November 03, 2004
Well, the American people have spoken
Idiots.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:10 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBack
Ohio breakdown
Bush's lead, with all precincts reporting, is 136,221.
The Kerry campaign says that there are 250,000 provisional ballots outstanding.
If all provisionals were to be counted -- unlikely -- Kerry would have to win them about 55-45 to win the election.
If 200,000 provisionals were to be counted, Kerry would have to win about 70-30.
If 150,000 provisionals were to be counted, Kerry would have to win better than 90 percent.
I honestly don't know, except that someone's going to be upset and claim the election was stolen, and we're going to have four more years of this.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Great, the worst possible outcome
No matter what happens, the side that loses (and it looks like probably mine) is going to be convinced that they had it stolen in Ohio. And in four years, we'll probably have to do it again. We're going to have to abolish the Electoral College just for reasons of national sanity.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:14 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
November 02, 2004
Damn
I don't see how Kerry can win Florida.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Michigan
Again, ugly early returns, but yet again nothing from the big urban area, this time Detroit. And again, if the exits are at all correct, Kerry will win -- he holds leads among both men and women, though the independent vote is too close for my liking.
Honestly, we don't know anything more than we did five hours ago; only one remotely "swing" state, West Virginia, has been called.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Florida, Pennsylvania
Those numbers in Florida look scary, but there's nothing in yet from Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach. The exit polls don't show as clear a win as Ohio, but it still looks like enough, barring fraud.
Unless the exit polls are totally screwed, Pennsylvania should go Kerry; there just aren't any results yet.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 07:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Ohio
They won't call it, but if the exit poll is right Kerry has it. According to this, he's winning not only among women (53-47) but men (51-49). Unless there's a much larger than expected hermaphroditic population in Ohio -- and really, your hermaphrodites are probably a Democratic constituency -- Kerry should win about 52-48.
UPDATE: Early Cuyahoga results, as predicted heavily Kerry, moving him into the lead.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 06:36 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Closing times in key states
(All time Central, you effete coastal dwellers.)
6:00 Virginia
6:30 Ohio, North Carolina, West Virginia
7:00 Florida, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
7:30 Arkansas
8:00 Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Wisconsin
9:00 Iowa
10:00 Hawaii, Oregon, Washington
I'm guessing that we will know the winner by 8:30. Certainly if it's Bush. If it's Kerry, it might not be called then, and not until 10 when the polls close in California, but if he's at 230 EVs at 8:30, we'll know, of course.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 04:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Feeling good, for a given value of "good"
You've probably seen the leaked exit polls by now, giving Kerry leads (albeit some in the margin of error) in nearly all the key states. I feel confident, but nauseous.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:42 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Anecdotal
1. Reinforcing a prejudice of mine: I counted the bumper stickers on the way back from voting. Every single Bush sticker was on an SUV. [Corrected for grammar. Obviously not the same SUV. There were several SUVs with Bush stickers. There were no cars with Bush stickers.]
2. Turnout is reportedly (both talking to people there and according to the radio) very heavy in Birmingham, all over. My father had to wait in line for an hour this morning. I don't like that, not only because he's in his sixties and I don't like the idea of him standing in line for an hour, but also because he lives in hyper-Republican Vestavia Hills, home of Spencer Bachus. But turnout was also heavy in other areas, like hyper-Democratic Bessemer. Not so heavy here, at least in my case. There were three people in line in front of me when I voted, but then I beat the lunch rush.
3. Seen: an actual Badnarik sign, and multiple actual Peroutka signs. Spoil away, gentlemen! No Nader stuff in evidence, though I didn't go by the University.
4. The feeling is that Tom Parker is toast, especially after the Birmingham News endorsed his opponent. The other two Republican Supreme Court candidates have better chances -- and News endorsements.
5. No Libertarians (except for Badnarik) on the ballot. I wrote in John Smith, John Jones, John White, and John Brown in the races where Republicans were unopposed.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
One state, two state. Red state, blue state.
