US Election ’08: Transcript of Hoyden About Town LiveBloggyChat

Greetings, folks!

[A transcript of president-elect Barack Obama's acceptance speech at Grant Park is here.]

Earlier today, we had a liveblog/chat during the US election result counting. I’ve cleaned it up and trimmed it a lot (trying to maintain the feel, flow, and milestones). Here it is, for those who missed it or for those who’d like to relive it.

Vote08 Watch – Hoyden About Town (11/05/2008)

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5:06 tigtog: So far, all I hear about is the massive turnout.

5:07 tigtog: Look at that, I thought they’d got the time difference wrong – oh well, if you’re all asleep for another hour yet I’ll just go and make myself a hot breakfast.

5:25 Amanda I set the alarm for 5 but snoozed an extra hour. Sorry, democracy.

5:34 Amanda: Fox moved on to why the polls r rong. Hope the Panthers come back, could be the only excitement in a long morning of waiting. Apparently one had a “nightstick”. Personally, a Fox News crew sounds more intimidating to me.

5:35 tigtog: A few minor problems with balloting – mainly because of the weather! (People come in wet, they drip on the forms, the forms won’t go throught the machines)

5:41 tigtog: McCain on MSNBC. Crikey, he’s in Colorado, after voting in AZ this morning. Both candidates must be absolutely exhausted by this stage. Oh, he’s on about pork barrel bills again. NOBODY CARES.

5:45 Amanda: “I bring greetings from Sarah Palin.” Made me laugh for some reason.

5:46 tigtog: Amanda, it sounds like it should be followed by TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER or something, doesn’t it?

5:45 Quixotess: Yes, exhausted, and not allowed to show it. I hope they *both* got good night’s sleep. No matter who wins, this election ritual of being in an enormous group of people while watching the election always makes me feel terrible for the candidate who loses. Talk about ultimate humiliation.

5:48 tigtog: Give him credit, when he gets off on one of these cascades of rhetoric he’s not too bad. Wrong wrong wrongitty wrong, but a good performer

5:51 Amanda: three damn channels and they are all SYNCHING ADS, Grrrr,

5:52 Quixotess: : *is jealous of the people with television sets*

5:53 tigtog: It’s a bit surreal here – I’m live streaming on the puter, and my son is watching “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” before getting ready for school.

5:54 Amanda: New scandal being touted by Fox: Barry doesn’t want Susan Sarandon to attend his chicago do. Does this BODE POORLY for being an “inclusive president”?????????

5:55 tigtog: PUHlease!

5:56 Quixotess: : If I have to listen to Fox News refer to Obama as “Barry” for four years…

5:57 Amanda: oh sorry, the Barry was me. ;-)

5:57 Quixotess: : <.<

6:01 tigtog: It's weird, isn't it? It's one thing to call William Clinton Bill when that's how he introduces himself, but does Obama ever introduce himself as Barry?

6:01 fuckpoliteness: damn...woke up, almost ran to the computer and tele...there is SOCCER on SBS!

6:02 Amanda: its me democratic right as an australian to shorten everyone's name

6:03 Quixotess: : I just know Fox doesn't do it with love

6:03 Amanda: well, i havent heard fox do it actually. but I do it with love.

6:04 Quixotess: : I end up hearing the trial from TKM when the opposing counsel kept calling him "boy". Especially since there's been such a Thing made by the screaming racists out of the fact that he "changed his name" from when he was in college and went by Barack because Barry was "too American" and he wanted to "reclaim his black identity" or whatever the hell it is they're spewing

6:05 fuckpoliteness: imagine that - a prez called barry and a pm called kev

6:08 tigtog: Quixotess: - wow, fancy someone deciding to be called their full name rather than their childhood nickname after they leave college! There must be a sinister agenda!

6:11 Amanda: will be interesting to see how yhe networks deal with exit polls. everyone recognises they are hopelessly unreliable and don't want to be wrong, but will they resist?

6:11 Quixotess: : Heh. I'm going to turn into Ebeneezer Scrooge by the time I'm twenty

6:12 tigtog: Of course the networks won't resist featuring exit polls. It's theatre for them.

6:13 Amanda: did msnbc just say they wouldn't? or were they talking about something else?

6:14 Chris Clarke: "I bring greetings from Sarah Palin"? Isn't that what the mouth of Sauron said to Gandalf and Aragorn after he rode out of the Black Gate? /nerd

6:24 Slave2TehTink: On the "Good News from 'Real Virginia'"front, the Culpeper County Sheriff made the McCainites in front of our polling place go away.

6:25 Amanda: Is the Culpeper County Sherrif a Black Panther, S2TT???

6:26 Slave2TehTink: It's rural Virginia, I'd be surprised if there are any African-American deputies.

6:27 Amanda: Sorry, I was joking. Referring to the story Fox has been running, now picked up by right wing blogs, that two Panthers were "intimidating" voters in pennsylvania.

6:29 Amanda: here is the damning (not) panther footage.

6:30 Chris Clarke: I am sitting out the election in the People’s Fabulous Ghey Republic of West Hollywood. But I did electioneer in the desert, handing out Obamanos stickers in cowboy towns in AZ

6:32 tigtog: It would be sweet if McCain lost AZ

6:32 fuckpoliteness: i just watched the ‘damning evidence’ of the black panthers – did the white media dude say ‘got my bat?’ at the beginning? Interesting how a black man with a nightstick is dangerously armed, and a white man is a security guard

6:33 Chris Clarke: Karl Rove predicts Obama w/ 332 EVs

6:33 Slave2TehTink: I saw the Karl Rove prediction. It was delicious.

6:38 Chris Clarke: CO’s turning blue!!!!!5!

6:39 tigtog: Woot!

6:39 fuckpoliteness: I figured that was it but I wanted it confirmed…i love you CC for delivering this news

6:39 Chris Clarke: Don’t love me until the polls close.

6:39 fuckpoliteness: yeah…ok. is it cool to just like you a lot?

6:40 Chris Clarke: Ha!

6:42 Chris Clarke: They just mentioned the African Diaspora on MSNBC without having a fringe character do the mentioning. Also, the cafe near the polling place was playing “Africa Unite” this morning. I take these as omens.

6:44 Slave2TehTink: Am I the only one violently amused that MSNBC has a headline on the front page reading “What if the President wants to ditch the VP?” as an opener to a guide to weird election scenarios?

6:45 tigtog: No, that amused me too

6:49 Chris Clarke: Weird to see the big “Yes on 8″ banners in the desert.

6:49 tigtog: We whinge like mad here on the occasional election when there’s a lot of candidates for the Senate, and we get to do above the line voting for those.

6:49 Slave2TehTink: Heh, over here it was just a proposed meals tax in Culpeper County. My neighbors managed to whip themselves into a froth over it, though, and I’ve been seeing “YES” and “NO” signs on it.

6:50 tigtog: So how does the chance of the Dems getting the 60 seats in the Senate look? Sure would be nice to be filibuster free.

6:50 Amanda: Fox is back to the Panthers.

6:52 Chris Clarke: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/ says Obama with 349 EVs

6:53 Amanda: shepherd smith, fox host, goes off message to suggest this story is a ridiculous beat up.

6:53 tigtog: Good for him. Honestly, one man standing outside the polling booth.

6:54 Amanda: two, and one had a stick. but still, whatever.

6:54 Quixotess: : I thought I saw fivethirtyeight saying that the 60 sen chance had gone down

6:54 Slave2TehTink: Virginia is listed as a safe race for Warner on www.fivethirtyeight.com, which means that both my Senators would be Democrats. My fingers are crossed. They’re predicting the Dems to pick up 7-8 seats it looks like.

6:54 Amanda: i anxiously await the demise of liddy dole

6:56 tigtog: STTT: yes, I think they’ll pick up extra seats but not enough to be filibuster-proof

6:56 Slave2TehTink: An e-mail just went around my family from some self-proclaimed prophet talking about how he feels a spirit of violence and hate from Obama. This after GOP rallies were the ones where supporters were shouting “KILL HIM!”

6:56 Chris Clarke: http://isobamapresident.com/

6:58 Quixotess: : I hate, hate, hate, how, if he is elected, what should be joy tempered only with reservations about Obama as a candidate will instead be marred by fear for his safety.

7:00 Slave2TehTink: Quixotess: , I hate it too. Unfortunately I think it’s facts of life. I was watching some of the White Pride groups support Paul back when he was still in the game, and there’s some nasty, nasty people out there.

6:58
AuntiDisestablishment: Hey all: Mass has 3 interesting questions actually: Get rid of state income tax 2) Decriminalize small amounts of marajuana and 3: Save the doggies.

6:59 Chris Clarke: San Francisco’s Proposition K would decrim sex work, and the usual battle lines have been drawn

7:01 Quixotess: : Here in WA we’re trying to get our own Death with Dignity act

7:04 fuckpoliteness: i love how mccain’s age is being touted as if electing an old dude would be as radical a change as election an african american. They LOVE old dudes in govt!

7:05 Chris Clarke: @fuckpoliteness what about teh old menz?

7:05 fuckpoliteness: haha – what about the hard done by rich old white conservative menz???

7:06 Slave2TehTink: Srsly, if we don’t elect McCain we’re all clearly ageist!

7:06 Chris Clarke: I’m calling this race for Obama right now based on these entrails I got here. no, wait. That’s be Kenyan witchcraft. N/M

7:07 fuckpoliteness: I blew smoke rings before and they were in the shape of an O for Obama not an M for McCain

7:07 Quixotess: : oh shit fp, now you’ve gone and cost mccain his victory

7:07 tigtog: I loved the routine Colbert did a few days ago along these lines – I’ll go and see if I can find it online. The DaColbert Code – The Election

7:08 Chris Clarke: Obama got a black cat bone and a mojo tooth, he got the John de Conquer root, he’ll carry Massachu

7:08 fuckpoliteness: damn, i was rooting for that old bastard too

7:08 Quixotess: : It’s *always* the chicks who lose these damn elections for us.

7:09 Slave2TehTink: Quixotess: , the chicks ont he ticket or the damn wimmen voters?

7:10 Quixotess: : fucking BOTH. god. hillary is responsible for this.

7:10 tigtog: OK, found the Colbert Clip:

7:10 Chris Clarke: We never should have let y’all seize the right to suffrage after that protracted generations-long struggle.

7:14 tigtog: Fox is going on about voter intimidation and how a couple of guys outside one polling station in Philly could tie up the election results in the courts

7:15 Slave2TehTink: Oh good God. If the election is so close that one polling station in Philly can tie it up, we have more problems than a couple Black Panthers who are allegedly intimidating people. With a stick.

7:15 tigtog: Grasping at straws

7:16 Slave2TehTink: The right has been grasping at straws this whole election cycle, and some pretty appalling ones at that.

7:17 Chris Clarke: Are the sticks made of oak hardwood? Because there’s your ACORN connection right there.

7:19 Amanda: oh don’t worry, Rove linked it to acorn straight away

7:17 Amanda: TPM’s takeon the Philly Phracas

7:17 tigtog: Dole v Hagan in North Carolina – Dole’s aspersions seem to be backfiring
It’s a shame that Hagan is taking the “I am so too a pious churchgoer” stance instead of just saying “so what?” about the godless accusations

7:20 Slave2TehTink: I couldn’t believe Dole’s ads. It really has seemed that the GOP has gone to new lows this season.

7:24 Amanda: jesus. cnn talking to a bloke in rural ohio who lost his job, voting obama after lifelong republican. says there are no “good paying jobs” anywhere near there, “good paying” being “$14 an hour”

7:25 Slave2TehTink: Yes. In rural USA that’s a good wage. I strongly suspect I make more by myself than most of the 2 income families in my neighborhood.

7:25 fuckpoliteness: yikes…is cost of living lower than over here? cos 14 an hour here does NOT get you far

7:26 tigtog: A lot of costs are much lower in the States

7:26 Slave2TehTink: Here in Outback Virginia it’s pretty cheap compared to most places I’ve lived. For comparison’s sake for the non-USAians, I’m paying about $2.25/g for gas right now, my 2.5 acres and 1000sq foot house is worht probably $150K, my utilities are $100/mo, and my property taxes $900/yr. This is significantly cheaper than a lot fo the places in the US, but probably about on a par with rural areas of Ohio. if anything they might be slightly cheaper.

7:32 Quixotess: : Holy motherfucking shit! $2.25?

7:27 Quixotess: : Certainly better than anyone in my high school made…college, too, probably . Lessee…at the market I worked at, which was of course unionized, seafood capped at $13/hour and cashier, the highest-paying job, capped at $18/hour

7:29 tigtog: More Colbert – 2008 Campaign Winners & Losers “The only letter the candidates used less often than G was W.”

7:44 Chris Clarke: will someone please hold a gun to my head and force me to stop reading reclusiveleftist.com? Thank you.

7:45 tigtog: I stopped reading a few weeks ago – just too painful

7:45 Slave2TehTink: Did you have a preference as to caliber? I got 9mm and .45.

7:45 Chris Clarke: left the big ones in the shipyard, did you?

7:45 Slave2TehTink: Strangely I was not allowed to take any weapons systems with me. I found that very unfair.

7:46 Chris Clarke: Speaking on behalf of the actual pumas: we object to the misappropriation of our brand..

7:46 tigtog: that rothschild one – she doesn’t know a leftist from a latte

7:46 Chris Clarke: mmmmm leftist latte. Could use a double capitalistccino right about now

7:47 tigtog: Come on – how centrist is Obama? We *wish* he were a committed leftist!

7:47 Amanda: its weird all her reasons for obama are republican reasons. she must have opposed hillary for the same reasons, right?????

7:48 Chris Clarke: Well, I’d have voted for Hillary in a second over McCain. But she’s one eyelash’s width away from being a neocon.

7:50 Amanda: there ar elots of legit reasons to prefer hillary over obama. “low taxes/cut spending/democrats are bad on nation security and mix with riff raff” are her reasons and … the lack of consistency it burns

7:59 Slave2TehTink: Two hours til polls close here. I think that’s the earliest any of ‘em start closing. I am on TENTERHOOKS.

7:59 Chris Clarke: S2TT, there’s still time to go stand in front of the polls with your nightstick.

8:00 Slave2TehTink: I took my male Doberman down there earlier today to get pics of McCainites violating election law, does that count?

8:00 fuckpoliteness: though your guns might prove more effective

8:01 Slave2TehTink: Fuckpoliteness, just about everyone in Richardsville is armed. Normally we all carry openly. The polls were notable today for the fact that people left the guns at home.

8:02 Su: Can’t get to a teev but I just read a story on HuffPo about not enough machines in African American areas of Florida. We were expecting that I guess.

8:07 Chris Clarke: Buchanan gets all meta, predicts voter’s remorse. “Ronald Reagan was a candidate with a clearcut…” Seen one redwood, you’ve seen ‘em all. Can i just say how surprised I am that MSNBC is carrying so many ads for a Paul Watson/Sea Shepherd cable show?

8:11 Amanda: yeah, the ehale things have been ubiquitous the last couple of days. nice change from the usual crest propaganda

8:11 tigtog: Seems an odd choice for election day, although I suppose it would be harder to come up with something more non-partisan

8:11 Chris Clarke: Except that Watson is a certified Ecoterrorist, according to the GOP types

8:12 Slave2TehTink: According to the GOP types everyone who doesn’t vote their way is SOME kind of terrorist.

8:13 tigtog: yep, all censoring oppressors etc who want to take away Xmas

8:13 Chris Clarke: I once worked closely with the guy who drove University of Wisconsin MAdison bomber Karl Armstrong to Canada. Elect me! also, I hate Easter.

8:14 tigtog: wot, all those fluffy bunnies and chicks?

8:14 Slave2TehTink: I’ll be old enough to be pres. next election. I figure if the difference between Palin and a pitbull is lipstick, I can glam up my female Dobe and run with her as my Veep.

8:14 tigtog: She is very elegant

8:15 Chris Clarke: And so we come full circle to the Veep with the finger bone in its throat joke from earlier

8:16 Slave2TehTink: Despite the dire predictions of my Elderly Racist Neighbor, there’s no race riots here.

8:16 lauredhel: Breaker breaker, says CNN, we want to show you our shiny computer

8:17 tigtog: Is it very very shiny?

8:17 Chris Clarke: *ping*

8:17 lauredhel: It is quite shiny. And big

8:18 Amanda: and funnelly

8:18 Chris Clarke: I want a network with an election computer a la Max Headroom: wireframes, command line interfaces, glowing green phosphors

8:21 lauredhel: OK I can see how to turn off sounds in this thing, but not how to change them
Because that wet meat slapping sound when there’s a new comment is, erm.

8:22 tigtog: It’s meant to be clicky keyboard I think

8:22 Chris Clarke: typing sound! it’s a typing sound! la la la la la la can’t hear that wet meat idea oh crap.

8:23 lauredhel: Would thinking of it as trout-dancing improve that at all for you, CC?

8:26 lauredhel: 62% of voters say that top issue is the economy, 10% say it’s Iraq, 9% terrorism, 9% healthcare

8:28 Slave2TehTink: There’s so much that’s horribly wrong, I don’t think I could pick a single issue.

8:24 Chris Clarke: exit polls:. oops, I mean early voting polls

8:28 tigtog: So those early voting polls – everybody except Fox says Obama by at least 5 points, quite a few in double digits, with an outsider of 20 points?

8:28 Quixotess: : What does Fox say then?

8:28 tigtog: Obama by 1%

8:28 Slave2TehTink: Fox says we’re all going to hell in a handbasket.

8:29 Mindy: Whoo hoo, at least they are saying Obama. It must hurt.

8:29 lauredhel: I want to send Fox a nice be-ribboned basket of aspirin and stress balls. Fox exit poll shows 73% of new voters in Indiana are Obama

8:30 Slave2TehTink: *shakes pompoms*

8:31 Chris Clarke: @lauredhel whoa.

8:31 lauredhel: McCain campaign still not worried. LOLz0rz.

8:31 Chris Clarke: “big turnout benefits John MCCain!” early retirement is a benefit, after all.

8:31 lauredhel: White men in Indiana are 54% McCain (again Fox exit poll.) 51% in Ohio, 58% in Virginia (white men, Fox)

8:32 Chris Clarke: That Ohio stat is awesome news.

8:34 Amanda: actual voter intimidation … not by black panthers.

8:35 JoAnne: Early votes counted in NH: 32 for Obama, 16 for McCain.

8:35 Slave2TehTink: Bwee!

8:35 JoAnne: We are winning!

8:36 Quixotess: : 538 says early votes are biased dem?

8:36 Slave2TehTink: Yeah but biased by THAT much? Those #s could take some correction and STILL come out for Obama.

8:37 tigtog: There’s been a lot of sage head wagging about how many Dem supporters deliberately voted early because of concerns about problems on the day. But surely lots of Rep voters would have thought the same way

8:37 JoAnne: problems voting will be in dem areas more, because they are in cities, and in areas where there is less money in general

8:38 Slave2TehTink: Fingers are crossed that they can’t steal this election.

8:39 Quixotess: : Wait, so who here’s in the US?

8:39 JoAnne: If it happens, it will be hard to care any more. My husband was involved as a young man in the Bobby Kennedy campaign. He said after the assassination, McCarthy, Rockefeller, and Dem Convention that year, he basically put his head down politically.

8:40 Slave2TehTink: I am. Richardsville, VA… bout 60 miles sw of DC.

8:40 JoAnne: I am in the US, Quixotess: .

8:40 tigtog: You, CC, STTT, JoAnne, Bene

8:40 Slave2TehTink: JoAnne: I’ve set myself up a freakin arranged marriage in the UK if they steal this one.

8:40 AuntiDisestablishment: I’m back, and I am holding the fort in Taxachusetts

8:41 Quixotess: : If it happens, look for riots.

8:41 JoAnne: As wrong as Bill Maher is on a lot of things, he has said one thing I agree with. If the election goes the wrong way, I will stay and fight.

