Election Results

If you haven't heard by now, Barack Obama has defeated John McCain to become the 44th President of the United States. The first bi-racial President. I don't think many Americans could say that they didn't see this coming. Obama has held significant leads over John McCain in electoral and popular polls for the past six weeks or so.

It was a short election night. The first votes were counted around 7pm, giving Obama an early victory in Vermont, while McCain won the uncontested state of Kentucky. It wasn't long before Pennsylvania was put in the blue column, and McCain's chance of victory began to look slim. They started counting the votes in Indiana, with Obama and McCain neck and neck. Obama held a commanding lead as the votes began to be counted in Florida. When they called Ohio for Obama at around 10pm eastern time, I knew the race was over. Obama would be the next President of the United States.

Obama won in an electoral landslide: 364 electoral votes to McCain's 163, twenty six states and one tie - Missouri. McCain just might win Missouri, as he has a small lead there and the votes are still being counted. The Show Me didn't live up to it's repuation of voting for the winner. Ohio prevailed, though. Next time, Missouri, next time.

For the first time in 40 years, Virginia voted for a Democrat, 22 years for North Carolina, and 44 years for Indiana. Colorado went blue, the first time in 16 years. Obama defeated McCain by landslide margins in both Nevada and New Mexico, 56-42 and 57-42 respectively. The Hispanic vote really helped him there. McCain won by a weak 9 percent in his home state of Arizona. I'm disappointed that Arizonans didn't send him a message. Oh well. Rumor has it Janet Napolitano is going to run for congress when her gubernatorial term is up in 2010. She will probably take McCain's senate seat if he decides against running for reelection. If he does, she'll probably defeat him.

It is likely, that for the first time in the state's history, Nebraska will split its electoral votes. Obama will be awarded one, bringing his electoral vote total to 365.

Obama won the popular vote, 53 to 46 percent, garnering 64, nearly 65 million votes to McCain's 57 million. Obama outperformed Kerry among virtually all demographics. He lead strongly among women, independents, Hispanics and people under 64.

Democrats increased their majority in the house and gained 5 seats in the senate, and a few of them are still being contested.

I bet the Republicans are fuming. They were hoping so much for a Bradley effect. Much to their chagrin, Obama performed as expected, and even outperformed the polls in several states. Obama won Pennsylvania by 11 points, 55-44 - stronger than Gore AND Kerry's wins, 51-46 and 51-49 respectively. For the most part, the polls were right on the money. Who said polls don't mean anything?

Unfortunately, my predictions were off quite a bit. Although, I nailed the popular vote, the senate seat and house projections were off by one, though there are still some seats undecided. Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com correctly predicted the popular vote and incorrectly projected the winners of Missouri and Indiana. The site pretty much lives up to its slogan, Election Projections. Done Right. Dissapointedly Obama didn't win Georgia. The voter turnout wasn't as high as many expected. I expected 180 million people to turnout, only 130 or so million people did so. Silly me. How many registered voters are there in the country anyway? They said a lot of Republicans stayed home. I guess they were disgusted. Do you blame them? I don't. They got their asses whooped.

Here's the electoral results (map provided by Electoral-Vote):


Won't it feel good to have a President that can inspire us? One with great orotorical skills. One we actually care to listen to and who makes you listen? With McCain, it would have been Bush all over again. I'm glad America made the right choice this time. It was a clear mandate. America has spoken. The country is screaming for change. And as Obama said in his victory speech, change has come.

My prediction for the election

Here's my predictions for Election Day:

Obama will win the popular vote 52-46 and the electoral vote 396-142.

Democrats will have 57 seats in the senate and 249 in the house.

Here's the map:

Much to McCain's chagrin, he will not carry Pennsylvania and will not win the Presidency.

Obama will win Florida 49-45, an unexpected upset in Georgia, a victory by 2 points, North Carlina 2 points, Virginia 5 points, Pennsylvania 7 points, Ohio 5 points, Indiana 2 points, Missouri 2 points, Colorado by 5 points, Nevada 4 points, New Mexico 9 points, and somewhat predicted upsets in Montana and North Dakota by a few points. Oh, and I forgot New Hampshire, I am sure Obama will win there by about 7 points.

Around 8pm they will call Virginia for Obama, along with Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida. They will announce Obama the winner by 9pm.

