51 thoughts on “ELECTION DAY 2012

  1. Edward S

    A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her
    altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him,

    “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an
    hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”

    The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, “You’re in a hot air
    balloon, approximately 30 feet above ground elevation of 2,346 feet
    above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude
    and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.

    She rolled her eyes and said, “You must be a Republican.”

    “I am,” replied the man. “How did you know?”

    “Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you told me is
    technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your
    information, and I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help to
    me.”

    The man smiled and responded, “You must be an Obama-Democrat.”

    “I am,” replied the balloonist. “How did you know?”

    “Well,” said the man, “you don’t know where you are — or where you
    are going. You’ve risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of
    hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you
    expect me to solve your problem. You’re in exactly the same position
    you were in before we met, but somehow, now it’s my fault.”

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Ed, a Democrat came upon a genie and said, “You’re a genie. Can you grant me three wishes?” The genie replied, “Yes, but only if you’re feeling generous enough to share your good fortune.” The Democrat said, “I’m a Democrat. I’m always happy to share.” The genie said, “O.K., then, whatever you wish for, I’ll give every Republican in the country two of it. What’s your first wish?” “I would like a new sports car.” “O.K., you’ve got it, and every Republican in the country gets two sports cars. What’s your second wish?” “I’d like a million dollars.” “O.K., you get a million dollars, every Republican gets two million dollars. What’s your third and final wish?” “Well, I’ve always wanted to donate a kidney.”

      Reply
  2. Deb

    I voted on October 23, during Early Voting week here in St. Tammany Parish. Because many of our schools function as polling places, schools are closed today, so I don’t have to go to work and can spend the whole day glued to MSNBC.

    Reply
  3. Patti Abbott

    I voted several weeks ago too. I live in a very Republican area and I cannot bear to stand in line with them, overhear what they say. Now I will go hide until its over.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      I am constantly surprised at Republican and Conservative HATRED of Obama, Patti. I actually think Mitt Romney is a nice guy and a good family man, I just don’t agree with his policies. I don’t hate him. If Obama wins, where does all that HATRED go?

      Reply
  4. Jeff Meyerson

    Good one, George. We’ll go in about an hour, after whatever morning rush (if any) there is and before most of the seniors come out.

    Well George, after the black helicopters move in an the UN takes over… honestly, the fact that Fox News takes Dick Morris seriously (among many other loons) should automatically discredit them from any consideration as a “serious” news organizatiion. It’s nothing more than a propaganda arm of Roger Ailes.

    Patti, we lived in the most conservative part of Brooklyn but we’re still in a mostly Democratic area. We tend to see a lot of people from our apartment building when we go to vote (at the high school three short blocks away).

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      The pollsters who go on the record and end up being WRONG, Jeff, pay a heavy price. The guys who Get It Right (like Nate Silver who picked 49 of 50 states correctly in 2008) gain Credibility. I think Dick Morris is a nut.

      Reply
  5. Todd Mason

    I think some of the hatred comes out of the same well as was drawn on for Bill Clinton…they (Obama and BC) have been too much like them in too many ways without agreeing with them on everything, or a sufficient amount of everything. Steals their thunder, and confuses them, and they resent that more than they do actually not being like them at all.

    And the parts the reactionaries agree with are too often the parts which are hurting any given Tea Partier the most in the first place, such as giving the wealthiest (or at least their corporations) even more breaks than they have already…

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      I understand Greed, Todd. Sure, billionaires want MORE. And they’re willing to “support” Romney, the Republicans, the Tea Party and anybody else who’s willing to get them more tax breaks. But if the Republicans lose this Election, get ready for the party to undergo a civil war.

      Reply
    1. george Post author

      I have the day off, Scott. And, I’m a registered Republican. But I’m saddened that the once proud GOP has gotten in bed with the Religious Right and purged any moderates (like me) with their anti-science, socially conservative policies.

      Reply
  6. Beth Fedyn

    I voted last week. Now I’m ready for this neverending campaign to be over and the politicians to move on to actually doing something. Anything. Well, maybe THAT’S a drastic wish.

    God bless America!! We sure need it.

    Reply
  7. Jeff Meyerson

    Jackie is ready to join Deb’s campaign.

    There is a steady stream of voters (including Republicans, Scott) at our local voting place. I was #180 and the poll watcher told me voting has been steady all morning.

    Personally, I wish we’d go the way of Oregon and have all mail-in voting.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      I’m okay with in-person voting, Jeff. Diane and I just voted at a local fire station (Diane was 255 and I was 256). There were seven people ahead of us in our line. There were about 40 people in the other district lines. The poll workers told us voting has been constant since 6 A.M. My gripe is with the nonsense in Florida and Ohio where people have to wait 8 HOURS to vote! Unacceptable in the U.S.A.!

      Reply
  8. Deb

    They are waiting to vote for 8 hours only in heavily-Democratic areas, I can assure you.

