US Election Night: Official Thread

[secretcode]

Yeah. And without me being banned to boot.

Also, McCain had 124 Electoral Votes... to Obama's 324.

[rattrap23]

Obama's Won!


http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008 ... 036&page=1

[Sades]

You USers... I approve of your new President.

... Well, right now. We'll see how it goes, yes?

[Rossum]

:)

People are setting off fireworks in my neighborhood in celebration.

[Sades]

This is quite a radical change for the country. The [assumed] election results are definitely a good thing, but I'm actually a bit worried for your President... sometimes people don't embrace change.

[Clay]

[Galvatron91]

The end of the Bush debacle is upon us...the words lame duck never sounded so sweet. I'd say it is safe to call an electoral landslide, not sure if it will be a popular one or not, but it could very well be. When was the last time a presidential nominee got over the 50% mark?

[Treadshot A1]

Obama's Won!

[Rossum]

Damn, I actually got tearful at his acceptance speech. I'm going to pin it on the better part of a bottle of wine that I've gone through tonight.

[Brimstone]

When was the last time a presidential nominee got over the 50% mark?

2004.

Anywho...speaking of electoral landslide vs. popular vote landslide, Obama's camp has said something tonight that makes me very hopeful. The DNC has already called this election as proof of a mandate for them...Obama says this is not a mandate and he won't have one. That gives me great hope. It pissed me off so much that Bush called his 2004 election a proof of mandate when all he had was about a 3% lead in popular vote, which pretty much instantly alienated almost half the people in the US. If Obama were to do that now, it'd be the same thing.

It is his first step in proving to me that he wasn't all talk during his campaign...which gives me great hope.

(I still fear for NASA, though...but that's for another time)

[Blaster]

2004.
(I still fear for NASA, though...but that's for another time)

I'll be honest. For the US, right now, NASA has to move down the line.

[Brimstone]

Because this is the first time I have been in the thread to moderate and you two heckling each other was most recent and likely to expand, so zip it. If you have a problem with my moderation style, I suggest you handle it with a pm.

Fair enough. I'll drop it.

Also, while the EC was founded as a check against the uneducated masses which concerned the founders, it was also set up to give the small states more of a "voice" in deciding the president.

That is true. That also holds true for the House of Representatives. Although, all of these things would still hold true (it could still be a check and help keep the small states from being completely railroaded) if states allowed for their electorates to be divided proportionally with respect to the popular vote. But that gets into debating how and not the why, which we probably want to avoid.

Throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged

Yes, but it has happened...which was mainly my point, that a state's votes (any state's votes) could be and have been split.

Then the last eight years proves the electoral college's incompetence.

LOL! Fair point.

[Brimstone]

I'll be honest. For the US, right now, NASA has to move down the line.

No it doesn't...it's such a small organization, it has very little impact on the overall budget.

My main concern, though, was when Obama was talking about NASA's budget should come from the same pool as Education (instead of Defense). Maybe Defense isn't the right place for it, but to compete NASA against Education is counter-productive and, well, idiotic, in my opinion. He has since renegged on that idea, supposedly, but that was before the credit crash.

I'm hoping that he still sees the benefit of NASA and the return our nation gets from it for a relatively small investment.

Edit: I just want to clarify, I understand what you mean, Blaster. I just think the money needed for NASA to continue working on what it is doing right now (finishing ISS, retiring Shuttle, bring Constellation and the Orion launch vehicles on-line) is very small compared to everything else. So while yes, I can see why we wouldn't give NASA a 20% budget increase (which would be awesome, anyway, heh heh), continuing with the plan of the 5ish% increase (sorry, can't remember what it actually is, but it's something small like 5) over the next few years should still be completely doable and won't be a burden on the budget.

[Blaster]

I'm hoping that he still sees the benefit of NASA and the return our nation gets from it for a relatively small investment.

I doubt he's taking funding from NASA thinking "WTF? Why is there money going here!?"

I think it's more to the point that there are bigger problems going on right now.

[NOBODY LOVES WHEELIE]

I know this isn't gonna be a popular response, but McCain...Obama...I just didn't care. I really don't believe it will likely change my life either way.

