October 20, 2008

People are waiting in line for hours to vote in Florida.

Where voting started today.

***

And Obama's not coming to Madison. Yeah, I didn't see much point to it. He's already got Madison.

UPDATE: Obama is traveling to Hawaii to see his grandmother, who is "gravely ill."

98 comments:

Peter Hoh said...

You think Obama will visit North Dakota? At the very least, it might force McCain to follow suit.

How about Alaska? Or Arizona? Y'know, just to get under McCain's skin.

Revenant said...

I just plan to call up my local ACORN representative and ask her to put me down for ten votes for Obama. It saves time waiting in that long line just to affirm the inevitable.

Simon said...

Hmm. It turns out that nothing you've ever seen before is just like any cancellation you've seen before. How apt: it's telegraphing the content of his administration as performance art.

ricpic said...

I hear Nurse Ratchet Victoria is patrolling the lines with a bullwhip, cracking hard should anyone dare a less than fawning comment regarding The Magic Negro.

Bissage said...

People are waiting in line for hours to vote in Florida.

Can we be absolutely sure they don’t think they’re going to get in to see the Phish reunion tour?

Henry said...

...it's going to be nothing like anything you've ever seen before.

Well that prediction turned out to be correct.

Unknown said...

In memory of all those old folks who have passed on and who could not vote the way they wanted in 2000 due to the confusing butterfly ballots, thousands of voluteers will be casting votes in their names.

ricpic said...

America: undone by the polling power of dull normals.

MadisonMan said...

I think his campaign finally saw the weather forecast for thursday here: Cloudy with showers, temperatures near 50. Who's gonna stand outside for that?

Host with the Most said...

I just plan to call up my local ACORN representative and ask her to put me down for ten votes for Obama.

They put me down for 5 votes, my dead father for 2, my out-of-state brother for 3, and my illegal immigrant, under the table gardener for 42.

The Acorn Family Plan!

Simon said...

SteveR said...
"In memory of all those old folks who have passed on and who could not vote the way they wanted in 2000 due to the confusing butterfly ballots, thousands of voluteers will be casting votes in their names."

I have a suggestion to reform the ballot in order to avoid such problems. It's real simple. All we do is move to a 100% write-in ballot. We eliminate the names of the candidates from the ballot entirely. You get a list of positions, and you write in the name of the candidate you prefer for each position. This not only makes the intent of the voter absolutely and unmistakably clear, it prevents voters who haven't been paying attention from messing it up for those who have. If you don't know the name of your party's nominee for Governor, you don't know enough to be voting for the position.

Tongue only partly in cheek.

TitusIranSoFar said...

My parents are going to see Obama on Thursday. They went to see John Kerry four years ago. I spoke with my mom today who said that lesbian rocker was with Kerry (she meant Melissa Etheridge). I wonder who Obama will have with him.

TitusIranSoFar said...

You know what I think would be hilarious, but won't happen.

The NY Times endorse Mccain. that would be totally cool.

Anonymous said...

Good thing people are voting early. By doing so they will have more time to get out of town before the Big Attack happens, right after BHO ascends to the presidency.

Joe Biden promised that it will happen, and I trust Joe. He probably already knows who will attack, and where. I'd keep an eye on his travel plans, and not go anywhere he isn't

Sprezzatura said...

Maybe there's a soccer game on Thursday.

Anonymous said...

Joe Biden may be one heartbeat away from the presidency some day, but he's one consonant away from Joe Bidet now.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Trooper York said...

You ever notice that you never see Barack Obama and Janet Jackson in the same place at the same time?

I mean he cancels this appearance
and Janet just cancelled a bunch of concert dates. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Unknown said...

Simon, you'll disenfranchise people who can't read.

Anonymous said...

It's a little known fact that the fish taco was invented on the same day as the bidet.

TitusIranSoFar said...

Let's talk about the potato.

Did all of you know the UN (I know horrible commie organization) declared 2008 the international year of the potato.

Let's celebrate the potato.

TitusIranSoFar said...

Peter, the question is why would anyone visit North Dakota?

TitusIranSoFar said...

What is the most fabulous city in North Dakota?

Fargo?

Bismarck?

Anonymous said...

I saw a video of people voting in Florida. It was very interesting.

Most of those fancy new Diebold electronic booths being used in Florida had the left turn blinker flashing. The poll worker said that was to make the voters feel like they are in a normal environment.

TitusIranSoFar said...

Grand Forks?

Mccloskey?

