US election: live

Written By: - Date published: 1:58 pm, November 7th, 2012 - 64 comments
Categories: us politics - Tags: ,

17:12: Obama wins

As I’m stuck in a hotel room in the US, with cable TV, fast internet and not a lot else, I might as well keep you up to date with what’s happening.  It’s been an incredibly negative campaign – $2.5 billion spent on the presidential race at last count, mostly on deriding the other guy.  I’ve spent most of the last month here, and at all levels (state auditor, attorney general, governor, senator, president etc) the ads on TV have been about how the other guy has no judgement, people hate him, and he wants higher taxes.  I’ve seen a sum total of 1 positive ad.  The ads from the billionaires downing Obama continue today; I’m in a very Democratic state and Obama doesn’t seem to have bought ads here to compare…  With unemployment at 7.9%, and the relentless running down he’s received, you can see why Hope shriveled.

Still, the Oracle, Nate Silver has Obama at 91% odds to win.  I’ll try and keep an eye on all the close races – because who controls the Senate and the House matter very much too.

——–

State of the Race: (what counts are 538 electoral college votes – largely allocated per state)

Actual: Obama – 303       Romney – 206   just Florida to come
(270 electoral college votes to win)  Vote Share so far: Obama 50% Romney 49%
Predicted:
Obama – 237           Romney – 191             Tossup – 110

Senate: Democrats – 52 (+2 Ind)          Republicans – 44
(previously 53-47, predict 53-47 or 49D-44R-7 Toss up) [currently D+2]

House: Democrats – 170             Republicans – 226 (218 to win)
(previously 193-242, predict 178D-224R-33 Toss up) [currently D+3]

——–

13:56 (NZ time): CNN’s various political sections have been sponsored by the Coal Industry and the Oil Industry (“my name’s x, and I’m an Energy Voter”), with Natural Gas Industry ads sandwiched inbetween – at least we don’t have that in Aotearoa.  I’m flicking between all the major channels to see how they’re calling it.

14:00: Vermont in for Obama; Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, South Carolina for Romney
Virginia dead heat in exit polls.  ABC’s projected additional states put race at 57 Obama : 40 Romney.  Still thousands lined up to vote in Virginia – if you’re there before voting closes, you get your chance…

14:05: NBC project Senate up to 37D : 39R so far.  64 Obama : 82 Romney on their projected states
Florida early vote has 50% Obama, 49% Romney, up by 50,000 votes

14:24: Obama still ahead in Florida with 53% counted, but it’s basically dead-heat.  Virginia less vote, but also still dead heat.  Ohio vote in teens, Obama with lead but early days…  Fox is projecting Obama 78 Romney 82

14:31: 20% of Ohio vote in 59% Obama to 40% Romney; 51% Obama to 48% in Florida after 56% of vote; 57% Romney 42% Obama in Virginia after 26% (ABC)

14:50: Florida 62% in, Obama up by 100,000, 50% – 49%; Virginia 32% of vote 55% Romney, Obama 44% – still queues there. Voting massively up in both Republican & Democratic areas…
14 states about to finish voting.

15:02: And the networks immediately project a whole bunch more. Because Arkansas and Texas aren’t really in doubt…

15:12: NBC Project a House of 194 to 241 – a net gain of 1 seat to the Democrats… (+/-11). Currently D+1 in Senate.

15:30: Obama currently 80,000 behind in Virginia and North Carolina, 160,000 in Ohio, and 636 behind in Florida – quite close…
15:31: Obama ahead by 1,200 in Florida now… 82% reported.

Democrats currently looking like picking up Massachusetts and Indiana in the Senate.

15:35: Obama leading Colorado (51%-47%; 47% counted) and New Hampshire (55%-44%; 16% counted). Although they appear to still the odd vote being cast there.

15:40: Big call – Pennsylvania (where Romney was still campaigning today) with its 20 votes goes Obama’s way.

15:44: Florida 83% in, Obama 29,000 votes up.
Forgot to say – exit polls gave it to Obama a couple of hours ago… but actual votes are what matters.  NBC has Obama on 158, but I’m still working out what their extra 15 are… (Minnesota & New Mexico?)