8:42 Quixotess: : Think people tend to react to such egregious injustice with either apathy or with militance.

8:42 AuntiDisestablishment: I woke up to beeping this morning– the power was out. I thought– this is how they are going to steal it. It’s begun.

8:43 Slave2TehTink: Depends on *how* it goes the wrong way. If McCain legitimately wins, I can see staying and fighting the good fight. If shenanigans like 2000 happen and he’s *given* the election, I’m out.

8:44 Quixotess: : I’ve always wanted to visit Canada

8:46 Slave2TehTink: It’s very pretty but very COLD!

8:54 Slave2TehTink: …I keep listening to the Les Mis Obama thing obsessively.

8:57 JoAnne: What is the situation on voter challenges nationwide so far? In one Maryland voting place there was a person challenging every Dem voter but no others who was confronted by judges; that person was ejected. There was another one in another voting place doing the same thing. He was approached and RAN AWAY before they could stop him.

8:59 tigtog: I haven’t seen much about voter challenges yet.

9:01 lauredhel: First polls have just closed in parts of Indiana and Kentucky

9:05 Quixotess: : Shit, polls have closed, polls have closed, we’re going to have a new president

9:05 Mindy: Well hopefully, the current one is pretty crap.

9:05 lauredhel: /me slips Quix a stress ball

9:05 fuckpoliteness: but how will we have quotes to giggle at now?

9:06 Quixotess: : But – but – but – I *voted* for this one! I’m having a Moment of Enormity.

9:06 Slave2TehTink: OMG. Less than an hour til polls close here in Virginia. I want to know if it actually went for Obama so badly…

9:09 lauredhel: CNN talking about their poll porblems hotline – biggest problems registration issues, polling machine mechanical problems, long lines/not enough booths. Waits of 4-7 hours in Virginia

9:09 Quixotess: : At 538, they now have the states divided into Called, Safe, Likely, and Lean for each candidate, and toss-up. …What they have, McCain doesn’t win if he gets all his CSLL and all the tossups, *and* all the Obama Lean

9:10 lauredhel: This is kinda fun to play with: CNN Election Calculator

9:11 Slave2TehTink: I’ve been playing with CNN’s calculator for weeeks now.

9:11 Quixotess: : God I hope they’re right

9:12 Chris Clarke: A McCain win is almost as unlikely as Obama sweeping all 50 states

9:12 Quixotess: : Now *that* would be a mandate

9:12 Slave2TehTink: I have to say it, being a Civil War buff… I just want to see at least ONE state of the Confederacy go for Obama. Preferably more, but dammit, at least one.

9:12 Quixotess: : ‘s some change i can get behind

9:12 kate: Does anyone else get distracted by any talk of American elections by the thought that the electoral system seems so, um, undemocratic? It makes our electoral commission look pretty darn fabulous. How hard can it be to have one system?

9:13 Quixotess: : @kate Ha! ha! *sob* Yes. the college sucks. Wouldn’t be so bad if the electoral votes could be split between states, I spose

9:15 kate: It boggles the mind. Not the electoral college thing so much (although I don’t really get it) but that systems of voting vary from one state to another, that people in some areas can be disenfranchised so easily.

9:17 lauredhel: Ha, fake Capitol hologram on CNN! This amuses me. It just crashed.

9:18 Slave2TehTink: What just crashed?

9:18 lauredhel: The fake Capitol hologram on CNN.

9:18amanda: The hologram crashed??

9:18 Chris Clarke: Bill Ayers did it!

9:19 lauredhel: Never, ever say at the opening of your segment, “This is new technology and now for the first time trying it on live tv…”

9:22 lauredhel: one polling place in Richmond VA had five out of seven machines break down, paper ballots were brought in. In another area there were 1000 people in a line and more personnel were brought in.

9:24 Slave2TehTink: …I’m so glad I live in a tiny precinct. I think we all scared ourselves thinking there would be crowds and the longest line was at 0600. I’m not sure where we thought the crowd would come from, though.

9:25 Quixotess: : MSNBC Is talking about how helpful and wonderful Hillary Clinton was to Obama. The world is upside down.

9:26 Slave2TehTink: Wait what? In what universe was she helpful?

9:29 Slave2TehTink: 30 mins til polls close in VA. Eeeee!

9:29 lauredhel: First results in Indiana look like 55% Obama. Kentucky, 62% McCain

9:29 Mindy: What is Kentucky thinking?

9:30 lauredhel: Kentucky’s always been in the bag for the Repubs hasn’t it?

9:30 Chris Clarke: yeah, KY is a GOP state

9:31 Slave2TehTink: Yeah, Kentucky is a very right-wing state which is unfortunate as demographically it’s mostly the people who get screwed by the GOP.

9:35 Chris Clarke: just saw a result from New Hampshire with 48 total votes. ha.

9:36 JoAnne: indiana 10,913 Obama, 8,570 McCain, so current totals are 13,366 Obama, 12,784 McCain

9:36 Chris Clarke: Obama promised me he’d increase the quality of Youtube comments

9:36 fuckpoliteness: haha. Good luck with THAT Obama

9:36 JoAnne: @CC, they couldn’t get much worse, I suppose.

9:41 Chris Clarke: MSNBC pundit is saying PA GOP’s Jeremiah Wright attack ad got out the vote… for Obama

9:43 Slave2TehTink: Go figure. I think a big chunk of the US public is getting really tired of attack ads.

9:45 JoAnne: They ran the (icky) Jeremiah Wright ad here in Maryland, too, even though MD is not in play for the GOP. We rarely get any national political ads. Might have something to do with getting people out to vote on a local election which is close. A Dem contender has the previous (GOP) officeholder’s endorsement, which drives the GOP wild.

9:46 Loquacity: Hi all .. just tuned in … what’s news?

9:47 Chris Clarke: @Loquacity: McCain has so far failed to concede.

9:47 Slave2TehTink: Early polls in Indiana & Kentucky give Indiana to Obama & Kentucky to McCain, Loquacity.

9:47 Slave2TehTink: 10 mins til polls close in Virginia, Georgia, and Indiana, I think.

9:48 Quixotess: : Huh, look at that. msnbc has mccain winning in total votes counted so far

9:48 fuckpoliteness: Grr

9:48 lauredhel: Race has tightened right up in Indiana

9:48 fuckpoliteness: i’m still relying on my smoke rings

9:50 Chris Clarke: Just tried the smoke ring thing: it looked like “CMcKinney”

9:50 Slave2TehTink: Chris has defective smoke rings. ohgodohgodohgod Id on’t know if I can handle election night. Maybe a shot of whiskey and off to bed and face my fate in the morning!

9:54 Slave2TehTink: 4 minutes til it all starts

9:55 Chris Clarke: “Obama Tsunami” in NC, based on Af-Am turnout

9:55 Quixotess: : …yeah, wtf on Obama Tsunami

9:57 fuckpoliteness: could we have something more positive sounding than a natural disaster?

9:57 lauredhel: I think the characterisation of the strong poll results as purely being about “people wanting change, not more of the same” misses a fair bit – that people are voting _for Obama_ specifically, and that he has campaigned damn hard and worked like a demon. I think this election is the Democrats’ to win, not just the Republicans’ to lose

9:58 Chris Clarke: An Obama Smorgasbord? Obama fiesta? An Obamarama?

9:59 Slave2TehTink: I like Obamarama.

9:59 Quixotess: : an obama bildungsroman

9:59 Chris Clarke: Obama juggernath

10:00 Slave2TehTink: I’m going to laugh when Obama wins this… CNN reports “Voters expect higher taxes, polls show”. if McCain managed to convince voters their taxes will go up but they voted for Obama ANYWAY that’s just frickin beautiful.

10:00 lauredhel: It’s all about to staaaaaart

10:00 Chris Clarke: Big shocker: MSNBC Calls Vermont for Obama

10:01 Mindy: I think for the first time in my life I’m about to chew my nails, and I don’t even live in the US

10:02 fuckpoliteness: i know…my tummy is butterfly-ish…

10:02 Quixotess: : /me gives Mindy the stress ball

10:04 lauredhel: Indiana 50 McCain 49 Obama with 4% reporting

10:04 Slave2TehTink: Has anyone heard figures on Virginia yet?

10:04 Chris Clarke: Nothing on MSNBC re: VA

10:06 Chris Clarke: observation made on MSNBC: “South Carolina is too close to call. When has South Carolina EVER been too close to call?”

10:07 fuckpoliteness: oh – goosebumps…

10:09 Su: I know it is only two states but seeing Mcain ahead even for a second gives me tummy wobbles

10:09 Slave2TehTink: Su, me too! I keep swinging between hope and despair.

10:10 lauredhel: I want Kerry O’Brien

10:10 fuckpoliteness: haha. to be commenting or is that an off topic admission

10:11 Slave2TehTink: Quote from CNN has McCain sounding suspiciously… concessionary.
“”We had a great ride. We had a great experience. It’s full of memories that we will always treasure,” he said aboard his election plane.”
From CNN

10:12 Chris Clarke: What’s interesting to me: Most poll sites have Indiana and SC at least leaning red. Both too close to call right now.

10:12 Quixotess: : “new liberal era” *cries with longing*

10:14 Slave2TehTink: YES! Mark Warner got the second Senate seat for Virginia! woo dems!

10:14 Chris Clarke: very early returns have Mccain ahead in VA

10:14 Slave2TehTink: Way too early. Which 1% of Virginia, is the question

10:15 lauredhel: CNN says “We’ve never done this before”. Eeeeeee, it’s the princess Leia hologram! Oh, this Star Wars election cracks me up

10:16 Chris Clarke: Help us, Obibama. You’re our only hope.

10:16 lauredhel: Rebels/Death Star metaphors abound

10:16 Chris Clarke: I find your lack of moose… disturbing.

10:19 JoAnne: Encouraging reasons from post-voter interviews in MD for voting for Obama that don’t depend on just people wanting change, as Lauredhel mentioned:
“I don’t think the health care plans that we have now are effective for all people whether they be white, black, Hispanic, whatever the case may be.”
“I thought he brought the soundest solution to some of the problems that the country’s facing right now.”
“He has the character, charisma and all of that to go out and work together with some of these folks around the world that are hating us now.”
“Mostly, he’s so intelligent. He’s got a grasp of what the issues are. It may not make it any easier for him to change anything, but at least he understands.”

