We're all gonna rock to the rules that I make -- Election 2008

[RGMike]

per Bloomberg News:

"The last time many Americans will hear from U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain before casting their vote will come at halftime of ‘Monday Night Football’ … ESPN's Chris Berman will interview the candidates separately earlier in the day, and the Walt Disney Co. network will air the sessions during halftime of the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. The National Football League game in Washington starts at 8:30 pm New York time. Candidates air about 10:15 pm. Eastern. "

In other news, McCain will appear on SNL Sat nite.

[Wayback]

Say what you want about Fox News (I was checking their website to compare to a few others regarding the projected electoral votes), but on their website they have a very good election tracker where you will be able to get breakdowns by county.
http://elections.foxnews.com/states_map/index.html

Thanks SFGuy, good intell work, get all perspectives.

[RGMike]

I'm re-posting this here because I'm utterly dumbfounded by it...

And in the spirit of Halloween -- Ralph Nader has completely lost his mind:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/31/1621521.aspx

I mean, seriously -- WTF??  Nader and Gonzalez expect this to get them votes from WHOM, exactly?  What a couple of putzes.

[Tinka Cat]

I'm re-posting this here because I'm utterly dumbfounded by it...

And in the spirit of Halloween -- Ralph Nader has completely lost his mind:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/31/1621521.aspx

I mean, seriously -- WTF??  Nader and Gonzalez expect this to get them votes from WHOM, exactly?  What a couple of putzes.

First off, I am voting for Obama b/c I want the Dems to get the WH back.  That's my first priority.  But that video and the Nader campaign in general do not bug me at all.  (I think the video is kinda cool, actually, and the Nader campaign apparently has a lot of videos they've produced, not just this one: I just checked their site.)    And I do not blame him for costing Gore the 2000 election (yes, you can prob point to specific voting results and say if these Nader votes had gone to Gore then W would not have been elected), but the idea of a viable third party (or fourth or fifth) is one we need.  Gore didn't even win his "home state" of Tennessee in 2000:  he ran a crappy campaign and didn't fight the Florida recount stuff that happened -- and the GOP took it away. Not Nader's fault. 

Is Nader an insufferable egomaniac?  most likely (Actually, I've heard he's quite an a**h***).  And what's up with his choosing Gonzalez to run as VP?  WTF is that about?  I saw Gonzalez as a Chauncey Gardener type of candidate when he ran for mayor: his actual ideas and legislation were rather light compared to the gravitas attached to him by so many SF voters.  "He's young and hip and liberal compared to that fascist Newsom."  turns out Newsom is pretty liberal as well.  Was that a surprise?

So anyway, a viable third party candidate (or fourth or fifth party candidate, etc) would be a great thing.  They should be invited to the debates, and I'd like to see other folks besides the GOP and Dems in the Legislative branch.  Of course, Obama better win the WH... or more to the point, the GOP better lose.

[RGMike]

I'm re-posting this here because I'm utterly dumbfounded by it...

And in the spirit of Halloween -- Ralph Nader has completely lost his mind:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/31/1621521.aspx

I mean, seriously -- WTF??  Nader and Gonzalez expect this to get them votes from WHOM, exactly?  What a couple of putzes.

First off, I am voting for Obama b/c I want the Dems to get the WH back.  That's my first priority.  But that video and the Nader campaign in general do not bug me at all.  (I think the video is kinda cool, actually, and the Nader campaign apparently has a lot of videos they've produced, not just this one: I just checked their site.)    And I do not blame him for costing Gore the 2000 election (yes, you can prob point to specific voting results and say if these Nader votes had gone to Gore then W would not have been elected), but the idea of a viable third party (or fourth or fifth) is one we need.  Gore didn't even win his "home state" of Tennessee in 2000:  he ran a crappy campaign and didn't fight the Florida recount stuff that happened -- and the GOP took it away. Not Nader's fault. 

Is Nader an insufferable egomaniac?  most likely (Actually, I've heard he's quite an a**h***).  And what's up with his choosing Gonzalez to run as VP?  WTF is that about?  I saw Gonzalez as a Chauncey Gardener type of candidate when he ran for mayor: his actual ideas and legislation were rather light compared to the gravitas attached to him by so many SF voters.  "He's young and hip and liberal compared to that fascist Newsom."  turns out Newsom is pretty liberal as well.  Was that a surprise?