And away we go. My guess is that Kerry will win with about 300 EV. It's possible that he might do better, winning some states like Virginia and Arkansas that have been written off, but I doubt it. I don't see how Bush can do much better than a narrow win.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:08 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 30, 2004
No change
In my opinion, the comedy stylings of Osama bin Laden aren't going to effect the election. Why? Because he released it on Friday! "Take Out The Trash Day!" Everyone knows that's when you release stories you want buried. If Osama really wanted to affect the election, he would have waited until Sunday.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:24 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
October 29, 2004
I'm not trying not to hate anymore
Daily Kos :: Political Analysis and other daily rants on the state of the nation.
Apparently, the Republicans up in Wisconsin are handing out these flyers:
I think what angers me most about this is the implicit assumption that black people are morons. At any event, I'm sure that this will backfire. And that the usual crowd will claim that this is a Democratic reverse-dirty-trick.
UPDATE: I mean, it has to be a fake, right? Even the Republicans couldn't think that little of the American public to try something this blatant and obtuse.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:13 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 28, 2004
Irrelevance squared
al.com: NewsFlash - Nader visiting Alabama while major candidates avoid it
What can I say? Other than that, whatever Ralph says, I don't know anyone who feels like a "pariah" because the real candidates don't visit. The loser candidates do seem to feel that this is a good place to find votes; since we all know ours don't matter, why not throw it away?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 06:04 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Who needs Roy?
Could Michael Badnarik be the spoiler? It's pretty clear that conservative-libertarians (at least those that aren't total hacks -- you know who you are!) aren't happy with George Bush. And when pollsters include Badnarik's name among the choices, he runs pretty evenly with Nader, getting at least one percent and at times as high as three. With Florida looking like a tie -- again! -- and Ohio and some other states almost as close, even losing one percent of the vote to the Libertarian could cost Bush the election.
I'm cautiously optimistic already, because the early turnout looks good. But anything helps. At any event, will someone please explain to me why Nader's spoiler candidacy -- which might not even be on the ballot in the big battlegrounds -- gets asked about, while the pollsters ignore the nation's most-established and widest-spread third party?
I often vote for Libertarians, by the way. They run candidates in many of the district races where the Democrats don't bother, and I won't vote for a Republican. Anybody else do that?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:46 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
We're going to have to make some decisions
Absentee voting at record levels in Jeffco, Shelby
Even in Alabama, absentee ballots are on the rise. The thing is that there's no electronic-voting paper trail controversy here. Most jurisdictions in Alabama use optical-scan ballots, still the best method and one that leaves a paper record of the vote.
Absentee ballots are supposed to only be for those who can't make it to the polls. (More common in Alabama, since we don't have early voting.) But increasingly they're being used because people don't trust the ballot process after the 2000 nightmare. It's not really abuse of the process, but it's not what it's designed for. By 2008, we have to get the situation fixed, or at this rate everyone's going to vote by mail.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:21 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 27, 2004
Must... not... hate...
CNN.com - GOP criticizes student get-out-the-vote campaign - Oct 27, 2004
Oh, is it hard. The Republicans attacked a program where students -- 11 to 18 -- went to areas of historically low turnout trying to encourage people to vote. They weren't campaigning for any candidate or party, just for the idea of voting. Republicans hate this, because they know that the more people vote the worse it is for them. This is just the latest of many disgraceful anti-voting efforts by the GOP, and not the worst. Increasingly it becomes clear that they aren't really "Republican", but "Anti-Democratic". Not just because all that really unites them is hatred of the Democratic Party, but because they're opposed to fundamental principles of Democracy.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 03:26 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 25, 2004
Oh, boy
ABC News: Rehnquist Hospitalized With Cancer in Md.
I just want to point out that there's speculation that Bush might appoint Clarence Thomas the next Chief. The current Chief is 80 years old, has thyroid cancer, and had a tracheotomy on Saturday. Just something to think about for the next eight days.