10:19 lauredhel: McCain 54% in Florida, still only 1% however. but EEEEEE

10:20 Slave2TehTink: ohgodohgodohgod I need tranquilizers.

10:20 lauredhel: Apparently the more Demmy areas haven’t closed their polls in Florida yet?

10:21 Chris Clarke: curious about FL’s east coast cities. Wondering how cuban-American vote will break.

10:21 fuckpoliteness: @ Joanne: Yeah, right on. He speaks and I can feel hope again. Rhetoric is important and influences how people think. He’s not the most radical politically, but he speaks in terms of hope, of aspiration, of doing better, and that to me after years of fearmongering is goose-bump-inducing

10:22 lauredhel: I wonder how much of his apparently social centrism is real, and how much is for show. I’m most of the way through The Audacity of Hope, and I can’t tell. Though I’m _pissed_ about his use of the generic “he”, and “man” for “humankind”

10:22 Slave2TehTink: @fp I’m so with you on this. I want a President who doesn’t depend on fear and loathing. Also, this time I want a *smart* president.

10:23 lauredhel: But this was two years ago, and I’ve noticed a bit of an improvement recently. (Though don’t get me started on the gay-marriage and abortion stuff.)

10:24 lauredhel: S2TT: Totally, on the “smart”. Clinton/Obama in the primaries… there’s just no losing proposition there on that side of things!

10:24 fuckpoliteness: i mentioned on hoyden the other day being interviewed by morgan-gallop the big pollsters over here who said that the attitudes to women staying in the home ‘where they belong’ had been being tracked since the 1940s and steadily dropping off…till the second half of the Howard Govt, when it started climbing again…rhetoric impacts the way ppl think about others…

10:25 Slave2TehTink: I have to get up at 0415 and there is NO WAY I am going to get to sleep on time. Argharghargh.

10:26 Mindy: ABC (Aust) says CNN has called Vermont for Obama and Kentucky for McCain.

10:27 Mindy: Obama well in front in Pennsylvania, but close in Florida, Indiana and Ohio. Starting to get interesting!

10:29 Su: 55% McCain in Virginia with 2% counted. *hyperventilates*

10:30 Chris Clarke: twittered by @ecopolitologist : “In largely conservative Weld County, CO: Ballot instructions only printed in English despite 27% hispanic population”

10:30 lauredhel: OMG early Florida results are suddenly massively for Obama

10:31 Mindy: Remember, things looked dodgy for Rudd early on too, and look how well that turned out. Don’t lose faith or fingernails now. Stress ball is back with lauredhel.

10:33 Quixotess: : I think Obama and McCain must have that feeling you get after you turn in your final exam times 300million…where you did all you could, and now there’s a strange sort of relief, because whatever happens now, it’s out of your hands.

10:33 Chris Clarke: the chat on MSNBC re: whether Obama wasted time campaigning in red states seems to forget the whole 50-state strategy thing

10:38 JoAnne: AP: “Democrats’ optimism that the only two Democratic senators would lose their Senate seats as a result of the national elections: Barack Obama and Joe Biden.” From their lips to FSM’s noodly ear.

10:38 Chris Clarke: Saxby Chambliss’ race too close to call, sez MSNBC. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

10:39 lauredhel: Florida Obama 57 with 2% counted, Indiana McCain 51% with 20% counted

10:39 JoAnne: also AP: “Turnout by voters under 30 in the 2008 primaries and caucuses nearly doubled that of eight years ago, according to the University of Maryland’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, which studies youth voting patterns.”

10:40 lauredhel: National popular vote based on 1% counted: Obama 51. Very very early.

10:46 fuckpoliteness: shit

10:46 Chris Clarke: MSNBC gives South Carolina to McCain

10:46 fuckpoliteness: hence the shit

10:46 lauredhel: Florida now 55% obama

10:46 fuckpoliteness: yay florida!

10:53 Mindy: West Virginia for McCain (according to SMH)

10:54 lauredhel: They can’t be calling W Va yet can they?

10:54 Quixotess: : Okay, what in the fook? looking at the map on the msnbc website

10:54 El: Or get really nerdy here – click on a state and it gives you updates by district, and also the House vote by district

10:55 Quixotess: : they’ve colored s. carolina red with 43% McCain and 0% of precincts reporting

10:58 lauredhel: CNN is projecting SC for McCain (we knew that yes?) but still based on nothing much.

10:58 lauredhel: TWO MINUTES

10:58 Chris Clarke: NPR has popular vote totals: Barack Obama 2,270,618 53.4% John McCain 1,948,115 45.8%

11:00 JoAnne: AP 2,343,917 Obama, 2.027.967 McCain

11:00 Quixotess: : Now projecting PA for Obama

11:00 Chris Clarke: YES YES YES

11:00 Quixotess: : NJ. MA

11:00 Slave2TehTink: GO PA!

11:01 Chris Clarke: TN to McCain

11:01 Slave2TehTink: I am failing to die of shock @TN

11:01 Quixotess: : Those are some hell of electoral votes

11:01 Chris Clarke: Maryland goes to Obama

11:01 JoAnne: YAY MARYLAND YAY

11:01 Quixotess: : Delaware!

11:02 JoAnne: I am getting chills. The nation is owed Obama.

11:02 Quixotess: : Holy shit!

11:02 Mindy: Yes, refresh, the map looks so much better then.

11:03 lauredhel: Oh my, white evangelical conservative voters in South Carolina voted overwhelmingly McCain. *snore*

11:04 Mindy: @ lauredhel – apparently white men have been voting McCain. colour me surprised.

11:04 fuckpoliteness: stop watching for a second and the whole world changes!

11:04 Quixotess: : This is fucking history y’all

11:04 Slave2TehTink: I am SHOCKED that the white men are voting for… yet another elderly white man.

11:04 lauredhel: I am kind of pleased that they’re pulling “white men” out as a category among many, rather than as a default to which the Other is compared. Showing that _they’re_ race-voting.

11:05 fuckpoliteness: OMG…….refreshed the map for obama to go from 3 to 103!!!

11:05 Slave2TehTink: @lauredhel YES! For once they’re being shown to play identity politics just like the minorities were accused of

11:06 fuckpoliteness: is this for real??? pinch me!

11:06 Slave2TehTink: Oh god I hope it is.

11:10 RickyBuchanan: *looks at media for first time since last night* Looking good!

11:12 Slave2TehTink: North Carolina might be my Great White Hope, it’s heavily Obama but only 4% reporting.

11:12 lauredhel: MSNBC Calling PA and TX with 0% counted? Hrm, think I’ll go back to CNN!

11:13 Slave2TehTink: Just projected, they’re still grey on the map.

11:13 Quixotess: : yeah, msnbc is…hmm

11:13 ladoctorita: gah, whom to trust??? msnbc? cnn?

11:13 Quixotess: : trust half an hour from now.

11:15 JoAnne: “HONOLULU (AP) : The absentee ballot from Barack Obama’s late grandmother will be counted, election officials in Hawaii said Tuesday.”

11:15 Chris Clarke: @JoAnne SWEET

11:21 Slave2TehTink: … The NY Times used the word “Epic” on the front page. The world may never be the same.

11:22 Slave2TehTink: Haha, my county went for McCain, why am I not surprised?

11:22 JoAnne: @S2TTink, the world will not be the same, and that’s so very good.

11:26 observer: is it safe to issue a woo hoo wrt florida? N”Y times has obama at 52% with 30% counted

11:27 Slave2TehTink: @ observer I am going to issue a cautious woo! for that one.

11:27 lauredhel: observer: I don’t feel safe yet wrt florida

11:27 Chris Clarke: I don’t trust florida. once bitten, etc

11:28 lauredhel: Not so much bitten as savagely mauled

11:28 Chris Clarke: gator-chompage

11:28 observer: true

11:29 Slave2TehTink: Florida stomped our hearts flat as a narc at a biker rally. They’re untrustable.

11:32 ladoctorita: has anyone got any exciting ballot questions going one way or the other?

11:32 Chris Clarke: Oh, poor poor McCain. Never gets any breaks.

11:33 Quixotess: : Grilling some McCain guy on “is Barack Obama a socialist? Why are you throwing that word around?”

11:33 Chris Clarke: SHOCKING NEWS: Alabama goes McCain, sez MSNBC

11:34 JoAnne: Will.i.am to debut new video postelection
Eds: Moving on general news and entertainment services.
NEW YORK (AP) ‘ Will.i.am felt so confident about Barack Obama winning the presidency, he’s created a new song and video ‘ much like his viral hit “Yes We Can” ‘ to celebrate.
“It’s A New Day” was to debut Wednesday on the Web site dipdive.com.
Once again, Will.i.am enlisted fellow celebrities, asking them to send him their video testimonials: He spent part of Election Night editing them so he could debut the final product the next morning.
“This was inspired by America. It’s about Obama winning, and really paying tribute to those people who are responsible for that happening, and that’s the American people,” the Black Eyed Peas leader said Tuesday night. “The whole thing is really for people to leave testimonials … to create a page and leave testimonials on how they feel about this American accomplishment.”

11:34 lauredhel: Ohio is mad Obama with .1% counted

11:34 Chris Clarke: @lauredhel oooooooooh

11:35 lauredhel: come onnnnnn, count PA and OH

11:35 Chris Clarke: MSNBC: estimates of VA turnout: 80%

11:35 lauredhel: Holy crap CC!

11:36 Slave2TehTink: EIGHTY FREAKIN PERCENT?!

11:36 Chris Clarke: MSNBC calling Georgia for McCain, another shocker

11:36 JoAnne: NPR says that Kay Hagan beat Elizabeth Dole.

11:36 Slave2TehTink: Go Hagan!

11:37 JoAnne: Mass ban on dog racing, 34K for the ban, 20K against it. Go doggie protectors!

11:37 Chris Clarke: Yay!