Voter turnout will be historic, 180 million Americans will have voted in this election.

McCain will concede around midnight.

Happy voting everyone.

Nudists Fight For Their Right To Vote Naked

A nudist resort in Florida is hoping to set up a clothing-optional polling booth for Tuesday's US election. Residents of Caliente Resorts, the largest nudist colony in the US, are hoping to create a polling place where residents can vote in the buff if they so choose. More than 350 potential voters live at the nudist resort as well as 200 employees. Currently, residents have to vote in a neighboring subdivision that is not clothing optional.

Source

Isn't this fucking ridiculous? Can't they put clothes on for just a few hours? I mean, wearing clothes is not that uncomfortable, is it? I wear them all the time, as do most other "normal" people. I don't have a problem wearing clothes, I prefer clothes. And even if I didn't like clothes, I'd have to wear them to go the store, to work, and wherever else. I sure as hell wouldn't have a problem dressing up to go vote.

I don't know what it is that makes these nudists think they are so special. My message to them: put on some fucking clothes and go to the polling place. If you can't put on clothes for a few hours, the country doesn't need your vote. It's as simple as that.

I guess there is no limit to the laziness and stupidity of people. I guess they figure, they have the right to vote, it also gives them a right to be stupid. This particular incident calls for the usage of a term called Freedumb. You're given freedom, but don't let it make you dumb.

Electoral Analysis

The latest polls show that McCain is in trouble in Georgia and other, formerly Republican strongholds. McCain leads Obama by a mere 2 points (48.8-46.2) in Georgia, and 5 points (49-44) in his home state of Arizona, where a few polls show the race as close as 2 points.

Both candidates are tied in usually reliable Republican states like Indiana, Montana, North Dakota and the ultimate swing state of Missouri. McCain has weak leads in South Dakota 50-41, Mississippi, 53-45 and West Virginia, 51-43.

Obama is ahead in every swing state, with his lead growing every day and is getting stronger in Democratic states, while McCain is getting weaker in Republican states.

Latest polls:

State Obama McCain

Nevada: 50 43
Colorado: 51 44
Ohio: 50 43
Virginia: 51 44
N. Carolina: 49 47
Florida: 48 45

Obama is strong in all of the states Gore and Kerry won in 2000 and 2004. As long as Obama hangs onto all the states Gore won in 2000, which total 264 electoral votes, he will need to pick up just one more state equaling 6 electoral votes or more to get to the magic number of 270.

Here are the states Obama has a chance of picking up, in addition to the states Gore won in 2000:

Virginia with its 13 electoral votes, on top of the 264 safe Gore electoral votes, would put Obama over the top with 277 electoral votes.

Colorado, a state with 9 electoral votes, would give Obama a 273-265 lead over his opponent. There is a good chance of a pickup in the state, as he has been leading consistently since February.

Nevada would put Obama at the 269 mark, and if he doesn't pick up Virginia, or any other battleground state, then the race would be a tie and this could benefit Obama with a Democratic congress.

Ohio would clinch it for Obama. With it's 20 electoral votes, he wouldn't need to pick up any other state. McCain needs Ohio to win and without it there is just no realistic victory for McCain.

North Carolina, with it's 15 electoral votes would be a big blow to McCain and like Ohio, McCain can't win without it.

Florida, the state's 27 electoral votes that determined the 2000 election, is a Republican stronghold, and without it, Bush wouldn't have won and McCain can't win without it, either.

A Georgia win for Obama would cripple McCain with it's 15 electoral votes. And a win here is possible, with a high turn out among African American voters. African Americans make up 29% of the electorate in the state and is enough to swing the state to the blue column.

Missouri is the ultimate swing state, with it's 11 electoral votes, has voted for the ultimate winner of the election for the past 100 years, getting it wrong just once in 1956. It will be interesting to see if the "Show Me" state lives up to it's reputation of voting for the winner.

Indiana hasn't voted for a Democrat since 1964. And with it's 11 electoral votes, could help put Obama over the top. The chances of Indiana going blue this year are very good. Bush won Indiana by landslide margins in 2000 and 2004. Obama being ahead in the polls there by as many as 7 points is not a good sign for McCain.

A loss in Arizona would kill McCain. McCain needs every electoral vote he can get and without his home state's 10 electoral votes he is finished. Due to the changing demographics in the state, Arizona would have been a swing state in the beginning, but in this late stage of the game Obama has now been able to turn it "purple."

