America Is Too Damned Divided
Nov. 7th, 2012 01:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Of course, all of the Romney crew believe they shouldn't conceded because they poured so much effort into winning this thing. They hammered us with negative ads. They tampered with voters. They lied in a way that is so far out there it didn't even touch reality with a wingtip.
And here, I must say, Obama lied, too. And there are general beliefs, like the one about the President controlling gas prices, that are nationally institutionalized lies. Or the other one about Social Security being bankrupt. As if, we couldn't just raise the minimums and fund that sucker. But the histrionics about Obama were so outlandish, they defied credulity. He is not a socialist or a communist or taking away our guns or raising anyone's taxes. Nor is he responsible in any way for the 2008 financial collapse. It happened before Obama took office and was caused by deregulation, not too much regulation. These are not opinions that can be spun, they are objective facts. And facts do exist, beyond political party affiliation.
Romney gave a very graceful concession speech. I think he's glad it is over, as am I. Had the Republicans focused on real issues instead of manufacturing nonsense, they might have won this one. It was that close. I, for one, was so ambivalent about Obama's first term that a moderately cordial and truthful campaign from Romney might have kept me home. But instead his team went for outrageous blaming and flip-flopping. It drove me out to vote early. Most of all it was the voter tampering, the ID laws, the changing of polling times and the open threats to women that motivated me. And the Republican Party refusing to take any responsibility for the blocking of so many laws that would have helped our economy. One of the things I know, as a librarian, is how to find the actual laws and read them. Again, they are not something that you need to debate. They are published and say what they say and we know who voted for and against those laws. My advice to everyone is to stop listening to ads and pundits and start looking up the actual voting records of people running for office.
And here, I must say, Obama lied, too. And there are general beliefs, like the one about the President controlling gas prices, that are nationally institutionalized lies. Or the other one about Social Security being bankrupt. As if, we couldn't just raise the minimums and fund that sucker. But the histrionics about Obama were so outlandish, they defied credulity. He is not a socialist or a communist or taking away our guns or raising anyone's taxes. Nor is he responsible in any way for the 2008 financial collapse. It happened before Obama took office and was caused by deregulation, not too much regulation. These are not opinions that can be spun, they are objective facts. And facts do exist, beyond political party affiliation.
Romney gave a very graceful concession speech. I think he's glad it is over, as am I. Had the Republicans focused on real issues instead of manufacturing nonsense, they might have won this one. It was that close. I, for one, was so ambivalent about Obama's first term that a moderately cordial and truthful campaign from Romney might have kept me home. But instead his team went for outrageous blaming and flip-flopping. It drove me out to vote early. Most of all it was the voter tampering, the ID laws, the changing of polling times and the open threats to women that motivated me. And the Republican Party refusing to take any responsibility for the blocking of so many laws that would have helped our economy. One of the things I know, as a librarian, is how to find the actual laws and read them. Again, they are not something that you need to debate. They are published and say what they say and we know who voted for and against those laws. My advice to everyone is to stop listening to ads and pundits and start looking up the actual voting records of people running for office.
Have they called the election?
Date: 2012-11-07 06:29 am (UTC)Re: Have they called the election?
Date: 2012-11-07 06:41 am (UTC)Obama has won. Romney has conceded.
I doubt there will be a recount, because Romney appears to have rejected contesting the vote.
Re: Have they called the election?
Date: 2012-11-07 06:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-07 06:53 am (UTC)Re: Have they called the election?
Date: 2012-11-07 07:02 am (UTC)It is very weird and it led to such disasters as the 2000 election, where Gore won the popular vote and lost the electoral college vote.
But "calling" a state comes down to math: if the lead of one candidate is greater than the number of uncounted votes, there's no way the other candidate can win. True, it's sometimes done prematurely, but by this time in the evening they're pretty sure.
Re: Have they called the election?
Date: 2012-11-07 06:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-07 07:01 am (UTC)But, within a state, let's say, East Kansafornia... if it would require Candidate X to win 80% of the remaining votes in district 16.5 in order to win...
but the people in that district vote 50-50 for candidates from either party, so the votes will probably be split evenly between Candidate X and Candidate Y...
then we can know that unless something ASTRONOMICALLY UNLIKELY happens, that Candidate X is not going to win district 16.5.
They will count those votes, just to be sure that hasn't happened, but... they can be pretty sure.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-07 07:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-07 07:26 am (UTC)So, it is important to go out and vote for what you believe because...let's say 450 people decide their single votes don't matter...then it is 450 votes not one. Each person should be counted, but not every vote needs to be counted to know how the race is leaning.
That doesn't mean that the voters who lost wasted their vote, they were part of the greater whole. A wholehearted opposition actually impacts the overall agenda of the winner. In this case, Obama doesn't have a clear mandate from the people for his Presidency. Many people turned out to say they didn't like his policies (or the state of the nation). That impacts policies. So, tell your teenager the losing votes still count for democracy.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-07 09:49 am (UTC)His family are very conservative as is much of the area where we live and usually votes the complete opposite of the rest of our state. Much of California is not just liberal but LIBERAL and have a very different agenda that one that addresses the issues of a mainly agricultural area.
Oddly the entertainment industry money men are not nearly as liberal as those in front of the camera and some of them are yanking their money after this election. My cousin is an agent/producer in Hollywood and three of his investors have already pulled out of projects because President Obama was re-elected.
Thanks again for your response. Even if he doesn't care, it helps to have another perspective and other words to explain something we've been over before.
Re: Have they called the election?
Date: 2012-11-07 07:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-07 03:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-11-07 06:49 am (UTC)