The November Surprise - or - Do Not Open Till Christmas.... 2005

[catscradle]

Well, it's election day here in the US. Though I suppose if you're reading LJ right now, it'd be hard not to know that. I got a call this morning from Madeleine Albright urging me to vote Democrat. Were it not a recording I would have told her I already voted, but it was nice she remembered me. This was my very first political phone call. I guess they think amendment 36 will pass here and they're already discounting Colorado as a useless state. *ONE* political call this entire election season. My parents in Ohio get at the very least 10 political calls a day. And they're unlisted.

It's getting very cynical out there. They're already running scenerios for ties and recounts and whatnot. My own prediction is that the media is largely ignoring the fact that due to the enormous amounts of new voter registrations and the new do-not-call lists and caller id and such, all those polls of likely voters are completely skewed. The election isn't going to go anywhere near like they thought it would and tomorrow they're all going to be scratching their heads wondering what the hell happened and why they couldn't predict it. But I'm just being contrary.

The Bin Laden tape that the GOP was tauting as a gift to Bush? Seems to now being calling Bush and his administration Nancy Boys. Heh. So much for the October surprise.

Lots of reports of voter intimidation in Ohio under the guise of vote challengers. According to my dad, Ohio is being totally swamped with both sides of the ticket just hassling any person they can cling to long enough to give them an earful of voting advice. For many in showdown states, Novemeber 3rd can't come soon enough.

If nothing else, today is going to be interesting...

Go vote.

Comments

[wiebke.livejournal.com]

I agree with your prediction. Completely.

Re political phone calls, here in Georgia I have received 2-3 a day for the past week and a half. None are related to the presidential election, but instead local & state races, plus the anti gay marriage Constitutional ammendment they want to make (and probably will, since everybody except Atlantans is for it).

[catscradle.livejournal.com]

What's weird is that I haven't heard a single commentator remark on the swarms of new voter registrations skewing the polls. I have heard a couple say things like "Remember these polls are only of likely voters" - but other than that - nada. It just seems like this should be bigger news than footnotes.

Now I'm hearing that some of my co-workers got swarmed with calls, so I'm wondering how I lucked out with just one call.

The whole gay-marriage thing blows my mind that they'd leave that up to a popular vote. I guess 11 states have it on the ballot right now. How do you leave something that effects a minority up for a majority vote and expect fairness? Does no one remember the civil rights movements of the 50s-60s?

[wiebke.livejournal.com]

How do you leave something that effects a minority up for a majority vote and expect fairness? Does no one remember the civil rights movements of the 50s-60s?

*nods*

Especially in a state like Georgia that's full of bigots. And these bigots INCLUDE African-Americans who, yes, got the vote and are using it to disenfranchise. Some of them are strongly against the ammendment (e.g. of the Rep. John Lewis mold) but a lot vote however their Baptist church tells them to.

[catscradle.livejournal.com]

It's a very common phenomenon that I'll never understand. I just want to shake people like this and scream "Don't you remember when it was you?" I just hope this gets struck down by the courts later...

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darlingnicky_/]

Prelude to a Recall. Jon Stewart shall lead the way.

I predict the English and Canadians will be so eager to participate in the American election, they will actually infiltrate polling stations all across the US. Come tomorrow we'll discover that Queen Elizabeth and Paul Martin are now in charge. Which might not be a bad thing.

[catscradle.livejournal.com]

Or if they're really drunk Canadians and Brits we may wake up and find Alanis Morisette and Orlando Bloom are now running the country. Though if we're going to go Canadian, I say Michael J. Fox. That way we get the stem cells research and he was just great in Spin City. I'm convinced he can run the country.

Where are you?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darlingnicky_/]

Mobile Bay, Alabama. Boring capital of the world. So close to a swing state but... no. No one cares about us!

Canadian, eh?

[gimme-that.livejournal.com]

I will only say that most Canadians I've spoken to are hoping against hope that it's President Kerry and not President Bush again...still, like many others (not to be a party pooper) I have a nasty feeling that for the next four years, Americans will be seeing more bush than most gynecologists... :-/

Re: Canadian, eh?

[catscradle.livejournal.com]

Well, it ain't over yet. I may eat these words soon, but I hold out hope. But on the chance Bush wins, what are my chances of getting Canadian citizenship?