11:37 fuckpoliteness: i’m now at the point where i need a responsible parent-figure to intervene…need bathroom but don’t want to leave the computer

11:38 Slave2TehTink: Tink and I are doing a celebratory YAY DOGGIES dance!
Thank God I don’t have video capability.

11:38 lauredhel: OMG OMG OMG FLORIDA

11:38 fuckpoliteness: ?????????????

11:38 lauredhel: 40% reporting, Obama 52%

11:38 Chris Clarke: yes yes yes yes

11:39 Slave2TehTink: OMG PLS florida! EEEEEEEEEEEE

11:39 JoAnne: Obama unwinds with basketball as he awaits returns. CHICAGO (AP) ‘ Barack Obama unwound with a couple hours of basketball Tuesday as he awaited Election Day results that he hoped would give him not only the White House, but by a margin that would help to unite red and blue America….
…Obama spent two hours at the Attack Athletic Center on the city’s west side to play basketball with friends and staff. He made the game a voting-day ritual early in the primary campaign after he won in Iowa and South Carolina on days when he’d played basketball. He’d lost in New Hampshire and Nevada, on days when he didn’t play.

11:39 lauredhel: florida WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE please. Will these allcaps get annoying?

11:39 fuckpoliteness: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE (do you hear the deep rumbling timbre of my low notes?)

11:39 lauredhel: CNN now projects PA to Obama.

11:40 Quixotess: : well, was that one ever in doubt?

11:40 Slave2TehTink: Q, the McCain camp desperately claimed it was. Har.

11:41 fuckpoliteness: cnn just bumped obama to 102

11:42 Su: NC 54% to Obama with 10%votes counted. Was NC red?

11:43 Slave2TehTink: Su: It was. It’s one of them conservative Southern states. I’m just praying ONE of them goes blue.

11:43 Chris Clarke: SO want Obama to win VA. Cradle of the Confederacy.

11:43 Slave2TehTink: CC I am SO with you on that but I don’t think it’s going to swing that way. I may have to be contented with NC.

11:44 JoAnne: LOS ANGELES — Gertrude Baines’ 114-year-old fingers wrapped lightly over the ballpoint pen as she bubbled in No. 18 on her ballot Tuesday. Her mouth curled up in a smile. A laugh escaped. The deed was done.
A daughter of former slaves, Baines had just voted for a black man to be president of the United States. “What’s his name? I can’t say it,” she said shyly afterward. Those who helped her fill out the absentee ballot at a convalescent facility west of the University of Southern California chimed in: “Barack Obama.”

11:44 Quixotess: : *shakes head* don’t think he’ll get VA…54 mccain to 45 obama with 42% reporting

11:44 Chris Clarke: Colorado closes in 15

11:44 Quixotess: : awww crap, history…

11:45 lauredhel: This is going to be one of the “Where were you when…” moments isn’t it

11:45 Keri: I do hope so!

11:45 fuckpoliteness: yes!

11:45 Rachel: @ lauredhel, yeah, it is, and I’m going to have to say “I was in bed” — it’s nearly 2 in the morning for me :(

11:46 Slave2TehTink: VA – 45% reporting and Obama is slowly closing McCain’s lead. opleaseoplease

11:46 lauredhel: I’m in bed too! But that’s not “where” I am… I’m here on Hoyden

11:46 Slave2TehTink: @rachel Yeah, I need to get myself in bed here shortly, too.

11:46 Chris Clarke: St. Joseph County, Indiana, Bush carried by 2 %, Obama had a double-doigit lead

11:46 Slave2TehTink: I have deputized a friend on the west coast to text me poll results if the race is called while I’m in bed.

11:47 Su: Senate seat went to Dem in VA though so that’s pretty awesome

11:49 lauredhel: 1.3% counted in Texas now, and Obama’s dropped to 48. No surprises there.

11:50 lauredhel: Ohio still less than 1% counted

11:50 Chris Clarke: Obama at 61% in Ohio, tho

11:50 JoAnne: AP calls PA for Obama

11:51 Rachel: Hmm – lots of states looking likely to go red in the next 10 ish minutes – I might have to hide under my covers

11:51 Chris Clarke: MSNBC has been calling very very early, but they’ve been right so far, looks like

11:52 Quixotess: : they’re big states, but they’re very empty…I would like to see a map where someone resizes the states according to their electoral votes

11:52 Slave2TehTink: OMG y’all, lookit all the blue counties in Texas down on the Rio Grande. All the Hispanic voters that some suspected would to to McCain because of the abortion issue appear to be going to Obama instead.

11:53 Chris Clarke: Indiana not looking good.

11:53 Slave2TehTink: Neither is Michigan.

11:54 JoAnne: @Q, I did a 3-d map where the height shows how populated a state is. Let me see if it’s still up on my website. Q, try http://www.qis.net/~jschmitz/usaheight.jpg

11:56 Chris Clarke: Delay sez the dems will likely double the minimum wage in six months. As if it’s a bad thing.

11:56 Slave2TehTink: Virginia shows McCain 52, Obama 47, with 50% of the state reporting, on msnbc.
So close. we could DO this.

11:56 Chris Clarke: New Mexico about to close.

11:56 Keri: Come on, Virginia!

11:57 ladoctorita: go, VA! you can do it!

11:57 Slave2TehTink: I love the South like Baptists love Jesus but we have a LOT of work to do down here and I am hoping so hard for a couple states to swing to Obama. The early reporting counties were rural ones with low population, like mine, and they swung to McCain. The tallies coming in now are from more populous counties that *appear* to be swinging blue. Check the nytimes map.

11:59 ladoctorita: hmmm . . . interestingly enough, fox news hasn’t colored in any states on their map yet. although they do have mccain ahead by .1 % overall :)

11:59 Slave2TehTink: Fox News: Last bastion of wishful conservative thinking.

11:59 fuckpoliteness: oh gosh around 30 seconds to a new batch of closed polls

12:00 Chris Clarke: NY for Obama, MI for Obama

12:00 lauredhel: CNN is projecting Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota for Obama

12:01 JoAnne: AP sez Obama wins Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, McCain wins Wyoming

12:01 fuckpoliteness: 175/61 according to nyt…so far

12:01 lauredhel: Could Obama crack 70% in Penn?

12:01 Chris Clarke: MSNBC Obama 175 McCain 70. HOLY SHIT

12:01 Chris Clarke: AZ too close to call.

12:02 fuckpoliteness: whaaaa – 47/8 on nyt, 174/49 cnn, 103/34 on politico

12:02 Slave2TehTink: 52% of VA counted and McCain is down to 51%, obama at 47%. Yes, we can. oplease.

12:02 Quixotess: : daww….i wanted Obama to win TX

12:05 lauredhel: crazy early results in Alabama and Louisiana, Obama briefly ahead

12:06 lauredhel: CNN on the Bradley effect: “The country’s grown up”. 4% in in Ohio, Obama by nearly 60%

12:07 Slave2TehTink: @lauredhel We’ve still got a loooong way to go, though. one of my biggest fears when Obama gets elected is that people claim there’s no more work to do on race cause look! We elected a black president!

12:07 lauredhel: Totally agree S2TT, and that’s being said right now on CNN too, that “I’ll take him anyway” = progress, not win

12:08 JoAnne: S2TT: Yeah, the old “post-racist society” thing.

12:08 Keri: My brother said something like that last night – “He’s only getting in because he’s black”

12:08 JoAnne: AP gives Alabama to McCain

12:08 Keri: There’s a shock

12:08 fuckpoliteness: wow…cos being black has been SUCH an advantage…

12:09 Slave2TehTink: SO close in WV, too. Can we get the birthplace of Stonewall Jackson to go blue? God that would be lovely.

12:09 lauredhel: I’m dying for a Florida update here

12:09 El: Fox blokes are saying that this means “that the culture war is over”. I’ll believe that when I see it!

12:09 Keri: fuckpoliteness – I think he thinks people are voting for Obama because it’s “time” to have a black president

12:09 Rachel: Well, duh! Don’t you know anything?! It’s the white straight men that are discriminated against, cos really we live in an evil matriarchy

12:09 JoAnne: AP now calling Obama’s lead “formidable”

12:10 ladoctorita: does anyone else get the cominc strip “curtis” in the paper? it had a great strip today where the barber said he was voting for obama because he was black, and curtis said that didn’t seem like a good reason, and the barber said “well, that’s the reason why some people WON’T vote for him”

12:11 Slave2TehTink: @rachel I actually had a guy *say* that to me at work one day. That this is a matriarchal society. It was too early for scathing combeacks so I just stared at him and said “Did you really just say that?” before wandering off with my tea.

12:11 Quixotess: : @ladoctorita: s true…that’s why i voted for only women in all my school elections

12:11 lauredhel: ‘Tis the only response to such witlessness S2TT. They’re either ineducable, or being deliberately provocative

12:12 Slave2TehTink: 57% reporting in Virginia and OBAMA IS STILL CLOSING THE GAP.

12:15 Quixotess: : *sigh* there’s that red line down. N Dakota, S Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas

12:15 lauredhel: Florida is still blue…

12:15 ladoctorita: “mccain got 80% of the evangelical vote” surprise surprise

12:16 Slave2TehTink: 64% counted in VA and it’s McCain 50.2, Obama 48.9. The blue counties are coming in.

12:18 lauredhel: 49-48 McCain with 7% reporting in SD

12:18 Slave2TehTink: OMG Y’all MSNBC is saying *Arizona* is too close to call. McCain’s home state!

12:20 Su: Wow some of the district votes are scary – 80% to McCain in Holmes county Florida??

12:22 fuckpoliteness: bbc projecting obama to win

12:23 ladoctorita: cbs called ohio for obama

12:23 lauredhel: CNN is projecting… West Virginia for McCain

12:24 ladoctorita: katie couric says “the cake is baked”, whatevs that means

12:24 Quixotess: : maybe we…get to enjoy delicious presidency?

