US Presidential Elections

[Student Mullet]

Books aren't the only place people can educate themselves about politicians or issues. In this example, if you put 10 minutes into reading about Obama, you would realise that the opinion proffered by the people the OP claims to know is, to put it plain, ignorant. It's the opinion of people that don't deserve a vote.

I'd be very wary of saying that some people don't deserve a vote. Obama himself wouldn't have had it had he been born in a different age.

I'd also be wary of casting judgments on people on the basis of a second hand comments on the internet.

[dahamsta]

I'd be very wary of saying that some people don't deserve a vote. Obama himself wouldn't have had it had he been born in a different age.Completely different circumstances, as you well know, and attempting to equate them is (imho) offensive to the civil rights movement you're channelling. There's a difference between intelligence and ignorance, just like there's a difference between opining that people don't deserve a vote, and actually taking it off them.


I'd also be wary of casting judgments on people on the basis of a second hand comments on the internet.My disbelief was as much with the OP as the people he claims to know.

Anyway, back on topic for me...

Pretty good concession speech by McCain, fair dues. Poor form on behalf of the ignorant supporters that booed. Very sweet image on Fox a minute ago, Jesse Jackson standing in a crowd of people in Chicago, yet alone, crying his eyes out.

Well done Obama. Well deserved. I hope he follows through with the change he claims he'll make. Change for good, rather than change for the sake of it, or for greed. In his book, he seems to understand compassion and empathy, I hope he'll exercise them as President.

Obama deserves the capital P. :)

EDIT: Ye gods that man can talk, worth waiting up for. Enough though, I'm off!

adam

[Pauro 76]

Wished I'd watched a piece of history live. just watched the speeches, i hope Obama walks the walk as well as he talks the talk. Interesting times ahead, I'm glad Obama won. A bit shocked at the booing for Obama at McCain's speech. McCain was very gracious, fair play to him.

[OneRedArmy]

The booing typified McCain's problem. He's had to compomise his views hugely to gain support from within the GOP. Remember that two years ago he was nearly more popular amongst Democrats & independents than with Republicans as he was seen as too liberal on many issues.

Through the campaign he's moved to the right (closer to GBJ) on many issues to bring the Republican vote with him, just at the time when the failings of the current administration have made change inevitable.

[Wolfie]

I thought Obama's "Victory" speech was excellent. There wasn't much victory rhetoric but more a conciliatory and unifying tone.

[Magicme]

Regarding foreign policy, he intends to sit down and talk with Americas enemies, something that i think needs to be done. The hardline Bush stance has simply not worked on any level.

Obama as american president is a pretty exciting thing, in my opinion.

This is a fundemental part of his appeal for me. His upbringing was multicultural and he is educated in the ways of different societies and how people while different are all the same underneath. This is one of his biggest strenghts. He can sit down with people and understand them.

Living on the border of this country myself and my children are reaping the benefits of a similar approach that was taken a few years back in this country of actually opening dialogue and trying to understand your "enemy" and then working towards a common ground.

On the question of the amount of wealth and support Obama recieved for the campaign to me it smacks of the trust of the people he was backing and their belief that he was the one to bring the USA back from the brink of monetary and political oblivion. The USA have lost many friends in the world in the last few years and that has effected their economy big time. A fresh young guy with a grasp of the worlds differences and difficulties is just what they need right now, not a lovely old grandad type who still bares the scars of war.

Also anything that annoys the bigots and racist of the world is a winner with me.

Oh happy day!!!

[pete]

Obama new job spec (http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/black_man_given_nations)



WASHINGTON—African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America.

In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind.

The job comes with such intense scrutiny and so certain a guarantee of failure that only one other person even bothered applying for it. Said scholar and activist Mark L. Denton, "It just goes to show you that, in this country, a black man still can't catch a break."


:D

[Dodge]

RTE get prize for smallest studio - 3 people squeezed onto 2 man desk :p

Well, you're the one regularly calling for public service cutbacks ;)

Good night's TV. Unbelievable to hear the Obama's top speech writer is 27!

Watched the coverage on CNN. Found them fair enough. Carvill (who obviously isn't balanced) didn't get enough screen time for me though

The CNN exit polls show some interesting stats on how various factors played a part.

[Angus]

I will re-post this on November 5 where I will repost this with glee or looking like an idiot.

I have never seen a campaign run this badly. First Big Mc turns nasty Mc - the GOP candidate with the highest appeal to Dems and Ind's has turned into a sub Limbaugh, Hannity demagogue.