By the way, if Rehnquist dies, how will they break the tie when it's time to choose the President?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:25 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Signs
Seen by the side of the road today...
1. Actual sign defacement, a Kerry/Edwards roadsign with a red "no" symbol drawn on it. Typical Republican class. I went out to the local campaign headquarters for both parties about ten days ago -- I needed material for a display, and it's not like I had to make more than one stop -- and both sides said that they were short, one reason being that signs were being destroyed. I figured it was the usual complaining about dirty tricks, but maybe not.
2. An actual Michael Peroutka/Whoever his running mate is sign. Maybe Roy Moore is in Tuscaloosa.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:09 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
October 14, 2004
Where's the condemnation?
MSNBC - Keyes: Cheney's gay daughter practicing ‘selfish hedonism’
When Alan Keyes attacked Mary Cheney -- actually attacked, not just mentioning her existence and sexuality -- where was Lynne Cheney? For that matter...
Where was she when her husband brought up Mary's sexuality, as he has on many occasions? Is Dick Cheney "not a good man" for that? I think someone has a problem with their daughter's sexual orientation, and it isn't the father.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:54 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Republicans attempting vote fraud
GOP asks Mobilian to vote in Florida
What else would you call it when you send fliers to people in Alabama asking them to vote absentee in Florida? Where, technically, they don't live. The people in question are former Florida residents, who thus might still show up on the voter rolls. The mailings, complete with the signature of the First Little Brother, were sent to their Alabama addresses. The Republicans claim this is a mistake, caused by a glitch in the change-of-address system, and they certainly aren't trying to get people who don't live in Florida to vote there. Right.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 06:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 12, 2004
Why?
Many military families pulling for Bush
Was it his going to war on false pretenses, leading to the deaths of more than a thousand American servicemen (so far)? His cutting of payments to servicemen overseas? His backing of a Defense Secretary who wants to cut personnel to pay for more gee-whiz weapons systems? His use of the military as an arm of his campaign? Gosh, there are so many reasons for a military family to support George Bush!
Posted by Mac Thomason at 06:20 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 09, 2004
Sort-of
CNN.com - Poll: Bush, Kerry even in 2nd debate - Oct 9, 2004
Yeah, except more Republicans are at home on Friday night or something, so their snap poll had 38 percent Republicans and only 32 percent Democrats. Of course, Gallup's been oversampling Republicans all year, so why stop now? At any event, now it can be spun as a Bush victory because he didn't soil himself.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:49 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
October 05, 2004
They really should get a house there
Herald.com | 10/05/2004 | Cheney, Edwards to head to Florida after debate
It was one thing when Bush and Kerry both campaigned in Florida after the first debate -- after all, the first debate was in Florida. But the VP debate is in Ohio, and yet the two candidates are going to Florida after. In 2008, the two parties are going to rent a house on the beach, split it between them, and campaign from there. It would be much easier. MTV could film it for a reality show. ("Edwards ate my peanut butter!")
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:19 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 30, 2004
I didn't listen
The debate was on in the background, but I was playing video games. Sorry. Anyway, all I got is that the Bush team screwed up big time with the podiums. (Podia?) The cameras framed the two men's heads at the same height, but because of the podium heights you could tell how much shorter than Kerry Bush is. He looked like a little boy at his daddy's desk. About which, fill in your own observation.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:10 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
I didn't listen
The debate was on in the background, but I was playing video games. Sorry. Anyway, all I got is that the Bush team screwed up big time with the podiums. (Podia?) The cameras framed the two men's heads at the same height, but because of the podium heights you could tell how much shorter than Kerry Bush is. He looked like a little boy at his daddy's desk. About which, fill in your own observation.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 29, 2004
Nothing political going on here
CNN.com - Bush to visit storm damage again - Sep 29, 2004
"Hurricanes upstage politics in swing state"? Yeah, right. Of course, Bush would have been in Florida today anyway... He might want to take the time to have a talk with his brother, who is looking increasingly puffy and desperate.