    Jeff, win or lose, the GOP hatred of anyone they define as “other” (and it’s a long list) will continue, with the never-ending feedback loop of the right-wing echo chamber to keep the anger stirred up.

    I’ll be sending Jackie some campaign literature!

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Yes, the pattern of long lines and Election Day “problems” in heavily Democratic areas seems pretty clear, Deb. This nonsense needs to be cleaned up for 2016.

      Reply
  9. Richard R.

    We voted 17 days ago, and I’m going to ignore any results until at least tomorrow morning. Barbara will start watching at about 3:00 PM our time. I have books to read!

    Deb, Jackie, have you read Gail Sheehy’s HILLARY’S CHOICE? You should. We got it at the library.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      I’ll hang in there until 10 P.M., Rick. But you’re right: nothing definitive is likely until tomorrow. Most of the experts say there won’t be a concession speech before noon tomorrow.

      Reply
  10. Jeff Meyerson

    Jackie agrees with you about in person voting, George, and there is something moving about it – if only she wasn’t hobbling around with a cane. We have four or five election districts in the high school where we vote and each line had a few people on it this morning – though none had more than six or seven.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      The scene you describe in Brooklyn should be the norm in Florida and Ohio, Jeff. Sadly, some people in those states are forced to stand in line for eight hours. Voter suppression!

      Reply
    1. george Post author

      I don’t think there will be any reliable results from Ohio until midnight, Jeff. I hope you’re right, but I suspect this Election will drag on until tomorrow.

      Reply
  11. Patti Abbott

    Phil has pledged if Obama loses, he will give up studying the presidency, give up reading about it, give up all political news shows, give up the NYT. He has had enough of the USA if the Republican Party takes control. And we will try to become landed Canadians somehow.
    I wonder if he can do it.

    Reply
  12. Deb

    I can hardly bear to watch the returns, but just knowing that the jerk who said a raped woman can’t get pregnant will not be in the senate is enough to make me sleep well tonight!

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      I’m glad the American voters eliminated some of those Tina Fey “gray-faced men with $2 haircuts who talk about rape,” Deb. We can all rest a little easier.

      Reply
  13. Deb

    Jeff–you were right on the money! MSNBC called Ohio and thusly the country for Obama at just after 10:00 central time, 11:00 yours.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff is a pretty savvy political operative, Deb. He was right on the money again. But does Hillary want to run? And, if so, who is going to be her Latino running mate?

      Reply
  14. Cap'n Bob

    Please, I just ate. The idea of Hitlery in the White House not only makes me want to move to Canada, but deep into the Amazon where there are no radios, TV’s, or newspapers. What a loathesome individual.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      We can all breathe a sigh of relief, Randy. It’s been a grueling Election. I just hope the politicians will come together and work on our country’s many problems. And, if they don’t, let’s vote them out!

      Reply
  15. Dan

    Popular vote was close, but Obama seems to be ahead. Electoral vote was decisive and beyond any margin. Trump wants us to march on Washington.

    Somehow the image of a mass of patriots marching behind >>}}**DONALD TRUMP!**{{<< strikes me funny.

    Reply
  16. Jeff Meyerson

    50 to 48 is a good total, Deb.

    Patti, at least we don’t have to talk Phil down off the ledge this morning.

    I love it that the Democrats had 23 Senate seats in play and the Republicans had 10, yet the Democrats gained seats.

    My favorite comment this morning came from Willie Geist on Morning Joe, about Linda McMahon. He said she should have just cut out the middle man and put $42 million dollar in a dumpster in New Haven and set it on fire.

    I guess it’s almost time for Joe Scarborough to start growing that mustache.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Mika says she’s going to broker a mustache deal, Jeff. Joe seems very reluctant to pay off on his Election bet. I want to see what David Axelrod has to say tomorrow on MORNING JOE.

      Reply
  17. Richard R.

    I couldn’t look away, like watching a train wreck, I guess. I watched the 5:30 NBC coverage, which just went on, and on. I read for a while and went back out to look at 7:30, and continued to watch until they declared Ohio and the Obama electoral victory, then back to reading until bed time, feeling great relief since when I first looked Romney was WAY ahead. But of course that was because the rural Grand Obstructionist Party voters got counted first. When the urban high-population centers were tallied, on came Obama. Whew.

    Locally, on two important measures – to us – we were split. The library funding passed, but marijuana legalization failed, though it passed in Washington and Colorado.

    No morning TV for me, I read the paper and now here I am, seeing what YOU all have to say.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      I really liked Mitt Romney’s gracious Concession Speech, Rick. I wish he hadn’t sold his soul to the Religious Right and the Tea Party (on immigration). If Romney had stayed on message about the economy (instead of getting lost in contraception, abortion, and making Medicare a voucher program nonsense) and picked Marco Rubio as his V.P. he’d be President today.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *