Hard News: Because They Could
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We all love Obama.
Also see the Economist's version, where McCain is currently enjoying support from Sudan, Algeria, Iraq, the Congo, and, er, the South-East Asian Country Formerly Known As Burma. Macedonia clocks in at fifty/fifty. I guess McCain looks better from a war zone.
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the principled, maverick-ish Republican whom viewers were supposed to be reluctantly wooed into accepting as the next President in a final bipartisan fling for the show (a plan stymied by John Spencer's untimely passing)
How was that supposed to work? I'm asking because in the first episode of series seven, when the next president gets out of the car in soft focus and you're not supposed to be able to tell who it is, if you freeze the frame it's actually Santos. And Spencer was still alive and well back then.
Not that I'm obsessive about the West Wing or anything.
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Craig wrote:
"And what gets me, over and over again, is that it's a sentiment that is conservative in the very best sense. And it's the 'socialist' in this race who sounds like he means it."
Funny thing is, that as a teacher and knowing that my fellow teachers are left leaning (well, not all but the vast majority. If only teachers were allowed to vote, National would never get beyond 25% EVER) I can tell you that what he said regarding parenting is pretty much exactly what we say - all the fucking time.
The more parents buy into their basic responsibilities the easier our job becomes. Kids react in different ways to the crap parenting that surrounds them but by and large it is an immense help if they at least appear interested/concerned and form some kind of co-operative relationship with their child and teacher. That isn't conservative, that's commonfuckingsense.
I was at a decile 7 school a few years ago where we had a mock election. Around 100 teachers cast a vote and national got 20%, Labour around 60% and the Greens around 20%.
I did that pundit thingeemajingee and came out at 75% Green Party which pretty well homo-genises me with where I thought I was angling.
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88% Green, 75% Labour, 71% UFie.
But that's only because I left all the authoritarian shit at +0 at the start. Labour and United aren't too bad at the things I think governments should be doing, it's just a shame they're such closet fascists the rest of the time.
Also, Winston's not a bad foreign minister (in that it keeps him more pro than anti), and if someone would just take the drugs policies off Jim we could get a bearable left-leaning government out of this.
Obama? For a guy who's basically a Democrat, he sure does talk pretty. -
Obama? For a guy who's basically a Democrat, he sure does talk pretty.
Yup, a complete sentence expressing a grown-up idea gives me a woody every damn time.
Finally had a chance to do the quiz myself.
Interesting, but like polls I thought it was more entertaining than genuinely insightful. My big issue is an unavoidable problem with the methodology -- when it comes to complex policy issues, I don't think reading a sentence than marking a five point scale is how I think about politics, or decide how to vote.
Let's take one example: Civil unions. If you're talking about the specific example of the Civil Unions Bill, I opposed it because I think it's going to basically kill any hope of genuine marriage equality for at least a generation. I don't think that puts be in the same camp as Sarah Palin or Bruce Logan, do you?
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I did the quiz but the results in no way reflect who I've voted for (hurrah for overseas voting), however that is probably because I took the poll as reflecting general sympathies rather than how I determine who to vote for. Fun all the same though
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Palin told WMAL-AM that her criticism of Obama's associations, like those with 1960s radical Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, should not be considered negative attacks. Rather, for reporters or columnists to suggest that it is going negative may constitute an attack that threatens a candidate's free speech rights under the Constitution, Palin said.
"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."
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They're trying to rally the anti-media vote, in an effort to hang on to what - the low forties in the eletoral college?
And in the states they're positively crumbling. They're going to lose McCain's own state and it turns out that even Georgia is a real tossup, along with its 14 electoral votes in a state where Obama has never campaigned and is only putting ads up today. That would give me untold pleasure and bragging rights with a friend in Atlanta for as long as we both shall live.
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They're trying to rally the anti-media vote, in an effort to hang on to what - the low forties in the eletoral college?
What else have they got, really? This is the road McCain let his campaign go down -- even before the Palin pick --, and it's far too late to do a u-turn now. You may ask yourself whether there are domestic parallels to be drawn.
Of course, hindsight is always 20/20. But from the beginning McCaiin could have decided that he was serious about running a campaign of "civility and respect". He wasn't, so he's got to wear the consequences.
As for Palin trying to position herself as a First Amendment Martyr. Bitch, please... It would be eye-rollingly dumb, even if she hasn't been in a hermetically sealed bubble no other Presidential candidate would have even dared.
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Of course, hindsight is always 20/20. But from the beginning McCaiin could have decided that he was serious about running a campaign of "civility and respect".
He would have lost, but by a smaller margin. That's the nature of hail mary passes, though - he took a small chance of being president over no chance at all, and I'm sure he was well aware of the consequences in terms of his reputation.