Obama has a knack at turning Republican strongholds purple, and North Dakota and Montana are no exception. Obama and McCain are currently tied there, and should Obama pull off a win in both of these states while not winning any other swing state, with their combined 6 electoral votes, they could tip the election in Obama's favor.


The polls close around 7-7:30 PM on the east coast. If they announce that Obama wins any of the following states: Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio. You can rest assured that Obama will be the next President of the United States and it will be a relatively short election night. I'm hoping this is the case, if not, we're going to be in for a long, nail biter.

Regardless of what the polls say right now, this election is not over. Don't become complacent. Make sure you get out and vote. Make sure to get your friends and family to the polls as well.

U.S. to announce over $1 billion in aid for Georgia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration will announce on Wednesday an aid package of more than $1 billion to help Georgia rebuild after its war with Russia over the separatist enclave of South Ossetia last month, U.S. officials said.

The aid was to be unveiled as Vice President Dick Cheney began a trip to the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine designed to show U.S. support for its allies in the region despite Russia's military intervention.

Moscow sent tanks and troops into Georgia last month to crush the Georgian government's attempt to reassert control over South Ossetia.

Russia's action, and its subsequent recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian region, as independent states has drawn condemnation from the West but few tangible actions to punish Moscow.

Sources familiar with the U.S. aid package said it was expected to total about $1.07 billion for reconstruction, with $570 million to be disbursed this year and $500 million subsequently. None of the money is expected to go for military aid, a highly sensitive issue to Moscow, the sources said.

A significant proportion would be devoted to budget support as well as to rebuild housing, transportation and other infrastructure destroyed in the conflict, one source said.

The White House plans to approach the campaigns of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain to seek their commitment to continue the assistance after President George W. Bush leaves office on January 20, the sources said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was scheduled to announce the aid package Georgia and Bush was to issue a statement about it.

I am getting tired of stunts like this. Why the fuck should we fork over a billion dollars to aide Georgia, when we can't even afford our own expenses? How come we don't force Russia to pay for the damages they've made in Georgia's country?

These asshole Republicans have no problem sending our money overseas and helping other countries but we can't give money to our own citizens to help them. We seem to care more about other countries than we do our own. Isn't this fucking sad? Fuck the other countries! Fuck the Republicans! You assholes are going to have your asses handed to you in November.

Congress

America doesn't overly approve of the job Congress is doing in Washington. Currently their approval rating is 17.3% - while Bush's approval rating is 30%. And regardless of their approval ratings or productivity, they still get a paycheck. Something is wrong here, don't you think?

Well, I've proposed an idea that might help congress become more productive. What we ought to do is is pay them minimum wage until they work on a plan to reduce the deficit. Cut off all lobbyist money from these assholes. Make them do their job and fire them all if necessary.

I think that might put fire under their asses. Let them feel how it's like to work for minimum wage. Show them what it's like to really work for someone, and don't let them forget that they work for us.

If that's too radical for ya, then how about this:

Currently,

Congressmen & Senators earn $165,200
Majority & Minority Leaders earn $180,100
Speaker of the House earns $208,100

In my opinion, that is more than what they're worth. I'd cut all their salaries in half, thus:

Congressmen & Senators would earn $82,600
Majority & Minority Leaders would earn $90,050
Speaker of the House would earn $104,050

Maybe that will motivate them a little bit and remind them that they work for the citizens of the USA.

And once they balance the budget and help kill the deficit, I still wouldn't let them off easy. I'd make their approval rating determine their salary. Fuck 'em. I think that would encourage them to work together and get things done, wouldn't you say?

I don't understand...

Why is it that these politicians feel they have to endorse a candidate after they've already won the nomination for their party? I don't understand this. Is it to sway the people? To convince members of the party (possibly both parties, and/or undecided voters) to get on board and support their candidate? Aren't the people capable of thinking for themselves? I think this is the problem in America. Joe Schmo feels that since every other high profile politician has endorsed the Democratic/Republican candidate, then he too, must endorse him, by voting for that candidate. It's a crock of shit in my opinion. Endorsements shouldn't be allowed. Let the American citizens decide for themselves on who to vote for. This is how we got George Bush for christ sake.