November 5, 2012

If it all comes down to Wisconsin...

It's 7 a.m. here in Wisconsin, which might just make the difference in the Electoral College, with our measly but magnificent 10 votes. I've seen various permutations of the Electoral College map — here, create your own map — and it's easy to see how Wisconsin could put Romney over the top even if he loses Ohio and Pennsylvania and Iowa.

Air Force One touched down in Madison at 2:30 a.m., and a small group of people were lined up on State Street at 6, but the line has grown in the last hour. Madison gave Obama his largest crowd of the campaign when he was here a month ago, but he was here a month ago, and that was in the afternoon in the middle of campus. Now, it's early Monday morning, a time when young people are difficult to rouse from their warm beds, and, speaking of warmth, it's 30° in Madison right now. It was a long wait in the rain for the campus speech last month.

And people must remember that you don't just get to see Obama and that other guy you might care about. (Do the young folk care about seeing Bruce Springsteen?) You have to put up with the local politicos — the mayor and so forth. Meanwhile, it's all on TV.... and has been for months. (Years?) The reason to go is not so much to see, but to be seen. Lend your body to the photograph of Obama with the Wisconsin Capitol looming in the background. As it looms, you may wonder, where was Obama when you were marching and chanting and drumming last year protesting Scott Walker? Where was Obama last spring when you dragged Scott Walker into a recall election? He expressed tepid support from afar, but declined to set foot in Wisconsin, even when he was right at the border in Minneapolis/Chicago.

Ironically, that recall election forced Republicans to develop their ground game in Wisconsin, and that's exactly what may push Mitt Romney over the top tomorrow. Here's RNC chairman Reince Priebus, yesterday on "State of the Union":
[The Democrats] haven’t been able to win in Wisconsin for a long time. They claim that the Obama machine was out during the Walker recall. We basically crushed them in Wisconsin. I have seen firsthand the difference between Obama’s rhetoric on their ground game and the reality, and the reality is they’re not as good as they think they are....
When you see that Wisconsin State Capitol in the background in today's Obama photo-ops, remember all that it symbolizes: an immense GOP victory in 2010, a huge and rude months-long uprising of the left end of the Democratic Party's target constituency (shunned by Obama himself) in 2011, and, in 2012, a decisive victory in the recall election for GOP Governor Scott Walker. What about all those Democratic voters splayed out around the GOP-dominated Capitol building? Hello? This is Madison, Wisconsin. The state Capitol building is always surrounded by Democrats. Every day, every month, every year. Madison does not control election outcomes in Wisconsin. In fact, there are an awful lot of people in Wisconsin whose idea of Madison is: This is not what Wisconsin looks like. And the people of Madison return the sentiment. We've been amusing ourselves with the saying "Madison is X square miles surrounded by reality" for a long, long time.

Obama will win by a landslide in Madison, but Madison — as we all know and have been telling ourselves for decades — is not reality.

104 comments:

campy said...

Zero can and will steal any state he needs.

Steve Austin said...

I wonder if Obama will face any hecklers in Madison today?

Interesting video link at Drudge from a heckler last night in Cincinnati. That heckler took Obama and the pro Obama crowd completely off their game. They aren't used to having a protestor disrupt one of THEIR events.

sakredkow said...

Zero can and will steal any state he needs.

Get ready for the whiny excuses from whichever side loses.

sakredkow said...

"Boo hoo hoo! They stole the election from me!" = "I backed the loser."

campy said...

Get ready for the whiny excuses from whichever side loses.

I don't have a side. Just eyes to see with and a brain to think with.

Rick67 said...

This is a curious thing about hardcore lefties I started noticing a few years ago. That they often like to live in enclaves surrounded by people who think just like they do. One hears about places like Portland, Seattle, Berkley, Austin, I lived in Ithaca (NY) for 9 years. I have a friend in Decatur who commented how glad he was to live in a place where everyone was a "progressive".

Is it my imagination or do "conservatives" seem much more willing to live in places with more diversity of opinion?

John said...

I will say it again...

Romney will win Wisconsin AND Ohio. The republican base AND independents have had enough of Obama's socialism. There is a better than even chance Romney will win in Minnesota.

In the immortal words of the cajun reptile: It's the economy, stupid.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

If Obama wanted to ensure himself a large crowd he should have asked Romney to join him.

sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sakredkow said...

