I came back at 10:04 to say I was "distancing myself from the political fray, reconnecting to my old aversion to politics." And that's quite true. That's my instinct. When it's over, it's over, and it's been such a long campaign season. Time to stop obsessively looking at all the little numbers, take note of the one big number — 303 (or is it 332?) — and widen one's horizons.
What was I doing during those 2 hours? I had the TV on, and I was sitting back playing solitaire on my iPad (which is something I do when I want to listen without getting distracted into my own thoughts). I was calmly waiting for the inevitable to crystalize. I was adjusting to the new political reality in America.
I knew readers were having it out in the comments. Some were taunting and gloating. Some were telling us what they were drinking. There was an occasional "Where's Ann?"
I'm going to be very curious to hear what Althouse has to say tomorrow about her two-hour AWOL right in the heart of election night. Very odd, to say the least.That last one was Palladian, who himself was away from the comments for a good long while (and who was drinking Ardbeg Uigeadail).
She always does this when she "live blogs", starts strong and craps out somewhere in the middle.
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26 comments:
Republicans made a mistake in portraying Obama as far outside the political mainstream (he is moderately left) while allowing their own party to be taken over by the far right.
And I appreciate the platform. I didn't participate in the comment tsunami last night, though. I spent the evening with my family, especially my 10 year old who was really into the process. We've got a US map place mat that is covered in plastic. He took out red and blue markers and ticked off the states as they were called. He played out various scenarios and enjoyed himself. That really took the edge off things for me. I was very disappointed - still am, but at the end of the day, I've got my family, and some occasional fun as an Althouse commenter, when the latter doesn't interfere with the former.
Waiting for inflation. This time they'll tell us it's cool and hip and good for us.
The new black.
Congratulations, Jay. You were right, I was wrong. Not about my beliefs, but about what the country wants.
Still gonna fight, though.
The economy is finally really starting to pick up after the job Bush did on it. Democrats should be sitting pretty for 2016.
It was so incredibly obvious that Obama was going to win, I don't understand how people were dumb enough to think there was any suspense to election night.
I like to play Solitaire on my iPad, too!
Learning to program the iPad, iPhone and Android platforms. What a gas!
My "craps out" comment wasn't a criticism, it was an observation from someone with exactly the same aversion to politics as you. I crapped out during most of it, and awoke to find that it was pretty much over. My crapping out involved a long nap. I had been up since 6 Tuesday morning, and taught a 6-hour class Tuesday afternoon, so sleep took precedence over whatever transpired before the inevitable end.
I don't really care about politics. What I care about is how the pissant goings-on of political people affects the important things in this life, such as family, comfort, peace, security, art, beauty, freedom and happiness. And all of those things are further imperiled by last night's results.
Thanks, Ann, for providing this forum.
I think the Republicans may have reached their "Whig moment" with yesterday's election.
Palladian's comment:
What I care about is how the pissant goings-on of political people affects the important things in this life, such as family, comfort, peace, security, art, beauty, freedom and happiness. And all of those things are further imperiled by last night's results...
resonates with me.
Be well,
Jamie Irons
"Ardbeg Uigeadail" sounds like something involving scrapings of the uvula mixed with diluted petroleum products. Just sayin'.
Thanks Ann, it has been great run for America and I enjoyed your window to it.
Cheers and so long!
Assuming radio silence......
The fools who tested Obama's good faith again are not going to be happy when his goal of dollar currency collapse accelerates and he tries to speed it up every which way he can while he points at the GOP House as why he has to do it.
Obama's revenge will not be pretty.
Market down . -213.
How low will it go?
Andy R. said...
It was so incredibly obvious that Obama was going to win, I don't understand how people were dumb enough to think there was any suspense to election night.
50.1 to 48.4 %
No. Not really obvious. But it's nice to know you're still an intellectual disappointment no matter who won. So you got that going for you.
Palladian said...
My "craps out" comment wasn't a criticism, it was an observation from someone with exactly the same aversion to politics as you. I crapped out during most of it, and awoke to find that it was pretty much over. My crapping out involved a long nap. I had been up since 6 Tuesday morning, and taught a 6-hour class Tuesday afternoon, so sleep took precedence over whatever transpired before the inevitable end.