Please listen to the interview below - I have never heard anything so illiterate, so incoherent, so much babbling, so much complete drivel.

For some reason, the GOP think the Roive playbook plays here - please remember Rove got beaten by Gore in 2000 and barely beat a staggeringly inept candidate in Kerry on '04.

They preside over the worst regime in US history, they come up against probably the most articulate, but most inexperienced and, let's be frank here, unwhitest, candidate ever, they assume the Rove playbook can win again ?

The GOP seems to have this wide family of Bill Kristol, Limbaugh, Krauthammer etc who wield extraordinary influence - Kristol is reckoned to be behind the Palin pick - which got lucky in 2000 and with the uber fascist Cheney at the helm, they buggered up the world.

Also remember these people went nuts and tried to impeach Clinton for, eh, lying about a skirt - they went nuts - these people are nuts. They nominate Mc, in an intensely skilful move but then he runs to the right.

But the question remains - why do they think they can win with the clueless Palin and the staggeringly overplaying his 15 minutes Joe the For F*** sake Plumber - WTF ???

I have never seen anything this bad - they may win and if they do, I will repost this and look like an idiot - but BO has run a very skilful campaign - he has managed to pcik Biden - a gaffe prone guy but who has credibility - he can say anything he likes and nobody cares because of the clueless inarticulate dummy in the attached.


Why does she keep saying "also" ? Jaysus - the GOP has an illustrious history - Lincoln etc etc - but this lot are mad.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/21/palin.sitroom.transcript/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Well, there may be many reasons for my being an idiot but thankfully this is not one of them. I feel exhausted.

From the time he did a mock announcement on Monday Night Football almost 2 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WJsuM19-8c

...to the stunning win in the Iowa caucuses, to the amazing speech on race in Pennsylvania (which essentially put the race thing to bed there and then), to the completely, completely stunning defeat in New Hampshire - Russert RIP - to the ongoing battle with Hill where he made it all look so effortless, to the magnificant speech in Denver, to the masterful performance in the debates, especially the first one, to the idiotic GOP campaign, to the skilful way Obama dealt with the financial thing, I am emotionally exhausted.

I need a junior disprin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp-v2tHaDo
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22561310#22565897
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZCrIeRkMhA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-nNIEduEOw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkBqLBsu-o4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvdfO0lq4rQ

[jebus]

I may just go back through this whole thing and find my post telling the Hilary supporters that not only will Braack beat her, but that he'll win out in the end.

I must admit I was feeling the terror when McCain's ratings went up after the GOP conference, but thankfully the recession put paid to that idiot :)

It's bright, bright morning people

[Magicme]

Delighted to see that the people in my parents Florida constituency voted for Obama too but just in next one they voted other way!

[strangeirish]

The republicans in my area are all looking pretty glum this morning, compared to the unfettered glee of the Obama supporters. Apart from McCains gracious concession speech(brain dead booing aside) and Obamas brilliant and well written one, the most telling moment for me was, seeing all the people celebrating outside the fence at the White House.

[Dodge]

the most telling moment for me was, seeing all the people celebrating outside the fence at the White House.

Absolutely, and in times square too. Just out and out joy. It was strange seeing seasoned political analysts just plain struggling to come to terms with what they were watching. Every one spoke of their respect for the unbelievable campaign by Obama ("on the ground, over the airwaves, and all over the internet") but by the end most start realising that it wasn't just a campaign victory, it was a victory for people. "The people have stopped being dominated by baby boomers" was a great line

The republic strategist on CNN (Alex somethingorother, Constantos (or something greek)) started to go intoa spiel about how it took a Democrat acting like a republican to win "Lowering taxes, looking at drilling for oil - the country dones't want liberals, it wants moderates..." when Carvill stopped him; "We're about to have a brand new Democratic president, in the last two years we've taken 50 seats off you in the House, and 15 off you in the Senate! Maybe the republicans might want to look at how out of touch they are, before they start telling democrats how America wants them to be"

[strangeirish]

"We're about to have a brand new Democratic president, in the last two years we've taken 50 seats off you in the House, and 15 off you in the Senate! Maybe the republicans might want to look at how out of touch they are, before they start telling democrats how America wants them to be"
Classic Carville:D

[dahamsta]

Obama's speech was simply incredible, I think it's going to be one of those backreferenced over and over again by scholars and critics alike.

