November 7 Election Day Thread

[kapkomet]

Instead of looking at the thread with all the stuff before today, I'll create a thread of its own...

 

So, we're hearing of lawsuits already being filed by Dem lawyers. Imagine that. I'm sure it's corrupt out there!! It's the only POSSIBLE way for the GOP to win is supress the good Dems down.

 

Seriously, it does sound like there's some issues out there. Let's hope they get resolved.

[CanOfCorn]

Instead of looking at the thread with all the stuff before today, I'll create a thread of its own...

 

So, we're hearing of lawsuits already being filed by Dem lawyers. Imagine that. I'm sure it's corrupt out there!! It's the only POSSIBLE way for the GOP to win is supress the good Dems down.

 

Seriously, it does sound like there's some issues out there. Let's hope they get resolved.

 

You know, after I voted, I was standing there waiting to get my receipt and...nothing. So, where does my vote go? What happens if something goes wrong? Is there a backup? I hope they figure this voting thing out, cuz we've only done it in this country for 230 years!!!

[FlaSoxxJim]

You know, after I voted, I was standing there waiting to get my receipt and...nothing. So, where does my vote go? What happens if something goes wrong? Is there a backup? I hope they figure this voting thing out, cuz we've only done it in this country for 230 years!!!

 

Receipt? What is this "receipt" of which you speak?

 

I fed my left-leaning scantron sheet into the reader and that was that. No receipt, just the ever-popular "I Voted" sticker and a scowm from the front office folks at work when I came in late.

 

Happily, an uneventful and rather pleasant pollinng station experience for me though.

[mreye]

Receipt? What is this "receipt" of which you speak?

 

I fed my left-leaning scantron sheet into the reader and that was that. No receipt, just the ever-popular "I Voted" sticker and a scowm from the front office folks at work when I came in late.

 

Happily, an uneventful and rather pleasant pollinng station experience for me though.

 

What is this "sticker" of which you speak? I've never got one! Cheap assed Hoosiers!

[Jimbo's Drinker]

hopefully a victory for the dems today.

[Heads22]

Some of us avoided long lines week ago by sticking a ballot in 3 envelopes so that damn postal carrier can't see how ya voted.

[NorthSideSox72]

I used to vote for quite a few Republicans. Heck, in the 4 Prez elections I've been eligible for, I've only voted Dem once.

 

But the CURRENT Republican party in Congress has pretty much brushed off any semblance of financial discipline or fairness in the budget process - and that was one of the major reasons I had supported them before.

 

And as for Iraq, I voted against everyone, Dem or GOP, who supported the war in Iraq at any point (to my level of awareness, and their votes in Congress). I cannot in good consience put anyone in office who was either dense enough or uninformed enough to have been dragged into supporting this mess.

 

So today, I am hoping for victory for Dems, but more specifically, Dems who had the guts from day one to call the Iraq War spade what it was - one of the costliest political blunders of our time.

[Cknolls]

You know, after I voted, I was standing there waiting to get my receipt and...nothing. So, where does my vote go? What happens if something goes wrong? Is there a backup? I hope they figure this voting thing out, cuz we've only done it in this country for 230 years!!!

 

 

Thank all of the dense americans who cannot punch a hole in a piece of cardboard, and then verify that their is indeed a hole there and that the said hole is their corresponding candidate.

[Chisoxfn]

Instead of looking at the thread with all the stuff before today, I'll create a thread of its own...

 

So, we're hearing of lawsuits already being filed by Dem lawyers. Imagine that. I'm sure it's corrupt out there!! It's the only POSSIBLE way for the GOP to win is supress the good Dems down.

 

Seriously, it does sound like there's some issues out there. Let's hope they get resolved.

I will be so happy if somehow the repub's find a way to at least hold one of the house/senate and even happier if they somehow find a way to hold both (while those odds are looking at least a remote possibility now, I still have some serious doubts).

 

Please GOP, rock the vote...rock the vote...rock the vote!!!

[RockRaines]

I voted for the greek god of politics, because the tv told me I couldnt trust his opposition.

[KipWellsFan]

In light of impending exit polls. Do they actually tend to have a bias against Republican candidates or was that only the case in '04.