I don't really care about politics. What I care about is how the pissant goings-on of political people affects the important things in this life, such as family, comfort, peace, security, art, beauty, freedom and happiness. And all of those things are further imperiled by last night's results.
It is a disappointment I'll grant you that. Enjoy the freedoms you have today, there will be fewer of them tomorrow.
Live and be well my friend. This too shall pass away.
My fourteen year old is devastated, poor kid. It didn't help that she received a text message from her "best friend" at 130 last night, waking her up out of a sound sleep, that read in part, "Obama won, now you can suck his black d@&-". The girl is half black and I've always really liked her so that was dissaponting. Ah yes, democrats start teaching their kids early about the importance of civil debate.
No. Not really obvious.
I was talking about the electoral college, not the popular vote. Romney had few options without winning Ohio, and it was clear Romney had very long odds in Ohio.
By the way, Romney lost for all the reasons I said he was going to lose. I would be happy to examine my comments analyzing the Republican primary and the general election campaign and compare them to any other commenter on this site.
I have been consistently right about everything I claimed and predicted, while the people that argued with me have been consistently wrong.
(The state of gay marriage being just one example, but perhaps the most glaring. I was talking about what was going to happen. Other people got confused about what they wanted to happen, versus what was likely to happen. This is, in general, a problem with many of the people here. They confuse their dream and desires with reality.
They confuse their dream and desires with reality.
Hilarious coming from you! How's the OCCUPY camp?!
I too am disappointed in you, Ann Althouse. Here I was exhausting myself with bicycles and sex and you were playing solitaire.
Enjoy, Andy R.. Your most fervent wish has been granted. I hope it is all you hoped it would be.
Was asleep at 9pm. Politics in the reatail bore me. More fun to wake up to a surprise. Christmas if you will. This November 6th, I got coal in my stocking.
I have to say your last comment sounded as if you'd had a couple of stiff belts and a good cry - but that's my reading.
And, as bpm notes, get ready for $8 a gallon gas.
Oops, I think it was me who started all that "Where's Althouse? She Mad?" nonsense last night. Sorry. Then I went to make a plate of spaghetti, came back to see what the live blogging was saying, and she was still gone. I probably talked a little smack in there, but by then I'd drunk 2 high alcohol Christmas Ales, a whole Tetra Pak of Black Box wine, and was working on a Twisted Tea.
I'm glad Althouse called out some election drama queens folks who come apart at the seams over a loss. Life goes on. If Obama is as hated by the right as Bush was by the left, I guess this is the right's 2004, where they can't believe how he pulled it off.
Well, a majority of the country doesn't buy into the way the hard right defines Obama, and I think they're right about that -- Obama is a centrist on most issues.
That said, Obama lost me along the way, when he was lying over Benghazi.
I didn't vote for Obama or Romney. I started my ballot at the end with the local issues, and worked my way backwards, and by the time I got to the presidential race I had left several races blank and was in an under-voting mood. Happens a lot when you live in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the most corrupt county in America, where politicians are being thrown into federal prison left and right nowadays.
So, the under-vote thing started to feel cool. All eyes on Ohio and here I am thinking about leaving the presidential race blank. Should I vote for Gary Johnson because he had an ad against drones and opposed the drug war? No, he didn't do enough to earn it.
So, I went to the trouble to vote, but I sat out the big race. There, take that you political parties who telephoned my house several times each evening, and sometimes called me at 9AM on Sunday, and sometimes sent people to my door to bug me. You all bugged me so much I decided to abstain from the race.
I guess that was a half-vote for Obama, which is fine.
The funniest thing on election night was watching Karl Rove get into a fight with Fox News after they called Ohio.
A little housekeeping ... very little.
CWCID ok, Althouse was quite discouraged the night Newt cleaned Willard's clock in SC.
And makin' a foolish prediction over a year and a half before he knew who would be the Rep nominee aside, will just say Meade's fly-by political analysis was off a tad, much like Limbaugh, Morris, turdblossom, Krauthammer et al con political stooges er pundits.
No, he didn't do enough to earn it.
I believe this is what you call ... earning it!
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