Washburn?

Dickinson?

What is North Dakota's saying?

Like Wisconsin is America's Dairyland.

What is North Dakota?

North Dakota never gets any credit. Let's celebrate North Dakota.

Expat(ish) said...

Here in NC they put in extra polling booths outside an Obama rally to handle all the voters. No kidding. Of course that county is 100% Democrat controlled (we're locally blue nationally red)(or were) and the Republicans are squawking.

Good luck to 'em.

-XC

Anonymous said...

What is the most fabulous city in North Dakota?

Sturgis. Go there in August for the biker rally. Wear your best leather.

Trooper York said...

It has long been speculated that the fish taco was invented in 1456 by Aztec priest who were devotees of the Aztec deity Chicomecoatl the goddess of food and produce. She was the goddess who blessed maize and came to earth to teach the people how to make corn tortillas which were then filled with many delicious toppings. Every September, she received a sacrifice of young girl, decapitated. This associated the worship of the goddess with giving head which of course lead to the development of the fish taco.
(Me and Mrs. Paul, The Story of the Fish Taco by Camille Paglia, Simon and Schuster 2008)

TitusIranSoFar said...

What county in NC is blue?

I would imagine Raleigh is pretty blue? All the elites, that are educated and working in biotech/pharma in triangle park.

Well part of NC is reddest? And what are the demographics?

TitusIranSoFar said...

Believe it or not I don't own anything with leather.

That is a myth about the homo.

Sure, there is a sub culture of leather queens but it is a minority.

Anonymous said...

North Dakota state motto: It's always windy in North Dakota because Canada blows and Minnesota sucks.

Titus, if you go to NoDak, see the western part of the state. The Black Hills are stunningly beautiful.

Simon said...

SteveR said...
"Simon, you'll disenfranchise people who can't read."

Moving from a ballot where they have to read the names of the candidates to one where they have to write the name of the candidate discriminates against people who can't read?

Anonymous said...

(Me and Mrs. Paul, The Story of the Fish Taco by Camille Paglia, Simon and Schuster 2008)

Camille Paglia and Paul Simon??? The imagination swirls in confusion.

Simon said...

TitusIranSoFar said...
"You know what I think would be hilarious, but won't happen[?] The NY Times endorse Mccain. that would be totally cool."

Your chances of seeing that headline in the New York Times are about the same as your chances of reading one accurately scooping my kinky tryst with Tina Fey and Sarah Palin, Titus.

Anonymous said...

But I digress, and offer the most sincere apologies for adding off-topic comments to a thread about 'people waiting in line for hours to vote.'

This should be expected. In bright sunlight people with advanced cataracts often misread signs.

Vote Here, for example, can look like Half Price Buffet Today to a senior citizen, squinting in the bright sunlight.

TitusIranSoFar said...

Black Hills ok.

Is there a rivalry between North Dakota and South Dakota where the other state thinks that it is better than the other one?

I am sure there is.

Are there any gays in North Dakota?

What size is the largest city? I am going to guess about 75,000.

Is Sioux Falls South Dakota pretty? I have seen pictures on the internets and it looks pretty.

I don't no nothing about:

North Dakota
South Dakota
Nebraska
Kansas
Oklahoma
New Mexico
Idaho
Utah
And I feel kind of bad about that. I know it is the pro america part of the country but other than that I don't know anything about it.

TitusIranSoFar said...

I know Simon but it would be hilarious.

Are you guys excited about Saw V coming to a theater this weekend?

integrity said...

Hopefully Obama will go to Georgia and South Carolina soon. Go for it! Gobama!

I voted October 10th, I wonder why these people don't get absentee ballots? I've never even been to a polling booth(actually they are in people's homes here, weird), who would want to?

Sprezzatura said...

A while back Duffy did a great North Dakota piece on TV Nation. I couldn't find a youtube clip. But, it is absolutely hilarious.

For some of us with North Dakota roots it was the funniest thing ever.

[Though I'm sure the urban victimology conservatives would have been offended because they'd say it picked on rural folks. They're so worried about the feelings of what they see as thin skinned rural folks. Of course, their patronizing attitude is the real insult.]

TitusIranSoFar said...

I don't even know if we have early voting here. I don't think we do.

It would be hot to do it in a voting booth.

Shut the curtain, pull pants down and just a little jerky jerky.

Donn said...

What is the most fabulous city in North Dakota?

Sturgis. Go there in August for the biker rally. Wear your best leather.