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How was that supposed to work? I'm asking because in the first episode of series seven, when the next president gets out of the car in soft focus and you're not supposed to be able to tell who it is, if you freeze the frame it's actually Santos. And Spencer was still alive and well back then.
I'm not actually sure. I just remember reading in news articles around the time that the writers had intended to let Vinick win, but decided after Spencer died that it would just be a bit too depressing. Of course, it's entirely possible they were making that up after the fact.
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Hold on there! There's no way Malkin's gonna let herself be outdone on The Crazy!
Obama volunteers taking Nov 4 off work to take people to the polls and stuff -- it's socialism:
Just arrived in my inbox: The latest directive from Dear Leader’s National Field Director, Jon Carson, instructing cultists to take Election Day off and skip out of work and classes for The One.
The pursuit of “Higher Purpose” requires Obama followers to skip out of their jobs and play hooky from school — while others pick up the slack.
Beat that, lesser wingnuts!!
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And in the states they're positively crumbling. They're going to lose McCain's own state and it turns out that even Georgia is a real tossup, along with its 14 electoral votes in a state where Obama has never campaigned and is only putting ads up today.
I don't think Arizona will flip. McCain is still ahead by an average of 4 points there, but I'd love to see it and I guess anything is possible. That said there is no doubt that he's doing even better at state level than in the national trackers...and things like this Republican endorsement can't hurt.
Nor can this.
Based on this poll, Louisiana is in play too. That, surely will bring our New Orleans correspondent out to tell us why it's wrong.
The road to 270 is getting tougher for McCain to find every day, it seems. He and Palin are spending the past few days of this campaign putting out fires in places they'd never have thought possible, and spitting out increasing desperate innuendos
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Simon, old stick! Don't tell me you're actually thinking our favourite Muslim Terrorist Socialist might... win?
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I don't think Arizona will flip. McCain is still ahead by an average of 4 points there, but I'd love to see it and I guess anything is possible.
Wanna go double or nothing, Grigg? I ain't scared.
Well, okay, maybe I am, a little: it still looks McCain if you weigh the polls, but only just, and if this turns out to be a wave election - which I think it will - all those toss-ups and near toss-ups will go democratic. Notice too how McCain struggles to get to 50 per cent in the last few polls - that's the smell of death for an incumbent, and that's what McCain effectively is in that particular state.
Nor can this.
Yes, because we know how well Americans respond to the Brits telling them what president to vote for.
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Nor can this.
That's a great cover. Two words.
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Interesting filming that the 'earnest talk to the camera' has Obama's face half in the dark. It's too noticeable to be an accident. Symbolism anyone?
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I'd be dubious to see it happen, but if he started taking pretty solid GOP states - Georgia, Louisiana, and McCain's own home state, then the Republicans would have to be looking at a shelacking.
In this day and age, if there were to get well below 200 electoral college votes... that would be an arsekicking.
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Yes, because we know how well Americans respond to the Brits telling them what president to vote for.
Point taken, Giovanni, but I think The Economist is a wee bit more respected and widely read in the United States than The Guardian. Also, I'd pay a little more attention to your average Economist editorial (which tends to be worth mulling over whether you agree with it or no) than encouraging your readers to spam the inboxes of total strangers with unsolicited voting advice from the other side of the Atlantic
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On Wednesday next week, Russell, you can write a post about the GOP entitled "Because they couldn't" and quote this beautiful, beautiful piece from 538. Best reporting of the campaign for me thus far, head and shoulders - heck: navel and buttcheeks - above everything else. Enjoy.
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Simon, old stick! Don't tell me you're actually thinking our favourite Muslim Terrorist Socialist might... win?
Hell no....and that ethereal domain will need to freeze over before I concede. At least until 10pm EST on Tuesday (or thereabouts)
Wanna go double or nothing, Grigg? I ain't scared.
I've spent too many years in this medieval haven of black magic they call Indonesia to not be scared. Every tree and rock has a ghost in it and I don't trust anybody or anything.....
That said, I've booked a table at the US expats election party here, with multiple live feeds and I'll either be drinking to drown or drinking celebrate with others doing both of those.
And I hope like hell I'll be making a concession speech to you later that day, Giovanni.
Wanna $5 Rolex?
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<quote>Best reporting of the campaign for me thus far, head and shoulders<.quote>
Nate Silver is one of the stars of this campaign, EOS.
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That's a great cover. Two words.
Ooooh, yes. Can't wait to get my hard copy.
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Nate Silver is one of the stars of this campaign, EOS.
That was Sean Quinn, though, his roving reporter. And what a magnificent job he's done.
Wanna $5 Rolex?
Heh! That'd be great, but I'm not sure I'd be able to grow the requisite moustache.
No I'm not scared
Nice...
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