2012 US Presidential Election Megathread!

[derspiess]

I though Mitch Daniels was Boosh' OMB director.  This guy too?  What office does he hold?

Daniels was between 2001-03, Portman 06-07.  He's now Senator in Ohio.

He was also my House district's representative until 2005.  Nice guy, but pretty much your typical boring Ohio politician.  Wouldn't excite anyone but should please the GOP base without bringing much baggage.  He's well-liked enough in Ohio that as a VP candidate he may deliver the state to Romney, which is pretty significant.

[Barrister]

Would being a sikh really be that much of an obstacle to getting elected in the US?  I mean - it's not the same as muslim.

We had a sikh premier at one point.

[Valmy]

Would being a sikh really be that much of an obstacle to getting elected in the US?  I mean - it's not the same as muslim.

We had a sikh premier at one point.

Not being a Christian is the main thing (well ok wearing a turban will freak people out, Muslims (the men anyway) can at least dress the part).  But we already elect Muslims to office so I would think a Sikh would be fine.  It depends on the constituency of course.

[Sheilbh]

He's well-liked enough in Ohio that as a VP candidate he may deliver the state to Romney, which is pretty significant.

I do always wonder how much impact VP picks have in modern politics when local machines matter a lot less than the national campaign.  Who do you think's the last VP to deliver their home state?  I think it could be LBJ.  Clinton won Tennessee (Gore didn't) but I think that's more because of him than Gore.

[Eddie Teach]

Ohio's a swing state(cue joke about Ed's parties) so a couple percentage points could be huge.

[Sheilbh]

Ohio's a swing state(cue joke about Ed's parties) so a couple percentage points could be huge.

Yeah.  But in an age of media driven national campaigns do favourite son candidates give even a couple of percent?

[Eddie Teach]

Well, I don't know. But certainly VP selection does has an effect, as our Languish contingent of Obama voter/critics show. A VP candidate who is already well known and regarded in his state should have more positive impact there than elsewhere.

[Sheilbh]

Well, I don't know. But certainly VP selection does has an effect, as our Languish contingent of Obama voter/critics show.

I suspect Palin is the first VP since LBJ to have had any impact on the final result.

[derspiess]

Ohio's a swing state(cue joke about Ed's parties) so a couple percentage points could be huge.

Yeah.  But in an age of media driven national campaigns do favourite son candidates give even a couple of percent?

I think so.  Tennessee was one of only three southern states that Clinton took both times (one of the others being Arkansas).  Sure, Gore lost Tennessee in 2000, but by that point Gore and his home state had pretty much grown apart.

[Habbaku]

Ohio's a swing state(cue joke about Ed's parties) so a couple percentage points could be huge.

Yeah.  But in an age of media driven national campaigns do favourite son candidates give even a couple of percent?

I think so, definitely.  Bob Barr's campaign did much better in Georgia in '08 than anywhere else.  Ditto Gingrich in the primary here.  I wouldn't be surprised to find that (favorite sons) happening in other states.

[derspiess]

Would being a sikh really be that much of an obstacle to getting elected in the US?  I mean - it's not the same as muslim.

We had a sikh premier at one point.

A male practicing Sikh-- yes.  No dude with a headwrap is ever going to get elected to a national office here.

A female ethnic Sikh who converted to Christianity and doesn't really look that ethnic at all-- no problem.

I honestly first heard that Nikki Haley was Indian the night she got elected-- I assumed that meant *American* Indian when I heard it.

[Eddie Teach]

ethnic Sikh

Is that a thing? 

[derspiess]

ethnic Sikh

Is that a thing? 

I would guess so, if people are still calling her a Sikh.  Maybe I should have said non-practicing Sikh.

[Sheilbh]

ethnic Sikh

Is that a thing? 

Yeah.  Some Sikhs and Jews tried to get Judaism and Sikhism listed as an ethnic as well as a religious identity on the census.  I think the Sikhs historically were similarly not into converting people, their view is that everyone's got their own beliefs and should be left to get on with it.  I could be wrong but I think they're mostly Punjabi or of Punjabi descent and Sikhism's to some extent the beliefs of that people.

[Jacob]

You know, I think we can put the whole Romney-is-cruel-to-animals thing behind us. The Romney's obviously love animals: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/romneys-dancing-horse-competes/story?id=16162590&singlePage=true#.T49HOJpWpYj