Um, Sturgis is in SD, not ND.

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

Um, Sturgis is in SD, not ND.

It was all a blur while I was there. A topless, tattooed, noisy, beer and Jack Daniels soaked blur.

Simon said...

TitusIranSoFar said...
"Are you guys excited about Saw V coming to a theater this weekend?"

Not nearly as excited as I was to learn that Bosch has a new cordless Circular Saw coming to a Home Depot this weekend.

"Saw V"? Must be a coastal thing.

ricpic said...

Don't be such a provincial, Titus. There's astounding beauty in the high plains. And yes, you won't lack for rural hog.

Simon said...

I must just not be "sophisticated" enough to know what Saw V is. Does it have to do with Henry V?

Donn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
integrity said...

Simon said...
I must just not be "sophisticated" enough to know what Saw V is. Does it have to do with Henry V?



It's one of those torture for thrills films, like Hostel. I really dislike the genre. They are gruesome.

TitusIranSoFar said...

Ricpic, I seriously do not know anything about ND other than what I observed watching the movie Fargo-which is one of my favorites. I love Marge Gunderson.

And you forget I come from a small town in Wisconsin. I have gone hunting, fishing, breakfasts on the farm, fish frys, auctions with farm machinery, tractor pulls, cowpie throwing contests, you name it.

I just don't know anything about ND.

TitusIranSoFar said...

Saw V is totally not sophisticated Simon. It is the opposite of sophisticated. It is a horror movie. But I love all of the Saw movies, I, II and III and IV.

And I love the Hostel movies.

I actually love horror movies this time of the year.

I just rented Exorcist on on demand and loved it. I never saw it before.

I also love the female tit.

Donn said...

MH,

I hope to go to Sturgis next year, right after the RAGBRAI* which takes place in Iowa the week before.

*The RAGBRAI is a bicycle ride from the West Coast of Iowa to the East Coast of Iowa, though my bike will have a motor!

TitusIranSoFar said...

I love watching a tit bounce in a tight pink, cream or black cashmere sweater.

There is nothing more human.

mccullough said...

WTF

I thought the point of voting early was not to wait in line.

And since this is Florida, how many people who voted today will be dead by Nov. 4?

For all those 1st time voters excited about Obama, this is just a little PSA. No matter how much you love the freshman senator, your vote counts the same as my lukewarm last minute vote for McCain.

mccullough said...

WTF

I thought the point of voting early was not to wait in line.

And since this is Florida, how many people who voted today will be dead by Nov. 4?

For all those 1st time voters excited about Obama, this is just a little PSA. No matter how much you love the freshman senator, your vote counts the same as my lukewarm last minute vote for McCain.

dhagood said...

err, the black hills are in SD as well.

ND has the badlands however, which are interesting...

TitusIranSoFar said...

There is a gay bar in Washington DC called The Badlands.

TitusIranSoFar said...

Does ND has the big sculpture of Paul Bunyan and babe the blue ox?

Where did they come from?

Or is that in Minnesota, maybe Maynard?

Simon said...

integrity said...
"It's one of those torture for thrills films, like Hostel. I really dislike the genre. They are gruesome."

I was being somewhat facetious, but I'll take the opportunity to agree wholeheartedly with you. I figure those movies must be a sophisticated thing because the appeal goes right over my head.

TitusIranSoFar said...

Last night I watched videos on youtube of puppies being born.

I cried.

I loved the fact that the mother knew just what to do. She washed the membrane off the puppy and wiped around the puppies mouth so it could breath and then moved it over by her tit to start to suck.

It was beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Donn, what do you ride? My current ride is a K1200LT.

TitusIranSoFar said...

I drive a 2008 black bmw 328xi.

Snap.

Donn said...

MH,

I have a rare, yellow, 96 Honda 750 Nighthawk with 5500 miles on it.

Maybe by next summer I'll have a bigger bike. 8^)

Sprezzatura said...

Is this going to be a pissing contest?

1935 Packard (among others.)

I win.

George M. Spencer said...

Western North Dakota looks like Mars. Plains of rubble. Williston in the northwest corner, a neat farming town. Good diner there. The Black Hills, a treat. Devil's Tower rises over the border in Wyoming. The unfinished Crazy Horse Monument dwarfs Rushmore. Ellsworth Air Force Base is near Rapid City. B-1 bombers are loud. Incidentally, speaking of bombers, to learn more about Bill Ayers, download this 420-page FBI report on the Weather Underground.

reader_iam said...