15:50: Massachusetts legalise medical marijuana.  Washington, Oregon & Colorado are looking at outright legalisation for-over 21s (plus taxed etc). No results on those yet, but it’d still be illegal at federal level. ie the FBI could arrest you but state and local police couldn’t…
NBC – New Hampshire to Obama.  Up to 162.

15:55: 4 more states about to close.  Obama team confident about Florida, as they think they’ve got more of their counties to come in.

15:58: Still 51%-47% to Romney in Virginia.  Romney just ahead in Wisconsin after 11% of vote.

16:00: Utah to Romney. CNN exit polls for Iowa & Nevada put Obama ahead by 6%
Obama still ahead by 40,000 votes in Florida with 86% in.

16:03: CNN are about the last to give New Hampshire to Obama.  Still only 22% in there, but Obama leads by 11%.  It was where Romney started and finished his campaign and where his holiday home is…

16:05: Half the vote in in Ohio – Obama still 51% to 47%.  We’re all about Ohio tonight.  Romney really needs to win it to have a chance.
Florida getting a lot of attention because it’s so close – and if Romney loses that he’s really struggling.
Virginia 65% in – Romney leading 51% to 48%

16:15: Ohio and Missouri have stayed with the Democrats in the Senate. Missouri – like Indiana – had Republicans who should have won, but made horrific comments about rape – and have lost.  The Democrats will now keep the Senate.  There are a couple of other very tight races they’re waiting on.

16:18: Florida looks like it will go Democrat.  The Democrat & Republican commentator both can’t see how Romney will pull Florida back with Democrat areas to come in.  And with Florida goes Romney’s chances.  The Republican is sounding quite depressed.

16:25: Ohio 50% Obama – 48% Romney; 58% in
Colorado 51% Obama – 47% Romney; 58% in
Virginia 48% Obama – 51% Romney; 68% in
North Carolina 49% Obama – 50% Romney; 94% in
Florida 50% Obama – 49% Romney; 87% in
Wisconsin 48% Obama – 51% Romney; 23% in
Iowa Obama well ahead.

16:30: Despite his being behind in Wisconsin – Romney’s running mate’s home state – ABC call Wisconsin for Obama.

16:40: Massive gender gap – Obama leads among women by 11%
Obama still leads by 16,000 votes in Florida; 88% in.  Still people queuing to vote in Miami where most votes to count remain – a massively Democratic area. (That’s 16,000 out of nearly 8 million votes)

16:44: Romney is doing better than Bush 04 for white men, white women, old men, old women…  and losing.
Obama only getting 38% of whites in Florida – but looks like he’ll make it. Republican coalition is dying out.

16:46: Obama ticks over the extra Maine vote to go to 173.  5 States still awaiting the end of voting.
ABC call Arizona for Romney. Neck-and-neck, but the West Coast is about to come in for Obama…

16:55: Elizabeth Warren doing her Senate victory speech in Massachusetts.
And NBC are projecting Virginia’s very tight Senate race to go to the Democrats – does that bode well for Obama there?
Their House projection is now up to 196 Democrats (still losing it though…)

17:00: Next wave of states close: 55 votes from California, 12 from Washington, 4 from Hawaii all going to Obama. Idaho’s 4 go to Romney.  Too early to call Oregon.
90% in, Obama still ahead in Florida by 50,000.

17:03: Democrats have 51 in the Senate.
98% in in North Carolina – apparent win to Romney.

17:09: Obama keeps Iowa.  Only Ohio or Florida needed.
In fact once Nevada & Oregon come in for Ohio, he only needs Colorado.

17:12: Ohio comes in for Obama – he’s won.  The auto-bailout wins it for Obama according to NBC.

17:15: Oregon in for Obama.

17:20: ABC still haven’t called it. CNN & Fox have it.

Obama tweets: we’re all in this together. thank you.

17:29: Romney camp waiting to be more sure about Ohio (only 73% in) before they make the call…
Obama now ahead in Virginia.

17:32: ABC’s called it.  Even BBC’s called it…

17:40: Interesting Ballot measures across the States. Looks like Washington State will legalise marijuana and same-sex marriage. Colorado legalise marijuana, Maryland and Maine legalise same-sex marriage. Some states limiting Obamacare, others rejecting such measures.

17:43: Nevada comes in for Obama.  Along with some nasty Republican messages about how he doesn’t have a mandate, as half the country doesn’t want or trust him… $300 million spent by Republican “Super PACs” on Senate races alone – and they look to have lost seats there.

