I cast my vote and as I walk into the hallway outside the room with the voting booths, this sign hits me in the face:
Obvious wisecrack: I know, I heard the latest Barack Obama speech.
Anyway, yes, I vote in a church, here in the heart of the liberal politics.
Now, let's go and get to work.
AND: This post shows all the things that interest me more than on-the-ground politics: beauty, religion, humor, rhetoric, photography... But someone just reminded me that what people want to know is: How's the turnout? I arrived around 11 and didn't have to wait, but the woman who checked me in said they'd had over 400 people so far and that was "pretty good." There was a regular flow of people in and out of the place. Here on campus, I don't see anyone passing out fliers or trying to talk to passersby. It seems like a normal (cold) day. So, from my little vantage point, I'd say there's a good but not insane turnout.
Posts
33 comments:
I vote in a church school basement. #300something this morning. In my neighborhood, the only yard signs -- perched loftily on humongous snow banks -- are for Obama. Does he carry Madison and Milwaukee by enough to overwhelm Hillary's edge in other parts of the state? I don't know.
The church you voted in is the same denomination as the church where Obama is a member.
Wow. Althouse voting for Obama along with all the other dirty hippies in the heart of communist Madison. Oh my. Mingle with any fellow dangerous anti-war types?
I still think that Obama is a spell-binding demagogue.
He's just too good to be true.
And when you try to find anything of substance in anything he's said, there's no there there.
So I prefer Billary.
I love all the snapshots, and am glad you took the fish eye lens off!
I felt actually nauseous looking at those photos for some reason. Why isn't everyone having that physical effect?
(I feel this when I hear Obama speak, but it's because I suspect he is not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, of what he's plotting.)
I'd say there's a good but not insane turnout.
Crap-what to do with this on Intrade?
Hmmmmm does that portent Hillary or Obama?
If you get a chance to listen to Rush today, you'll hear that Obama peddles only hope. That Obama never talks about work; doing the work necessary to get things done. Evidently Rush is relying on his listeners not listening to any of Obama's speeches.
If there was an "insane" turnout -I'd figure write -ins for Ron!
Turn out seemed average at 9 am at my polling place. The counter on the ballot scanner was about 280.
Kirby Olson said...
And when you try to find anything of substance in anything he's said, there's no there there.
You are entitled to your vote and your opinion, but please, humor me and cite the substance in anything Hillary has said, or for that matter, even done.
Alan said...
If you get a chance to listen to Rush today, you'll hear that Obama peddles only hope. That Obama never talks about work; doing the work necessary to get things done.
So, there is no difference between Hillary and Obama then.
"So, there is no difference between Hillary and Obama then."
I don't know. Has Obama ever turned $1,000 into $100,000 trading cattle futures?
Oh, I can't listen to any of the Democrats any longer. I think what each one is really saying is:
I am a woman, or,
I am an African American,
vote for me because of my gender,
or my race,
because I have a different gender, or I have a different skin color.
but other than that?
You're right, Middle Class Guy!
They're the same beneath the race and gender differentiation.
One speaks better, and looks better, and is more telegenic.
They probably do have ideas (I think Obama is planning to do a LOT more about about reparations and thatit's going to cost hundreds of billions), but they're not going to show those cards until we've elected one or the other.
Who knows?
It's like the ? mark on the candy machine.
With McCain, on the other hand, you know more or less what you're getting. He's going to bomb Iran.
Now Barak Obama is a dignified, decent man with both style and a gentle and soothing demeanor. He seems to be a good man but some of his associations and prior business dealings might be open to some questions. He might be tossed to the winds as events unfold. He reminds me very much of a mayor of my experience. David Dinkins.
Now John McCain is an older gentleman with sliver hair with a lot of experience who gets a little excited and sometimes can get a little confused as to the details. He seems to be a good man but some of his prior associations and business dealings have a bad smell. He might not be able to handle crises at his advanced age and uncertain temperament. He reminds me very much of a mayor of my experience. Abe Beame.
We’re fucked.
Numbing blue shade on this gelid day
But the sky above shines bright;
Brisk round of chores, cocoa home reward --
A twofer winter delight.
Kirby Olson said...
"I think Obama is planning to do a LOT more about about reparations and thatit's going to cost hundreds of billions"
What makes you say this?
The Chicago Tribune quoted Obama on this.
"Asked in Moline about a controversial demand by some blacks for reparations for slavery, Obama spoke about how slavery had left a stain on the country that has yet to be eradicated. Still, he said, he opposes "just signing checks over to African-Americans.""
