OFFICIAL ELECTION NIGHT THREAD

[HowardRoark]

As the polling has begun, I thought now was as good as time as ever to get this going. In particular, I would be interested in anecdotal evidence of the Republicans once again “stealing the election.” Let’s keep an eye on the shenanigans this time.

[HowardRoark]

One other thing, get your escape plans ready in case McCain wins. That, or your Uzi.


It seems that the final days of the presidential campaign have made Erica Jong and her friends more than a little anxious.

A few days ago, Jong, the author and self-described feminist, gave an interview to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, the choicest bits of which were brought to my attention by the reliably sharp-eyed Christian Rocca, the U.S. correspondent of Il Foglio, who published excerpts on his Camillo blog. Basically, Jong says her fear that Obama might lose the election has developed into an "obsession. A paralyzing terror. An anxious fever that keeps you awake at night." She also says that her friends Jane Fonda and Naomi Wolf are extremely worried that Obama will be sabotaged by Republican dirty tricks, and that if an Obama loss indeed comes to pass, the result will be a second American Civil War.

Here's a translation of Jong's more spirited quotes to the Milan-based Corriere, as selected by Rocca.

"The record shows that voting machines in America are rigged."

"My friends Ken Follett and Susan Cheever are extremely worried. Naomi Wolf calls me every day. Yesterday, Jane Fonda sent me an email to tell me that she cried all night and can't cure her ailing back for all the stress that has reduces her to a bundle of nerves."

"My back is also suffering from spasms, so much so that I had to see an acupuncturist and get prescriptions for Valium."

"After having stolen the last two elections, the Republican Mafia…"

"If Obama loses it will spark the second American Civil War. Blood will run in the streets, believe me. And it's not a coincidence that President Bush recalled soldiers from Iraq for Dick Cheney to lead against American citizens in the streets."

"Bush has transformed America into a police state, from torture to the imprisonment of reporters, to the Patriot Act."

She also laments that not all of America's men of letters share her devotion to Obama.

"Tom Wolfe and John Updike are men of the right and Philip Roth is at this point a hermit who leads a monastic life in Connecticut, far from everything and everybody."

Luckily, she said there is her and Michael Chabon, who, she says, have "taken the place of Susan Sontag and Norman Mailer respectively."

They have the same political sensibilities, she said, but a better "sense of humor."

[Fosco33]

I'd love to do away with 'polls'. They are mostly inaccurate and can sway the mindless in one direction (or no direction). Recall the election where victory was 'declared' and people stopped voting in CA (and the actual outcome).

I'd love for people to make up their own minds without the media telling them it's over... or stop the act of calling an election early. So they do exit polls - who cares. What about early voting, mail in and absentee?

[texaspackerbacker]

I took another look at the electoral vote map today--pretty grim. Obama leads in states with 353; McCain is ahead for 185.

Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and Ohio are states leaning to Obama, but which McCain must/could/should win. That would still leave it Obama 278 and McCain 260.

If Colorado goes to McCain, you have a 269-269 tie, and it goes to the House of Representatives (no, that actually isn't an automatic win for Obama).

If McCain wins any two of Colorado. Nevada, and New Mexico (plus the four mentioned above), he wins. If McCain pulls of a miracle and wins Pennsylvania (plus the four), then he could lose the three western states and still win.

It's about like our team is down two touchdowns half way through the fourth quarter. It ain't hopeless, but it's pretty damn grim.

The polls seem to be tightening, but not very much. The best hope at this point is that the poll results are flawed--the Bradley Effect among people saying they will vote for Obama, as well as the idea that some women will vote for McCain/Palin, but aren't telling the pollsters.

[mraynrand]

Bill Richardson: "What Obama wants to do is is he is basically looking at $120 thousand and under among those that are in the middle class and there is a tax cut for those."

It keeps dropping! If the election were a week delayed, 'the rich' would probably include anyone earning 25K - or anyone above the poverty line... Stay tuned....

[texaspackerbacker]

Bill Richardson: "What Obama wants to do is is he is basically looking at $120 thousand and under among those that are in the middle class and there is a tax cut for those."

It keeps dropping! If the election were a week delayed, 'the rich' would probably include anyone earning 25K - or anyone above the poverty line... Stay tuned....

Class warfare is a winning strategy for the bad guys, and a losing strategy for us. I just hate it that McCain is playing right into Obama's hands by even participating in this discussion.

How low do you suppose it has to go, income-wise, before you reach the point that there are more of us than there are of them? Pretty damn low, I expect--hence the reason letting it come down to class warfare is so favorable to the bad guys.

[mraynrand]

Bill Richardson: "What Obama wants to do is is he is basically looking at $120 thousand and under among those that are in the middle class and there is a tax cut for those."

It keeps dropping! If the election were a week delayed, 'the rich' would probably include anyone earning 25K - or anyone above the poverty line... Stay tuned....

Class warfare is a winning strategy for the bad guys, and a losing strategy for us. I just hate it that McCain is playing right into Obama's hands by even participating in this discussion.

How low do you suppose it has to go, income-wise, before you reach the point that there are more of us than there are of them? Pretty damn low, I expect--hence the reason letting it come down to class warfare is so favorable to the bad guys.


But it's exactly this issue that is dramatically moving the polls in McCain's favor. Apparently all age groups are moving to McCain except the 'elderly' (over 65).

I AM TITO THE BUILDER!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3NjmbkJBY8