I don't have a side. Just eyes to see with and a brain to think with.

Uh huh. You call him Zero and say that he will steal any state he wants and you maintain...you don't have a side!

Get real.

Original Mike said...

"As it looms, you may wonder, where was Obama when you were marching and chanting and drumming last year protesting Scott Walker?"

Chumps.

Darrell said...

The big news is that a lot of voters decided they couldn't vote for Obama a long time ago. They also decided that they were going to keep that under their hat--they didn't want the confrontation--or even want to talk about it. They were going to sit this one out, for the most part. After the first debate, some--not all--decided to vote for Romney because they saw someone different than the picture that had been painter by the media.
Looking at all the numbers, including early voting, I think that most States are in play--even Illinois. Look at the absentee count in Chicago--the lowest in several election cycles and a good source of manufactured votes. From all the Benghazi talk I'm hearing in Chicago, it's going to play a bigger role than the Lefties here are hoping. It might go down as the issue that sealed Romney's victory. Everyone can see that Obama and the Media kicked the can down the road until after the election.

Right is right! said...

Ms. Althouse,

How can you stand to live in such a looney ugly place? Madison sounds just awful. Why don't you live in Waukesha County? As a college professor you don't need to be on campus everyday and you don't need to be there at all in the summer. Why you willingly surround yourself with mean ugly people in a trashy over-taxed poorly runned city is a real mystery.

campy said...

Uh huh. You call him Zero

And what have you seen me call the other guy?

sakredkow said...

Okay, what's your pet name for the other guy, campy?

Bob Ellison said...

I think Romney will win PA, too. Chuck Todd said on The Today Show this morning that Romney's topline count of electoral votes is 315. That's my guess.

Kris said...

This is what hypocrisy looks like.

Shouting Thomas said...

Will Wisconsin take a break from politics after the election?

Non-stop yammering from my FB friends for six months. I wish they'd shut up and find something else to do.

SomeoneHasToSayIt said...


What an embarrassment for Madison.

New motto: "Yes, We're THAT Stupid"

the wolf said...

Campaigning in Madison is like campaigning in his own house--very little to gain. I was in southern Wisconsin over the weekend and the Romney/Ryan signs dominate by a huge margin.

FreePeopleandFreeMarkets said...

I can’t make it to tne rally but if I could I’d gather 4 other friends to hold up 4 large placards in view of the students going into and out of the rally.

A graphic showing unemployment the last four years, one showing labor participation rate the last four years, one showing the national debt the last four years and the CBO projection the next four – possibly with a line noting “you students will have to pay for this”, and finally a graphic showing unemployment and under-employment of recent college grads (I believe it is over 50%). And then perhaps a sign saying “Enjoy the Show, and if Obama wins, I hope you enjoy living in your parent’s basement”

And, just for good measure, and given its Guy Fawkes day, we’d all wear Occupy Wall Street/Guy Fawkes masks just to create even more cognitive dissonance for the students.

sakredkow said...

Campaigning in Madison is like campaigning in his own house--very little to gain.

Turnout turnout turnout.

chickelit said...

That they often like to live in enclaves surrounded by people who think just like they do.

Places like Madison used to be little bastions of free thinking, liberty, etc. Somewhere along the way they morphed into something which thought itself strong enough to become the dominant force(s) in intellectual, civic, & commercial American life. No longer reliant upon volition, they organized into forces. Tomorrow they will be tested on this point and the result will be bolster or retreat.

Unknown said...

you seem a little cranky this morning phx. I'm feeling great.

Curious George said...

Waste of time, WI will go Romney.

And you hit it right Althouse, Walker's Victory Centers were taken over by Romney. The GOP ground game here is textbook case on how to do it right.

ricpic said...

I wonder, will there be any Why Did You Kill Chris Stevens? signs in the crowd, or would that be, ya know, too raw?

Shouting Thomas said...

I think we should have a six week period after the election during which it is a capital offense to discuss politics.

Anybody who violates this law will be summarily executed in the back yard without trial!

Please guys. Go look at some dirty pictures, or read about sports... or something.

Anonymous said...
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chickelit said...

Shouting Thomas notes (among others): Non-stop yammering from my FB friends for six months. I wish they'd shut up and find something else to do.

When I was back in Wisconsin last summer families were still split and not talking to each other over the Walker recall. It's hard to image this not repeating nationwide.