The good news is that there are -- for the first time in about two months -- no storms threatening the state. There's only one active Atlantic system, Lisa, which is currently in the middle of the North Atlantic and isn't going to be a problem.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 02:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 27, 2004
Nobody ever whispered to me
The Atlantic Online | November 2004 | Karl Rove in a Corner | Joshua Green
Okay, we all know that Karl Rove is a slimebag of the highest order. But who knew that he, like his putative boss, spent time corrupting the politics and institutions of my home state? Yes, it's true! Apparently, we're the minor leagues now.
Anyway, Rove allegedly started a whispering campaign at the University of Alabama School of Law insinuating that a Democratic state Supreme Court justice was a pedophile. This was just about the time of my one, regrettable, year of law school there, but nobody ever tried to use me as a conduit for smears. I'm actually rather insulted.
Also, Rove was the architect of much the Business Council of Alabama's still-current strategy of painting Democratic judicial candidates as tools of the plaintiff's bar and their use of "horror stories" of allegedly overgenerous judgments. This actually explains something to me. I've wondered why the Republicans have been so good at getting elected to judicial office (eight of nine current justices are Republicans) while only getting about half the other statewide offices, and Democrats still control the legislature. Maybe it's because they had an Evil Genius design their judicial campaign plan but only local yokels for everything else.
What did Rove learn from Alabama? Well, let's just say that he might have gotten some lessons from a recurring character around here:
In the rare instances when he has failed to set the terms of debate, Rove hasn't fared nearly so well. Four years ago, in a race to succeed Hooper, who was retiring as Alabama's chief justice, Rove lined up support from a majority of the state's important Republicans behind his candidate, an associate justice named Harold See. Like most of Rove's clients, See had an enormous financial advantage and ran a brutally negative campaign—but he was nonetheless trounced by Roy Moore, the "Ten Commandments" judge, who succeeded in making the race about religion. This loss may have helped Rove to recognize the power of religion as a political motivator: from the question of gay marriage to organizing churches for Bush, it features prominently in his playbook for the current election.
Yes, the long-sought Roy/Rove link at last.
(Link from Talking Points Memo.)
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 24, 2004
Dick
CNN.com - Cheney: Kerry disrespectful to Iraqi leader - Sep 24, 2004
Jackass. What has your puppet monarch ever done to deserve respect? You guys appoint a homicidal maniac/CIA operative to be leader of your little colony, you fly him in to campaign for you, and then you attack Senator Kerry for calling you on it. The puppet says one day that terrorists are pouring into the country, the next that things are just dandy, then you say Kerry's a flip-flopper.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 03:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 14, 2004
Good for John
Alabamian Lynne Gobbell, fired for refusing to remove a Kerry bumpersticker from her car, has been offered a job by the Kerry campaign. The candidate himself called her up to ask!
Nasty aside: Now if Bush can only get Kerry to hire the millions of other people who lost their jobs the last 3 1/2 years, he'll be in good shape.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 07:38 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 10, 2004
Four years too late
Herald.com | 09/10/2004 | Judge boots Nader off Fla. ballot
I don't suppose we can build a time machine and send the order back four years?
Actually, it's just a temporary order, the judge holding that (as the Democrats had claimed) that the Reform Party essentially no longer exists and that St. Ralph's nomination by them is a joke. Ralph, in his usual understated way, essentially claimed that Democrats were a gang of crackers using "Jim Crow ballot access laws" to keep him off the ballot. Cretin.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 02:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 09, 2004
What about France?
America's Worst College, Part 3 - Why the "no more majorities" argument is wrong. ByTimothy Noah
I generally agree with Noah about his campaign to get rid of the Electoral College. But he's too blithe about the dangers of a runoff system in a popular vote election.