17:45: Obama has 56 days to get Congress to agree measures to avoid the fiscal cliff of the Government running out of money…  Easy start to his second term then.
Obama and team not talking to media – want to have speech be the supporters moment.

17:50: Romney currently ahead in Ohio… (by 2,000, but behind in Florida by 50,000 and Virginia by 20,000)

17:59: Obama looks to have Colorado, but they’re not calling it yet.
Ohio – 750,000 votes to come from Democrat counties, 140,000 votes from Republican counties, Romney ahead by 6,000 currently
Florida – Obama ahead by almost 50,000 and all 150,000 votes left are from Miami, where he leads by 25%
Virginia – Obama ahead by 50,000 with not too many more to count.

18:06: Romney still slightly ahead on popular vote, but a lot of California to count – projected to win by about 1%
Latino vote 69% to 29% to Obama

18:09: Looks like Republicans will pick up 1 Governorship (up to 30 states)
Colorado to Obama – another 9 electoral college votes.

18:18: Obama back up by 23,000 in Ohio, with still lots of his votes to come in.  Similar stories in Florida & Virginia, but a while before they’re all counted.
Alaska still voting…  Romney still waiting before conceding…

18:34: We’re petering out now.  General chat about gay marriage being supported now (with a change in short time) – but big red state blue state difference.  Similarly on women’s issues and how that affects the red-blue divide…

Actually not sure what Romney’s waiting for – Obama’s won with or without Ohio, Virginia & Florida (and probably has all 3)

18:38: Obama finally ahead on popular vote.

18:41: CNN call Virginia for Obama.
Still very quiet at Romney headquarters.  Has been for a while now, although apparently crowd’s been increasing.  Still nobody’s heard from Romney.  Ryan is in the hotel next door.  Romney had apparently only written a victory speech so he’s probably quickly writing a new one…

18:42: Obama first over 50,000,000 votes.
Medical Marijuana yes in Massachusetts, no in Arkansas
Full legalisation yes in Colorado, no in Oregon
Same-sex Marriage – having been banned in 33 previous state votes – looks like going 4 from 4 in the ballot initiatives tonight.

18:52: Hoping for Romney’s speech soon apparently.
Short polite phone call between Romney & Obama apparently, prepared to concede.
A minute or so away now – he’s with his wife, 5 sons and 18 grandchildren…
Here he comes…

18:55: Wishes Obama, his wife and daughters well.  Hopes & prays they are successful in guiding the USA.
Thanks Paul Ryan, his wife, sons, campaign team, volunteers, …
“Ann would have been a great first lady; she’s been a great first lady to me through my life” Aw, shucks, Mitt.
Leaders must reach across the aisle apparently – be good to see if the Republicans in Congress follow that advice…
“Thank-you and God Bless America.”  Short & sweet.

Obama ahead by 260,000 in popular vote now.

19:04: Still no Republican winning president since 1928 without a Bush or Richard Nixon on the ticket…
Obama voters – White in 2008: 43%; 2012: 40%
Non-White 2008: 80%; 2012: 80%
2012 Women: 55% (43% Romney); Men: 45% (52% Romney)

19:08: Crowd trying to call Obama to the podium in Chicago. It’s a party!
Obama won Washington DC by 91% to 7%…

19:15: Obama coming up (brought to you by Red Lobster restaurants apparently…)

Michelle Bachmann’s Congress seat is on a knife-edge apparently.
CNN’s called Florida for Obama – oop, no they haven’t, just talking as though they have… but not officially called
Still impressed with the Rhode Island Senator’s name – Whitehouse. he has to make a run for president.

Wisconsin has elected the first openly gay senator.  There will now be 19 or 20 female senators – also a high.
Wisconsin’s senator and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts will be far to the left of the current Senate.

Hispanics hit 10% of voters for first time – 71% voted for Obama.

19:30: Republicans tick past the 218 needed to control the House, unsurprisingly.

Big call on ABC – with the changing demographics, this may be last election that we have 2 white guys running against each other for president…
Ah… umm… Barack Obama…

19:35: Obama on stage…  Here he comes…  (Crowd goes wild, Signed Sealed Delivered playing..)
Whole photogenic family out (man his daughters have got tall!)