There is one choice with a proven track record of divisiveness; there is another untested choice calling for a return to core unity.

"Fringes will always be fringes, but let them not unhinge us."

sakredkow said...

@Paul Risenhoover: I doubt it's related to the election.

When people say something the wrong way I sometimes overreact.

Sometimes I say something the wrong way, too.

I completely accepted Bush's getting the decision from the SCOTUS in 2000 and I'd like everyone to respect the decision in 2012. No way that's gonna happen though.

Curious George said...

"phx said...
Turnout turnout turnout."

I can't believe that Obama's turnout in Madison will exceed what the Walker Recall produced. And Walker won huge. What you are watching is "going away" party for Choom. He's toast here in WI.

sakredkow said...

I think we should have a six week period after the election during which it is a capital offense to discuss politics.

Wisdom from ST. Except I'm going to immediately start arguing that CP needs to be abolished.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, come to Waukesha county Ann and Meade, I'll go to Madison instead of staying here with these mean ugly people in Waukesha County.

sakredkow said...

We should have a thread where we all make our final predictions so we can either laugh in each other's faces or start with the I told you sos.

Original Mike said...

"Campaigning in Madison is like campaigning in his own house--very little to gain."

Voter fraud requires motivation.

Shouting Thomas said...

My final prediction is that either Romney or Obama will win, that the recriminations will start immediately, and none of will make a fucking bit of difference in your lives.

Well, maybe a little.

Original Mike said...

"I wonder, will there be any Why Did You Kill Chris Stevens? signs in the crowd, or would that be, ya know, too raw?"

I thinking just his picture.

sakredkow said...

As always (kidding!) you are right Shouting Thomas. Recriminations, accusations no matter which side wins, and it sure won't make a lick of difference that we can tell.

For one thing, you can never say with certainty "It would have been so much better if so and so won the election."

I'm a believer in the consequences of unintended results. I have a deep sense of humility that tells me I don't really know for sure what is best for my country or for the world.

Edgehopper said...

I drove up to Green Bay from Chicago on Saturday for the Packers game. Over the entire trip, I saw maybe 3 Obama signs, and countless Romney/Ryan and Tommy for Senate signs. At the tailgate, there were plenty of tables with Romney/Ryan signs, none with Obama signs (just one of the houses on Lombardi Ave. Based on that, Madison's going to need a ton of votes to stay Democrat.

sane_voter said...

Romney 295
Obama 243

a psychiatrist who learned from veterans said...

“Vivre le Trotskyville Libre!” Trotskyville (Madison).

Ignorance is Bliss said...

phx said...

I have a deep sense of humility that tells me I don't really know for sure what is best for my country or for the world.

That is what motivated me to choose my screen name.

On the other hand, I'm quite confident that I'm less ignorant than most of the people in government who are trying to micro-manage the country.

test said...

This morning I'm thinking about the leftist activists who threatened to withhold support for Obama because he shunned them in their hour of need. Mostly I'm wondering "why are you doing exactly what you said you wouldn't"?. Support is always a one way street with Democratic politicians. But then their policies are one way too [money goes to them and nothing comes back] so that seems appropriate. The question is why people fight for politicians who promise goodies but return nothing.

sakredkow said...

The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.


Always so.

Shouting Thomas said...

The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.


People need something to occupy their time, and somebody to blame.

David said...

Walker won the recall handily because enough people were pissed off over the notion of the recall. It was a bad idea by the Democrats, but I don't think it translates into much for the presidential election. The notion that it greatly improved Republican "ground game" is just more wishful thinking.

William said...

I think it is telling that BHO is spending his last campaign day (in part) in Madison. While the inevitable adoration will be soothing, it seems desperate.

The President will not move the needle here in MSN. If he wanted to generate turn out, he should have campaigned in LaCrosse or the Chippewa Valley.

@rightisright, Madison politics are annoying and at times despicable. It is, nevertheless, a fabulous place to live. Don't get me wrong, I really like Waukesha, but political compatibility is not the driving criteria where I would want to live.

David said...

These students have already voted. A significant number have voted twice, in their home districts and in Madison. Their work is done. Back to snoozing and partying.

carrie said...