12:25 ladoctorita: mmm . . . cake :)

12:25 Quixotess: : smells like victory :)

12:26 Rachel: @ ladoctorita: it means the cake is not a lie! And also, BBC have just called Ohio for Obama, I think

12:26 fuckpoliteness: 195/76 msnbc

12:26 Slave2TehTink: Oh god I hope it’s victory. I must go to bed. Love and smooches to you all!

12:26 fuckpoliteness: 195 on bbc too. fuckfuckfuck

12:27 Mindy: where’s that stress ball, someone hand it to FP

12:29 lauredhel: Virginia continues to narrow

12:29 Keri: Ohio 56 to 43 with 11% counted on NYT

12:30 lauredhel: Florida 51% Obama with 55% counted

12:30 Mindy: Remember STTT if McCain wins, it’s all a bad dream. Sleep well.

12:31 Keri: Virginia 49-50 with 69% counted

12:31 Quixotess: : New Mexico hell to the yes!

12:32 ladoctorita: woo new mexico! si se puede!

12:33 Loquacity: cbs has called texas for mccain already

12:33 Loquacity: fox has called new mexico for obama

12:38 Su: Wow STTT has gone to bed and look at VA now! Narrowing fast. Fl is getting scary close.

12:38 Loquacity: abc, cbs, nbc, cnn and fix have all called ohio for obama now (according to my nyt widget)

12:39 Quixotess: : seriously i’m about to go on youtube and start playing God Bless America or something

12:41 Rachel: 2:38 in the morning for me but as a student I feel justified in staying up past my bedtime! Also, Virginia could not get any closer, I swear – BBC have it 49.8% McCain, 48.2% Obama…

12:42 ladoctorita: abc, cbs, nbc & fox say blue for nm

12:42 lauredhel: CNN is teetering on the brink of calling it – the whole election

12:46 Keri: [NM] NYT has it 42-57 with 3% counted

12:47 Loquacity: WP, but NYT has NM at 41%-58% (for mccain) with only 4% counted … so i’d say it’s still pretty much up in the air

12:51 fuckpoliteness: four states to be closed in less than ten

12:53 ladoctorita: oh gawd, abc is qouting facebook

12:53 WildlyParenthetical: that’s hilarious, ladoctorita. Facebook, that well known political commentator…

12:53 ladoctorita: aaand twitter too!!!

12:55 ladoctorita: i love that they’re like, facebook/twitter=FINGER ON TEH PULSE OF TEH YOUTH

12:55 lauredhel: OMG OMG VIRGINIA

12:56 fuckpoliteness: what???

12:56 ladoctorita: OMG lauredhel

12:56 ladoctorita: 49.7-49.4 on nyt! politico now has Obama just ahead in virginia with 80% counted

12:56 Quixotess: : *grin* wow holy shit Virginia

12:58 lauredhel: Fivethirtyeight is calling the election for Obama

12:58 fuckpoliteness: 2 mins til four red states called…breace yourselves kiddies

12:59 ladoctorita: OMG go VA go!

1:00 ladoctorita: yaaay jon stewart election special starting!

1:02 Bene: Iowa for Obama!

1:03 ladoctorita: “you brought a spoon to a spork fight, my friend!” -stewart to colbert

1:03 lauredhel: Still ahead in Florida!

1:03 QoT: Man, y’all aren’t going to be nearly this interested when our election’s on Saturday *sobs into cornflakes*

1:04 Quixotess: : heh. sorry QoT

1:04 lauredhel: QoT: You don’t really have a history of attacking random countries and dragging our troops off to war

1:04 Mindy: I’d still like Helen Clark to win. Does that count QoT?

1:05 QoT: But we have like 14 parties running, and 7 of them have a chance of getting in! It’s more obscure than electoral college allocations!

1:05 lauredhel: CNN’s coverage is really very average. Not engaging at all. Have I been spoilt by Australia’s ABC election coverage?

1:07 ladoctorita: “new york was never going to support mccain, because the city that never sleeps would never vote for a man who goes to bed at 7:30″ –colbert

1:08 QoT: I LOVE COLBERT

1:08 tigtog: we’re very excited here – we all started drinking happily about half an hour ago (compared to the earlier cautiously)

1:09 fuckpoliteness: hi happy hoyden drinkers!

1:09 Bene: Hello from Wisconsin, Aussie friends!

1:09 lauredhel: How ok is it to turn up to pick up kid from school rather tipsy?

1:10 fuckpoliteness: absolutely!

1:10 WildlyParenthetical: today, lauredhel, awfully okay, I think :-)

1:10 Loquacity: lauredhel … ah, it’s fine! go ahead! /me has done it plenty of times ;)

1:10 QoT: Tipsy is okay. Singing songs about hamsters loudly would be frowned upon

1:10 lauredhel: Ha, I’ve never done it before! (I should clarify here that it’s like 50-75 steps away.)

1:10 fuckpoliteness: can;’t you stand in the front yard and shout for the kids to wander home? whilst laying drunkenly on the lawn?

1:11 QoT: FOLLOW MUM’S VOICE, LITTLE LAUREDHELS. Like a sea lion.

1:12 ladoctorita: connecticut = nutmeg state? wtf?

1:12 Bene: They used to fake nutmeg in Connecticut.

1:12 ladoctorita: hah! “called the nutmeg state because while nice to have, it’s never essential” -stewart

1:12 Bene: Massive lines in Virginia today, lots of POC turnout

1:13 lauredhel: Called the nutmeg state because it’s like a bad trip?

1:13 fuckpoliteness: this is the *strangest* chat ever…how does one fake nutmeg?

1:13 QoT: It’s all in the facial expression, fp

1:15 ladoctorita: wow, it’s getting kinda close in indiana

1:15 lauredhel: Indiana is tightening?

1:15 Keri: I turn my back for ten minutes and there’s fake nutmeg?

1:15 fuckpoliteness: and drunken mamas

1:15 ladoctorita: 49.7-49.2 at 86%, sez nyt. indiana, that is

1:16 lauredhel: NC, Virginia, Indiana, all close

1:16 Bene: Pro-life initiatives in South Dakota and Colorado failed.

1:16 WildlyParenthetical: so florida, NC and IN are still close? eep!

1:16 fuckpoliteness: it’s just so nerve-wracking…

1:16 ladoctorita: omg . . . can you say “shitburger” on tv?

1:17 Bene: In the US? No.

1:17 ladoctorita: weeeell . . . apparently you can!

1:17 fuckpoliteness: who said that??

1:18 ladoctorita: oddly, the guy who said it on the stewart show was british

1:18 Bene: which was probably why he said it–you can say that there

1:18 fuckpoliteness: yes…they say shitburger to the queen! ;p

1:18 lauredhel: I’m still only seeing 5% of NM reported, why are they calling it?

1:22 fuckpoliteness: how nice will it be if america doesn’t need to make an apology book this time?

1:22 Bene: See, I have a lot of opinion on the whole apology thing.

1:22 lauredhel: How about a Yes We Can book?

1:22 lauredhel: A Don’t Fuck It Up book?

1:23 Bene: whee, local news and people down in Grant Park.

1:25 Loquacity: nyt has given mccain louisiana

1:29 lauredhel: North Carolina is tied

1:29 fuckpoliteness: 179/58 on NYT

1:29 lauredhel: Virginia has opened up a lead for Obama

1:30 Bene: Looking at FiveThirtyEight, I’m pretty shocked to see that they were right on so far.

1:32 Loquacity: Minn and Del have just been given to obama …. bring it home, baby! 192/58 now :)

1:32 lauredhel: The first few votes in Utah have gone Obama. I think I’d put bets on that not lasting. But to see three-quarters of the Four Corners blue, however temporarily, warms my heart! Early Montana vote is blue too!

1:33 Loquacity: lauredhel: you said it!

1:33 Su: Obama in Colorado with almost 19% counted!!

1:35 lauredhel: I don’t know that Indiana’s going to change, but it’s certainly very tight

1:35 Loquacity: mccain’s got kansas – no surprise there

1:37 Bene: South Dakota to McCain

1:41 Loquacity: NYT has finally decided to give mccain some states … they just gave him ND as well

1:43 WildlyParenthetical: ooh, florida and arizona expected soon?

1:43 Bene: McCain to Nebraska, but not entirely. there’s an electoral vote that’s up for grabs there

1:45 Loquacity: florida is *really* close still

1:46 lauredhel: Virginia is widening in favour of Obama! Awesome!

1:47 Loquacity: indiana’s at 90% reporting and very close too

1:47 lauredhel: only .3% in it for Indiana

1:47 fuckpoliteness: OMG

1:48 Loquacity: washington, hawaii and california all come on in about 10 mins

1:48 Quixotess: : CA, OR, and WA are ALWAYS blue

1:48 Bene: CA definitely. And CA’s one to watch… What with Prop 8.

1:49 Loquacity: fox has called va for obama

1:49 lauredhel: With the CNN map, CA alone gets Obama to 262._without_ Virginia or Florida

1:49 ladoctorita: omg . . . do we dare to hope . . .

1:49 WildlyParenthetical: eep!

1:51 lauredhel: and VA, FL, CO, OR and WA get Obama over the line… _without_ California!

1:51 WildlyParenthetical: omg! florida: 50.9/48.4… so close!

1:52 lauredhel: 0.2% gap in Indiana now

1:53 Loquacity: i can’t see how obama can *fail* to win at this point …

1:53 Keri: Oh, Andrew Bolt has just said this: “Obama has not just the mandate, but the heartfelt support around the world, to achieve greatness. The rest is up to him.”

1:53 Keri: Must confess to being a little teary right now

1:53 Bene: I have Obama leading in IN with 92% in.

1:54 lauredhel: OMG Bene, you’re right, Indiana has flipped!

1:54 WildlyParenthetical: Oh, well, as long as he’s got andrew bolt onside, keri ;-P

1:54 ladoctorita: i also may have a little blub, as they say at shakesville :)

1:56 Su: Holy Cow. VA and IN both flipped?! EEEEEEEE

1:56 ladoctorita: “virginia is for lovers . . . OF BARACK OBAMA!” -stewart

1:56 fuckpoliteness: less than four minutes

1:57 Keri: I still cannot believe Virginia.