Thanking the American people.  Whether they held Obama signs or Romney signs.
And Mitt’s getting some kudos.
Joe Biden’s getting lots of love.
Michelle, I’ve never loved you more…
Sasha & Malia aren’t getting another dog.

Lovely speech of a wonderful world (no need for specifics 😉 )
Climate Change got a mention – and a cheer.
Tolerance, moving on from war to peace, education for all…
A decade war of is over…
Whether I earned your vote or not, I listened and you’ve made me a better president…
I go back into office more energised and more determined than ever.
The role of citizen doesn’t end with your vote
It’s not what can be done for us, but what can be done by us
We have more wealth than any other country, but that’s not what makes us rich; we have the mightiest military the world has seen, but that’s not what makes us strong…  He’s at his rhetorical best.
It’s not short, but it is inspirational, this America place sounds amazing…

Speech streamed live on mittromney.com apparently.

20:03: Looks like Heidi Heitkamp might win North Dakota against the odds (92.5% she wouldn’t according Nate Silver – no polls has picked her since the start of June).  That’s a really good night in the Senate for the Dems, and 20 women in the Senate.

20:07: Very optimistic Obama, very different from 4 years ago. More like 2004 Democratic Conference Obama from when he first made the national stage.
CNN pundit: Barack may mean ‘blessed’, but he had the economy collapse in his first week, a hurricane in his last week, and not a lot of easy days inbetween…

Romney-Ryan hall is empty.

20:12: Obama up by more than 1,000,000 votes in popular vote.  Only lost 2 incredibly Republican states from his wins last time.
Up by 65,000 votes in Florida, with 3% left.  They’re not counting them tonight, so we won’t get a call on it tonight.

So presidential map looks pretty much exactly as Nate Silver called it with his maths.  Everything called right, including Florida being too close to call, with slight advantage Obama (he had 50.3% chance of Obama winning…)

Could well be a couple of misses on his Senate map.

Previous high of 17 Senate women is shattered as they will have 20 or 21 – still somewhat off parity obviously…
New Hampshire’s 2 women Senators weren’t up for election, but their 2 Congress reps and their Governor are all newly (Democrat) women tonight.

Virginia had a ballot measure to require a vaginal probe(!) before any chance of an abortion – soundly defeated, as were a number of other anti-abortion and similar measures across the states.  Looks like the conservative right over-played their hand and ended up activating their opposition – may have helped Virginia go Democrat for both President and Senate.

20:39: Righty, not much more to come, so I’m going to sign off and enjoy the Colbert Report live special.

64 comments on “US election: live ”

  1. Enough is Enough 1

    This is more tense than the world cup final.

  2. r0b 2

    Via Guardian coverage, encouraging tweet re perhaps the most closely watched state of the election, Ohio, from political analyst Larry Sabato:

    OHIO: Vast majority of pre-election polls & now election exit poll show Obama up 1-3%. Either all wrong or Obama wins.

    It will also be worth keeping an eye on Nate Silver’s live blog tonight…

  3. Pete 3

    These are the two links you want to have open in your browser:

    CNN results (Or any other results service you like)

    NY Times paths to the White House

  4. lprent 4

    Reading Slate this morning on the iPad app there was an interesting post with someone repeating readers comments about access to different polling stations. Virginia sounded like it had some bad queues (which it doesn’t usually).

    Glad the intimidators in Ohio got booted by both the parties.

  5. rosy 5

    Apparently Americans are moving to New Zealand if the other guy wins.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1

      Just what we need, extremists from both sides of the US political spectrum.

    • QoT 5.2

      *cackles madly* Seriously, they’re going to be in for a bit of a rude awakening …

    • felix 5.3

      Good lord. I don’t want any of those people coming here. Except this one:

      I’m leaving the country if Romney wins. I’m also leaving if Obama wins. This isn’t political, I’m just going to New Zealand for 6 months

    • Bob 5.4

      Almost makes you wish Romney had won just to keep the Religious nut-job Republicans out of our back yard!
      Fingers crossed they are just empty threats!!!

  6. ak 6

    Go on standardistas – spoil yourselves just this once with a delicious drop of shadenfreude and take a peek at Fox News and the kiwibog…..might be the only chance ever to enjoy them.

    • lprent 6.1

      They do seem to be a trivial depressed.

