The Last Last Election Thread II about the Last Election

[Ecthy]

Last 3 minutes

[Naked Gents Rut]

That pick gave him a huge boost for a few weeks, then started to become a huge liability.

I disagree. The numbers are making it look like McCain lost because he wasn't as successful in bringing out his base as Obama was. Palin was a great pick in terms of energizing the base.

Obama didn't just win because he was a Democrat - the increase in turnout was crucial, and a regular Democrat might not have been able to increase turnout as high as it went.

What increase in turnout? We're looking at a loss of 3.24 million voters from 2004 at the moment.

edit: I get a 1.9 million decrease in turnout using Politico's numbers for 2008 and Wikipedia's for 2004.

[Lancer]

Does Obama have to bring on a team that 'looks like America?' or would the black community pillory him? If he doesn't can the rest of the presidents to come forget about that bit of PCness?

[Supr49er]

I have worked on every presidential campaign (democratic, that is) since 1976, and Obama's was by far the most organized. Other prominent Dems could have won, but none as soundly as Obama.

[Darius871]

Originally posted by GePap
I don't know about the idea that ANY Democrat could have won. Kucinich would have gotten killed in an election, for example, nor say Jesse Jackson.

Hence my use of the phrase "prominent Democrat," which I'd define as any of the dozen or so speculated in 2007 to be a reasonable contender. Nobody ever took Kucinich or Jackson seriously.

[Lancer]

Originally posted by Lancer
Does Obama have to bring on a team that 'looks like America?' or would the black community pillory him? If he doesn't can the rest of the presidents to come forget about that bit of PCness?

[Darius871]

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous
Sam Adams in Jerusalem

Who?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Lancer
I find myself thinking about the election as regards my friend Zkrib alot. He must be a happy man about the way things went yesterday and that's a really good thing because he's a great guy. Congrats pal.

Thanks.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Naked Gents Rut
edit: I get a 1.9 million decrease in turnout using Politico's numbers for 2008 and Wikipedia's for 2004.

There's easily that many votes still left to count, though. I think it will nudge past 2004, just barely.

But 2004 was an exceptionally high turnout election, too, considering 105 million voted in 2000.

[Ecthy]

Originally posted by Ecthy


Last 3 minutes

Stunning!

[Boris Godunov]

Looks like neither MN-Sen nor GA-Sen will be decided anytime soon. The MN-Sen will go to an automatic recount, which may not be done until early December.

OR-Sen is still undecided...no idea what the delay in counting ballots is, but I'm told it's typical.

[Lancer]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


OR-Sen is still undecided...no idea what the delay in counting ballots is, but I'm told it's typical.

It takes longer because they count each demo ballot for a while.

[MarkG]

Originally posted by Ecthy


Last 3 minutes

brilliant speaker

let's hope he's a good decider as well

[Ecthy]

Fired up! Ready to go!

Is it the German in me who falls for great speakers (obvious historical reference) and the Greek in Markos (ancient demagogism-democracy and the like) or why does noone else seem to care?

[Lancer]

Where's the beef? That's the US. Also, they'll love him until he makes a decision, then half of them will love him. Every time he makes a decision halve again.