My office window looks down Carroll Street to State Street and there has been a steady stream of people--mainly baby boomers and not very many college students, but it is early--I think they will get the 80,000 people they are looking for. I don't think that Bruce Springsteen is a big draw for college students but he will be a huge draw for the baby boomers. They are giving everyone Obama-Biden stickers to wear and it looks like most people are wearing them. Some people with pro-life signs are also in the mix of people.

David said...

Obama is coming to Madison again for optics.

It's one of the few places he can reliably turn out a large crowd.

He dares not play to half a house on the eve of the election.

dreams said...

I'm so glad I live in a red state. I lived in Louisville, Ky for thirty some years and its kind of liberal. People in rural Ky think Louisville is a dangerous place, I guess because they're always reading about the killings in the poor black sections of the city.

Molly said...

If Wisconsin goes Romney, won't people look back at the recall, Supreme Court bruhaha, etc., and wonder if those events took too much energy (and money) out of the unions get-out-the-vote effort? Obama's visit today seems to be aimed at the young people (in Madison and across the country) to urge them to renew their 2008 enthusiasm for Obama. But that's young people, not unions.

This is another reason that makes Wisconsin an especially interesting race this year.

TWM said...

"I have a deep sense of humility that tells me I don't really know for sure what is best for my country or for the world."

My God what nonsense . . .

Matt Sablan said...

If Wisconsin goes red, Romney's win will probably be safe enough that it won't all have come down to Wisconsin.

sakredkow said...

My God what nonsense . . .

Simple to say that. The challenge is to say why you think so.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Campaigning in Madison is like campaigning in his own house--very little to gain.

Quite so. It is all about having some nice optics. A big crowd, even if it is full of [as Althouse says] people just lending their bodies for Obama's photo op.

Preaching to the choir. Listening to the echo chamber. As always. Obama....taking the easy route instead of doing the heavy lifting.

dreams said...

"I have a deep sense of humility that tells me I don't really know for sure what is best for my country or for the world."

Typical liberal Dem, they feel strongly, think weakly.

Shouting Thomas said...

I'll restate for phx:

I think that the candidate I'll vote for will accomplish [X] and that his policies will be [Y], but I sure as hell can't be sure that that is what will actually happen.

Because, in the past, there's been little evidence that there is a large correspondence between what the candidate says and what he does when elected.

And, reality gets in the way, too.

Nathan Alexander said...

I'd like everyone to respect the decision in 2012. No way that's gonna happen though.

Depends on what you mean by "respect the decision".

If Obama wins:

Will I complain about stolen election, threaten to move, claim the nation is doomed, or call the electorate stupid?

No.

Will I give up on pushing Obama to at least tell us what the US Govt already knows about the circumstances surrounding Stevens death?

No, because that isn't election-related, that's governance-related. Meaning, it impacts the election, but doesn't go away when the election ends.

Will I take steps to try to minimize the damage to personal life and financial situation from a 2nd Obama term?

Of course.

Will I push the Republican Congress to do everything it can to block Obama's policies?

Absolutely. Especially if they increase their numbers in both houses (as looks likely right now), giving Congress a mandate to obstruct.

And will I cheer every time a leftist/Keynesian/anti-business policy move by Obama fails?

Without a doubt.

But that is because I'm a citizen, not a subject.

dreams said...

I think Romney carries Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and maybe Michigan. Romney by a landslide.

ndspinelli said...

Be forewarned. That house swap w/ Inga would mean caring for 53 cats and aluminum foil over the windows.

Original Mike said...

"I have a deep sense of humility that tells me I don't really know for sure what is best for my country or for the world."

Aren't you a big government guy? Nobody does hubris better than the government.

Kirk Parker said...

Rick67,

It is not your imagination.

Drago said...

I see that Clinton and Richard Trumka are headed into Pittsburgh today for a rally.

In PA?

How can that be?

The left has been telling us that PA is not in play, haven't they?

But, but the Pittsburg market covers eastern Ohio and it will help bolster dem hopes there as Richard Trumka will stand up and tell coal industry workers that it is very important for coal workers to support the man who wants to shut down their industry.

But if PA is not in play, why wouldn't you just go rally in Ohio if that is where the real battle lay?

edutcher said...

What dreams said.

I also think the Romster will take NV, NM, possibly OR, and maybe Jersey - given the events of the last few days.

Be interesting to see how close NY is.

Steve Austin said...

I wonder if Obama will face any hecklers in Madison today?

I wonder if people will walk out halfway through as they did in VA.