    • North 6.2

      Fux News is already “reporting” a poster of Obama in or nearby a polling place and other “irregularities”.

      So we’re right into “he wasn’t legitimately elected……”. Can’t believe it.

      Anyway, if only for tonight, Hurt You Bastards, Hurt !

  7. lprent 7

    From Slate – Which State’s Voters Had To Wait the Longest, According to Their Tweets?

    Waiting an average of 90 minutes in Florida to get to vote! Crazy.

    Waiting 10 minutes seems too long to me. I can’t recall ever having to wait. But I guess I deliberately select small polling places.

    • karol 7.1

      The Nov 2011 election, I went early on my way to work, expecting it to be uncrowded – had to wait in a queue – not more than 10 minutes as I recall.

  8. One Tāne Huna 8

    What the hell is Obama (assuming he wins) going to be able to achieve with a loony Republican dominated Congress?

  9. r0b 9

    Thanks for your efforts Bunji – I’m seeing stuff here that I don’t see on other live coverage!

    • Bunji 9.1

      CNN is remarkably more forward on TV than on their website…

    • Enough is Enough 9.2

      BBC news running a very good live stream with updates

      • Vicky32 9.2.1

        BBC news running a very good live stream with updates

        My son was watching that, while talking on the phone to me, and I was keeping an ear on BBC WS radio at the same time!
        18.20, and it looks good, though not as good as it did, according to L., he says that Ohio now looks shaky…

  10. The best cover IMHO is at Fox News.  Watching their commentators try and deny that Obama is going to win is as funny as their attempts at denying that climate change is happening.

    • Colonial Viper 10.1

      I laughed at their front page line a little while earlier: FOUR MORE YEARS.

      It really was portrayed as a prison sentence.

  11. And Fox calls Ohio for Obama through gritted teeth …

  12. gobsmacked 12

    Break the habit of a lifetime and tune in to Leighton Smith on Newstalk ZB tomorrow morning.

    He announced – not hoped, not predicted, but reported as fact – that Romney would win. Seriously.

    You don’t have to be an Obama groupie to be enjoying a good dollop of Schadenfreude right now … tastes good!

  13. Te Reo Putake 13

    Obama’s claiming it on twitter. Sweet photo!
     
    https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/266031293945503744/photo/1

  14. lprent 14

    Cool. Traffic has been light here today. Between coding I have been jumping around. But I like this coverage. shorter and more interesting.

    I see that the rape gaffers got done…

  15. Karl Rove is in denial.  He is claiming that Fox’s call of Ohio is premature …

    And one of their commentators is saying that campaign funding should be stopped and the candidates only be judged on the debates … 

  16. Te Reo Putake 16

    Colorado has freed the collie weed! 

  17. gobsmacked 17

    The first comment on the Kiwiblog thread is hilarious! Read it and weep (with tears of laughter) …

    “KiwiInAmerica”, Fox News salutes you!

  18. PlanetOrphan 18

    Awesome, Go Barack Obama! 😀

  19. Thank Christ for that!
    A Romney presidency would have been a very bad and dangerous thing for the world.
    Note to NZ neo-cons – you’re next to be flushed.

  20. Rodel 20

    As an atheist I say ‘thank alll the imaginary gods’ for Obama’s win. JK won’t be able to puppy follow the republican warmongers into Iran or wherever.

    • North 20.1

      Nah, the simpering little batshit’ll be on the phone obseqiuously gushing his congratulations and begging for an appearance at 1600. Sick, narcissistic puppy.

  21. tinfoilhat 21

    Who cares, they’re both tools of capitalism.

  22. karol 22

    Interesting difference between TV3 and Al Jazeera’s coverage right now.  I am curious to hear Obama’s speech. 
     
    TV3 has an Obama fan gushing about all the wonderful things about Obama and his supporters.
     
    Al Jazeera:  they are talking about how a large number of Americans are PO’ed because the presidential election just focuses on a small number of swing states.  Many of the rest feel their vote doesn’t matter.

    • Colonial Viper 22.1

      Many of the rest feel their vote doesn’t matter.

      That would be about right. Like being a Labour voter in Ilam or National voter in Mangere during FPP days.

      Unproportional, low turnout, unrepresentative voting is exactly how the US powers that be like it.

      They could immediately improve turnout by 5% by scheduling elections on a weekend instead of a weekday for instance. But you can’t have the working class turning up to vote no sireeee.

      • Bunji 22.1.1

        There’s only 9 states your vote for president matters. But there’s a huge number of other things to vote for at the same time… like massive. They vote for everything here: judge, sheriff, trash collector, auditor, …

  23. lprent 23

    Great job Bunji. And a goodish day because it looks like the tea-party (and Mitt) have been resoundingly rejected

    BTW: I presume the hotel is work related, but now you know why I don’t have a passport. There is no way that I am ever going to get stuck in a hotel room. Bad enough doing that in the 80’s when I was young. These days if I can’t work it over the comms then we designed it wrong and the product or process needs a rebuild.

    • Bunji 23.1

      Oh I could have fixed it remotely, but customers like to have someone physically there…

      Although to be fair you do solve a lot of extra things on site – usually because the customers description of what’s happening bears little relation to reality 😈

      I have 2 passports, so I guess I get what I asked for…

      • lprent 23.1.1

        Oh I could have fixed it remotely, but customers like to have someone physically there…

        They do. I gave up being professionally nice to people when I left the army medics. Stopped going to sites after 3 years doing a onsite tech.

  24. xtasy 24

    US elections tend to be over-rated for their significance in regards to what a president can and will actually be able to do and achieve.

    So while some may get excited to see Obama win a second term (yes, I also rather see him in the White House than Romney), the big question will be, what will he be able to do and change.

    The realities are: Comgress (the main “House”) will be Republican dominated, while the Senate appears to be controlled by Democrats (likely to support Obama).

    A US president has a lot of power, but without the agreement of Congress, there is a heck of a lot he will not be able to do. So I will see a “waking up to reality” set in after all these “celebrations” by Obama’s supporters and voters.

    Only because the US is the number 1 world economic and military power, is so much attention given to this election. Otherwise, nothing much at all will change, as the US economy is largely dominated by corporate interests and strong business lobby groups.

    Obama gave up some “green”, environmental policies and consented to expanding oil drilling offshore in the US, and apart from “Obama Care”, allowing quantitative easing and promoting certain US business interests and ensuring minimum care for less fortunate is maintained, there is not all that much he achieved.

    He took his time with the withdrawal from Iraq, still has troops in Afghanistan, allowed a hit commando to kill “enemy number one” (Bin Laden), rather than have him face justice before a court, he did not get the Guantanamo Camp for suspected terrorists, classed as a special kind of “combatants”, closed, he could not get a solution to reduce or contain deficit and debt, and otherwise, “business as usual” in the largest capitalist power on the planet.

    So without bipartisan solutions not much will be achieved, and a slow “recovery” is on fragile foundations, and in danger from being reversed into recession again, once the money printing stops.

    Not an easy solution, well NO solution at all. You cannot please everyone, and like NZ, the US is totally divided, and without unity the path to prospective disaster is there.

    Oratory skills are good, but to bring real change, more is needed. Good luck Barack Obama!

    • Wayne 24.1

      “Allowed a hit commando to kill “enemy number one”; More like actually fully authorized it and intended the outcome.

  25. xtasy 25

    What a bloody “wasted” and “wasteful” system and society the US have.

    So 2.5 billion to promote two heavily lobbied candidates (others given no chance from the start!) with BIG money, endless advertising, show effects, automated phone nuisance calls, placards, videos, sound bites, speeches telling half truths and lies, and the people fall for it and pay for it (through products and services the very promoters charge them).

    One thing the US could learn from NZ is: Stop this free donation madness, giving the advantage to the corporations and powerful lobbyists, to influence and indeed determine, who will become president!

    How many jobs could be created with 2.5 billion US dollars? How many meals could be cooked and served for needy for that amount? How many homeless could be housed? How many veterans and others could get medical and other care they need?

    Also the privatised health care system in the US is the most expensive in the world (per capita), yet not that efficient to deliver value for money to all needing it. How much care could be given to those in need with low or no income, if the rich and wealthy there stop paying enormous amounts for first class care and cosmetic surgery and that kind of crap?

    Indeed, many questions, few answers and solutions. I consider the US electoral system one of the biggest jokes and most dishonest and undemocratic ones in the world.

    “God Bless America”, yeah, right!

    • karol 25.1

      The major focus on the election of president does strangley marginalise the really important Congress and (partial) Senate elections. 
       
      It seems to me the presidential election is partly about elevating the status of president.  To some extent I can see that’s necessary to unite such a vast population across all those states.  But it’s also about promoting the status of the US.  I always find it strange in movies the way US-ians tend to talk with reverence when mentioning, not just the president, but “The President of the United States”.
       
      Obama is an extraordinary orator.  It was amazing how he raised the intensity and pitch of his speech at a certain point, mentioning a whole string of thing, barely taking a breath – definitely the victory note.  Then he wound the speech down to a more regular level.  But the content was as much propaganda  as reality.

      • Colonial Viper 25.1.1

        Well mostly propaganda. When you listen to it again pay attention to how the detail is worded such that it lets you draw your own (preferred) conclusions as to the meaning.

        He is an awesome orator.

  26. Awesome, well done President Obama.

  27. Tim G 27

    None of it will affect the ongoing foreign policy of interference, promoting brinkmanship in the Middle East. Romney might have had better credentials with the Zionists, but I think the outcome will be the same. 4 more years of scratching their heads as global capitalism presides over their economy going down the gurgler, in the same breath promoting economic sanctions to cripple their enemies in Iran and North Korea.

    What a dark time we live in.

  28. Sookie 28

    The Koch Brothers and all those Mr Burns style tycoons who threw all that money at Romney can have a big big helping of my delightful schadenfreude. I am stoked with the win. Now, if only we could get rid of that douchebag Key…

    • xtasy 28.1

      Well, having had some experience with “Mormons” (I do not mean “morons”, for sure!), I am relieved at least, that the biggest power on this planet will NOT be run by a “Latter Day Saint”, as “Mormons” usually refer to themselves. They have their following, but it would not serve the interests of intelligent, fair minded and reasonable people, to have a guy like Romney (who I suspect to be a “jack Mormon” anyway) run the show. His “biblical” views must have made him take a strong pro Israel stand, and that would do more damage than anything else in that region.

      At least there is a vague option to apply a more disciplined approach, both towards Israel and Iran.

      • Colonial Viper 28.1.1

        Nothing too wrong with Mitt’s Mormonism; it’s his Millionairism which really sucked shit.

    • rosy 28.2

      Meanwhile – Donald Trump calls for revolution what a hissy fit!

  29. Logie97 29

    So for all of Romney’s faith and prayers, seems his intermediaries didn’t do as good a job as Obama’s. Time for him to reassess his belief system perhaps.

    At least the Bible-belt fundamentalism has taken another bath – wonder how many hours of self righteousness and hallelujahs were offered up to the heavens, and all to no avail.

    Have to say that a Republican Afro-American guest on the BBC presentation was a breath of fresh air and if he is an example of the voice of the future Republican party, then things are not so desperate for the world (provided they remain in opposition though).

    • xtasy 29.1

      Logie97: When a “Latter Day Saint” or commonly “Mormon” says to you: “I will pray for you”, as done publicly in the resignation speech of Romney re Obama as chosen president, then you must be worried!

      That is what LDS people always say, if they resolutely disagree with the views and conduct of a person. It may sound “christian” and “sympathetic” or even “supportive”, but amongst “Mormons” it usually signals total disapproval, that the person to be “prayed about” is so out of kilter and “God’s tolerance”, she or he “needs” a prayer, at least to find “forgiveness” before all hell breaks loose.

      Believe, me, I know what I am talking about. That is what goes down, and that is how it must be viewed and understood, what Romney said in his defeat speech. He actually expressed hidden criticism, not support or sympathy. He is ARROGANT as can be, and he will go back to make BIG money, whether in business, or in holding speeches around the US and the world. That is AMERICA!

    • Vicky32 29.2

      Bible-belt  fundamentalism

      This is where I must point out that Mormons are not standard Christians, and not really a part of Bible Belt fundamentalism…

      • Logie97 29.2.1

        Vicky32
        I am well aware that the LDS faction is probably a small part of the electorate outside Utah (though they can still be classed fundamentalists.) They are small in number compared with the Bible belt fundamentalist Christians who were also kept in check by this vote. For which we should all be thankful …

  30. rosy 30

    Lessons for Labour? – Take note of demographic change and the women’s vote (imo)

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