I will say this while I didn't care for either candidate I really don't like what went on in this election...I think alot of people voted Obama simply because it was the hip thing to do.

Most people I knew had flimsy reasons for voting for him...I'm not saying he, isn't qualified, or that he won't do a good job, and it's not a black or white sort of thing (yes I'm white but easily would have voted for Colin Powel had he run), and its not a republican vs democrat thing as I did vote Clinton, but had Colin run he would have been Republican. When I asked people why they supported Obama they responded in a few alarming ways...
-It's time for change...Uhm any new president is change, granted McCain would have been closer to what Bush would have done, but still...
-I want to be part of history in electing the first black president...Are you kidding me? This is what your basing your vote on? A paralized cat has never been mayor of my town should I campaign that and see if it gets the same turn out?
-He's black and I'm black so I have to support Obama...again are you kidding me? I mean I wouldn't pick McCain because because I'm white and he's white, my god...isn't that sort of a reverse racism? Or the reverse which I also heard I'm not voting for Obama because I'm white.

Crazy people out there, voting based not on where a candiate stands on issues, but based on color.

In the end I'm glad Obama won I think after 8 pretty bad years I'm ready to see what the Democrats will do.

[inflatable dalek]

I was lucky enough to be in the canteen at work when it was announced, it felt like the first real bit of epoch changing history I've lived through since 9/11, but completely different in tone of course. I am naturally a very cynical person and part does still expect the disillusionment that always sets in with politicians to hit at some point down the line (but lets hope it's a long wait in this case) but even I was buzzing. And it's great that it was such a landslide because it genuinely does take it beyond race (though African Americans should feel rightly proud), everyone in America, black, white Asian, purple came behind him. Lets hope that lasts more than anything.


I think it was the economic crisis that really helped him achieve such a decisive victory, before that the comments about his inexperience might have swayed people, but lets face it the experienced politicians (and I'm not just talking Bush, but all the world leaders who screwed up on this) haven't done much good. The inexperienced guy can't do any worse (short of accidentally nuking Florida) and might do a whole lot better.

Hell, I'm not even American, I bet those of you in the US are pretty much in a non stop orgasm right now, yes?

Oh, and I'll say this for McCain, his concession speech had much of the dignity and authority that has otherwise been absent from his camp for weeks now. If he'd managed that sort of thing earlier it might not have been such a embarrassment for him...

[Energon Hot Shot]

I know this isn't gonna be a popular response, but McCain...Obama...I just didn't care. I really don't believe it will likely change my life either way.

I will say this while I didn't care for either candidate I really don't like what went on in this election...I think alot of people voted Obama simply because it was the hip thing to do.

Most people I knew had flimsy reasons for voting for him...I'm not saying he, isn't qualified, or that he won't do a good job, and it's not a black or white sort of thing (yes I'm white but easily would have voted for Colin Powel had he run), and its not a republican vs democrat thing as I did vote Clinton, but had Colin run he would have been Republican. When I asked people why they supported Obama they responded in a few alarming ways...
-It's time for change...Uhm any new president is change, granted McCain would have been closer to what Bush would have done, but still...
-I want to be part of history in electing the first black president...Are you kidding me? This is what your basing your vote on? A paralized cat has never been mayor of my town should I campaign that and see if it gets the same turn out?
-He's black and I'm black so I have to support Obama...again are you kidding me? I mean I wouldn't pick McCain because because I'm white and he's white, my god...isn't that sort of a reverse racism? Or the reverse which I also heard I'm not voting for Obama because I'm white.

Crazy people out there, voting based not on where a candiate stands on issues, but based on color.

^ I agree with this. Obama became a fad, whether he was the right choice or not. It's only a matter of time before his popularity fades away and everyone begins bashing him on late-night television.

[slartibartfast]

I've just realised I have absolutely no faith in politics.
Obama is an amazing avatar of unity though. Good luck to the man

[/2 centimes]

[electro girl]

America has proved itself to be a very forward thinking nation in the eyes of the world, well done to Obama.

[Lord Zarak]

Waking up to the news that Obama won, the world seems a more optimistic place now.

Is there anyone here who didnt vote?