Geezer Terror Level Now At Orange

Wow.

He’s absolutely tanking in the electoral-count chart I follow.

No, not the top one — that counts statistical dead heats, too volatile for my purposes, although that’s a fascinating spike.

The second one counts only states where either candidate leads by at least five percent. That’s where we see the Palin Pothole, followed by the trends returning to their year-long pattern.

But save the Cristal — it’s gonna be a long ugly October.

Holy crap, that’s big.

Or does this just mean that Diebold successfully rigged all of the ballot machines and it’s time to move on to disenfranchise blacks in Gary, Indiana and Cleveland, Ohio?

@Signal to Noise: I think that belongs in the porn movie thread, after the pizza guy shows up.

Are we at Dole-Clinton yet? (The electoral college result in 1996 was 379-159 Clinton (i)/Dole for those of you scoring at home, and for those of you who are alone as well).

Don’t let the door hit ya, PG! I already forwarded this news to my conservative parents in MI with the subject line “He’s given up on you!” Hee hee love it! I has da Hope(TM)!

It just means that Rove has guaranteed him the electronic voting machines will flip 31.93% of the Obama votes for him which will allow him to take the state.

On a serious site, some RWer troll made the claim that Obama pulled out of GA so it evens out (his logic not mine.)

Problem with that logic? Obama doesn’t need GA to win (sorry rptrcub) but PG needs (REALLY NEEDS) Mich.

@redmanlaw: (rimshot)

@FlyingChainSaw: I hate to believe that this is a possibility but am acknowledging that the scenario is highly fucking plausible.

@ManchuCandidate: That’s old news about withdrawing from Ga. And even DESPITE doing that, Obama’s gaining in the polls here, mainly due to large numbers of youth with Hope (TM) and black people who are really, really, REALLY enthused about voting for him (it is the fulfillment of MLK Jr.’s dream, for reals). He may not win our 15 EVs, but that fact, combined with the fact that our sitting GOP Senator, Saxby Chambliss, is nearly neck-and-neck with the Democrat (the race was expected to be easy for Saxby), there are some REAL problems with the GOP’s electoral chances.

And you’re not offending me. I’d rather the Unicorn focus on Va. and N.C.

@Signal to Noise: If that happens, I’ll be assembling Molotov cocktails.

@ManchuCandidate: The Eagle has flown from North Dakota as of 9/21. Staff were redeployed to Minnesota (Obama per realclearpolitics.com avg = +4.6) and Wisconsin (RCP avg = +5.0). Montana to the west of ND with 3 EV has Geez up by 11 pts per RCP avg.

@FlyingChainSaw: So true.

@Signal to Noise: Hee!

And boo to all you stoking my paranoia about the voting machines. >sticks head in sand<

@redmanlaw: Sully smells a rat at RCP…

@JNOV: Paranoia warranted — given what we know on the record about their disenfranchisement efforts, there must be a shitload of black ops going on behind the scenes.

The GOP campaigns have been increasingly resembling the programs the CIA organized to take care of Allende and Mossadeq. Covert operations with PR campaigns attached to them. A couple of geeks have already gone on record with stories of GOP operatives and Diebold gangsters redrafting election machine code to flip votes. Even if Obama makes it, he’ll have to get through 2-4 years of non-stop court challenges (voter fraud, etc.) by the RNC and deployment of who knows how many competing teams of assassins. They can’t stop because they know an unharassed Obama administration will end with them strapped to gurnies in a nice little room with windows.

@redmanlaw: @Signal to Noise:

@JNOV: When the (justified) paranoia starts to give you teh crazy eyes, turn to Sarah Palin’s Secret Blog for a bit of comic relief.

@Pedonator: Best site evah! (Besides Stinque, of course.)

/TJ Jane Harman has great older lady hair. Plus, what’s a blue dog dem? I know I’m a yellow dog dem, but what’s this blue bidness?

@nojo: Hush. Soon I’ll be peeking out the curtains looking for black helicopters.

@FlyingChainSaw: The thing that marked the 1988 GOP campaign and those thereafter were the number of ex-intelligence guys involved and the increasing reliance on the kind of discrediting and destablizing tactics being deployed that were right out of the ops playbook. When the history of the Republic is written a number of chapters near the end should consider the role of the military intelligence community being allowed to go berserk and distort and manipulate domestic politics.

@nojo: Even with the massage, RCP still shows an EV count of 259-176 Obama/McCain with 103 undecided. The Wisconsin numbers average five polls. I don’t have a dog or gallo in that fight. The numbers were presented for informational purposes only. Thanks for the link, though, which I’ll fwd to Mrs. RML. She relies on RCP heavily.

Just so we all can claim that we’re not in a total echo chamber, I thought I’d share with you the email I got in response when I sent this news to my dad in MI (screamy bold omitted to spare your eyes):

So what, Barack gave up on Michigan by removing his name from the primary ballot months ago, at the request of one John Dean! Michigan voters are so forgetful! A democratic GOV FOR THE PAST 6 YEARS, 2 DEMOCRATIC SENATORS, AND WE HAVE THE WORST ECONOMY IN THE UNION , AND NOBODY CARES! This is very helpful for my job, but we are dead last in every economic indicator.