He really is very Bartlet, very stirring and intelligent. I wonder was/is he a West Wing fan. :)

adam

[strangeirish]

I wonder was/is he a West Wing fan. :)

adam
Not sure, but they seem to be a fan of his. Prophetic too. Click (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/21/barackobama.uselections2008)
Article is from February 2008.

'For what those West Wing fans stunned by the similarity between the fictitious Matthew Santos and the real-life Barack Obama have not known is that the resemblance is no coincidence. When the West Wing scriptwriters first devised their fictitious presidential candidate in the late summer of 2004, they modelled him in part on a young Illinois politician - not yet even a US senator - by the name of Barack Obama'

[dancinpants]

Constantos

Close.

Castellanos :D

[Angus]

Not sure, but they seem to be a fan of his. Prophetic too. Click (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/21/barackobama.uselections2008)
Article is from February 2008.

'For what those West Wing fans stunned by the similarity between the fictitious Matthew Santos and the real-life Barack Obama have not known is that the resemblance is no coincidence. When the West Wing scriptwriters first devised their fictitious presidential candidate in the late summer of 2004, they modelled him in part on a young Illinois politician - not yet even a US senator - by the name of Barack Obama'

Is that true ? I thought I saw somewhere that BO came after they started to introduce Santos but I am entirely open to correction.

I am also pretty sure that they intended for Vinick to win but when John Spencer (Leo McGarry) died they changed it.

Certainly whether it was deliberate or not, it is remarkably similiar to have a young non white politician versus a moderate republican. Vinick also ran to the right and made some idiotic statement on judges - also there was a major event (nuclear accident) which some are saying parallels the financial thing.

[OwlsFan]

I have a terrible gut feeling that he'll never make it to January and that he'll be gunned down by some looney white power guy and there will be terrible riots as a consequence.

[strangeirish]

Is that true ? I thought I saw somewhere that BO came after they started to introduce Santos but I am entirely open to correction.

I don't know, but look here (http://kara.allthingsd.com/20080304/west-wing-obama-mashup/) and scroll down to the video.

[dahamsta]

I have a terrible gut feeling that he'll never make it to January and that he'll be gunned down by some looney white power guy and there will be terrible riots as a consequence.It is a worry. Let's hope the Secret Service are on the ball, because I'd imagine it's a genuine risk. There are some very stupid people out there.

Because of an obvious parallel, it brings up something I only noticed recently (for some reason bizarre reason): this guy is JFK without the hair. He's a rock star.

adam

[Dodge]

Close.

Castellanos :D

:D

Thought it was more greek. I had Costanza in my head too, but mainly due to watching Seinfeld all day yesterday

[Angus]

I don't know, but look here (http://kara.allthingsd.com/20080304/west-wing-obama-mashup/) and scroll down to the video.


I stand corrected - if the Axelrod reference is true, then I stand corrected

[HarpoJoyce]

Other Polls.

The Norm Coleman - Al Franken - Dean Barkley Senate contest in Minnesota has gone to a recount. ( Don't no if results are instant or not).

CNN results ( may be slow to load)
http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/individual/#mapSMN

Al Franken webpage
http://blog.alfranken.com/2008/11/05/a-statement-from-al-franken/

Some blog or other (maybe long article, stopped reading after one page.)
http://www.citypages.com/2008-10-22/news/al-franken-vs-norm-coleman-gets-down-and-dirty/

The strong running third placed candidate, Dean Barkley
http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/bios/#59679
is considered socially (philosophy) Social Democrat but fiscally conservative.
he is believed to be capable of taking votes equally off both candidates.
(Another blog last Oct.)
http://butasforme.com/2008/10/18/pick-up-in-senate-by-democrats-in-minnesota-depends-on-independent-barkleys-voters/

But I heard last on CNN that only if Barkley reached 15%, would it start eating into Franken's vote.
(Is the recount over yet?)

[strangeirish]

Not yet

[dfx-]

Also heard that there's a vote on Euthanasia 6 months before death in Washington too..

[HarpoJoyce]

Also heard that there's a vote on Euthanasia 6 months before death in Washington too..

Where's Euthanasia? They're not going bomb that place aswell? people may die!

[strangeirish]

According to the GOP prior to the election, Sarah Palin was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Well, with the help of Fox News, they have found their scapegoat.
Vp96jpWUToo

Some of the words used in the video...Diva, Temper tantrums, doesn't know Africa is a continent, doesn't know how many countries are in North America:D.

Rats eating each other comes to mind.