[Gene Honda Civic]

In light of impending exit polls. Do they actually tend to have a bias against Republican candidates or was that only the case in '04.

I think you'll see exit polls heavily favor the Dems again this year, and most races end up closer (or reversed) than initially indicated.

 

I just voted.. At my precinct you could vote in two "new" ways. One was connecting arrows with a line, and the other was touchscreen computer. The bluehairs were really confused. Stood in line for about 15 minutes, and took about 5 minutes to vote myself -- There were a number of people who were voting when I walked in, and those same people were still voting when I left.

[sox4lifeinPA]

Is it illegal to take pictures while you're inside the voting machine?

 

....just curious...(he asked pointedly)

 

 

I was in and out of the polling place in 5 minutes. Now sit back and watch the entertainment.

[sox4lifeinPA]

A man was also arrested at a polling site in Allentown, Pa., after after election workers said he smashed an electronic voting machine with a paperweight, police said.

 

 

oh geez. "and we're living here in Allentown....where the voting booth is shutting down...cos he smashed with a paperweight-eh-eh-eight.... cos we're living here in Allentown"

 

 

why does my fake home state have to be in the news for crazy things only....?

[Balta1701]

In light of impending exit polls. Do they actually tend to have a bias against Republican candidates or was that only the case in '04.

Speaking of impending exit polls...get your seemingly highly unreliable Senate exit polls here.

 

The rule of thumb on exit polls is that they're going to be reliable within a couple of percentage points, like all polls, if they're done statistically correct, which means you need a truly random and representative sample (and not more Democrats being polled than Republicans), and not a random sample of people who showed up to vote but where a biased group (say, poor minorities without proper ID) weren't counted.

 

They're going to be cute to look at, and if they really are showing 7 point leads in some races those will be hard to overcome, but the ones that are tighter than that could go either way.

Edited November 7, 2006 by Balta1701

[WilliamTell]

Some of us avoided long lines week ago by sticking a ballot in 3 envelopes so that damn postal carrier can't see how ya voted.

 

Yep, I couldn't believe we needed 3 envelopes.

[Balta1701]

More evidence of a big Democratic surge. Fox News's commentator panel led by Brit Hume, which is considered mostly right of center, has reason to be skeptical of this perception of Democratic gains. But the Fox panel, which includes Fred Barnes, Bill Kristol, Mort Kondracke, Juan Williams, and Hume, is now saying the exit polls and their analysis suggest what Barnes calls "a good Democratic night."

 

The conservative commentators warned viewers to beware of a Democratic bias in exit polls, but they conceded that things look very good for the Dems.

 

Fifty-seven percent of late deciders, the Fox exit polls show, are breaking for the Democrats, and 39 percent for Republicans. This is a very important harbinger.

Link.

 

Just one House...I don't care which one, just a little bit of oversight is all I want.

[sox4lifeinPA]

Hey Rex,

 

How was your night working the polls?

 

 

They called the PA senate race.... that's the biggest story of the night, imo. Santorum was untouchable 2 years ago.

[Balta1701]

Ken Blackwell, the guy who ran the 2004 and 2006 elections in Ohio, lost his bid for the governorship.

 

Sherrod Brown is the new senator from Ohio.

 

Santorum is out.

 

Menendez has held on to his seat in NJ.

 

That's 2 senate pickups so far, and 1 risky one that the Dems held.

 

And the Dems are going to finally pick up a seat in the bloody 8th...Ellsworth beating Hostetler. Aside from the Iraq war vote, man did I dislike that guy. But that's a big aside. Anyway.

 

Blago called in Illinois. Lugar in Indy, not unexpectedly. Sanders in VT.

 

Potential upset in KY-03...Dem leading 50-48 with 80% counted. This one didn't move into the competitive races until very recently. Could be a harbinger. Linkity.

 

Oh, and Katherine Harris lost.

 

CNN Calls Connecticut for Lieberman.