The city's street use staff team had met

Is it permissible for someone apart from Althouse and a handful of others here to register an objection about how something is written?

Randy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jeff with one 'f' said...

"Obama is traveling to Hawaii to see his grandmother, who is "gravely ill."

She still hasn't recovered from being thrown under that bus in Philadelphia...

I'm Full of Soup said...

This story is surely a bunch of bunk. The Dems and The Reps promised to fix the voting processes eight years ago. Are you trying to say they didn't follow through?

somefeller said...

She still hasn't recovered from being thrown under that bus in Philadelphia...

You stay classy there, Jef.

Revenant said...

She still hasn't recovered from being thrown under that bus in Philadelphia

Snarky! :)

Is it a good idea for Obama to be with his grandmother when she's ill? According to him, she finds black men scary. He might make her nervous. Does a sick woman really need that?

Unknown said...

Simon: Well the list of positions would be a problem, many are trained how to vote straight party so even the names are unused.

TitusIranSoFar said...

I don't care for the south.

Being from the midwest I like the midwest.

I like the western mountain states.

And of course the West Coast.

But my most favorite part of the country is the east coast elite. I love Maine, Vermont, Mass, Philly, NYC, Martha's Vinyard, Nantucket, Block Island, Jersey Shore, Mount Washington area in New Hampshire, Adirondack Mountains.

Philly is about far south that I like to go on the east coast.

But I don't care going as far south as DC. I hate DC. I think DC is gross.

I also love northeast republicans. I like Susan Collins, John Sunsunu, Judd Gregg and my personal favorite Olympia Snowe. If Mccain would of picked her as a vp he would of won easily. He would of picked up a big chunk of the northeast.

Now all he has to rely on is the south and Utah and Idaho and Arizona.

Sad, really.

But the diehard republicans would of hated Snowe. But what were they going to do, vote for Obama. They would of sucked it up and voted for Mccain. Now all he has is the 36% republican base.

TitusIranSoFar said...

Also, Olympia Snowe is fabulous.

She likes the gay.

So does Susan Collins.

TitusIranSoFar said...

With Olympia Snow he would of won New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, maybe Minnesota.

Now he is fighting for Ohio, Virginia, even North Carolina.

But again the republican base would of hated her. She is too fabulous.

TitusIranSoFar said...

I love Rhode Island too.

Providence, Newport fabulous.

Lots of gay in Providence.

Zachary Sire said...

Simon said:

How apt: it's telegraphing the content of his administration as performance art.

Oof. Not nice Simon, now that we know the reason.

In a response, the McCain campaign issued a statement: "While we respect Senator Obama's decision to abandon his supporters to vacation in exotic Hawaii, we would like to remind the American people that had he agreed to meet with John McCain in 150 Town Hall Meetings over the summer, perhaps his grandmother would not be dying."

Peter Hoh said...

Titus, I was just wondering, as ND and Montana are both Toss Up states over at pollster.com.

I've never been to either Dakota, so I can't comment.

I grew up outside of Philly, and most of my time traveling on the east coast was northward.

Back to Philly: have you ever been to the Mutter Museum?

knowitall said...

The long lines already? I guess the liberal illuminati are going to have problems with the votes again, two weeks before the election. I'm sure the Ivy-Leaguers can count them before then.

Anonymous said...

If you're going to encourage people to vote early and often, lines are just an inevitable byproduct.

rhhardin said...

Obama is traveling to Hawaii to see his grandmother, who is "gravely ill."

That's a Tom Swifty.

My own favorite political Tom Swifty was Gov. Steele taking offense over somebody saying he was slavishly supporting the Republican Party.

That was the true rarity, an Uncle Tom Swifty.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Obama is traveling to Hawaii to see his grandmother, who is "gravely ill."

Does anyone else picture a Jonny Fairplay moment happening right before the election?

Anonymous said...

Donn,

Nice ride. You'd enjoy the Slimy Crud Run through SW Wisconsin.

KCFleming said...

Grandma kicking off should be worth a few hundred thousand votes, easy.

MadisonMan said...

My favorite Tom Swifty: "I know where Elmer Fudd is buried," Tom quipped.

TJ said...

MM: "quipped." Took me a second. It's early. Very good.

Invisible Man said...

You've got some pretty ghastly fans her Ann.

TosaGuy said...

The movie Fargo was not set in Fargo, ND. It was set in Brainerd, MN, which is the center of the state's "Goin' Up Nort" resort industry. The only people that talk like Marge Gunderson in Brainerd are those that are 150 years old.

