The Grand Election Thread

[Phillip V]

Tulsi Gabbard is the first Hindu and the first female combat veteran elected to Congress.

http://www.businessinsider.com/combat-vet-tulsi-gabbard-2012-11

[Sheilbh]

Everybody's being cautious about their statements.   But there's wiggle room to be had.  This deal can get done.

Indeed.  I think Boehner wants to do something and could even go for a grand bargain.  One interesting thing is that Obama gets on very well with Coburn who has said that revenues would have to be part of a big deal.  He's also recently said there's 10-15 Republicans who he thinks would support him in going for a grand bargain.

I think we're going to see a split within the Republican party between the hacks who want to become Fox News pundits when they retire and the ones who want to achieve something.  It'll be interesting to see what Ryan does if there is movement.

Hopefully Obama will have to fight his party too.

[jimmy olsen]

Wow, the GOP could have won the popular vote by 2% and they still would have lost the election 272-266

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/as-nation-and-parties-change-republicans-are-at-an-electoral-college-disadvantage/

[jimmy olsen]

Not everyone has your zeal and trust for poll statistics.

At the very least Romney had to consider the possibility that the polls were correct.  Instead he assumed that the extraordinary theory of systematic poll bias was not only likely, but also the only probable explanation.  That's a very scary lack of ability to evaluate information critically for guy wanting to be a president.

You're being too hard on the guy.

The fundamental problem (as I understand it) was the GOP assumed that voter turn out would be consistent with 2010 election, and not 2008.  In fact however Obama managed to get voter turnout of his supports at close to 2008 levels.

Now it's obvious a flawed assumption.  But plenty of bright people who have the ability to evaluate information critically can miss that an assumption they made is in fact incorrect.

No, it's not a reasonable (but wrong) assumption. That can be forgiven.
It was an unreasonable assumption to make when the polls consistently said that the turnout would be similar to that of 2008.

[Phillip V]

Pennsylvania was indeed "competitive", but only by Romney losing Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada by even larger margins. All the swing states besides Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina were won by good margins.

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/as-nation-and-parties-change-republicans-are-at-an-electoral-college-disadvantage/

[11B4V]

Fox News is in full blown bullshit mode.

The Daily Show has been priceless.

[Barrister]

Not everyone has your zeal and trust for poll statistics.

At the very least Romney had to consider the possibility that the polls were correct.  Instead he assumed that the extraordinary theory of systematic poll bias was not only likely, but also the only probable explanation.  That's a very scary lack of ability to evaluate information critically for guy wanting to be a president.

You're being too hard on the guy.

The fundamental problem (as I understand it) was the GOP assumed that voter turn out would be consistent with 2010 election, and not 2008.  In fact however Obama managed to get voter turnout of his supports at close to 2008 levels.

Now it's obvious a flawed assumption.  But plenty of bright people who have the ability to evaluate information critically can miss that an assumption they made is in fact incorrect.

No, it's not a reasonable (but wrong) assumption. That can be forgiven.
It was an unreasonable assumption to make when the polls consistently said that the turnout would be similar to that of 2008.

Polls can't tell you what turnout will be.

That's the magic in polling - to take the raw numbers and turn it into "likely voters".

[Phillip V]

George P. Bush, nephew of former President George W. Bush, will seek political office in Texas. Born to a Mexican mother and former Florida governor Jeb Bush, he considers himself Hispanic.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/george-p-bush-nephew-for-former-president-george-w-bush-makes-campaign-filing-in-texas/2012/11/08/8d4f4908-2a23-11e2-aaa5-ac786110c486_story.html



============

In other political family news, Joseph P. Kennedy III of Massachusetts has brought his family back into national office again with his election to the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the son of former U.S. Congressman Joseph Patrick Kennedy II, who is the son of the late U.S. Senator and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9662553/Joe-Kennedy-III-elected-to-US-Congress.html

[11B4V]

Looks like Conan.

[CountDeMoney]

Fox News is in full blown bullshit mode.

The Daily Show has been priceless.

Yes, the tears of lava spilling down Bullshit Mountain has been delicious.

[garbon]

This map is pretty eerie when you talk about political division. 2012 election results by county.

[garbon]

The positive when I look at that though is a lot of places are mixed (shady more lightly)

[CountDeMoney]

This map is pretty eerie when you talk about political division. 2012 election results by county.

Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri have become extensions of the Confederacy over time.    Looks like the Border Ruffians won after all.

[DGuller]

This map is pretty eerie when you talk about political division. 2012 election results by county.

Why is this particular map eerie?

[Grey Fox]

Only 5 states seems to be unanimous

Utah
West Virginia
Connecticut
Vermont
Rhode Island