Obama versus McCain (versus the rest)

[stevew]

I guess the Palin effect was at work at my daughters school today. For their "International Day" they featured the following countries....England, Germany(sang 99 luftbaloons), Italy, Mexico(kids had mexican goatees) and Africa.

[stevew]

Libya and Ghaddafi is too easy.

[lungs]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

hey, ya still got 4 lungs!

I'd have more if they didn't have names I couldn't remember. I knew Equatorial Guinea has an absolute nutcase. Liberia has a woman. Just can't ever remember their names.

[Klinglerware]

Originally Posted by lungs

Tshvingari (not sure how to spell it)

That one would challenge a lot of people if they were asked to spell it, especially since it's supposed to be pronounced "chang-a-rye"

[Daimyo]

I remember there was a kid in my high school freshman world history class who thought Africa was a country. Everyone in the class thought it was incredibly dumb even then and he was mocked for weeks about it. Lets hope Palin was just mis-quoted or made a harmless verbal gaffe. I can't imagine a national political candidate really not knowing the difference.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Daimyo

I remember there was a kid in my high school freshman world history class who thought Africa was a country. Everyone in the class thought it was incredibly dumb even then and he was mocked for weeks about it. Lets hope Palin was just mis-quoted or made a harmless verbal gaffe. I can't imagine a national political candidate really not knowing the difference.

Someone in my office expressed disbelief, but I can see it. People talk about "Africa" like it's one place all the time.

[Passacaglia]

I blame Toto.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Autumn

Hah Balance of Power. That was a sweet game. Maybe I've got those floppies around here still ...

Way to many hours spent playing that game. 286xt. Ah, good times.

[Tekneek]

Originally Posted by Daimyo

I remember there was a kid in my high school freshman world history class who thought Africa was a country. Everyone in the class thought it was incredibly dumb even then and he was mocked for weeks about it. Lets hope Palin was just mis-quoted or made a harmless verbal gaffe. I can't imagine a national political candidate really not knowing the difference.

Here is a gaffe she made in writing, in response to a questionnaire sent to the 2006 Alaska Gubernatorial candidates:

Question: Are you offended by the phrase "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?

Palin: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I'll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance.

Unfortunately, it wasn't written until 1892, and "under God" was not added until 1954.

[Tekneek]

Originally Posted by stevew

England, Germany(sang 99 luftbaloons), Italy, Mexico(kids had mexican goatees) and Africa.

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

By the way, what level of school are we talking about here?

[Buccaneer]

Just realized that Obama got the North Carolina electoral votes. That is amazing.

In looking back, it appears that Pennsylvania was never in play. Even if it McCain had chosen Ridge, it still would have been a blue state in the end. Same thing for Minnesota and Pawlenty.

It also appears that the race ended up being predictable since Obama won by the same margin he was up after the primaries in early June. I suppose it got interesting for a few weeks but I don't think the outcome was in any doubt since we knew that the Dems would increase their turnout from 2004 (up by 2-3%) while Reps would have trouble getting their 2004 turnout numbers.

[lungs]

Originally Posted by Tekneek

Unfortunately, it wasn't written until 1892, and "under God" was not added until 1954.

It was good enough for Eisenhower, it's good enough for us.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Just realized that Obama got the North Carolina electoral votes. That is amazing.

In looking back, it appears that Pennsylvania was never in play. Even if it McCain had chosen Ridge, it still would have been a blue state in the end. Same thing for Minnesota and Pawlenty.

It also appears that the race ended up being predictable since Obama won by the same margin he was up after the primaries in early June. I suppose it got interesting for a few weeks but I don't think the outcome was in any doubt since we knew that the Dems would increase their turnout from 2004 (up by 2-3%) while Reps would have trouble getting their 2004 turnout numbers.

It also looks like Obama will win one EV in NE.

[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

It also appears that the race ended up being predictable since Obama won by the same margin he was up after the primaries in early June.