If you'll recall, in the last Presidential election in France, Jean-Marie Le Pen finished second, with a little more than 17 percent of the vote, which moved him to the finals against Jacques Chirac. Chirac pasted him, of course, but the danger is still pretty obvious. When there are only a couple of minor parties, the two major parties are pretty safe from runoffs like this. But when there are lots of minor parties, inevitably one of them is going to get through to the finals. And likely it will be someone from the fringe.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 07, 2004
George Bush, lawsuit victim
al.com: NewsFlash - Bush blames 'junk lawsuits' for job woes
Always assuming that the AP has its facts straight this time, he's now claiming that the reason for all the job losses on his watch is "junk lawsuits". Apparently, there were no lawsuits at all filed during the Clinton Administration, but those pesky lawyers all come out of the woodwork whenever a Bush is elected.
Bush claims that the economy loses $230 billion a year on "junk lawsuits", like those whiners who get their insides sucked out by jacuzzis. First, I am certain that I would take issue with any number of suits he would claim were frivolous. Second, it's far less than the deficit he piled up.
By the way, he's monumentally dishonest about that, too. The Republicans' strategy is to predict a deficit so huge even they can't match it, and when the actual deficit numbers come in they celebrate how "small" it is.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:20 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
September 04, 2004
Keep doing that
CNN.com - Bush stumps in heavily Democratic northeast Ohio - Sep 4, 2004
Sounds great to me. Next, why don't you spend a few days in California, maybe take in Massachusetts for awhile? If you'll recall, one of the reasons Bush lost last time was that he spent a lot of time campaigning in heavily Democratic areas, particularly California, rather than in places he might actually win.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 04:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 03, 2004
Political speech now illegal
Slipping in a dig ends in arrests
At Cheney's speech Wednesday, a woman was arrested for standing in an aisle wearing a sign protesting Cheney's Halliburton connections. This is now illegal.
ACT UP members disrupt speech at Republican convention
Twelve were arrested for whistling and booing during Andy Card's speech. This is now illegal.
President Bush accepts renomination
Two protestors were removed from Bush's speech last night for heckling him. Again, this is now illegal.
Personally, I wouldn't heckle the President, even if he is a smarmy, failing-upward, incompetent fratboy. It's not even "respect for the office" -- it's respect for the right to be heard. But one heckler isn't a problem. And removing people for signs? That's way out of line.
(Thanks to Katherine for reminding me to write this.)
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:41 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
September 02, 2004
This comes as a surprise?
Imperial President - Opposing Bush becomes unpatriotic. By William Saletan
The rightists have been claiming that Bush = America for a couple years now. The same way they did about Bush I, and Reagan, and Nixon. That's what they do. I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again: L'etat, c'est Dubya.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:03 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Import-a-goon
Alabamians will go to Florida in focus on battleground states
One of the advantages that Republicans have in Florida is that they have a couple of nearby safe states full of right-wing zealots aching for a fight. So if they need to start another riot, or badger election officials, or intimidate elderly black people, they could have thousands of extra hands.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 24, 2004
No, the show isn't live
TV Barn ticker: When Jon Stewart met John Kerry : The Daily Show Transcript...
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 23, 2004
Note to Ralph
When even personal friends who let you stay at their house say that they're not really supporters and gave you money for old times' sake, that should be a hint. If you needed any more hints at this stage.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 22, 2004
I wish the FEC wasn't toothless
CNN.com - Bush adviser quits after appearing in swift boat ad - Aug 21, 2004
There's no coordination between the Bush campaign and the Swift Boat Liars, right? They had no idea about this, right? If we had an FEC that was interested in actually enforcing the election laws in a timely fashion, the Republicans would be getting slammed very hard, very quickly. But we don't. Maybe in a year someone will have to pay a fine about all their various violations, but that's all.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:03 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 21, 2004
You mean "for"
Graphic Designer Fired After Heckling Bush
"For" heckling Bush, not "after". It's a private firm and they were within their rights to do this, but it's still a crap move. Of course, it's probably the first unfriendly voice Bush has heard at a rally all year. Do you think Bush even knows he's losing?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 04:08 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 20, 2004
This is a very odd poll
Survey USA California Poll (PDF document)
It shows Kerry with a 49-46 lead in California, more than ten points lower than other polls taken lately; he was up 16 in a poll released just three days ago.
