I appears that the election could perhaps be going smoother

[blacknblue]

I present this not provoke a political discussion. Rather, I thought it these snippets are an interesting commentary on American culture in microcosm:

Voting Intimidation By Black Panthers In Philadelphia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCeD1RcJjAg

VIDEO: HILLARY POLITICKING INSIDE NY POLLING AREA, 5 FEET FROM BOOTHS...

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

Toledo, Ohio police issued riot gear

http://www.wnwo.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=216464

Soggy ballots challenging scanning machines in Chesapeake, VA

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/20 ... t-ballots/

A Repeat of 2004 Philly Voter Chaos, Fraud

http://townhall.com/blog/g/cf47766b-5a6 ... 60631bcadc

This is ironic. BOTH the NAACP and McCain want to extend voting.

http://hamptonroads.com/print/486648

Voter surveys litter Interstate 4 roadside

(trust the government. they will take care of us)

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/e ... 888375.ece

Prepare for chaos: U.S. electoral system warned it 'can't cope' as historic number of voters cast their ballot

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne ... allot.html



I used a paper ballot. I strongly urge everyone else to do the same. I would not trust one of those electronic jokes as far as I could throw it. My 12 year old could hack one with his Gameboy.

[justTripn]

Over here in Pittsburgh, it's a Beautiful day in the neighborhood!

[Asso]

I'm following attentively the election. I always found the way it gets managed - how must I say? - electrifying.

[CX]

I started a poll for the most surprising election outcome on another board, and so far "McCain wins" and "third party candidate wins" are leading by a wide margin over "None of the Above wins".

[Elessar]

It makes me wanna watch Bulworth today

[Eian Flannagan]

And then there are the great stories. Like the 92 year old woman in San Antonio, TX who rode to her polling location in an ambulance to cast her ballot from a gurney because she forgot to get an absentee ballot. Now that's what I call taking civic responsibility to heart.

Who cares who she voted for? Her determination is what sticks out in THIS story.

[Alelou]

Well, none of the networks want to say it before the West Coast polls close, but barring some extraordinary weirdness in their projections, Obama has won.

[Elessar]

Well, none of the networks want to say it before the West Coast polls close, but barring some extraordinary weirdness in their projections, Obama has won.

Yeah, I've been scanning networks - every network agrees. Even Karl Rove on Fox News is "calling it but not calling it".

Incidentally, apparently the organization of people in Grant Park, Chicago might be the largest gathering of people in recorded history if it's as high as they think it might be, like 1 million +. We'll see. Could be historically interesting.

[Alelou]

Okay, now CNN has a "hologram" of some dude in their studio. They're comparing it to Star Trek (clearly not understanding their Star Trek).

Wild stuff.

[CX]

Obama wins.

[blacknblue]

I am going shopping tomorrow.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/ ... html?imw=Y

Gun sales surge as uncertainties stoke fears

"Business has gone up dramatically in the past year - the last couple months especially," owner Mike Caruso said. "I'm selling 15 guns a day. ... Let's just say business has been rocking."...

...Gunmaker Smith & Wesson, in its latest quarterly report, revealed similar trends: Specialty rifles and shotguns in the hunting division fell, while sales of other products rose.

Similarly, Lipschultz said the economy has forced some recreational hunters and shooters to cut down on buying new guns, but sales of handguns are up.

And Joe Fordham, owner of Palm Beach Trap & Skeet Pro Shop in Wellington, said he fields daily calls about where to buy handguns, which his store does not carry....

...When the Clinton-backed 1994 Semi-Auto Gun Ban went into effect, the price of certain semiautomatic guns skyrocketed.

"All Clinton's crime bill did was create a commodity," Rice said. "It turned a $700 rifle into a $3,400 rifle."

So Rice has stocked up on weapons such as the AK-47 assault rifle and the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle - two firearms he believes would be subject to new regulations.

If that happens, he said, "the prices will go up, and I'll quadruple my cash."...

There is no way I can afford to pay 500% of current prices. I had better get one now while I still can. And the extended clips are certainly going to be banned again. I need another one. That goes on the list too. Time to head for Cabela's.

[CX]

Given that it was the supreme court that overturned the DC ban, and the Democratic majority legislature failed to reinstitute the ban on "assault" weapons in two years, I highly doubt Obama or any of the new legislators will attempt to ban any firearms now.

[Elessar]

Given that it was the supreme court that overturned the DC ban, and the Democratic majority legislature failed to reinstitute the ban on "assault" weapons in two years, I highly doubt Obama or any of the new legislators will attempt to ban any firearms now.

Yeah, I really don't ascribe to the alarmist point-of-view (not accusing BnB of it, but I've been seeing it around the web the last few months) that the commie pinko Dems are going to take away our guns. I may be proven wrong but I don't think it will be possible to 'move' on this issue with the expediency and absolution that is feared.

What irritates me more than anything is the prospect of gun dealers inflating prices because they can, THAT pisses me off. I just got my AK right before leaving for OCS, so, at least I've got ONE type of f firearm that would, if there were a new assault ban, become subject to it. I will probably succumb a little and pick up some new magazines, though.

The thing I would much rather see than price gouging is clearance sales, , then I would probably go out and pick up some new guns. But I tell you what, not much about gun laws will change here in Missouri any time soon. We elected a democratic governor but I'm prety sure our state legislatures will remain beet Red. I doubt I have much to worry about.

Soon as I find some work, I may buy another gun, but that's just out of interest, not panic.

[JadziaKathryn]

So I was in Melbourne's Royal Botanic Garden, finishing up my free guided tour (had a splendid time ) when an Aussie woman must've heard my accent and/or me mention Thanksgiving, because she said, "Congratulations on your new president." Wasn't expecting that.

Also, Obama is on the cover of the free afternoon newspaper everyone reads on the public transport home. Something about it being almost certain he would win at press time. Aussies are very tuned-in to US politics. I haven't even had one person ask me to explain the electoral college, which surprised me.

[justTripn]

I thought it was interesting in Obama's acceptance speech when he listed all the great progress/accomplishments/improvements seen by the 106-year-old woman who voted for him, the last one listed was the Internet, something about linking countries together electronically, and then he said "and she touched her screen to vote." And what will will we see over the next hundred and six years? Wow . . . It was a speech a Trekkie would approve of.

Today the news persons are celebrating the fact that a black man is president elect, but equally significant is that he won it far and square. He didn't win BECAUSE he was black. He was judged on the content of his character. For instance, my half-black son who is voting age at first seemed to lean towards Hillary Clinton. Same for some of my black in-laws. Everyone seemed to weigh Obama's fitness for presidency on temperment, intellegence, policy. I had a hard time getting excited because of my disappointment over Hillary not getting it. My husband, who is a black columnist, is beside himself with joy and can't stop smiling (or commentating LOL! straight to me.) My kids don't quite get it that it is a huge deal. They never had the impression that a black man couldn't be president. But of course, they are happy.

Racism just kind of evaporates as people get used to intermarriage and biracial children in their own families (I am speaking of my own grandmother, aunt, and uncle). My grandmother protested loudly when her first grandchild married an Asian, saying all kinds of horrible things. Then she had two half Asian grandchildren, then the next grandchild to get married was me to a black person. She didn't bat an eye at that news. She said, "That's nice. Just like [so-and-so, some couple she knew]." So her first 3 grandchildren were biracial and now she is a huge Tiger Woods fan at the old peoples home. LOL. That's what will happen on a grand scale once we have a black President of the United States!!!!