Four more years. twitter.com/BarackObama/st…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 7, 2012
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:59
OK…turning in for the night as the Tormore is hitting critical mass. Michele Bachmann still holds on for dear life. Dems have narrow leads in the MT and ND Senate seats and the Republican incumbent narrowly up in NV. Not sure why FL has not been called for Obama yet, but it will probably soon be. If that result holds, Barack Obama won all his states except Indiana and North Carolina – which were very unexpected wins in 2008 to begin with.
The third consecutive President has been re-elected a feat not repeated since Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, as far as I can tell. Unlike 2000 and 2004 I retire for the night very very happy.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:54
Jim Matheson (D- Utah) the ultimate political survivor http://motherjones.tumblr.com/post/35191998648/just-cant-beat-him-these-are-the-districts-that
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:48
Looks like Jim Matheson holds the lone Democratic Utah congressional seat over Mia Love, the latest Republican token minority superstar.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:32
New Hampshire’s governor, and entire congressional delegation are now all women.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:23
When was the last time 3 consecutive presidents were re-elected? Has it happened since Jefferson, Madison, Monroe? Cannot think of another example.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:14
Dang as I was typing this Bachmann’s lead dropped to 120, she trailed and then jumped back ahead #itsnotthescotch
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:08
The reelection of Obama avoids the nightmare scenario of Romney benefiting from a delayed boom next year a la Bill Clinton in 1993.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:05
Obama at 50% of the popular vote. No 2000 scenario, but that will not stop Republicans from denying a mandate in any case.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 01:01
I am happy I am at home swilling scotch in the warmth of my home…part of me wishes I was at the McCormick center.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:59
Shades of Obama of old in the speech..must be immensely relived his last election campaign is over.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:52
Obama wants to meet with leaders of both parties…but Boehner has doubled down on tax nuttery.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:44
Obama refers to his promise of a dog in his speech four years back, says one is enough.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:42
Obama mentions working with Romney. Don’t see that going very far. The Republican party hates the guy.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:41
Obama speaking…sounds tired…hope this is a short speech. Need to sleep. Makes a nod about the messed up electoral system.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:38
If memory serves we had exactly same wet cold crappy weather in Chicago 4 years ago #preordained
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:29
Democrats Allan Grayson (FL) and Carol Shea-Porter (NH) swept out in 2010, make it back to the House.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:27
Ballot initiatives
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:12
Joe Walsh goes down, Allen West goes down…come on Minnesota make it a trifecta
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:10
Advice for Republicans looking to flee
For those saying “if Obama wins I’m going to Australia” our PM is a single atheist woman & we have universal health care & mandatory voting.
— Anna Coles (@Annaluvsproduce) November 7, 2012
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:08
Looks like Obama coming out to speak soon. Wonder if I stay up for the Bachmann result.
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:05
Mitt Romney gives a gracious concession speech. Talking heads start the pass time of “if only this guy had run the campaign this way.”
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:57
Romney speaking now. He should throw a bone to Palin and let her give a concession speech.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:54
Fat lady is singing. Romney calls Obama to concede. It may just be the Scotch…
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:53
Krauthammer on Faux saying the Republicans don’t need to change but somehow need to get hispanic votes. Forgets that Romney closed the gap as Moderate Mitt.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:44
Karl Rove offering advice to Obama on Fox. Dear President Obama pay attention and do just the opposite.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:41
Jennifer Rubin’s twitter stream is hanging its hat on the narrowness of the victory.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:39
Karl Rove trying to justify blowing a billion dollars…too funny. Stating the case for no mandate.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:38
Some of the people on the A&M board are nostalgically talking of secession. They do bbelong in the SEC. #theSouthshallriseagain
I am currently channeling my inner Cartman against Mitt Romney. Meanwhile Pinocchio is still refusing to concede.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:19
Maryland becomes the first state to legalize gay marriage by popular vote. Not heard about Maine yet.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:14
Mitt Romney ran a classless campaign…he leaves the same way. Maybe he is waiting to write that concession speech. Still waiting on the concession, with NV, IA and CO called it is OVER!!
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:54
Chuck Todd noting the President is leading VA, FL and CO. Maddow points out Karl Rove has a vested interest in dragging this out.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:49
Jeff Flake wins Arizona. Martin Heinrich wins New Mexico. Democrats at 51 in the Senate.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:45
I am currently channeling my inner Cartman against Mitt Romney. Meanwhile Pinocchio is still refusing to concede.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:37
Donald Trump, classy as ever.