Tell MBBF that.

[Vegas Vic]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I suppose it got interesting for a few weeks but I don't think the outcome was in any doubt since we knew that the Dems would increase their turnout from 2004 (up by 2-3%) while Reps would have trouble getting their 2004 turnout numbers.

It was interesting until the market melted down, which was the final albatross around McCain's neck.

[duckman]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

Tell MBBF that.

Quit patting yourself on the back like that, Flasch. You're going to be sore in the morning.

[Flasch186]

oh, I thought you'd be directing the attention to MBBF since Im not patting myself for being right since I never predicted anything. If you paid any attention at all instead of pressing the button on your Flasch radar, I was simply questioning his statements about the invalidity of polling mechanisms (until they fit his needs). The polling mechanisms used by the pundits, on the whole, tended to be right....not me. MBBF just happened to be wrong. Thanks for playing though and hopefully MBBF will claim his inaccuracies for credibility sake. I mean how can we trust his statements regarding such things as, say, game consoles, going forward

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

It also appears that the race ended up being predictable since Obama won by the same margin he was up after the primaries in early June.

Considering what the (CNN) national exit poll shows, that's not really surprising (in hindsight).

Decided before September (60%) - 52%-48% Obama
Decided in September (14%) - 54%-46% Obama

That's 3/4 of voters making their decision before we reached October. Only in the final week ( last 7 days & last 3 days) does McCain have an advantage with voters, but those folks only made up 7% of the total. And then on election day it swings back to Obama for a 50-45 edge on the final 4%.

And my own suspicion would be that people tend to under report when their decision was actually made (many many pages ago I believe someone cited a study that talked about this tendency), so in the absence of some major event in the final month or so, the election was probably over while the weather was still hot.

[Crim]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

Has she never played Risk? That's where all of my geography knowledge comes from. There are, what, 7 countries in Africa?

This really cracked me up.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Tekneek

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

By the way, what level of school are we talking about here?

4th grade, public. Of course they sang something from the Lion King for africa. The class representing England sang Yellow Submarine. Wasn't that about an acid trip or something?

[Crim]

Originally Posted by Tekneek

Palin: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I'll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance.

I'm most offended by the missing apostrophe.

[Crim]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

oh, I thought you'd be directing the attention to MBBF since Im not patting myself for being right since I never predicted anything. If you paid any attention at all instead of pressing the button on your Flasch radar, I was simply questioning his statements about the invalidity of polling mechanisms (until they fit his needs). The polling mechanisms used by the pundits, on the whole, tended to be right....not me. MBBF just happened to be wrong. Thanks for playing though and hopefully MBBF will claim his inaccuracies for credibility sake. I mean how can we trust his statements regarding such things as, say, game consoles, going forward

At this point, I'm not sure, but I think Flasch is just copy/pasting his quotes in this thread. Hasn't he already used this one four times since Tuesday night?

[Crapshoot]

A Butler Well Served by This Election - washingtonpost.com

Good read.

[larrymcg421]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but I thought it was funny...

Palin made her comment about "Pro-America parts of the country" in Greensboro, NC, which is in Guildford County.

Obama won Guildford County 59-41.

[Buccaneer]

Libertarian OpEd from our local paper

In the days following the terror attack of Sept. 11, 2001, if someone would have predicted that in seven years a black man named Barack Hussein Obama would be the next president of the United States, you would have said that person was crazy.

But America made history Tuesday night when it elected Barack Obama as its first black president by a landslide vote.

Obama's victory wasn't so much a win over John McCain, but instead a cry for change following eight years of George W. Bush. The terror attacks that shaped the Bush presidency gave Bush the reason to launch the war for which his presidency will be remembered, and it's likely it won't be quite as favorably as Bush thinks history will judge him.