[Dodge]

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#val=USP00p4

60% think palin not Qualified to be President if Necessary
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#val=USP00p6
Was McCain's choice of Sarah Palin a factor in your decision?
60% said yes. Of those 43% voted Obama, 56% voted for McCain

Although interestingly, 7% of voters in the poll said that McCain's choice of Sarah Palin was the most important factor in their choice of candidate. 52% went for Obama, 47% went for McCain.

[HarpoJoyce]

So Denzil Washington beats Richard Dreyfuss to the oscar winning role of President. Watch out for the movie folks..

That's good. (Morgan Freeman has sat about three terms in the White House by now, hasn't he?)


Dustin Hoffman IS Ron Paul. (Just ethnicity doesn't fit, producers may not be sold on it.)

I've noticed aswell BBC and RTE using the term 'Black' alot while the US stations use African-American. That sort of stuff is important.

[gilberto_eire]

I have a terrible gut feeling that he'll never make it to January and that he'll be gunned down by some looney white power guy and there will be terrible riots as a consequence.

Looneys can't get close to a man like that, if he is assassinated you can be sure it's something more sinister and deeper within the system. But you can be sure it's pinned on some looney, who in reality had no hope of pulling it off!! ;)

[Pauro 76]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JV_IphAIGPg&feature=related

Wind up phonecall to Sarah Palin. How did she fall for that?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20081106/twl-palin-said-africa-was-a-country-3fd0ae9.html

Any truth in this one? An awful embarassment if there is!

Thank God for an intelligent person in the White House!

[strangeirish]

Any truth in this one? An awful embarassment if there is!
Thank God for an intelligent person in the White House!
Listen, we're talking about a person who cites the fact that she can see Russia from Alaska as part of her foreign policy credentials! :D

[pete]

According to the GOP prior to the election, Sarah Palin was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Well, with the help of Fox News, they have found their scapegoat..

Apparently Palin was the choice of the McCain team & not the candidate himself. They are clearly trying to regain some credibility so they can get jobs in politics again.

Seems to be a good chance Palin could end up in the US Senate. Convicted fraudster Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska was re-elected but could be thrown out so Palin could take the empty seat.

[noby]

I've noticed aswell BBC and RTE using the term 'Black' alot while the US stations use African-American. That sort of stuff is important.


Just what is the accepted PC term these days?
A lot of the commentators are using African/American (which, obviously, he is), but most vox-pop people are saying black (except for a few middle-class white (European/American?) people).

[Dodge]

Just what is the accepted PC term these days?
A lot of the commentators are using African/American (which, obviously, he is), but most vox-pop people are saying black (except for a few middle-class white (European/American?) people).

Black is the correct term if they don't know the person's background. In Britain the media sometimes uses the term Afro-carribean. Obviously not all black people are African-American

As Obama has an African father, and an American mother, I think its safe enough to call him an African American. (BTW I read an article a couple of years ago that called the actress Chalize Theron African-American)

[anto1208]

Black is the correct term if they don't know the person's background. In Britain the media sometimes uses the term Afro-carribean. Obviously not all black people are African-American

As Obama has an African father, and an American mother, I think its safe enough to call him an African American. (BTW I read an article a couple of years ago that called the actress Chalize Theron African-American)

Ive also heard him called american african :)

He is mixed race isnt his mum white and his dad black ?

BTW very good south park last night on Obama winning they are very fast had his and Mcains speaches in it and the reactions of the supporters on either side is priceless pretty much sums up what i think of the whole thing.

[galwayhoop]

Thank God for an intelligent person in the White House!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7S5V2es9Dw&feature=related
i'm sure she knows how many states their are in the country she was looking to hold office in.....

[dahamsta]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/57states.asp

We all make mistakes. If you want to compare Palin to someone on her level, choose Bush.

On the tiredness note, how do these guys do it? I'm reading Obama's second book at the moment and he was saying that during the Senate race he took 7 days off, with 12-16 hours days the rest of the time. The Presidential race would have been even worse, particularly in the last few days. I just couldn't do it. I think I'd die. :)

adam

[beautifulrock]

[URL]
On the tiredness note, how do these guys do it? I'm reading Obama's second book at the moment and he was saying that during the Senate race he took 7 days off, with 12-16 hours days the rest of the time. The Presidential race would have been even worse, particularly in the last few days. I just couldn't do it. I think I'd die. :)

adam

Thinking that myself, but as bad it would be for Obama then with the age difference it must have been much tougher for McCain. I wonder if I can buy what they are on.