BTW, Husssain himself was just across the street from me this morning! I am at the Amway Grand for the day and he came to rally the troops at the Calder this morning. Spoke for 45 minutes, then off to other liberal bastions such as a major university campus.

As you can see, he’s a devoutee of Fox News…

@flippin eck: Wow. My parents and my mother in law are total Obama fans (and longtime likely voters over age 65).

@FlyingChainSaw: After killing Kennedy, whats a little vote-stealing? Have you read Harlot’s Ghost? Guess I’ll never see the sequel, now.

@flippin eck: Please do give us a report of your Thanksgiving, and let me know if he’s as screamy in real life. Sounds like an insane uncle of mine who I am seriously considering challenging to an ol’ fashioned duel at 20 paces.

@redmanlaw: Momma for Obama, Daddy for McCain, sister not disclosing because I did not talk to her for a while after she admitted to voting for Bush in 2004. Maternal grandparents for McCain but not openly insane; paternal stepgrandmother has been told to stop sending me “Barack is a Moooooslim” e-mails, paternal grandfather McCain-ite.

My late, real paternal grandmother was a yellow dog Dem. She would have voted for Obama, her racism notwithstanding. She voted for Gore in ’00. May God rest her Dixiecrat diehard soul.

@redmanlaw: Yep. Such is my lot in life as the one and only liberal in the family. I should add that I’m pretty sure my dad wouldn’t refer to him as “Hussein” in general company or to a stranger, he’s just trying to rile his liberal daughter up with it….at least, I dearly hope that’s the case.

@redmanlaw: Talked to my own folks last night, who fall in the same demo — solid voters, lifelong Dems and such. (My grandfather was a labor organizer for lumber mills on the Oregon coast.) Never a doubt in their minds.

Also took the opportunity to ask Mom about that accent. Mom’s from Juneau, it’s totally foreign to her, but she figures it must be an Anchorage thing.

My parents will probably vote for Obama if they don’t get too stoned and forget about it. Damn Longhairs!

@rptrcub: My brother married into wealth, so he’s a Republican. We don’t talk about that — too busy ragging on my sister-in-law for being a Husky.

@flippin eck: “Wow, Dad. Maybe McGeeze shoulda spent more on American cars, huh? Maybe buy some lake front property there or something?”

I’m just sayin’.

@Tommmcatt Yet Again: So you’ve got one of those Repo Man families?

@nojo: So it’s true about the GOP fascination with the Man-on-Dog thing? Do they have pups?

@Pedonator: Thank you! That Secret Blog is a beautiful thing.

@FlyingChainSaw: Jinx!

@nojo: Re: that accent — was just talking about that with a co-worker of mine. I lived in Anchorage for two years, and I don’t remember hearing anything like that accent.

Someone has to write about this.

Tell me this isn’t straight out of Deep Space 9:

http://www.adn.com/photos/sarah-palin/v-gallery/story/516020.html?/3169/gallery/516029-a537479-t3.html

Someone has to know a writer that covers the rag trade. A feature on Palin’s sartorial paramilitarism would be an interesting piece and it would get legs in the Web.

Re: vote rigging. I really think the key is to push early voting by mail. Sure, paper ballots by mail can still be fucked with, but you don’t have the craziness of the machines (2000 Kitty Harris), and you don’t have the Secretary of State assigning two machines for the entire black part of town or the entire college campus, as was the case in 2004 in Ohio, with the result of black people and college students standing in line for 10 hours to vote (I had friends doing “Election Protection” in Ohio for the NAACP and they witnessed this).

So tell everyone you know – especially the ditzy young folks, etc. – to vote early absentee by mail.

Mi familia: Both of my parents enthusiastically early voting for the Unicorn, sister is too moronic to remember to register to vote, and lifelong Republican grandma is in the nursing home and is too senile to vote (thank FSM for that because she’s now too senile to send money to the John Birch Society). The challenge right now is getting Mr. SFL’s mom to vote no on Prop. 8 – both of his parents are voting for the Unicorn, so the fight is over whether they will vote for or against teh gheyz’ civil rights.

@SanFranLefty: Re: Ohio. This is kind of weird. I submit this comment, go to check my email, and look what’s in my in-box.

So all you attorney Stinquers – especially those of you in the Midwest/Mid-Atlantic parts of the country, read on. (They need non-attorneys to help with election protection, too, so anyone who can get to Ohio).

**********************************

The Obama/Biden Campaign for Change needs lawyers to help with the Ohio voter protection program.

With memories of 2004 fresh in our minds, we are building the strongest voter protection program in history. Never again can we tolerate voters having to wait for 8 hours in line. Never again will we tolerate voter suppression efforts targeted at racial minorities and students.

It probably comes as no surprise to you that we continue to face a Republican effort that aims to create unreasonable obstacles to voting. In the past week alone, the Republicans have filed two lawsuits to disrupt the voting process and make it harder to register and vote. We must build a strong voter protection program to defeat these obstacles and ensure that everyone legally entitled to vote can vote and have that vote counted. But to do so we need your help.