So anyway, a viable third party candidate (or fourth or fifth party candidate, etc) would be a great thing.  They should be invited to the debates, and I'd like to see other folks besides the GOP and Dems in the Legislative branch.  Of course, Obama better win the WH... or more to the point, the GOP better lose.

Actually, I agree with pretty much everything you said, especially about Gonzalez. Matt was the lefty equivalent of Schwarzenegger when he ran for mayor -- lots of platitudes and nothing concrete. Meanwhile Newsom had a position paper on his website for every conceivable issue. I'm a lifelong lefty but the progressive/bohemian kids in the Mission just drive me up the wall.   

[Gazoo]

Yeah, Gonzalez's involvement in the Nader nonsense more or less crushed my crush on him.

[RGMike]

per Politico.com...

Ken Duberstein, former Republican chief of staff to President Reagan, told MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell today that the pick of Palin has undermined John McCain's credibility.
 
"What most Americans I think realize is that you don't offer a job, let alone the vice presidency, to a person after one job interview," Duberstein said. "Even at McDonalds you're interviewed three times before you're given a job."

Oh, SNAP!

[Gazoo]

The Onion predicted Joe the Plumber in 1993!

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/48941

[RGMike]

In case you missed it, McCain was actually pretty funny on SNL -- if he'd had those writers all year, he might be ahead in the polls.  But Obama's statement praising McCain is really quite wonderful:

We can argue and debate our positions passionately, but all of us have to summon the strength and grace -- and the humor -- to bridge our differences and unite us in common effort. John McCain was funny yesterday on Saturday Night Live, but that’s part of what our politics should be about, being able to laugh at each other, but also laugh at ourselves, being able to understand that all of us black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American; Democrat ad Republican, young old, rich and poor, gay, straight, disabled, non disabled – all of us are in this together.

[RGMike]

Hey Mark -- I noticed this weekend that the ultra-lefty SF Bay Guardian says NO on Prop 11 -- but Schwarzennegger says vote YES. Does that make you a Republican? 

In other election news, time for a Mormon Athlete Update: former Giant Jeff Kent (a California Mormon who fancies himself a Texas redneck) made a big donation to "YES on 8", but Steve Young and his wife contributed to "NO on 8".

[mshray]

Hey Mark -- I noticed this weekend that the ultra-lefty SF Bay Guardian says NO on Prop 11 -- but Schwarzennegger says vote YES. Does that make you a Republican? 

In other election news, time for a Mormon Athlete Update: former Giant Jeff Kent (a California Mormon who fancies himself a Texas redneck) made a big donation to "YES on 8", but Steve Young and his wife contributed to "NO on 8".

Nothing could make me a Republican, but thanks for asking.   

Out of curiosity, do you have a link to their editorial on the subject?

[RGMike]

Hey Mark -- I noticed this weekend that the ultra-lefty SF Bay Guardian says NO on Prop 11 -- but Schwarzennegger says vote YES. Does that make you a Republican? 

In other election news, time for a Mormon Athlete Update: former Giant Jeff Kent (a California Mormon who fancies himself a Texas redneck) made a big donation to "YES on 8", but Steve Young and his wife contributed to "NO on 8".

Nothing could make me a Republican, but thanks for asking.   

Out of curiosity, do you have a link to their editorial on the subject?

I haven't seen an explanatory editorial; it was on their laundry-list of endorsements on the front page this week. But a progressive coalition called the Courage Campaign is also against it; a number of progressive groups call it "deeply flawed", FWIW:

http://courage.3cdn.net/73b3356e5b24d2525d_3wm6b3pv0.pdf

[RGMike]

The campaign comes to a close, but I saw this ad for the first time tonight -- and it is hands-down the best ad I've seen all season. Just beautiful, and it happens to feature one of my favorite Paul Simon songs. Only 60 seconds, but wow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbuLchsauKs

[Gazoo]

Something to listen to tomorrow as we await results:

Why listen to the pundits when you can spend election day listening to WFMU's uncensored and totally unprofessional election coverage?! Join us for WFMU's Electile Dysfunction '08, a separate webcast of political music, commentary, comedy, and audio collage, available at wfmu.org from early 'til late on Tuesday, Nov 4. Check out the schedule of DJs and political mayhem.

[SFGuy]

Any predictions??

I have Obama getting 338 Electoral votes to McCain's 200 but I have Florida going Obama, which probably will be wrong.