[superfrank]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2008/1107/1225925540003.html?via=mr

THE MAGPIE: MAGPIE WILL return to unalloyed silliness next week but right now, and once more with feeling, we have a final (mildly serious) whirl on the merry-go-round that has been the US presidential election.It was a notable feature of the campaign that some online readers in the US reacted, foaming at the mouth-style, anytime anyone had a pop at Sarah Palin.

Maybe it's asking too much to expect people who hate liberals to be anything other than illiberal, but when Magpie did a turn on October 3rd on Tina Fey's demolition job on the Alaskan governor on Saturday Night Live ("Side-splitting parodies by two comedians make Palin a laughing stock in US," ran the headline), the e-mails came thick and fast.

"You are an idiot - your headline is absurd. Why don't you stick to picking potatoes and your nose," suggested a chap named Lou. A political science PhD candidate clearly.Just came across this on the Irish Times site. Bit of an interesting read, especially the one who left Ireland.

[strangeirish]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2008/1107/1225925540003.html?via=mr

Just came across this on the Irish Times site. Bit of an interesting read, especially the one who left Ireland.
Sounds like a lot of Fox viewers to me.

[Dodge]

Without the hyberbole there is a point to be made about media coverage of Palin. While SNL's sketches were excellent, they were still only viewed by a miniscule amount of US voters. Even with web views and through other reports of them, they'd still only reacha small percentage of the voters, and most of them would've been Democrat leaning anyway.

To say it made "Palin a laughing stock in US" is overstating the reach of SNL. In the CNN exit polls, about 7% of people said Palin was the biggest deciding factor in their vote. 54% of those voted Obama, but 46% voted for McCain

The fact that she clearly is a dummy, isn't really the point

[Angus]

http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html

Anybody see this ? Palin was "interviewed" by Greta Van Susteren from Fox. It is car crash stuff.

She is utterly inarticulate, drifts aimlessly, and is clearly not on top of the global subject matter.

Now, you don't get to be governer of anything without being politically skilful and I am sure she is - but at this level (where very very few people can play) she is useless.

If a republican fails with a softball Fox interview they have no chance in the real world.

The first 120 minutes she tries to "deal" with the clothes and other nonsense issues - why do you put this on the table ?

Stunningly inept - I hear that Huckabee and Jindal are both in Iowa this weekend for "book tours" - we need a 2012 Presidential Election thread already !!

[dancinpants]

To say it made "Palin a laughing stock in US" is overstating the reach of SNL. In the CNN exit polls, about 7% of people said Palin was the biggest deciding factor in their vote. 54% of those voted Obama, but 46% voted for McCain

The fact that she clearly is a dummy, isn't really the point

Yeah but parts of the SNL skits were broadcast by nearly every other channel on the box. They were subject to newspaper articles, magazine articles, chat shows, news broadcasts, radio broadcasts - trust me SNL's reach CAN be overstated with regards to their coverage of Palin.

Whether Palin likes it or not, she is walking parody. Her accent, her background, her lack of knowledge...really there very little SNL needed to add to it. Infact with regards to her Russia comment, Tina Fey quoted much of that exchange VERBATUM - thats how rediculous Palin got.

But when the Fox reporter relayed those claims about Africa and the NAFTA countries I thought, "Nobody is that dumb - they're just up to their scapegoating". But when i heard her response after being asked about the whole affairI thought, "Maybe she is THAT dumb". I really think the aide might have been telling the truth.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Bit late to the party on this but the atmosphere in New York and New Jersey on election eve and election day was something else.

I hung around NBC's election plaza the day before the election and there was a real buzz in the air. Then while in hospital for a foot injury the next morning I heard the guy in the bed next to me describe how he waited 90 minutes after he started having a heart attack to go to the hospital because he wanted to vote first.

Ended up in a house full of Obama campaigners in New Jersey on election night and it was something else alright.

[strangeirish]

Disturbing trend, but hardly surprising. Hope these far right pundits are happy with themselves i.e. Hannity, Limbaugh, Savage, Malkin etc...

Story (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iEyLuiVkdd-f1RM5wnoR0kF4WbvgD94FQJKG0)

[dahamsta]

I know it's on AP but you'd have to wonder at the legitimacy of that article. It reads very like the kind of out-of-context and exaggerated crap we've all come to expect from Fox News.

[SkStu]

dont know how heavily it is being reported in Ireland, if at all, but it looks like Obama wants Hillary as secretary of state. I think she will accept.

[dahamsta]

That would have been agreed long ago.