Nathan Alexander said...

My gutsy call:
A combination of enthusiasm/turnout favoring R and Romney raking in a 22-pt lead with independents means that the poll averages you see will shift 7 full points to Romney in votes cast.

That means that even Oregon and Minnesota go for Romney, resulting in
355 electoral votes for Romney vs 183 for Obama.

The same thing will happen in the Senate, where the GOP will end up with a clear majority but fall short of a filibuster-proof lead with 56 Senators.

The number of GOP Governors and Representatives will also increase.

But the MSM will still claim Romney lacks any sort of mandate at all, in any way.

The only uncertain point is what excuse they will offer in trying to deny the mandate.

My map:
nt/obama_vs_romney_create_your_own_electoral_college_map.html?map=HI_1,AK_5,FL_6,NH_7,MI_7,VT_1,ME_2,ME2_7,RI_1,NY_1,PA_7,NJ_2,DE_1,MD_1,VA_6,WV_5,OH_7,IN_6,IL_1,CT_2,WI_7,NC_5,DC_1,MA_1,TN_5,AR_5,MO_6,GA_6,SC_6,KY_5,AL_5,LA_5,MS_5,IA_7,MN_7,OK_5,TX_5,NM_2,KS_5,NE_5,NE2_6,SD_6,ND_5,WY_5,MT_6,CO_7,ID_5,UT_5,AZ_7,NV_7,OR_7,WA_1,CA_1

MadisonMan said...

I actually had an election worker come to the house yesterday, asking whether I've voted, and if my wife voted. I told him I had and my wife hadn't, and that I thought our votes cancelled each other out.

Not sure if that last phrase is true.

PatCA said...

I'd like to hear your analysis of how WI can be so close in the pools when the Repubs have had these crushing victories in the last couple of years.

I don't get it.

edutcher said...

After hearing about the big rally for the Romster in Bucks County (which is the Leftiest of the Philadelphia 'burbs), I think Insta's "preference cascade" is well under way.

I'm also wondering if tomorrow night is going to look like the night of the Walker recall.

Calypso Facto said...

I'd like to hear your analysis of how WI can be so close in the pools when the Repubs have had these crushing victories in the last couple of years.

Remember that the Walker recall election was held during the summer, when the college kids were sitting back home on their couches and not being driven flock-like to the polls by their benevolent Democrat Party shepherds.

I'm sticking by my prediction of a Romney win here, but I don't envision it being by much....

Roger J. said...

If I may say, with the respect to the election tomorrow. My friend PHX and shared a conversation that is, i think, worth repeating:

The election is close and both PHX and I will respect the will of the electorate. (I think I encapsulated PHXs response) PHX leans left, and I lean right. That said, it is important that the nation goes on.

sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Darrell said...

Anyone watching those on-campus voting locations in Wisconsin where students take as many ballots as they can fill out--only limited by when they get bored?

Chicago area students attending Wisc. colleges told me they had done that in 2000 and 2004. But heck, what would they know?

sakredkow said...

Both my friends Shouting Thomas and Roger J have spoken for me in this thread.

bagoh20 said...

"Obama will win by a landslide in Madison..."

Here in CA I know the feeling. It's like being on a runaway bus full of kids who force you to the back and won't let you take the wheel. Crazy-eyed children of the corn chanting accusation as the bus careens toward the cliff.

Actually, Madison being surrounded by the rest of Wisconsin, is in nowhere near as bad a situation. All you Madisonians should thank a non-Madisonian Wisconsinite today. Just say: "Thanks for taking the wheel."

edutcher said...

We all must abide by the honest vote.

We do, however, have the right not to be happy about it. On that score, it might be incumbent to remind the Lefties that a lot of people on the Right - granted, not all - were willing to give Barry the benefit of the doubt.

What he did with that benefit is another matter.

Roger J. said...

PHX--my pleasure sir--it is possible to disagree on policy choices, and even as to candidates. But we should, as you do, keep our eye on the ball which, IMO, is the Republic. At the end of the day, we need to respect the electoral choices of all Americans.

sakredkow said...

On that score, it might be incumbent to remind the Lefties that a lot of people on the Right - granted, not all - were willing to give Barry the benefit of the doubt.

Now you know how guys like me felt with George W.

It doesn't bother me that people will be unhappy with the results. What bothers me is if there's a sentiment that the result wasn't bona fide or legal.