1:57 Quixotess: : Tweety is saying that no western country has ever had a black president or some nonsense like that

1:57 fuckpoliteness: NC so fucking close

1:58 fuckpoliteness: FLORIDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1:58 Bene: If Indiana goes Obama I will probably cry. Yahoo calls Florida for Obama

1:59 WildlyParenthetical: eek!

2:00 lauredhel: CNN IS CALLING IT

2:00 WildlyParenthetical: Oh god indiana is so close…

2:00 Quixotess: : NBC is calling it!

2:00 Bene: NBC CALLS IT FOR OBAMA

2:00 fuckpoliteness: they’ve fukcing called it!

2:00 WildlyParenthetical: eeeeep!

2:00 fuckpoliteness: SHIT

2:00 lauredhel: BARACK OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT

2:00 fuckpoliteness: SHIT

2:00 Quixotess: : mOTHER FUCKER

2:00 WildlyParenthetical: FUCK YEAH!

2:00 WildlyParenthetical: [DANCES]

2:00 Quixotess: : Hell yeah, this is history!

2:00 ladoctorita: GAAAAH

2:00 Keri: Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

2:01 Bene: OH MY GOD

2:01 lauredhel: BLUB

2:01 Bene: they’re showing grant park and it is insane.

2:01 WildlyParenthetical: [hugs one and all]

2:01 lauredhel: I’m a mess.

2:01 Bene: [weepy]

2:02 Loquacity: woooooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2:02 WildlyParenthetical: [hands out hankies]

2:02 Keri: I can’t believe I’m crying. At work

2:02 fuckpoliteness: OMG!!!!!!!!!!!

2:02 Quixotess: : Heh, I’m not crying, I’m just grinning like an idiot

2:02 ladoctorita: and the dems have taken the senate

2:03 Bene: Brian Williams is choked up.

2:03 fuckpoliteness: crying and laughing and feeling like a fool for crying given i’m not even american

2:03 Quixotess: : Who’s ready for some HOPE?

2:03 Keri: No am I, FP, but wow. Hope. I haz it

2:03 lauredhel: I still feel part American…. years of grade school there, plus worked/studied in NC as a grownup

2:05 Bene: Lauredhel–didn’t know you spent time here. Wow, I fail.

2:05 Keri: I have no-one to hug!

2:05 Quixotess: : *grin*

2:06 ladoctorita: i’m gonna have to go wake up my parents :)

2:06 Bene: Sen. John Lewis on NBC. ‘The struggle, the pain, everything we did to create a more perfect union–it was worth it. This is a victory for the American people.’

2:08 Bene: with 40% counted here in Wisconsin, Obama ahead by 11%.

2:08 fuckpoliteness: what a huge moment!!!!!!!

2:08 Bene: Florida passed their gay marriage ban, though.

2:09 Keri: That is sad

2:09 Bene: yes.

2:10 lauredhel: Indiana’s at 94% and still Obama

2:10 Keri: wHAT’D THEY DO ON pROP 8, THOUGH?

2:10RickyBuchanan: What a day.

2:10 lauredhel: I don’t think we’ll know Prop 8 for a while will we?

2:10 Bene: No news on Prop 8 yet.

2:11 Bene: Obama has left his home in Hyde Park, heading for Grant Park.

2:11 Quixotess: : says mccain called him to concede. that must have been…very difficult indeed

2:12 ladoctorita: wow, mccain conceded?

2:12 lauredhel: I’m hoping and wishing for a calm concession at McCain’s gathering – from the crowd, I mean

2:13 ladoctorita: lauredhel, they seem pretty somber.

2:13 lauredhel: I have faith in McCain to give at least a halfway gracious concession

2:13 Bene: I was very afraid that there could have been a Bradley Effect issue.

2:13 ladoctorita: oh GAWD, they’re already talking about romney in 2012. shut up repubs

2:18 Bene: McCain about to make a concession speech.

2:18 ladoctorita: OMG mccain!!!

2:18 lauredhel: MCCAIN’S ON

2:19 ladoctorita: oh, stop booing, you douchebags

2:19 Bene: …boos for Obama’s name, at least McCain was sensible.

2:19 ladoctorita: way to stay classy, mccain

2:19 lauredhel: Gracious words. Excellent.

2:20 Quixotess: : Not sure how I feel about “african american pride”

2:20 lauredhel: “the special pride that must be theirs tonight”? Hmmmm.

2:20 RickyBuchanan: Classy speech…

2:20 Quixotess: : Dog whistle?

2:20 lauredhel: Kinda like those “very special children”.

2:20 fuckpoliteness: but…listen to that silence…while they listen to the man they wanted in tell them this is a special moment in their history…hope?

2:20 lauredhel: But I’m glad he slapped down the booers. Better than Palin would have done.

2:21 lauredhel: Yay, the people clapping.

2:21 Quixotess: : awww grandma

2:21 Bene: saaad looking Republicans

2:21 lauredhel: Hey, I give him points ++ for that, saying “our faith assures us” instead of just stating heaven as a bald fact

2:22 Bene: I’m seriously stunned that he’s conceding this early.

2:22 Quixotess: : whoa. now he’s talking about unity

2:22 Bene: …zomg they won’t like this.

2:22 Bene: Good for McCain, but the people aren’t gonna buy it.

2:22 ladoctorita: i’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on the “special pride” thing, cause i think he’s really trying

2:22 fuckpoliteness: oh fucking dangerous world stuff boo

2:23 Bene: …mixed claps and boos.

2:23 ladoctorita: omg SHUT UP SHOUTING PEOPLE

2:23 lauredhel: Have some damn respect

2:23 Bene: he might get a fucking riot on his hands, and it won’t be his fault, I don’t think.

2:23 RickyBuchanan: I don’t like every sentence either, but it’s graceful and concessions are the hardest speeches ever.

2:23 JoAnne: When even Fox News called it for Obama, I thought I was dreaming.

2:25 JoAnne: “more peaceful years ahead” wow

2:25 lauredhel: Oh please let Palin fade into obscurity.

2:25 ladoctorita: oh, there she is

2:25 Keri: That’d be nice, Lauredhel

2:25 Bene: Ha, won’t happen.

2:25 lauredhel: Is it just me or does Todd look a little relieved?

2:26 fuckpoliteness: haha

2:26 Bene: Todd prolly wants to go shoot things.

2:26 Quixotess: : I think everyone involved, win or lose, ought to be releived

2:26 lauredhel: I’m absolutely thrilled to little pieces that it seems to have been a relatively fair and democratic election! That was by no means a foregone conclusion

2:27 Quixotess: : stop booing!

2:27 Quixotess: : This isn’t even fair to McCain

2:27 Bene: I feel badly for McCain. Is that shocking?

2:27 lauredhel: These booers are getting on my wick

2:27 JoAnne: more boos those motherfuckers

2:27 lauredhel: so long as those people go drown themselves in a fifth and stay off the streets, I’ll be happy. And if anyone chants “drill baby drill” my head will explode.

2:28 RickyBuchanan: Bene, I feel bad for him for the way the croud’s being too.

2:28 Bene: I mean, it’s all hot air, but he’s at least making an effort.

2:28 Quixotess: : Oh, it’s over. *sigh*

2:28 JoAnne: my husband and i are both crying (me at work, him at home). he ordered a pizza and tipped the pizza guy 15 bucks

2:28 Quixotess: : *grin* pizza boys are gonna be dealing with some serious emotions tonight

2:29 ladoctorita: mmmkay now time for some OBAMA !!!

2:29 lauredhel: Bring me some BARACK

2:29 Bene: I seriously can’t believe it’s done at this hour.

2:29 Keri: I was thinking I’d have to stay up late

2:29 lauredhel: I seriously can’t believe anyone could ever sleep through this

2:29 Keri: Neither can I, but then I can’t believe people who don’t vote

2:29 Keri: Priorities

2:30 Quixotess: : yeah, seriously, Washigton state is like “hey! dammit, we’re STILL VOTING”

2:31 RickyBuchanan: Watch the different crowd demographics between the two places. Interesting.

2:31 Bene: Pretty much, Ricky.

2:32 Bene: My mother, on Obama’s security: ‘They…are going to have a job.’

2:33 lauredhel: Could North Carolina still flip?

2:33 Quixotess: : OK, seriously, I’m humming God Bless the USA over here. this is my blub equivalent. …”and i’m proud to be an american…”

2:36 lauredhel: Shakesville thread says anti abortion measures failed in CO and SD

2:36 Quixotess: : To those who lived through that assassination, he must be the…fulfillment of Kennedy’s promise, at last

2:36 tigtog: Hi, I got home just in time to see McCain concede – he did a good job there. Fair dos.

2:37 lauredhel: Fox News: “it’s interesting that as a nation we’ve decided that we don’t really know him but we like him.” “Well, that’s what charisma does.”

2:37 Quixotess: : urgh, lauredhal, how annoying

2:37 lauredhel: All said in incredulous tones… flicked over again and caught “librul agenda…. civil rights agenda” “clinton…. calamity…..restraint on ideologues”

2:38 Bene: I hear tell Prop 8 in California is passing atm. woe.

2:38 Quixotess: : I can hear fireworks outside my window

2:38 lauredhel: “unknown….new…..untested….we will see”

2:39 tigtog: Anthem at Grant Park

2:43 Bene: I don’t know what I want to do. Scream or cry or laugh.

2:43 lauredhel: all three, at the same time!

2:44 JoAnne: I am strangely calm. I was so nervous earlier today.

2:44 Keri: I’ve cried. Now I’m not sure how to feel. Relieved. A little bit hopeful

2:45 Bene: numbers at Grant Park estimated to nearly be a million

2:45 RickyBuchanan: It’s *scary* to be hopeful.

2:45 Quixotess: : Oh bugger, here’s the site for prop 8...not so great

2:48 Bene: 95% in North Carolina with Obama up by 30K votes.

2:48 Bene: 97% in Indiana with Obama up by 6K.

2:49 lauredhel: Can he take Indiana, NC and VA?

2:49 fuckpoliteness: just…WOW

2:50 Bene: what this is is an indictment of the Republican party.

