unsafe cribs and dangerous toys will lose their seats on the Consumer Products Safey Commission.

Please help these unfortunates and donate today. Save the scumbags, and give what you can today. Please.

Thank you.

November 4, 2008 @ 10:00 p.m. - Grant Park

Every Picture Tells a Story....

...don't it!!

Last night

I was listening to the radio this morning on the way to work, and "Tonight, tonight," by the Smashing Pumpkins came on. And it dovetailed perfectly with the scenes from last night that I don't ever want to forget. So I thought I'd share with you.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

Time is never time at all
You can never ever leave, without leaving a piece of youth
And our lives are forever changed
We will never be the same
The more you change the less you feel

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

Believe, believe in me, believe, believe!
That life can change, that you're not stuck in vain
We’re not the same, we're different.
Tonight, tonight, tonight
So bright
Tonight, tonight

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

And you know you're never sure
But you're sure you could be right
If you held yourself up to the light
And the embers never fade, in your city by the lake
The place where you were born

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

Believe, believe in me, believe, believe!
In the resolute urgency of now
And if you believe there's not a chance tonight
Tonight, tonight, tonight
So bright tonight, tonight!

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

We’ll crucify the insincere tonight (Tonight)
We’ll make things right, we'll feel it all tonight (Tonight)
We’ll find a way to offer up the night (Tonight)
The indescribable moments of your life (Tonight)
The impossible is possible tonight (Tonight)
Believe in me as I believe in you,
Tonight, tonight, tonight,
Tonight
Tonight…

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can.

Faux News

Just for fun, I turned over to watch the mumbly Britt Hume on Fake News lament how Americans did not respond adequately to the William Ayers "crisis." Right. Only on Fake News is a balding paunchy (hey, I know of which I speak!) education professor a crisis.

Fair and Balanced. Right.

May I be the first to say to my GOP brethren

In the true spirit of your reaction in 2000 and 2004, I would just like to say, in the nicest possible way:

GET OVER IT!!!

We now return you to your your regularly scheduled program.

Response

To Peter's post about how President Obama (just typing that makes me smile) will govern:

I have so much confidence in that guy and his team right now that it's a little bit scary. He's not a divine being, and I don't worship him, but he is a hell of a politician, and that's a very good thing. After that campaign, executed at such a high level and utilizing media and technology and people in ways that no one had dreamt of before, do you have any doubts that he'll surround himself with the right people and lead that group, and the country, to better places?

Good day

With a few obvious and onerous exceptions (CA's prop 8, the senate seat in Alaska, etc), I'm just frickin' happy today. I get why there's so much anger and emotion, but I feel lighter today than I have in a very long time.

As I was watching the results come in last night, knowing that as soon as PA came in that it was inevitable (and especially after Ohio), the excitement began to build. And even though I knew it was coming, when MSNBC put the graphic on the screen at 10 pm, I started crying. There are many battles to fight and I'm far too much of an idealist to ever really be satisfied, but the moment was overwhelming. I thought about the energy I've spent on the outgoing President and his cohort - the anger, the resentment, the fear, the frustration, the nights I stayed awake ranting, the tens of thousands of words I spewed in vitriolic furies, the conversations in public, seemingly always rising to the level of annoying random passers-by, the bursts of anger toward everyone with a Bush-Cheney sticker on their car, the wingnut blogs I read in amazement, and I just couldn't hold it in.

It's over.

Not the war. There's always another war. But this was a big one.

We will face other challenges, but not from that group. On January 20, John McCain will not take the oath of office, bringing with him someone who has no business touring the White House much less potentially living there and keeping the entire Bush cadre close if not formally in office. The first blustery days of fall are always some of my favorites, as the north winds blow away the last remnants of the sticky, oppressive heat of summer, bringing an icy clarity to the air and a crispness to the land. I'm always invigorated on those days, as it just feels easier to do everything. This feels like that, only magnified immensely. After so many days that all felt the same on a fundamental level, where a malaise had settled over the country (and the world), today is a new day. And that's worth a whole lot.

Maybe this is what the conservatives felt like when Reagan came in, with his "morning in America." That wasn't a repudiation of Carter as much as it was of the last 15 years or so, and all of the crap that had come with Watergate and Vietnam and oil shortages and all that. I don't believe that the country has become as liberal as I'd like it, but there is widespread acknowledgment that we did need a change.

Maybe it's like Bill Murray finally waking up on February 3. It almost doesn't matter what today brings. It's enough that it's a new day.

Random Thoughts

It is 75 degrees and sunny in Chicago. God is in his heavens and all is right with the world.

Dr. King, you wished for a day when character rather than color would be the question. That day is here.

When people vote, Republicans lose.

How fucked up is Alaska? Caribou Barbie and Ted Stevens?

Kudos to the kids. The youth vote was HUGE.

Does the devil still have the claim check for John McCain's soul?

Liddy Dole. Buh bye! Good riddance.

I'm afraid the GOP will learn their lesson. Forget Mittens Romney. Forget Madame Moosehunter. The GOP will realize that anti-intellectualism is a loser, that Americans are sick of presidents "like them." The new face of the GOP is not the miserable and disgusting Sarah Palin. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present your 2012 GOP nominee--David Petraeus.

How will he govern?

First of all, I don't think he will advance a particularly aggressive legislative agenda. He has the huge problems of Bush's disastrous wars and an economy still in great danger to deal with. He also will have to begin slowly and work with the potential filibuster GOP bloc.

What he will do immediately are the things that a president can do. First of all, he will not shame us on the world stage as George Bush has done. He knows the difference between Shi'a and Sunni, understands the role of the United States in the world, and knows what we can and cannot do.

He will stop the grotesque politicization of the Justice Department and return the focus of the Justice Department to...justice.

He will end the shame of torture.

He will appoint thoughtful jurists to the bench rather than radical activists and political hacks.

He will appoint regulators who will regulate, rather than industry insiders who gut even minimal regulation for the sake of profit. Securities, occupational safety, consumer products safety, the environment--regulated by regulators.

His administration will honor those who served, both in terms of benefits and not wasting their lives for personal vainglory, as compared to the shame of the current crowd who gleefully piss on our troops.

THAT is a good start.

I wonder what Sarah thinks of community organizers NOW??

Given that organized communities crushed her ridiculous little campaign?

I doubt McCain would have prevailed without the Palin pick (he definitely does better in Pennsylvania with Tom Ridge) but she sealed the deal. When the Republicans lose Indiana and the Philadelphia suburbs, they need to take a long hard look in the mirror. They are on the verge of becoming a party embraced only by stupid white people. Unfortunately, we have a bumper crop of those in this country, but since the GOP disregarded my prescient advice (if you depend on yahoos to win, DO NOT put the yahoos on television!), they seem to be sufficiently marginalized for now if the Democrats can prove Will Rogers wrong and remain an organized political party.

Palin in 2012? Oh please, please, please.

Indiana, my Indiana, Indiana, we're all for you!

Who EVER would have thought that our neighbors to the east would turn blue??

Mr. Irrelevant

Who gets this title, normally reserved for the last player picked in the NFL draft?

Joe Lieberman..or

Joe the Plumber?

Obama Nation!

Calling it at 10

The 44th President of the United States of America...

Barack Obama

I may weep.

Boom!

Blowout city, bay-bee!

On My Way to Grant Park

I spent 10 hours poll watching for Dan Seals and Barack Obama in IL 10. The turnout in the 4 precincts I oversaw will approach 80% -- this is a GREAT sign for the good guys.

My wife and I will soon leave to be on our way to Grant Park and what promises to be a very joyous evening!!!

So what is Fox News talking about?

Need you ask? They will say ANYTHING to discredit what will happen today. Think they ran this header in 2000? In 2004?

My Polling Place Report

I arrived at 5:40 AM and the line was already 200 people deep. There was a palpable Obama buzz, which is great news for Dan Seals, IL-10th candidate.

It's finally here!

Everyone have a great election day, and an even better celebration afterward, watching the GOP whimper and moan like the defeated whiners they are!

Drinking game - one shot for every state Obama reclaims from the evil ones.

Off to a good start

Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, the little hamlet that votes first in the nation and has gone Republican since 1972, posted an upset: Barack Obama 15, John McCain 6.

Also, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Washington Redskins, and as tradition goes, when the Redskins lose the incumbent party loses too.

Let’s keep it going!

Not to put too fine a point on it

I want the world to last long enough for this guy to love it. Vote Obama.

Tomorrow

Again, a slight tilt back toward Obama (we're alternating every day). Virginia has slipped slightly into Obama likely, and Montana is now a toss-up.

Italicized states have trended (changed categories) towards McCain, bolded towards Obama.

McCain win: Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Idaho, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alaska, South Carolina, Texas, South Dakota, West Virginia. Total: 129 EV.

McCain likely: Georgia, Arizona. Total: 25 EV.

Obama likely: Ohio, Nevada, Virginia. Total: 38 EV.

Obama win: DC, Vermont, Rhode Island, Hawaii, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, Maine, California, Delaware, New Jersey, Iowa, Washington, New Mexico, Oregon, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Colorado. Total: 273 EV.

Tossup: Missouri, North Carolina, Indiana, Florida, North Dakota, Montana. Total: 70 EV.

McCain is at 157 in his two piles, Obama is still at 311. Counting leaners in the tossup category (MT, ND, IN, and MO for McCain, NC and FL for Obama), they're at 185 and 353. Missouri might be edging towards McCain (although I still think they'll come through).

It's almost here. Be confident, be vigilant, and vote.

Heads Up: The Ohio Vote Can Still Be Hacked!

The same electronic tabulation system that could have hacked the Ohio vote tabulation in 2004 IS STILL IN PLACE for the 2008 election. As incredible as this may seem, electronically tabulated votes in Ohio are routed through a highly partisan Republican IT company in Chatanooga, TN, SmarTech Inc., before the “results” are displayed online.

According to IT experts, this unsafe schematic leaves the system open to a “KinPin” or “Man in the Middle (MIM)” attack from criminal hackers who can scramble the vote in any way at the SmarTech IT server. Read about it here.

SmaTech is the same server that hosted Karl Rove’s 500 “missing” emails.

It's UN.F*.BELIEVABLE that Ohio with a Democratic governor and Democratic secretary of state have NOT taken appropriate measures to close this HUGE security risk to counting ALL the votes from Ohio on Nov. 4 and holding an HONEST election.

Just one quick question...

Who in God's green earth is still UNDECIDED and what the hell is wrong with you???

Condolences again in our own poor little way

Sen. Obama's grandmother passed away today in Hawaii. Rest in peace, and bless you, senator, for seeing her before she died.

Baghdad Fred

On Huffington Post today, they list the predictions of a whole list of pundits, ranging from George Will to the folks from Politico.com and Republican strategists. To a man/woman, they all agree that Obama prevails with at least 300 electoral votes, Except for one, Weekly Standard dullard Fred Barnes. Somehow Fred says that Grampy will win with a stunning 286 electoral votes.

One might argue that poor Fred, pictured below, might need to get back in touch with reality??

Joe the Plumber Endorses McCain

Sen. McCain said that if elected, he will take Joe the Plumber, pictured below, to Washington with him. No announcement on Joe's role has been made.

The day after tomorrow

A little more movement today, with a slight trend within groupings towards McCain today (of the 18 states within 10 points, using 538, 2 trended towards Obama since yesterday, 14 towards McCain, and 2 had no change, with an average change of 0.4 towards McCain). We're still playing in statistical noise here, folks. Even with that, the only state that changed categories was...North Dakota, moving from McCain likely to tossup.

Italicized states have trended (changed categories) towards McCain, bolded towards Obama.

McCain win: Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Idaho, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alaska, South Carolina, Texas, South Dakota, West Virginia. Total: 132 EV (-10 since yesterday).

McCain likely: Montana, Georgia, Arizona. Total: 28 EV (-3).

Obama likely: Ohio, Nevada. Total: 25 EV (+0).

Obama win: DC, Vermont, Rhode Island, Hawaii, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, Maine, California, Delaware, New Jersey, Iowa, Washington, New Mexico, Oregon, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Colorado, Virginia. Total: 286 EV (+0).

Tossup: Missouri, North Carolina, Indiana, Florida, North Dakota. Total: 67 EV (+3).

McCain is at 160 in his two piles, Obama is still at 311. Counting leaners in the tossup category (ND, IN, and MO for McCain, NC and FL for Obama), they're at 185 and 353. Missouri might be edging towards McCain (although I still think they'll come through), but that's still a blowout.