We've seen too much of that IMO.

Paul said...

"We do, however, have the right not to be happy about it. On that score, it might be incumbent to remind the Lefties that a lot of people on the Right - granted, not all - were willing to give Barry the benefit of the doubt."

And each and every one of them was a damn fool.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

People _said_ they would give Obama the benefit of the doubt. What exactly did that mean? He hadn't been accused of a crime and this wasn't the presumption of innocence. It's supposed to be a nice-sounding phrase that's based in fact in delusional or mendacious thinking. I believe it meant people would support him until such time as he actually did something they disagreed with. People who said this either imagined he would not govern as a Democrat (albeit a centrist one) -- that was delusional -- or they said it knowing he would and thus with the full expectation their "support" would be withdrawn almost immediately -- that was mendacious.

Brendan McManus

Anonymous said...

Yes, thank me a Waukesha resident, for taking the wheel. And I have only one cat and naked windows, the view being beautiful. Ann and Meade would love my 1930's era lake house. Bonus, a gorgeous spaniel springer lives next door, he loves to play throw rocks in lake, he fetches. Its not the plumber.

William said...

@Unknown. The President was given the benefit of the doubt because he was spectacularly unqualified for the job.

In 2007 (or there about) Jesse Jackson said something like "Barack Obama has never run anything but his mouth"

His ascent to the Presidency was the culmination of very little in the way of actual accomplishment or experience. Yes, he was a US Senator for 4 years when elected. But he was a US Senator for about 4 days when he started to run for President

Original Mike said...

"Now you know how guys like me felt with George W."

How could we not know how people like you felt about BushHitler?

dbp said...

Here is what I wrote about Obama right before he got elected: I think it has held-up pretty well.

To those on the left-hand side of the Democratic party, a vote for Senator Obama is totally rational. He is as liberal a candidate as his party has run in recent history. This article is not for you, if you fit into the above category. This is for a class of Obama supporter which can be represented by Christopher Buckley:

But having a first-class temperament and a first-class intellect, President Obama will (I pray, secularly) surely understand that traditional left-politics aren’t going to get us out of this pit we’ve dug for ourselves. If he raises taxes and throws up tariff walls and opens the coffers of the DNC to bribe-money from the special interest groups against whom he has (somewhat disingenuously) railed during the campaign trail, then he will almost certainly reap a whirlwind that will make Katrina look like a balmy summer zephyr.

I think these people are mistaken when they think Obama will be pragmatic: Here are two reasons why.

1. In the April 16th Democratic debate, Charles Gibson pointed-out that when cap gains tax rates are lowered, the government takes in more revenue. Obama responded (to the effect) that it was a matter of "fairness". This is not the mind of a pragmatic person.

2. History: Back when Bill Clinton was first elected President, he too had a Democratic Congress. He tried to finesse a progressive agenda. It didn't work. The things he got done were not all that radical, but they were radical enough to loose him both houses of Congress. The only significant legislative accomplishments from then on were moderate/conservative in nature (Nafta and Welfare Reform). He never got another chance to push-forward anything remotely progressive.

Obama is smart enough to realize that if he does what Clinton did, he will have no legacy. If he rams-through big stuff in the first two years it won't matter if Congress goes Republican. The Republicans will not get veto-proof majorities and will thus not be able to reverse any of what he does in the first two years.

The pragmatic camp will regret their hope that Obama doesn't mean to do what he has promised to do.

ADDED: Yes, I know that Obama's 180 on taking public financing argue that he is indeed pragmatic. Yes, if pragmatic=dishonest. This only benefited him personally, as I have argued above; he will not gain anything from being pragmatic once in office.

edutcher said...

phx said...

On that score, it might be incumbent to remind the Lefties that a lot of people on the Right - granted, not all - were willing to give Barry the benefit of the doubt.

Now you know how guys like me felt with George W.


But the Righties did wish Barry well, for the most part.

The Lefties did no such thing.

It doesn't bother me that people will be unhappy with the results. What bothers me is if there's a sentiment that the result wasn't bona fide or legal.

We've seen too much of that IMO.


1960 comes to mind among others (although I recall very little grousing at the time), but '00 wasn't in that ballpark. The Demos tried to massage it that way, but the numbers weren't there.

edutcher said...

William said...

