The Final US Election Thread

[naut]

Jag- I trust you've seen the map of Reagan vs Mondale? That was the very definition of a massacre. This already has proved to be far from that big of a win.

Yeh, this is nowhere near that race IIRC 500 and something against 10. The closest to that that Dems have ever come would have to have been Clinton.

Edit: Actually I'm silly the best the Dems have done would be LB Johnson.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I meant in Ohio specifically.

The excuses begin...

Hey, its true.

I think you are wrong, really wrong

Like khaan said, this is a far, far cry from the reverse of 1984.

and I think unless the GOP look at realistically why they have got their asses handed to them, they will continue to get battered like this. Remember in the Mid terms they got kicked and then again this year they are getting kicked - that simply doesn't happen over there in your great nation. People don't like the GOP at the moment.

That is true, and this is a good article on what the GOP has to do:

Republicans love to recollect Ronald Reagan, though they forget why. Reagan's strength was looking to the future -- and framing the issues of the day for Americans. When the focus had been balanced budgets, he made the issue the need for economic growth. When the debate had been détente, Reagan turned it into the need for a strong America. That tradition continued with the Contract with America, welfare reform, government reform, tort reform. George W. Bush tackled education.

Reagan's other great strength was not distinguishing between red and blue America. He offered a set of principles, and invited anyone who broadly subscribed to those principles into his political house. The result was that unlikely coalition of fiscal conservatives, defense hawks and social conservatives. These were the days of Reagan Democrats, of victories in states that now seem unwinnable to the GOP.

The further Republicans have moved away from this playbook, the further its fortunes have declined. The GOP was thrown out in 2006 because it had failed to evolve on the new issues facing Americans -- spiraling health-care costs, dwindling energy supplies, out-of-control entitlements. It spent its last years divvying up pork. As it has hit the electoral rocks, the party has also turned inward, harping on immigrants and gay marriage.

CR

[CountArach]

Indiana is within 5000 votes with much of the north-west still to report.

[Koga No Goshi]

That was his re-election, but ya I get your point - his victory over Carter was similarily emphatic.

But still, I think there is a movement, which underpins this like that Reagan victory. I think it would be unwise for the GOP to think otherwise, or to think they simply were not Conservative enough or that the people will simply just come back to them. I say again, 06 the GOP got a beating and AGAIN tonight they are gettign a beating even WORSE. That never happens. But it is.

We've had this exact discussion in several thread titles now over the last few weeks but I think there's still a hefty level of denial in the air. On both the macro and individual level there still seems to be a preoccupation with attacking what's wrong with the Democratic party instead of asking what could be wrong with the Republican party to be causing this total collapse of support for their platforms.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Louisiana and Kansas called for McCain by CNN. Iowa called for Obama.

[Lemur]

Once again, I can't help but feel a bit sorry for McCain. He got ****** by Bush in 2000, and ****** by him again in 2008.

In truth, though, 2000 was McCain's year. If he had won the primary he would have won the general, and we would have had a much better President for the last eight years. But this was not his year.

Condolences to those who strongly supported McCain, and I humbly request that any and all calls for impeachment wait until the new President has served at least a week in office.

[JAG]

Cr - I think that article is compeltely right in terms of how Reagan did what he did - but much more than that he came at a time when people wanted de-regulation and lower taxes. Now the fundamentals of the political state are compeltely different - more - better - regulation and a degree of fairer, more taxes - the answer. Palin made Hilary voters turn TO Obama - the moderate, conservative leaning Dems got pushed away by Palin. Independents got pushed AWAY by Palin. That kind of Republican will not wash anymore with, that is what the GOP have to deal with.

[Koga No Goshi]

Condolences to those who strongly supported McCain, and I humbly request that any and all calls for impeachment wait until the new President has served at least a week in office.

I would feel sorrier for McCain if he hadn't hitched his wagon to the same people who character assasinated him. His re-embrace of almost all the scary fringes and the of the Republican base and the Bush ideological hardline further alienated him from the many Dems who used to like him quite a bit, myself included.

Cr - I think that article is compeltely right in terms of how Reagan did what he did - but much more than that he came at a time when people wanted de-regulation and lower taxes. Now the fundamentals of the political state are compeltely different - more - better - regulation and a degree of fairer, more taxes - the answer. Palin made Hilary voters turn TO Obama - the moderate, conservative leaning Dems got pushed away by Palin. Independents got pushed AWAY by Palin. That kind of Republican will not wash anymore with, that is what the GOP have to deal with.

I agree with this completely. The problem with the Republican party is a very simple one. They've played around too much with the bait of ideology and have become too dependant upon it in order to win or excite their base. Republican platform over the last 12 years or more has been repeatedly trying to shove the square peg into the round hole, over and over, thinking that the square peg is what made Reagan great or Republicans respected. It wasn't the square peg (be it deregulation, tax cuts, corporate pandering, a contempt for social services, a demonizing of the poorer 40-90% of Americans as just lazy and unworthy of compassion or assistance, a contempt for the international community) as much as having a square peg when the hole was square.

Campaigns have become a sad repetition over and over of "Square peg! Square peg!" with no one stopping to ask themselves if the holes of our time are square.

[JAG]

No Congressmen/women from New England for the Reps... I mean, that is crazy.

[CountArach]

No Congressmen/women from New England for the Reps... I mean, that is crazy.

Yeah, the Kos is going crazy:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1...829/688/653237

[JAG]

Yeah, the Kos is going crazy:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1...829/688/653237

No surprise there! haha

[JAG]

One great piece of news - the abortion proposals in South Dakota and Colorado have been obliterrated.... Brilliant. It further shows that it is possible attitutes are changing. I dunno, good none the less.

[CountArach]

One great piece of news - the abortion proposals in South Dakota and Colorado have been obliterrated.... Brilliant. It further shows that it is possible attitutes are changing. I dunno, good none the less.

The next test is if California will vote down the gay marriage ban.

[Koga No Goshi]

The next test is if California will vote down the gay marriage ban.

I've been checking the state website but apparently they aren't going to release anything until the polls are closed in 29 minutes.

[Xiahou]

No Congressmen/women from New England for the Reps... I mean, that is crazy.

Susan Collins?

[CountArach]

Susan Collins?

He means House members.

@ Koga - they aren't allowed to.

[Koga No Goshi]

He means House members.

@ Koga - they aren't allowed to.

It would be nice to at least have preliminary exit polling info or anything. ;)

[JAG]

He means House members.

Exactly.

[CountArach]

It would be nice to at least have preliminary exit polling info or anything. ;)

I don't think exit polling tests propositions, because far fewer people vote on them.

[Koga No Goshi]

I don't think exit polling tests propositions, because far fewer people vote on them.

Very well. Do you have a 21 minute sedative so I can wake up and see some numbers? :)

[CountArach]

Very well. Do you have a 21 minute sedative so I can wake up and see some numbers? :)

Coffee, or perhaps the Medicinal Marijuana Michigan just voted to legalise.

[Koga No Goshi]

Coffee, or perhaps the Medicinal Marijuana Michigan just voted to legalise.

Medical marijuana's been legal in CA for years, but it's really hard to get. Much harder to get than just going to someone who sells it illegally. ;) Plus you always stand the chance of being in a clinic and having a sudden Federal raid on it and getting assaulted. Not fun.

[Pannonian]

Graun now says that DC has a final result of 92-8 in favour of the Democrats. Is this plausible? I'm not familiar with the political landscape across the water, so I don't know whether these figures are realistic or not.

[CountArach]

Medical marijuana's been legal in CA for years, but it's really hard to get. Much harder to get than just going to someone who sells it illegally. ;) Plus you always stand the chance of being in a clinic and having a sudden Federal raid on it and getting assaulted. Not fun.

Just tell the cops you have some sort of serious contagious illness that only the marijuana can cure. They won't lay a hand on you AND you get the marijuana.

Killing two birds with one stoner.

Graun now says that DC has a final result of 92-8 in favour of the Democrats. Is this plausible? I'm not familiar with the political landscape across the water, so I don't know whether these figures are realistic or not.

Yep, that's entirely possible. IIRC Kerry won with 89%. There are a lot of African Americans and civil servants in DC.

[KukriKhan]

I just want to put up my feeling of humble, slightly-astonished gratitude at the interest of non-US orgahs in our messy, lo-o-o-ng, nasty, convoluted electoral system.

I'm stunned to realize that some of you are up beyond midnight to watch results.

The system isn't perfect. And it's certainly not efficient. But it does work. And it works without gunmen in the streets, or tanks on the corner, or elections called off at the last minute by a governing faction, or results quashed by the incumbent. And in January, the Old Boss will shake hands with the New Boss on Pennsylvania Avenue, and we'll continue.

I've kept the TV off for now. Any numbers yet on projected voter turnout? I'm actually more interested that we get up nearer 80% of registered voters suiting up and showing up, than on the actual POTUS results. If we can get more citizens to exercise their franchise, I'll feel like my own (tiny) sacrifices in the military, and the HUGE sacrifices of millions of others, won't be for naught.

[CountArach]

I've kept the TV off for now. Any numbers yet on projected voter turnout? I'm actually more interested that we get up nearer 80% of registered voters suiting up and showing up, than on the actual POTUS results. If we can get more citizens to exercise their franchise, I'll feel like my own (tiny) sacrifices in the military, and the HUGE sacrifices of millions of others, won't be for naught.

65% is the only statistic I've read, and that was only speculative.

[Koga No Goshi]

I just want to put up my feeling of humble, slightly-astonished gratitude at the interest of non-US orgahs in our messy, lo-o-o-ng, nasty, convoluted electoral system.

I'm stunned to realize that some of you are up beyond midnight to watch results.

The system isn't perfect. And it's certainly not efficient. But it does work. And it works without gunmen in the streets, or tanks on the corner, or elections called off at the last minute by a governing faction, or results quashed by the incumbent. And in January, the Old Boss will shake hands with the New Boss on Pennsylvania Avenue, and we'll continue.

I've kept the TV off for now. Any numbers yet on projected voter turnout? I'm actually more interested that we get up nearer 80% of registered voters suiting up and showing up, than on the actual POTUS results. If we can get more citizens to exercise their franchise, I'll feel like my own (tiny) sacrifices in the military, and the HUGE sacrifices of millions of others, won't be for naught.

Kukri, LA County is reporting upwards of 70%. And that's huge--- not only are we a state that typically votes after the election is already decided, but also usually have much lower turnout both because of that and because of the perception that CA is predecided anyway.

[JAG]

Graun now says that DC has a final result of 92-8 in favour of the Democrats. Is this plausible? I'm not familiar with the political landscape across the water, so I don't know whether these figures are realistic or not.

As CA said, it is the most single sided 'state' that has electors.

[CountArach]

Virginia called for Obama on CNN. Much tighter than the polls said it would be though. I am guessing the Undecideds broke in favour of McCain.

Pacific Coast about to close.

[GeneralHankerchief]

CNN calls Virginia for Obama.

-edit- Quick draw, CA.