This election is a total sham and a travesty. We are not a democracy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2012
OK they better hurry up…don’t want to drink at 2 AM.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:21
Whew am I glad i don’t have to hide from this post http://rashtrakut.com/blog/2010/03/23/the-biggest-loser-why-health-care-reform-may-have-ended-mitt-romneys-presidential-dream/
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:10
MSNBC calls IA for Obama…fat lady warming up vocal cords. Maybe Mitt should start working on that concession speech.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:09
Denver Post calls CO for Obama. NV and IA could end this without waiting for FL, VA or OH.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:06
McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt acknowledging the demographic disaster facing the Republican party from its embrace of Pat Buchanan’s race polarization strategy. Putting up token minorities is not enough in the long run.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:10
Democrats leading the Senate races in MA, PA, MO and OH. Obama may be leading the Ohio vote.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:03
OK, TN, MS to Romney. IL, RI, DE, MA, CT, ME to Obama but no call on the single electoral vote. Romney loses his first home state.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:01
PA to early to call with Obma leading. IL to Obama..yaay my vote counts.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:00
Democrats pick up the Indiana Senate Seat. Thank you tea party. Wonder if Dick Lugar is sipping champagne.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:56
WV to Romney too as Appalachia votes against Obama #shock
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:55
Ok catching up so far..no real surprises. Romney has won KY, IN, SC and will soon win GA. Obama has won VT. VA, FL, OH and NC too close to call. The last one is not surprising based on early turn out, but will not bring smiles in Romney headquarters.
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:46
Finally get to try out my newly installed live blogging plugin after a delay getting home due to someone who got his car on the train. Get to try out my shiny. Still Scotch free…whether the ice-cubes are warmed up in joy or despair remains to be seen. So here goes.
The United States Mint has accomplished an unlikely feat. The have two cities in upstate NY feuding over the rights to hometown son Millard Fillmore. The minor dust-up that should cause amusement everywhere else came as a result of the Mint’s choice of Fillmore’s birthplace Moravia to launch the new Presidential dollar bearing his name. Buffalo where Fillmore spent most of his career, where he founded the University of Buffalo and where he is buried has taken umbrage. See link. Most Americans (and almost all non-Americans) will probably respond with “Millard Fillmore, who??”
Its hard to blame them. History has not been kind to the 13th president of the United States. As one of the mediocrities between James Polk and Lincoln, he is remembered for his failures rather than any successes. Fillmore had some successes resolving some prickly foreign policy disputes amicably. But domestically his desperate desire to appease the South gradually built up the tensions that exploded into the civil war.
It is an irony of history that the one Southerner (and the last President to own slaves while in office) to hold the Presidency in the 19th century, Zachary Taylor, had the gumption to stand up to the South promising to lead the army personally to hang traitors. In contrast, his three vacillating Northern successors spent their tenure appeasing the South. Fillmore has attracted the most opprobrium for the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act that forced Federal marshals in free states to arrest fugitive slaves (somehow revisionist Southerners arguing that the Civil War was about federalism and not slavery forget this basic assault on federalism they perpetrated (albeit based on the US Constitution) to protect slavery).
As a Vice President who was unexpectedly elevated to the Presidency, Fillmore also displays the flaw in the American political process in how Vice Presidential candidates are selected (in recent years John Edwards and Sarah Palin provide examples of people chosen by the arbitrary whims of the candidate and who mercifully were not elected). He was selected to geographically balance out the ticket, for his obscurity that would not generate too much hostility and to deny some New York party bosses a space on the ticket.
As an ultimate indignity, Fillmore is probably remembered most for a hoax, that he was the first President to install a bath tub in the White House. The hoax was used without correction in the Kia ad below a couple of years back, which cost some ad execs their job. See link.
Admirers of this much maligned and obscure President can try joining one of the local Millard Fillmore Societies that pops up as a lark every so often. See link. Meanwhile, Millard Fillmore has received the honor of two launches of his dollar coin. A precedent has been set for the battle over Grover Cleveland, born in Caldwell, New Jersey but whose career was largely in Buffalo, best remembered for being the only President with non-consecutive terms and the last man before Al Gore to win the popular vote but lose the electoral college.