The Campaign is looking for four types of lawyers and law students to participate in our voter protection efforts.

First, we need long-term volunteers to fill a variety of crucial voter protection positions. These attorneys will assist in recruiting, organizing, and placing lawyers, aid with the early vote program, incident resolution, and implement strategies to prevent Election Day delays. Attorneys looking to fill these roles should be able to come to Ohio as soon as possible and be available seven days a week from arrival until Thursday, November 6.

Second, we are looking for recruiting captains to help us recruit lawyers and law students from across the country to come to Ohio on election day. Recruiting captains do not need to come to Ohio.

Third, we are recruiting attorneys for our “research and rapid-response team.” These lawyers need to be willing to devote time every week to researching and writing to support our Ohio-based team’s voter protection question. Members of this team do not need to come to Ohio.

Finally, we need lawyers and law students to commit to coming to Ohio from the weekend before election day through Tuesday, November 4.

These are all volunteer positions. No compensation will be provided and, unfortunately, we cannot reimburse travel expenses or mileage for those coming to Ohio. It is important that long-term volunteers have access to a car, a cell phone, and a laptop.

To apply for a long-term position in the OH voter protection program, to be a recruiting captain, or to participate in our rapid-response team, please send a cover letter and resume to Jamiko Rose at jrose@ohiodems.org. Candidates who are selected for an interview will receive a call from the campaign to discuss the responsibilities and application process further.

To help out on election day, sign up at http://oh.barackobama.com/page/s/ohpromotethevote.

P.S. Non-lawyers can help in Ohio, too – sign up at http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/ohcometoohio

@FlyingChainSaw: Tell me this isn’t straight out of Deep Space 9

It’s not. Babylon 5.

@JNOV: A Blue Dog Dem is a Republican in Dem’s clothing, basically. My congresscritter, Baron Hill, is one. To be fair, however, he only wins by razor-thin margins against the troglodyte Republicans with which Indiana is infested, so he often votes with the Repubs on “values” issues. I have finally quit bothering to write him about his wrongheaded votes, and voted for a challenger to him in the Dem primary. Election before last, he was ousted by Mike Sodrel, who is running against him again this year. (Sodrel owns a trucking company. Last time we drove past its Indpls office I was disgusted to observe three wooden crosses in the lawn in front.)

@nojo:

More like the Keatings from Family Ties with the addition of hash brownies at Christmas. Northern California and all that.

Before you ask, I was the Mallory in that arrangement, not the Alex.

@rptrcub: I’ve been thinking about how we communicate if it becomes necessary to organize the ousting of the election stealers. Carrier pigeons? That’s the only means of sending messages that NSA doesn’t already monitor.

@Tommmcatt Yet Again: Do you have a generically cute, preppy brother who’s obnoxious about his conservatism but in a sort of charming way, but deep down has a heart of gold?

@lynnlightfoot: Thanks lynn! I’m sure the NSA goons have just read your comment and are setting up their pigeon fancier recruiting program as we speak!

@Pedonator: We’re fine. Republicans only shoot domesticated fowl.

@Pedonator:

Libertarian sister. But she’s gotten better lately….

Apparently Life is Unfair to John McCain.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/221479.php

Nojo, I just spent an extra half-hour creeping 2 miles down Miramar Road to get to the freeway as the Fucking Blue Angels did their practice runs for the air show that starts tomorrow. I’m not in a forgiving mood right now, I’m thinking it would be kinda cool if some of our Top Guns dropped a few live ones on the cretins who gather beneath their wings with patriotic fervor to admire the thrusting displays of phallic military strength shouting “America! Fuck Yeah!”

Mom is a Reaganaut since 64, even Dubya was too liberal for her (don’t even talk about Geezer, altho she lurvs the Bunny). She pulled the lever for a democrat the first time in her more than 70 years in the primaries, for the simple pleasure of voting against Hilary. She’s a-skeered of Obama, but not because of that. No, she thinks Michelle has an overbite, which FSM-help me must be codespeak. Pop’s a centrist R, but actually voted Kerry in 04 because he (my dad) is also not stupid. I’ve got aunts and uncles from all sides of the spectrum, and although we all speak to each other the invective regularly flies across the interwebs. In meatspace, we choose to argue about sports and religion rather than politics, less blood involved.

@Pedonator: It always gets eerily quiet this time of day. That’s because all the cars are parked on I-5.

Mellbell and I are going to go watch the debate together – woo hoo!! Unfortunately I am not taking my laptop to the bar so no liveblogging unless she has a Crackberry or iPhone

@SanFranLefty: Enjoy! I’m workin the iTouch, flippin between sCNN and CSPAN.

My computer is upstairs so I can’t comment with you guys during the debate. I suck.

@lynnlightfoot: Well, then. I take back my compliment about her hair. HARUMPH!

@Pedonator: Ah, Sandy Eggo! I lived in Chula Vista (in a complex called Sunbow off Telegraph Canyon Rd), I lived in El Cajon (can’t remember exactly where), and when I was stationed at Pendleton, I lived in Vista and Temecula. I miss the area but not the politics.