Both SD and ND have a Badlands, with the most notable one in SD. The Black Hills are in SD. Rapid City is on the edge of the hills and the hills have the same effect on RC as the Rockies do on Denver....lots of 50+ degree winter days.

The Missouri River divides SD with the East River dominated by farming and West River dominated by ranching. There is a big interstate rivalry over that, as well as a strong ND-SD rivalry.

Sioux Falls is the largest city in SD with a population of about 150K and is exploding with both business and population growth.

SD has no state income tax and a very low corporate income tax. There is also no tax on military pensions so a lot of retired servicemembers move there (especially if they had served at Ellsworth AFB). I have a number of relatives in Sioux Falls and it's a very pleasant place to live.

MadisonMan said...

North Dakota has the most variable weather in the lower 48. The list of states with record highs exceeding 120 is small -- but it includes NoDak (and AZ, CA, NV, KS).

Have you dug Wall Drug?

George M. Spencer said...

Wall Drug is essential. It's about 1/5 of the entire state's economy.

(It's a tourist trap/drug store that's about the size of three Wal Marts. Has lifesize dinosaurs, too. Free water.)

rhhardin said...

Ohio daily bike route lawn sign count stands at McCain 18, Obama 6.

It's possible that liberals don't own homes, I guess.

Unknown said...

People who will be coming from out of state to vote won't bring yard signs with them.

AlphaLiberal said...

And, now the Republican mob has decided that early voting is an outrage that must be harshly protested. See the funny video of these jokers here.

I like the guy who says he just voted a few days before but these people (minorities) voting, is just terrible.

So dumb.

ND_Grandma said...

McCain vs McCain in ND -

Western ND = The Badlands & the ranchers, cowboys & hunters; the Bakken oil formation. Drill baby drill!

Eastern ND = The flat land & the farmers; the universities. Don't touch our farm subsidies! We LIKE earmarks!

MadisonMan said...

Apologies to Auntie Eller.

Oh, the oilman and the farmer can be friends
Yes, the oilman and the farmer can be friends
One man likes to man a drill
The other likes to plow and till
But that's no reason why they can't be friends

AlphaLiberal said...

But that's no reason why they can't be friends.

Except that the drilling consumes scarce water from aquifers needed by farmers and ranchers to make their livelihood.

Plus, oil spills are a problem for living things, like livestock.

ND_Grandma said...

MM - I like that!

Yes, compromises must be made: We elect Republicans to run the state, but send Democrats to Washington to bring home the pork.

MadisonMan said...

Fortunately, alpha, the Dakotan farmers still use horses and mules for power, so they don't have to worry about oil and gas to power things. That's why your argument is so valid. Let's also ignore the fact that drilling is in the western part of the state and farming is in the eastern part, and that they sit on two different aquifers (as shown here, for example).

I apologize for writing can't instead of cain't in the refrain, by the way.

Roger J. said...

Spent a lot of time down on the farm, did you Alpha? Know a lot about watering stock? You do understand the Bakken oil fields discovery is removed from the agricultural areas of North Dakota? Madison Man was kind enough to provide you a guide. Read it and try to understand.
The Bakken oil fields may hold a lot of promise, but rejecting them on your absysmal knowledge of geography and agriculture is certainly not a reason to reject their exploration.

John Burgess said...

Just to update on the Florida voter thing...

Yesterday, I had intended to vote early. The lines were longer than I was willing to wait at that particular time, so I went to the market instead.

Today, at around 2:00pm, I parked in the county supervisor of elections lot--a two-minute wait. Then I joined the queue of intended voters. That line took about 30-minutes.

Florida has instituted optical recognition tally machines. Voters fill in paper ballots (two-sided sheet) and feed the ballot into the reader. The paper copy is stored in a closed off and sealed bin beneath the reader should it be necessary to verify the count.

Poll workers said that they had lines starting before 8:30 yesterday morning, when the polls opened for early voting.

Party workers were kept outside the building, across an access drive marked with signs limiting how close those workers could be to the balloting. There were a gazillion signs for various candidates. None that I saw were for the eight constitutional amendments.

Elections are being held not only for federal office--president/vp, for which there are 13 registered contenders, plus a write-in--and representative for the district. Local elections include a state senator and rep, numerous county offices, and the retention of one FL Supreme Court Justice and four District Court of Appeal Judges.

BTW, the optical scanners are not made by Deibold.