Since the terrorist attack on America, Bush policies have brought:

• An unjustified pre-emptive American attack on Iraq, as the administration made the case that Saddam Hussein's government played a role in the Sept. 11 attacks. Bush's rationale for invading Iraq changed with the facts that contradicted his reasoning. But, early on, few people questioned the war. The quick, short-lived war the administration predicted didn't happen. Americans remaining in Iraq with no foreseeable exit eventually eroded public confidence in Bush.

• A national debt that almost has doubled as America used a credit-card mentality (just charge it) to pay for the war. The national debt stood at $5.73 trillion the day Bush took office; it stood at $10.56 trillion the day Americans chose his successor.

• A president so preoccupied with war that he was oblivious to a looming housing foreclosure crisis. The stock market spiraled downward, wiping out trillions of dollars, while joblessness increased. Bush responded with a $700 billion bailout of banks, effectively nationalizing the industry.

• Federal spending that increased dramatically and government that got bigger.

• Freedoms violated: warrantless wiretaps; nosing through your records and it being illegal for you to be told; secret prisons; torture. These are only a sampling of the Bush administration's horrendous record on liberty.

It comes as no surprise that people are ready for change.

One of the important things to watch now will be whom Obama appoints to his Cabinet.

He showed good judgment in putting Joe Biden on his ticket, adding a running mate strong in foreign policy. More of that kind of reasoned selection would serve Obama well. Obama also has a chance to do what Bush rarely did - reach across the aisle - by adding some Republicans to his Cabinet.

Democrats now hold Congress and the White House. It took only two years to lose that advantage the last time they held it, so Democrats ought to move prudently. Resist growing government. Don't let the Bush tax cuts expire. Don't grow complacent on energy policy because gas prices again have dropped.

For the next two years, there isn't much Republicans can do but watch. They should return to being the party of limited government that Ronald Reagan championed. Many in the Republican Party have said the party needs to re-examine itself and how it governed.

That's the best chance the GOP has to make up a significant amount of ground in Congress in the 2010 election.

For now, we're coming off the most exciting American election in generations, attracting millions of new people along the way. We witnessed that excitement firsthand in the Pikes Peak region wtih both McCain and Obama visiting, as well as visits from Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin.

The historical significance of America electing its first black president hasn't been lost on the world. However, four years from now, one thing will matter: Is America better off than it was in 2008?

That's how Obama's leadership will be measured. The country needs him to succeed.

[path12]

Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

It was interesting until the market melted down, which was the final albatross around McCain's neck.

I think the first head to head debate happened around the same time, which IMO gave people a reason to get comfortable with Obama (ala Reagan in 80). The combination of the two clinched it.

[Flasch186]

good editorial there bucc.

[Daimyo]

I really do hope for the country's sake that the libertarian side eventually emerges dominant in the Republican party. I may not agree with them on a lot of fiscal issues, but at least that side backs up its positions with logic and reason.

Reading that editorial reminds me of how odd it was to me in 2004 that so many libertarians were voting for Bush. I know Kerry wasn't a great candidate, but Bush was even further from the libertarian ideal! Big government, reduced domestic liberty, AND interventionist foreign policy!

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by Daimyo

Reading that editorial reminds me of how odd it was to me in 2004 that so many libertarians were voting for Bush. I know Kerry wasn't a great candidate, but Bush was even further from the libertarian ideal! Big government, reduced domestic liberty, AND interventionist foreign policy!

I am officially an Independent, but ideology wise probably am closer to Libertarian than anything else. I voted Kerry in 2004, not because I liked him.. I actually didn't like him much. I just learned after voting for Bush in 2000 that he wasn't what he campaigned as and what he ended up being was everything about the Republican party that I did not like, and none of the things about the Republican platform that I do like.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by Crim

At this point, I'm not sure, but I think Flasch is just copy/pasting his quotes in this thread. Hasn't he already used this one four times since Tuesday night?

In Flasch's defense, 2 of them were probably Flasch, and 2 of them me.