2:50 lauredhel: dead serious, 50 to 49.4 in NC, with 95% reporting

2:50 fuckpoliteness: this is so freaking HUGE!!!!

2:51 lauredhel: Obama’s still up in Montana, I thought that was a joke

2:51 lauredhel: And the Florida lead looks unlikely to disappear… this is beyond my wildest dreams

2:57 lauredhel: here it comes here it come

2:57 Bene: yesyes

2:57 ladoctorita: OMG OMG!!!!

2:58 Quixotess: : please allow me to be shallow and say I love Michelle’s dress

2:58 lauredhel: How could anyone not squee? I like that he’s out surrounded by crowd instead of distanced

2:59 JoAnne: hello chicago!!!!!!!!!!

2:59 Quixotess: : <3 obama

3:00 Bene: Stephen Fry on Twitter: " Grim biz will swamp him soon enough, but for the moment, in Byron's words: Let joy be unconfined... x"

3:00 lauredhel: mentions gay and disability in his inclusiveness, TICK.

3:01 Quixotess: : *grins like an idiot*

3:01 Mindy: Big sigh of relief.

3:01 Quixotess: : you guys, i'm so terrified he'll be killed

3:01 ladoctorita: Q- amen. :(

3:01 Bene: me too.

3:02 lauredhel: *hugs* quix

3:02 JoAnne: I hear you. (Q)

3:02 Mindy: That thought had crossed my mind. They have learned a lot since Kennedy.

3:02 Keri: I'll have no faith left in humanity

3:02 Bene: the security there is insane.

3:02 Quixotess: : that's true enough

3:03 Bene: awww, Michelle love.

3:03 Quixotess: : awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww he refers to his wife as his best friend

3:03 Quixotess: : lol new puppy!

3:03 Bene: OMG NEW PUPPY!

3:03 ladoctorita: PUPPY!

3:03 JoAnne: puppy!!!!

Quixotess: : lol! you people are awesome

3:04 JoAnne: typing in unison like good communists

3:05 Keri: It'll be the first dog

3:05 RickyBuchanan: How old is Obama? He looks amazingly young

3:05 JoAnne: 46, right?

3:05 lauredhel: He does, doesn't he? Hasn't aged visibly over the campaign at all.

3:06 Bene: he's grayed some.

3:06 Keri: He does look young

3:06 lauredhel: I don't know how much is makeup, but if it weren't for the grey (and knowing), I'd guess maybe late thirties

3:06 Keri: And fit

3:06 ladoctorita: i liked when he joked that hilary clinton had given him most of his grey hair

3:06 lauredhel: aw weepy crowd closeups

3:06 Quixotess: : don't forget you have to be 35 to run

3:06 JoAnne: quoting from the Gettysburg Address

3:07 RickyBuchanan: Quix Seriously? There's a lower boundary!?

3:07 ladoctorita: oh yes

3:07 JoAnne: 25 for house, 30 for senate, 35 for pres

3:07 Bene: it's in the constitution.

3:07 Quixotess: : three requirements. 1. born in us 2. 14 years in us 3. 35 years old

3:08 Quixotess: : there are a lot of unspoken requirements....

3:08 ladoctorita: YES WE CAN

3:08 Quixotess: : until tonight, being white was one of them

3:08 JoAnne: yes we can! yes we can! yes we can! yes we can!

3:08 Bene: [nearly bawls]

3:09 ladoctorita: "i will listen to you, especially when we disagree." - TEH PREZ

3:09 lauredhel: "this victory alone is not the change we seek"

3:09 JoAnne: he is also echoing the feel of the Gettysburg address. masterful.

3:09 mimbles: Oh my, I'm getting weepy.

3:09 Quixotess: : yes, he is.

3:09 Keri: I can't hear or see it and I'm getting teary

3:09 JoAnne: what began in the dark of winter

3:09 ladoctorita: *summoning teh new spirit*

3:10 lauredhel: "let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner"

3:10 Bene: Whee Lincoln.

3:10 Quixotess: : awwwwwwww shit this is lovely

3:10 lauredhel: call for humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back progress

3:10 Quixotess: : there we go, lincoln explicit

3:10 JoAnne: heal the divides -- again the G Address!

3:10 Quixotess: : Dog is going for *thematic coherence*

3:11 lauredhel: "To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn. I may not have won your vote tonight.... but I will hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too"

3:11 Bene: Shoutout to the furriners!

3:11 lauredhel: Yay! He's talking to us!

3:11 JoAnne: to all those listening, i may not have gotten your vote, but i hear your voices, i need your help, and i will be your president too

3:11 RickyBuchanan: Wow. This guy is *charismatic* to the 10th.

3:12 JoAnne: our power not from power of arms or wealth but our ideals

3:12 Quixotess: : I have problems with Obama. But people will follow this man.

3:12 lauredhel: I have them too, but I'm not going to have them today.

3:12 Bene: personal story!

3:13 Quixotess: : *grin* shakesville's way ahead of you on this one, Obama
3:13

Bene: I have problems but American politics is about concessions. Some things I can work past.

3:13 ladoctorita: OPRAH BLUB

3:14 Keri: If only half of what he says comes to pass, it'll be a massive improvement

3:14 lauredhel: preacher from Atlanta BLUB

3:14 Quixotess: : <3 history

3:14 Bene: I'd settle for a quarter.

3:14 JoAnne: side issue: dogs in Mass safe, racing ban passed.

3:15 Quixotess: : goosebumps

3:15 Quixotess: : e pluribus unum!

3:15 Quixotess: : just quoted our money

3:15 Bene: "While we breathe, we hope." man.

3:16 Quixotess: : <<<<33333

3:16 ladoctorita: wow.

3:16 JoAnne: Massachusetts also passed decriminalization of marijuana

3:16 RickyBuchanan: Now I'm crying too.

3:16 Quixotess: : ooh, here's biden

3:17 JoAnne: Washington state voters approve initiative allowing assisted suicide for terminally ill.

3:17 lauredhel: George (labrador) thinks there's something horribly wrong with me, he is nosily concerned

3:17 JoAnne: Sadly, though: Ark. voters approve ban on unmarried couples from serving as adoptive or foster parents

3:17 fuckpoliteness: is such a beautiful moment. only JUST holding myself together in the workplace!

3:18 lauredhel: Old black folk, teenage white folk, all watching and crying...

3:18 RickyBuchanan: Grouphug!

3:18 El: All four gals in our office gathered round the computer screen bawling...

3:18 JoAnne: (((all)))

3:18 fuckpoliteness: even my tres blokey male bosses got a case of the sweaty eyeballs!

3:19 Bene: Oh wee Sasha is all O HAI I WAVE!

3:20 Bene: Oh, Biden's mum. Oh man.

3:20 JoAnne: Obama was the first dem pres candidate to take VA in 44 years.

3:21 Bene: She's like I WILL WAVE TOO

3:21 fuckpoliteness: so wait...just to check in, right? No filibuster potential in senate?

3:21 Bene: fp--how many senate seats?

3:21 fuckpoliteness: 56 to 40 w 4 undecided. which to me says AWESOME. but needing everything confirmed today!

3:25 JoAnne: YAAAAY -- Colorado voters reject measure that would have defined life as beginning at conception.

3:25 fuckpoliteness: go colorado!

[goodbyes]
3:28
tigtog: Thanks for being here, all of you

3:29 WildlyParenthetical: thanks for making it possible, tigtog

3:32 JoAnne: Oh man, read this, or bookmark if you’re too tired to read now.

3:33 tigtog: oh yes, I read it earlier (linked at Shakesville) – terrifice

3:34 Keri: JoAnne – I just read that, and I’m getting weepy again

3:36 lauredhel: Someone at the NYtimes has fallen asleep! Why have they not called Indiana and NC yet?

3:36 WildlyParenthetical: aww, makes me all shivery, JoAnne :-)

3:37 JoAnne: Kenyans are celebrating Obama’s victory. They had already named a high school and a beer after him.

3:38 WildlyParenthetical: they’ve been asleep most of the afternoon, lauredhel ;-) how long after cnn did they call the race, do you know?

3:38 JoAnne: more yay — South Dakota voters reject proposed state law to ban most abortions.

3:39 lauredhel: Good repro choice news out of SD and CO. Sad sad sad about prop 8

3:39 Keri: Oh, I hope that’s overturned somehow.

3:40 WildlyParenthetical: Oh no, no prop 8?! :-( mooo!

3:42 Su: It is pretty close on Prop 8 though. It may still turn?

3:42 WildlyParenthetical: mentioning disability, gay rights and women’s suffrage definitely rates him up there

3:43 fuckpoliteness: oh wasn’t that bit AWESOME!!!????

3:43 lauredhel: Obama speaks to PWD as though they’re humans and voters; McCain talks to their mummies and daddies.

3:43 WildlyParenthetical: uh huh; I also liked the ‘this is not the change, this is just the chance for change’ thing

3:45 WildlyParenthetical: it’s true, lauredhel; and it’s surprising, and heartening, to see that rate with *everyone*, not just PWD themselves…

3:45 Keri: I can’t stand that condescending attitude, Lauredhel.

3:49 WildlyParenthetical: I want indiana to go blue…

3:50 Keri: God, musn’t the racists be getting pissy?

3:50 WildlyParenthetical: yeah… i was watching mccain speak with colleagues, and someone said that at the end he should have said ‘and people? put down your guns!’

3:51 Keri: But how many would be gunning for Obama, and how many would be gunning for him?

3:51 WildlyParenthetical: mccain gave us a big long list of racial minorities… claimed them as american. there’s some that really won’t like that…

3:52 Keri: Nope

3:52 WildlyParenthetical: oh, and did you hear that it might be the biggest popular vote margin since Lyndon Johnson?

3:52 Keri: Wow!

3:52 WildlyParenthetical: [does happy dance]

3:52 Keri: That is HUGE!

3:53 lauredhel: If the current leads hold, this should be an EV gap of 200 votes even.

3:53 WildlyParenthetical: And 72% of first time voters were Obama voters… let’s hope that this bodes well for future American politics

[final goodbyes]