@Unknown. The President was given the benefit of the doubt because he was spectacularly unqualified for the job.

In 2007 (or there about) Jesse Jackson said something like "Barack Obama has never run anything but his mouth"


That was Marion Barry talking about the Rev Jessuh and his Presidential aspirations.

Rev Jessuh wanted to emasculate Barry, an interesting choice of violence, given it's racial history.

Original Mike said...

Regarding a "bona fide" result, I hope the election is decisive enough (either way) that we don't get any of the lawsuit and recount stuff.

Mumpsimus said...

Do the young folk care about seeing Bruce Springsteen?

Well as I recall, us boomers couldn't get enough of the music of our parents' generation. We'd camp out overnight to score Perry Como tickets.

Darrell said...

I hope the election is decisive enough (either way) that we don't get any of the lawsuit and recount stuff.

Too late.

The Democrats have already deployed a record number of legal teams around the country to keep polls open past their closing time and challenge election results.

dreams said...

I hope we know early on that Romney is going to win so I can enjoy the night as I continue to watch the results. A close election will not be good for our country. The best result would be a big Romney victory so that it will be accepted and we can get on with doing what needs to be done.

dreams said...

The Dems are totally ruthless and will cheat big time to win, they're unscrupulous.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

phx,

People with a "deep sense of humility" generally don't want to broadcast to everyone how deep their sense of humility is. Just sayin'.

Roger J. said...

What dreams said--I dont think the results will be close, but we will know in a matter of hours.

Rusty said...

phx said...
@Paul Risenhoover: I doubt it's related to the election.

When people say something the wrong way I sometimes overreact.

Sometimes I say something the wrong way, too.

I completely accepted Bush's getting the decision from the SCOTUS in 2000 and I'd like everyone to respect the decision in 2012. No way that's gonna happen though.

Why not?
Among intelligent conservatives it's taken for granted that progressives are going to cheat like mad. It's just something progressives and democrats do. Rioting when outcomes are not to their liking is something else progressives and democrats do.
When Romney wins despite all the progressive vote fraud you will whine and complain and riot or threaten to riot. It's just something you do.

edutcher said...

dreams said...

I hope we know early on that Romney is going to win so I can enjoy the night as I continue to watch the results. A close election will not be good for our country. The best result would be a big Romney victory so that it will be accepted and we can get on with doing what needs to be done.

If they call PA (or Jersey, or even CT or NY - not likely, but people are mad) early, it's over.

chickelit said...

Inga says: And I have only one cat and naked windows, the view being beautiful.

Are you the neighborhood Marxist cat lady?

sakredkow said...

People with a "deep sense of humility" generally don't want to broadcast to everyone how deep their sense of humility is. Just sayin'.

LOL! It never occurred to me that having a deep sense of humility about not knowing for sure what's right for the country is a sign of pridefulness!

We live in an age where everyone's apparently looking for a reason to show you up or be offended by you.

sakredkow said...

But the Righties did wish Barry well, for the most part.

The Lefties did no such thing.


Excerpt from edutcher's book: History As I See It

Big Mike said...

In a truly fair universe the election would come down to Staten Island, which would mean that Obama would be sent packing.

But Staten Island committed the blasphemy of voting for a Republican for Congress, the Democrat candidate being too much of a hack even for a borough of New York City, so they've been left to dig out from Sandy on their own.

Ruth Anne Adams said...

Althouse,
The correct name of the show that Priebus was on is called "State of the Union," hosted by Candy Crawley. You might've mixed up the title with Bob Schieffer's "Face the Nation."

purplepenquin said...

Madison sounds just awful

If this blog was your only source of info about the city then it would sure seem that way, eh?

And yet Madison is constantly on the top of "Best Cities" for all kinds of different categories.

*shrug*

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Richard Bublitz said...

It is somewhat amusing to read this some 10 days after the election, and then reading all the "what happened" and "election fraud" allegations since then, and that the armed forces vote not included because those votes were received a day late - after being sent 8 months ago. And that "Benghazi" thing, and the price of gas going back up. The national debt approaching 17 trillion and Harry Reid stating that the debt limit will be raised another $2 (some) trillion saying "thats a fact, it's the way things are done". And the administration will start discussions on how to deal with the economy - talking to labor leaders on the first day. And new regulations mount every day.

The time will come that the democrats will change their name to the labor party - because that's what they are.