Edited November 8, 2006 by Balta1701

[sox4lifeinPA]

I'm laughing at the democrats who are saying "we've really come together and organized our party and that's what you're seeing tonight"

 

people hate GWB, they're voting for the opposite of him...it could be the duck party whose platform is bikini waxing for the elderly and the results would be the same.

 

"Taking back America" is a joke. More people voted for Bush in 04 and it showed the make up of America. In two years people are just mad at the lack of vision (as they have a right to be) by the current leadership.

 

by no means does this indicate a change in the way our nation thinks or the 50/50 polictical makeup. In two years if dems dont get their act together, it'll be the other way around.

[Balta1701]

I'm laughing at the democrats who are saying "we've really come together and organized our party and that's what you're seeing tonight"

 

people hate GWB, they're voting for the opposite of him...it could be the duck party whose platform is bikini waxing for the elderly and the results would be the same.

 

"Taking back America" is a joke. More people voted for Bush in 04 and it showed the make up of America. In two years people are just mad at the lack of vision (as they have a right to be) by the current leadership.

 

by no means does this indicate a change in the way our nation thinks or the 50/50 polictical makeup. In two years if dems dont get their act together, it'll be the other way around.

Very true on the still 50/50 part. The country is still just about that divided on general, except for on the issue of Bush. However, I think it is actually worth noting that the Democrats have been attempting a major reorganization under Dean, and you may well see the fruit of it tonight. They've spent a lot of money in places that the 2002-2004 elections told them they shouldn't spend money, like Idaho, Wyoming, Indiana, the south, etc.

 

One of the reasons the Democrats are actually in a position to take advantage of how badly Bush has screwed up is the work Dean has done. They've had people working for almost 2 years in places where the Democrats used to have no presence at all, and suddenly, lo and behold, they're finding quality candidates for governor, state legislatures, and Congress, who find themselves facing Republicans who embarass themselves or just are too close to Bush, and they actually have voter and fundraising lists and the ability to actually oppose those Republicans.

 

It may not fundamentally change the country's makeup, but in terms of giving the Democrats a chance to take advantage of the Bush disaster, it has seemed to be very important.

[jackie hayes]

Virginia, yer killing me...

[NorthSideSox72]

So, here is something I am finding very interesting in the IL Governor election.

 

Current results in, from Chicago Tribune, as of a few minutes ago:

 

Governor - Illinois 154 of 11692 Precincts Reporting

 

Baar Topinka , Judy GOP 23,774 44.55

Blagojevich , Rod (i) Dem 23,527 44.09

Whitney, Rich Grn 6,061 11.36

 

The line in bold is telling, I think. Whitney isn't some one-shot phenom. That's a protest vote, and a big one, by Illinois voters saying that the two major party options they were given were just complete garbage. And I agree.

 

We'll see how that holds up as more precincts report - since only a fraction have done so. But since Topinka is leading these precincts, I'd say they are majority downstate - where the Greens won't usually do well. Urban voters may actually increase that number. 11% is HUGE for a Green party candidate for Gov.

[AbeFroman]

So, here is something I am finding very interesting in the IL Governor election.

 

Current results in, from Chicago Tribune, as of a few minutes ago:

 

Governor - Illinois 154 of 11692 Precincts Reporting

 

Baar Topinka , Judy GOP 23,774 44.55

Blagojevich , Rod (i) Dem 23,527 44.09

Whitney, Rich Grn 6,061 11.36

 

The line in bold is telling, I think. Whitney isn't some one-shot phenom. That's a protest vote, and a big one, by Illinois voters saying that the two major party options they were given were just complete garbage. And I agree.

 

We'll see how that holds up as more precincts report - since only a fraction have done so. But since Topinka is leading these precincts, I'd say they are majority downstate - where the Greens won't usually do well. Urban voters may actually increase that number. 11% is HUGE for a Green party candidate for Gov.

 

 

The AP called Blago an 1.5 hours ago.... that means turnout in Cook County is going to be big....

 

... that means stroger's probably gonna win (which is sorta disgusting even to this democrat)

Edited November 8, 2006 by AbeFroman

[jackie hayes]

Reading the comments on Zorn's blog, I was amazed how many people were calling for a vote for Whitney. Looks like the Greens will have an easier time next go-round.