Abe Beame: Mr. Excitement
General Dinkins sure loved sitting around in his tennis whites at Forest Hills studiously avoiding Crown Heights.
Triangle Man said...
The Chicago Tribune quoted Obama
"he opposes just signing checks over to African-Americans.""
Jeeez, if this president thing doesn't work out, do you think he could buy the Knicks?
And David Lee doesn't get a dime either.
TriangleMan, that's an interesting quote in the Tribune, and I was a little disappointed to find that clicking through, there was no more context than that. I'd want to know what the surrounding context of the quote is, because, from that quote, couldn't one infer that he supports some kind of reparations, merely disagreeing on a particular method of dishing them out?
Still, he said, he opposes "just signing checks over to African-Americans." (emphasis added)
I get it. Signing checks over to African-Americans is only a beginning.
Soooooooo,
Trooper, what you left unsaid is that Hillary reminds one of Bella Abzug?
Lugosi, Middle Class Guy.
Bella Lugosi.
So I prefer Billary.
She's planning to garnish your wages if you don't buy health insurance. "There has to be a negative outcome" for those who don't participate, according to a staffer.
My Way
or the Highway -- Queen Hillary
Obama as Knicks owner? Anyone would be better than Dolan.
My question is why Kirby Olson thinks Obama is planning to do anything, much less "a LOT more about reparations". After poking around Google I did not find much of substance to indicate that this was a serious issue for an Obama presidency. It seems like the kind of thing supporters of his political opponents would introduce as FUD about Obama.
Triangle Man,
He said he would not pass out checks to individuals but he did say he wanted to give money to African American institutions -- and has said that some buildings in North Carolina constituted a corridor of shame. He also said in Ebony MAgazine that forgiving student loans would be another method of reparations.
So he's not going to directly hand out checks, but he's going to somehow do this through educational institutions.
But he won't say how much he's willing to commit, or when.
I just think he's thinking in hundreds of billions, but I have no proof. It's hard to do the math when he speaks in such vague generalities as "forgiving student loans," (which in some cases as for instance for a medical degree can go as high as 300,000 or more per person), or revamping buildings (each building could cost as much as 10 million dollars).
But, he's not going to talk about specifics, and perhaps, perhaps, he's just saying these things to lead voters to the well, when he's not planning anything at all except to get elected, and to play ball with Congress.
He's just a mystery! He's just one big adventure!
McCain just has to take a small dose of some beta blocker for the temper thing, and he'd be okay.
The point is to keep your heart from racing. That fools you into thinking everything's okay because your heart isn't racing. So you stay calm.
Concert violinists take it all the time.
Weil, the mayor is a mayor called the Mayor Abe Beame
And they dreamed up this here Big Mac scheme
Well, that big scheme kinda petered out
And President Ford had to bail them out
I don’t think his heart was in it though
--Talking Big Apple '75, Loudon Wainwright III
Kirby,
Have you actually read the Ebony Magazine article you refer to? Can you please provide a cite, I'd like to go to the library and read it.
Once again, the voters in a relatively obscure state will have a profound (and disproportionate) impact on who the nominee will be.
“For the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country …"
--Michelle Obama
“I love cheese.”
--Blogonaut
It is a sad fact that not everyone loves America....but everyone loves
cheese.
Trooper York said...
It is a sad fact that not everyone loves America....but everyone loves
cheese.
Yeah, especially stinky, runny French cheese.
Rich creamy cheddar. Milky mozzarella. Sharp provolone. Piquant asiago. Swiss. Pepper Jack. Gruyere. Limburger. Brie. Cheese how I love thee. Let me count the ways.
TOOMANYJIMS,
The article was a sidebar in a longer article. I glanced through it on the stands. I think the cover announced something about the candidates' stands, and in there, Obama was quoted as saying that he was thinking about reparations in terms of forgiveness of student loans. He was careful to say that that the forgiveness of loans was NOT entirely for African Americans, but then how else would it be reparations? At any rate, he was asked DIRECTLY about reparations, and there it was. He's also said that he wants to give money to educational institutions that serve African Americans as a form of reparations. He knows it's a hot issue, and he's playing it both ways, I think, to get votes, but not to get too many people up in arms against him. So I don't know what he means, really. I think he tries to keep it that way on most topics.
That issue -- was maybe October 2007? You could leaf through a few of those if you have a big library close by that would have it, scanning the cover for an aritcle that says something like, the candidates on African American issues.
Ah, cheeze. All its various forms. Hard, soft, runny, flaky, crumbly. All the various was to cut the cheese...
Oh, never mind.
Post a Comment