Anyway, looking through the numbers, there are some other oddities. For instance, Bush gets 28 percent of the Black vote according to this, which is three or four times what he usually gets in national polls, but Bush is up only 51-44 among Whites. For another, Kerry is ahead by a substantial margin among basically every other definable group except (a) males (Bush up by 11); (b) voters 35-49 (Bush up 12) and (c) voters 50-64 (a tie). Kerry is up 15 among voters 18-34 and 15 among those over 65. Make of that what you will, but it's expecially hard for me to see how Kerry can have big leads among Hispanics and Asians and even this oddly shrunken lead among Blacks and not be way ahead if Bush is only up seven among whites.
And Kerry is up 90-6 among Democrats, Bush 85-11 among Republicans, Kerry 47-40 among Independents. I don't see how a normal sample in California can come up with a three point lead overall.
Finally, Barbara Boxer's lead in the same poll is in single digits, while other polls have her with huge leads, like 17 percent. It's just a weird poll. It may be right, but I kinda doubt it. Nothing sinister, just a bad sample and maybe an unusual "likely voters" definition. Or maybe it is right and there's been a sea change. We'll see in the next poll.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:51 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 19, 2004
That's more like it
Kerry Defends Vietnam War Record, Challenges Bush
I realize that Kerry didn't want to dignify the smears with a response, but it had reached the stage where he had to address it. And frankly, I think that the Lord has delivered Bush into his hands.
"The president keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: Bring it on!"
Okay, the "Bring it on" line has become a cliche, but there's a reason why it has. It works. And Bush really doesn't want this campaign to turn on what happened thirty years ago, because there's a lot more than not serving in Vietnam he doesn't want examined too closely.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:22 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
August 16, 2004
Giblets in 2004
Fafblog! the whole worlds only source for Fafblog: Think Giblets or Think Small
Actually, I think this is already Bush's foreign policy for the next term.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 14, 2004
John & John need money
That's why Edwards is visiting Birmingham. They can't win the state, but they do have a chance to raise some cash here. Gore & Lieberman didn't even try to get money out of Alabama.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 02:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 08, 2004
BCA scared
Political analyst sees Kerry victory
Political analyst Larry Sabato to the Business Council of Alabama:
"Kerry would win very handily... [Bush] really will need a miracle to win, and the last miracle was for Harry S. Truman."
I hope he's right.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:27 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
August 04, 2004
Kerry is toast
Warm Bread - Bush's grim poll numbers. By William Saletan
When Saletan starts talking about it getting nearly "statistically impossible" for Bush to win, I start to panic.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 07:56 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
July 30, 2004
Of cussing and applause lines
Kerry love-in upstaged by balloon guy who said what on national TV?
SF Chronicle TV critic Tim Goodman tells John Kerry: "Applause breaks -- learn how to use them." So at least one person agrees with me.
Some have suggested to me that Kerry intentionally stepped on his applause so the networks wouldn't cut him off. Maybe. I don't think that the networks (other than Fox) would cut off a presidential nominee. Bad form. Anyway, I thought it hurt the speech. Not only did he wind up having to repeat himself on a number of occasions, it looks awkward seeing him trying to cut off people cheering him and adds to the image of him being unemotional that we're trying to counter.
Speculation is that CNN will get in trouble with the FCC for picking up audio of the director of the convention saying the f-word. Because they used their mind control to get him to curse, I suppose.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:49 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Cannon fodder
Edwards urges state delegates to work hard
Yes! Someone on the ticket actually talked to the Alabama delegation! I hope he didn't get a nosebleed. There were three other states who also met at the same time -- fellow no-hopers Wyoming and Mississippi and little-hoper North Carolina.