[Buccaneer]

Pelosi and Reid urge Bush to expand $700 billion bailout to include General Motors, Ford and Chrysler

Maybe Nader was right afterall (re: corporate welfare). We already gave so much to the farm corporations, defense firms, oil industries, financial sectors and now automakers. Who is lined up behind them? Why do Pelosi, Reid and the Bush Administration continue to think that federal monies grow on trees?

[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

In Flasch's defense, 2 of them were probably Flasch, and 2 of them me.

And 2 of those couldve been DT's

[SteveMax58]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Maybe Nader was right afterall (re: corporate welfare). We already gave so much to the farm corporations, defense firms, oil industries, financial sectors and now automakers. Who is lined up behind them? Why do Pelosi, Reid and the Bush Administration continue to think that federal monies grow on trees?

This would be the strategy that suggests the easiest way to pay down the national debt is to cause massive hyper-inflation so that $10 trillion becomes more like $10 million. Also seems to be the strategy for the housing market.

[JPhillips]

Jon gets a call from a friend about the election.

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

[GrantDawg]

This is a pretty cool little map. This is showing democratic and republican gains from 2004 to 2008 county by county in Georgia. When someone was asking if it were possible that increased home ownership by minorities might have changed the demograpics a bit, well yeah. Noticed those dark blues around Atlanta. That is a 20 point shift in very populous counties.

[path12]

Originally Posted by SteveMax58

This would be the strategy that suggests the easiest way to pay down the national debt is to cause massive hyper-inflation so that $10 trillion becomes more like $10 million.

In that case.....I've still got room on my credit cards. To the mall!

[SFL Cat]

If Obama governs as the centrist he ran as, he'll probably do fine. If he goes hardcore to the left, to match his past voting record, I think he's a one term president like Jimmy Carter. Unlike Clinton, Obama REALLY is taking over an economy in its worst state since the 1970s and perhaps since the Great Depression, and if the rumblings I hear about a rash of upcoming defaults on major commercial loans are true, we haven't seen anything yet. That's what happens though, when a nation's "prosperity" is built on borrowed money and speculation.

If Pelosi and Reid are smart, they will govern as moderates for the immediate future. However I don't see it...I think they go full steam ahead and try to implement huge new government programs and regulations that keep the economy flat, and grow inflation and unemployment. If things continue to go south or stay flat, they've got no one left to point the finger at. If we're still in Iraq and Afghanistan (angering the Democratic base) or we haven't pursued increased domestic energy supplies if/when OPEC gets its act together and foreign oil and gas prices skyrocket again (angering everyone), then the Democrats could find themselves swept out of power again just as quickly as they regained it.

And if the Dems do try to make a grab for everyone's 401K money to dump it into Social Security, like they've been looking at in Subcommittee meetings, I'll lead the next revolution myself.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Jon gets a call from a friend about the election.

Without even watching the cartoon, you triggered a realization that I hadn't had yet -- outside of the internet or my own family, I don't think I've discussed the election results with a single person I know. In every case, I think anyone I would have had those conversations with was already as resigned to the outcome as I was and is pretty much in the same state of mourning. It's like there's been no need to rehash the subject or something but I hadn't really thought about that until now.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Incidentally, the Georgia Senate race is now showing Chambliss with 49.77% of the votes counted, just short of the amount needed to avoid a runoff with D challenger Jim Martin.

There's still 28 counties who have not reported their absentees & in those Chambliss has pulled 54% of their votes but there's less than 425k votes combined (already counted) in all those counties so figuring the total votes available (1.952% based on the change between Wednesday & Friday), & the average margin in each, he should end up at 49.78% and we'll have a runoff in early December to decide the seat. And that number will actually fall a bit once qualified write-in candidates are added to the total votes cast, as those are not included in the current tally.

[miked]

Thanks for reminding me

I've seen the new blitz of commercials from Saxby using the words Obama in big letters. Jim Martin wants to tax everyone more and will support OBAMA'S tax hikes on the lower and middle classes, and even tax your business. I want to lower your taxes, Jim Martin wants to raise them.

Very annoying since I still can't figure what Saxby has done in 6 years (probably 15+ if you include the House) and he still has yet to tell me what he wants to do other than push his fair tax proposals that never even made it out of committee with Republicans in charge.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by miked

I've seen the new blitz of commercials from Saxby using the words Obama in big letters.

'Course, on the other hand, Martin's commercials seem to be featuring Obama prominently too, so that seems pretty fair.

[miked]

Without a doubt. I was mentioning it's funny that he was trying to use it to stir up his support. I don't think either will be effective. Turnout will go down, Saxby ends up doing nothing for another 6 years by a 5-7 point margin (at the least). Like I've said earlier, Purdue should be vulnerable and maybe even Isaackson (sp) shortly.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I don't really think Johnny would have too much trouble getting re-elected, he hasn't really planted a bullseye planted on himself best I can tell.

Purdue, of course, can't seek re-election (term limits) but the GOP field to replace could turn out to be very weak, so much so that I'd say the office would almost certainly be in play.

The field from above (including Isaakson, Westmoreland, even Kingston's name has come up) seems a lot stronger to me & would cause me a lot less heartburn than the likes of Cagle (who I will not vote for), Richardson (see Cagle), Handel (who I like but seems to draw fire), and I'm really not confident in Oxendine although I have nothing particular against the guy off-hand.

[Young Drachma]

What's insightful about the Palin jumping the gun on Ayers story, is what they talk about in regards to why she started to get irritated and some of the ill stuff that happened to Bristol after the media came out with the pregnancy story.

[Tigercat]

Palin just another example of the problem with the whole McCain campaign, lack of discipline. You have two choices when you run a campaign, you can run on issues or you can make it personal and attack.

If you are going to make it personal and dirty just to win an election, then do it smart. McCain used Ayers in a "smart" way on occasion (and so did Palin if I recall) by saying that Obama had a history of being around radicals. The whole line of "palling around with terrorists" was never going to fly with middle of America and the smartest among McCain's campaign knew it.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I don't really think Johnny would have too much trouble getting re-elected, he hasn't really planted a bullseye planted on himself best I can tell.

Have to agree with Jon. Saxby was only vulnerable because the Dems were pissed at how he ran his campaign against Max Cleland. Even Dems in the state of GA respect Isakson, even though he is very right wing.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Tigercat

Palin just another example of the problem with the whole McCain campaign, lack of discipline.

To drag up a word overused in the campaign, this is invariably the problem with "maverick"s running for President. They've usually made their reputation on being somewhat contrarian and I doubt they really take much thought into a campaign being disciplined as their rep has been built on not being disciplined.

[SFL Cat]

Originally Posted by Tekneek

But...does Biden think Africa is a country? That would be the relevant question. Saying Palin knows as much about the world as the average high school student means we dodged a bullet earlier this week.

No. But Biden does seem to have an interesting grasp on history...as per his conversation involving the start of the Great Depression, FDR, and television.

[Tigercat]

Originally Posted by SFL Cat

No. But Biden does seem to have an interesting grasp on history...as per his conversation involving the start of the Great Depression, FDR, and television.

Perhaps the most overblown historical gaffe ever. Sad from a VP if it wasn't a temporary brain fart? Sure. But who knows what he was thinking when he said it. I think in 80 years a VP candidate should get some leeway if they mistakenly say Clinton was in office during the 9/11 attacks.

[Arles]

Originally Posted by SFL Cat

And if the Dems do try to make a grab for everyone's 401K money to dump it into Social Security, like they've been looking at in Subcommittee meetings, I'll lead the next revolution myself.

Wow, there's really an effort for the government to take over 401Ks? Are the democrats trying to completely destroy the economy? I'm hoping this is some kind of joke..