Senator Edwards told the delegation that they need to work hard to beat Bush in the fall. Well, not beat him in Alabama. AEA just released a poll showing Bush 56 Kerry 34. Ouch. The undecideds are mostly African-American and will probably vote for Kerry, but Bush 56 Kerry 44 isn't really a whole lot better.
But Edwards told one delegate that they're coming to Alabama. Those were his words: "We're going to come there." I would guess that the "We" in that instance is himself and Elizabeth.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 29, 2004
Beautiful Day
Good speech.
UPDATE: U2, sure. But I never thought I'd hear Van Halen played at a party convention. I hope he didn't just lose the David Lee Roth vote.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:58 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Dammit, John
Will you stop stepping on your own applause lines? Jeez.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:23 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Neck strains the result of poor seats
Poor seats the result of past, Hubbert says
So, because Alabama hasn't voted Democrat since 1976, the state's DNC delegation gets the worst seats in the house? There are other states that have voted Republican for longer, and they don't get worse seats than Guam.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:04 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
July 28, 2004
I shouldn't say this
Either Kitty Dukakis just had a Botox treatment, or she's off the wagon again.
Really, I shouldn't say it. But I had to. I mean, her eyes were perfectly round.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Who let Kucinich in the building?
My God, is he an awful speaker. Maybe he should try meat.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 06:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The Roll Call
CHAIR: The roll call for the Democratic Presidential nomination will now begin. States will vote in alphabetical order. I call the chairman of the Alaska delegation.
TINY VOICE IN DISTANCE: Hey!
CHAIR: No comments from the press at this time.
TVID: Hey, we go first!
CHAIR: Who are you?
TVID: I am Redding Pitt, chairman of the Alabama delegation. Alabama comes before Alaska.
CHAIR: I'm sorry, I don't see a listing for an "Alabama" here. Alaska, go ahead.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 02:49 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Gosh, bloggers get more prominent speakers
The Alabama delegation's breakfast speaker yesterday was Robert Kennedy Jr. They don't even rate Patrick. Then they climbed the stairs to the worst seats in the house and craned their necks to watch the proceedings. You'll be able to tell members of the Alabama delegation on sight next week -- all their necks will be at a permanent 45 degree angle to the right.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:02 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 26, 2004
Shorter U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin
Johnkerry good. Johnkerry strong. Johnkerry will save us all from the evil insurance and drug companies. Johnkerry friend of people.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Convention notes
Of course I'm not there; I am extraordinarily cheap, for one thing. Anyway...
1. I don't know why anyone would watch this thing on CNN, much less Fox. Just tune in C-SPAN. No talking heads, and frankly the music's a lot more entertaining than Judy Woodruff.
2. Jimmy Carter really doesn't like George W. Bush. I've never heard him so... mean.
3. Alex tells me he isn't an undecided voter anymore, by the way. He's voting for Kerry. Go figure.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:09 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
They could see him without binoculars
Clark impresses state delegation
Before being exiled to the worst seats in the house, the Alabama DNC delegation got to meet with also-ran Wesley Clark. I suppose that more important delegations, like that from Guam, might get to meet with someone from the ticket.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 02:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 25, 2004
Shunned
State has little clout at Democratic convention
More on the Alabama delegation. It turns out that they're so irrelevant to the proceedings that they've got to sit behind Mississippi and next to Guam and the Virgin Islands. Considering that the head of the Alabama party is a longtime personal friend of the candidate, you'd think that at least they'd get better seats. Behind Mississippi!
Posted by Mac Thomason at 06:45 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
And they don't test well
State delegates face tough test
I suppose being an Alabama delegate to the DNC isn't as thankless as being a Texas delegate. But it has to be kinda embarassing. "Yeah, we think that if the campaign sends us some help, we can draw 45 percent of the vote."
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:39 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
July 22, 2004
What a shocker
Herald.com | 07/22/2004 | Florida felons could face new obstacles in getting their voting rights
Jeb Bush trying to restrict the voting rights of the formerly incarcerated? Defying the Florida Supreme Court? What year is it?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 05:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack