♪♫ The world turned upside down. Finally, it's US election week.
November 6, 2016 10:15 AM Subscribe

574 days since Hillary declared she would run, and 2 days left for the frontrunner and all of us till election day. While the world watches e.g. [Guardian] [RTE] [Denmark] [Russia] [Sweden (lonely)] and [France], analyses, reacts, or organizes election parties [Australia] [New Zealand], the polls bounce around but generally favor Hillary, the UK bookies, other odds and an increasingly angry Nate also still favor Hillary, and Politico only sees three narrow paths to victory for Donald. Meanwhile, the Democrats get the vote out, it's not been the best of years for Trump's New Jersey chum (also November 10th 2015), there are fears of an election "cyber attack", political phrases are becoming fatigued, celebrity social media remains divided, Mr Kaine duets with Mr Bongiovi, and Hillary and Donald (in Reno) near the end.

Instant reaction or conversation? For a more immediate and unarchived media, chat may be better. If the web interface isn't working for you, frimble has instructions for connecting with Adium, Monal, and Apple Messages. A longer list of Jabber-compatible clients is here. Alternately...

Take it to MetaTalk
* SEZ WHO? Election Prediction 2016
* Watcha doin election night? (Besides MetaFilter!)
* Get Yer Voting Stories Here!
* Mefite Election Volunteering
* Can we stop attacking left-of-Clinton/anti-establishment folks on here?

There are worries of election day intimidation or violence. Early voting has produced long waiting lines and times in states such as North Carolina (and again), Virginia and Arizona (and the bizarro excuse). The number of polling stations has also been reduced in some states since 2013. Meanwhile, the courts remain involved in numerous election cases, such as (again) Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio (update) and Pennsylvania.

Other Resources
* Ballotpedia has a mass of election resources.
* Plan your election day; again from Ballotpedia, state-by-state poll opening and closing times.
* How to vote in every state by NoxAeternum.
* More voter information by lampshade.
* The Election thread reference may explain some of the terminology used within the comments here.
* For extra free coverage, note the New York Times paywall is down Monday to Wednesday this week.

There's also a MeFites United calling team - details from kristi. In addition, even at this late stage, campaign staff are still needed.

MetaFilter nostalgia from February 2011: Should Trump Run?. Elsewhere, there's all the posts tagged Election2016, and not long left to plan any election night party.

Post title from Hamilton, suggested by blessedlyndie.

posted by Wordshore (2658 comments total) 123 users marked this as a favorite

this nightmare can't end soon enough.
posted by and they trembled before her fury at 10:18 AM on November 6, 2016 [67 favorites]

My money is on Evan from Utah.

Darkhorses rule!
posted by sammyo at 10:18 AM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm trying to find out where voter intimidation is most likely to occur in New Hampshire. I'd be grateful for any pointers.
posted by Coventry at 10:18 AM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

As we get closer and closer to voting day, election threads come quicker and quicker. Zeno's Election Coverage.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:20 AM on November 6, 2016 [49 favorites]

(Breaks half-empty bottle of Thunderbird found in the backyard against monitor to christen thread)
posted by Senor Cardgage at 10:20 AM on November 6, 2016 [51 favorites]

574 days since Hillary declared she would run

Not to mention 151 election threads.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:20 AM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

Only a few more sleeps until Tangerine Nightmare faces a bigly defeat of his own making. gg team khaleesi.
posted by chainlinkspiral at 10:20 AM on November 6, 2016 [20 favorites]

I keep expecting the next election post musical title to be, "Welcome all my friends to the show that never ends..."
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 10:22 AM on November 6, 2016 [21 favorites]

Is anyone else having trouble accessing Hillary's online call tool, or just me/my introverted social anxiety manifesting itself via the internet?
posted by fast ein Maedchen at 10:22 AM on November 6, 2016

Tom Servo says how I feel about this election.
posted by SansPoint at 10:23 AM on November 6, 2016 [55 favorites]

I alternate between feeling like I need to read every single word about the election and feeling like if I read one more word about the election I'll spontaneously combust and fall over dead. These threads are a good compromise because all the news is pre-filtered through you lovely people who are doing the work of the righteous on the behalf of the rest of us, and I appreciate it more than words can say.
posted by skycrashesdown at 10:23 AM on November 6, 2016 [162 favorites]

What is the over-under on pace of comments in this thread? 100 an hour will result in over 4k comments.

There is quite likely to be a need for a second thread for election results.

Scary to see how much Metafilter has been ElectionFilter this last year. It will be good to have it all over soon. You know assuming that Clinton wins otherwise I assume we will be doing RebellionFilter
posted by vuron at 10:24 AM on November 6, 2016 [24 favorites]

vuron or Moving to CanadaFilter
posted by SansPoint at 10:24 AM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Nobody Who Followed This Election Can Say It Hasn't Been a Show. Are we not entertained?
posted by homunculus at 10:26 AM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Hey, I'm glad there's a new one of these. I need some reassurance. What happens if the Republicans straight up just refuse to accept the election results? What happens then? Does Obama have enough loyalty from the military to avoid some sort of coup?

I'm not frightened of Clinton losing. I think that's probably going to be fine. I'm frightened of what comes after.
posted by Caduceus at 10:27 AM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

1457 days until election day!

(In 2020.)
posted by Jahaza at 10:27 AM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

There is quite likely to be a need for a second thread for election results.

I think that's a given. My question is, are we going to have just one thread on Tuesday, or are we going to need one for the morning and one for the evening (and then another for the afterparty?? the ride never ends)?
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:27 AM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

As we get closer and closer to voting day, election threads come quicker and quicker. Zeno's Election Coverage.

I'm working on the next one (mostly done, and the title was chosen three years ago), which will be the election day FPP. When it goes live on tuesday is up to the mods, but probably not early as it's going to be a loooong day (and night). Might be kinda good - and also for mod zen - if this new post doesn't burn out with several thousand comments well before then; see links to chat, MetaTalk options.

(Thanks to mods for chats and also to ChurchHatesTucker for co-ordination and handing the "baton of election posting" back and forth recently)
posted by Wordshore at 10:28 AM on November 6, 2016 [33 favorites]

GOP judges lift court order prohibiting Trump campaign from intimidating voters. Making America great again, one court decision at a time.
posted by homunculus at 10:30 AM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Thanks to those of you who mentioned BLM yard signs in the last thread. I've been looking for something to counter the awful "Blue Lives Matter" flag flying across the street. Amongst the reasons I put up a Love Trumps Hate sign is that I want my immigrant neighbors to know that I'm delighted they are here. I also want to show my black neighbors that I know that their lives matter. Thanks for helping me fight a little bit of the hate.
posted by mcduff at 10:30 AM on November 6, 2016 [25 favorites]

I have had nightmares every single night since the RNC first convened earlier this year. It would be swell if those nightmares didn't become a reality this week
posted by Hermione Granger at 10:34 AM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

351-186, with one unfaithful elector in WA.
posted by Ironmouth at 10:34 AM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

F*CKSGIVING // GLOBAL MOVEMENT AMERICAN ELECTION'16
posted by chavenet at 10:34 AM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

I honest to god cannot understand how it even can be this close and yet here we are. I'm a Sanders fan too but I still can't understand this.
posted by gt2 at 10:35 AM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

I figured out the best way to relieve some election stress and anxiety. As I know that a good many are experiencing the same I thought I would share. Here are the step by step instructions.

Have a dog.
Dog escapes out the door past a Dad and takes off towards the creek and the fields.
Dog has a history of running far and killing chickens.
There is a house, alebit several kms down the road that now has chickens outside all day.
Dog has run several kms for 12hrs at a time before.
No one tells you dog is out. You sit drinking coffee, reading Metafilter and trying not to stress about an election.
You go downstairs to get something eat.
A Mom says all casual 'oh dog got out.'
You get a shot of adrenline, run upstairs, throw on a t-shirt, pants and shoes, race downstairs, grab dog treats and run outside.
A Dad is there puttering in the shed.
' Where is dog?'
'Oh I don't know she was down there a while a go.'
Get mad at Dad.
Hurry down to the creek and call dog.
Finally see dog on other side of the creek next to the 500 acre corn field. See dog ignore you and trot down the side of corn, in the direction of the road which would eventually lead to chickens.
Decide that getting to road and crossing the creek there to head down side of corn towards dog is best course of action.
Wade through really long grass and burdock.
Curse at all the burdock sticky things that are wadding up all over your pants.
Get to road, cross bridge to other side of the creek and walk down side of corn.
Ponder life for a while.
Look at shoes and see mud on them.
Curse yourself for not putting on old shoes.
See dog!
Dog looks and thinks no way and trots into corn.
Follow dog
Think ‘gosh I haven't gone in corn like this since I was a kid. It’s kinda neat and omg it’s taller then me!! Hee hee...oh wait dog. Focus on dog’
Dog decides that corn is the wrong direction, turns and heads back to creek.
Follow.
Dog now in creek looking at you.
Hold out dog treat.
Watch dog slowly come to you and reluctantly take treat.
Grab dog collar.
Dog will be stubborn and doesn't move.
Start dragging dog.
Realize that dragging dog by the collar through creeks and heavy brush is difficult. Curse yourself for not bringing a leash.
Think 'hey I can use my shirt and loop it through the collar'
Think 'no bra on..hmm'
Think 'hey I'm in the country who the fuck cares'.
Have a not so bad, shirtless walk, with your dog, on a unseasonably warm and sunny fall day.
Realize that letting it all hang out feels pretty awesome. Walk tall and proud.
Walk around the side of the house, pulling your dog with your shirt, covering your boobs with your hands because you know a Dad might be there.
Have him see you and stare in shock, "What? Why have you no shirt on!!!!"

The END

stress all gone for now

Hope these instructions will help others.
posted by Jalliah at 10:36 AM on November 6, 2016 [405 favorites]

Part of me almost wants to collect all of the 2016 election threads and print them out. Anyone have an idea of how many words have been written in these threads? Or what percentage of words written on the blue in the last year have been election related?

I maybe might have contacts in the printing industry that can make this happen (for like, 2 copies bound). I'll ask, it'd be a cool coffee table book.
posted by neonrev at 10:38 AM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Kill me.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:39 AM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

There's a unique feeling of helpless anxiety that comes with being Canadian during all this. I really can't comprehend the minds of some of the people I know who are being all smug about it.

I'm rooting for you, anyway, America. You got this. I don't think things are nearly as close as they appear. This election has brough all kinds of ugliness out into the open, and on Tuesday you're going to KILL IT WITH FIRE.
posted by mrjohnmuller at 10:40 AM on November 6, 2016 [41 favorites]

I just want it over.
Fuck this country and its political system. Gah.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:41 AM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I was walking home last night with my music on shuffle and it occurred to me about all the songs Trump played behind him at rallies that the artists asked him to stop using. Then a song came on that would suit him perfectly.
posted by jonmc at 10:42 AM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

I maybe might have contacts in the printing industry that can make this happen (for like, 2 copies bound). I'll ask, it'd be a cool coffee table book.

In the sense of, book that could function as a coffee table.
posted by saturday_morning at 10:42 AM on November 6, 2016 [62 favorites]

Oh god my friends are promoting a "Millennials need to vote for Hillary so they aren't blamed for Trump" video on Facebook and it's so full of Bernie back-patting I can't stop my eyes rolling.

And I can't say anything about it 'cause I might hurt some "undecided" person's feelings. Argh.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 10:43 AM on November 6, 2016 [21 favorites]

My panic levels have been steadily increasing over the last ten days or so, and now I've officially hit the point of "utterly terrified to the point that I can barely think about anything else."

Maybe it's for the best that I'll be spending roughly 12 hours per day at work on Monday and Tuesday, and I have a job that doesn't allow me to focus on much anything else. (Fortunately I don't have to be at work until around 11 am, so I have time to go vote Tuesday morning.) I'm hoping and praying to the god that I don't believe in that by the time I get out from work around 11 pm ET on Tuesday night things will already be wrapping up. That's probably a long shot though. I fear I'll be getting very little sleep Tuesday night.

I also had a sudden omg what if I'm not actually registered to vote (even though I've voted in multiple elections over the last several years from my current address) moment. For anyone in Massachusetts, you can check your voter registration status here, which also gives your polling place and a sample ballot.

Anyway, yes, I'm still registered to vote, and it did warm my heart that aside from the presidential election, the rest of the officials up for election in my district are all Democrats running unopposed.
posted by litera scripta manet at 10:44 AM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

If millenials need to backpat in order for them to help save us from ourselves then fine. We can always go back to rolling our eyes at them after our future is saved from dystopia.
posted by vuron at 10:46 AM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

scaryblackdeath: A vote for a dumb reason still counts!
posted by JDHarper at 10:46 AM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

How this campaign will be remembered
posted by flabdablet at 10:47 AM on November 6, 2016 [38 favorites]

Part of me almost wants to collect all of the 2016 election threads and print them out. Anyone have an idea of how many words have been written in these threads?

This was calculated on October 14th (three-and-a-half weeks, or about twelve threads) ago) and it was a bit daunting even then.

By comparison, Infinite Jest is about 543,000 words long, and The Lord of the Rings about 481,000.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:49 AM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump Cold Open - SNL. "With 72 hours remaining until Election Day, Hillary Clinton (Kate McKinnon) and Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) appear on Erin Burnett (Cecily Strong) OutFront."
posted by homunculus at 10:49 AM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

This campaign will be remembered for the candidate of a major party getting up on stage and reading a concise summation of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as a campaign speech.
posted by Talez at 10:49 AM on November 6, 2016 [27 favorites]

Yeah I am pretty much certain of a Clinton win and moderately confident about the Senate and I will definitely take a Xanax Tuesday.

Needless to say worker productivity is going to suck next week.

Election threads and Civ6 will hopefully get me through.
posted by vuron at 10:50 AM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

No offense to all of you good people, but I hope this is the last thread we have to come together like this, and that everything goes relatively smoothly, with nothing that would warrant an election overtime thread on Wednesday.

And if the worst should come to pass, I leave you all of my hollandaise sauce and guacamole, because I will be promptly dropping off the grid and going into hiding. Eat it quickly, it doesn't keep.
posted by T.D. Strange at 10:51 AM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

Someone in the last thread noted that Nov 8 is to be National Pantsuit Day!

Wear your Pantsuit on Tuesday!
posted by cashman at 10:51 AM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

It's also frustrating as fuck 'cause I'm so, so sick of hearing Baby Boomers and Gen Xers (my own generation) talk shit about Millennials. If Millennials don't vote for Hillary, yes it's on them for not being able to choose the single obviously good selection from amid a field of trash, but there's at least as much blame to be shouldered by previous generations who have let 24+ years of sexist, alarmist bullshit against Clinton slide for so long.

Because as usual, every complaint against Millennials is a reason older generations should maybe step the fuck back and take a long hard look at their own bullshit.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 10:51 AM on November 6, 2016 [116 favorites]

haha those unrealistic dreamers

I mean I see what you're getting at but TRUMP. He's really bad.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 10:51 AM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
– Charles Bukowski
posted by robbyrobs at 10:55 AM on November 6, 2016 [98 favorites]

scaryblackdeath Part of me suspects that because the only Presidents that Millennials remember are George W. Bush and Barack Obama, they're not used to having to compromise on a Presidential candidate. W's legacy is, at least from my vantage point, a huge failure, while Obama looks to be my generation's JFK without the unfortunate final chapter. If you've never had to vote for a compromise candidate, then it's going to be really hard to pinch your nose and do it.

I was a Dean supporter in 2004, my first Presidential Election, and beyond bummed when he dropped out. But, I pinched my nose and voted for Kerry. And he lost. In 2008, I gave serious thought to voting McCain if Hillary was the nominee (because of the Iraq war), until McCain signed on Sarah Palin. Fortunately, Obama was the nominee. I voted for Bernie in the primaries, but I'm voting Clinton on Tuesday, and doing it happily. She's walked back her support of the Iraq was, for one. Yeah, it's a compromise, but THAT'S HOW POLITICS WORKS.
posted by SansPoint at 10:56 AM on November 6, 2016 [48 favorites]

haha yeah those silly millenials who gathered by the thousands for progressive ideals and refused to settle for third way New Democrat neoliberalism and brought about the most progressive major party platform in the history of the republic.

haha those unrealistic dreamers

I'm just frustrated that so few of my cohort are now inspired to go out there and finish the fight and elect someone who can actually do something about implementing it! And going out there and voting and encouraging their friends to vote so we can push the down ticket races, too.
posted by Zalzidrax at 10:56 AM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

How this campaign will be remembered

I read a hundred and fifty threads, nine million words, spent untold hours on these threads and somehow I missed the MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL?
posted by saturday_morning at 10:56 AM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Hillary campaigner flipping a skateboard in a pantsuit and heels.
posted by octothorpe at 10:57 AM on November 6, 2016 [93 favorites]

Charles Bukowski

I feel like he may have been paraphrasing an earlier thing
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 10:58 AM on November 6, 2016 [37 favorites]

In its continuing series of articles aimed at depressing Bostonians who live in a blue bubble, the Boston Globe today introduces us to Beckley, WV, where people talk of moving out of the country if Clinton wins (to "an island that ain’t got nothing but monkeys on it") predict Clinton will get us into a war ("I'm not trying to be a male chauvinist but who can they intimidate the most - male or female?") and where people are not quite sure a rumor about the government buying 30,000 guillotines to dispatch "Christians and people who believe in the Second Amendment" is false.
posted by adamg at 10:59 AM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

*Hillary will win.
*Obvious anagram Reince Priebus says the Republican party (official) will accept the outcome (even if Cheeto Benito doesn't)
*I will be wearing a pantsuit while voting on Tuesday.
*Mexicans and other Latinxs, African Americans, and other non whites will save this country from its white angry fragile men
*And on Tuesday night, there will be tacos for everyone!
posted by Sophie1 at 11:00 AM on November 6, 2016 [33 favorites]

Trump speech writer's pants literally catch on fire while writing Trump speech. [REAL, only in 2016 . . . ]
posted by flug at 11:00 AM on November 6, 2016 [55 favorites]

Ooh Sophie1 thank you so much for the idea. It's going to be Taco Tuesday for dinner in the saturday_morning household.
posted by saturday_morning at 11:01 AM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

This is the ULTIMATE TACO TUESDAY!
posted by Sophie1 at 11:04 AM on November 6, 2016 [25 favorites]

I found out this morning that my mom voted for Trump. I thought maybe, just maybe, she was one of the conservative women secretly voting Hillary, but no. It just makes me so sad.
posted by phunniemee at 11:05 AM on November 6, 2016 [40 favorites]

I'm just frustrated that so few of my cohort are now inspired to go out there and finish the fight and elect someone who can actually do something about implementing it! And going out there and voting and encouraging their friends to vote so we can push the down ticket races, too.

Whereas I'm so enthused by seeing so many of my friends volunteer and get more involved in local politics after Bernie energized them after the normal DNC ignored them for years. One of my BernieOrBust friends worked to get the first Somali-American legislator elected in the US. She's now voting for Clinton and still holding her feet to the fire for the post-election.
Maybe if all you see around you are apolitical people who don't care, that means your friends and co-workers are bad, not young people in general. Cause I'm still stunned by what my cohort is up to.
posted by neonrev at 11:07 AM on November 6, 2016 [21 favorites]

Obvious anagram Reince Priebus

Runic bee spire?
Beer urine pics?
Incubi pee errs?
posted by Zalzidrax at 11:07 AM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

My oldest and best friend voted McNuggets. I found that out at lunch yesterday.
posted by Oyéah at 11:08 AM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

Him?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:08 AM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

People, please don't start in with "it's the millennials" vs whatever. Come on.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:09 AM on November 6, 2016 [62 favorites]

So sorry phunniemee - many of us have a trumpy family member. Hugs.
posted by madamjujujive at 11:09 AM on November 6, 2016 [19 favorites]

Evan McMillen is really the only choice if one's a Conservative.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 11:10 AM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

There is also Evan McMullin.
posted by Oyéah at 11:11 AM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

My oldest and best friend voted McNuggets.

Is he doing well enough now to get on the lunch menu?
posted by phunniemee at 11:11 AM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

> There is also Evan McMullin.

McDonald's now serves breakfast all day.
posted by guiseroom at 11:12 AM on November 6, 2016 [19 favorites]

Cause I'm still stunned by what my cohort is up to.

I was considering pointing out that for me "so few" could well actually mean "not every one"
posted by Zalzidrax at 11:13 AM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

There is also Evan McMullin.

Potato, putato.
posted by orange ball at 11:13 AM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

From the NYT piece on Trump's last stand

At times, however, that is hard to detect. Over a cheeseburger, fried calamari and an “Ivanka Salad” at the Trump Grill in the basement of Trump Tower last week, several aides flipped open a laptop and loaded the popular website 270towin.com, which allows users to create their own winning electoral maps.

For 10 minutes, they clicked through the country, putting Democratic-leaning states won by Mr. Obama four years ago, like New Mexico and Colorado, into Mr. Trump’s column.

I'm literally qualified to be a Trump campaign aide. Maybe overqualified.
posted by dis_integration at 11:15 AM on November 6, 2016 [54 favorites]

/desperately hopes we don't fight the primary all over in the penultimate thread.
posted by spitbull at 11:15 AM on November 6, 2016 [15 favorites]

the Boston Globe today introduces us to Beckley, WV

Of course they do. Did they stop at the "journalist supplies" aisle at the local WalMart?

I hope someone does a final count of these pieces, but I also hope that the Globe takes stock of its own segregated city and at nearby places like Medford where the local cops yuk-yuk-yuk about locking up Hillary.
posted by holgate at 11:17 AM on November 6, 2016 [27 favorites]

Jallia's story is like the longest, weirdest, awesomest variant of the Freeshow joke that I have ever heard.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 11:17 AM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

today introduces us to Beckley, WV, where people talk of moving out of the country

I've been in Beckley, WV. If moving out of the country were an option to living there no one would remain.
posted by spitbull at 11:18 AM on November 6, 2016 [18 favorites]

Johnny Isakson, David Perdue reject long-term Supreme Court stonewall

The two Georgia R senators say they'll consider Clinton nominees. There's also this:

"For his part, Isakson said that if Clinton wins the presidency, he expects the Senate will confirm Garland before January. Many Republicans fear that Clinton would nominate a more liberal justice, swinging the ideological balance of the court even further to the left."
posted by chris24 at 11:21 AM on November 6, 2016 [20 favorites]

>Charles Bukowski

>>I feel like he may have been paraphrasing an earlier thing

"And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be orange?"

...is pretty much how I feel about it.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 11:23 AM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

My panic levels have been steadily increasing over the last ten days or so, and now I've officially hit the point of "utterly terrified

(not a trump supporter) But could I just say that if Mr Trump is elected it's not the end of the republic, there are massive legal, social and cultural forces that keep American Presidents in check. It's the thing that annoys me about "democracy solves.. " no no no, Separation of Powers is what differentiates the USA system from many others. Trump could nominate 2-3 justices in his career but there you go, a good case for having one part of government that can hang on for a lifetime.

Trump would have the best State Dinners since Camelot, and cause some real issues but it's not the end. Not pushing the red button, not pulling his TrumpTruck up to Fort Knox. It'd be wacky but ok.
posted by sammyo at 11:24 AM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Trump lacks even the style to make it up to the level of "rough beast."
posted by Archelaus at 11:24 AM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Thanks to those of you who mentioned BLM yard signs in the last thread. I've been looking for something to counter the awful "Blue Lives Matter" flag flying across the street

An entreprenurial vexillologist should create a "black-white-brown" tricolor flag.
posted by rhizome at 11:27 AM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

there are massive legal, social and cultural forces that keep American Presidents in check

The President is still the executive, and can cause enormous harm by sowing organizational disorder. If orders hadn't come down from the Whitehouse in 2001 that no one wants to hear about Islamic Terrorism, it's quite likely that 9/11 wouldn't have happened, for instance. Same thing for the housing bubble and the Iraq war, which are still harming America today..
posted by Coventry at 11:27 AM on November 6, 2016 [46 favorites]

If Trump wins he'll get the Carter treatment for sure.
posted by rhizome at 11:28 AM on November 6, 2016

sammyo, I think you aren't necessarily recognizing the extent to which a President Trump (shudder) could embolden others in a way that would make this country incredibly unlivable for many people of color, not to mention the millions of people he pledges to throw out of the country at gunpoint.

I don't want to debate "nuclear war or merely bad stuff" because that's pointless, but it does cut to people's safety and security in a very real way, and you only have to look at the damage he's already done as merely a candidate to see that.
posted by zachlipton at 11:28 AM on November 6, 2016 [57 favorites]

I found out this morning that my mom voted for Trump.

Mine's donation to Trump showed up on the SEC's site recently. I just gave an offset to the ActBlue fund that's set up for the Senate candidates right on the edge.
posted by Candleman at 11:28 AM on November 6, 2016 [20 favorites]

But could I just say that if Mr Trump is elected it's not the end of the republic, there are massive legal, social and cultural forces that keep American Presidents in check.

I think you're vastly underestimating the power of the Presidency and the moral bankruptcy of the congress. Trump will not be checked and balanced if he's rubber stamping the Ryan agenda, and if he wins that means the Senate will likely stay in GOP hands. As for the courts, they can issue all the judgments they want against him. He won't listen. The rule of law only extends as far as we permit it to. Trump has no respect for the rule of law and won't let silly things like "you don't have the legal authority" stop him.
posted by dis_integration at 11:28 AM on November 6, 2016 [76 favorites]

But could I just say that if Mr Trump is elected it's not the end of the republic
I tend to agree with you, but that's very, very cold comfort to the millions of people who would have their lives destroyed by things he'd do in conjunction with a Republican congress. People who would be deported, and/or lose their healthcare, and/or face even more restrictions on their ability to get an abortion, and/or lose their job when the economy crashes. Let alone the rise in discrimination and violence that such a victory would embolden.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 11:29 AM on November 6, 2016 [58 favorites]

sammyo there are massive legal, social and cultural forces that keep American Presidents in check.

Not when their party controls all three branches of government. And Trump will nominate at least TWO Supreme Court justices in his term, leaving Trumpism in control of the Judicial Branch for decades to come.

And, no Trump won't have the best State Dinners since Kennedy. He doesn't drink, and he takes his steak well done.
posted by SansPoint at 11:30 AM on November 6, 2016 [46 favorites]

he takes his steak well done
My god. And here I though I could no longer be shocked by this monster.
posted by Ragged Richard at 11:31 AM on November 6, 2016 [125 favorites]

Obama looks to be my generation's JFK without the unfortunate final chapter.

TURN AROUND THREE TIMES AND SPIT.
posted by BrashTech at 11:31 AM on November 6, 2016 [84 favorites]

But could I just say that if Mr Trump is elected it's not the end of the republic, there are massive legal, social and cultural forces that keep American Presidents in check.

I have to disagree. It's not what he could do (which would be considerable), it's the things a Trump presidency would ratify by implication. This place being what it is, there's no need for me to list them.

It would be a catastrophe.
posted by Mooski at 11:31 AM on November 6, 2016 [15 favorites]

It's utterly surreal that one of the presidential candidates has had his Twitter privileges revoked, like a sullen teenager, because he can't be trusted not to say something outrageous.

How the very hell would such a man cope with the presidency? How is he polling even in double digits?

I know, I know. You should see the shitstorm over here over Brexit. It's every bit as cray-cray. We've had Brexiters asking the army to take over, because a military coup d'etat is more democratic than having judges correctly interpret the law.

Come on, NASA. Get that warp drive working. I need off this planet.
posted by Devonian at 11:32 AM on November 6, 2016 [55 favorites]

Wait what well done steak?

Goddamn there really is no end to the depravity
posted by vuron at 11:33 AM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Yestetday, my friend Vera and I had decided to put our mail in ballots in the collection box by Seattle Community College and then get breakfast. Only she slept in and then had to go to work.

So, she swung by after 3 and we went.to her place to pick up.her pallet. Which was what.her phone heard instead of ballot. And she got such a cherry parking spot, we decided to walk down to Broadway. In the rain. And me in a hoodie.

Well, we got to Broadway, dropped off our ballots and.then went to the Deluxe for breakfast at 6.

And then went to my hovel and dried our coats over an.open oven and hung out. And, to my delight and hers, Vera finally got watch a bit of Vera before Ubering home.

I fell asleep with the BBC overnight with butterflies in my stomach, woke up with.same and will rinse and repeat until at least Wednesday.
posted by y2karl at 11:33 AM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

there are massive legal, social and cultural forces that keep American Presidents in check.

Until there aren't. The Trump campaign has already violated all kinds of norms and even if he loses there's no guarantee that he'll suffer as a result, or that by ignoring established precedents he emboldens others to do the same.
posted by holgate at 11:34 AM on November 6, 2016 [31 favorites]

They certainly kept Obama in check, except for drone warfare. Donald is the dream auto pilot president for institutionalized bigotry, racism, sexism, class warfare, and caste.
posted by Oyéah at 11:39 AM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

Are we going to use this thread or a new one for covering the white nationalist siege America will be under as soon as Trump loses
posted by beerperson at 11:40 AM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

If I see one more liberal handwring essay about the noble fucking morons of Bumblefuck County and why they believe literally the stupidest and most easily debunked bullshit rumors but that's honorable because they are old and white and had every god damn privilege handed to them during the post-War boom economy so they had no choice but to screw everyone that came after them and now they feel left out of the national conversation because we don't arrest gay people for sodomy any more and theres all these brown people around now that get to vote and have jobs too and that's an affront to God I guess because every one of them is a terrorist looking to crash a plane into the Cracker Barrel off Route 9 I may well fucking ignite.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 11:40 AM on November 6, 2016 [335 favorites]

This 60 second GOTV ad just went on the air in AZ, CO, FL, IA, MI, NC, NH, NV, OH, PA & WI through Election Day.

BTW, for anyone on Twitter, I compiled an election list from some of my favorite sources. It's not exhaustive but a way to get a quick pulse.
posted by madamjujujive at 11:41 AM on November 6, 2016 [15 favorites]

> Trump speech writer's pants literally catch on fire while writing Trump speech. [REAL, only in 2016 . . . ]

That's not Trump's speechwriter, that's Steve Bannon, the neo-nazi in charge of the Trump campaign (as well as Breitbart and the rumored-to-be-pending extremist cable TV news channel).
posted by ardgedee at 11:41 AM on November 6, 2016

Isakson and Purdue must be looking at the blue wave heading down the Piedmont region and also looking at Atlanta's demographics and going ohh shit. There are likely others that are seeing the cold hard truth of electoral extinction and going maybe Garland isn't so bad.
posted by vuron at 11:42 AM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

those silly millenials who... refused to settle... and brought about the most progressive major party platform in the history of the republic... haha those unrealistic dreamers

Historically, platforms mean almost nothing in relation to what actually happens after an election. So let's see what actually happens when the sausage gets made.

Things could get (remain?) pretty feisty in the Democratic party in the years to come if the Clinton administration doesn't veer left, hard and often.
posted by rokusan at 11:43 AM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Thanks to those of you who mentioned BLM yard signs in the last thread. I've been looking for something to counter the awful "Blue Lives Matter" flag flying across the street

Currently, there's a faculty art show at the local university. One display is a coloring book titled "All Lives Matter." And cover is white with black line art, as are the interior pages. The box of crayons provided with it is one of the Crayola "multi cultural" boxes, which would normally have a good selection of various different flesh tones, but is, instead, filled with nothing but pure white crayons. It's a nice, slow-burn piece.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:44 AM on November 6, 2016 [187 favorites]

They certainly kept Obama in check, except for drone warfare.

Killing brown people overseas without any American casualties at all, while spending billions on very expensive weapons to do so, is a position that all status quo politicians, even Republicans, have no problem getting behind, so this is a bit of an easy sell.
posted by rokusan at 11:45 AM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Thorzdad *slow clap*
posted by SansPoint at 11:45 AM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Anyone have an idea of how many words have been written in these threads?

I ran the script just now, and it came out to 9,509,783 words, or about 38,000 pages. That's not totally precise, for a number of reasons. It's missing words that were posted since I downloaded the new FPPs about a half hour ago. I also didn't want to re-download all the FPPs that I used from the last calculation, so my local cache may be missing words from FPPs that were active during that time (except I did re-download the thread where I made that comment). Finally, there are a handful of FPPs that are tagged "election2016" that really don't count as "election threads" per se (especially before 2016), but they're pretty small, so they probably don't affect the count too much.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 11:47 AM on November 6, 2016 [26 favorites]

Be like Joe Biden. Make a plan to vote. (yt)
posted by ltl at 11:48 AM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

Things could get (remain?) pretty feisty in the Democratic party in the years to come if the Clinton administration doesn't veer left, hard and often.

Unfortunately, they'll end up veering straight into that stone wall called the House of Representatives. So, realistically, a Clinton administration, even with a Democratic Senate, isn't going to be able to accomplish dick if it requires House input.

On the other hand, leaders the House has already pledged to draw-up articles of impeachment, which are going to tie-up the Senate for awhile.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:49 AM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

For me, I believe that this election season - no small thanks to Bernie et al, also BLM, also feminists, also immigrants activists and many others - people have articulated a shared vision of a better future. We come from a lot of different places politically, but I think there's a compromise vision out there now - sure, it's no anarchist utopia, and maybe if we achieved a sort of moderate social democracy then we'd all have to fight amongst ourselves to figure out the next step, but I feel a much clearer sense of direction now.

The other thing is - even in a really progressive society, most people aren't going to want to be heavily politically engaged. If we go from a situation where, like, 1% of your friends care to a situation where 5% of your friends care, that's huge. You don't need every single person to be active, just a meaningful increase. I believe we've got this.

In fact, I think that unless Trump pulls it off and can institute massive voter disenfranchisement, impoverishment and repression, those Republicans had better fucking watch out in the future.
posted by Frowner at 11:50 AM on November 6, 2016 [57 favorites]

Can't you filibuster articles of impeachment.
posted by ctmf at 11:52 AM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

That's why she's likely to be in for a lot of friction from both sides, Thorzdad, making 2020 a pretty strange-looking reelection battle already.

But I guess we can discuss that in one of the next 1,200 post/pre/election threads.

[Insert calliope music here]
posted by rokusan at 11:53 AM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Can't you filibuster articles of impeachment.

If you can filibuster, you can vote to aquit.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 11:53 AM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

>> Trump speech writer's pants literally catch on fire while writing Trump speech. [REAL, only in 2016 . . . ]

> That's not Trump's speechwriter, that's Steve Bannon, the neo-nazi in charge of the Trump campaign (as well as Breitbart and the rumored-to-be-pending extremist cable TV news channel).

Oh, I know that very well. But among the other things he is, Bannon is also one of Trump's speech writers now. The primary one lately, by all indications (ie, content of said speeches).

So it's really quite fitting that his pants just spontaneously caught on fire in the middle of writing his usual pile of lies.

I mean really, just how often does that happen IRL? No one would dare put such a thing in fiction--it's literally unbelievable . . .
posted by flug at 11:54 AM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Can't you filibuster articles of impeachment.

And tie up the Senate even longer?
posted by fifthrider at 11:54 AM on November 6, 2016

That Drunk History episode with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alia Shawkat and Aubrey Plaza should really, really have been scheduled for election night, or at least election eve.
posted by rokusan at 11:55 AM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

"Like a Norman Rockwell painting full of assholes, the Main Street of Dickhead Falls has seen better days" [fake]
posted by Senor Cardgage at 11:56 AM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

My favorite thing about the "millennials vs" stuff is that previous incarnation was "boomers vs", so it's pretty obvious it's just Gen X getting pissy and throwing shade for getting dragged to and fro in the big waves. As an Xer myself, I won't say I support this, mostly just 'cause I want to maintain plausible deniability.
posted by gusottertrout at 11:56 AM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Articles of impeachment are drawn up and voted on by the House of Representatives, which does not have a filibuster. An impeachment is similar to an indictment in that it is a formalized accusation.

The job of the Senate is to conduct a trial for a President already impeached.

So, no, no filibuster.
posted by absalom at 11:56 AM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

You don't need to filibuster articles of impeachment. The filibuster is a Senate thing and for impeachment to get through the Senate, it needs a 2/3 majority vote so there's no need for a filibuster to prevent a president from being removed from office.
posted by jclarkin at 11:57 AM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

For those upthread expressing worry about the millennial vote: What the Electoral College Would Look Like if Only Millennials Voted.

Attention, Boomers: collect your own, please.

(And maybe also give a millennial a ride to the polls with that car you could actually afford because you did not come of age during the world's worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, hmm?)
posted by BlueJae at 11:57 AM on November 6, 2016 [65 favorites]

@hannahbfine
"The first president I got to vote for was black like me. And now I get to vote for a lady. It's just amazing." -Dominique
#OHVotesEarly [pic of Dominque at her polling place]

I love the sweatshirt she's wearing.
posted by chris24 at 11:57 AM on November 6, 2016 [37 favorites]

Any eyerolling I do at Millenials is based in the deep cynicism of Generation X.

But honestly I really like the idea of the new Hillary coalition taking charge. Millenials, Women, PoC, LGBTQ individuals, etc all working together and charting a course towards a better more inclusive future sounds fun.

Yeah dystopias make for good stories but I am ready for my Star Trek future now.
posted by vuron at 11:58 AM on November 6, 2016 [54 favorites]

Yeah, I'm a little confused at all the hand-wringing about millennials, when we are less likely to support Trump than any other age group.
posted by armadillo1224 at 11:58 AM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Days Before The Election, Sunday Shows Turn Almost Exclusively To White Guests
posted by zombieflanders at 11:59 AM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

but I feel a much clearer sense of direction now.

Yeah I'm comparing this to 15 years ago when the left felt real scattered and disheartened and now there's a much stronger leftist bent among the under 35s and you can say things like income inequality in TV and everything.

Granted I still plan on hording Xanax for Tuesday but still
posted by The Whelk at 11:59 AM on November 6, 2016 [21 favorites]

Does anyone recall, from previous, recent presidential elections, roughly when enough votes are in and counted to make a definitive call (i.e., 270 electoral votes)?
posted by datawrangler at 11:59 AM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Right, but I meant more in a "refuse to even do it" sense. It's the senate's job to confirm appointments, too, but...
posted by ctmf at 12:02 PM on November 6, 2016

Has this been linked before? I don't care.

Campaigner Dianara Vazquez demonstrates how Hillary rolls with a kickflip in high heels.
posted by bluecore at 12:02 PM on November 6, 2016 [19 favorites]

Nothing focuses otherwise apathetic voters like the prospect of Trumpocalyse. You've got a mobilized population now.
posted by Kevin Street at 12:03 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Datawrangler: It really depends. I'm expecting this one to be relatively quick, because winning Florida effectively clinches it for Clinton, and they're on the east coast. (Later time zone, so earlier poll closing.) But then again, Florida took a while sixteen years ago.
posted by fifthrider at 12:03 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Early voting is strong in Los Angeles today, the last day it's allowed. My wife and I live a block from our polling place, but we figured we'd drive to the nearest early voting site anyway. Welp, the line was five hundred at least and grew by twelve as we were stopped at the light. So it's bright and early Tuesday morning for me (she's mailing hers in).
posted by infinitewindow at 12:03 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

One deleted - no really, please cool it with the "what about millennials" vs. "boomers" vs. whatever thing.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 12:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

1457 days until election day!

There you go, forgetting the midterms again.

Come on, can we at least get through Liz Warren taking down Curt Schilling before we start in with the President again.
posted by davros42 at 12:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

Does anyone recall, from previous, recent presidential elections, roughly when enough votes are in and counted to make a definitive call

For Obama's last two wins, it was the second California polls closed.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:05 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

1457 days until election day!

I hate you.
posted by dersins at 12:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

For Obama's last two wins, it was the second California polls closed.

Which is 8pm local time, 11pm EST.
posted by zombieflanders at 12:08 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Our mayoral election here in NYC is a year from tomorrow. We don't get a break.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:09 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Does anyone recall, from previous, recent presidential elections, roughly when enough votes are in and counted to make a definitive call (i.e., 270 electoral votes)?

Copied from a 3rd party:

Clinton wins comfortably: Two swing states – Florida and Virginia – close polls at 7 pm EST. If the early returns from Florida are positive enough for Clinton, the election could be over in practical terms by 7:30, because if Clinton wins Florida, she wins the race.

Clinton wins a closer race: If results from Florida (7 pm), Ohio (7:30 pm), and North Carolina (7:30 pm) are too close to call, Clinton will come close to victory with 8 pm poll closings in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Hampshire, all of which she is likely to win. Victories in Colorado and Wisconsin, which close their polls at 9 pm, would seal Clinton’s victory, even if the big prizes (NC, FL, OH) were yet to be called.

Clinton wins a squeaker: If Trump seems to be winning in North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio, while pulling out a surprise win in New Hampshire, the race could come down to a pair of 10 pm poll closings – Iowa and Nevada. Winning one
posted by shothotbot at 12:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [32 favorites]

could I just say that if Mr Trump is elected it's not the end of the republic, there are massive legal, social and cultural forces that keep American Presidents in check.

I'm curious which forces you're thinking of, because as I do a high level overview in my head, I have little confidence in their ability to keep a president unfettered by any internal loyalty to institutions in check:

* The courts? I don't even think one needs to make an argument about whether he'd respect any court review of that authority, it's obvious how unlikely that is. One wonders if he'd even bother to say something pithy like: "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it!" And it's worth remembering Trump would also be appointing a supreme court justice or two or three.

* Impeachment: Would Republican officeholders in a position to make that happen do such a thing? I'm not sure, but based on their recent behavior, it's reasonable to expect many if not most of them have no particular principles that would prevent them from sacrificing most norms, institutions, and possibly the entire American experiment itself if it would help them lower taxes, serve mammon, and increase strong-father authoritarianism.

* Internal rebellion from the federal apparatus? Possible, maybe. There's probably operators here trained in the art of bureaucratic infighting. On the other hand, Trump can make personnel decisions pretty much at will, here. I'm also going to point out that specifically Trump would be in command of the federal law enforcement, intelligence, and the military. Speaking of that strong-father high-discipline dominate-through-aggressive-behavior philosophy I invoked earlier... how resistant to that do you think these organizations are? I have no doubt that among the personnel serving in those capacities there are some who would be. Maybe even many. Trump and his sub-commandants could fire every last one of them.

* Public opinion? The fifth estate? We've already seen exactly how much regard he has for these things, and the terrifying limits of how much can be done here to make a decisive plurality aware of his complete unsuitability have been revealed. And, similarly, we've seen exactly what the press can and will make of any opposition, like Clinton. If Trump can be elected this month, why would he not be re-elected in four years, assuming elections were still fair? Why would we assume elections in a country run by Donald Trump backed by the Republican party would be fair?

For that matter, why would we assume he would respect either the results (since he's on record with having a problem with that) or the two-term limit? Who is going to remove him once he's had time to shape the US Federal Government in an image that would support him, as he already has with the Republican party?
posted by wildblueyonder at 12:13 PM on November 6, 2016 [27 favorites]

I'm expecting this one to be relatively quick, because winning Florida effectively clinches it for Clinton, and they're on the east coast.

Buzzfeed and a few others are not going with the traditional AP call or the practice of pretending that California won't go blue until the polls close at 8pm local, 11pm EST. I'm not massively pleased about that, because people will still be voting out west and I don't want voters in places like Arizona (on PST) to feel that the election's already decided while the polls are open, because there are downballot races to decide.

(That said, the Buzzfeed partnership with Decision Desk HQ -- rooted in a hyperconservative blog community, but straight-shooting and broadly respected for how it obtains its local results -- is very 2016.)
posted by holgate at 12:17 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

Thanks for the info on the "when" of a 270+. That being said, this election has done nothing good for digestion, let alone blood pressure. I'm as concerned about the day after as I am the day of.
posted by datawrangler at 12:17 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

if Mr Trump is elected it's not the end of the republic, there are massive legal, social and cultural forces that keep American Presidents in check.

If Trump wins, it's pretty-much a given that the R's keep the Senate, too. Short of a Supreme Court that suddenly grows a backbone, there's scant little in-place that could keep TrumpCo from pretty-much dismantling everything the right has been wanting to dismantle over the past thirty-plus years.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

Prepping the secret GOP weapon.
posted by clavdivs at 12:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

That being said, this election has done nothing good for digestion, let alone blood pressure.

Heh. My tolerance for cabernet sauvignon has roughly doubled since Super Tuesday, which is both disturbing and expensive.
posted by Mooski at 12:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [23 favorites]

FBI Dir just informed us "Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July with respect to Sec Clinton" (cite)
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [50 favorites]

Does anyone recall, from previous, recent presidential elections, roughly when enough votes are in and counted to make a definitive call (i.e., 270 electoral votes)?

Obama '08 was called shortly after 9pm. When Indiana went blue, the table was set.
posted by cmfletcher at 12:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

FBI Dir just informed us "Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July with respect to Sec Clinton"

Thanks for fucking nothing, Comey.
posted by zombieflanders at 12:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [92 favorites]

Look at all these brown faces eager to vote for Trump in Florida today!
posted by Senor Cardgage at 12:25 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

I hope Comey is happy he decided to destroy his career for Jason Chaffetz and to knock a couple points of Clintons victory margin. Maybe he thinks it was still worth it if he swings the Senate.
posted by T.D. Strange at 12:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [20 favorites]

roomthreeseventeen Now will people please shut the fuck up about the motherfucking emails for fuck's sake?

Of course they won't...
posted by SansPoint at 12:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

Thanks for fucking nothing, Comey.

hey rats aren't nothing
posted by dersins at 12:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

Shorter Comey: Never mind.
posted by madamjujujive at 12:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

What do people think about Slate's VoteCastr thing?
posted by longdaysjourney at 12:28 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Wow, these threads are such a mess. Anyway, re-posting:

Field reports coming in. We know the dem side is out doing final canvas rounds on foot to specify Hillary voters, and this list will be the final Monday/Tuesday all-hands turnout list. For example, I spent a few hours in a NoVA neighborhood, and had been one of 150 people in the area just that day, and that was just part of a separate union effort. We were working off an already-narrowed list and it's late in the game; mostly we didn't talk to people but we left notes on doors with election day poll hours and "vote no on issue 1" (the Right to Work amendment). As we were leaving we saw a van full of Hillary campaign people show up to the same neighborhood to work their own lists.

But on the R side? Based on recent reports from folks I know, who are deployed in Florida, Iowa, Virginia, New Hampshire, we're only seeing Trump folks doing visibility things, holding signs on bridges and street corners. We went under a freeway overpass that had a big Trump sign and a jumping and waving family, including kids. Anything on a bridge is almost certainly unsanctioned (authorities don't like it). I'm wondering if all of this "visibility work" in swing states is actually just Trump supporters who've been given no direction and are just burning energy wholesale.

We weren't waving signs, but I know the neighbors saw us walking the neighborhood, and would have seen others like us and maybe checked out what notes we left or chatted to their neighbor about "there were some people here," so canvassing has its own aspect of visibility.

The ground game seems to be going uncontested.

But there's still the final sprint through apathy and voter suppression obstacles.
posted by zennie at 12:30 PM on November 6, 2016 [35 favorites]

Tampa, FL (omg that LINE)

Seeing this line of folks from back home brought genuine tears to my eyes.
posted by dis_integration at 12:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

Utterly chilling perspective on what a Trump presidency could bring, by a former Marine Corps officer: America is more fragile than you think.
posted by Sublimity at 12:32 PM on November 6, 2016 [28 favorites]

Granted I still plan on hording Xanax for Tuesday but still

I have two semi-serious quandaries for election day:

(1) After voting, walk over to the pub owned by a local Democratic official and candidate (Loughran's, owned by Mr. Loughran), or drive for Mexican?
(2) Benzos, beer, or a pitcher of some healthful cocktail? This one sucks because it's really truly either-or.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:33 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

WaPo: FBI Director Comey says agency won’t recommend charges over Clinton email
posted by xyzzy at 12:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Since this is the last FPP, I'm going out and say that I've been calling Pence "Racist Bannon" (because, also, Samantha Bee, I think) and only very recently I noticed there was an actual racist called Bannon on the staff.

I'm really not sure if a scripted version of this shitshow could have been written this obvious. Either that, or the writers on this planetary simulation we're all in got lazy this year.
posted by lmfsilva at 12:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

TURN AROUND THREE TIMES AND SPIT.
posted by BrashTech at 11:31 AM on November 6 [16 favorites +] [!]

If this Presidential race gets any closer I'm going to turn around three times and shit.
posted by Kibbutz at 12:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

FBI: Review of new emails doesn't change its conclusions on Clinton

Fuck yeah! But fuck Comey for blowing up the election for nothing.
posted by chris24 at 12:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

You guys I got added to Pantsuit Nation today and I'm so happy I could burst.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [35 favorites]

I'm wondering if all of this "visibility work" in swing states is actually just Trump supporters who've been given no direction and are just burning energy wholesale.

I mean, with an analytics team that apparently relies heavily on 270toWin.com, it wouldn't exactly shock me if his field team is sufficiently incompetent that they focus on visibility over actually G-ing OTV.
posted by dersins at 12:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

One of the New Yorker's cartoonists decided to get away from election stress by judging a corgi competition in Tennessee.
posted by suelac at 12:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [28 favorites]

burdock sticky things

Not to add insult to injury, but, um...

Burs. They're called burs. They are 'docked' in burdock. That's why it's called that.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

Are we going to use this thread or a new one for covering the white nationalist siege America will be under as soon as Trump loses

Or if he wins, as per the post Brexit surge in hate speech and crimes. I'm from the UK and used to live in the US, and seeing the divisions and surges in populist anti-immigration rhetoric in both this year has been pretty upsetting.

I'm still feeling pretty good about the very likely Clinton win, and even starting to have a glimmer of hope that Brexit Britain might even be OK somewhere down the line, but man, the damage done by both the Leave and Trump campaigns is just horrifying. People's trust in governments and the political process is just shattered, at a time when more than ever we need governments and countries working together on globe-spanning problems that will take an enormous amount of political will to solve.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

FBI: Review of new emails doesn't change its conclusions on Clinton

Man, fuck a big bag of CNN. How about "FBI: Oops, Our Bad" or maybe even "Clinton Cleared"?

Liberal media my ass.
posted by Mooski at 12:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [71 favorites]

Shorter Comey: oops, my bad!
posted by spitbull at 12:40 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Id wear a white pantsuit in solidarity but that would just be a suit and everyone would think I was Tony Manero and I don't think the republic would survive all the resultant simultaneous ovulations.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 12:40 PM on November 6, 2016 [18 favorites]

Just came in from GOTV canvassing in Virginia, talked to a lot of enthusiastic folks. And now I'm about to paint my nails a nice bright blue!
posted by everybody had matching towels at 12:42 PM on November 6, 2016 [27 favorites]

I wonder which take Trump will go with in today's rallies. Will it be angry fulminating against Comey, or some sort of weirdly slick insinuation that the "Trumplandia" portion of the FBI will still somehow indict Clinton (despite the fact that indictment is not their job).
posted by zombieflanders at 12:47 PM on November 6, 2016

Personally I'm hoping we get Riled Up About the New York Times Trump.
posted by palomar at 12:50 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

“They have great money because they have oil. They have much oil,”

“Any place where they have oil, I would knock the hell out of ‘em, and I would put boots on the ground in those areas; I would take the oil.”

“And in order to do that, you would have to put boots. I would knock the hell out of ‘em, but I’d put a ring around it, and I’d take the oil for our country. I’d just take the oil.”

Donald Trump sharing his subtle foreign policy insights and explaining how he would totally not start a war. (real)
posted by Sing Or Swim at 12:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [44 favorites]

@BenjySarlin: "Guys! I spent all week checking those emails and it's nothing, what did I miss while I was gone?"
posted by zombieflanders at 12:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Pantsuit Nation is saving the last shreds of my sanity. So many stories. I am more inspired than I have been in years.
posted by custardfairy at 12:53 PM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

Yes. She is probably going to get us more involved, militarily, in more places. That's pretty much a given.

And as with so much about this election: yes, that sucks, but it's still better than the alternative, and it's not even close.

So, two steps forward, one step back rather than thirty steps back.
posted by rokusan at 12:54 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

Based on Tim Kaine's Replacements fandom, it's not unreasonable to think that at some point as Vice President he'll try to get us involved with My War .
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Well I hope damaging the FBI's reputation for years to come was worth it, Comey. I'm sure Putin will appreciate your assistance delivering a republican senate at least.

Unreal.
posted by spitbull at 12:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

Liz Warren taking down Curt Schilling

I've been watching a replay of college football over lunch and now I have this vision of Liz Warren making a full speed beautiful form tackle to Schilling's midsection like Jabrill Peppers on a Maryland QB

Also, this may already have been linked but national treasure Charlie Pierce with this beautiful takedown of Schilling:

If the rotator cuff were in the brain, this man would tear it.

posted by Existential Dread at 12:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

A couple thoughts on the Comey/FBI thing. One, it's made me realize, oh yeah, the FBI are basically just more powerful cops! Which seems obvious in retrospect, but the sort of cultural vibe around them feels pretty different... Personally, I blame The X-Files. So, yeah, the Pro-Trump faction of the FBI is just like the federal version of those cops wearing Trump hats while in uniform.

Second, coming out with this now smacks of Comey trying to cover his ass in the other direction. "See, I cleared you before the election! I'm not a Republican hack at all. Please don't fire me." Which is heartening because it suggests his read of the tea leaves is that Clinton is going to win, aka his ploy failed.

I still hope he gets fired though.
posted by overglow at 12:58 PM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

Amiable sports goofball and staunch anti-Trump writer Drew Magary has a new piece, Donald Trump Is Going To Get His Ass Kicked on Tuesday:

I tweeted about this yesterday, but I’m gonna put the take here because maybe you’re already freaking out about Tuesday and starting to drink heavily. Here’s the deal: Donald Trump is going to get his ass kicked. Anyone who says otherwise is either a) afraid of jinxing it and/or making Hillary Clinton voters complacent (understandable); b) afraid of being wrong (Nate Silver); c) supporting Trump; or d) interested in making this a “horse race” for the sake of maintaining public interest (most of the television media, along with grotesque shitbags like Mark Halperin).

But this isn’t close, and never was. The evidence right there in front of you, if you care to notice. Donald Trump has never led in an aggregate of polls for any significant stretch of time. He hasn’t personally raised any money for his campaign in over a month. He lost all three debates. He’s made virtually no effort to get his voters to the polls, instead relying on a Republican party that is being badly outspent and reduced to waging repugnant (and likely illegal) voter-suppression efforts that—despite being successful in some small areas—will ultimately turn legions more voters against them.

posted by palindromic at 12:58 PM on November 6, 2016 [51 favorites]

mefi needs an [n eyerolls +] button to go with the favorites.
posted by Heywood Mogroot III at 12:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

With Chris Christie's political career in flames it looks like he will have to return to his day job piloting Buy N Large's Axiom starliner through outer space.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 1:00 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Second, coming out with this now smacks of Comey trying to cover his ass in the other direction.

Nah, his wording was (in my opinion) intentionally ambiguous - "We haven't changed our conclusions" allows an ignorant person reading the headline to assume that nothing's changed, and that the emails are as much an issue as ever.

It was a nasty bit of work, and I hope his PR folks are proud of themselves.
posted by Mooski at 1:01 PM on November 6, 2016 [39 favorites]

could I just say that if Mr Trump is elected it's not the end of the republic

Maybe not but (as many people above have rightly said) he could do a vast amount of damage, not only to the US but to the world at large.

I'm a Brit and your comment reminded me of a conversation I had with a London taxi driver just after the Brexit vote. We quickly established that he'd voted "Leave", so I explained all the reasons why I'd voted "Remain". He didn't have much of an answer for any of them, but simply replied, "Ah, I think we'll survive". Well, yeah, I think we'll survive, mate - in the sense that there'll still be something called Britain left over when Brexit's fully in force - but isn't that setting your bar for success a little low?

The New Yorker's Adam Gopnik summed up the importance of denying Trump the White House rather well in a BBC radio talk this week. "Imperfect, flawed, unjust and inequitable as America has been, the basic rules of liberal democracy have applied," he said of the post-WW2 period. "Governments change peacefully at the will of the people, opponents are not imprisoned, the free press continues mostly unobstructed and dissent, though persecuted at moments, is allowed its voice. Donald Trump has made it plain that he believes in none of these principles, and will end as many of them as he can."
posted by Paul Slade at 1:02 PM on November 6, 2016 [53 favorites]

Senior Cardgage: How dare you insult the pilot of the Axiom by comparing him to Chris Christie? Captain McCrea was a good man.
posted by SansPoint at 1:02 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Actually overglow, all this election interference nonsense with the FBI has me thinking that how the X-Files portrayed the FBI-- as an agency broken into multiple factions, each with their own agenda, some unduly influenced by shadowy powerbrokers, warring with one another over what truths or lies to disclose or not disclose to the public-- may have been startlingly accurate.
posted by BlueJae at 1:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [42 favorites]

Now that Comey has gone on the record, we just have to hear from the continuity wing of the NYC FBI office and their official spokesman Rudy Giuliani.
posted by holgate at 1:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

Liz Warren taking down Curt Schilling...

Is he even going to last until Election Day?

He's such an empty ~~suit~~ pair of mustard-stained sweat pants.
posted by rokusan at 1:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I gotta wonder how much of the relentless raking of Hillary over the coals is just pure misogyny, subtlety in a way, like if it was a man he'd be given the benefit of the doubt.

You can see that in Obama vs Trump. If Obama exhibited any one of Trumps behaviors it would have been over before it started. He had to perfect.
posted by angrybear at 1:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

I do hope HRC and POTUS can work "they want him to have the nuclear codes, but they took away his Twitter?" into their speeches.
posted by holgate at 1:08 PM on November 6, 2016 [62 favorites]

Separation of Powers is what differentiates the USA system from many others.

The separation of powers is not some unbreakable law of physics or something; it only works as long as all three branches of power implicitly accept the legitimacy of the concept of separation of powers in the first place. A Trump presidency would mean having one branch that explicitly would not accept it, a second branch controlled by the party that has already proven itself too cowardly/craven/weak to stand up to Trump when he's merely a candidate, and a third branch that's essentially a wild card at this point.

To believe that the separation of powers would keep the worst excesses of a Trump presidency in check necessarily requires believing that the GOP is an entirely different party than the one it has repeatedly shown itself to be.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 1:08 PM on November 6, 2016 [62 favorites]

I feel like any combination of the words "Hillary," "FBI," and "emails" in the news isn't great, even if it is good news...
posted by guiseroom at 1:09 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

FBI are basically just more powerful cops! Which seems obvious in retrospect, but the sort of cultural vibe around them feels pretty different.

The FBI has a long history, going back to Hoover, of carefully cultivating its public image by shaping the way they're portrayed in movies and on TV.
posted by Coventry at 1:09 PM on November 6, 2016 [25 favorites]

I've had to take a break from all things election because otherwise I would lose my mind. I wish I had benzos! I voted early, and on Tuesday itself I'm going to be waiting for my cat to be out of her dental appointment (cats need to be anesthetized for dental cleanings) so I'll have other things to keep myself from fretting TOO much.

And I'm a member of Pantsuit Nation now! #MillionPantsuitMarch

I want to say how impressed I am with Hillary Clinton's campaign. This ground game of hers, the GOTV push - it's a model of how a campaign should be run. She's doing a great job, not just for herself, but for all the downticket races. To me it augurs well about how she will be as President.

And speaking of downticket races - I was talking to a friend of mine, one of the last hippie/punk types still able to live in San Francisco. We agreed how important it is to pay attention to the downticket races, and both of us said that we even looked at School Board candidates despite us only having feline children. After all, this unsexy, unglamorous, but necessary stuff is how Presidents and Senators get started. As was noted in the other thread, President is a capstone, not a starting point. I'm going to be looking for opportunities to get involved with my local Democratic and progressive caucuses/parties after the dust settles. I think it's a huge mistake for us progressives, Democrats, lefties, what have you, to be fired up about the Presidency but apathetic when it comes to off-year races or who is going to be in the State Assembly. I want to see the current progressive energy keep going!
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 1:10 PM on November 6, 2016 [64 favorites]

Folks, there is a limit to how far the scope of this thread can creep, and getting into military actions large and small over the past five years seems like it's going to get unwieldy *really* quickly.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 1:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

Ah, fair enough, BlueJae, but it's not like they actually have broodingly handsome, Romantic loners who are bravely fighting to discover forbidden truths that most people--oh fuck, that must be how some of these Trumpsters see themselves! OMG
posted by overglow at 1:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Obvious anagram Reince Priebus

Beers epic ruin?
Curb eerie nips?
Pubic sneer ire?
Scribe pee ruin?
Brie cure penis?
Brie incurs pee?
Crib seep urine?
Bi cruiser peen?
posted by Ursula Hitler at 1:14 PM on November 6, 2016 [22 favorites]

I gotta wonder how much of the relentless raking of Hillary over the coals is just pure misogyny, subtlety in a way, like if it was a man he'd be given the benefit of the doubt.
I'm sorry, but if it's taken you to this point to start wondering this, you might want to broaden your horizons a bit. This has been part of the conversation for months in many, many places.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 1:14 PM on November 6, 2016 [25 favorites]

I gotta wonder how much of the relentless raking of Hillary over the coals is just pure misogyny,

Oh, just the last 25 or so years of it, is all.

subtlety in a way,

It has in no way been even remotely subtle.

like if it was a man he'd be given the benefit of the doubt.

I mean, uh, yeah?
posted by dersins at 1:14 PM on November 6, 2016 [50 favorites]

This is where the anti-Clinton folks have made a fatal error. If she ever does do anything criminal, no one will believe it's nothing short of misogynists just being hateful.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 1:17 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

I gotta wonder how much of the relentless raking of Hillary over the coals is just pure misogyny, subtlety in a way, like if it was a man he'd be given the benefit of the doubt.

Why Hillary Clinton Is Like—and Unlike—Jackie Robinson

Almost 70 years later Hillary Clinton is seeking to break another glass ceiling as she attempts to become the first woman president of the United States. Like Robinson she has been the object of unusually harsh treatment of a kind that no male presidential candidate has ever endured. She has been ridiculed and verbally assaulted by Donald Trump in ways unprecedented in public life. He has attacked her for her facial expressions and claimed that she has no stamina and is physically frail. In his bullying manner, he has said on national television that she has “tremendous hate in her heart,” that “she is a nasty woman,” is “constantly playing the woman card,” and “doesn’t have a presidential look.” He has blamed her for her husband’s infidelities. He has called her a criminal who should be in prison. He has even insinuated that his followers who are gun activists might want to shoot her if she appoints Supreme Court justices they feel don’t share their vision of the Second Amendment. In the face of all this, Clinton has remained poised, professional, and controlled.

posted by kirkaracha at 1:17 PM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

I spent entirely too much time today making this interpretation of how I expect to be feeling on November 9th
posted by mrjohnmuller at 1:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

"Fuck You James Comey" by Jonathan Mann
posted by SansPoint at 1:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Hey, who needs some more blind rage in their lives? Of course you do. Go ahead, check out the latest ludicrous hit piece [NYT OP-ED] by, who else, Maureen frickin' Dowd. Yes, that's her actual middle name. Free false-equivalency sprinkles.
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 1:22 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

*nurses beverage, waits for the new thread smell to dissipate*

2.5 hours before Comey's barely-an-announcement that he f'd up again, Al Franken says the Senate Judiciary Committee will be speaking with Comey

"We will have hearings. I'm sure that FBI Director Comey will be before us," Franken said. "I think he should be able to answer questions about this, and he should be able to control the FBI."
posted by petebest at 1:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [51 favorites]

Obama Mocks Trump For Getting His Twitter Confiscated
posted by zombieflanders at 1:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [109 favorites]

today introduces us to Beckley, WV, where people talk of moving out of the country if Clinton wins (to "an island that ain’t got nothing but monkeys on it")

/Jed Leland "I guess you'll move to an island and lord it over the monkeys."

(I've been to Beckley and surrounding areas: it's a beautiful place, but holy god is there nothing there.)
posted by octobersurprise at 1:28 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Hillary Clinton wins Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick The President poll:

Despite the fact that her opponent actually looks and acts like a cartoon character, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has won Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick The President mock election. According to Entertainment Weekly, 905,928 kids cast their ballot in the online poll, with 53 percent going to Clinton, 31 percent going to Donald Trump, and 11 percent going to Gary Johnson—possibly because kids were under the impression that “Johnson” is the last name of SpongeBob’s pet snail.

posted by palindromic at 1:29 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

NBC's Pete Williams reports something about the FBI review not in Comey's letter: Nearly all documents were duplicates or personal
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 1:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

I'll be thrilled if Comey looses his position over this. I'll also hoping the email scandal shuts down the FBI's bitching about encryption.
posted by jeffburdges at 1:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Obama Mocks Trump For Getting His Twitter Confiscated yt

holgate, collect your prize.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 1:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [28 favorites]

Thank you for this thread, Wordshore, so often those of us who work Sundays are left re-loading 2 or 3 day old election threads!

I voted by mail here in Washington, proudly for Hilary and a bunch of awesome down-ticket candidates. Felt great. I dropped the ballot off along with a number of ballots from my clients.
posted by kittensofthenight at 1:32 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

Georgia senators break with party, say they'll consider Clinton's supreme court picks

The comments from U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, who is up for re-election on Tuesday, and U.S. Senator David Perdue came after Republican Senators John McCain and Ted Cruz suggested they might block any of Clinton's potential nominees.

"You don't shirk your responsibility when you're an elected official. You sanctify your responsibility, and that's what I'll do. I'll consider who she nominates at the time she does and make a decision that's right for the people of Georgia," Isakson told the Atlanta newspaper.

A spokeswoman for Perdue, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told the AJC: "He wants to ensure we have a Supreme Court justice who will uphold the Constitution, and he will examine each nominee independently based on their merits."

Georgia shatters early voting record

Secretary of State Brian Kemp said the total will continue to climb through the end of Friday, when early and advance voting ended. Georgia’s previous record was 2,129,316.

Fulton County leads the state in ballots cast, with 233,571. That is 65,115 more than DeKalb, coming in second at 168,456. Gwinnett is third, with 144,679, followed by Cobb’s 138,737 and Forsyth’s 65,157.

“What’s telling is that, in terms of early voters, Fulton and DeKalb are far ahead of their early voting numbers from the last election,” said Emory professor of political science Alan Abramowitz. “If early voting is an indicator of actual turnout, it could mean we’ll see a high turnout from Georgia’s two most heavily Democratic counties.
posted by Jalliah at 1:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [61 favorites]

Josh Marshall: This Never Should Have Happened:

It is certainly welcome news for the Clinton campaign that James Comey has now stated publicly that nothing in Huma Abedin's emails has changed the FBI's and his original judgment from July. This is not an interim report; it's final. The Clinton campaign will undoubtedly use it for everything it's worth in the remaining 48 hours-plus before voting ends Tuesday night. But while welcome, this new development doesn't remotely undo the original error or its consequences.

posted by palindromic at 1:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [30 favorites]

So in light of the the latest FBI news, are the people that changed their votes allowed to change them back?
posted by drezdn at 1:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

The Mexican peso just soared after the FBI cleared Clinton
posted by Jalliah at 1:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [41 favorites]

OMG OMG OMG she's campaigning with JR Smith. He's at the Lebron rally and onstage with his daughter. This feels like a dream. I'm cackling.
posted by acidic at 1:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Hillary live with Lebron right now in Cleveland.
posted by cashman at 1:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

hoping the email scandal shuts down the FBI's bitching about encryption.

Forget it. No one with significant state power is ever going to want ubiquitous universally unbreakable encryption.
posted by Coventry at 1:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

James Comey, Hillary Clinton, and the Email Investigation: A Guide for the Perplexed doesn't really let Comey off the hook, but does elaborate some of the pressures/reasons why he might have been behaving the way he did.
posted by wildblueyonder at 1:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

So in light of the the latest FBI news, are the people that changed their votes allowed to change them back?

I'm going to be hopeful and say that the only people who changed their votes changed them from Trump to super-Trump.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:39 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

@AdamSerwer:

The FBI, in the final days of an election, violated guidelines and took unprecedented actions to cast suspicion on one of the candidates. That is a massive scandal, it is a serious threat to the democratic process, and people should be held accountable for it. And because Comey and the FBI leakers may have prevented Democrats from taking the Senate, there may never be a serious accounting. Again, there's a scandal here. The scandal is that partisan elements of the FBI tried to tilt an election toward an authoritarian candidate. That is more than just outrageous. It is a massive abuse of power. [I]f no one at the FBI is held accountable for this attempt to manipulate an election for partisan purposes, it will happen again. And again.

posted by zombieflanders at 1:43 PM on November 6, 2016 [89 favorites]

"4,000 people are waiting in line to vote in Cincinnati right now. This is how long the line is." --@Saahil_Desai

The tweet shows a map of the 0.6 mile line.
posted by zachlipton at 1:43 PM on November 6, 2016 [49 favorites]

Glad to hear Hillary's voice sounding better as well. I remember how bad President Obama's voice got towards the end of the 2008 campaign.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:43 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeah great, we get to talk about emails for the ENTIRE last 10 days of the campaign rather than just 8 out of the last 10 days. Super.
posted by Justinian at 1:43 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Rumors are that Trump is desperately searching for a blue turtle shell to use.
posted by drezdn at 1:45 PM on November 6, 2016 [24 favorites]

Josh Marshall is kinda wrong there, palindromic.

The FBI was always our political police : Hoover had them "solve" crimes that basically solve themselves, just to pump up their numbers. Now they train terrorists so that they can catch terrorists. The FBI refused to work on hard crimes, like drugs or guns, hence the creation of ATF and DEA. Instead, they relentlessly pursue American dissidents who spend their lives trying to make the country better, including MLK.

Is it strange the FBI would stick its nose into the election? Not at all. I'd wager FBI agents gave information to Obama's opponents during both hs elections too. And probably most previous presidential election. The right answer is to shut down the FBI. Zero chance congress with take that route, but that's the right answer.
posted by jeffburdges at 1:45 PM on November 6, 2016 [39 favorites]

Georgia senators break with party, say they'll consider Clinton's supreme court picks

Georgia shatters early voting record

Peach State is going Blue, if you're placing bets, put some money down for that!
posted by sallybrown at 1:46 PM on November 6, 2016 [23 favorites]

Glad to hear Hillary's voice sounding better as well. I remember how bad President Obama's voice got towards the end of the 2008 campaign.

I always think of his grandmother, who raised him, dying hours before he won.

I wish Clinton's mother had lived to see this. Knowing a little about her though, I'm certain she knew it would happen.
posted by sallybrown at 1:48 PM on November 6, 2016 [26 favorites]

Watching Hillary's Ohio rally now.

I've noticed that in speeches, they're rarely mentioning her opponent's name. They refer to her as "her opponent" or "my opponent."

It's such a small thing, but to take away his name is to take away his power. It's doubly effective for someone who is gauche enough to put his name on everything he touches. I won't say his name again.
posted by mochapickle at 1:48 PM on November 6, 2016 [73 favorites]

"4,000 people are waiting in line to vote in Cincinnati right now. This is how long the line is."

Picture and video.
posted by cashman at 1:50 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

I was at work all day. The Trump campaign really took away his twitter access?
posted by yhbc at 1:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I won't say his name again.

That is an absolutely fantastic idea.
posted by Mooski at 1:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [33 favorites]

Peach State is going Blue, if you're placing bets, put some money down for that!

I still wouldn't bet on that. Georgia is 30% black and only 8% latino. If the white vote there is in line with other southern states, those populations would have to turn out at like 80 or 90% for Clinton to take the state.
posted by dis_integration at 1:52 PM on November 6, 2016

It's such a small thing, but to take away his name is to take away his power. It's doubly effective for someone who is so gauche to put his name on everything he touches. I won't say his name again

There's an apropos scene from the West Wing episode In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, but I can't find a clip. Not saying your opponent's name is a thing.
posted by hoyland at 1:52 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Bruce Springsteen to join Hilz in Philly tomorrow.
posted by spitbull at 1:52 PM on November 6, 2016 [17 favorites]

[I]f no one at the FBI is held accountable for this attempt to manipulate an election for partisan purposes, it will happen again. And again.

Assuming it has not happened already, again and again. 2016 isn't the year of new inventions in dirty politics and bigotry. It's the year all the pretense was dropped.
posted by ctmf at 1:52 PM on November 6, 2016 [78 favorites]

"2016 isn't the year of new inventions in dirty politics and bigotry. It's the year all the pretense was dropped." this is X1000!
posted by Oyéah at 1:54 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

This flew under the radar - Comey named a new Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Criminal Division for the NY Field Office
posted by sallybrown at 1:54 PM on November 6, 2016 [41 favorites]

I was at work all day. The Trump campaign really took away his twitter access?

That's the claim from a report in the Sunday NYT (search this thread for "last stand").
posted by dis_integration at 1:54 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Sounds like the FBI purge has begun!
posted by Justinian at 1:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

hydropsyche, Sen. Cleland actually appeared in this moving Clinton ad a while back.
posted by spitbull at 1:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Drudge is so confused (as usual)
CONFUSED COMEY CLEARS HER AGAIN!
TRUMP: 'SHE'S PROTECTED BY RIGGED SYSTEM'
POLL: THISCLOSE
TRUMP MARATHON SUNDAY
CLINTON WARNS 'FAKE' WIKIS COMING
via Drudgereport.com
posted by robbyrobs at 1:59 PM on November 6, 2016

I still wouldn't bet on that. Georgia is 30% black and only 8% latino. If the white vote there is in line with other southern states, those populations would have to turn out at like 80 or 90% for Clinton to take the state.

Current polls have him up 4. Please don't stereotype us or assume you understand who we are, and ignore how hard we're working to change things. Tim Kaine has been here once. Donald Trump has been here dozens of times. And he's only up by 4. Imagine if Hillary and Bill had come, if the President and First Lady had come. Imagine if you had come and helped us get out the vote. Don't dismiss us. Join us.
posted by hydropsyche at 1:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [124 favorites]

Lebron and Hillary.
posted by cashman at 2:01 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

Is there any way to send pizza or other goodies to people waiting in line to vote from another state?
posted by chimpsonfilm at 2:01 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

Peach State is going Blue, if you're placing bets, put some money down for that!

I still wouldn't bet on that. Georgia is 30% black and only 8% latino. If the white vote there is in line with other southern states, those populations would have to turn out at like 80 or 90% for Clinton to take the state.

Early voting in GA this year was 500K more than in 2008. Over half of voters were women, and the Latinx vote increased by something like 145%. There is something happening in GA to get the GA Senators running scared like that so soon before Election Day.
posted by sallybrown at 2:02 PM on November 6, 2016 [58 favorites]

I'm starting to wonder if this is going to end with Bob Newhart in bed with Suzanne Pleshette, saying "Honey, wake up!"
posted by Lyme Drop at 2:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [23 favorites]

Don't forget Georgia has Atlanta. That makes a huge difference- Obama won NC in 2008 based on his overperformance in a couple large urban centers.
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

> They're called burs. They are 'docked' in burdock. That's why it's called that.

Actually, no. OED: dock "The common name of various species of the genus Rumex (family Polygonaceæ), coarse weedy herbs with thickened rootstock, sheathing stipules, and panicled racemes of inconspicuous greenish flowers. Without qualifying word usually the common dock (R. obtusifolius), well known as the popular antidote for nettle-stings." (It's an Old English word of unknown etymology beyond Germanic.)

> Go ahead, check out the latest ludicrous hit piece [NYT OP-ED] by, who else, Maureen frickin' Dowd.

Friends don't let friends read Maureen Dowd. Put the magazine down now.
posted by languagehat at 2:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [47 favorites]

I saw my first in-the-urban-neighborhood-where-I-live Trump/Pence bumper sticker yesterday.

It was on a giant fucking pickup truck parked on and blocking the entire sidewalk. Consequently, my immigrant mother had to walk out into heavy, opposite direction traffic while pushing a stroller with her visibly non white grandson.

Everything was fine, we got through it, and cars slowed down when they saw what was going on, but what a perfect fucking metaphor.

OK we really need to get a message through to the Writers. Between this and the [real] Trump-speechwriter-pants-on-fire thing, the metaphors are getting unbearably hackish.

At this point I'm expecting multiple Trump surrogates to be literally struck down by lightning on live TV.
posted by tivalasvegas at 2:05 PM on November 6, 2016 [33 favorites]

This flew under the radar - Comey named a new Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Criminal Division for the NY Field Office

In case anyone else was as confused by that statement as I was before clicking through: He has named, not he was named.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Early voting in GA this year was 500K more than in 2008. Over half of voters were women, and the Latinx vote increased by something like 145%. There is something happening in GA to get the GA Senators running scared like that so soon before Election Day.

Yes I don't know much at all about Georgia but when I saw those two headlines it twigged to exactly that, 'something is happening'. I know enough that GOP senators in Georgia going against the party line like this is interesting to say the least.
posted by Jalliah at 2:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

It's such a small thing, but to take away his name is to take away his power. It's doubly effective for someone who is gauche enough to put his name on everything he touches. I won't say his name again.

I really do enjoy Cher's use of the toilet emoji for this same purpose.
posted by tobascodagama at 2:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

This flew under the radar - Comey named a new Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Criminal Division for the NY Field Office

Rudy Giuliani.
posted by Artw at 2:07 PM on November 6, 2016

Did Maureen Dowd ever consider that, to the extent Clinton may seem "paranoid," it's precisely because of hacks like Maureen Dowd criticizing her for the act of breathing?
posted by zachlipton at 2:09 PM on November 6, 2016 [50 favorites]

coarse weedy herbs
with thickened rootstock,
sheathing stipules, and
panicled racemes of
inconspicuous greenish flowers.

Pure fucking found poetry.
posted by spitbull at 2:09 PM on November 6, 2016 [54 favorites]

I still have agita over Tuesday. Not because I think Trump will win -- I have Hillary with 330+ -- but because so much hinges on the Senate coming out well, Evan Bayh is a hamster, and it's still too close to call.

And because there are no pure red or blue states. We're all purp!e. We all have friends and family and cow orkers whose political opinions Are Wrong and we will have to continue our existences with and around them. We will be a nation of screaming, of anger, of occasional violence and it really shouldn't be that way. But it will.

But I must thank Orange Julius Caesar for one service rendered. Many of us knew all along that a good-sized chunk of America were racist, sexist, reactionary, easily duped, furious at the wrong people and, in a word, deplorable -- but it took this electoral clusterfuck for many others to truly believe it. Like an enema, this campaign has flushed many unpleasantries into the light of day, and that awareness is valuable.

Hoping I'll get a chance to crank Bastards of Young up loud late Tuesday night.
posted by delfin at 2:10 PM on November 6, 2016 [19 favorites]

Don't forget Georgia has Atlanta. That makes a huge difference- Obama won NC in 2008 based on his overperformance in a couple large urban centers.

I'd expect a pretty high Trump vote in the metro Atlanta sprawl counties, though
posted by thelonius at 2:10 PM on November 6, 2016

The HillaryforPA Twitter account is giving me life right now. So much great media there. Hillary's campaign has a twitter account for each state (links here). The PA account retweeted this tweet, and that figurine! I need that figurine.
posted by cashman at 2:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Bruce Springsteen to join Hilz in Philly tomorrow

Woohoooooo! Now I really don't feel bad about not waiting for some friends and getting to the event early...
posted by kalimac at 2:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

So we won't know the impact of Comey's letter until the vote is counted. It's too late for the polls to pick it up. So Tuesday will be even more suspenseful. Yay?
posted by Justinian at 2:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

*running for class president*
--1 week before election--
JAMES COMEY, DIRECTOR OF THE FBI: Hold up everyone, just came in here to mention we're reexamining the evidence from that time duffell allegedly pooped his pants in gym.
duffell: I... wait, what? That's not a thing.
pepe: POOPY PANTS POOPY PANTS
*everyone discusses alleged poo-poo*
--2 days before election--
duffell: So as I was saying, recess should be--
JAMES COMEY, DIRECTOR OF THE FBI: Hey everyone, sorry to interrupt, but remember the poo-poo we were discussing before? You know, the poopy pants in gym class? We reexamined the evidence and determined that the allegations were false. Please, continue.
duffell: ಠ_ಠ
JAMES COMEY, DIRECTOR OF THE FBI: wut
posted by duffell at 2:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [59 favorites]

I had Georgia as red in my map and I so, so, so want to be wrong.
posted by schadenfrau at 2:13 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

Current polls have him up 4. Please don't stereotype us or assume you understand who we are, and ignore how hard we're working to change things. Tim Kaine has been here once. Donald Trump has been here dozens of times. And he's only up by 4. Imagine if Hillary and Bill had come, if the President and First Lady had come. Imagine if you had come and helped us get out the vote. Don't dismiss us. Join us.

And by the same token don't think you haven't done your part even if you lose. Trump had to defend Georgia. The Trump campaign basically has two people on its A-list; Trump and Pence. And there's a clear difference in star power between the two. Meanwhile the Clinton campaign has two Clintons, two Obamas, Kaine, and Sanders on its A-list. Campaigns can raise more money but can never raise more time. Every time you've brought Trump down to Georgia to answer what you were doing you've meant that he's spent less time somewhere he needs to flip to win (like Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Nevada, or Wisconsin).
posted by Francis at 2:13 PM on November 6, 2016 [118 favorites]

(Remember that the one we lost was because people were able to believe that a veteran who lost three limbs to a grenade hated the troops.)

Oh, I remember. Here's some context for folks who don't:

Democrats are reminding voters and donors of a controversial ad aired by Chambliss in the heated final weeks of the 2002 campaign that shows pictures of Democratic Sen. Max Cleland, a triple-amputee from wounds suffered during his service in Vietnam, just after shots of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

The ad — which has a voice-over warning that, "As Americans face terrorists and extremist dictators, Max Cleland runs television ads saying he has the courage to lead," then lists votes where the Democrat opposed President Bush before concluding that "the record proves Max Cleland is just misleading" — helped propel Chambliss to an unexpected victory.

Vile stuff. Between that and the Wellstone-Coleman race, 2002 was rough.
posted by galaxy rise at 2:14 PM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

Basically in the time since the first Comey letter, Clinton's lead went from 6% to 3%, and her net favorability went from -7 to -14. So definitely a hit. But there's been much discussion this cycle that the big swings in polling are more due to enthusiasm of supporters and willingness/excitement to be polled than true back and forth indecision on who they like. So hopefully the damage wasn't that bad and this late redemption will drive enthusiasm back up.
posted by chris24 at 2:15 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

The Trump campaign basically has two people on its A-list; Trump and Pence.

With A-lists like these, who needs a shitlist.
posted by Behemoth at 2:16 PM on November 6, 2016 [39 favorites]

I thinking we're past the point where further polls are going to tell us anything - we'll learn from the election itself.
posted by Artw at 2:17 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

How do I get added to Pantsuit Nation?
posted by HotToddy at 2:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

From today's pool report from those following President Obama (via twitter):

After his speech, President Obama spent a moment with J.J. Holmes, a 12-year-old-boy with a severe case of cerebral palsy who had been pushed out of a Trump rally Saturday in Tampa, Fla. A White House photographer snapped photographs of Mr. Obama shaking hands with J.J. and standing behind the boy's electric wheelchair.

J.J. had gone to the Saturday rally to protest Donald J. Trump's mocking of those with disabilities, he said. J.J.'s mother, Alison Holmes, brought her son, who speaks only through a computer vocalization device.

"The crowd starting chanting 'U-S-A' and pushing his wheelchair," Ms. Holmes said.

As Ms. Holmes spoke, J.J. said through his vocalization device, "I hate Donald Trump. I hate Donald Trump."

Ms. Holmes looked down at her son with what seemed a mixture of pride and concern.

"We were put out by security," she said. "Mr. Trump kept saying, 'Get them out.'"

This kid is 12 and he's about 1000x braver than I ever could be. I linked this in the last election post, but here's another young guy standing up for those who are differently abled - in this Clinton ad called "Samy," a young boy with arthrogryposis, the same condition as the NYT report Trump mocked, talks about Trump.
posted by sallybrown at 2:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [122 favorites]

I just got put on antibiotics because of a mystery spreading rash on my leg (because of course) and I just realized it means I really shouldn't drink on Tuesday night. Fuck. FUCK.

This whole thing better be sown up by 9pm or my exponentially rising stress levels will cause me to spontaneously combust.
posted by lydhre at 2:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

Damon Young at VSB: So Basically FBI Director James Comey Just Trolled The Entire Country? (Fuck This Election, Man):

I’m trying (and failing) to think of a good and succinct analogy for what the FBI has done this month. Which is, of course, announce two weeks before the election that they were reopening their investigation into a non-issue (Clinton’s emails — a clear and blatant political McGuffin). Which, of course, could potentially have a significant effect on the election. And then, two days before the election, make another announcement basically saying “Eh, nevermind. We good.”

Ultimately, it was the equivalent of your landlord calling you hysterically at 3am to say “Remember that gas leak I told you not to worry about?” And then you jump out of bed frantic, worried your house is going to explode. And then he sends another text 17 minutes later saying “Yeah…still don’t worry about it. Everything is cool.” And now, since you’re up, you decide to check apartment listings on Zillow and Craigslist anyway. Because while your place is safe, your landlord probably isn’t going to want to rent to you anymore after you shank him.

posted by palindromic at 2:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [39 favorites]

I love MSNBC's weekend coverage because typically their weekends are just rerun type stuff and crime shows. But with the election, all these infomercially commercials are still popping up during coverage that is now live.

So it's like "Next up, we'll cover the FBI findings and look into whether the Russians are trying to plot to influence our elections and plunge the world into global chaos, right after this message from BootyMax™!"
posted by cashman at 2:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

The Trump campaign basically has two people on its A-list
I recall Trump stating in a stump speech some time ago that there were hundreds (or possibly he said one hundred) Generals and Admirals that were in agreement with him on what the USA needed to do militarily (whatever that means) But anyway WHERE ARE these generals and admirals?? Why are they not standing on the stage with Trump???
posted by robbyrobs at 2:21 PM on November 6, 2016

we'll learn from the election itself

Yeah, I fear that too.
posted by Namlit at 2:22 PM on November 6, 2016

I'm not anticipating a Clinton win in GA because Comey's BS pretty much fucked that scenario up.

However there is a lot of really positive signs concerning GA. A reverse of the great northern migration is well under way in the African-American community and like a lot of other big southern cities (Houston, Dallas, Miami) Atlanta is becoming more and more liberal in orientation. Atlanta is so large and it's center of mass in Georgia should not be understated. You also have some other liberal areas such as Athens. Yes there are some really racist parts of Georgia but unlike some of Georgia's neighbors the massive impact of Atlanta is quite likely to shift the electoral politics sooner rather than later.

South Carolina is going to look pretty lonely before too long.
posted by vuron at 2:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

But anyway WHERE ARE these generals and admirals?? Why are they not standing on the stage with Trump???
A ticket from Moscow is expensive, dude.
posted by Namlit at 2:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [45 favorites]

Also I never really watch TV but have been the last few weeks to keep up on things and apparently Frank Cross has re-lost the Christmas spirit and is producing Trump campaign ads now.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 2:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

HotToddy: If you know anyone on Facebook who is a member, they can add you. If you don't, there are MeFites who will if you PM them. Palomar says she will add people who PM her; I will also add anyone who wants to be in Pantsuit Nation - PM me.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 2:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Obvious anagram Reince Priebus

Runic bee spire?
Beer urine pics?
Incubi pee errs?

Pubic rerinse, obviously.
posted by jonp72 at 2:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [24 favorites]

I'm apparently farther behind than I thought and posted in the old thread. Reposting:

So today is apparently the day I ran out of fucks. I woke up, got online, and started fighting anyone being anti-Hillary. I just have run out of give-a-shit and am sick of listening to this bull. My longest exchange has been with someone spreading the "pizza is code for child sex orgies" crap. Umm, I think I've won that encounter, but if anyone sees any sane takes on that, could you pass it this way?

(I searched my own email archive for "pizza" and posted incriminating statements like talk about a place that has pizza and "more than just pizza." Obviously, I was talking about a secret brothel, amirite?)
posted by threeturtles at 2:25 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

I'm not counting anyone out, just offering a viewpoint. (And one based from living in Atlanta for 5 years and watching MARTA expansion efforts fail year after year while they pony up big dollars to move the baseball stadium closer to the white folks.)

Lots of good news since then: MARTA was expanded into Clayton Co last year. There is a referendum on the ballot Tuesday in Atlanta to raise the MARTA sales tax for more expansion, most likely including light rail to Emory and on the Beltline. And the TSPLOST in Gwinnett on Tuesday will fund GCT more than ever before and is widely seen as a bellweather for MARTA expansion in Gwinnett. (The Cobb Crackers stadium is still a total fucking disaster, but one that will hopefully have Cobb begging for their own MARTA expansion soon when they realize that they do not have enough roads for all the people coming to baseball games.)
posted by hydropsyche at 2:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Threeturtles: it's probably because they *do* use (cheese) pizza to mean child porn.
posted by Yowser at 2:27 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I believe that Hillary will win and easily. Here are my key reasons:

1- High Hispanic turnout vs. difficulting polling and screening for likely Hispanic voters. I estimate this gives Hillary an extra 2-3% nationally.
2- Trump has no ground game. In 2012 the Obama's better ground game over Romney gave him a 2-3% gain.
3- Hillary has a 3-5% lead in the polls while at this time Obama's lead over Romney was only .7%.

So her actual lead is going to be 10-12%. If everyone votes like they should.
posted by humanfont at 2:27 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

This is Just to Say:

I have completed my review
of the emails
that were on
the laptop

and which
you were probably
hoping
would win you the election

Forgive me
they were duplicates
so benign
and so boring
posted by Dr. Zira at 2:28 PM on November 6, 2016 [229 favorites]

I just got put on antibiotics because of a mystery spreading rash on my leg (because of course) and I just realized it means I really shouldn't drink on Tuesday night.

I'm not drinking right now (and I know several mefites made it through the debates cold sober).

You've got this.
posted by mochapickle at 2:29 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

The FBI was always our political police : Hoover had them "solve" crimes that basically solve themselves, just to pump up their numbers. Now they train terrorists so that they can catch terrorists. The FBI refused to work on hard crimes, like drugs or guns, hence the creation of ATF and DEA. Instead, they relentlessly pursue American dissidents who spend their lives trying to make the country better, including MLK.

I highly recommend The Newburgh Sting to anyone interested in watching the FBI literally train "terrorists" just to catch them. The agency is a joke, manufacturing many of the "crimes" it purports to solve.
posted by enn at 2:29 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

So her actual lead is going to be 10-12%. If everyone votes like they should.

If Clinton wins by 10+% I will eat two bugs.
posted by Justinian at 2:30 PM on November 6, 2016 [46 favorites]

Patton Oswald's excellent description of how Donnie's brain work in regards to how fragile his feelings are. (video should start at 8:45)
posted by numaner at 2:30 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

jonp72: Pubic rerinse, obviously.

Lather thoroughly. Reince and repeat.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 2:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

So her actual lead is going to be 10-12%. If everyone votes like they should.

I'm on that same page. Didn't Sam Wang say Dems needed something like 7-9% at the top of the ticket to see retaking the House as a real possibility?
posted by sallybrown at 2:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

So, a million years ago a terrible thing happened to me and with the help of some psychiatric professionals and MST3k (Joel only back then!), I got through it. Recently, someone showed me that the Pluto TV app for the Playstation has an MST3k channel. Which I've been using to get through Tuesday. They are currently playing this episode: MST3K turned a terrible alien movie into a Donald Trump warning in 1991.

The Vox article totally oversells that aspect of it. But sometimes the comforts of youth are all we have left.
posted by crush-onastick at 2:32 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Hillary Surrogate List
Hillary Clinton
Bill Clinton
Chelsea Clinton
Barack Obama
Michelle Obama
Tim Kaine
Diamond Joe Biden
Bernie Sanders
Liz Warner
Queen Bey
King James
Lin Manuel Miranda
Like a zillion Actors/Comedians/Musicians/etc

Trump Surrogate List
Donald Trump
Mike Pence
Melania Trump
Ivanka Trump
The Patrick Bateman Brothers
Scott Baio
Most of the MSM

I don't know seems pretty even to me guys.
posted by vuron at 2:32 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

vuron Don't forget Rudy Giuliani on the Trump Column.

And believe me, I'd LOVE to forget Giuliani.
posted by SansPoint at 2:33 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

This flew under the radar - Comey named a new Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Criminal Division for the NY Field Office

Rudy Giuliani.

I actually fell for this for a second. Needs a [fake] tag!
posted by just_ducky at 2:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Here's a picture of J.J. and his family getting kicked out of the Trump rally.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 2:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

I highly recommend The Newburgh Sting to anyone interested in watching the FBI literally train "terrorists" just to catch them.

Also, Enemies for the full, sordid history of the bureau. Though I have to admit, Hoover's life was glorious in a mostly horrifying way. Seems like he was almost always the smartest guy in the room.
posted by Coventry at 2:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

we even looked at School Board candidates despite us only having feline children

If you don't have kids, it's still incredibly important to vote for school board candidates. These are the people determining what gets taught to the next generation, what gets taught to the people who will be in power when you are a senior citizen. These are the people who decide if future generations learn about science and climate change, or are given abstinence-only sex education, or how things like civil rights history is presented.

Please, please take a moment to learn about the school board candidates in your area, even if you don't have kids and never intend to have them. You're helping to determine what my kids are taught, and I'd rather have that determined by rational, reasonable people. You're determining the future electorate.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 2:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [97 favorites]

J.J. had gone to the Saturday rally to protest Donald J. Trump's mocking of those with disabilities, he said. J.J.'s mother, Alison Holmes, brought her son, who speaks only through a computer vocalization device.

"The crowd starting chanting 'U-S-A' and pushing his wheelchair," Ms. Holmes said.

As Ms. Holmes spoke, J.J. said through his vocalization device, "I hate Donald Trump. I hate Donald Trump."

@steveschale: Yesterday, this young man was kicked out of a Trump rally. As he was leaving, people kicked at his wheelchair. Today, he met his President.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [47 favorites]

Hillary Surrogate List
Liz Warner

And her brothers, Yakko and Wakko.
posted by davros42 at 2:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [20 favorites]

Threeturtles: it's probably because they *do* use (cheese) pizza to mean child porn.

Cite? Because the only two articles I could find on the topic said it was totally made up by alt-righters a few days ago.
posted by threeturtles at 2:37 PM on November 6, 2016

Like a zillion Actors/Comedians/Musicians/etc

Sheila Kelly posted a picture on Pantsuit Nation of her and her hubs (Richard Schiff from The West Wing) out canvassing with folks, and standing right in the middle was JAN FROM THE OFFICE and I laughed for about 10 minutes. I know she's a very cool real person (Melora Hardin) and not *actually* Jan, but...just imagining Jan's reaction to this election had me laughing so hard.
posted by sallybrown at 2:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Shortest Comey: JKLOL
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

New Donald Trump ad appeals to NFL fans who favor keeping Redskins name [real]

“Yeah, you thought you were safe,” the ad begins, “sitting in your recliner in your man cave, cold beer and a bowl of chips. Ha, you thought you’d escaped politics by focusing on football. Wrong. Hillary Clinton wants to mess up your football, too. Hillary wants to change the name of the Redskins.” The ad, released by Rebuilding America Now, concludes, “Hillary’s priorities are not your priorities.”

Trump’s final ad passes off footage of migrants in Hungary as scene from U.S.

Near the start of the new ad, as the candidate complains of “massive illegal immigration,” thousands of people are shown walking along a highway. That video, however, was not shot along the southern border of the U.S. — where Trump has promised to build a great wall — but in Hungary, at the height of the migrant crisis last year, as Syrian refugees, desperate for safe passage to Germany, marched out of Budapest.

The video was shot by Nabih Bulos, a foreign correspondent working for the New York Times last year. He confirmed to The Intercept that that the footage was not licensed from him, and he would not have approved its use if asked. “When this footage was taken, thousands of refugees were on an odyssey through the Balkan corridor and Europe to escape the cataclysm ripping their country apart,” he wrote. “As a son of two Palestinian refugees who benefited from Jordan’s largesse, a naturalized American welcomed to the country even after 9/11, as well as a working conflict journalist, the last thing I would want this footage to be used for is to embody Trump’s xenophobic, repugnant message.”

posted by zachlipton at 2:39 PM on November 6, 2016 [47 favorites]

I did forget Gingrich and Guiliani and Chris Christie. Their value as surrogates has been less than impressive.
posted by vuron at 2:39 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

threeturtles It's listed on Urban Dictionary going back to 2010.
posted by SansPoint at 2:39 PM on November 6, 2016

They are currently playing this episode: MST3K turned a terrible alien movie into a Donald Trump warning in 1991.

My friends are thoroughly sick of hearing me say "Trumpy, you can do magic! That's called 'evil,' kid" (and have been for several months now).
posted by octobersurprise at 2:41 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

Also last night I dreamt I was one of Madam President Hillary's 4 chosen personal assistants and it was AWESOME. It was four young women supporting her and getting settled in to the White House.

Then later I dreamt about the death of a kitten. I think this reflects my state of mind at the moment.
posted by threeturtles at 2:41 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

Contrast Trump's abuse of a disabled boy with Ryan's story about Hillary.
posted by hydropsyche at 2:42 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

Here's a picture of J.J. and his family getting kicked out of the Trump rally.

I just...I have a cousin with CP. I'm used to the ignorance at this point, but folks with CP are SO underestimated and misunderstood - my cousin is a talented stocktrader and a beautiful writer, a really brilliant guy. And Trump would look at him and just see a nothing, a blank space and not a person, not someone he could converse with or go toe to toe with in a discussion. And it's not just Trump; so many people act this way. I am so proud of JJ!!! He may not look like it but he is more than a match for Trump and in terms of courage and fortitude he could take any of those deplorable people.
posted by sallybrown at 2:43 PM on November 6, 2016 [74 favorites]

Worth a read Trolling for Trump: How Russia Is Trying to Destroy Our Democracy

But most observers are missing the point. Russia is helping Trump’s campaign, yes, but it is not doing so solely or even necessarily with the goal of placing him in the Oval Office. Rather, these efforts seek to produce a divided electorate and a president with no clear mandate to govern. The ultimate objective is to diminish and tarnish American democracy. Unfortunately, that effort is going very well indeed.

Russia’s desire to sow distrust in the American system of government is not new. It’s a goal Moscow has pursued since the beginning of the Cold War. Its strategy is not new, either. Soviet-era “active measures” called for using the “force of politics” rather than the “politics of force” to erode American democracy from within. What is new is the methods Russia uses to achieve these objectives.

We have been tracking Russian online information operations since 2014, when our interest was piqued by strange activity we observed studying online dimensions of jihadism and the Syrian civil war. When experts published content criticizing the Russian-supported Bashar al Assad regime, organized hordes of trolls would appear to attack the authors on Twitter and Facebook. Examining the troll social networks revealed dozens of accounts presenting themselves as attractive young women eager to talk politics with Americans, including some working in the national security sector. These “honeypot” social media accounts were linked to other accounts used by the Syrian Electronic Army hacker operation. All three elements were working together: the trolls to sow doubt, the honeypots to win trust, and the hackers (we believe) to exploit clicks on dubious links sent out by the first two.

The Syrian network did not stand alone. Beyond it lurked closely interconnected networks tied to Syria’s allies, Iran and Russia. Many of these networks were aimed at U.S. political dissenters and domestic extremist movements, including militia groups, white nationalists, and anarchists.

Today, that network is still hard at work, running at peak capacity to destroy Americans’ confidence in their system of government. We’ve monitored more than 7,000 social media accounts over the last 30 months and at times engaged directly with them. Trump isn’t the end of Russia’s social media and hacking campaign against America, but merely the beginning. Here is what we’ve learned.

posted by zachlipton at 2:46 PM on November 6, 2016 [36 favorites]

I figured out the best way to relieve some election stress and anxiety. As I know that a good many are experiencing the same I thought I would share. Here are the step by step instructions.

Have a dog.....
Have a not so bad, shirtless walk, with your dog, on a unseasonably warm and sunny fall day.
Realize that letting it all hang out feels pretty awesome. Walk tall and proud.

Alternatively, have cats. Never leave the couch. Ride out the election while wearing no pants.

Yes, much better.
posted by mudpuppie at 2:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [38 favorites]

New Donald Trump ad appeals to NFL fans who favor keeping Redskins name [real]

“Yeah, you thought you were safe,” the ad begins, “sitting in your recliner in your man cave, cold beer and a bowl of chips. Ha, you thought you’d escaped politics by focusing on football. Wrong. Hillary Clinton wants to mess up your football, too. Hillary wants to change the name of the Redskins.” The ad, released by Rebuilding America Now, concludes, “Hillary’s priorities are not your priorities.”

I am finally 100% certain I'm on some kind of massive Candid Camera show and this whole thing is just a prank on me. Come on, guys.
posted by sallybrown at 2:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [39 favorites]

Oh yes who you elect on the local school board is very important!
I own four restaurants: Why would I want taxes to increase?
My wife, Amanda, and I don’t have kids. Why should I care about Manatee County schools?
The origin of my interest goes back to the year I participated in Leadership Manatee. One day spent in schools, learning about their $690 million budget, the number of employees and the miles their buses travel, and I realized: I do have a stake in the game.
I have 323 employees, many of whom have kids in the district. I pay a lot of money in property taxes. I should care about the upcoming sales tax referendum.
posted by robbyrobs at 2:48 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

So the grocery store carries this line of fresh-ish brownies in over the top combos. Today they had one with brownies layered with caramel, almonds, and coconut macaroons.

What will you be stress eating for the next two days?
posted by zrail at 2:49 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

Ughhhhhh at that Redskins advert.
Here's the thing honkeys: we gotta be better. There needs to be social pressure coming from us if things are going to change. We cant just expect the marginalized to do all the heavy lifting for what should be their own base level equality.
This means we have to vocally shut down racism when we see it. We have to vocally shut down sexism when we see it. We have to vocally shut down xenophobia when we see it. Homophobia, transphobia, etc. The reason this is our responsibility is that some of us (whistles innocently) benefit from some pretty rigged societal settings and part of that privilege needs to be using the responsibility we're granted when being taken more seriously than most to move the conversation to higher ground. It's happened before and needs to happen more.
In conclusion, with great honkeyness comes great honkeysponsibility. So let's use our privilege for Good and when possible for Awesome.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 2:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [37 favorites]

So what if a friend noticed another friend freaking out about the election, and gave that friend some Xanax? What should the second friend know about taking it? Asking for a friend.
posted by medusa at 2:53 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

T-shirt at Cincinnati Trump rally: "Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some Assembly Required."
posted by bluecore at 2:53 PM on November 6, 2016

And now, the answer to a question that apparently no one in the U.S. much cares about -- today, how stands the newspaper and periodical endorsement race? Or more accurately, the newspaper and periodical endorsement brutal savage beatdown as the obviously better candidate grinds her opponent into paste.

When last we looked at numbers yesterday, they stood with Clinton at 447, "not endorsing anyone" at 75, "anybody-but-Donald-Trump" at 21, Donald Trump at 13, Gary Johnson at 6, and Evan McMullin at 1.

All endorsements since that time have come from small-distribution publications; the only major paper to make an announcement has been California's Orange County Register (circulation 270,000), which opted to go with "no endorsement".

At any rate, Clinton easily blew past 450, adding 19 more publications to her tally for a total of 466 endorsements. As per usual, she is not only comfortably in the lead, but comfortably increased her lead by gaining more than all other comers.

"No endorsement", still distantly behind her, is now at 84, adding 9 to its total -- including the only major paper in this batch, as previously mentioned.

But! As the final days of the campaign wind down, Trump has added 11 small papers to his total, nearly doubling his number to 24 and bringing him into a dismally pathetic third place! Yes, in a shocking twist, he has climbed to 5% of Clinton's total. And now only 4% of his own endorsements come from the official organ of the KKK.

Now standing just behind Donald Trump, we have his rival in the neck-and-neck race for third, "anybody-but-Donald-Trump". "Anybody-but-Donald-Trump" added only one publication this time around, bringing them to 22. Step up your game, "anybody-but-Donald-Trump"!

And, in another shocking twist, Gary Johnson, who had not received a single endorsement since September, adds 3 papers to his total, increasing his numbers by half again to a total of 9! Are we seeing Johnsonmentum? Well, probably not, since his increase was about 1/6 that of Clinton's and about 1/4 that of Trump's. But just as with Trump, when you're this tiny, any increase looks big.

Evan McMullin still stands at 1 endorsement, and there is also one endorsement for "anybody-but-Hillary-Clinton", and 1 split endorsement from West Virginia's Charleston Gazette-Mail, which apparently is not looking to win any awards for courageous stands. They split their endorsement in 2012, too.

Will there be more endorsements on Monday? On TUESDAY? Who knows! But to sum up the situation at the moment:

Clinton: 466 (76.6%)
No endorsement: 84 (13.8%)
Donald Trump: 24 (4%)
Not Donald Trump: 22 (3.6%)
Gary Johnson: 9 (1.5%)
Evan McMullin: 1 (0.2%)
Not Hillary Clinton: 1 (0.2%)
Split Endorsement: 1 (0.2%)

From your mouths to the voters' ears, newspaper and periodical editorial boards. From your mouths to the voters' ears.
posted by kyrademon at 2:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [34 favorites]

Don't take xanax with alcohol is the biggest one. Also don't make it a habit 'cause that shit is addictive as hell.
posted by Justinian at 2:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

Your friend will fall asleep
posted by Yowser at 2:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

If Clinton wins by 10+% I will eat two bugs.

538: 1 in 20 [real]
posted by one_bean at 2:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

I will eat two bugs and be glad of it!
posted by Zalzidrax at 2:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

General Flynn smells a rat:

IMPOSSIBLE:
There R 691,200 seconds in 8 days. DIR Comey has thoroughly reviewed 650,000 emails in 8 days? An email / second? IMPOSSIBLE RT

posted by carsondial at 2:57 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

We're talking about popular vote, yes?
posted by Zalzidrax at 2:58 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

And Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, obv.
posted by LionIndex at 3:00 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

There R 691,200 seconds in 8 days. DIR Comey has thoroughly reviewed 650,000 emails in 8 days? An email / second? IMPOSSIBLE RT

The good news is we have an ever-growing group of people who don't appear to have any problem with putting on their "I'M A FUCKING MORON" badges in public.

They actually appear to be proud of them.
posted by Mooski at 3:01 PM on November 6, 2016 [47 favorites]

I'm in a REALLY LONG LINE to see Hillary speak. I feel like I'm at the airport.
posted by pxe2000 at 3:02 PM on November 6, 2016 [19 favorites]

What will you be stress eating for the next two days?

Whenever I experience a desire to eat unnecessarily, I will think of the NYT mocking Trump for eyeing pork breakfast sausages while "trying to convey restraint" to a journalist. Hopefully that will be enough to crush the desire.
posted by Coventry at 3:03 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

IMPOSSIBLE:
There R 691,200 seconds in 8 days. DIR Comey has thoroughly reviewed 650,000 emails in 8 days? An email / second? IMPOSSIBLE RT

Dear General Flynn:

Computers exist. Go fuck yourself.

Sincerely,

xyzzy
posted by xyzzy at 3:03 PM on November 6, 2016 [63 favorites]

Trump Says Minnesota Has “Suffered Enough” For Taking In Somali Refugees
posted by zombieflanders at 3:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

10% of the popular vote of course, she could certainly win by 10% of the EV. And like I said last thread, like some crickets or somethin'. Yucky spiders or caterpillars or roaches need not apply.
posted by Justinian at 3:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm in a REALLY LONG LINE to see Hillary speak. I feel like I'm at the airport.

The security should also feel similar, but you leave your shoes on and the screeners' badges say "Secret Service" instead of "Transportation Security Administration."
posted by palindromic at 3:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

catching up:

2016 isn't the year of new inventions in dirty politics and bigotry. It's the year all the pretense was dropped.
Now if we can only get the "Liberal Press" to notice.

Friends don't let friends read ~~Maureen Dowd~~The New York Times. They abandoned their credibility a dozen years ago with the Iraq War. And they've historically been Friends of Trump as much as Murdoch's Post.

I'm starting to wonder if this is going to end with Bob Newhart in bed with Suzanne Pleshette, saying "Honey, wake up!"
The first Newhart show, the one with Pleshette, was set in Chicago, home of the Cubs. I think we've awakened.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:09 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

If Clinton wins by 10+% I will eat two bugs.

Dude, don't do that. Ten percent sounds about right to me in that it's the bare minimum I can imagine from the country. I'm optimistic enough to think even 12-15% is possible, given how terrified-into-action everyone seems to be.

In other words, with this opponent, how can she not?
posted by rokusan at 3:09 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

It's quite disturbing that a GENERAL has no conception of parallelizing a task across multiple workers. Does he fight his battles himself??
posted by Coventry at 3:10 PM on November 6, 2016 [52 favorites]

What will you be stress eating for the next two days?

fentanyl lollies tbh
posted by poffin boffin at 3:10 PM on November 6, 2016 [24 favorites]

Trenchant political cartoon courtesy of John Cole at Balloon Juice
posted by palindromic at 3:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Hey, let's leave bugs out of it! They don't like Trump either. They want to celebrate his loss too.
posted by bluecore at 3:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

Justinian, Tuesday night, late.
posted by valkane at 3:12 PM on November 6, 2016

Predictions thread is over here
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

It's quite disturbing that a GENERAL has no conception of parallelizing a task across multiple workers. Does he fight his battles himself??

Well and also most of this is done by computer (it's called e-discovery and law firms do it constantly, with far more electronic documents than what were on that laptop, there are tons of software packages out there for doing just exactly this).
posted by soren_lorensen at 3:14 PM on November 6, 2016 [30 favorites]

favorite Hillary email cartoon:
posted by robbyrobs at 3:16 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

It's quite disturbing that a GENERAL has no conception of parallelizing a task across multiple workers. Does he fight his battles himself??

That, and the 650K figure was all the emails on the computer (including Weiner's). Part of the delay was creating a program to separate out Huma's from Anthony's. That apparently left 60K. Even the technology-backwards federal government has the kind of doc review programs that can sort out duplicates within that batch, and they apparently also had a program that could sort out the emails that were duplicates from the already-reviewed email from the server, so that probably left not many at all. My best doc review day was 7K documents, but I'm very slow (although I had a lot of junk email in that batch). I'm not surprised they're done with the review.
posted by sallybrown at 3:16 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

soren_lorenson: Sure, but the assumption in his calculation that the emails would have to be examined in series is a more basic and surprising error.
posted by Coventry at 3:16 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

The Trump campaign basically has two people on its A-list

Add another spot to that list because Trump is holding a rally in Michigan with Ted Nugent! I anticipate Nugent will intro 'Cat Scratch Fever' with a super classy line about pussy-grabbing.
posted by palindromic at 3:16 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

The Colorado Independent: Homestretch: The fight to raise Colorado’s minimum wage

Whether Amendment 70 passes or fails, the work is just beginning for Colorado labor unions and low-wage worker advocates. Most CFFW members acknowledge that $12 per hour is not in fact a living wage for workers with families in some parts of Colorado. Most estimates put a living wage for a single parent of two children in Denver at around $30 per hour. But advocates also believe that the current $8.31 per hour is inexcusable, and any more than $12 is not politically viable.

There’s a sense of immediacy among CFFW members. One hears the term “right now” a lot. They would rather take a safe bet than a real gamble when so many people’s livelihoods hang in the balance.

“Do we go with something that we know is going to be tough but that we know we can win on, or do we go with 15, which the Denver area might be ready for but the state isn’t, and we lose?” SEIU’s Jacob asked.

He works with low-wage union members every day and he believes he’s doing right by them. “‘12 by 2020’ will impact half a million people in Colorado,” Jacob said. “Don’t tell those people this isn’t going to help them. It is.”

posted by audi alteram partem at 3:19 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

The security should also feel similar, but you leave your shoes on and the screeners' badges say "Secret Service" instead of "Transportation Security Administration."

I hate to break it to you, but the TSA has been helping out at political rallies.
posted by zachlipton at 3:19 PM on November 6, 2016

Um

[Ted] Nugent says to bear arms means "I have a couple on me right now and they're loaded." He adds "the Secret Service are good friends of mine"

(twitter)
posted by sallybrown at 3:20 PM on November 6, 2016

Apparently it's too much to ask for the media to stop with the entire "Whoa, this race is too close to call!" meme. Screw you guys. It was never close, and all you're doing is selling newspapers. Nate Silver can go shit in a hat.
posted by Sphinx at 3:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

No matter what happens on Tuesday, we have to share a country with people who would kick a little boy's wheelchair. I just… am disappointed.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [89 favorites]

It's quite disturbing that a GENERAL has no conception of parallelizing a task across multiple workers. Does he fight his battles himself??

Yep, and Donald trump is going to personally negotiate all our trade deals too.
posted by Slothrup at 3:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

At this point I'm expecting multiple Trump surrogates to be literally struck down by lightning on live TV.

Ooh! What channel?

And will Kid Rock be at the MI gig too? What about Meat Loaf?
posted by petebest at 3:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

I can't believe it's only a day away.
posted by valkane at 3:25 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

I anticipate Nugent will intro 'Cat Scratch Fever' with a super classy line about pussy-grabbing.

I saw Henry Rollins do a spoken word show last night here in Toronto. He was referencing early stadium rock experiences, and mentioned going to a Ted Nugent show in the late 70s. When there were a couple of groans and hisses from the audience he was like "No, no - in my defence...this was BEFORE he was talking between songs."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [36 favorites]

I can't believe it's only a day away.

You know what this is going to be before you even click
posted by sallybrown at 3:27 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

Nate Silver can go shit in a hat.

It seems fairly transparent that Nate Silver is leaning less Hillary-y than everyone else just so that, in the unlikely event of a Trump win, he gets to say "I'm the only one who got it right!" despite not actually leaning Trumpy.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:27 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

>Trump is holding a rally in Michigan with Ted Nugent!

Maybe they'll pack the stage with draft dodgers clucking about how smart they were for doing so.
posted by Catblack at 3:27 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

According to polling site 538, Trump has only a 24 percent chance of winning Michigan’s 16 electoral votes, making the addition of Michigan-native Nugent an interesting and risky choice due to Nugent’s unpredictability.

According to RightWingWatch, Nugent has a history of misogyny and antisemitism which could make his comments dangerous for a campaign that is already having problems with women and Jewish voters.

Hmm. Let's just run this through the ol' Trump's Razor here an*BEEP*

Yep, checks out.
posted by petebest at 3:27 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

I can't believe it's only a day away.

I've got some sad news for you...
posted by Sys Rq at 3:28 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

You know what this is going to be before you even click

But I didn't! I thought it was going to be this!
posted by Justinian at 3:28 PM on November 6, 2016 [15 favorites]

Incidentally, in the NH Hassan/Ayotte Senator race, Silver has Ayotte (the Republican) at +2.
posted by Coventry at 3:29 PM on November 6, 2016

Election Day is Tuesday. Tomorrow Is Monday.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 3:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Hillary just added a big open air rally a block from my workplace tomorrow during my lunch hour...except I took the entire day off so I could canvas *sad trombone* (I realize that what I will be doing is far more important, but it's kind of like rain on my wedding day and a free ride when I've already paid.)
posted by soren_lorensen at 3:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [28 favorites]

Or are you guys posting from the future?
posted by rabbitrabbit at 3:32 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Trump thinks he is Jean Valjean but he's actually Monsieur Thernardier.
posted by Justinian at 3:32 PM on November 6, 2016 [15 favorites]

Nate Silver was vastly more fun when he was trying to predict things that really didn't matter. Like baseball.

While you're shitting in that hat, try to stay the fuck out of politics. Apparently, it's a bit too big for you.
posted by Sphinx at 3:33 PM on November 6, 2016

South Carolina is going to look pretty lonely before too long.

Even SC is changing, though in different ways: Nikki Haley is going to be in the picture for 2020, as a biz-friendly Republican governor who beat the good ol' boy network to win the office, and who got the dixieflag taken down from outside the statehouse. Her term ends in January 2019, and by then she'll know whether she has a chance in a GOP primary.
posted by holgate at 3:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

It's all going to come down to ground game advantage + undercounted Latinx / women / POC now.

If none of those move the needle bigly, Clinton wins the popular vote by 3-ish percentage points and gets a narrow but clear EV victory. The upside based on those x-factors is all to her, I think.
posted by tivalasvegas at 3:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

But it's one more non-Election Day until Election Day. One more whole entire day where we don't know who won. Then Election Day, where we find out.
posted by sallybrown at 3:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Sam Wang says

State Margin Power
NH Ayotte +0.5% 100.0

Hassan donation page
posted by petebest at 3:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Nikki Haley is going to be in the picture for 2020, as a biz-friendly Republican governor who beat the good ol' boy network to win the office, and who got the dixieflag taken down from outside the statehouse. Her term ends in January 2019, and by then she'll know whether she has a chance in a GOP primary.

She should never have endorsed Trump. Never ever. She could have made some real moves in 2020 with no Trump goo on her record.
posted by sallybrown at 3:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

Oh my god. It's Sunday night. Tomorrow is Monday. Monday is a day, then, it's Tuesday. There is one day between now and election day. Get a grip you bean plating friends of mine, before you start counting hours and telling me that depending on which continent I'm posting from
posted by valkane at 3:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [23 favorites]

Silver is an aggregator of all the polls that underestimated Trump in the primaries and added deplorables to their 'likely voters' groups. The motivation of latinx and other minorities to become first time voters, and shy Hillary voters (ESPECIALLY women with husbands who'd beat them for not voting Trump) is going to pretty well ensure that even the best aggregator (which 538 is NOT) is going to give Dangerous Donnie more than the voters will. Of course, that will help him to justify the "Fixed Election" claim, which will make the aftermath worse...
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

with no Trump goo on her record. By 2018 Trump will be in full 'I never ran for President' mode so she'll be fine.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 3:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

My soundtrack for the next 56 hours is just this song on repeat:
You work in the system
You see possibilities and your glistening eyes show the hell you're gonna give 'em
When they back off the mic for once and give it to a woman.
posted by ApathyGirl at 3:40 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

it's made me realize, oh yeah, the FBI are basically just more powerful cops! Which seems obvious in retrospect, but the sort of cultural vibe around them feels pretty different.

Interestingly I heard an ex-FBI agent recently talk about the very different cultures in the FBI depending on department. Apparently the criminal profiling, serial killer hunting Behavioral Analysis Unit is more liberal oriented than the counter-terrorism, drug law enforcement, surveillance etc parts of the agency. Which only makes sense, really. But it made me feel very slightly better about the FBI knowing that at least attitudes aren't monolithic.
posted by threeturtles at 3:40 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

Just had my very favorite phone call so far. Reached a woman who is the staging manager for her city's GOTV efforts. They've been doing so well that the Dems sent leaders from her city to a tougher city. I could tell we both wanted to keep talking, but we also both have so much work to do. So we thanked each other profusely and then went back to our respective tasks.

I'm not crying. You're crying.
posted by bilabial at 3:41 PM on November 6, 2016 [80 favorites]

Guys guys guys this popped up in the prior thread:

THEY'VE ADDED TEXAS TO THE STATES TAB ON THE PHONE BANKING PAGE!

All this time I've been thinking "I wish I could call Texas." I was so excited when they added Florida.

AND NOW THEY'VE ADDED TEXAS!

Dialing ...
posted by kristi at 4:17 PM on November 6 [13 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]

Strap your Wendy Davis sneakers on...your hands...or something and get to dialing!
posted by sallybrown at 3:41 PM on November 6, 2016 [66 favorites]

BURNS: Take a knee, boys. Tomorrow is the biggest day of your lives: the Shelbyville game. So lights out at 7:30, and abstain from coffee, tea, and cola drinks. Make no mistake, they pack a wallop.

STRAWBERRY: Sure do, skip!

posted by petebest at 3:41 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

I'm thinking this is a sign of momentum. I've been feeling it.

(So did Romney last election, I know, I know.)
posted by sallybrown at 3:42 PM on November 6, 2016

And get rid of those sideburns!
posted by entropicamericana at 3:44 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

Weather for the DC area on Tuesday is clear with a high of 67 degrees.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 3:45 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

They've also added Kentucky. Turn that bluegrass Blue!
posted by sallybrown at 3:45 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Just had to turn the TV off because of a campaign ad I didn't want my children to see because it's way too PG-13. This fucking campaign.

I mean I guess in 1964 I also would have turned off Daisy, but in my lifetime it's been more like the 1984 bear in the woods ...
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:46 PM on November 6, 2016

Went to an arts festival today and spent some time looking for a mug for my husband. Found one I liked that also looked similar to some other stoneware I've seen in the past at another nearby arts festival that has gotten kind of unwieldy as it's grown. I asked the artist had he shown there in the past, and he said he used to go, but "Now it's too chaotic. Too many people with you know, sagging pants, too many pitbulls." I was half-way into a sentence when that caught up with me. "Yeah, that festival has become a little HEY WAIT. That's a racist thing you just said!" Turned on my heel. He hollered out to my retreating back,"I could be describing anybody of any color!" Riiiight. I just hate that "Hey, this lady is white. I bet she agrees with my racist-ass comments" thing that happens. Usually I roll eyes and move on. Today, y'all, I said something. I called him out explicitly. And I owe it to Metafilter, I owe it to Hillary Clinton. I'm excited! Let's get on with this thing!
posted by thebrokedown at 3:49 PM on November 6, 2016 [105 favorites]

NEW HAMPSHIRE I AM IN YOU
posted by pxe2000 at 3:50 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Yeah, I know this isn't the prediction thread, but let's keep it interesting with bug eating bets
posted by middleclasstool at 3:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

THEY'VE ADDED TEXAS TO THE STATES TAB ON THE PHONE BANKING PAGE!

Of course, early voting ended Friday and election day is going to be a complete disaster, as far as I can tell. I waited an hour and a half to vote in the primary in a very rich, very white neighborhood. I shudder to think what the typical polling place will be like Tuesday, let alone one in a neighborhood with lots of people of color.
posted by hoyland at 3:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

I love this Obama so much.

Obama Mocks Trump For Getting His Twitter Confiscated By Campaign

Because you just know, that Trump is going to find out, unless they're shielding him from media and he's going to want to tweet rant SO SO BAD.

And these thoughts make me happy.

According to the Times report, members of Trump's press team finally "wrested away" the Republican candidate's access to Twitter, which previously served as an unfiltered channel for Trump to express his often colorful opinions.

"Apparently his campaign has taken away his Twitter," a bemused Obama told the crowd at a campaign rally for Hillary Clinton in Kissimmee, Florida.

"In the last two days, they had so little confidence in his self-control they said we are just going to take away your Twitter. Now, if somebody can't handle a Twitter account, they can't handle the nuclear codes," Obama said. "If somebody starts tweeting at three in the morning because SNL made fun of you, then you can't handle the nuclear codes."
posted by Jalliah at 3:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [66 favorites]

Early voting kills Trump in NV
posted by jeffburdges at 3:53 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

My husband is on the phone with his sister in WA. She can't vote because she's not a US citizen, but she's married to one, so...

Me [shouting across the room]: Has [SIL's husband's name] voted yet?

Her [via Mr. Conspiracy]: Yes.

Me: AND?

Her [via Mr. Conspiracy]: Clinton. But doesn't agree with...

Me: GOOD ENOUGH!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:53 PM on November 6, 2016 [61 favorites]

OK, I know you all can help with this one: I'm looking for poll numbers on my local downballot races, specifically state house district 15, with Ane Romero (D) vs. Sarah Maestas Barnes (R), incumbent. I have tried googling, but no luck. Any suggestions?
posted by annsunny at 3:54 PM on November 6, 2016

@JohnJHarwood
Stevie Wonder on why Trump shouldn't be president: "if you had emergency, had to go to hospital, you wouldn’t want me driving, right?”
posted by chris24 at 3:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [79 favorites]

I was looking for videos referencing "36 Hours" but all YouTube has is short travel vids of "36 Hours in..." various places, made by the travel section of the New Yecch Times. I guess those idiots are incapable of spending two full nights outside the shadow of Trump Tower. Oh, and two war movies with "36 Hours" in the title. Because Real Patriots know that Real Battles don't take any longer. Yuk.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:56 PM on November 6, 2016

Prolly already been posted, but I got this in the mail yesterday. New York mag cover.
posted by valkane at 3:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

The Toronto Star recommends Five Wines to Get You Through U.S. Election Night
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 3:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Election Day is Tuesday. Tomorrow Is Monday.

So two more days volunteering.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 3:57 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Stevie Wonder on why Trump shouldn't be president: "if you had emergency, had to go to hospital, you wouldn’t want me driving, right?”

Hard to tell from the tweet if this is [real] or [fake], but if so...bravo...but I would have preferred "I think I've mentioned before that I'm very superstitious. And you know what? The writing's on the wall."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

He hollered out to my retreating back,"I could be describing anybody of any color!"

So I always wonder about people who do this: do they honestly think that by saying that they're doing anything but confirming they're racist? I mean, if they weren't actually racist, and just didn't like dogs or something, then they probably wouldn't think to say that.

Or are they more lying to themselves about being racist?
posted by ghost phoneme at 3:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Oh! and my least favorite volunteering moment. Was out canvassing yesterday in a suburban apartment complex. One of the residents (a Hillary supporter, he said) told us that soliciting is not allowed on the property. We apologized, said we hadn't seen a sign (true) and kept knocking on our doors. Two buildings over we were approached by an employee of the complex who said "You guys cannot be out here doing this" and then told us we had to leave. We didn't argue with her, because even though canvassing is a public service, we weren't out there to be right or start fights. We certainly didn't want anyone to be more annoyed at us than folks often are about door knocking.

So, we left and it was a bummer. We got to 21 doors and talked to 5-10 enthusiastic people and one woman who apologized but said she'd be voting for Trump, before being asked to leave. The campaign folks marked the rest of the houses Inaccessible, so the complex won't get canvassed again. Which sucks.
posted by bilabial at 4:01 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

Or are they more lying to themselves about being racist?

You know that feeling when you think you've told a funny joke but you've actually just shit yourself in public? And you try to convince everybody it was just part of the joke? No?
posted by Mooski at 4:02 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

I always thought that the obvious anagram for Reince Priebus was Prince Erebus, Erebus being the Greek god of chaos. Then I Googled.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:05 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Nate: Don't fail trying to shape the narrative, be the narrative. Narrate. It's in the word. I can hear dad yelling behind me. Narrate, fucking Narrate.
posted by Sphinx at 4:07 PM on November 6, 2016

Jalliah: "I love this Obama so much.

Obama Mocks Trump For Getting His Twitter Confiscated By Campaign"

Your link is borked Jalliah
posted by Mitheral at 4:07 PM on November 6, 2016

Hard to tell from the tweet if this is [real] or [fake]

I'm assuming a CNBC/NYT reporter and Republican primary debate moderator isn't making up joke Stevie tweets. But 2016, so...
posted by chris24 at 4:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Well, look who worked in the US illegally. Melania.

Melania Trump was paid for 10 modeling jobs in the United States worth $20,056 that occurred in the seven weeks before she had legal permission to work in the country, according to detailed accounting ledgers, contracts and related documents from 20 years ago provided to The Associated Press.

So why is this only getting reported on now?
posted by WordCannon at 4:09 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

the answer to a question that apparently no one in the U.S. much cares about -- today, how stands the newspaper and periodical endorsement race?

Just to push back on this narrative: my grandfather was a businessman. He's voting (one of the few times in a long time) for Clinton. I am certain that, while he may have made a decision to vote for her on his own, his newspaper's decision to endorse her helped reenforce his choice.

And I bet that is happening around the country.

Not often. But the fact that a bunch of magazines and newspapers are endorsing a candidate from a party they usually don't support (or that they're endorsing someone, period) is touching, somehow. It's a bunch of people trying to leverage what little power they have, and I hope they're able to reach people that a normal partisan campaign couldn't.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 4:09 PM on November 6, 2016 [27 favorites]

Tom Tomorrow:

"rope/tree/journalist" predates Trump. He didn't invent GOP ugliness, he just took it to extremes
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:10 PM on November 6, 2016

Just quoting here:
This is Just to Say:

I have completed my review
of the emails
that were on
the laptop

and which
you were probably
hoping
would win you the election

Forgive me
they were duplicates
so benign
and so boring

Which brings me here to say: dear mefites, these emails have been lying on our collective counter for many months. Can we still stomach them? Answer obvsl.: time to throw them out.
posted by Namlit at 4:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [17 favorites]

It got reported on before, WordCannon, to the point where Melania's lack of recent Twitter activity means that her most recent tweets are mostly about her denial from the last round. But last time, there wasn't precise documentation of her doing it, so the story didn't really stick.
posted by Sequence at 4:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

WordCannon: "Well, look who worked in the US illegally. Melania.

[...]

So why is this only getting reported on now?"

It's been reported on for a couple months. Melania is one of the "good" (IE: White from Europe) and attractive immigrants so the GOP doesn't care.
posted by Mitheral at 4:13 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

So in addition to the election day stress, I have been spending the past week on a hunt for a new roommate whilst simultaneously trying to figure out plans for family Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I've had it. Can someone just sort of take my life over for the next 24 hours to give me a break?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:13 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

I'm in.
posted by guiseroom at 4:15 PM on November 6, 2016

In terms of election food coping I've gone oriental. And I say that because I've had udon, ramen,american chinese, kimchi fried rice, and Thai yellow curry in the last weekish. I'm trying out some korean stir fried sardines sometime this week as well, and am cooking with Asian sweet potato for the first time.

It is keeping me sane and a yummy distraction. I highly recommend.
posted by AlexiaSky at 4:17 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I will be so glad not to see political ads all over my TV. Here in Illinois, there's one conservative PAC, Liberty Principles, which is spending gobs of money on ads for Republicans in the Illinois legislature. (Our wonderful *cough* governor is a major donor to this PAC) The latest campaign features a woman talking about being a single mom and how she's voting for the Republican challenger in the election. It's the exact same ad featuring the exact same woman running for several candidates - the only difference is the candidate's name. Since several of these candidates are in the Chicago area, some of the TV stations will run the ads for those candidates all in a row.
posted by SisterHavana at 4:17 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

LA Times final projection puts Clinton on 352 seats - 20 more than Obama 2012 ...its polls had been better for Trump (twitter, Faisal Islam, political editor Sky News)
posted by Devonian at 4:19 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

I wonder if anyone will be confused about how many people they can vote for?
posted by Mitheral at 4:20 PM on November 6, 2016

Well some of the money that would have gone to Trump and the RNC gets spent down ballot. Good for the Republicans I guess. But, wow, what competence to use the same actor in ads for different candidates in the same media market.
posted by R343L at 4:20 PM on November 6, 2016

it's probably because they *do* use (cheese) pizza to mean child porn.

Cite? Because the only two articles I could find on the topic said it was totally made up by alt-righters a few days ago.

Jokes about cheese pizza and vans (child porn and FBI) have been around on 4chan since, um, time immemorial, and probably predate 4chan. These "code word readers" came out of /pol/, so presumably that's just part of the cultural memory. A lot of the other stuff are probably more recent creative interpretations though.
posted by The arrows are too fast at 4:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Trump campaign fires back at ADL over ad criticized for anti-Semitic tones
As pictures of prominent Jews appear on screen, candidate slams Washington power and 'special interests'

posted by Joe in Australia at 4:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

Bi cruiser peen?

Or as I like to call it, college
posted by en forme de poire at 4:22 PM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

The Toronto Star recommends Five Wines to Get You Through U.S. Election Night

Yeah gonna need more than five thanks.
posted by schoolgirl report at 4:22 PM on November 6, 2016 [19 favorites]

Pant-suited drag queen Hillarys in the Castro.
posted by robbyrobs at 4:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

bluecore: T-shirt at Cincinnati Trump rally: "Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some Assembly Required."

Correction: this was Minnesota. Just as disturbing.
posted by bluecore at 4:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

I really want to call Texas and Utah but I feel so rude calling at supper time on a Sunday night :-/
posted by sallybrown at 4:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Nice that the LA Times forecast has Trump underperforming Romney, which is only to be expected.
posted by morspin at 4:25 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

LA Times final projection puts Clinton on 352 seats - 20 more than Obama 2012 ...its polls had been better for Trump (twitter, Faisal Islam, political editor Sky News)

How many total seats does the US Parliament have again?
posted by lefty lucky cat at 4:25 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Obama Mocks Trump For Getting His Twitter Confiscated By Campaign"

Your link is borked Jalliah

Oops sorry. Here it is.
posted by Jalliah at 4:27 PM on November 6, 2016

Whoa, is cheese pizza ruined now?
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:27 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

The campaign management have finally discovered that the only way to make Trump appealing to anyone beyond his base is to ensure the public sees and hears him as little as possible.

In other words, the Harper Strategy. The large communal joy of ejecting our invisible Prime Minister in favour of Trudeau is something I hope happens next week in the States rather than having to go through a term or two of Trump. Rejecting now if preferable than ejecting later.
posted by juiceCake at 4:29 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

How many total seats does the US Parliament have again?

We can always dream. Presidential democracies are shite.
posted by dis_integration at 4:29 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

I don't think we can let things be ruined just because channers try to ruin them. We'll soon have nothing good left.
posted by Sequence at 4:30 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

Greg Nog, you are correct, she's not running, and I shouldn't have called her out, thanks for the reminder. I don't have a problem with someone working around the current labyrinthine immigration laws. It's the hypocrisy of the media coverage that galls me, but I should keep focused on the big orange sharknado, not the people caught up in his wake.
posted by WordCannon at 4:32 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Heh. "Did I say something wrong?" Cory Lewandowski appears to have blocked Katy Tur on Twitter.

The clips I've seen of anchors talking to Trump surrogates & spokesholes has included a thinner and thinner veil on contempt and mockery from the anchors lately, too.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 4:33 PM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

Whoa, is cheese pizza ruined now?

Wait until you hear the bad news about pepe-roni
posted by phooky at 4:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [18 favorites]

T-shirt at Cincinnati Trump rally: "Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some Assembly Required."

Those squares passed up a perfect opportunity!

ROPE&
TREE&
...
posted by rhizome at 4:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

@electionsmith
Black turnout is sky-rocking in Florida, w "Souls to Polls" still to be counted. 564k blacks have voted EIP. In '12, total 539k voted EIP
posted by chris24 at 4:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [27 favorites]

Whoa, is cheese pizza ruined now?

No, I can't even think of a way it can be. Usually, enjoyment of a work is "ruined" when it is found out that the creator is terrible or whatever leads you to not want to support them. In this case, cheese pizza really doesn't support /pol/, although it may sustain some of them. But so does water or tendies. (Hopefully that didn't ruin water for you.)
posted by The arrows are too fast at 4:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Republicans are in a pickle if they want to keep escalating the nation-trolling. It's gonna be hard to top Trump.

Oh wait...

VOTE NUGENT 2020
posted by Sing Or Swim at 4:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

on 352 seats
Wut?
posted by spitbull at 4:39 PM on November 6, 2016

Sing or Swim: Nugent vs Kanye in 2020 could be interesting. (And really, could Kanye fuck things up worse than Trump would?)
posted by SansPoint at 4:40 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I, Prince Erebus, sorry.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:40 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

nyt: "Inside Donald Trump's Last Stand: an Anxious Nominee Seeks Assurance."

Poor Trump is nervous. Quite a damning look inside the gold-plated plane.
posted by spitbull at 4:42 PM on November 6, 2016

Hooray, miratime's "I voted" stickers arrived in the mail! Thanks again for the offer.

also this is my first presidential election not living in at least a semi swing state. it feels weird not being bombarded with ads all the damn time
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 4:43 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Doesn't the Electoral College have anything to sit on while they vote?
posted by Devonian at 4:44 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Doesn't the Electoral College have anything to sit on while they vote?
Yes they do! Put your rump on Trump!
posted by robbyrobs at 4:46 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I never thought I would pray for it to be a Wednesday, but a lot of things have happened this election that I never thought would happen.
posted by freakazoid at 4:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Hey, so I've lurked for years, learned a million things here, finally coughed up my five bucks as a small response to the Great Staffing Crisis, and have since posted, like, two utterly forgettable comments, so apologies in advance if I'm being presumptuous here, but anyway:

I just told my wife about Pantsuit Nation and she really wants in, but no one's invited her yet! (She has a Facebook account; I currently don't.) Any way one of you fine folks on the other side of the velvet rope could help her out?

Anyway, regardless, let me join the chorus of thanks for your thoughtful insights and comments helping me maintain some semblance of sanity in this anxiety typhoon.
posted by obliviax at 4:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [73 favorites]

Finally got my CA ballot in the mail (replacing the first one which never arrived) and will be taking it to the post office tomorrow. Election night I have tickets for Hedwig that begins right when the polls close. I might not even know the results until the show ends (or we will and it'll be the most pumped up staging of Hedwig ever. I can't imagine the cast/audience having many Trump supporters in its midst). After all this reading/watching/breathing/panicking over the past couple (?!) years, it'll be weird not seeing the call as it happens. Probably safer for my mental health to distract myself anyway though.
posted by downtohisturtles at 4:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

@electionsmith
Black turnout is sky-rocking in Florida, w "Souls to Polls" still to be counted. 564k blacks have voted EIP. In '12, total 539k voted EIP

Maybe this will finally change the narrative that is out there that Black turnout is down all over place.
Maybe it was a few days ago? And this idea got stuck? Yet I keep reading about it being up from people reporting direct numbers.
posted by Jalliah at 4:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

Apparently it's too much to ask for the media to stop with the entire "Whoa, this race is too close to call!" meme.

It's really revolting, considering how many people seem to have developed actual trauma over it. Just look around here. People genuinely made themselves ill over it.

It's never been a remotely close race. But truth doesn't sell ads or get page views or donations or fire up the volunteer labor or get buy-in the way consensual mass terror does.

Hope is great, but fear works.
posted by rokusan at 4:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

nyt: "Inside Donald Trump's Last Stand: an Anxious Nominee Seeks Assurance."

As he stood next to the breakfast buffet at his golf club in Doral, Fla., eyeing a tray of pork sausages, he sought to convey restraint when approached by a reporter for The New York Times.

“I’m on message,” Mr. Trump asserted, with effort. “I’m not playing around. In fact, I’m a little nervous standing here talking to you even for just a minute.”

I still can't get over that his campaign's message about Trump being on message is literally Trump saying "I'm on message."
posted by AndrewInDC at 4:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [59 favorites]

Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) writes a bit more eloquently about Nevada for Politico than on his blog:

How the Harry Reid Machine May Have Killed Trump’s Chances

The line Friday evening stretched outside Cardenas Market in Las Vegas, teeming with Hispanic voters eager to cast ballots.

Many had to wait for hours on the last day of a fortnight of early voting in Nevada, plied by food and exhortations from activists who didn’t have to do much. Election officials had to keep the polling place open an extra three hours to accommodate the line, which was described thusly on Twitter by Yvanna Cancela, the political director for the majority Hispanic Culinary union:

“Looks like Trump got his wall after all. A wall of beautiful voters.”

By the time Donald Trump’s chief Nevada poll watcher arrived at the supermarket to complain about the late voting, apparently clued in by the massive amount of social media traffic about the historic, organic turnout, it was too late. Just under 2,000 voters had cast ballots at the market, adding to a record Democratic firewall (73,000 ballot lead in early voting) in the Las Vegas area and putting a fitting final nail in Trump’s Nevada coffin.

The next day, Trump arrived in Reno looking like a dead man walking, railing at the scene in Vegas the night before and blaming “crazy, broken Harry Reid and his corrupt political machine.” Trump’s key ally in Nevada, state Republican Chairman Michael McDonald, preceded Trump on the Reno stage and yelled about allowing “a certain group” to vote until the late hours.

They raged, raged against the dying of their chances. Yet about one thing Trump was right: Harry Reid built this.

posted by chris24 at 4:48 PM on November 6, 2016 [70 favorites]

That Times story is chock full of schadenfreudeliciousness....But to learn that Steve Bannon's pants actually caught fire as he was crafting lies to feed into Donald's TelePrompTer is too much fun.

As the aides agonized over which words to feed into the teleprompter, they become so engrossed that a hot light set up next to the machine caused Mr. Bannon’s Kuhl hiking pants to begin smoldering.

“I think my pant leg is on fire,” he said after noticing the acrid smell.
posted by spitbull at 4:49 PM on November 6, 2016 [23 favorites]

What will you be stress eating for the next two days?

I'll probably chomp right through my bite guard (worn at night). I'll soak it in Chambord first.
posted by datawrangler at 4:49 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Harry Reid was one of the last of the old school machine guys. We'll miss you, Harry.
posted by Justinian at 4:49 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

Today's phonebanking report:

I called Texas, Utah, and Arizona today. Utah was FANTASTIC - got some great, great people, maybe the most most enthusiastic Hillary supporters I've spoken with this year, including a 19-year-old who was stoked to learn she could phonebank from home, a guy involved with a Somali community who thanked me for calling as soon as I said I was calling for Hillary (before I even got to my questions!), and an older guy who described himself as part of the working poor who had had the foresight to check on his registration earlier this year, found he'd been taken off the rolls, got his registration reinstated, and was pleased to tell me that he'd already mailed in his ballot.

It sure looks and sounds to me like the campaign is going all-out up until the very last minute, so if you'd like to jump in, go for it! You haven't missed your chance!

And now that they've added some additional states to the list, there's a whole bunch of new people for you to call!

Sorry for all the exclamation marks ... it's just all so EXCITING!
posted by kristi at 4:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [66 favorites]

What will you be stress eating for the next two days?

*polishes off a box of Wheat Chex*

Whaddya got?
posted by SansPoint at 4:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

obliviax: check your memail.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 4:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

“I think my pant leg is on fire,” he said after noticing the acrid smell.

Ok, Jon Spencer's "Pant Leg" is going on the Election 2016 playlist.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:54 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

As the aides agonized over which words to feed into the teleprompter, they become so engrossed that a hot light set up next to the machine caused Mr. Bannon’s Kuhl hiking pants to begin smoldering.

“I think my pant leg is on fire,” he said after noticing the acrid smell.

Such is the fate of liar liars.
posted by mrjohnmuller at 4:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [18 favorites]

My motto for the next 48 hours:

Ativan
And
Carry On
posted by humanfont at 4:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

Please, please take a moment to learn about the school board candidates in your area, even if you don't have kids and never intend to have them.

True that. I had a school board member on my ballot this year. There has been zero media coverage of this race. One candidate is a retired principal turned insurance agent. Older African-American guy, Ed. D., taught some grad-school education classes. His social-media presence, and his campaign, are basically nonexistent.

The other is a middle-aged white guy. He's a police officer who supervises the school resource officers in the district. He seems to have a little campaign money--at least enough to buy yard signs. He's active on social media, where he mostly talks about LEO stuff and charity work.

I don't think either of these people are monsters--they both seem to be interested in public service, and I know they both want to make the district better. But, like, educator with decades of experience versus police officer who wants to deepen the connections between law enforcement and the district? I know which one I'd rather have making decisions on my behalf.
posted by box at 4:58 PM on November 6, 2016 [27 favorites]

Early voting question:

When I see these early voting reports, the numbers honestly don't feel that impressive to me. Not in the scope of how many people vote in total for a given state. Does anyone have a resource (or want to explain here) on how these early votes that show an edge in the thousands has such an impact when a state's electorate is in the millions? I keep feeling like these early voting tallies are at the sort of numbers that could get completely washed out on election day.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 4:58 PM on November 6, 2016

* Public opinion? The fifth estate?

* Non neo-confederate scessionists. The Vermont secessionists have no intention of ever taking up arms against the Republic. But if Trump wins, the damage to the Republic would be so severe that here in New England I think we will need to take our cues from when the Romans abandoned Britain, leaving the Welsh to fend for themselves. The weirdos in Vermont have been thinking along those lines for some time.

LLoegres Newyth does have a nice ring to it..
posted by ocschwar at 5:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Often the early voting numbers are given for counties rather than states, focusing on the counties that have large minority populations.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

What will I be stress eating for the next 2 days?

I will be gnawing on the bones of those who would try to stop us. With a nice chianti.
posted by Sophie1 at 5:05 PM on November 6, 2016 [29 favorites]

When I see these early voting reports, the numbers honestly don't feel that impressive to me. Not in the scope of how many people vote in total for a given state. Does anyone have a resource (or want to explain here) on how these early votes that show an edge in the thousands has such an impact when a state's electorate is in the millions? I keep feeling like these early voting tallies are at the sort of numbers that could get completely washed out on election day.

We don't know what's going to happen on election day, but we do know that early voting represents a huge number of voters. Keep in mind that the reports you often see are about the number of people who voted in one county on one day. The big picture gives much bigger numbers: as of Thursday night, 43% of registered voters in the Florida Keys already voted. In 2012, 70% of Nevada votes were cast early. It adds up.
posted by zachlipton at 5:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

Does anyone have a resource (or want to explain here) on how these early votes that show an edge in the thousands has such an impact when a state's electorate is in the millions?

A lot is based on historic trends, although various things can in/deflate those. You're right that it's not over until it's over, but things can auger a certain direction.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I can only speak for my state, Georgia. Here, early and absentee voting normally accounts for about half of the total ballots cast.

The assumption backing much of the discussion about early voting data is that early voters are roughly representative of the general electorate in terms of party affiliation and demographics.
posted by a mirror and an encyclopedia at 5:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Stress eating began with Chinese food (well, Chinese-American fusion, let's be honest). As no food is allowed at the rally tomorrow night I'll...be inhaling a Clif bar before they let me in? Wednesday I shall feast on tears and nachos.

Also, I finally put on my big girls' (well, nonbinaryish) pantsuit and joined the phonebank team! I made 5 calls, one of whom was to a woman with a very nice voice who wasn't a Hillary supporter. I've taken a short break until the panick-y feeling recedes (I hate hate hate making phone calls, and it's late enough that I'm only calling the West Coast), but kristi's convinced me to try for another five.

Also I panic-donated some money, but maybe this will be better in the long run :)
posted by kalimac at 5:08 PM on November 6, 2016 [18 favorites]

On top of that, small numbers matter a lot more than it might appear. Sure, there are millions of votes, but Obama won Florida in 2012 by a touch over 74,000 votes (and Bush lost Florida in 2000 by, let's not go there...). An extra 20,000 "unlikely voters" showing up in early voting, people who wouldn't have been represented in the polls, is huge.
posted by zachlipton at 5:10 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

What would be in a Right Wing Tears cocktail? That is what I will be having.
posted by schadenfrau at 5:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

My anxiety level soars with each comment stating who is going to win. Talk about tempting the wrath from high atop the thing!
posted by kitten magic at 5:14 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

When I see these early voting reports, the numbers honestly don't feel that impressive to me. Not in the scope of how many people vote in total for a given state. Does anyone have a resource (or want to explain here) on how these early votes that show an edge in the thousands has such an impact when a state's electorate is in the millions? I keep feeling like these early voting tallies are at the sort of numbers that could get completely washed out on election day.

My earlier post about FL early voting said that "564k blacks have voted EIP. In '12, total 539k voted EIP." So even before today's black vote is added, it's over what 2012 was which shows that a lot of early worries about black voters not turning out for Clinton was mistaken. And traditionally today, the last Sunday, Souls to the Polls day, is the biggest day so it'll get even better.

As far as what that matters in the overall state election, FL will probably have 8.5 million total votes. So if black EIP voting ends up 600,000 (and hopefully higher), that's 7% of the electorate. Just the uptick in black EIP voting will likely be close to 1% which might be enough to win FL in a close election.
posted by chris24 at 5:15 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

I got such an ANGRY Trump voter in Utah and 2 Jill Stein voters!

But then I got an older man ("great, an older man in Utah, this will go well") and he was so excited. And he said "You tell everyone, Hillary's winning Utah! I promise you!"

One good call can wipe out all the bad.
posted by sallybrown at 5:16 PM on November 6, 2016 [86 favorites]

Right Wing Tears cocktail?

Imperial gin, fresh muddled cranberries stolen from native Americans, sour mix (cuz sour), garnish with anything you can buy with a EBT card.
posted by vrakatar at 5:16 PM on November 6, 2016 [21 favorites]

My anxiety level soars with each comment stating who is going to win.

I get it, and I feel it, though probably to a lesser extent than you do.

No matter what happens Tuesday, the people you're reading and smiling with and worrying with right now will still be here, and there will still be a fight.

The only thing to be decided at this point is what kind of fight, and how long it will be. We'll still be here.
posted by Mooski at 5:17 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

Great staff work: an H made out of beer kegs at a Tim Kaine event.
posted by zachlipton at 5:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

If we were to list our country's greatest shame in some order, say slavery at the top...

1. Slavery
2. Lynchings
3. Native American property theft, abuse and slaughter
4. Poverty
5. Vietnam (and other slaughters abroad)
6. McCarthy
7. Nixon
8. Donald Trump
posted by uraniumwilly at 5:19 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

I've been considering election night fare.

Bitter Tears? White whine, angustura bitters, Southern Discomfort
Blue cheese
Blue natchos
Blue Cheer (probably not, it's been trippy enough)
Red, red whine
Nuts (the signature snack of 2016)
And a Trump Steak, which would make the morning after particularly satisfying.
posted by Devonian at 5:19 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

What would be in a Right Wing Tears cocktail? That is what I will be having.

Scalia's Tears, perhaps?

That seems pretty house-specific, though, so maybe Ruth Bader Gin n' Juice?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

uraniumwilly I'd swap Nixon and Trump. Nixon at least gave us Medicare and the EPA.
posted by SansPoint at 5:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [21 favorites]

My earlier post about FL early voting said that "564k blacks have voted EIP. In '12, total 539k voted EIP." So even before today's black vote is added, it's over what 2012 was which shows that a lot of early worries about black voters not turning out for Clinton was mistaken. And traditionally today, the last Sunday, Souls to the Polls day, is the biggest day so it'll get even better.

chris24: do you have a source for these numbers besides a tweet? I'd like to share the story with some panicking friends of mine who I couldn't convince last night that the jig was up because Trump had lost NV (but what about Florida they said, the turnout is down!!!!).
posted by dis_integration at 5:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Voted today in LA. 5 hours 28 minutes from getting in line to turning in my ballot. There has to be a way to make this easier.
posted by rednikki at 5:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [62 favorites]

I would reverse Nixon and Trump too. Nixon had political and government experience, could speak in coherent sentences, and had actual policy ideas. Donald Trump was the host of the Celebrity Apprentice, and was involved in many notable bankruptcies.
posted by sallybrown at 5:22 PM on November 6, 2016 [17 favorites]

Trump campaign fires back at ADL over ad criticized for anti-Semitic tones

@andybachman: Donald Trump campaigned with anti-Semite Ted Nugent today. Here is a FB post from Ted about guns and Jews who want sane gun laws.

And yet, on tonight of all nights, the Republican Jewish Coalition dropped all pretenses and officially endorsed Trump. We need to remember this when groups like the RJC claim to speak for us. They know the historical parallels of the words and actions of Trump himself, to say nothing of his campaign, his surrogates, and his supporters. To Jewish Americans such as myself, the code words of that ad and his speeches come across loud and clear, and for a powerful Jewish political organization to not just refuse to condemn it but actually rally behind it should be considered unacceptable.
posted by zombieflanders at 5:22 PM on November 6, 2016 [74 favorites]

Remember Pence? Mike Pence Dodges Question About Donald Trump Accepting Defeat
posted by robbyrobs at 5:22 PM on November 6, 2016

I'd swap Nixon and Trump. Nixon at least gave us Medicare and the EPA.

Close call, but yes. Agreed.

1. Slavery
2. Lynchings
3. Native American property theft, abuse and slaughter
4. Poverty
5. Vietnam (and other slaughters abroad)
6. McCarthy
7. Donald Trump
8. Nixon
posted by uraniumwilly at 5:23 PM on November 6, 2016

rednikki: Voted today in LA. 5 hours 28 minutes from getting in line to turning in my ballot.

Louisiana or Los Angeles?
posted by bluecore at 5:23 PM on November 6, 2016

do you have a source for these numbers besides a tweet?

I don't but the tweet is from Dr. Daniel Smith, a political science professor and Florida politics expert who is one of the goto Twitter people for Florida along with Steve Schale. You can check his bio at electionsmith.com. I don't think he's making stuff up. I mean Nate Cohn at NYT, Joy Reid, Greg Sargent at WaPo have been retweeting him.
posted by chris24 at 5:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Voted today in LA. 5 hours 28 minutes from getting in line to turning in my ballot. There has to be a way to make this easier.

There is. Took me fifteen minutes, including the time to and from my car. Lobby your state people for more time/place/polls options.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

So the debacle of a game ended and I'm watching 60 minutes. I'm glad my great aunt is dead, because she'd die watching this garbage. Frank fucking Luntz? What fucking planet are you on where he might approach something like a trustworthy source. This is such low hanging fruit, that I'm unable to frame a response. Fuck you 60 Minutes. You used to be good.
posted by Sphinx at 5:28 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

There has to be a way to make this easier.

There is, in LA! Permanent vote-by-mail, or vote on election day when regular polling places are open.
posted by acidic at 5:28 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

You know, I often find myself wondering what Bartcop would have to say about this election. It would have been entertaining, I'm sure.
posted by TedW at 5:29 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

What would be in an Right Wing Tears cocktail? That is what I will be having.

Malort
posted by asockpuppet at 5:29 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

zombieflanders- There will always be people (in this case, Jews), who will ignore the rising fascism and believe that they are special.

There will always be people who rang the bells of alarm and fought for justice. I know the names of the warriors.

The names of those blinded by self-interest will be forgotten.
posted by Sophie1 at 5:29 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Where is the best place to get early results? I know the MSM embargoes information until polls close.
posted by Marky at 5:29 PM on November 6, 2016

There has to be a way to make this easier.

So many ways. Mail in ballots. More polling locations. Weekend polling. If you are in California, the legislature should be listening. In Louisiana, you've got some work to do -- get Ds in the legislature! -- to get their attention.
posted by bearwife at 5:30 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yep, you can do permanent vote-by-mail in California. I don't because I kind of like the ritual of voting on election day. This is helped by the fact that the lines don't tend to be very long. And also because I can celebrity watch while standing in line.
posted by Justinian at 5:30 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

What would be in an Right Wing Tears cocktail? That is what I will be having.

Malort

"Tastes like sad conservative." This checks out.
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Voted today in LA. 5 hours 28 minutes from getting in line to turning in my ballot. There has to be a way to make this easier.

It's waaaay different in lots of places - Canada, the UK, etc. It doesn't have to be this way for the U.S. As this guy says...

This is what makes GOTV so hard. The idea that this might not be a half an hour out of your day after work or on your lunch hour, but standing in line for a full work day. It is de facto disenfranchisement. A country that spends around $600 billion on defence can surely set up a few more polling stations, right?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [49 favorites]

Where is the best place to get early results? I know the MSM embargoes information until polls close.

Buzzfeed won't embargo, FWIW.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:31 PM on November 6, 2016

At the rate membership is growing tonight (hundreds of new members every minute! I'm refreshing the page and it's fantastic!) PN will hit 1.5million in a couple of hours, tops.

Holy. Shit.
posted by lydhre at 5:33 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

Not to fully derail, but I don't think Trump has done anything yet more shameful to our history than secret bombings of Cambodia, atrocities to support a "madman" persona, the war on drugs, or sabotaging peace talks to get elected. Yet, anyway.
posted by Bookhouse at 5:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

I got such an ANGRY Trump voter

Do they come in any other variety?

I did get a Republican canvassing yesterday (I was actually there to talk to her two teenaged daughters) and she smiled and shook her head and said she's not voting for either of them. I was like, I'll take it lol
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

The idea that this might not be a half an hour out of your day after work or on your lunch hour, but standing in line for a full work day. It is de facto disenfranchisement.

We have Saturday voting here (Australia) and it's also compulsory. There are still plenty of people who have to work on weekends of course, I've voted on my way home from work, or voted early, but we seem to have plenty of polling places and I've never heard of people waiting that long. My previous polling place got very full because it was near to the shops and at the top of the hill - while on the map there was another close to me in reality it was like walking up and down the stairs in a 10 storey building.
posted by kitten magic at 5:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

The genocide of Native people started long before African slavery (in the now-US) and was not just "land theft," but active and passive intentional and eventually military and state-sponsored genocide. Sorry but it ties for #1.
posted by spitbull at 5:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [38 favorites]

On black turnout - looks to be up in FL, GA and LA, but significantly down in NC, if these numbers are right.
Looks like that voter suppression effort worked.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 5:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Okay, enough atrocity-ranking, it can't go anywhere from here but into the derail zone!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 5:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [57 favorites]

176 Shocking Things Donald Trump Has Done This Election
posted by robbyrobs at 5:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

@Olivianuzzi
Kellyanne Conway, being pulled over:

Ma'am, you were going 90
I wasn't going anywhere
What
I'm not in a car
What
This is a hammock
posted by chris24 at 5:41 PM on November 6, 2016 [70 favorites]

I'm thinking of crafting a command line that compares two mbox files using formail and simhash or something (to show how easy it is) but not sure what I'd be accomplishing or who my audience would be.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:41 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Voted today in LA. 5 hours 28 minutes from getting in line to turning in my ballot. There has to be a way to make this easier.

Holy heck. I've never waited more than ten or fifteen minutes in thirty-five years of voting. That's insane.
posted by octothorpe at 5:41 PM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

I usually wait about 3 minutes to vote, and almost always end up seeing Al Sharpton, who I think lives next door. I have mad respect for people who wait in line to vote. We need to fix it.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:44 PM on November 6, 2016 [17 favorites]

So, for some purely anecdotal info from my family in Georgia:

Neither of my conservative white suburban typical red-stater parents voted for Trump. My mom opted to abstain from making a top-of-the-ticket decision, and my dad actually flipped in favor of Hillary.

These are people who have voted GOP in every election for decades!

I'm not sure it means much, but (besides being a huge relief to me that my parents didn't opt for an orange apocalypse) maybe it's indicative of something.
posted by a mirror and an encyclopedia at 5:45 PM on November 6, 2016 [48 favorites]

I can't imagine the media embargoes will be too extensive, everyone is going to want to get those sweet eyeballs.
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood at 5:46 PM on November 6, 2016

Putin, Assange, and Comey are doing Donald Trump’s work for him

The anti-Clinton insurgency at the FBI, explained
posted by homunculus at 5:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

[Okay, enough atrocity-ranking, it can't go anywhere from here but into the derail zone!]

Trump
The Mods

posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [25 favorites]

WHEW

I just made 20 calls in AZ for Hillary (MF team, of course). Mostly no-answers, several wrong numbers. The only dude who picked up already voted for Hillary, and as much as I would like to take credit retroactively, I don't think that would be fair to him.

The tool is so easy to use! Has anyone looked into whether Trump even has a call tool, let alone a usable one?
posted by a fiendish thingy at 5:48 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

Primary voting this year was the only time that voting has taken more than 10 minutes start to finish for me. The level of disenfranchisement that election officials are willing to engage at across the nation is insane.

We have so many issues with our voting system that are relics of a bygone age (like weekday voting) or the result of shenanigans designed to disenfranchise voters.

You'd think that Republicans would realize that trying to reduce the electorate is a dumb strategy long term. Caucasian voters simply aren't going to continue to be the largest voting block forever and trying to forestall that reality is a herculean task especially when the other solution is to just stop being dickbags to most Americans.
posted by vuron at 5:49 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

8. Donald Trump

If we're talking Donald Trump the human being ( yes, I know, that aside ), I would personally put him much lower. If we're talking the environmental conditions and attitudes that gave rise to Donald Trump's candidacy and apparent level of support - then much higher.

He's vile, but he's a symptom, and the disease will take much longer to cure than even the next two or three election seasons.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:50 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

Atrocity ranking? What about prohibition!
posted by vrakatar at 5:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Well, LA has very few early voting places (other than the last 2 weekends, it has a single early voting place in Norwalk for the entire city, and on the last 2 weekends they open like 4 more --- for millions of people). So unless you can't make it on election day due to work or something, early voting will probably take much longer than election day voting.
posted by thefoxgod at 5:52 PM on November 6, 2016

a fiendish thingy: Has anyone looked into whether Trump even has a call tool, let alone a usable one?

I'll take "call tools" for 500, Alex.

Who's Corey Lewandowski?

Hah! I kill me.

Seriously, though, awesome that you got on the horn.

Now for an actual moment of levity...I'm not a pro sports guy, but I gotta say...Chris Rock throws some serious shade:

Hillary and Lebron. They'll beat trump but I don't think they can beat the Raptors .
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:52 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Khizr Khan is introducing James Taylor (who will then introduce Hillary Clinton) at her rally in Manchester, New Hampshire. He just said: "Well thankfully Mr. Trump, this isn’t your America. And on Tuesday, we’re going to prove that America belongs to all of us."
posted by sallybrown at 5:52 PM on November 6, 2016 [46 favorites]

Here in Pittsburgh I've never waited more than 10 minutes. My neighborhood, which isn't particularly large or populous, has two voting stations, right down the block from one another (the elementary school and the fire station).

When we lived in rural Maryland, though, it was another story. We were there for the 2004 election (ugh) and the line to vote was down the hallway and out the front door of the school and it definitely took closer to an hour.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:54 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

In my province employers are required by law to allow employees four consecutive hours off while the polls are open. Last year, our polls closed at 8pm and I normally worked til 4:30, so I was allowed to leave a half hour early to vote.
posted by peppermind at 5:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

When she wins I want the Khans on a postage stamp.
posted by spitbull at 5:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [34 favorites]

> You'd think that Republicans would realize that trying to reduce the electorate is a dumb strategy long term.

I've wondered about this too — but after all, it's hardly the only thing in their agenda that betrays a serious weakness in long-term planning. Not thinking past the next election is practically a hallmark of their party at this point.
posted by a mirror and an encyclopedia at 5:57 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

For those LA County or other California voters who feel weird about permanent vote by mail because you want to be sure it gets counted or you just don't trust it'll get there in time or whatever: you can always return your ballot in person before election day. In LA, you return it to any of these locations, where there'll likely be less of a line than the overburdened early vote locations. You can also return it to a polling place on election day, so you can get some of that sweet sweet voting on the day feeling without spending time in the voting booth.

Also, for the record, for LA County, you can check on the status of your vote by mail ballot here.

Seriously fellow Angelenos: sign up for permanent vote by mail. This way you won't have to worry about an election day crapshoot of "oh no, suddenly I have to be out of town/my kids are sick/stuck at the office," and you have multiple options to get that ballot back where it needs to go. They will also count your ballot if it's postmarked by election day and gets to the Registrar within three days.
posted by yasaman at 5:57 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

8. Donald Trump. If we're talking the environmental conditions and attitudes that gave rise to Donald Trump's candidacy and apparent level of support - then much higher. He's vile, but he's a symptom, and the disease will take much longer to cure than even the next two or three election seasons.

That's an important point but it remains to be seen what develops in terms of the political dialog and whether or not he will be rejected or made as fodder for a movement going forward.
posted by uraniumwilly at 5:58 PM on November 6, 2016

[...] on tonight of all nights, the Republican Jewish Coalition dropped all pretenses and officially endorsed Trump.

<facepalm>

Guys, in just a couple of days the election will be over. If Clinton wins, as is extremely likely, the fact you held out would have made you seem more credible. If Trump wins, nobody would know or care whether you had endorsed him - heck, you're drawing attention to the fact that you waited this long, and it might be held against you. So why do it, why now, why look stupid as well as immoral?
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:58 PM on November 6, 2016 [36 favorites]

I skipped to the end of this thread for an end-of-weekend GOTV update from deep red Pennsylvania.

Overall, a reassuring experience. We knocked on about 120 doors and got barked at by ~500 dogs. List was registered Democrats who were inconsistent voters. Most people weren't home. We saw a total of five Clinton signs, and probably 50 Trump signs. Most of the people we reached were enthusiastic, despite their lack of yard signs (quote: 'I would crawl to the polls if I had to') and happy to see us. A few people told us to go away.

Most memorable moments:
-The 18 year old who asked us to keep our voices down as we talked. Then his dad came over and told us, 'we're not voting for her here. she belongs in jail.' I hope that kid is ok.
-The 80+ year old matriarch who started dancing when we said why we were there, prayed for us, and was getting her whole large family to the polls.
-The woman who told us that the person who we were looking for had gotten evicted 'because that's the type of person who votes for Hillary.'

It was also interesting speaking to my moderate Republican relatives, who hosted us. We didn't pry, but for the most part, they seem to be either voting for Hillary or not voting. But they are PISSED that the Republican party didn't provide a candidate that they can support.
posted by oryelle at 5:58 PM on November 6, 2016 [81 favorites]

Anybody else here in CA really excited that they get to vote for POT & PORN in an honest to god election? With real ballots and everything? POT & PORN 2016.

(Ok, actually I think propositions are absurd. But still.. POT & PORN).
posted by Justinian at 5:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Tommy Craggs: This Election Was About the Issues

The issues. These are conjuring words, deployed to summon an air of adult purpose. In public discourse they tend to be pronounced with an unctuous reverence, in the same way you might say “the children” or “the national debt” or “the Yankees.” Do not be taken in. This election was about the issues. I don’t mean the phony ones that get bruited by the likes of Paul Volcker and Peter Peterson, both of whom could recently be found mewling in the pages of the New York Times about the deficit, a matter so fake and remote from the actual life of the country that the Times might as well have inveighed against chemtrails or published a dispatch from Glocca Morra. I’m talking about issues that involve the fundamental arrangements of American life, issues of race and class and gender and sexual violence. These are the things we’ve argued about in the past year and change, sometimes coarsely, sometimes tediously, but very often illuminatingly. This has been, by all but the most fatuous measures, an issue-rich campaign
...
For Serious People, the manner in which the issues are raised is as important as the issues themselves. Abstractions are preferable, which is why “abortion” is an admissible issue but “grab them by the pussy”—a vivid manifestation of the misogyny that runs beneath the surface of the abortion debate—is part of some queasy-making burlesque.

posted by acidic at 6:00 PM on November 6, 2016 [63 favorites]

Watching Hillary in New Hampshire. She's smiling and at ease.

I can't wait for her to be president.
posted by mochapickle at 6:01 PM on November 6, 2016 [20 favorites]

When she wins I want the Khans on a postage stamp.

Have to have been dead for three years to even be considered. So let's be careful what we wish for...
posted by davros42 at 6:01 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

John Cole: Voter Suppression Will And Must Ultimately Fail:

Yes, “moderate” Republican John Kasich (who I still think would have really made this election hell had he won the nomination) may shave off a couple thousand votes with this blatant voter suppression. But in the long run, it will fail.

A lot of this line is from the Ohio “Souls to Polls,” and while the Republican party’s institutional memory is about 6 hours and only if that’s convenient for them, black churches have a long, long memory. In every line, there are younger voters mixed in with grandparents and great-grandparents who were around before the VRA’s and CRA’s of the sixties. Every congregation is filled with people who were beaten, had dogs sicced on them, shot with firehoses, intimidated, and so forth, and that institutional memory is alive and well. They remember Jim Crow, they remember poll taxes, and this is just one more insult and one more assault on the dignity of the African American community, and they will note it.

And they will remember.

posted by palindromic at 6:02 PM on November 6, 2016 [41 favorites]

The new election model posted on Slate is very, very cool. (Despite all the clickbaity headlines, Slate also does good work sometimes!) It's a Bayesian model, so instead of taking an average of polls and doing some kind of "trend line adjustment" a la Nate Silver, it assumes there is a true voter intent that moves in a random walk, and tries to estimate the parameters of this random walk -- potentially a much more powerful technique. It's open source (unlike 538 or any of the other major prediction sites), and it's written in the Stan programming language, which was developed by Andrew Gelman (who moonlights for Slate -- I don't think this is a coincidence). Awesome stuff if you're a data nerd.
posted by miyabo at 6:03 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Have to have been dead for three years to even be considered. So let's be careful what we wish for...

Perhaps Humayun Khan.
posted by mochapickle at 6:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [41 favorites]

Bravo to Craggs. I have always despised the formulation "the (real) issues" as a deflection. Misogyny and racism and bullying are real issues.

Ranks up there with people who say "frankly" or "to tell the truth," right before they lie to you -- Kellianne Conway and Donald Trump both do this all the time.
posted by spitbull at 6:05 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

OK, I'll settle for a very highbrow reality show where Khizr Khan teaches new immigrants about the constitution.

ETA: Humayun Khan on a stamp works for me and would be a greater honor for his parents.
posted by spitbull at 6:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [41 favorites]

These alt-right guys tossing around terms like "cuck" and "cheese pizza" are, uh, saying a lot more about themselves than about their ostensible targets.

Your kink is not our kink, guys! Please stop making things weird and uncomfortable by assuming we're in there with you.
posted by jackbishop at 6:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [29 favorites]

Does Christie still have to keep getting Trump's McDonalds order if Hillary wins?
posted by drezdn at 6:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

It's open source (unlike 538 or any of the other major prediction sites)

Aren't the PEC and HuffPo models open-source? I thought 538 was actually in the minority that weren't open.
posted by zombieflanders at 6:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Mark Halperin, "journalist," everybody: It's the oldest story in presidential politics: girl gets FBI director; girl loses FBI director; girl gets FBI director back. (twitter)

Not 1/100 of the "journalist" that Tommy Craggs up there is and Halperin the hack would probably turn his nose up at Craggs.
posted by sallybrown at 6:08 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

OK, I'll settle for a very highbrow reality show where Khizr Khan teaches new immigrants about the constitution.

Also people who were born here.
posted by mochapickle at 6:08 PM on November 6, 2016 [36 favorites]

but after all, it's hardly the only thing in their agenda that betrays a serious weakness in long-term planning.

Seriously, that whole Citizens United thing. Allowing unlimited money to flood campaigns. That was supposed to give them an advantage. Instead it gave them unlimited candidates scrambling to fellate sugar daddies. So now they're broke and the Democrats are pulling in the cash.
posted by teirnon at 6:10 PM on November 6, 2016 [15 favorites]

girl

WTAF?
posted by spitbull at 6:10 PM on November 6, 2016 [17 favorites]

Not thinking past the next election is practically a hallmark of their party at this point.

I think it's more basic than that. Parasitically sucking every last bit of value out without regard to the future is a hallmark of their ideology.
posted by ctmf at 6:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

I didn't know this. David Wildstein testified in the Bridgegate trial that Bill Stepien, now Trump's national field director, knew about the plan for the lane closings and the cover story.
posted by zachlipton at 6:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Voting On Tuesday - How Is This Still A Thing? from John Oliver.
posted by Marky at 6:14 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

The Onion: Trump Makes Last Minute Push to Appeal to Whites
posted by palindromic at 6:16 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

I find someone via Twitter to add me to Pantsuit Natiin (which I only found out about this weekend) and come to find I already have 64 friends in the group?!? All dead to me now, lol.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:17 PM on November 6, 2016 [35 favorites]

Voted early today in MN, (CAVEAT) one of the bluest neighborhoods in the bluest county in one of the bluest states under a blue, blue electric blue November sky. We waited in line for a few hours on a beautiful sunny afternoon. It was happy and cheerful, and the volunteers said they've easily surpassed last year's early voting numbers and they were so glad everyone was there. When we were done it was time for democracy cocktails, during which I refreshed this thread and read more early voting stories. At the very same time I got a message from John texting for HRC asking me if I needed help finding my polling place. I replied with a pic of my "I Voted" sticker and thanked him for doing what he was doing. He sent me a smiley face back. Three cheers to everyone on the ground!

And three cheers to you all for being a vortex of sanity in a sea of WTF. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 6:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [23 favorites]

New Donald Trump ad appeals to NFL fans who favor keeping Redskins name

Racists gotta racist.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

(I'm still looking for someone to add me to Pantsuit Nation. I hit up a mefi within the last hour but um I'm impatient. If someone wants to reach out on fb and touch me, that would be great. Same info as in mefi profile.)
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 6:19 PM on November 6, 2016

The Onion: Trump Makes Last Minute Push to Appeal to Whites

So has The Onion officially given up on satire now?
posted by Zalzidrax at 6:19 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

I find someone via Twitter to add me to Pantsuit Natiin (which I only found out about this weekend) and come to find I already have 64 friends in the group?!? All dead to me now, lol.

A friend randomly added me to PN today without me asking and I found out my wife is a member.
posted by chris24 at 6:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [90 favorites]

FYI, we just had a 5.3 earthquake near Cushing, Oklahoma (9:45 pm). That is the new normal here, and my daughter and her boyfriend were startled enough to come into the living room and mention it.
I wonder what the provisions are for "acts of God" during an election?
posted by TrishaU at 6:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Atrocity rankings are leaving out Japanese-American internment, theft of property from Mexicans, everything Mark Millar has ever written for Marvel comics, and oh my god this is a terrible detail.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 6:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

In case anyone wants to download the Sara Bareilles/Leslie Odom Jr. song about Obama, it is free for the rest of the month here. (Along with the other two songs, but they are about Paul Ryan and Reince Preibus, so, ehhh.)
posted by a fiendish thingy at 6:22 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

So why do it, why now, why look stupid as well as immoral?

Well, if the story is ever told in the aftermath, I wouldn't be at all surprised if there wasn't a large Kushner donation to the group to make it so. The whole Kushner family are big donors to Jewish causes and I can see the latest round of anti-semitic postings to be the impetus for them to step up and and show solidarity with Jared. AFAICT, the entire Jewish Republican argument for Trump literally boils down to "He personally can't be anti-semitic because Ivanka and Jared." This is just doubling down on that.
posted by Mchelly at 6:22 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Fracks of God?
posted by Yowser at 6:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

The Onion: Trump Makes Last Minute Push to Appeal to Whites

This is where [real] and [fake] tags fail.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [13 favorites]

FYI, we just had a 5.3 earthquake near Cushing, Oklahoma (9:45 pm). That is the new normal here, and my daughter and her boyfriend were startled enough to come into the living room and mention it.
I wonder what the provisions are for "acts of God" during an election?

God has a lot less to do with it than fracking does. Another reason to vote.
posted by mudpuppie at 6:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

I just opened a call with, "Hi Maggie [my name]...this is [PERSON WHO I AM CALLING]" - then started laughing my ass off. Fortunately, the caller was understanding.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 6:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [17 favorites]

Fluffy, Check your FB PM
posted by thebrokedown at 6:25 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Just got back from a day of GOTV for Hillary in a town in PA. Working class neighborhood, mixed between blacks and whites - many of the few houses were quite run down.

It was overall a good experience, wonderful talking with voters who were excited to vote for Hillary and hearing their stories. A few notable observations:

* Our list was to target homes with registered democrats. The people who came out to say they weren't voting for Hillary were all white. I knew the conversation wasn't going to go well when a white guy came to the door dressed in full camo-print lounge wear.

* One old white man on a bike riding (very slowly) past me saw my sign and told me to go to hell. I smiled and wished him well.

* Another young white man told me to get out of the neighborhood with the signs, but I told him he was my brother regardless of what happened on Tuesday and asked if I could give him a hug. He laughed and said no and drove off, but I saw him soften a bit.

* While a number of people we visited took signs, there were a significant amount who said they wanted to keep it on the downlow and didn't want to display a sign because ::gesture towards neighbor's house with trump sign:: they were afraid that their neighbors would harass them or hurt them. This was probably the most depressing part of the canvassing, but also made me refocus on what we're working against.

Overall, like in 2012 when the races were tightening it felt really good to just drop the nonstop election news and despair and get out and do something about the situation. There are two days left for folks to join, and they need people like you to help. Tuesday is the most crucial as that's going to check on the voters to make sure they've actually voted. There are scripts and material, so you don't have to do anything on the fly, and you're working with lists of likely Hillary voters, so it's not like cold-calling anyone. Really encourage anyone in this thread who is glued to the news cycle and terrified of Trump presidency to contact your local field office and volunteer to take a shift.

It's really amazing how much better my mood is after doing a day of this, especially when you see how the field offices are well organized and consist of diverse groups of people sharing the same goal.
posted by Karaage at 6:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [63 favorites]

People up in New Hampshire will know better than me if this will help solidify NH, but former senator Gordon Humphrey endorsed Clinton this afternoon.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton picked up the vote of one of New Hampshire’s more outspoken arch-conservatives on Sunday.

Former New Hampshire US senator Gordon Humphrey said he would vote for Clinton largely because of his feelings about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

“On Tuesday, millions of lifelong Republicans will vote against Donald Trump. I’m one of them,” Humphrey said in a Clinton campaign video released Sunday afternoon. “For the sake of our families’ safety, let’s stand together against Donald Trump by voting for Hillary Clinton. It’s the responsible thing to do.”

posted by chris24 at 6:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [17 favorites]

Yeah you folks involved in the ground game, hit it hard, hit it like a SWAT team, I live in a blue state and I'll vote but you folk deserve the medals. Precinct by precinct, ward by ward, hurry up hurry up vote for Skeffington!
posted by vrakatar at 6:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Unfortunately, they'll end up veering straight into that stone wall called the House of Representatives.

You know what you do with a stone wall? You either climb over it, go under it, or get out your pickaxes. I know we will have a hard time in '18 but I am fired up and I'm going to do what I can to change this crappy situation in our government. We may not get through that wall with one blow but we can keep chipping at it.
posted by emjaybee at 6:39 PM on November 6, 2016 [23 favorites]

Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Always sounded like something you do after you ate too many Votes. Or like, were bitten by a feral creature and had some kind of parasite called "Vote" in the local language, so you had to go to the hospital to Get It Out..

Anyhow. Cynical part of me sees Trump as entirely reasonable representative of your country. Hopeful part of me prays that Cynical part of me is wrong, for once in his goddamn life.
posted by some loser at 6:39 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

uhhh

Ted Nugent on stage at Trump rally grabbed his crotch and yelled “I got your blue state right here. [Black and blue.]”

--@American_Bridge

There's video in the link.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to rant about how it's wrong for Clinton to campaign with celebrities and attack Beyoncé and Jay Z.
posted by zachlipton at 6:42 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Kick his ass Hillary!

KICK. HIS. ASS.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:42 PM on November 6, 2016 [45 favorites]

Malcolm Gladwell is going to be on CBC's The National tonight (or was if you're in Newfoundland), talking about the election. In a brief radio news preview, no surprise if you listened to his revisionist history podcast -- the main strike against Hillary is that she's a woman. He also said Trump's likely to end up in jail within a year, which fits in with everything else that he's said about other people these past 15 months -- that they're actually about himself. And if not in jail, he's going to spend a lot of time huddled with his lawyers.
posted by morspin at 6:43 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Yeah you folks involved in the ground game, hit it hard, hit it like a SWAT team, I live in a blue state and I'll vote but you folk deserve the medals.

Earn your medal! Join our call team, or volunteer at a local one near you. We're calling Texas and Kentucky now!
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:44 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Regarding 538 model, Nate has provided a seemingly pretty fair evaluative framework for it.

@NateSilver538
Loosely speaking:
538 more right if HRC gets gets <=285 EV or >=375 EV
Others more right if she gets 300 EV to 350
in-between areas sort of a tie

@NateSilver538
One reason model evaluation is tricky: 538 gives Trump the best chance of winning, period, but also Clinton the best chance of winning AZ.
posted by chris24 at 6:44 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

And if not in jail, he's going to spend a lot of time huddled with his lawyers.
Will he neglect to pay them afterwards?
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 6:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

uhhh
Ted Nugent on stage at Trump rally grabbed his crotch and yelled “I got your blue state right here. [Black and blue.]”
--@American_Bridge

There's video in the link.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to rant about how it's wrong for Clinton to campaign with celebrities and attack Beyoncé and Jay Z.

This really shouldn't make me laugh but talk about absolute stupidity and utterly, utterly tone deaf.
It's beyond me to even be outraged. I just laughed.
posted by Jalliah at 6:48 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

And a followup to my previous post, could whoever's maintaining the playlist add this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doM5UosdtaM
posted by morspin at 6:49 PM on November 6, 2016

Will he neglect to pay them afterwards?
Don't be silly, Trump only intentionally fails to pay vulnerable people most unlikely to have the resources or knowledge to get their money back.
posted by Karaage at 6:49 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

So Kitteh and I are actually going to be in Savannah, GA for election night, and she is all in for staying in and keeping her head down, whereas I am kind of looking for a "yes, I got shot but it only grazed my shoulder" kind of thing. Any bar recommendations?
posted by Shepherd at 6:50 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

best chance of winning, period

Compared to the other models, I realized after spitting my Bushmill's.
posted by spitbull at 6:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

> Will he neglect to pay them afterwards?

Depends, will they take a check from a non-profit?
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 6:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

I voted. Straight democrats. If we ever have another major party that's interested in governing, I'd be willing to listen to their ideas and consider voting for them. If we ever fix our voting system, I'd even consider minor party candidates.

Of the many WTFs in this election, my personal WTF is this: what the hell is wrong with the Christians in this country? My heritage is white, rural, conservative Christians who were giving up their livelihoods to oppose slavery in the 1680s, a hundred years before there was an America to have a civil war in. There is nothing in the modern "religious right" that I remotely recognize as Christian.

The church that I grew up with considered the separation of church and state to be a core part of their belief system. Not because of the danger of religious beliefs affecting the state, but rather the reverse -- because of the danger that political concerns would corrupt the church. Now witness modern America, where the religious right worships the Republican party and hurries to follow the almost comically evil men that the party raises up.

I'm a long way from the kid who grew up going to church every Sunday, but this still makes me both deeply sad and deeply angry.
posted by madmethods at 6:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [139 favorites]

How many people of voting age actually listen to Ted Nugent? How many listen to Beyonce? Because this goes beyond the Millennial thing. Nugent is nearly 70 years old. I've seen people regurgitating the "Clinton's supporters like music that's trash" stuff, but this is getting beyond even dog-whistle territory into delusional no-that's-just-a-regular-whistle territory. The bands that predate this general shift are getting downright elderly. This is no longer something you can pass of as being something about "urban culture" or "kids these days" with even the thinnest veil of credibility.
posted by Sequence at 6:52 PM on November 6, 2016 [17 favorites]

This is pretty sweet (via Lawyers Guns and Money):

Right-to-work lobby freaking out that Clinton court appointees will make right-to-work laws unconstitutional.

I'll believe it when I see it, but it's a nice thing to ponder.
posted by emjaybee at 6:52 PM on November 6, 2016 [46 favorites]

Right-to-work lobby freaking out that Clinton court appointees will make right-to-work laws unconstitutional.

That would be sweet.
posted by drezdn at 6:53 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Well, Clinton brings out celebrities, Trump brings out has-beens. I see the difference.
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:54 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

So why is [Melania's visa violation] only getting reported on now?

The campaign was saving the best for last.
posted by Coventry at 6:54 PM on November 6, 2016

emjaybee: ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease
posted by SansPoint at 6:55 PM on November 6, 2016

Missouri’s race for governor this year is among the most watched in the country, drawing massive money and rapt attention from national business and labor interests.
The reason for the attention isn’t a mystery: If Republican nominee Eric Greitens is elected on Nov. 8, Missouri will almost certainly, almost immediately become America’s 27th “right-to-work” state. If he isn’t, it probably won’t.
posted by robbyrobs at 6:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

There's a bunch of anti-union laws that don't make sense, especially in light of Citizens United. Like Act 10 in Wisconsin, a union for public workers can only negotiate salary. Negotiating is straight up speech, under the first amendment, how can the government limit it here. *steps off soapbox*
posted by drezdn at 6:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [14 favorites]

I can never resist the chance to point out (as a passionate and formerly professional guitarist who grew up playing what is now called "classic rock" -- yeah, I'm old) that Ted Nugent actually sucks as a guitarist, was massively overrated in his prime, and is not regarded as a serious player by most of his more talented peers. He is a chopless wonder.
posted by spitbull at 6:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [30 favorites]

There is a big part of me that would like to make Opposite Day legislation names unconstitutional, like "right to work" or "Patriot" act, although I realize that that itself would be unconstitutional. But I'm SO SICK of things being called their opposite.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:57 PM on November 6, 2016 [51 favorites]

More on Florida - from the Miami Herald:

Through Saturday, 565,000 Hispanics had completed early in-person voting in Florida, a 100 percent increase over 2012, according to an analysis by Dan Smith, a University of Florida political science professor who tracks voting data. Including absentee ballots, 911,000 Hispanics have voted — more than a third of whom did not vote in 2012.

Steve Schale then explains on Twitter: And well over 50% of all FL Hispanic early voters have either no voting history, or just 1 of last 3 elex. Among NPA, it's 2/3rds.

This Washington Post article has some of the info we're seeing on Twitter for those who prefer articles:

The Hispanic share of overall early voters is sharply higher this year, reaching about 15 percent from about 10 percent at this stage four years ago, according to an analysis by University of Florida political scientist Daniel A. Smith. Another examination of the numbers, by Democratic strategist Steve Schale, found that more than half of the Hispanics who have voted so far have either never voted before or voted only once previously.

And THIS know-how and care for details is exactly what I love so much about Hillary and her people, also from the Post:

Lorella Praeli, the Clinton campaign’s director of Hispanic outreach, said the campaign sought to recruit ambassadors inside communities — the owner of the local bodega or Spanish grocery and the matriarchs and abuelas who might have an affinity for electing the first female president.

“We look forward to welcoming some of the most influential Latinas in the country as we build our path to la victoria para Hillary,” read one advertisement. “Latinos will shape the future of our país.”

When Praeli produced the ad, she said some asked why they would publish something in the informal Spanglish.

“This is a part of our culture,” Praeli said. “It shows that we understand how families speak with one another.”

One of the most persuasive strategies for Clinton allies has been to send undocumented workers to knock on the doors of potential Hispanic voters to explain the stakes of the election.

On Friday, Maria Bilbao and her son, Tomas Kennedy, jumped into their old Mercedes with broken air conditioning to explain what a Trump presidency might mean for their family. She was one of the five undocumented Marias canvassing around Little Havana.

“To be honest, I’m not voting,” said one woman, Maria Figueroa, 56, upon opening her door to see Bilbao and Kennedy. “They are both liars.”

Kennedy explained that he agreed the candidates were not the best, but one candidate was better than the other.

“This is my mother, and she is undocumented,” Kennedy told her. Their family moved from Argentina in 2001, when its economy was collapsing. They were told the wait list to move legally lasted 17 years. Kennedy received a reprieve through the Obama administration’s decision to shield from deportation many people who came to the country as young children. His mother is still at risk.

“If Trump is elected, we don’t know what he will do,” Kennedy continued. “He’s going to pull our family apart.”

“He is crazy,” Bilbao added, circling one finger around her ear.

Figueroa finally agreed she would vote. She wrote down the address for her polling place

In 2012, Obama won Florida by 74,309 votes.

I hope to god that Clinton will remember what this community did for her and the rest of us, especially those undocumented workers knocking on doors.
posted by sallybrown at 6:57 PM on November 6, 2016 [132 favorites]

@Acosta 9m9 minutes ago Moon, PA
One of Trump's warm up speakers in PA was just going off on Springstein. Now the audio techs are playing "Glory Days" and crowd is booing.

I believe that's an act of treason, at least in New Jersey.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:58 PM on November 6, 2016 [29 favorites]

RobotVoodooPower It's also a nice little protest on the part of the audio techs.
posted by SansPoint at 7:00 PM on November 6, 2016 [28 favorites]

I am now officially ready to stop listening to this person

This person may have been a bit sarcastic.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:00 PM on November 6, 2016

The National (the CBC news show, not the band) is streaming here and should also have tonight's show available shortly. It may or may not be geoblocked: let us know.

(They're running the live show again now.)

BTW, can a Canuck get an invite to pantsuit nation? Just to take a look and offer best wishes?
posted by maudlin at 7:02 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

26 hours until election day, I think I have run out of sarcastic.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:02 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

This person may have been a bit sarcastic.

I don't think so -- if you read his comments he's committed to the bit. Eichenwald has been a little nutty lately.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:03 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have 100,000 emails downloaded from the clooouuuud on my laptop. They take up 50 gigs tops.
posted by Yowser at 7:04 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

There is a big part of me that would like to make Opposite Day legislation names unconstitutional, like "right to work" or "Patriot" act, although I realize that that itself would be unconstitutional. But I'm SO SICK of things being called their opposite.

"Scully, marry me"
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 7:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

It's also a nice little protest on the part of the audio techs.

I can only hope the choice of "Glory Days" was intentional.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

I am now officially ready to stop listening to this person

Yeah, Eichenwald is sort of a crank who oversells some of his stories and spends way too much time arguing with random people on Twitter (and I just decided to spend my time adding to the chorus of "you're wrong" voices just because), but he seems to have good government sources on national security stuff and occasionally produces good stories out of that. He also got the documents published on Trump's corporate involvement in Cuba.

Of course, now he's claiming that Mark Cuban was at least one of his sources for "that many emails can't fit on a laptop," so ugh. Eichenwald is momentarily useful to me, but I will be glad when I can stop paying attention to him after the election.

This process has given me a vague sense as to why sort of a "big name" investigative reporter is still working at Newsweek.
posted by zachlipton at 7:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

BTW, can a Canuck get an invite to pantsuit nation?

Well, trousersuit nation anyway.
posted by bonehead at 7:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

BTW, can a Canuck get an invite to pantsuit nation? Just to take a look and offer best wishes?

Check your memail
posted by Jalliah at 7:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Hell even I have 650,000 emails from Hillary Clinton!
posted by spitbull at 7:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [151 favorites]

Eichenwald claims he knows the specs of the computer in question which makes me think he's looking at the RAM number.
posted by acidic at 7:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Dang it, Jalliah : )

I'll be happy to add people to PN, just MeMail me.
posted by thebrokedown at 7:14 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

My ex got a great spot in the crowd for the Hillary/Mr Khan/James Taylor event in NH. He sent me tons of great pictures during the event. I think he was trying to rub it in...

I donated to Hassan yesterday. Here's hoping she manages a last-second win!
posted by TwoStride at 7:14 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

Holly Bailey ‏@hollybdc 22s22 seconds ago
Two hours late and crowd is getting cranky to see Trump. Booing the dj for playing Alan Parsons Project on repeat
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:16 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Holy crap, that was fast. I'm in PN and it's HYOOGE.
posted by maudlin at 7:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

When I asked for drink suggestions to cope on election night my friend said "bottom shelf liquor by the fifth" and that's probably the most thematically appropriate but I ended up deciding on frozen margaritas
posted by Gymnopedist at 7:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Booing the dj for playing Alan Parsons Project on repeat

heh! What happened to Tiny Dancer?

Guys...are we ever going to hear Donald tell The Snake again?
posted by sallybrown at 7:19 PM on November 6, 2016

It's quite disturbing that a GENERAL has no conception of parallelizing a task across multiple workers. Does he fight his battles himself??

No, what is most disturbing is that this idiot general was the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and he has no concept of using software for sifting through intelligence information. This wasn't some distant past. He left office just two years ago.

(Twice appointed by Obama. What is it with Democrats always appointing Republicans to defense and police positions?)
posted by JackFlash at 7:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [22 favorites]

I finally watched the pinned "story of this campaign" video pinned to the top of Hillary's Twitter account. It didn't strike me when I was voting, but it really hit home as I was watching her just how big of a deal it was.

Got really dusty in here, is all I'm saying.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 7:22 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Yowser: "I have 100,000 emails downloaded from the clooouuuud on my laptop. They take up 50 gigs tops."

I just checked. My main personal gmail account has 49,500 email taking up 2.5GB. Extrapolate it up and 650K mails would fit on a mid size SD card.
posted by Mitheral at 7:23 PM on November 6, 2016

Dick Durban AND Tom Vilsack showed up at the field office I was canvassing from today!! THATS RIGHT THE CORN MAN HIMSELF, JEALOUS MUCH
posted by theodolite at 7:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

I don't but the tweet is from Dr. Daniel Smith, a political science professor and Florida politics expert who is one of the goto Twitter people for Florida along with Steve Schale. You can check his bio at electionsmith.com. I don't think he's making stuff up.

I know Dan; we run in the same state-politics circles. A wise person would take Dan's statements about this as gospel.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

The Story of Her. I'm crying, but happy tears.
posted by smangosbubbles at 7:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [21 favorites]

Y'all, this animated gif has kept me from blowing a gasket all evening. Seriously.
posted by duffell at 7:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

Josh Marshall Is Trump an Anti-Semite?

But it doesn't really matter. As a Jew and an American and a human, I don't really care terribly what Trump thinks of Jews. It isn't really relevant to my life or my family's welfare or my country. The fact that he's running a campaign that is propagating and mobilizing anti-Semitism, running blatantly anti-Semitic political ads in the hottest, final days of a national election is hugely important on all three of those fronts. The same applies to how he has mobilized and partly normalized anti-Semites, propagated their ideas, made them more defining in one of the country's two political parties. And to be clear, this applies just as much to his racism and denigration of Latinos, blacks, Muslims and various other groups. I'm just focusing in this post on this one breed of Trump propagated hate.

So is Trump himself an anti-Semite? I have no idea. It doesn't matter. He's running an anti-Semitic campaign. That's all that matters.

I largely agree, and the Jerusalem Post had a related article back in September that's worth reading as well. Trump himself, based on his public statements, seems to periodically express some philosemetic beliefs that are based on stereotypes. Those are largely the same stereotypes that the people he pals around with, and his worst supporters, turn into hate. I don't know whether he knows or cares; it's not about what he believes deep down, but what he and the people who represent him do.
posted by zachlipton at 7:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [22 favorites]

It occurs to me that I have been watching scenes from Dr. Strangelove over and over again for comfort.

I also learned today that I suck really bad at phone banking. I just couldn't keep it up for very long. We were calling probably-Hillary voters in Ohio and they all sounded so tired of this. The office was so full of people that they had a hard time figuring out where to put everyone, though, so at least that's encouraging. Sorry Hillary. I should have done better. I did make a contribution so I hope that helps make up for my lack of fortitude. And at least now I know I'll need a couple of beers first if I ever do that again. Props to the phone bankers. That's real, tough work (at least for someone as socially anxious as me).
posted by treepour at 7:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [19 favorites]

You guys forgot to take into account that fully half of these emails are of Anthony's Weiner and image files are much larger than text emails.
posted by Justinian at 7:25 PM on November 6, 2016 [26 favorites]

In fairness, there's reason to believe Anthony Weiner's emails may contain some large attachments.

*takes shower*
posted by zachlipton at 7:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [20 favorites]

Two hours late and crowd is getting cranky to see Trump. Booing the dj for playing Alan Parsons Project
Is there a stream of this? I'd love to watch Donnie gasp for air a bit.
posted by vrakatar at 7:28 PM on November 6, 2016

Jill Colvin ‏@colvinj 52s52 seconds ago
Trump, predicting victory on Tuesday, says “it will be called Brexit plus, plus, plus.”
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:28 PM on November 6, 2016

chris24: do you have a source for these numbers besides a tweet?

dis_integration, Clinton just retweeted this from another person who confirms the same numbers.

@AdamSmith_usa
Hillary passed Obama in total black voters who participated in Early Voting in Florida.
2012: 539,000
2016: 564,000 (not counting today)
posted by chris24 at 7:28 PM on November 6, 2016 [17 favorites]

Is it too late to ask for an invite to Pantsnation? Pretty please with a zipper in front?
posted by ramix at 7:30 PM on November 6, 2016

Thank you for that Khizr Khan quote, sallybrown. I live across the street from a polling station, in a neighborhood with a sizable Muslim population and have just decided to make a sign out of it.

Anyways the irony of the email search is that discovery and litigation technology is exactly Khizr Khan's professional specialty!

It ain't Bannon's pants-on-fire but still...
posted by mahorn at 7:32 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

I'm overloaded and freaked out. At this point, I'm deleting ten emails every few hours begging me to donate money to the Clinton campaign or to my Senate candidate's campaign because I donated as much money as I could afford once Clinton was the nominee. I don't answer my phone because it's all robocalls. And my husband is now at the stage where he can't even watch TV because he's afraid he'll see stuff about the election.
posted by Peach at 7:33 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

Yeah I'm so grateful for those people who stand in long lines to vote. Even in Texas, which is hardly a bastion of voter access, I've never waited longer than maybe 20 minutes (and that's both urban and rural locations.) The longest line I ever stood in was an off-off-year election when the anti-gay marriage amendment for the state was on the ballot. Because it was a local-only election they combined many polling places together and then there was a long line. So I stood in line with a bunch of elderly church-goers so that they could vote to ban gay marriage and I could vote against the ban.

That's actually one reason I've always voted on election day, because the lines are usually shorter than early voting. But 2010 I was unable to walk and missed my first election since I was 18. And this year I wanted to make SURE I got to vote so I went mid-week to vote early and there was only one other person there. I missed seeing my local poll workers, though. I got to know some of the local democratic volunteers when I was a county delegate for Obama.
posted by threeturtles at 7:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

Pennsylvania doesn't have early voting. I'll be there the moment the polls open, or before, and in my neighborhood there's gonna be such a line.
posted by Peach at 7:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

Peach, I'm starting to think election burnout is part of the Republican plan for 2018.
posted by mollweide at 7:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

Ha, in response to General Flynn's and Bernie Kerik's idiotic tweets about not being able to go through that many emails in 8 days, this happened:

@jeffjarvis
Hey @Snowden, for context, how long would it take the NSA to dedupe 650k emails?

@Snowden
@jeffjarvis Drop non-responsive To:/CC:/BCC:, hash both sets, then subtract those that match. Old laptops could do it in minutes-to-hours.
posted by chris24 at 7:39 PM on November 6, 2016 [56 favorites]

Yeah, Eichenwald is sort of a crank who oversells some of his stories and spends way too much time arguing with random people on Twitter (and I just decided to spend my time adding to the chorus of "you're wrong" voices just because), but he seems to have good government sources on national security stuff and occasionally produces good stories out of that. He also got the documents published on Trump's corporate involvement in Cuba.

My first encounter with Eichenwald was during the first round of DNC hacking stuff. I think he was one of the guys who jumped on the "Russia did it" theory really early on. Which, you know, is not and unreasonable theory, and there are credible reasons to think that the hackers were indeed from Russia if not necessarily working for the Kremlin.

But, on everything else since then? Crank is about right. Not full-on InfoWars, but he does seem a bit too credulous.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:42 PM on November 6, 2016

I'm sure most (all?) people commenting have or will vote or do their best. I encourage you if you're on the fence to do so. I am so sad that I won't be able to vote in this election*, but I WILL be crying when we (dear-god-I-hope) elect the first female president.

But wow this election has burned me. I've had friends made statements that made my jaw drop. People that I couldn't even believe felt that way. Young people. People I've known for a decade. Excusing things that Trump said. One of them just got married and I felt so bad for his new wife. Does he really think so little of women that he can excuse such horrible language and actions?

And then there's people who call themselves Ivanka voters? I don't understand. She's not running for anything? Is it just because she dresses nice? Sigh.

I'll be sitting on the edge of my seat because it just feels like anything could happen during this election. Like there's no rules. I'm terrified he will not concede and it will be drawn out for days.

And for a bit of humor, I'm not saying Trump can't read. I'm just saying people have said Trump Can't Read.

*Chronic illness has prevented me from having the time for updating my licence to my new state and I have lived here too long for an absentee in my old state. I hope to vote again in the next election. We also live in Utah... so...I'm outnumbered.
posted by Crystalinne at 7:42 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

I'm planning to go to the rally tomorrow that soren_lorensen mentioned. It'll be outdoors on a college campus -- I'm guessing that it could draw as many as 5,000 to 10,000 people.

I'll have to duck out of a conference being held a block away to do it -- how far ahead of time should i leave the meeting to go to the rally (doors open 9 AM, event is at noon), if my goal is just to attend but not to try to be near the front? I was thinking maybe an hour ahead? How fast does security at these events go?
posted by janewman at 7:44 PM on November 6, 2016

Ivanka voters

I haven't encountered this term until right now and I already hate it so much
posted by theodolite at 7:46 PM on November 6, 2016 [23 favorites]

I am 100% in favor of disconnecting for the sake of your mental health if you need to. It's only 48 hours. Seriously: just flag the Hillary emails as spam. Don't watch TV tomorrow night. Go to a movie or rent something from iTunes. (I was going to recommend Netflix, but do they have election ads?) Maybe play a board game. At this point, there is literally nothing to be gained by obsessively worrying about the election. As long as you have either voted or made a specific plan to vote on Tuesday, I think you should feel free to tune out until approximately 9PM Eastern on Tuesday night.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

I am 100% in favor of disconnecting for the sake of your mental health if you need to.

I was just looking into signing up for SlingTV so I could watch CNN all day tomorrow and tuesday and then switch over to Fox after Clinton wins to see the meltdown. YMMV.

All I know is, I've got a project I'm supposed to have ready to demo for one of our clients this week and I have no idea why anyone thinks anything is getting done until Wednesday.
posted by dis_integration at 7:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I had an amazing time this past weekend renting a mountain lodge in central VA with some friends, doing a brewery and winery tour, and just having a fantastic time. We talked about the election of course, but it was nice to spend time mostly away from constant news updates. On the way back, we all stopped at a Cracker Barrel because it seemed like a good way to clear up hangovers. We were waiting for our party to be called, and a man loudly said the following,

"trump is a millionaire, so you know he doesn't have an ulterior motive to being president. These people [heavy emphasis on that] don't understand what is to be American, like when I was running around the countryside barefoot in the 70s, jumping fences."

So there you go, he's voting trump so that he can be a teenager again.
posted by codacorolla at 7:51 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

I keep feeling like these early voting tallies are at the sort of numbers that could get completely washed out on election day.

Just to close the loop on this question, we have some new data:

Put Dade in another perspective. Early vote is over 750k, or almost within 100k total votes of the entire 2012 Dade turnout

--@steveschale

That's Miami-Dade county. Either nobody shows up to vote on election day or turnout is going to be massive, but it just goes to show how many people vote early.
posted by zachlipton at 7:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

Ivanka Voter sounds like a cool thing millennials do like Slow Food and Witch House
posted by theodolite at 7:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Trump Says Minnesota Has “Suffered Enough” For Taking In Somali Refugees

At the same time Cheeto Mussolini was in my beautiful state vilifying the people who were on either side of me in line to vote, they were helping translate, handing out bottles of water, making sure every grandparent had a chair to sit on, and laughing while we took turns shading the sun from each others eyes. I cannot fathom the amount of insanity and fear required to view this beautiful afternoon as anything other than democracy at its finest. Fuck that bleached tangerine shit-gibbon and everything he stands for.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 7:55 PM on November 6, 2016 [93 favorites]

Seriously: just flag the Hillary emails as spam.

After I donated to Hilary, I got (after the receipt and whatnot) one follow up email. I clicked the unsubscribe link and haven't heard a peep since. Turns out that, unlike every organization I've exchanged money with since using a credit card online was still risqué, they've been the only people to respect my opt out.

That's a minor thing, but it's some kind of integrity.
posted by stet at 7:57 PM on November 6, 2016 [30 favorites]

a cool thing millennials do like Slow Food

Huh, well that started in '86 and is majority 40+ but sure. Happy to have Milennials.
posted by Miko at 7:58 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Oh my glob, guys. My non-political wife just added me to PN. I've ranted about politics to her for more than two decades now, and she's been tolerant but not particularly interested. This is the first time she's ever followed an election closely. I mentioned PN to her tonight and she's like, "I've been a member for over a week" and sent me an invite. Now, she would have never voted Republican in any event, but the fact that's she's involved to the extent that she is makes me very hopeful.
posted by mollweide at 7:58 PM on November 6, 2016 [29 favorites]

^ Yup. That Buzzfeed link is what I read (or tried to get through) with my jaw on the floor.
posted by Crystalinne at 7:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

1988 is calling on line 7.
posted by vrakatar at 8:02 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Can someone help me understand why Florida is considered likely to go red/Republican/Trump?

If I'm not mistaken, Florida went blue in 2008 and 2012, so I'm not quite understanding why people (pundits, polls) would think it would go red this year.

Is it strictly polling results, or something else too?
posted by kristi at 8:03 PM on November 6, 2016

If it's not too late, I'd also be interested in joining PN. My FB name is on my profile, as gender.
posted by duende at 8:04 PM on November 6, 2016

Can somebody invite me to Pantsuit Nation?
posted by Andrhia at 8:04 PM on November 6, 2016

Haw PN stopped being remotely gender sorted?
posted by phearlez at 8:05 PM on November 6, 2016

Is it strictly polling results, or something else too?

It was very close in 2012 (under 1% IIRC) and there's a ton of low-education white dudes there.
posted by Justinian at 8:06 PM on November 6, 2016

I don't think it's considered likely to go Trump. More like - Trump needs to win Florida to win, pretty much, so people have been looking at from the perspective of "is it possible for Trump to win Florida" and before early voting started the answer was "yeah, it could happen." Now it's looking more and more like "nope!"
posted by sallybrown at 8:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

Can someone help me understand why Florida is considered likely to go red/Republican/Trump?

I think only Nate Silver has it squarely in the Likely Trump column. but if you look at RCP's polls: you can see that it's a close race according to the polls. Really we have no idea who is going to win it.
posted by dis_integration at 8:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

I too would love a Pantsuit Nation invite, although I'm a little nervous to find out how many of my friends are cooler than I am. I didn't tell any of them about Metafilter so I guess we're even.
posted by sunset in snow country at 8:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Haw PN stopped being remotely gender sorted?

I don't think it ever was. My only criterion for inviting is "not likely to troll this group."
posted by Miko at 8:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Anyone who wants an invite pm me.

And yes there is all genders on it.
posted by Jalliah at 8:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Can someone help me understand why Florida is considered likely to go red/Republican/Trump?

It's not. If you look at the NYT election page that shows all the various forecasts, aggregators and averages (about halfway down the page), 6 have it leaning D, 2 have it as a tossup, 538 has it barely R.
posted by chris24 at 8:07 PM on November 6, 2016

Haw PN stopped being remotely gender sorted?

Everyone is welcome as long as they follow the rules. It began as almost all women because the point was to wear a pantsuit on Election Day. But there are plenty of bad hombres in there.
posted by sallybrown at 8:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

PN went from 1 million to 1.5 million members just today.
posted by Miko at 8:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [15 favorites]

The horrible Trump candidacy is having one good result. The mere possibility of him getting elected is so nightmarish that it is bringing out thousands and thousands of first-time voters who never before thought it was worthwhile voting. When they feel their power by electing Hillary (spin three times, spit), they will vote again and again and again. Long live the new USA!
posted by mono blanco at 8:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [23 favorites]

Slate: This Election Was About the Issues: "Not the familiar stuff of Washington gridlock, but the most important issues of our time: misogyny, racism, and xenophobia."

The issues. These are conjuring words, deployed to summon an air of adult purpose. In public discourse they tend to be pronounced with an unctuous reverence, in the same way you might say “the children” or “the national debt” or “the Yankees.” Do not be taken in. This election was about the issues. I don’t mean the phony ones that get bruited by the likes of Paul Volcker and Peter Peterson, both of whom could recently be found mewling in the pages of the New York Times about the deficit, a matter so fake and remote from the actual life of the country that the Times might as well have inveighed against chemtrails or published a dispatch from Glocca Morra. I’m talking about issues that involve the fundamental arrangements of American life, issues of race and class and gender and sexual violence. These are the things we’ve argued about in the past year and change, sometimes coarsely, sometimes tediously, but very often illuminatingly. This has been, by all but the most fatuous measures, an issue-rich campaign.

Pick any matter of consequence, and chances are it was aired at length during the presidential campaign. (Well, almost any. Climate change got stiffed after the primaries.) Just a month ago, we had the vice presidential candidates debate urban policing, stop-and-frisk, and the concept of implicit racial bias, though perhaps debate is too strong a word. In truth it wasn’t so much a debate as it was one guy acknowledging the existence of implicit bias and the other guy looking around the room for a hole to dive into. “But, senator, please,” Mike Pence said to his Democratic counterpart, Tim Kaine, “enough of this seeking every opportunity to demean law enforcement broadly by making the accusation of implicit bias every time tragedy occurs.” Pence’s answer might’ve been the thinnest possible slice of the very whitest bread, but it occasioned a conversation over the following days about submerged and structural biases and how they shape inequality.
...
The one favor Trump did us was to be monstrous about the things in America that matter the most, to force a confrontation with all the stuff our politics typically is at pains to suppress. This campaign was about power, and it was about impunity. It was about “Grab them by the pussy,” and it was about the sentence Donald Trump spoke just before that, the issue at the heart of the election: “You can do anything.”

I agree. Much as I've beat the "I wish we could talk about the issues" drum on occasion, what could be more fundamental than the issue of the basic human rights and dignity of the majority of the population? And we actually talked about systemic racism in a Presidential campaign. Who cares about whether they could sit on Meet the Press and talk about marginal tax rates when this stuff is on the table?

It's been a long, long slog, made especially painful by the fact that an incredibly large percentage of the electorate is fine saying "none of that stuff matters." It certainly would be less painful for everyone, the targets of Trump and his supporters' hate most among us, if we just spent the whole election talking about how many aircraft carriers we should have and what we think about the estate tax. I certainly wish we spent this election talking about ways to move forward with things like child care and college affordability instead of trying to keep us from sliding back 60+ years. But no issue is more important than our ability to share a country without hating each other, that's been the issue that has been front and center this entire campaign, and it very much is "a real issue."
posted by zachlipton at 8:14 PM on November 6, 2016 [57 favorites]

Guys, if you were working for Trump's campaign and trying to find a good metaphor for the uncertainty of waiting for the vote to come in...how do you think you would express that? Do you think this would work?

Still, the Trump campaign is hoping that come Election Day, the profile of the voters who turn up at the polls will be more favorable to their candidate, enough to tilt this pivotal state into the Trump column. "It will be close," Parscale said. But even he can’t know for sure. “It’s like predicting your wife’s mood. You have no idea what you’re going to get until you get home.”

Bloomberg Politics
posted by sallybrown at 8:15 PM on November 6, 2016 [74 favorites]

And then there's people who call themselves Ivanka voters?

I think it's kind of a thing like Pence voters, who claim it's all about the Supreme Court and Trump will be impeached anyway, except without the rationalization.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:16 PM on November 6, 2016

"Covering Trump was a massive challenge. Recovering from him may be all but impossible for the political press." Jay Rosen's analysis of the rejection of "The Reality Based Community" in the years since the term was coined and how today's press fails to cope with that.
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:16 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

If anyone still needs a PN invite, feel free to MeMail me with your Facebook id.
posted by peacheater at 8:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I messaged the people who wanted to be added to PN. Message me back (it's in your "not friends" inbox), and I'll add you!
posted by zug at 8:19 PM on November 6, 2016

“It’s like predicting your wife’s mood.

You gotta be fucking kidding me.

Every time I think they've gone low...they go lower.
posted by Miko at 8:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [51 favorites]

I find someone via Twitter to add me to Pantsuit Natiin (which I only found out about this weekend) and come to find I already have 64 friends in the group?!?

Mrs. Wallflower was already a member and didn't invite me. I…I feel so…<sob>
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Jason Stanley: Beyond Lying

Trump is, as Frankfurt asserts, certainly openly insensitive to reality. But he is not carelessly insensitive. To lump Trump’s rhetoric into a category that includes advertising is strange. It is prima facie bizarre to be satisfied with a description of the rhetoric of a dictator like Idi Amin’s as “insensitive to truth and falsity.” Why have we been satisfied with such descriptions of Trump? Perhaps our media, as well as our academic class, assumes that we are healthy liberal democracy, and not susceptible to authoritarian rhetoric. We now know this assumption is false.

Denouncing Trump as a liar, or describing him as merely entertaining, misses the point of authoritarian propaganda altogether. Authoritarian propagandists are attempting to convey power by defining reality. The reality they offer is very simple. It is offered with the goal of switching voters’ value systems to the authoritarian value system of the leader.

posted by theodolite at 8:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [32 favorites]

Thanks everyone for adding me to get me into PN. I got in. (I have been accepting the friend requests...because it would appear only 6 of my current friends are in the group and I live in effing Indiana so my feed up to this point has been either politically quiet OR Trumpy.)
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 8:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

People who mailed me check your messages.
posted by Jalliah at 8:22 PM on November 6, 2016

But even he can’t know for sure. “It’s like predicting your wife’s mood. You have no idea what you’re going to get until you get home.”

How's that female outreach going for you, guys?
posted by Talez at 8:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [37 favorites]

I can also add folks to PN if there are still people who want in.
posted by Superplin at 8:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Scott Lincicome @scottlincicome
Gonna be AWKWARD when President Trump takes the new minimill capacity in the southern USA and moves it back to the old blast furnaces in PA
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:26 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

PN invite please. FB info in my profile.
posted by emelenjr at 8:28 PM on November 6, 2016

How's that female outreach going for you, guys?

It's kind of confusing. It's like you call these women to try and talk to them about Trump, and they're like, PMSing or something. Must be those hormones. [fake]
posted by sallybrown at 8:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

When I was a kid phone salespeople would sometimes open their pitch by asking if "the man of the house" was available.

Also, what do Donald Trump and Ted Nugent have in common?

Both are talentless hacks who disguise their lack of any conceptual or intuitive creativity by turning the volume up to 11.
posted by spitbull at 8:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Thanks, Sphinx. Nate Silver just shat in my hat.

THAT WAS A NEW HAT, NATE!
posted by nfalkner at 8:36 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Admittedly had a few beers tonight, and have been reading PN all evening, so my emotional filters are pretty open...but I get a little welled up when I look at Hillary media - the mixed-race, blended, inclusive families on PN; the elders, the disabled, the excluded, the immigrants, the new citizens; THIS is the America I believe in and always have. It is really a beautiful, varied, storied, vibrant America that is hopeful and hardworking, loving and optimistic, unafraid even though times are very tough. If I were judging which candidate to support based only on their supporting communities, I would look to HIllary's supporters and see the nation I want to belong to - one where every kind of person can belong, and we work through our differences with references to high ideals and convictions about human rights. When it comes right down to it, it's that simple.
posted by Miko at 8:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [80 favorites]

Also, what do Donald Trump and Ted Nugent have in common?

Both are old white guys that grab genitals.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:37 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Yep, no idea how Trump happened to the GOP.

@GarrettHaake:
"Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are certifiable traitors to our country," says @RickSantorum, ratcheting it up a bit.
posted by chris24 at 8:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

For those wanting to get onto PN, you might just try dropping a hint on your feed. It's likely you already know someone who is a member (six degrees and whatnot) and will hook you up.
posted by Preserver at 8:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

Can someone help me understand why Florida is considered likely to go red/Republican/Trump?

There's a lot of retired, middle and upper class, white people there that are pretty solidly for Trump. There's a substantial Cuban-American population there that tend to skew Republican, especially with anything related to normalizing relations with Cuba (which Obama has done and Clinton will presumably continue).

Bush sort of won there in 2000 and decisively won there in 2004.

It's genuinely hard to guess how things will go this year.
posted by Candleman at 8:42 PM on November 6, 2016

True, and for those of you in it, consider posting a notice that if anyone's heard of it and wants in, they can PM you. I did and 2 new people popped up who I'd never have assumed would be with her.
posted by Miko at 8:42 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Miko: If I were judging which candidate to support based only on their supporting communities, I would look to HIllary's supporters and see the nation I want to belong to - one where every kind of person can belong, and we work through our differences with references to high ideals and convictions about human rights. When it comes right down to it, it's that simple.

Exactly. This is how I felt watching the DNC this summer, too. It showed the country I want to be a part of, not the dystopian nightmare Trump, Giuliani, &al. had ranted about in Cleveland. I want a president with a vision I can and want to hold onto. Only one candidate has that.
posted by Superplin at 8:43 PM on November 6, 2016 [20 favorites]

@Bencjacobs:
Trump: We are going to deliver justice the way it used to be in this county

So lynchings are making a comeback?
posted by chris24 at 8:44 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

Another thing that bothers me about Trump: delusions that the President can control things the President can't control. For instance, most of the justice system. By design.
posted by Miko at 8:47 PM on November 6, 2016 [18 favorites]

UNH, New Hampshire, four way, likely voters, Hilz up by 11, Hassan by 4.

Conducted Nov 3-6, before today's FBI news.
posted by spitbull at 8:48 PM on November 6, 2016 [15 favorites]

yay
posted by Justinian at 8:50 PM on November 6, 2016

Jenifer (blackish) Lewis has one thing to say to you.
posted by NorthernLite at 8:50 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

Going out canvassing today I was buddied up with a woman randomly and while we were in the field, upon leaving one doorstep where no one appeared to be home, a car pulled up next to us in the street and the guy driving rolled down the passenger window and started shouting stuff at us past his passenger's face about how Hillary was going to go to jail (and they identified themselves as the occupants of the house we'd just left, apparently coming home at the same time we were leaving.)

When my canvas buddy started to respond the guy yelled "I am TALKING to this MAN!" and carried on for a bit more until he mercifully seemed to grasp that I wasn't going to agree with him (Like, obviously? If I'm out canvassing for her, and have a big blue Hillary sticker on my vest?) The woman in the passenger seat looked chagrined, and hopefully is the reason their house was on our list.
posted by XMLicious at 8:50 PM on November 6, 2016 [22 favorites]

Trump: We are going to deliver justice the way it used to be in this county

By choosing not to vote for a moron, and then watching him leave the stage and go away after his concession speech?
posted by sallybrown at 8:52 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

Business Insider wins best description for the day:

As he has crisscrossed the country in a frantic last-minute push to turn out the vote in key battleground states, Trump has also boasted that he does not need star power to draw individuals to his rallies.

“There’s no guitar, there are no pianos,” he said at the Michigan rally on Sunday, moments after Nugent left the stage with his guitar.

posted by zachlipton at 8:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [105 favorites]

1.6 mil, last 100K in the last 2 hours.

I'm fighting with my inner Girl Scout leader instinct on Pantsuit Nation. A lot of people are starting to say " now that we're huge and the media are talking about us, are we still SAFE?" There's this concern about what a Facebook "secret group" means, and a lot of people have shared stuff about things like abortions, sexual assaults, family details, secrets from husbands/employers, etc. It does worry me that people have invested in the idea of a FB "secret group" to the extent that they think no one can ever see or reveal these stories. Of course only invitees can see the group, but once you've got 1.6 million invitees, you've kind of lost control of where your content can be seen. I tried a little bit to say "Secret in FB terms means only a couple small things" but the zeitgeist is way against that idea. It bothers me that people expect a level of privacy for these disclosures that can't be assured, but at the same time, this is happening, and no amount of cautioning is really going to have the power to roll it back at this point. Just hoping nobody comes home, or to work, to face bad consequences for what they've said in what seems to them a safe space.
posted by Miko at 8:57 PM on November 6, 2016 [33 favorites]

Well, there is something wrong with justice in this country, because Donald Trump has never been sent to jail for his 40+ years of fraud. But going backwards ain't going to fix it.

And it's just extra interesting that the loudest Trumpists are always shouting about Hillary going to jail because maybe (in true Trump's Mirror fashion), they subconsciously know the only way their guy is staying out of jail is by giving himself a blanket President Pardon.
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

chris24: ""Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are certifiable traitors to our country," says @RickSantorum, ratcheting it up a bit."

I wonder who certifies traitors. Does UL have a lab for that or is it someone else?
posted by Mitheral at 8:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [40 favorites]

PN went from 1 million to 1.5 million members just today.

I'm finally feeling secure, and this is why. People are happy about being With Her. Look at Trump's final ad, the one with the antisemitic dogwhistles. Everybody looks miserable - I counted four smiles in the entire video, including the crowd scenes, and three of those (weirdly) were on Clinton. Contrast it with this recent (latest?) one from Democrats. Everybody is happy!

Trump is saying "you're weak, you're miserable, you're oppressed, I am the strong man who can save you". Clinton is saying "we have reasons to hope." He's pushing Trumpism, right down to the not-so-veiled fascist salute at the end. Clinton's talking about everybody, not just herself, and about the values we share. She literally put out an ad talking about the importance of love and kindness! I know there are many people who are angry or frightened or hateful and who want a strongman to rescue them or build a wall to keep them safe. But there are many more people who want an end to hatred, an end to oppression, an end to injustice; and she is giving them a choice.

Guys, I am happy and confident that she will romp it in.
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [20 favorites]

@Taniel:
On Florida early voting: "911,000 Hispanics have voted—more than a third of whom did not vote in 2012"
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article112958953.html

"Through Saturday, 565,000 Hispanics had completed early in-person voting in Florida, a 100 percent increase over 2012, according to an analysis by Dan Smith, a University of Florida political science professor who tracks voting data.

Including absentee ballots, 911,000 Hispanics have voted — more than a third of whom did not vote in 2012. “We’re witnessing explosive early voting turnout of Hispanics — both those newly registered to vote as well as those who sat on the sidelines in 2012,” Smith said."
posted by chris24 at 9:01 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

It just still astounds me that this election really and truly boils down to a choice between love and hate. It's not hyperbole. It's just that bad.
posted by Jalliah at 9:03 PM on November 6, 2016 [77 favorites]

A couple of my friends have just started discussing calling in sick with Pantsuit Nation Flu on Tuesday and Wednesday.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 9:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

Once again, even Joe fucking 'grab my musket if Clinton wins' Walsh:

@WalshFreedom:
For 9 days, over 20 million people early voted thinking the FBI had something big on Hillary.

I'm a Trump guy, but, man, that's not right.
posted by chris24 at 9:10 PM on November 6, 2016 [42 favorites]

As a Floridian, I will be furious with anyone who re-elects Rubio
posted by R.F.Simpson at 9:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

I'm fairly certain that the Facebook Board of Directors will meet first thing Monday Morning (if they haven't already interrupted their weekends to meet earlier) with the main agenda being "How can we monetize the Pantsuit Nation?" BTW, even though he has sold most of his original investment in Facebook, Peter Thiel is still on their Board of Directors. Yeah, it might not be as secure as you'd want, but if FB screws this up, it'll be the biggest PR disaster of 2016. If I had Facebook stock (which I, personally, NEVER would), I'd sell.
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

I can't canvass in my wheelchair so as my small part, I remind my co-workers and shoppers at the food co-op to vote and have helped a lot of them to find an early voting location. I was happy to have convinced one friend who wasn't going to vote at all to vote, but haven't changed anyone's mind about who they're going to vote for. Or so I thought.

There is a young man in his 20s who told me right after Hillary got the nomination that he was going to vote for Jill Stein. I asked him why not Hillary and he repeated a bunch of the usual half truths and outright smears. I couldn't engage in a debate with him while I was working so I made it a point to tell him one real fact about Hillary's record every few days when I ran into him. (Thanks MeFites for keeping me stocked up with facts!) So this went on for weeks until he sheepishly came up to me last Friday and told he had voted early and he had voted for Hillary. I asked what had changed his mind and he said that he did some research on the facts I had told him and found out the Hillary has a much better record than he had been led to believe by his BOB buddies. He was a little embarrassed that he had followed his friends' lead but he said he'd actually have been more embarrassed if he voted for Stein.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 9:13 PM on November 6, 2016 [148 favorites]

coarse weedy herbs
with thickened rootstock,
sheathing stipules, and
panicled racemes of
inconspicuous greenish flowers.

Burdock is the king monster of weeds with a gnarly thick taproot that can drill two feet plus down in hard clay. Around here you need a pick to get those things out -- there's no pulling them out. They are tenacious to a titanium T.
posted by y2karl at 9:15 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

One thing that worries me - I'm pretty sure Hispanic voters in Florida are going to vote against Trump but also for Rubio, because we contain multitudes, and that people are going to be angry at them for not voting all Dem, all the way, instead of just "fuck Trump."

I won't. I completely understand why someone wouldn't vote for Murphy. That failure - of not putting up a candidate who could defeat a weakened Rubio - is on us.
posted by sallybrown at 9:15 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

John Oliver's final description for "Election 2016" is: "Of course Election Day is November 8th-the last possible date the election could fall on. This must be the universe punishing us for all the masturbating we've done, and it was a lot 2016."

"Hillary Clinton is truly the Hillary Clinton of rappers."

"As for Donald Trump, the human equivalent of a clear plastic bag filled with cheeseburgers and confederate flag belt buckles, he spent the week making a visible effort to restrain himself."

"This nightmare of a campaign will be over, which is good because this election hasn't so much appealed to our better angels as it has groped our better angels, mocked their weight, and called them sixes at best. We are at a point where this man has a genuine shot at the Presidencey despite having blown up a political party, undermined confidence in our electoral system, declared open season on journalists, and unleashed a river of racism and misogonany, also--I feel like we've lost sight of this--he has really stupid hair. It's important to remember that. It is frankly hard to believe that there was a time when people thought a Trump candidacy would be funny, but there was such a time, because as you may remember, three years ago, I guest hosted the Daily Show, and well, there is something you should see: [Clip of a news report about Trump considering running, followed by Oliver saying 'Do it. Do it. Look at me. Do it. I will personally write you a campaign check now, on behalf of this country, which does not want you to be President but which badly wants you to run.] Now, now, in my defense, I have no defense for that and was hoping to think up before finishing this sentence which, oh shit, it's over.

But look. I want to believe that America will reject Donald Trump, that our innate sense of decency will kick him like some kind of moral autopilot, but I have been spectacularly wrong before, because as you might remember, eight years ago, I was working as a correspondent for the Daily Show, and well, there's something you should see: [clip of Jon Stewart and Oliver discussing how the Cubs will never ever win the World Series]. I'm an idiot, but that clearly shows no outcome is certain. So if you're thinking you don't have to show up to vote on Tuesday because there is no way the impossible could happen, take it from someone who has learned from painful experience, you are wrong about that."

The main story is on multilevel marketing companies and should be on YouTube tomorrow.
posted by zachlipton at 9:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [44 favorites]

I'm fairly certain that the Facebook Board of Directors will meet first thing Monday Morning (if they haven't already interrupted their weekends to meet earlier) with the main agenda being "How can we monetize the Pantsuit Nation?"

I don't think Board of Directors work the way you think they work.
posted by Candleman at 9:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

Reductress offers a list of 100 Acts of Self-Care That Still Won’t Be Enough to Get You Through the Election.

Several are worth trying, at least. Why, I've done at least half a dozen today, myself! Not specifying which.
posted by Superplin at 9:23 PM on November 6, 2016 [8 favorites]

(Rhetorical overkill, I plead guilty)
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:24 PM on November 6, 2016

Re vote splitting in Florida. Well, that's their choice. But Rubio endorsed Trump (and I believe said he voted for him). He's said as bad things as Trump in the primary. So I hope he goes down.
posted by R343L at 9:24 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

"I can't canvass in my wheelchair so as my small part, I remind my co-workers and shoppers at the food co-op to vote and have helped a lot of them to find an early voting location."

I did the NextGen Climate text canvass someone mentioned in the last (?) thread online tonight (while modding!) and it was literally the easiest "canvass" I've ever done. I texted 300 people in less than an hour with their voting location for Tuesday. I only fielded probably a dozen responses (50% opt-outs, 50% people saying "thanks!" or "I moved!") which I duly entered. You can only do it from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. so you're not texting people in the middle of the night, but it was really easy. I like door-to-door canvassing, but I HATE phone banking, so it was nice to text-canvass a swing state from the comfort of my couch. You use their interface on the web, not your own phone or phone #, so don't worry about that!

They're going all day Monday, and Tuesday until the polls close! Millennials in swing states are the target.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:25 PM on November 6, 2016 [37 favorites]

I can't canvass in my wheelchair

I think it's actually quite feasible to canvass in a wheelchair: Just go to a busy street corner and start talking to people. I've done heaps of that (but not in a wheelchair.)

The one drawback is that you're not contributing to the incredible database the DNC is constructing, and you're not talking to people targeted by that database. But your contact rate is at least an order of magnitude higher, which more than makes up for it.
posted by Coventry at 9:31 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

It just still astounds me that this election really and truly boils down to a choice between love and hate. It's not hyperbole. It's just that bad.

Fear and hope are the two emotions used in advertising. Same difference.
posted by wilful at 9:38 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

The one drawback is that you're not contributing to the incredible database the DNC is constructing, and you're not talking to people targeted by that database. But your contact rate is at least an order of magnitude higher, which more than makes up for it.

No, the one drawback is that, without targeting, you've got a strong chance of G-ing OT wrong V.

This is not really what the campaign wants you to do. They've invested millions in targeting for a reason.
posted by dersins at 9:41 PM on November 6, 2016 [11 favorites]

Here's Khizr Khan speaking about a 10 year old boy who watched his DNC speech after being bullied. (twitter)

I wish he would run for office.
posted by sallybrown at 9:42 PM on November 6, 2016 [34 favorites]

Hey, I'm a member of PN, too! Hit me up, my baybeeezzz!!!!
posted by blessedlyndie at 9:47 PM on November 6, 2016

...without targeting, you've got a strong chance of G-ing OT wrong V.

If you pick the right neighborhood (which is usually one many people would generally say is the wrong neighborhood) you're fine in that regard.
posted by Coventry at 9:47 PM on November 6, 2016

Here's Khizr Khan speaking about a 10 year old boy who watched his DNC speech after being bullied.

If I ever see Khizr or Ghazala Khan in person I will break down into a wreck of tears. I have so much admiration for them.
posted by airish at 9:52 PM on November 6, 2016 [35 favorites]

...without targeting, you've got a strong chance of G-ing OT wrong V.

I'm doing my thing in a hippyesh food co-op in the bluest part of town so I'm not worried I'll run into any Trumpists. I know almost everyone I see is a lefty of some kind and I want to encourage them to help turn Texas blue.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 9:54 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Also, people shouldn't worry so much about what the campaign wants them to do. That kind of attitude is a big factor in the path which led us to this Hobson's choice of an election.
posted by Coventry at 9:54 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Have the Russians nuked Twitter again?
posted by hangashore at 9:56 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Yeah, I can't get onto Twitter, either. Apparently the Russians really don't want me to see that Khizr Khan bit.

Can't say I blame them. That man is incredibly compelling.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 9:57 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

chris24: ""Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are certifiable traitors to our country," says @RickSantorum, ratcheting it up a bit."

I will never stop being ashamed that is was originally my district who first sent Santorum to Congress (replacing a genuinely decent man, Doug Walgren).

Anyway, Pittsburgh updates:

* My wife went out canvassing today. One "I'm not voting for either." Otherwise, 1/3 "Yep, can't wait to get out there!", 1/3 "Yeah, I should probably do that, where is the polling place again?" and 1/3 really had no clue, but they were receptive and agreed to get out and vote. Also one guy who had fallen for the "text this number to vote for Hillary" scam, so glad we saved that one.

* We got a door hanger from the "Faith & Freedom Coallition" and a GOTV call from Mike Huckabee. Guys...I'm not sure the right's targeting is everything it could be.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [22 favorites]

downforeveryoneorjustme.com says yes, Twitter's down for them, too.
posted by CommonSense at 9:59 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Coventry: "Also, people shouldn't worry so much about what the campaign wants them to do. That kind of attitude is a big factor in the path which led us to this Hobson's choice of an election."

First, pedantry: A Hobson's choice is one where the options are take this or take nothing. It doesn't mean "lesser of two evils." I get that you are rhetorically saying that Clinton is the only even halfway decent choice, but you *can* still vote Trump, this isn't a Soviet election situation of only one candidate on the ballot.

Second: Actually, lots of us think Hillary is great. I am genuinely excited to vote for her.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:03 PM on November 6, 2016 [29 favorites]

yeah, Twitter is down for me too. Time for bed.
posted by suelac at 10:03 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Mayor Betsy Hodges of Minneapolis responds on Facebook to Trump's vile ranting at his MN rally:

Minnesota has problems, that's for sure. All states do. There is poverty, and violence, and despair, and those have consequences - in every group, in every community, including the people you addressed today. But we aren't like you, Donald. In Minnesota we respond to those challenges with kindness, not hate; by pulling together more rather than less; by appreciating one another more rather than less; and by working harder, not by giving up on one another. Everything you've done in your life - from your business practices to your sexual assaults to your Islamophobia to your constant blaming of others for the problems you've created yourself - betrays your ignorance of those values. But they are Minnesota values and we will vote them on Tuesday.

(I am a Betsy fangirl, I must say.)
posted by frumiousb at 10:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [72 favorites]

I'm pretty sure Hispanic voters in Florida are going to vote against Trump but also for Rubio, because we contain multitudes, and that people are going to be angry at them for not voting all Dem, all the way, instead of just "fuck Trump."

Not that I'd underestimate the ability of clueless anglos to be clueless, but I would think that any halfway-observant person would hardly be surprised to see a bunch of Cubans vote for the Cuban dude they'd voted for six years before. I do wonder how split the vote in the puertorriqueno influx will be. I honestly don't know how appealing a lily-white Cuban guy would be, all else equal, to Puerto Ricans, which is sort of the flipside of y'all containing multitudes.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:11 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Actually, lots of us think Hillary is great. I am genuinely excited to vote for her.

Yeah, thanks for saying that. I get tired of the rhetoric that assumes everyone just hates both choices and is holding their nose. It doesn't really help. Maybe you, the speaker, hate both choices and are holding your nose, but I'm pretty glad I have someone to vote for that I really do believe in, and believe is a really good choice, not because she's "lesser" but because she's so much better.
posted by Miko at 10:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [77 favorites]

zachlipton: "John Oliver's final description for "Election 2016" is: "Of course Election Day is November 8th-the last possible date the election could fall on. This must be the universe punishing us for all the masturbating we've done, and it was a lot 2016.""

It's amazing how far Trump and us have come; remember when he was basically the joke candidate talking about his penis at a presidential debate? No one at the time would have called that as being a high point in this campaign.
posted by Mitheral at 10:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

I have supported/voted for Hillary Clinton every single time I've been given the chance to do so. I've done it enthusiastically. I don't regret Barack Obama winning the nom in 2008--not for a minute--but I've always been genuinely behind Hillary Clinton.

Yes, I have disagreements with her. I have disagreements with pretty much every politician I've ever looked at for very long at all. That's how it works. Humans have differences. If you agree 100% with everything on a given politician's platform and history, you're probably not looking hard enough or thinking hard enough about your own leanings.

But on the balance? Fuck yes I have wanted Hillary Clinton every time and I dearly hope she wins this. For all our sakes.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 10:20 PM on November 6, 2016 [55 favorites]

I wish he would run for office.

As with Michelle Obama, I'm in the camp of "I wish him to do whatever he chooses and I'll support him for choosing to do that."

Anyway, I had a conversation tonight that (forgive circumlocution upon circumlocution) gave a lot of weight to the idea that many two-adult households with Trump signs planted on the lawn will deliver a net zero votes for Trump. This reinforces why I'm not a fan of Oregon-style universal vote-by-mail. There are going to be thousands upon thousands of Hillary voters who depended upon the privacy of the polling booth.
posted by holgate at 10:21 PM on November 6, 2016 [23 favorites]

People have heard of the faithless elector in WA refusing to vote for Hillary but there's also been some talk of electors refusing to vote for Trump, which would mean several of his scant few paths to victory still wouldn't be enough. There was one in GA who ended up resigning over all the pressure & there's one in TX who still might. It's not going to happen, Hillary will easily blow past 300 on her way to the White House. But it's still funny to think about.
posted by scalefree at 10:34 PM on November 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I don't see how vote by mail loses that vote while a secret box to fill out a form doesn't.

To be frank, you're implying a sexist / abusive dynamic where a woman doesn't have the security or agency at home to vote how she pleases, but somehow can pull the lever in private. In an Oregon situation you can still go to the ballot office, request a new ballot, fill it out there and vote, if for example your spouse made you fill out the form with them and forced you to vote against your wishes. It's not one envelope per household. And because voting is over the course of weeks and the majority of the population IS able to safely vote by mail, someone needing to do this can do so with little suspicion - they aren't disappearing for three hours on November 8th to wait in line - they are able to pop in and handle it in a few minutes last Wednesday. The Oregon system still has physical locations that can be optimized to handle the exceptions.

Nothing stops someone from saying they are going to take time and vote while at work or mail in their ballot separately, etc. if a woman is in such an unsafe situation she cannot take that level of action, how would she be able to go to the polls and vote? And in that extreme case, would that as a society still enable more people to vote if vote by mail was the standard? For every one woman who wasn't able to vote differently from their spouse, how many more would be able to vote because now they can vote easily between their full time job and expectations of managing the household? I get tired of the concern trolling implying vote by mail is more vulnerable to manipulation than one day only in person voting - look at all the headlines about long voting lines and people spending hours in line to vote, and states closing polling locations and tell me honestly that Oregons system is somehow more prone to disenfranchisement.

Due to the legal organization of this country, I don't think I'd ever see a unified national voting process, but at a minimum I'd love to see Oregons and Washingtons vote by mail as the minimum requirements: you have to enable voting at atleast this level of access and process to receive some federal funds, anything greater - same day in person voting booth process whatever - is up to the states to add.
posted by mrzarquon at 10:48 PM on November 6, 2016 [24 favorites]

remember when he was basically the joke candidate

he's STILL the joke candidate, but instead of being the dumb hatey joke that a first grader raised by bigots would make, he's the kind of sick cruel practical joke that is usually the opening scene of teen slasher horror movie
posted by poffin boffin at 10:48 PM on November 6, 2016 [16 favorites]

as a side night, being six hours ahead of the the east coast right now means when I wake up at 5am wednesday morning, the polls still wont have closed, and west coast wont be called until 9am. Right as the keynote for this conference I am attending is starting.
posted by mrzarquon at 11:06 PM on November 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

consider posting a notice that if anyone's heard of it and wants in, they can PM you.

Or don't. A friend did this today and the first comment was a Bernie Bro accusing women of sexism because they have secret groups. I responded that this is why we have the first rule of Secret Hillary Club.
posted by threeturtles at 11:07 PM on November 6, 2016 [41 favorites]

Or you can meticulously hide everyone with likely gross politics and post something subtle- 5 people messaged me in the last hour and all are just ready for a little uplift out of our red state swamp. I'm glad I made the offer and it felt good to make someone's day better.
posted by charmedimsure at 11:12 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

To be frank, you're implying a sexist / abusive dynamic where a woman doesn't have the security or agency at home to vote how she pleases, but somehow can pull the lever in private.

To be frank, yes I am. We're not in Portland any more, Toto.

look at all the headlines about long voting lines and people spending hours in line to vote, and states closing polling locations and tell me honestly that Oregons system is somehow more prone to disenfranchisement.

Well, that's a set of profoundly awful but structurally rectifiable choices. Saying "well, if you're voting under duress, you can invalidate a ballot and then drive somewhere and get a new one" is nice but meaningless to working mothers in suburbs. A ballot that's inherently not guaranteed secrecy is not structurally rectifiable. (I'm not comfortable with party affiliation as a public record either.)

I'm just a bit weary of that certain PacNW smugness about a voting process that only exists as it does today in those states because they were historically lily-white and never needed to think about certain kinds of disenfranchisement. The civic culture in the PNW is great, but the inherently-secret ballot is also great.
posted by holgate at 11:13 PM on November 6, 2016 [43 favorites]

Surely the proper cocktail to drink if Trump implodes is a White Russian?
posted by benzenedream at 11:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [12 favorites]

An unreliable source, but good news if it's true: EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Gov. Pardons 60,000 Felons, Enough To Swing Election.
posted by Coventry at 11:18 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Lefties concern-trolling about vote-by-mail sounds an awful lot like conservatives concern-trolling about "voter fraud."
posted by dersins at 11:27 PM on November 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

And to add:

I get tired of the concern trolling implying vote by mail is more vulnerable to manipulation than one day only in person voting

The UK has never had a one-day-in-person-only voting problem in recent history (nor does it have a problem with queues) but it has had problems with postal vote fraud -- often, it's head-of-household stuff or even landlords voting on behalf of their renters. I'll grant that dedicated vote-by-mail states in the US will have more fastidious checks against that kind of manipulation.

Partners can cohabit nonabusively and still find that a presidential election like this creates external pressure that is best served by secrecy in the polling booth. If you can't sympathise with that, I'm not sure that you're paying the right amount of attention.
posted by holgate at 11:29 PM on November 6, 2016 [27 favorites]

Lefties concern-trolling about vote-by-mail sounds an awful lot like conservatives concern-trolling about "voter fraud."

Again: PNWers are the beneficiaries of an admirable civic culture but mistakenly believe that the machinery of that civic culture can be exported to places where no such civic culture exists. I invite you to live for a while in a state where older government buildings have twice as many bathrooms as you'd normally expect.
posted by holgate at 11:32 PM on November 6, 2016 [30 favorites]

I'll grant that dedicated vote-by-mail states in the US will have more fastidious checks against that kind of manipulation.

Yes. They do. Full stop. Oregon for example has a fabulous, efficient, safe, secure system with a squeaky clean track record down to the level of each county.
posted by OverlappingElvis at 11:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

> Well, that's a set of profoundly awful but structurally rectifiable choices. Saying "well, if you're voting under duress, you can invalidate a ballot and then drive somewhere and get a new one" is nice but meaningless to working mothers in suburbs. A ballot that's inherently not guaranteed secrecy is not structurally rectifiable. (I'm not comfortable with party affiliation as a public record either.)

Wait, so it is too much to require someone who needs the extra privacy of their ballot to go to a voting location to vote... so instead everyone needs to go to a voting location to vote on a certain day and time?

I literally don't understand your point now.

As a whole, Oregon and Washington have shown they have enabled significantly more citizens to vote, and more citizens are voting as a result. There are ways it can be improved (we are trying to make all the ballot envelopes prepaid for example, so folks don't need stamps), but we *don't* have the problems of other states where voter disenfranchisement is happening.

I also don't understand the argument somehow voting in a location one chooses is somehow less private / secret than going to a public voting location. You don't know what criteria is for someone to deem as private or secret. The highschool gymnasium may be private enough for you, but is also a target for voter intimidation. Unfortunately Oregon doesn't mail me a little privacy booth for me to fill out the paperwork.

This doesn't fix all disenfranchisement possibilities, but it does remove the largest and most common vehicles of voter intimidation: physical presence and access to polling locations. It is moving the problems from the community social sphere (klansmen in hoods standing outside of the polls) to the private household ones.

You seem to be obsessed with the 'pureness of secrecy' for a ballot. Which like the pureness of security for any environment, while hypothetically achievable, results in a system that is almost always harder to use.
posted by mrzarquon at 11:35 PM on November 6, 2016 [10 favorites]

Do I HAVE to repeat my story of witnessing the Republicans do Absentee Ballot Voter Fraud in 1972 again?

My mother was a longtime "Republican Women's" volunteer and she pushed 17-year-old me (too young to legally vote) to 'get involved with the system', so I put in a few hours at a GOP phone bank reading a 'Re-Elect The President' script and told not to mention my age (or the fact that The President was named Nixon, honest!) One Team Leader took a liking to me and asked me if I'd like to work on their 'Senior Outreach' program, which consisted of going to Retirement and Nursing Homes to 'help' the residents fill out Absentee Ballots. It was pretty clear I would've been filling in the ballots for those incapable of doing so, and if they were unable to elucidate their preferences, well, they're all registered Republicans there, right? (I didn't know who registered them as Republicans or when...) That whole thing smelled so bad to me, I just sheepishly backed away. I didn't report it to anybody for fear of implicating my 'innocent Republican' mother. But it did explain to me why the GOP has gotten the majority of Absentee Ballots in liberal California for over 50 years...

posted by oneswellfoop at 11:44 PM on November 6, 2016 [46 favorites]

Wait, so it is too much to require someone who needs the extra privacy of their ballot to go to a voting location to vote... so instead everyone needs to go to a voting location to vote on a certain day and time?

No, I'm saying that the standard Oregonian "oh, everyone should just vote by mail by default" (as repeatedly proposed by Ron Wyden) is blinkered and dumb, puts the cart before the horse, and is handwavy about the idea that voter intimidation is as likely to happen in one's home as at a public polling place. Making something the default makes it more obvious and more difficult to deviate from the default, as Facebook's privacy settings have taught us.

You seem to be obsessed with the 'pureness of secrecy' for a ballot. Which like the pureness of security for any environment, while hypothetically achievable, results in a system that is almost always harder to use.

Yeah, I am. The secret ballot is a pretty fucking big deal. And I very much suspect that a quick perusal of the stories being told in the PN group might help you grasp that.
posted by holgate at 11:48 PM on November 6, 2016 [38 favorites]

> Again: PNWers are the beneficiaries of an admirable civic culture but mistakenly believe that the machinery of that civic culture can be exported to places where no such civic culture exists. I invite you to live for a while in a state where older government buildings have twice as many bathrooms as you'd normally expect.

As someone who grew up in Connecticut and Massachusetts, voted first in person in Pennsylvania, then Washington and now Oregon, you seem to be the smug one who is making assumptions about my life experience, my experience with voting, civic culture, and political practices and cultural practices in general.

> Partners can cohabit nonabusively and still find that a presidential election like this creates external pressure that is best served by secrecy in the polling booth. If you can't sympathise with that, I'm not sure that you're paying the right amount of attention.

What is your evidence that there is emotional stress as a result of people voting by mail at home that is somehow relieved voting in a secret polling booth? Like one spouse is going to say "honey, lets fill out our ballots together?" and one who knows they aren't going to vote the way their spouse does is going to say "well, I'd rather not, or I've already voted, and it's a secret" is somehow going to be less stressful than "honey, how did you vote?" "well, I already voted, it's a secret."

You are literally making up situations solely out of the ideological purity that I guess no one should have access to their ballots ahead of time.

I had something like 18 different initiatives, positions, propositions I had the option to vote for along side with the Presidential candidates. You want to talk about civic participation and enabling changes in those places with "older government buildings" then making it so people can have a more informed decision in the their local level of governance is more likely to make an improvement than any presidential vote. How many people when they show up in the secret ballot box world of yours just vote for the incumbents who "weren't terrible, but they don't know the other guy"? How likely is it for someone to walk in with their list of how they are going to vote on every issue ahead of time and be able to follow through on that. And how likely is THAT VERY FUCKING LIST someone would have to carry with them in as a reminder on what to vote on all those measures and propositions not in someway be as similar a compromise of the secrecy of their ballot than if they just filled out their ballot at home and posted it?
posted by mrzarquon at 11:50 PM on November 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

To be frank, you're implying a sexist / abusive dynamic where a woman doesn't have the security or agency at home to vote how she pleases, but somehow can pull the lever in private.

My husband and I are cancelling each other out on Tuesday. We are very open about this. We've been doing this for 36 years now, so we have our system down.
Currently we've gone from (pre-, during and post-) presidential debate reviews (already decided, not changing each other's minds) to whether teachers need a pay raise, farmers need "guaranteed rights," reviewing methods of execution, making drug possession a misdemeanor, prohibiting the use of public property or funds for religious purposes, and allowing grocery stores to sell wine and beer.
Yes, it's the 1950s in Oklahoma.
And then there are the children, who have their own political views and are not afraid to voice them. We have two strong young women, so I just sit back and smile. And gloat, I admit it.

But that's us. Other women I've known are just as happy to keep their opinions to themselves and make their own choices at the ballot box. Not in a fearful way, but just to keep the peace during many, many news reports over the next four years.
This is about picking your battles. And for some women, re-litigating their vote after every national headline is too frustrating to consider.
posted by TrishaU at 11:52 PM on November 6, 2016 [26 favorites]

> Yeah, I am. The secret ballot is a pretty fucking big deal. And I very much suspect that a quick perusal of the stories being told in the PN group might help you grasp that.

So is your evidence legions of women in Oregon and Washington griping that they cannot vote their heart and have to vote Trump out of fear of emotional reprisal or issues with their spouse? Or are their statements ones being glad for the secrecy of the ballot booth in their region for them to vote? Because the latter in no way implies for the former.
posted by mrzarquon at 11:54 PM on November 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

farmers need "guaranteed rights"

I was not aware this was a thing. That looks like a crazypants initiative designed to (retroactively) make it incredibly difficult to regulate the agriculture industry in any way by applying the same standard we use for, say, restricting the free exercise of religion to any law regulating farming in Oaklahoma. Wow.
posted by zachlipton at 11:58 PM on November 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

Regarding Miami-Dade county and Florida in general, don't worry too much. Rubio might squeak by, but there's no way in hell Trump is winning here. There are too many normally reliable Republican voters have been nearly screaming any time someone has wondered aloud if they will be voting for Trump.

A couple of days ago I was in a train car where one dude was walking up and down trying to sell socks(?) and loudly proclaiming "Vote for Trump!" Most everyone was either saying "seriously, dude?" or literally rolling their eyes at him. That is the widespread sentiment here.

Also, Trump's constant crowing about his support in Little Haiti is complete bullshit. I live very close to there and have heard zero people talking positively about him. A lot of my Uber drivers are people from LH and they often spontaneously talk about what a complete nutjob he is and how they can't understand why anyone would vote for them. Maybe the one guy who gave me a Jesus pamphlet will be voting for him, but there doesn't seem to be a bunch of support for him.

For my part, Georgia and I are going to walk a couple of blocks over to the polling place come Tuesday morning and enthusiastically vote for HRC and Patrick Murphy. I'm going to have to vote a provisional ballot since I lost my driver's license a bit ago and just noticed my passport is expired, but it'll count anyway. Florida has a voter ID law, but if the signature on the provisional ballot matches your registration, they count it with no further action required by the voter. We were both part of that last minute 30,000 registrations, by the way.

I hope Trump goes and crawls in a hole Tuesday night and never comes out from sheer embarassment. His supporters, on the other hand, I genuinely give best wishes. We have to live with these people and I can't help but believe that a strong repudiation of Trumpism will cause most of them to reconsider their attitude. The Trump campaign has been feeding them lies about where their problems are coming from and I'm hopeful that once the furor dies down and HRC and her Democratic Senate can push through some positive change people will get clued in. A third electoral drubbing might even get the Republicans in a mood to shut up their racist elements, which would help enormously by no longer normalizing such hateful actions and speech.

While I'm not certain about the outcome, I'm feeling pretty good. I think that there will be much more crossover votes for Hillary from Republicans than the polls are letting on, especially from women. I wouldn't bet on it, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her beat the polls by 2-4% in most states. I do expect to be very disappointed by Arkansas continuing to shift rightward, though. When I was a kid growing up there it was a fairly reliable Democratic stronghold. Clinton-style center-left politics were seen as common sense by most. Despite the massive economic growth in the 90s, they seem to have largely left that behind and adopted the typical modern Republican hate and xenophobia. Maybe that's due to the influx of right-wingers (and not a few Mexicans, Marshellese, etc inflaming the white people who now regularly whip themselves into panics about immigrants bringing disease(!)) into Wal-Mart-land, but whatever the cause, it still makes me deeply sad. I wouldnt mind going back, but the politics was starting to put me at risk for a stroke. It's God's country, but it feels like Satan's people now.
posted by wierdo at 12:00 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

As someone who grew up in Connecticut and Massachusetts, voted first in person in Pennsylvania, then Washington and now Oregon, you seem to be the smug one who is making assumptions about my life experience, my experience with voting, civic culture, and political practices and cultural practices in general.

I will simply note in passing that none of those states have ever been subject to section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

What is your evidence that there is emotional stress as a result of people voting by mail at home that is somehow relieved voting in a secret polling booth?

I can't dig up the precise link, but corb has backed me up on this in a past election thread and very precisely described "let's all fill out our ballots together at the kitchen table" scenarios among her female Republican friends. A "let's drive to the polling place and vote in separate little booths" scenario is somewhat different.

You are literally making up situations solely out of the ideological purity that I guess no one should have access to their ballots ahead of time.

You are literally changing the subject in ridiculous ways. Sample ballots are readily available. Being able to complete one's own ballot in secrecy is an entirely separate issue.
posted by holgate at 12:01 AM on November 7, 2016 [29 favorites]

> No, I'm saying that the standard Oregonian "oh, everyone should just vote by mail by default" (as repeatedly proposed by Ron Wyden) is blinkered and dumb, puts the cart before the horse, and is handwavy about the idea that voter intimidation is as likely to happen in one's home as at a public polling place.

Also the problem with this line of thinking - "voter intimidation happens at home just as likely as at the polls" - is one of scale. You are describing a 1-1 or 1-3, maybe 1-6 type scenario, where one person can influence the ability of only a small number of peoples votes because the intimidation has to happen within the household for it to be effective and not be found. So while the rate of occurrence may be the same, the impact is significantly mitigated. So instead of one asshole standing at a polling place contesting the validity of everyones right to vote and therefore possibly causes a hundred people to have to miss the opportunity to vote, that asshole can only influence the votes of four people.
posted by mrzarquon at 12:02 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Ok but what about purported research such as this:

"Project Vote published their findings in an article titled "Vote-by-Mail Doesn't Deliver" by Michael Slater and Teresa James. The article's conclusion states,

Thanks largely to Oregon's experience, many reform-minded advocates and policymakers have become persuaded that vote-by-mail stimulates increased voter turnout with few drawbacks. We think the facts don't support their arguments. VBM reinforces the stratification of the electorate; it's more amenable to both fraud and manipulation than voting at polling places; and it depends too much on the reliability of the U.S. Postal Service.[19]"

I don't know who this Project Vote group is to evaluate the validity of their work, but according to Wikipedia they've argued that mail ballots hurt low income and minority voters. So maybe there are some subtle issues involved.
posted by polymodus at 12:05 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

And that bit about minority voters rings a bell because I'm remembering other major journalistic articles detailing how a city like Seattle still has segregation in modern form, with white people being the privileged group, etc. But again I wouldn't know the full issues around this, I don't live there.
posted by polymodus at 12:07 AM on November 7, 2016

Also the problem with this line of thinking - "voter intimidation happens at home just as likely as at the polls" - is one of scale.

Hm. There are a lot of asshole men voting for Trump. To repeat myself, the problem of polling place intimidation is like that of insufficient polling places -- it is despicable, but correctable if the political will is there. There is no institutional oversight of "let's fill out our ballots together at the kitchen table."
posted by holgate at 12:09 AM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

farmers need "guaranteed rights"
I was not aware this was a thing.

Nah, what gets me is how the "making drug possession a misdemeanor" question is linked with raising the dollar amount threshold from $500 to $1,000 for classifying property crimes (theft, larceny, fraud, embezzlement, etc.) as a misdemeanor. That's a big change, and maybe a deal-breaker.
posted by TrishaU at 12:12 AM on November 7, 2016

There is no institutional oversight of "let's fill out our ballots together at the kitchen table."

That's an important point from a leftist perspective, because it highlights the absurdity of having to do public labor (collective action) in private space. You could view it as a lack of appropriate public spaces, and what's needed is funding to organize those--which starts by citizens demanding that, having that awareness, etc. Privatization, individualization, responsibilization, are a stop-gap strategy, even if something like mail ballots is shown to be effective in voter turnout, etc.
posted by polymodus at 12:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Folks, it's fine to discuss vote by mail versus going to the polls, but let's try to a) keep things relatively civil rather than amping up the sarcasm and accusations, and b) drop the personal stuff. (Also, not sure what people are seriously arguing. Is this about "all voting should be only by mail" vs "all voting should be only by in-person at the polls?" Because if not, maybe it's okay to say both have benefits or drawbacks and we don't need it to be a fight to the death about which is best?
posted by taz (staff) at 12:13 AM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

OhGodOhGodOhGodOhGodOhGodOhGodOhGodOhGod.

I posted my story to Pantsuit Nation. (Dwayne the transguy).

I'm going to wake up to 578935710579021 comments tomorrow, aren't I? Now eating ice cream to calm nerves on the SCARY thing I just did!
posted by spinifex23 at 12:19 AM on November 7, 2016 [71 favorites]

It's also illegal to take ballot selfies in some states, and the ACLU has challenged on 1st Amendment grounds. Hopefully that's a bit more clear cut since the person taking the selfie has already made it to a voting booth.
posted by fragmede at 12:22 AM on November 7, 2016

Also, my Tuesday Night Stress Food is chocolate and caramel. Perfect fuel for dancing in the streets, and/or fomenting revolution.

(I don't see Trump conceding Tuesday night, even when he loses soundly.)
posted by spinifex23 at 12:23 AM on November 7, 2016

Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff):

How can a COMPUTER review 650,000 EMAILS in 8 DAYS?
How can a TOASTER make my BREAD warm?
How can a CAR go faster than a TEAM OF OXEN
posted by salix at 12:27 AM on November 7, 2016 [105 favorites]

Thanks, taz, very much noted.

There is so much to admire about the civic culture in the PNW and places like Vermont and Minnesota, especially the encouragement to participate in government, not simply choose it, and the historic reasons for it being so are ultimately moot compared to the ugly anti-democratic mess of the South. But: I think this year there are going to be so many women in households in culturally conservative states casting votes that, per TriciaU, they ought not have to litigate openly. That they ought to be able to lie about. And most of them will be able to lie about those votes, because they'll have gone to a polling place, pulled the curtain around them, and made their choice.

The long lines in southern states (and even in Los Angeles) for early voting and which will happen on Tuesday are an affront to democracy and caused deliberately, and they horrify me. They're fixable. Not easily fixable but fundamentally fixable. And it grates when universal vote-by-mail is proffered as a solution to those lines -- Ron Wyden did it again this week -- when the problems with universal vote-by-mail are not fundamentally fixable.
posted by holgate at 12:30 AM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

There is a reason (actually many, but all related) we moved from having votes be public record to a secret ballot. Intimidation of voters was then a thing. i dont think it is realistic to expect the victims of such "kitchen table" intimidation to later go and change their vote. People all too often normalize that sort of abuse and resign themselves to its consequences. Is there any reason to expect it to be different when it is over a ballot rather than the laundry or something else (or nothing in particular at all)?

I think that, on balance, easy no-questions absentee voting along with extensive (including weekends!) early voting solves most of the issues solved by universal vote-by-mail without the possible downsides. absentee abuse is much less likely since it isn't automatic. It isn't the "normal" way to most families, so it doesn't just come up and so isn't as obvious a vector for intimidation.
posted by wierdo at 12:36 AM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

Wyden promotes voting by mail since most Oregonians are really enthusiastic about voting by mail. It's one of those quirks we like to share with other states, like bottle deposits and decent beer.

I'm not sure it's a panacea for people who are voting under stressful situations in their own households, but domestic violence or the threat of same is problem that voting cannot solve by its own, either.

Maybe voting by mail isn't the ultimate solution, but local control of the mechanisms of voting sure as fuck isn't getting the job done now. A line 4000 folks long? That's voter suppression, pure and simple.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 12:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

Maybe voting by mail isn't the ultimate solution, but local control of the mechanisms of voting sure as fuck isn't getting the job done now. A line 4000 folks long? That's voter suppression, pure and simple.

One of the ugly quirks in NC is that county boards of elections grant a statutory majority to the governor's party, which, if McCrory is sent packing, will be reversed for the next four-year cycle. But that's not enough. Partisanship needs to be taken out of the process. If (big if) the #NeverTrump contingent win the battle for control of the GOP, then I think there's a window to do that broadly.

I can cope with the flaws of broad early voting windows -- even terrible ex-GOP rep. Joe Walsh admitted that having Hillary under an FBI cloud for the past nine days wasn't fair to her -- because the campaign is long enough already and that stuff evens itself out. I'm okay with "habitual absentee" rules where if you request mail-in ballots over a couple of cycles the state simply sends a postal ballot until you opt out. I would like universal registration and frankly fewer things to vote for on the ballot, but small steps.
posted by holgate at 12:55 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

You can vote early in person here in SF! But you have to go to City Hall between 8 and 5, I think - not super useful if you can't get off work early.
posted by en forme de poire at 1:30 AM on November 7, 2016

> Maybe voting by mail isn't the ultimate solution, but local control of the mechanisms of voting sure as fuck isn't getting the job done now. A line 4000 folks long? That's voter suppression, pure and simple.

Exactly.

One thing to clarify is to me is the benefit and value of Vote by Mail thing isn't "I don't have to leave my house to vote" which is nice, but really it means my voting process now has these following features:

- Online checking of voting status and eligibility that is accurate
- Confirmation your ballot has been received
- Confirmation your ballot will be counted (a coworkers signature didn't match on file, was notified to fill out an updated signature card, and was then ballot was marked as will be counted)
- Early voting by default (2-3 weeks for everyone)
- No questions asked absentee ballot (I travel frequently for business, in fact I am writing this from Berlin. I found out about this this trip for Berlin on Oct 19th when I was traveling in San Diego, I didn't even have to worry if I was going to be able to request an absentee ballot in time, it was in fact waiting for me when I got home on the 21st)
- Easy access voting locations (You can always vote in Oregon in the county election office, in a private ballot booth, anytime during that voting period, and they are open a minimum of 8 hours a day, up until 8pm on Tuesday night - in the above scenario if my ballot wasn't going to arrive before leaving for this trip - because Oregon tells you when they will mail you your ballot - I could have swung by the election office and voted on my way to work during the 10 days I was home)

This may be why the confusion for those outside of Oregon/Washington in why we are so strongly passionate about our voting system - the 15000 foot view of it looks pretty weird, but in practice it has provided a simplification of how voting is done, and specifically removes a LOT of the local variables when it comes to voting - which is really where the most significant forms of voter disenfranchisement come from. VBM is not a panacea, but it encapsulates a lot of the benefits that everyone agrees are good for voter rights and provides a benchmark against which other states voting practices could be measured - which is really the only way at a federal level to fix a lot of the voting access issues. Providing a minimum standard and somehow tie funding or some other political capital to to following that standard.

I don't know of anyone wanting to give up Oregon's voting process once they've experienced it. Kind of like I don't know many people who've lived in countries with comprehensive public healthcare ever go "You know what? I want to go back to having to decide between paying rent or seeing a doctor." Or the ones who do tend to be already of the privileged tier where that isn't actually a reality for them.
posted by mrzarquon at 1:40 AM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

A Brief Message to Donald J. Trump
posted by valetta at 1:56 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

And then there is the other obvious thing we could be doing, which is making the second Tuesday of November a national holiday.
posted by mrzarquon at 2:11 AM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

Pedantry: the first Tuesday after the first Monday. But yes. We could be doing that.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 2:16 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

One of the reasons why I am glad that HRC will be our Madame President is that the problem of homegrown militias has to be engraved on her soul, given OKC happened while she was in the White House. In addition to her other qualities, I'm going to be glad for that.
posted by angrycat at 2:20 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

Only "get" so far from the latest batch of DNC leaked emails is them feeding questions to Wolf Blitzer for his Trump interview, same cloth as the whole Brazile situation I suppose.
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 2:21 AM on November 7, 2016

Unfortunately, they'll end up veering straight into that stone wall called the House of Representatives.

Yeah, if there's one thing I hope the different groups that have come together, whether secretly or openly in such large numbers, consider is sending a message to the House, the Senate and any potential future candidates that obstruction is not welcome, that racism and sexism in campaigns is not welcome, and that everyone deserves an equal chance to get their voice heard or all of the people who've come together for this election will stay together to defeat any attempt to subvert government by and for the people of the United States.

I'd love to see it made clear that this isn't a one off, bad candidate issue, but a bedrock principle that we expect to be supported by all that run for any office from this time forward. People can disagree on specific policies, but no longer hold the rest of the nation hostage to petulance and hate under the guise of winning being the only thing that matters.

Seeing Hillary Rodham Clinton become the first woman president will be great, but without these basic values being drilled into the core of every party and individual vying for office, her election may come to be only a brief symbolic victory rather than a real opportunity for change and to improve this country.
posted by gusottertrout at 2:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

i do know one thing - if we voted by carrier pigeon, half the republicans in some areas would be on their roofs with rifles
posted by pyramid termite at 2:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [42 favorites]

One thing that worries me - I'm pretty sure Hispanic voters in Florida are going to vote against Trump but also for Rubio, because we contain multitudes, and that people are going to be angry at them for not voting all Dem, all the way, instead of just "fuck Trump."
I won't. I completely understand why someone wouldn't vote for Murphy. That failure - of not putting up a candidate who could defeat a weakened Rubio - is on us.
_{- sallybrown}

kind of weird to come at it from an angle of, "he failed because he wasn't Republican enough".
posted by indubitable at 2:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

And then there is the other obvious thing we could be doing, which is making the second Tuesday of November a national holiday.

The people who most need it to be a holiday, though, are also most likely to be working in stores and restaurants and other places that would be open holiday or not. So that wouldn't help as much as you might think, barring some kind of national one-day pseudo-Sabbath law forbidding work of any kind.
posted by No-sword at 2:58 AM on November 7, 2016 [28 favorites]

When this is all over (it'll never be over, really), folks will need to take a hard look at what sites like 538 have actually added to the conversation. Silver's analysis missed Trump altogether, his big marquee percentage doesn't actually mean anything for 99/100 of his largely innumerate readers, and his vaunted model has swung from 'Clinton is a slight favourite' to 'Clinton will DEFINITELY WIN unless a meteor hits' and back -- and he says it should be more, not less, responsive to late stimuli. It's not clear to me that his readers have been more informed than the average.

Can someone point me to a unique/original conclusion that Silver and his merry band drew during this election cycle? Or to a piece of smart incisive counterintuitive analysis from them, which illuminated any of this election's many dark corners in a new way?

I'd genuinely love to know what I'm missing. I've read a couple of good articles at the site in the past, but Election 2016 has me filing Silver with Charles Pierce -- a formerly useful corrective, now fallen into mannerism. (This is all separate from whether Silver can write, by the way. No points for guessing where I stand on that issue.)
posted by waxbanks at 3:18 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

SEPTA strike resolved! So we'll have service Tuesday.
posted by angrycat at 3:26 AM on November 7, 2016 [68 favorites]

Brad Delong on 'The Excellences of Nate Silver'

Read the comments for once.
posted by waxbanks at 3:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Hi from Australia. We're counting on you. Don't fuck it up.
posted by panaceanot at 3:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [32 favorites]

Requiescat in pace, Janet Reno.
posted by Fiberoptic Zebroid and The Hypnagogic Jerks at 3:40 AM on November 7, 2016 [23 favorites]

Please help me escape my flesh prison and return to the void.
posted by Monkeymoo at 3:41 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

UK checking in.

No pressure, America.
posted by Devonian at 3:41 AM on November 7, 2016 [23 favorites]

Hi, it's the Netherlands here.

About that no pressure thing? Well, actually...
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:47 AM on November 7, 2016 [44 favorites]

It bothers me that people expect a level of privacy for these disclosures that can't be assured, but at the same time, this is happening, and no amount of cautioning is really going to have the power to roll it back at this point. Just hoping nobody comes home, or to work, to face bad consequences for what they've said in what seems to them a safe space.

May I suggest you write up instructions for people on how to find their most personal posts in PN (via their activity feed) to remove them.
posted by tilde at 3:48 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

And then there is the other obvious thing we could be doing, which is making the second Tuesday of November a national holiday.

Do you get all national holidays off? I don't and I don't think that most people do either. I usually only remember that it's president's day when I get home and find no mail.
posted by octothorpe at 3:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Campaigner Dianara Vazquez demonstrates how Hillary rolls with a kickflip in high heels.

Did someone turn up the thermostat?
posted by iffthen at 3:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

can someone explain to me why Hillary didn't run her entire campaign against the Republican party and their obstructionist anti constitutional ways? It's not like she going to get ANYTHING passed if they maintain just a one chamber minority in the house.
posted by any major dude at 3:56 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

a cool thing millennials do like Slow Food

Huh, well that started in '86 and is majority 40+ but sure. Happy to have Milennials.
posted by Miko at 7:58 PM on November 6 [3 favorites +] [!]

Slow Food Youth!
posted by eustatic at 3:56 AM on November 7, 2016

So I had dinner with some usually talkative mostly republicans last night. "Old friends, moved to the [florida county] together, their fathers moved here 80 years ago and put [town] on the map when Dixie highway was the only pavement for miles" kinda folk.

One went into an Obamacare rant (justified, the user support for small businesses was bad and the insurance company they were dealing with should be shot out of a cannon).

Everyone else didn't really talk politics at all. One person shared a "funny meme" of Hillary being assaulted by her opponent ("Hillary" was wearing a green slinky dress) and left the table to share with others who might actually find it funny. And everyone started muttering that meme sharer probably voted for Trump (I don't have the exact quotes but the impression I got was that all of the remaining W/McCain/Romney voters have already voted and NOT R at the top of the ticket this year.)

I don't have an invite to Pantsuit Nation, and I don't want one. I'll find myself disappointed in the friends I won't find there. I'll stick with having found a couple #magas here and there to avoid.
posted by tilde at 4:06 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

bluecore: Campaigner Dianara Vazquez demonstrates how Hillary rolls with a kickflip in high heels.

Which is great, although for the symbolism to be perfect it would be backwards and in high heels.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 4:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Tilde, I think you should reconsider that. It is immensely refreshing to hear SO MANY positive voices--1.6 million members and still climbing! Friends you don't m find there may not be savvy enough, or may just not have gotten added (it's add, not invite based). But I bet that you will find at least one person who happily surprises you with their presence. If you change your mind, MeMail me.
posted by thebrokedown at 4:19 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

So, Sam Wang has an interesting post up -- Is 99% a reasonable probability? Among other things, he takes a look at what his model would be saying if he made different assumptions about the possibility of polling error. The short (and simplified) version is:

+/- 0.8% = 99% Clinton victory
+/- 1.5% = 91% Clinton victory
+/- 5.0% = 68% Clinton victory

Although he is not changing his model at this point, he acknowledges that +/- 1.1% may have been a more reasonable uncertainty for him to use, which would currently be showing a 95% Clinton win probability. He also mentions that the 5% error necessary for the 538 model seems unprecedented in modern polling data.

This is a gratifying piece of confirmation bias for me, personally, since it confirms my gut instinct that Wang is using an error margin that is too tight, and 538 is using one that is too loose. Other aggregators like Daily Kos, NYT Upshot, and Pierre-Antoine Kremp are all getting Clinton win percentages in the mid to high 80's right now, which sounds like an error margin of a little less than +/- 2%, which doesn't seem unreasonable to me. I still have no idea where HuffPost Pollster is getting its numbers from, since their difference seems to be a matter of how they calculate the popular vote as well as their error margins.

I will say, though, that although I am personally doubtful of 538's error margins, they have explained their reasons for them and they do not seem ridiculous -- there is indeed a much higher percentage of undecided voters in the polls, even now, than there were 4 years ago or 8 years ago. And I think some people don't quite get that their model is not showing Clinton further behind than the others; in fact, its chance of a massive Clinton win is actually *much higher* than the chance in the other models. It's just that a chance of a Clinton loss is much higher in their model, too.

I will freely admit that the higher chance they give of a Clinton loss makes me feel personally, physically ill -- actual nausea -- because of the stakes in this election, but I don't blame Nate Silver for that.
posted by kyrademon at 4:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

i do know one thing - if we voted by carrier pigeon, half the republicans in some areas would be on their roofs with rifles

hahah. They'd be wasting their vote! That shotgun would blow their pigeon to smithereeens before it left the barrel! Better to just let the pigeon do the work.
posted by ian1977 at 4:25 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

While doing outreach to my R friends I came up with a thought experiment. I had been hectoring them with the question "just how bad does your nominee have to be before you'd consider country over party?" when in the interest of intellectual honesty I turned the question around on myself:

Posit Trump vs. any other Republican nominee. Who would you pull the lever for?

As I contemplated actually voting for Reagan, I wondered if this is how the Rs are feeling right now.
posted by whuppy at 4:31 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Oh wow. Series 3 of Amazon's Alpha House sounds fucking amazing:

Gingrich, Giuliani, Priebus Eyed for Top Jobs in Trump White House: Sources

Donald Trump's cabinet-in-waiting is taking shape in the final days of the race, as aides eye a number of Trump loyalists for major posts should he win on Tuesday.

Among the names being considered, according to conversations with three campaign advisers who requested anonymity to speak freely: Rudy Giuliani for attorney general, Newt Gingrich for secretary of state, retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn for defense secretary or national security adviser, Trump finance chairman Steve Mnuchin for Treasury secretary, and Republican National Committee finance chair Lew Eisenberg for commerce secretary.

posted by garius at 4:32 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

DAMN it garius. You had me excited for a second.
posted by thebrokedown at 4:36 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Donald Trump's cabinet-in-waiting is taking shape in the final days of the race

Sarah Palin for Secretary of the Inferior.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 4:41 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

As a whole, Oregon and Washington have shown they have enabled significantly more citizens to vote

Empirically, vote by mail has no consistent effect of increasing turnout. The best study of vbm, in my opinion, is Kousser and Mullins. They used a matching algorithm to compare California precincts that were entirely vote by mail to similar precincts that were in-person, to get as close as possible to the unattainable ideal of a controlled random experiment.

They found that vbm actually *reduces* turnout. Their study isn't organized around finding why that would be, but counterintuitive non-effects or perverse effects are pretty common in the electoral-schemes world.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 4:42 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

@ZekeJMiller:
Clinton camp offl: This weekend alone, Clinton volunteers in battleground states made nearly 14.5 million voter-to-voter contacts

@evale72:
So roughly they did in one weekend what rnc says they did in entire campaign
posted by chris24 at 4:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [43 favorites]

Posit Trump vs. any other Republican nominee. Who would you pull the lever for?

Bush I and II, yes.
Reagan, yes.
Dole, yes.
McCain, yes.
Romney, yes.
posted by Talez at 4:44 AM on November 7, 2016 [35 favorites]

The Senate race here between Bayh and Young is now a dead heat, with Young making big gains against Bayh in the past couple of weeks, thanks largely to his PAC supporters hitting us with a withering flood of ads while Bayh seems to have all but disappeared from the tube. Unless he's bought every available ad spot tonight, I think Bayh is going to turn what was thought to have been a fairly sure victory into a crushing defeat. Fuck!

Our Governor race is deadlocked, too.

Rain is forecast tomorrow here. That doesn't traditionally bode well for Democrats here.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:45 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

And then there is the other obvious thing we could be doing, which is making the second Tuesday of November a national holiday.

Holidays are fun but election day is the first Tuesday after the first Monday, not the second Tuesday.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 4:45 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

@MarcACaputo:
1 Sunday of in-person early voting in FL helps Ds widen lead by 52k, now lead Rs by 87k in total early/absentee vote http://politi.co/2eeZgXU
posted by chris24 at 4:47 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

SEPTA strike resolved! So we'll have service Tuesday.

Awesome! I'm glad to hear the unnecessary election-day scabbing schemes people cooked up won't get the chance to go into action, but I'm even more glad to hear that the workers won.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 4:48 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

I am in the middle of a huge IT migration at work which has been keeping me awake the parts of the night where I'm not worried about the election. Tomorrow is not only election day, it is our project go live and I need to be in the office at 7:30 to watch them flip the switch.

Today I ran to Zara and bought myself a pantsuit, which I plan to wear to the go-live with my Black Lives Matter tee shirt. (I work for a company where they'll look at the suit more oddly than the tee shirt. I love my corporate job.)

I'm trying not to be nervous about either the go live or the election, but failing miserably at this ambition. Thanks to these election threads for keeping me reading, relatively sane, and thinking. Metafilter and Pantsuit Nation have literally saved me in these last weeks. Sigh.
posted by frumiousb at 4:50 AM on November 7, 2016 [40 favorites]

They found that vbm actually *reduces* turnout. Their study isn't organized around finding why that would be, but counterintuitive non-effects or perverse effects are pretty common in the electoral-schemes world.

The obvious supposition would be that it's easier to organize people to do something that deviates from their routine on a specific day when everyone else is doing it. Texas has about two weeks of early voting and at multiple locations, not just a single county office, and on weekends. I stood in a stupidly long line to vote in the primary because I didn't actually get myself to the polls in those two weeks, despite intending to. I would bet you that my brother who lives in Seattle hasn't turned in his ballot--it might be filled it, but it won't have been dropped off (guess I should call him).

IIRC, the thing that states with very high turnout rates have in common is same-day registration.
posted by hoyland at 4:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

if we voted by carrier pigeon, half the republicans in some areas would be on their roofs with rifles

That's how they started the private car industry, killing all the pigeons that could have passengers.
posted by spitbull at 4:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

Y'all are my pantsuit nation. Thank you.
posted by Golem XIV at 4:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

@mattmfm:
Final national polls:
NBC/SM: Clinton +6
Ipsos: Clinton +4
NBC/WSJ: Clinton +4
ABC/WaPo: Clinton +4
Herald: Clinton +4
Bloomberg: Clinton +3
posted by chris24 at 4:52 AM on November 7, 2016 [23 favorites]

LA Times Tracker: Trump +5

If I have to know that bullshit so do you.
posted by Justinian at 4:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

Not even the LA Times believes that poll.
posted by kyrademon at 4:57 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

As a follow up to my earlier comment. The 45 million means Clinton volunteers contacted 1/3 of the total expected U.S. electorate. (And an even higher percentage of the swing state electorate.)

@ABCPolitics:
NEW: Clinton camp says it made 14.5m voter contacts in swing states this weekend, for a total of 45m since start of early voting. -@ABCLiz
posted by chris24 at 4:57 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

kind of weird to come at it from an angle of, "he failed because he wasn't Republican enough".

That's not what I said, at all. It's not that he's not Republican enough - he's a poor choice in general. He lied about his resume and his record - and his resume and record are paper-thin to begin with. I've met him in person and he totally lacks the seriousness and maturity I want to see in a Senator. He's a rich kid who went into politics because his dad was able to pay for him to do that, and he found a good House seat to run for. Now he's elevated to running for Senate because Grayson was a total wacko and ??? (I still can't get over the idea that there was no one else better for this race - there has to have been.) There is no particular cause, interest, or passion that appears to be driving him other than "I wanna be a Senator."

None of this is reason to vote for Rubio over him. But I can see exactly why someone would go "Well Rubio totally sucks, but he's done X Y Z for my state/community during his time, so I'll keep the sucky politician I know rather than going with this probably also-sucky new guy." Or even "It's important to me to have Latino/Hispanic representation in the Congress, and if they both suck, I'm going to go with the guy whose background is like mine."
posted by sallybrown at 4:59 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

If give the choice between Nixon and Trump, I would have a hard time. Nixon was an insane rattlesnake. But I would even vote for Bush II over Trump. Never thought I'd say that.

Thank heavens the SEPTA strike is over. I was ready to get the Honda out and drive people, and I don't drive much.
posted by Peach at 5:01 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

If Priebus leaves the RNC, two close Trump allies could be considered to take his position. Trump's team is talking about former campaign manager and current CNN contributor Corey Lewandowski or current deputy campaign manager David Bossie as possible options.

So if he wins, Trump is not only planning on staffing his administration with incompetent apparatchiks, he'd wholly remake the party as the Party of Trump and subrogate the "establishment" wing entirely.
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:02 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Silver's analysis missed Trump altogether, his big marquee percentage doesn't actually mean anything for 99/100 of his largely innumerate readers, and his vaunted model has swung from 'Clinton is a slight favourite' to 'Clinton will DEFINITELY WIN unless a meteor hits' and back

The highest the polls-plus number ever got was 85.3%.
posted by dfan at 5:02 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

On Tuesday, @IlhanMN (Ilhan Omar) is set to become first Somali-American to ever be elected to state legislature in our country. And she's a Minnesotan.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:04 AM on November 7, 2016 [82 favorites]

She will be 100% on Wednesday so that's something.
posted by ian1977 at 5:04 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Clinton to win that is.
posted by ian1977 at 5:04 AM on November 7, 2016

Good luck, USA. Do your best then have a refreshing beverage (or three).
posted by harriet vane at 5:04 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Gingrich, Giuliani, Priebus Eyed for Top Jobs in Trump White House: Sources

My favorite part, emphasis mine: Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, a loyal supporter, has taken a major role managing the transition effort, especially as the official transition chief, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, has drifted from the campaign. It's not clear Christie is being considered for a significant role in a potential administration either.

I wish I could speak eloquently on this, but all that's coming out is HAHAHAHHAhahahahah AHAHAHAHahahahh HAHAHAHAhahahahah
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:08 AM on November 7, 2016 [68 favorites]

He lied about his resume and his record - and his resume and record are paper-thin to begin with. I've met him in person and he totally lacks the seriousness and maturity I want to see in a Senator. He's a rich kid who went into politics because his dad was able to pay for him to do that, and he found a good House seat to run for. Now he's elevated to running for Senate because Grayson was a total wacko and ??? (I still can't get over the idea that there was no one else better for this race - there has to have been.) There is no particular cause, interest, or passion that appears to be driving him other than "I wanna be a Senator."

Just to follow up on my own comment. Do you know how old Murphy is? He is 33. Is he some kind of child prodigy or someone who got drafted to run because of some amazing community project he led in his young life? NO. He is 33 years old and got slotted to run against Rubio in a swing state, with nothing of note on his record. That was a dumb as hell decision. I'm really mad about it, because I think Rubio is a big NOTHING as well and the way he endorsed Trump disgusted me and I wanted to see him put out of a job. But there's no way to slice this that looks good on us as Dems.
posted by sallybrown at 5:11 AM on November 7, 2016 [36 favorites]

Gingrich, Giuliani, Priebus Eyed for Top Jobs in Trump White House: Sources

This reads best when you read it as fanfic, which it is...because it's never going to happen.
posted by sallybrown at 5:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

What is a "mazel tov cocktail?"
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

He lied about his resume and his record - and his resume and record are paper-thin to begin with. I've met him in person and he totally lacks the seriousness and maturity I want to see in a Senator. He's a rich kid who went into politics because his dad was able to pay for him to do that, and he found a good House seat to run for. Now he's elevated to running for Senate because Grayson was a total wacko and ??? (I still can't get over the idea that there was no one else better for this race - there has to have been.) There is no particular cause, interest, or passion that appears to be driving him other than "I wanna be a Senator."

Chuck Schumer hates Alan Grayson, and never met a Wall Street "democrat" that he didn't love, therefore, Murphy. Yes, there surely was someone else in Florida, but Schumer didn't care to recruit anyone else once the word came down from the big money to endorse Daddy's boy Murphy.
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:13 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Meh, Trump surprised everyone and is throwing everything off, so Silver missing that isn't a big thing.

The real issue is why did everyone miss the part of the population that Trump is appealing to?

This is common knowledge that isn't actually true. trump performed more or less exactly at his polling throughout the primaries. Nate edged his primary model against that and was blindsided, which probably accounts for over correcting in the opposite direction with his current model. In this case, however, there is actually under-reporting of POC likely voters, I think.

Also, much as we'd all like to, I don't think anyone is missing anything that the deplorables are doing as they kick and scream their way into irrelevance. Go to Salon.com or something for the latest dewy eyed thinkpiece about how it's actually the left's fault for not catering more-so to white middle America.
posted by codacorolla at 5:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

I don't know of anyone wanting to give up Oregon's voting process once they've experienced it

I hate WA's vote by mail system with the passion of a thousand burning suns, and it's very similar. Mostly because of what holgate was talking about - voter intimidation at home. I promise you it is 100% real. These guys know the exact day ballots arrive and schedule ballot-filling together. It discourages women from voting the way that they would want to in elections like these.
posted by corb at 5:24 AM on November 7, 2016 [80 favorites]

The real issue is why did everyone miss the part of the population that Trump is appealing to?

One of the things that struck me the most when i was out canvassing yesterday was the people in those communities were being legitimately neglected and left behind. I don't know what black and white relations were like in that neighborhood because at least judging from the houses they appeared to be in similar economic conditions - but the divide in party lines by (generally) race was clear.

Even meeting the angry whites that were turning away from Hillary in the places I canvassed, all I could think about was "you know what, if I was in a similar economic situation here I'd be angry as fuck too. If things haven't improved over the past decade for a member of this community, I'd also be angry as fuck."

When Hillary wins, its incredibly important to me that they took a hard look at the communities like in PA that's been fucked and puts in real efforts to bring change to those communities, regardless of race and regardless of whether they bought into the Trump appeal to racism.
posted by Karaage at 5:25 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

voter intimidation at home. I promise you it is 100% real. These guys know the exact day ballots arrive and schedule ballot-filling together. It discourages women from voting the way that they would want to in elections like these.

Strongly seconded.
posted by tilde at 5:26 AM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

I don't agree with Chuck Schumer on much, but on hating Alan Grayson? Absolutely. That hypocrite never deserved the accolades he received for being loud.
posted by spitbull at 5:27 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

What is a "mazel tov cocktail?"

$20 SAIT
posted by Reverend John at 5:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

As for making Tuesday a national holiday .... Voting should be a multi day event, Friday through Tuesday.

Since we can't just snap our fingers, start with pushing Federal money to states who expand voting days to pay for it all - space, hardware, training, etc. also national service recognition for working the polls (not sure what. Right now if I want to be a poll worker I have to be able to take time off of work for training and to do it... assuming I'm working). Maybe cover polling place working like leave for the military and FMLA - pay gapping and guaranteed holding of your job while you are in service.
posted by tilde at 5:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Also, much as we'd all like to, I don't think anyone is missing anything that the deplorables are doing as they kick and scream their way into irrelevance.

This is a dangerous point of view to take on a group of people that we're worried might represent a large enough number to elect a president.

Go to Salon.com or something for the latest dewy eyed thinkpiece about how it's actually the left's fault for not catering more-so to white middle America.

The left didn't build the mill these people are grist for, but it's on us if we don't do what we can to disassemble it. We don't have to cater to their hate and their sense of entitlement to make things better for everybody.
posted by Mooski at 5:38 AM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

Surely the proper cocktail to drink if Trump implodes is a White Russian?

And add that to the list of Things Trump Ruined? Stay out of Lebowski, Trump.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:40 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

This is from yesterday, but bears repeating: 144 years ago today Susan B. Anthony tried to vote for the first time. And was fined $100.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:45 AM on November 7, 2016 [32 favorites]

I'm with folks on the "538 Is Not As Insightful As It Think It Is" mainly because they seem to do a whole lot of hedging. If I wanted no clear insight, then I'd turn on cable news.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:46 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

What is a "mazel tov cocktail?"

Replace the gin with Manischewitz.
posted by dannyboybell at 5:46 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

NC #earlyvote change from same day 2012:
Dem -30,561 (-2.3%)
Rep +104,889 (+11.9%)
Unaffiliated +226,517 (+38.9%)

Republican vote suppression has been really effecitve in NC, and the final RCP polling average has shifted to Trump +1.7, although some of that is due to late polls from Republican firms showing Trump +5 and +2, and the questionable surveymonkey poll at +7. Regardless, it's not great for Clinton or the Senate.
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:46 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Vote-by-mail without an in-person option is unacceptable because of the possibility of coercion, but as long as the mailed-in ballots can be replaced with a subsequent ballot AND there are days (plural) where people can show up in person to change any vote that was coerced, I think the positive gains that come from vote-by-mail outweigh the combined possibility of (a) coercion at home for vote-by-mail and (b) an inability to use one of these other mechanisms to change the coerced vote. We can't just look at the drawbacks of vote-by-mail without noting that there are advantages, and ways to mitigate the downside. As long as in-person voting continues to exist, there's no good reason vote-by-mail can't be added to increase participation.
posted by tonycpsu at 5:47 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

I'm ridiculously relieved to hear about the SEPTA strike. I was really worried about that.

GOTV update number one: I'm losing my voice. I work from 8-5 today, which involves a lot of talking, and then I'm scheduled to go to the staging location and make confirmation calls for tomorrow. Please send voice-holding-up vibes my way.

GOTV update number two: locally, the unsung heroes of this election have been members of the Sudanese community, who have worked incredibly hard to help other Sudanese-Americans here vote. This is something they've done pretty much entirely by their own initiative, and I don't think the official Clinton operation is set up very well to help their efforts. I understand that they're probably too small a community to register with the national party, but they're highly motivated and pretty invested in this election, and I really wish we had better ways to support local efforts that don't entirely jibe with our larger strategy. We keep giving them walk packets that are based on address, rather than language or culture, and a lot of our best door-knockers aren't entirely comfortable with English. They've also had much better luck working their networks than going door-to-door. I really wish we could hire a bilingual, bicultural young person from the community to coordinate with the campaign and then give our Sudanese volunteers the resources they need to design and implement their own strategy, because I think they have a better sense of what works than the national headquarters does.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:47 AM on November 7, 2016 [29 favorites]

Grayson beat his wife for two decades and was also complete monster during the divorce. When questioned he shoved a reporter. That's why he lost the primary to Murphy.
posted by humanfont at 5:47 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

No one is defending Grayson, the question is why was baby-Republican Murphy the only other option.
posted by T.D. Strange at 5:49 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Surely the proper cocktail to drink if Trump implodes is a White Russian?

An Orange Fizz, Shirley!
posted by jferg at 5:49 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Stay out of Lebowski, Trump.

Would you say Donnie's out of his element?
posted by J.K. Seazer at 5:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

Posit Trump vs. any other Republican nominee. Who would you pull the lever for?

Trump v. Nixon? Nixon. He at least knew something about government work and could keep a civil tongue in his head in public.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I'm a straight white cis guy. I was a Republican for 20 years. I grew up in South Dakota and then lived in Texas for 15 years. I know a lot of rural, blue collar whites. I know a lot of Republicans. And when I read these Slate pitches about how we need to work with and sympathize with the deplorables, even I go wtf. Because I've spent a lot of time debating and arguing with these people and honestly, if a Republican has embraced Trump they pretty much are deplorable and it's honestly hard for me to see a way to reach them. The racism, sexism, resistance to facts and information is so engrained that it's hard to even communicate with them. They literally have created their own reality and won't - can't - believe the sky is blue if a Democrat says so.

Obviously I changed sides, so it's not impossible, but that was during the period of 2004-8. If a Republican stayed through the increasing insanity, partisanship, know-nothingness of the Obama years, and then went Trump... Good luck.
posted by chris24 at 5:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [61 favorites]

Could Trump or Clinton face impeachment as president?

This Election Has Disgraced the Entire Profession of Journalism
posted by robbyrobs at 5:56 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Gingrich, Giuliani, Priebus Eyed for Top Jobs in Trump White House: Sources

My one criticism of Obama in 2008 was that he picked Biden for VP. It just felt like he said "Oh, shit, I need a VP. Who do I know?" and stuck his head out of his office in the Senate and there was Joe Biden hanging out in the hall, and hey presto, there's the Vice President. (Okay, it's worked out all right and it's been fun having Diamond Joe around, but let's face it, there were always better people to take the big chair if something happened, and that should be the first criterion by a long shot.)

This is that in spades. There's not a single person in that list who isn't personally known to Trump. He has no ability to pick a person based on anything but "Oh, shit, I need an entire Cabinet. Who do I know?" and sticking his head out of his office.
posted by Etrigan at 5:58 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

One of the things that struck me the most when i was out canvassing yesterday was the people in those communities were being legitimately neglected and left behind.

The thing is, the notion that this kind of community represents the bulk of Trump supporters has been repeatedly debunked. Trump's supporters tend to have higher household incomes than the median (it varies by state, but this ranges from slightly-above-median to well-above-median). They're also largely not working in fields that are being impacted by trade policy, immigration, etc, and are not disproportionately impacted by unemployment.

This is not to discount the fact that there are communities that are not being served by our government policies, nor is it to say there's nobody at all who is in a tough spot is supporting Trump because they think he's going to save them. However, the sad reality is that Trump's support is primarily coming from people who are doing fine financially, but are desperate to cling to the white (and mostly male) privilege they see eroding year by year.
posted by tocts at 5:58 AM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

TD Strange: the question in NC how all those unaffiliated voters will break. They trend younger, which is good, but not a slam dunk. All we can do with NC is wait. It'll be close.
posted by showbiz_liz at 5:58 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

"But if a dog whistle is so low that white people dont even know they're hearing it, is it still a dog whistle?"

Joe Scarborough is aggressively stupid.
posted by schadenfrau at 5:58 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

Posit the rich asshole vs. any other Republican nominee. Who would you pull the lever for?

There's an argument to be made that Cruz could have been even worse.
Ben Carson is just as crazy as Butternut, but might go Carson because he seems like he might be slightly less rage-filled.
All of the rest of them are probably preferable to the Julius Gone Bad, but goddamn this is a horrible game.
posted by mcstayinskool at 6:00 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Joe Scarborough is aggressively stupid.

Seriously, it's like he goes out of his way to be stupider than he has to be.
posted by dis_integration at 6:00 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

I think the positive gains that come from vote-by-mail

What gains are you thinking of? Vote by mail doesn't increase turnout. You can think of reasons why it might, but empirically the best evidence is that, if anything, it reduces turnout.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:00 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Yeah, my first impulse on reading Craggs' piece was to run the URL through search, and I was bummed it was already posted. It's worth reading.

(It's also worth noting that, for all its faults, Gawker shepherded the most ridiculous agglomeration of talent into the public eye since Spy.)
posted by thecaddy at 6:02 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

538* puts odds of Democrats taking Senate now under 50%.

Goddamnit Evan Bayh.

*I know, I know
posted by leotrotsky at 6:04 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

I also spent this morning fighting myself on the subway not to start preaching that everyone should vote and tell people the numbers to call if they are impeded. It wound up being an oddly empty train, but I did head into work an hour earlier than usual today.
posted by thecaddy at 6:04 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

> Joe Scarborough is aggressively stupid.
> Seriously, it's like he goes out of his way to be stupider than he has to be.

"He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it."
posted by Fiberoptic Zebroid and The Hypnagogic Jerks at 6:05 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

The poor object to being governed badly; the rich to being governed at all
G.K. Chesterton
posted by robbyrobs at 6:06 AM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

We still don’t know the outcome of the 2016 election, in which our “democratic process” has produced two candidates widely despised by the American people, but we do know the race’s biggest loser: reporters and the profession of journalism ...We have two unbelievably shitty candidates, neither of whom is fit to lead the country.

So wait, you're criticizing the profession of journalism, and then immediately going with a 'both sides are the same' narrative?

Is this a bit? Are you doing a bit?
posted by leotrotsky at 6:08 AM on November 7, 2016 [50 favorites]

you people who keep obsessively refreshing 538 are only encouraging him
posted by entropicamericana at 6:09 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

Steve Inskeep on NPR's Morning Edition, just now: "Just to drop a little reporting in here..."

WHY START NOW, STEVE?
posted by entropicamericana at 6:11 AM on November 7, 2016 [61 favorites]

EVAN BAYH YOU TOTAL DICKHOLE. Srsly, Indiana, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 6:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

So wait, you're criticizing the profession of journalism, and then immediately going with a 'both sides are the same' narrative?

It's worse than that, he then goes into paragraphs and paragraphs pulling Clinton apart and then puts in a few "Don't get me wrong, Trump is awful too but..." and then more Clinton bashing.

Maybe it's some sort of meta-performance art?
posted by like_neon at 6:13 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

One of the questions people should be looking into regarding polls after the election is how many voters weren't considered "likely" enough to be counted and what that says about the polls. If, for example, there does turn out to be an "unexpectedly" high turn out for hispanic and latinx voters, one might question the racial attitudes taken by the polls and those who rely on them given how scant the history is with some voters and how race plays into that history.

If Silver's method is relying on "undecided" voters for his excessively broad range of possibilities, and it turns out that it was uncounted voters that make the swing, then, even if his projection is closer on the high side, his base assumptions could still be quite off. So too I have to wonder about the idea of looking at undecideds in this election and speculating they could go either way, leading to that could be close with Trump maybe even winning, but could be a blow out for Clinton. Both possibilities can't be true simultaneously, just pointing to the undecided voters and throwing up ones hands has some meaning and isn't just a neutral statement or effect on its own even if there is math behind it. His headlines emphasized the possible closeness of the race, not the possible blow out, that too can have an effect on the election. I'm not keen on 538 and the other aggregators using the election as a math experiment while broadcasting their results in general, especially when there are some questionable assumptions about agency and history involved.

It may of course be that Silver or one of the other poll aggregators is right on the money with their projections, I'll still question the value of the exercise given how much emphasis people put on them. It reminds me in some sense of the continued growth of advanced statistical analysis in sports, the drive to make sports more predictable where predictable sports would be the death of the very thing they are seeking to measure.
posted by gusottertrout at 6:14 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I am absolutely livid over the FBI/Comey thing. Can I at least hope he'll lose his job or something over this? I understand he didn't really do anything illegal - but there must be some restitution.

At the very least he just made a giant mockery of the FBI.
posted by INFJ at 6:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Dude is writing an op-ed for the paper run by Trump's son-in-law. Of course he's going to go all-in with the Clinton-bashing and "both sides" narrative.
posted by zombieflanders at 6:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

—and I personally find it troubling that she put classified information on a private server that was almost certainly obtained by foreign intelligence services —

Didn't we just go through an FBI investigation that determined - twice - that this was not true?
posted by Flashman at 6:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [30 favorites]

No one is defending Grayson, the question is why was baby-Republican Murphy the only other option.

Pam Keith didn't get a lot of airtime, money, or votes.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/senate/fl/florida_senate_democratic_primary-5378.html

This race (Keith) was the reason I stayed a registered Dem through this election (originally switched from NPA to vote in the Dem primary (Clinton Vs Obama many moons ago)).
posted by tilde at 6:17 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I sort of wonder how much people know that the government classifies a mountain of trivial crap every day - are they under the impression that the plans to our secret robot-dogs-who-shoot-bees-from-their-mouth were being emailed around?
posted by thelonius at 6:18 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

TPM: Reid: Comey’s All Clear On Clinton Emails Proof He Should Have Kept Quiet:

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Sunday that FBI Director James Comey’s letter announcing that nothing was found in emails tied to Hillary Clinton’s private email server was proof that he should never have raised the issue to Congress in the first place.

“Director Comey created a political firestorm eleven days before a presidential election merely to confirm what we already knew: that Secretary Clinton’s email practices were legal,” Reid wrote in a statement obtained by NBC.

posted by palindromic at 6:19 AM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

Not that we don't all already know it, but if you need something to convince friends:

WIRED: Yes, Donald Trump, the FBI Can Vet 650,000 Emails in Eight Days

"One former FBI forensics expert even tells WIRED he’s personally assessed far larger collections of data, far faster. “You can triage a dataset like this in a much shorter amount of time,” says the former agent, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid any political backlash. “We’d routinely collect terabytes of data in a search. I’d know what was important before I left the guy’s house.”
...

"The real question, wrote cybersecurity consultant Rob Graham in his blog, isn’t how the FBI managed to conclude its investigation in eight days. It’s how it managed to take so long. “Computer geeks have tools that make searching the emails extremely easy,” wrote Graham. “Given those emails, and a list of known email accounts from Hillary and associates, and a list of other search terms, it would take me only a few hours to reduce the workload from 650,000 emails to only a couple hundred, which a single person can read in less than a day."
posted by chris24 at 6:19 AM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Whether or not the D's win or lose the Senate by a few votes, is it possible that a few Rs will decide to caucus with the D's once in a while?
posted by Room 641-A at 6:21 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

The Left Wing's Trump
He’s an obnoxious millionaire New Yorker, a populist with a sketchy business, and party leaders hate him. Also: Alan Grayson is a Democrat.
posted by robbyrobs at 6:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Whether or not the D's win or lose the Senate by a few votes, is it possible that a few Rs will decide to caucus with the D's once in a while?

Under a Democratic President? Not likely. There will be the occasional quiet vote that benefits a particular GOP Senator's particular state, but that'll be about it.
posted by Etrigan at 6:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Whether or not the D's win or lose the Senate by a few votes, is it possible that a few Rs will decide to caucus with the D's once in a while?

Whatever their other failings, the GOP seems to have a tighter grip on its people in terms of staying in lockstep. It's not impossible, but I do think it's unlikely.
posted by Mooski at 6:23 AM on November 7, 2016

Puzzled Brit here: watching a live feed of CNN (via YT)... it's been broadcasting a Trump clip with him saying "it's impossible to check 650,000 emails in eight days". The two show hosts do not challenge this. Trump gets a pass. Why?
posted by Mister Bijou at 6:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Whether or not the D's win or lose the Senate by a few votes, is it possible that a few Rs will decide to caucus with the D's once in a while?

If they know what's good for the country and the choose to act on what is good for the country...then perhaps.
posted by tilde at 6:23 AM on November 7, 2016

I am absolutely livid over the FBI/Comey thing. Can I at least hope he'll lose his job or something over this?

James Fallows posted a short piece this morning arguing that neither Clinton nor Obama should fire him in order to keep the norm in place that the FBI director serves out the appointed term (Bill Clinton firing William Sessions for ethics violations in the 90s notwithstanding) but that he should resign after the election. I'm sensitive to the norm argument since this election has been characterized by all sorts of dangerous norm-breaking, but I guess I'm willing to be more aggressive than that because I'd be happy if Obama called him in and fired him on November 9th for such a flagrant overstep. The Republicans would crow about it loudly, but at this point I don't see how it would create a materially different situation from the one we already have with Jason Chaffetz promising years more of baseless re-investigations of the same old shit.

is it possible that a few Rs will decide to caucus with the D's once in a while?

That seems extremely unlikely in the current political climate. Even the ones who have been in the Senate for a generation--and were thus exposed to the earlier norms--seem to be completely lost to the madness of the times.
posted by Kosh at 6:25 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

and then choose to act on what is good for the country.

So that's a no then.
posted by chris24 at 6:25 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Could Trump or Clinton face impeachment as president?

Given that a handful of Republicans have already come out publicly that they intend to impeach Clinton asap, then, yes, at least one of the candidates just might.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:26 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Posit Trump vs. any other Republican nominee. Who would you pull the lever for?

Yzma. Which lever is it again?
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:26 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

Whether or not the D's win or lose the Senate by a few votes, is it possible that a few Rs will decide to caucus with the D's once in a while?

Sure, maybe on the NDAA and minor bills like renaming shit after Reagan or something. But the last 8 years has shown that they live for obstruction. Anything less than 50 and I'll be surprised if we get back to 9 SCOTUS judges in the next 4 years, if ever (I don't trust Isaakson as far as I can throw him). And that doesn't even begin to cover stuff like a new VRA, reauthorizing VAWA and similar bills, or really anything that remotely looks even center-of-left.
posted by zombieflanders at 6:27 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

In the "who would you vote for?" game, try this alternate reality scenario.

Wikileaks breaks very early, front-loaded with all the worst stuff, plus Comey and a few others weaken Clinton before primary season, opening the doors to wider candidates. There's Sanders, there's Warren, there's O'Malley, a few others... and Trump as a Democrat. The "true left" never takes him seriously and continues fighting among themselves, with each of the left candidates polling in the teens to 20s, leaving his deplorable center-right coalition and its 31% alone until it's too late and he takes the nomination.

On the other side, the Republicans have a quick contest that sees "fresh blood" Rubio fall to the old guard with the solid campaign team, Vice President Dick Cheney.

So it's Trump (D) vs. Cheney (R). Who do you choose?

Do you pick the deplorable outsider who took over your party, or the reviled opponent you've hated for decades? Remember, the Supreme Court is also at stake, with a Democratic Trump saying he'll let the party pick his nominees while Cheney's lined up some young hard right justices. Some part of me thinks this is how a few GOP voters feel about their choices. Do you pick party, principles, or country?
posted by GhostintheMachine at 6:27 AM on November 7, 2016 [28 favorites]

Dude, fire the guy! Comey either made an incredibly bad judgment call under pressure from people around him, in which case he's not a good fit, or he was actively partisan for really, really dumbshit reasons that transparently have nothing to do with the good of the nation. Either way, fire a person like that when you have the chance. Democrats never hit back, and they should start.
posted by Frowner at 6:28 AM on November 7, 2016 [30 favorites]

The first point of Josh Marshall's Election Observation Potpourri #4 provides a solid rejoinder to the lamentations that black voter turnout is lower this year than in 2012:

We've seen a lot of discussion of lower African-American turnout this year compared to 2012. There's been speculation that that is tied to Barack Obama not being on the ballot. But now that early voting is coming to an end we can see that's not the real story. In most cases, African-American turnout in the early vote is actually up - except in the places where state legislatures took the most aggressively steps to limit African-American voting. Most specifically in North Carolina. This is where a federal judge said that the state had specifically designed its new voting laws to limit African-American voting. These are neo-Jim Crow laws. And it's had an effect.

Michael McDonald is one the top academic political scientists working in the field of election data.

[Embedded tweet from McDonald with a chart of change in early voting among black voters between 2016 and 2012 in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and North Carolina. North Carolina alone of these four states showed a decline in black voter early voting.]

It is important to note that people who were early voters can become election day voters and vice versa. So it's certainly possible that the picture could look significantly different when all the votes are counted. It's also true that these numbers have gone up in percentage terms over the course of the voting. They could go up more. Still, there's an obvious difference between these states. And the most obvious explanation is the bundle of voting restrictions and purges in North Carolina.

posted by palindromic at 6:32 AM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

Puzzled Brit here: watching a live feed of CNN (via YT), it's been broadcasting a Trump clip with him saying "it's impossible to check 650,000 emails in eight days". The two show hosts do not challenge this. Trump gets a pass. Why?

Because horserace. And IOKIYAR. And our corporate media is generally terrible to begin with, and only extremely rarely challenges any blatantly false premise offered by a politician. That's a tiny oversight given what else they've failed to challenge from Trump over the past two years.
posted by T.D. Strange at 6:33 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

The real issue is why did everyone miss the part of the population that Trump is appealing to?

I think it is it appears. They're bigoted as fuck, poorly informed, poorly organized, and what they really seem to want is foolish stuff no one else wants. They don't trust politics. To get their vote, run a strong white man and play up his outsider status. Obviously Hillary was never going to be that candidate, and the Republicans haven't been able to cough up someone like that since maybe if you squint at W in the right light.

I've heard these are basically the Perot voters resurfacing. Perot sounds nice right about now.
posted by fleacircus at 6:34 AM on November 7, 2016

it was a while back but ...voter intimidation happens at home just as likely as at the polls...

I was grew up in the 80's in Memphis, Tennessee, in a reliably Republican family. The polling place was in a school on the same block as our house, and I remember going in to vote with my mother every two years. Tennessee had the big electromechanical punchcard machines, then, and she'd flip all the levers and let me push the big green VOTE button. KA-CHUNK KA-CHUNK KA-CHUNK BANG and done. It was so much fun.

In the late 80's my dad went wingnut, and the family went along with him. Then he died (these two developments were unrelated). I became politically aware in the 90's (I think it was the Wall falling that made me start paying attention), and around about Bill Clinton's first election I noticed that what my mom (and increasingly I) believed was closer to the Democratic party platform than the Republican one. She voted and I celebrated for WJC first victory over GHWB, and I was old enough to vote for WJC against Dole.

I started thinking about this in college -- how did my Mom stomach voting for Republicans even though Reagan stood for a whole bunch of stuff she hated? So I asked her.

"Oh, I never voted for Reagan."

"But I was there in the voting booth with you. I saw you pull the lever."

"Did you?" she winked.
posted by Vetinari at 6:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [92 favorites]

Welp. GhostintheMachine, ya got me there. I'd pick Nixon twice, Ford, Reagan twice, Pappy twice, Dole, Dubya once mmmaybe twice, McCain and Romney, but *that* might just be a bridge too far.

And yeah, this game sucks.
posted by whuppy at 6:35 AM on November 7, 2016

So it's Trump (D) vs. Cheney (R). Who do you choose?

Do you pick the deplorable outsider who took over your party, or the reviled opponent you've hated for decades? Remember, the Supreme Court is also at stake, with a Democratic Trump saying he'll let the party pick his nominees while Cheney's lined up some young hard right justices. Some part of me thinks this is how a few GOP voters feel about their choices. Do you pick party, principles, or country?

posted by GhostintheMachine at 9:27 on November 7

See also: this exact mirror-universe scenario posted on Medium 4 days ago by David Malki
posted by duffell at 6:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Since alterna-Trump is promising party judges, is he also then avoiding all that racial and sexist rhetoric or going all out like in our universe? If the former, there is no way most Dems don't support him, the latter? I'm on team President McMullin.
posted by gusottertrout at 6:36 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Just to follow up on my own comment. Do you know how old Murphy is? He is 33. Is he some kind of child prodigy or someone who got drafted to run because of some amazing community project he led in his young life? NO. He is 33 years old and got slotted to run against Rubio in a swing state, with nothing of note on his record. That was a dumb as hell decision. I'm really mad about it, because I think Rubio is a big NOTHING as well and the way he endorsed Trump disgusted me and I wanted to see him put out of a job. But there's no way to slice this that looks good on us as Dems.

As someone who lives in Florida, I really want to know who the rising stars of Florida Democratic Politics are so that I can start supporting them now. Because I get the argument that Murphy isn't the right candidate -- but who the hell that was actually in the field is/was? Who are the people we need to be looking at to run for governor in two years? I mean this sincerely -- I want to help support those folks now so that we aren't in this position again as these big races come up.

Oddly enough, my Mom -- reluctant Hillary supporter who is this close from being a Bernie-or-Buster -- said that she'd be willing to phone bank for Murphy if she could do that directly. She's a big environmentalist in his district and loves him for the work he's put into advocating for the environment. I get the young and non-serious arguments, but it's really hard for me to square MetaFilter's opinion of Murphy with my parents' opinion of Murphy. I get it after someone posted that CBS report, but again... there's some cognitive dissonance there.
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 6:36 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

On a lighter note... I keep on thinking I should invite my Dad to Pantsuit Nation. It seems like every day I get a call from Mom saying that she just doesn't understand how he can be so enthusiastic for Clinton.
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 6:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

NC #earlyvote change from same day 2012:
Dem -30,561 (-2.3%)
Rep +104,889 (+11.9%)
Unaffiliated +226,517 (+38.9%)

This is bad - black early voting is down 65k thanks to voter suppression (when black voting is up in most other states). But the other party of the change is voter registration changes in North Carolina meaning that historic Reagan Democrats in large numbers finally corrected their registration to Republican; there was a 100k swing that way in North Carolina mostly from voters who haven't voted Republican in years.
posted by Francis at 6:38 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

An editorial in the Reno Gazette-Journal from Phil Satre, a former business partner of Trump's - One View: To my fellow Nevadans — we should reject Trump:

I got to know Donald Trump reasonably well in the 1980s — and I will not be voting for him.

34 years ago I was a senior vice president for Harrah’s and was given the responsibility to be Harrah’s representative in a joint venture that created the Harrah’s at Trump Plaza hotel-casino property in Atlantic City. It was a major project at the time, one of the largest ever undertaken by either of our organizations. We had equal ownership, with Trump as the land developer and Harrah’s as the operator. So, over a period of four years I met with Donald frequently, often multiple times a month. It was not a happy marriage, and it ended badly. Before the divorce, I had ample opportunity to form an opinion of him — an opinion that leaves me appalled by the very thought he could become our president. Knowing that how Nevadans vote could determine the outcome in this critical election, I have chosen to relate my experiences and views of Donald Trump.

Harrah’s at Trump Plaza opened in 1984, and within a year we were in litigation with Trump. In 1985 I filed an affidavit with the court over Trump’s claims of mismanagement: Referring to Trump I said, “His written response to my letter of May 10 is characteristic of the bluster, threats, intemperance and unsupported and unsupportable falsehoods that have permeated the correspondence we have received from him and his key management employees almost since the beginning of our partnership.” My opinion of Donald Trump from the 1980s has not changed. The negative publicity about Donald Trump during this campaign — his conduct toward women, his business failures and his explosive temperament — matches my dealings with him.

posted by palindromic at 6:38 AM on November 7, 2016 [34 favorites]

Most people today don’t get their news by going to the home page of CNN or the New York Times. They open a social media app — most often Facebook — and read news stories that pop up in their news feed.
The result has been a disaster for the public’s understanding of current affairs. Reporters have come under increasing pressure to write “clickbait” articles that pander to readers’ worst impulses. Too-good-to-check stories gain more traction online than stories that are balanced and thoroughly reported. That has worsened the nation’s political polarization and lowered the quality of democratic discourse.
posted by robbyrobs at 6:39 AM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Tweetstorm from CEO of polling company TargetSmart that sheds some light on how electorate composition assumptions affect polling.

1) Okay, mini tweetstorm explaining why I see Trump's 3% lead in our latest Ohio tracker poll (http://bit.ly/2fwcYla ) as tenuous

2) Our poll sample included people who have already voted (EV) and a regular poll sample of people who are yet to vote

3) Of the EV, 57% are women, giving HRC a +23% margin. She's -14% w/ EV men... a 37% swing. So, women voters in Ohio are sort of a big deal.

4) That 57% share of the EV is higher than any other battleground state. So there is clearly high intensity there.

5) So, it's reasonable to assume that women will comprise a larger share of the electorate than normal. But we took a conservative approach

6) and weighted our non-EV sample so that the overall poll sample comes out to 52% women, which certainly benefits Trump in the poll

7) My take is that women could comprise as much as 55% of the final total vote in OH, thereby handing Clinton a win. /tweetstorm
posted by chris24 at 6:40 AM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

I made it out of the New Hampshire rally alive. A few thoughts:

- I almost didn't go because I've had ongoing anxiety issues. (I'm sure some of it is related to the election, but I also just started a new job and I feel like I'm in over my head.) I had a minor anxiety attack on Saturday and was worried about attending a huge event where I would be out late. Gentleman Caller, who is supporting Jill Stein despite my best efforts, told me that I needed to go to this. So I did.

- I went up with two women I've volunteered with at Somerville for Hillary. The group has grown huge (there were over 100 canvassers on Saturday!), and at first I thought I didn't know anyone in the car full of Nasty Women. SURPRISE, the girl who coordinated the ride was a fellow knitter with whom I bonded over yarn at a previous canvassing event. Behold, the power of knitting.

- We arrived at the Radisson two hours before the event, and a HUGE line was dominating the lobby of the hotel. With all the police barricades, it felt more like an airline checkpoint than a political rally. Looking around the lobby, I was inspired by the diversity and the general positive energy among Hillary's supporters. (The positive tone Hillary and her staff have taken in the campaign has been refreshing and is one of the things that made me decide to stand #WithHer.)

- The speakers were inspiring. I'm embarrassed to say that I thought of New Hampshire as a hillbilly podunk state, but learning about the political scene up there, finding out that most of the senators and reps up for election are female, and learning about how they're dealing with some of the biggest issues in the state helped me reconsider my previous misconceptions about the Granite State.

- If you're from New England, James Taylor can make you bawl like a tired baby.

- Hillary was a galvanizing speaker who not only has vision, but also has policy plans. (She also has great comic timing, in addition to gravitas.) Listening to her talk about her background and her work with some of her opponents made me proud to vote with her, but I also want to get a beer with her. (Well, a microbrewed root beer, anyway.)

- I can't even begin to wrap my mind around what Khizr Khan and his wife have experienced. I'm so glad he's out there speaking truth to power, and I'm with him no matter how he decides to be an activist.

- The big crowd, lack of movement, and heat in the hall set off my anxiety a few times. My cohort and the people around me checked in with me, and I was moved by the empathy of Hillary's people.

I feel less anxious about what happens tomorrow. I'm stuck between pushing through my anxiety and volunteering (which is what Hillary would want me to do) and backing off a bit for my own well-being. Either way, I'm proud of Hillary, and I'm looking forward to what happens next.
posted by pxe2000 at 6:40 AM on November 7, 2016 [66 favorites]

In re what if we had to pick between (D) Trump and (R) Beelzebub: back in August there was a brief discussion over who the "Democratic version" of Trump would be, and this was the best response IMO:

Left-wing Trump would pander to my WOC anger with aggressive, overheated rhetoric against white people and straight cis men. Saying that all cops are racist pigs and murderers, talking about how white imperialism fucks over the world (kinda "white imperialists founded ISIS!"), blaming alienated white dude culture for mass shootings, etc. He'd propose an unconstitutional gun ban forbidding white men to own weapons and double down on it. Not sure what the equivalent of the border wall would be, but maybe massive large scale reparations? "The reparations just got $10 billion bigger!" Whenever I think about Opposite Trump's talking points, I begin to understand a little of the (disgusting) visceral appeal of an asshole who's our asshole. "Sure, maybe a president shouldn't talk like that...but he's saying what needs to be said!"

And yeah, I think Kanye "George Bush doesn't care about black people" West could be it. He's an unstable narcissist who'd run as a vanity project instead of being bound to any particular ideology. Trump pisses off right wingers (and everyone) by insulting veterans; Kanye would piss off the social justice left wing by calling women bitches. Trump's campaign inner circle is his children; Kanye's would be the Kardashian-Jenner clan. And most importantly, imagine the Kanye campaign tweetstorms! He'd never have to spend a cent on advertising EVER.

posted by J.K. Seazer at 6:40 AM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Gingrich, Giuliani, Priebus Eyed for Top Jobs in Trump White House: Sources

I took note of this: Sources say Kellyanne Conway, Trump's campaign manager, might also decline an administration job after a grueling general election

At first I was surprised that she would not jump at the chance to be Press Secretary or Communications Director but then I put myself in her shoes. She's only been Campaign Manager/Spokesperson for what? 3 months or so? I'm sure she is exhausted. Imagine having to spend four years of "explaining" President Trump's 3 A.M. tweets.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:41 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I may have missed this if it was discussed in one of the 150-some-odd previous threads, so my apologies if so, but: I'm feeling a little disappointed in our adoption of Egg McMuffin as the official MetaFilter Electoral Mascot. Not because of anything I have against Egg, but because I feel like we missed a real opportunity to make him into Evan Macguffin, the interchangeable plot device of this week's episode of 2016: The Series. Will he win Utah's 6 vital electoral votes?! Tune in next week, when we will all have forgotten the answer and his his name until it pops up at Trivia Night next summer.
posted by Mayor West at 6:41 AM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

Even meeting the angry whites that were turning away from Hillary in the places I canvassed, all I could think about was "you know what, if I was in a similar economic situation here I'd be angry as fuck too. If things haven't improved over the past decade for a member of this community, I'd also be angry as fuck."

I am sure your experience is not uncommon, but I can also tell you that my drive to my wife's parents house takes me through areas that are very economically well-off but also have Trump signs on at least one out of every four homes. We know yard signs underestimate actual support, but the fact is a lot of Trump's support isn't coming from the economically disadvantaged. A lot of these people haven't been left behind -- they're simply so worried that they won't be in the driver's seat that they're willing to risk the well-being of all the other passengers to preserve their position.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

BREAKING ON CNN: DRACO MALFOY ENDORSES DONALD TRUMP
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

Mister Bijou: "Puzzled Brit here: watching a live feed of CNN (via YT)... it's been broadcasting a Trump clip with him saying "it's impossible to check 650,000 emails in eight days". The two show hosts do not challenge this. Trump gets a pass. Why?"

Journalists don't see it as their job to point out what the objective truth is. They just repeat what each side says and then say, "well it looks like we have a disagreement here."
posted by octothorpe at 6:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

Sidenote: when do the young talking heads sleep? Is it ever? I'm not sure it's ever. I had MSNBC on last night as I was trying to meet a deadline, and I have it again on this morning as I take another whack at that gd deadline, and I swear the people I saw on at like 10pm were up and in front of a camera by 9am.

Sider side note: I think I have a bit of a crush on Katy Tur, and I know this bc I was disappointed she was not one of the talking heads.

I gotta cancel cable.

On Wednesday.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:44 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Trump closes out campaign with inspiring, poignant message of hate for Jews

Like Sinatra used to say, "always end with a classic or a cover."

Trump in this case opting to do both.
posted by garius at 6:45 AM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

On a lighter note, my quest to #BuskWithTimKaine has gone global thanks to the good folks at Radio TSF.
posted by pxe2000 at 6:45 AM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

I'm trying to find a context in which that makes sense.

I'm starting to think there is no context in which this will make sense to you, or me. At some point it is a question of character, right? Like I don't think there's an equivalent choice -- to support Trump, he just can't bother you that much. You have to be ok, to some extent, with all the things he's said and done.

So I cling to ignorance when I think about 40% of the country being deplorable -- maybe they really just haven't seen stuff? The videos? The reporting? Maybe they just don't know.

But for the rest...I think "deplorable" was a pretty good word choice.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:48 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

So I cling to ignorance when I think about 40% of the country being deplorable -- maybe they really just haven't seen stuff? The videos? The reporting? Maybe they just don't know.

I remind myself there's an entire country of people who have been convinced (or at the very least will not publicly disagree) that this man is a god.

Ignorance and insular culture are not only dangerous, they're handy tools for true deplorables.
posted by Mooski at 6:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

this, from a friend of mine, I think sums up the election and the electorate perfectly:

This morning, in the car, dropping my kids off at school we are talking
N - "It's the 7th? That means in 2 more mornings we will know who the new President is."
Me - "Yep. Hey! Let's do it right now, let's all go around and say who will win. N, who is gonna win?"
N - "Hillary."
Z - "Shrug." (classic Z)
J - "TRUUUMMMPPPP!!!!"
starts laughing maniacally
Me - "N, why do you think Hillary?"
N - "Hillary is the best! I want her to win because she is gonna get rid of guns."
Me - "Wow. ok, that is fair and interesting. J, why do you think..."
i dont finish
J - "TRRUUUMMPPPPP!!!!!!"
Me, laughing, "Ok, big guy. Why do you want Trump?"
J - "I don't know! TRUUUMMMPPP!!!!!"
N - "J, if you dont have a reason, you sound like a crazy person!"
J - "DONNNAAAALLLDDDD TRRRRUUMMMPPP!!!"

posted by Old Kentucky Shark at 6:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [68 favorites]

So if the Senate winds up essentially split, does anyone foresee a R flipping to D? Collins maybe?
posted by waitingtoderail at 6:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Khizr Khan on CNN right now is on-message and pivoting like a pro, tapdancing around the stupid questions like the Savion Glover of talking head shows. How did they find such a perfect surrogate? In another country, in a different future, he'd be a better VP candidate than Kaine.
posted by dis_integration at 6:51 AM on November 7 [2 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]

I would love to have him in Congress. It seems selfish to hope for that, considering what he and his family have already done, but we need people like him.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:54 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

A couple comments deleted. Sorry, but some amount of thought experiments or hypotheticals are going to happen when discussing different scenarios, and this isn't a safe space for not ever hearing anything along the lines of "what if you had to pick between two terrible choices" (ie Trump and Cheney). There's nothing at all to indicate people mentioning that here don't care about people with real life pain.
posted by taz (staff) at 6:54 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

What I'm baffled by is the few people I know who aren't voting, not out of any moral conviction but just because they don't care. I had a friend say to me "Sorry, I'm not into politics," as if it was a tv show she didn't watch.

I've found that there is just a generalized group of people that don't think politics has anything to do with their daily lives. It's something that happens somewhere else. There's no connection.
posted by Jalliah at 6:55 AM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

The latest from Dick Cavett:

"Still keen to hear from a Falwell type evangelical why gospel folk want the Oval Office occupied by a sexual predator.

"Isn't there something, somewhere, about delivering us from evil?"
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:56 AM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

I would love to have him in Congress. It seems selfish to hope for that, considering what he and his family have already done, but we need people like him.

I'd love to see Ghazala Khan in Congress too.
posted by zombieflanders at 6:57 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

What I'm baffled by is the few people I know who aren't voting, not out of any moral conviction but just because they don't care. I had a friend say to me "Sorry, I'm not into politics," as if it was a tv show she didn't watch.

Oh, I totally get that. Disgust at the spectacle, annoyance at the demands of people you don't know well to do something, belief your vote doesn't really matter that much and so on. I've been there myself before. For me it was the angered purposeful apathy at the time, but for a lot it's more a leave me alone with this stuff lighter version. I won't defend it, because one's own decision not to participate isn't something that should be encouraged in others no matter how much you believe it, but, yeah, there were more involved justifications too.
posted by gusottertrout at 6:57 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I would love to have [Khan] in Congress. It seems selfish to hope for that, considering what he and his family have already done, but we need people like him.

I would move back to VA-5 in a heartbeat if it meant I got to vote for him in 2018.
posted by thecaddy at 6:57 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

WaPo: ‘Low information voters’ are a crucial part of Trump’s support

Many commentators have noted what Thomas Edsall has called the “great democratic inversion,” where voters have become more polarized by education — with less-educated voters gravitating to Trump. But focusing only on education obscures another key factor: whether voters have lower levels of knowledge about politics and less interest in using ideas to understand politics. These attributes do not simply reflect voters’ level of formal education.

Our research finds that Trump has attracted a disproportionate (and unprecedented) number of “low-information voters” to his campaign. Furthermore, these voters are more likely to respond to emotional appeals — whether about the economy, immigration, Muslims, racial relations, sexism, and even hostility to the first African American U.S. president, Barack Obama. They are the ideal constituency for a candidate like Trump.

We define low-information voters as those who do not know certain basic facts about government and lack what psychologists call a “need for cognition.” Those with a high need for cognition have a positive attitude toward tasks that require reasoning and effortful thinking and are, therefore, more likely to invest the time and resources to do so when evaluating complex issues. Those with a low need for cognition, on the other hand, find little reward in the collection and evaluation of new information when it comes to problem solving and the consideration of competing issue positions. They are more likely to rely on cognitive shortcuts, such as “experts” or other opinion leaders, for cues.

posted by chris24 at 7:00 AM on November 7, 2016 [32 favorites]

One of the most influential GOP members of the House says Trump's rallies are very diverse because there are people wearing camo
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:00 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

BREAKING ON CNN: DRACO MALFOY ENDORSES DONALD TRUMP

Donald probably offered him a new quidditch stick.
posted by drezdn at 7:01 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Reid/Tur 2024!
posted by spitbull at 7:02 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm sorry to say that in recent days my own neighborhood is sporting the highest density of Trump signs that I've seen in the city limits. (Still not that many, but enough that it's noticeable.)

So, let me elucidate the demographics here because I think it is representative if a pretty big slice of Trump support. My neighborhood is known as the home of a lot of blue collar city employees as well ad first responders. Water and sewer authority workers, sanitation workers, cops, firefighters, etc... They are not unemployed nor are they poorly paid (they will certainly all get far far better retirements than I will). The houses here are 50s vintage 2-3 bedroom with nice yards and a suburban feel. The neighborhood is unusually racially integrated for Pittsburgh, but there is a split between the mostly black and the mostly white sides of the main road. There are plenty of black folks on the mostly white side and vice versa, and more and more mixing is going on. Many of these Trump supporters have black neighbors, but they are middle class blacks and probably described by the Trumpists as "the good kind." Anyway, no one would describe this neighborhood as poor or downtrodden, nor is it wealthy and suburban. The vast majority of houses are owner-occupied, purchased for 5 figures. It is a really sort of untouched relic of cul de sacs and manicured little lawns with 2.5 kids and I think some of the white people who live here are afraid of losing that to either "those people" who live in the bordering poor black community to the south or to tech hipster gentrifiers from the Brooklyn wannabe neighborhood to the north.

They really have nothing to worry about though. Pittsburgh's prosperity relies on higher education, medicine and technology. The more diverse, educated population we can bring in from all around the world, the better off we will all be.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:03 AM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

voter intimidation at home. I promise you it is 100% real. These guys know the exact day ballots arrive and schedule ballot-filling together. It discourages women from voting the way that they would want to in elections like these.

Thirded.

Do you want women in patriarchal communities voting their will and not their husbands's?

Then get them out of the house to vote.
posted by ocschwar at 7:04 AM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

They Always Wanted Trump

Inside Team Clinton’s year-long struggle to find a strategy against the opponent they were most eager to face.
...
Mook took [Trump] so seriously that his team’s internal, if informal, guidance was to hold fire on Trump during the primary and resist the urge to distribute any of the opposition research the Democrats were scrambling to amass against him. That hoarding plan remained in place deep into 2016 as some senior aides stayed convinced that a race against Trump would be a dream for Clinton, but as others kept insisting on tweaking the long-term plans against Rubio and Cruz—convinced the GOP would ultimately coalesce around the Floridian.

posted by kirkaracha at 7:05 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Miami-Dade and Broward County break early voting records on Sunday. (Miami Herald)

Also, they have a video of Rubio early voting on Halloween. Now, I'm not only annoyed that I didn't early vote in costume on Halloween, I'm annoyed that I didn't early vote in costume at a place where I could annoy Rubio in front of cameras.
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 7:06 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Victory Fund 2016 General Election Endorsed Candidates (130 LGBT candidates running for office)
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:06 AM on November 7, 2016

Concerns over a Trump presidency are set to dominate the early days of global climate talks in Morocco.

Some 20,000 participants are meeting in Marrakech for two weeks, starting on Monday, to agree new rules to limit warming on the planet.

These plans were boosted when the Paris Climate Agreement came into force last week.

However Mr Trump, who calls climate change a "hoax", has vowed to cancel the deal if elected.

Signed by 193 countries in the French capital last December, the Paris Agreement is now international law, having been ratified by at least 55 countries representing over 55% of global emissions.

bbc
posted by Mister Bijou at 7:07 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Hillary Clinton’s legacy on STEM is why anyone still uncertain should give her their vote:

Hillary Clinton’s educational reforms were year-round. From seventh through 12th grade, I was able to attend multi-week, residential summer learning programs at small universities across Arkansas that offered middle- and high-schoolers immersive camps in fields like mathematics, theater, geology and more. Charismatic professors taught all of the programs. Most importantly for my family, they were provided by the state of Arkansas at no cost to students. The programs, known as “Academic Enrichment for the Gifted in the Summer” (AEGIS) started in 1984, a year after Hillary Clinton assumed the chair position of the Standards Committee. By the 1990s, AEGIS had ballooned to more than 25 programs serving thousands of students every summer. The program would not have existed without Hillary Clinton’s leadership.

Mathematics and sciences (or what we call “STEM” today) were of particular importance to Clinton. In a 1983 interview with the Associated Press, she remarked, while suggesting that Arkansas had overemphasized athletics, “I think it’s time for getting a little fanatic about math and sciences.” STEM is the foundation of today’s technology industry, and only a handful of pioneers in the public education space had the foresight to appreciate its value for future members of the workforce. By far the most significant impact Hillary Clinton’s educational reforms had in my life was through her work to create a free public boarding school for math and science nerds like me: The Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences (ASMS).

posted by palindromic at 7:07 AM on November 7, 2016 [61 favorites]

After this election, I would really like to see the dnc up their game in states like Texas. The demographics are changing here, and on my ballot, there were vast swaths of races where the republican was running unopposed, or against a lunatic fringe opponent.

We could have taken some judges and some other important administrative elections, if we had just had a D on the damn ballot.

I have joked before about running for office, but the machine in this area is blue dog, incredibly insular and resistant to lefties who want to suggest progressive platforms and candidates. (I could not run for office. There's video of me naked at rainbow family, juggling fire, and that's probably among the tamer videos of my well spent youth. Also, divorced, agnostic, fat,middle-aged and prone to outbursts where Fuck is used like linguistic seasoning.)
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 7:08 AM on November 7, 2016 [32 favorites]

In case anyone is interested in how long it takes to read the first 827 comments in a fresh election thread, it's just shy of the time it takes to fly from New Orleans to Chicago.

*hits reload for last leg of today's flight*
posted by mostly vowels at 7:09 AM on November 7, 2016 [43 favorites]

I'm sorry to say that in recent days my own neighborhood is sporting the highest density of Trump signs that I've seen in the city limits. (Still not that many, but enough that it's noticeable.)

Interesting. I've seen exactly one Trump sign inside Pittsburgh, in Polish Hill, and tons of Hillary signs. I've actually seen more Jill Stein signs, two, then I have Trump signs.
posted by octothorpe at 7:10 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

One Word – Jewish (getting some heavy play in Florida, apparently.)
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:11 AM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

Do you want women in patriarchal communities voting their will and not their husbands's?

Then get them out of the house to vote.

What if they're single, or in a same-sex relationship, or just have trust in their husbands? How about women get to choose how they want to vote? In-person, mail, early, day-of, whatever. Don't tell them to "get out of the house," they may--shocker!--want to vote from there.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:13 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

They Always Wanted Trump

Interesting. It's a continuance of Obama's best trick, that of making the most indefensible person in the conservative movement the spokesperson for the movement.

Unfortunately, I feel like the long-term results, which probably should have been predictable, is that it has made the most indefensible people the spokespeople for conservativism. Hey, undisguised, violent racism, misogyny, antisemitism, know-nothingism, etc. You weren't missed, and it's not great to have you back!

I mean, I can't believe I am pining for the days of the party of the plutocracy, but they wanted me poor, not dead.
posted by maxsparber at 7:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

Interesting. I've seen exactly one Trump sign inside Pittsburgh, in Polish Hill, and tons of Hillary signs. I've actually seen more Jill Stein signs, two, then I have Trump signs.

It's recent, like the last few days, but I passed four houses with signs this morning, and more bumper stickers too.

I did see two Johnson signs in Lawrenceville yesterday. Never change, tech bros.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

The takeaway from the New York Times' latest profile on the Trump campaign already linked above is: The campaign management have finally discovered that the only way to make Trump appealing to anyone beyond his base is to ensure the public sees and hears him as little as possible.

The irony being the Clinton campaign had figured that out a long time ago. The Clinton negative ads that Trump whined about during the debate often consisted simply of footage of Trump himself speaking.
posted by Gelatin at 7:16 AM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

Interesting. It's a continuance of Obama's best trick, that of making the most indefensible person in the conservative movement the spokesperson for the movement.

Pretty sure they did it to themselves.
posted by Artw at 7:17 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

There's video of me naked at rainbow family, juggling fire, and that's probably among the tamer videos of my well spent youth. Also, divorced, agnostic, fat,middle-aged and prone to outbursts where Fuck is used like linguistic seasoning.

You've got my vote.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 7:17 AM on November 7, 2016 [46 favorites]

The takeaway from the New York Times' latest profile on the Trump campaign already linked above is: The campaign management have finally discovered that the only way to make Trump appealing to anyone beyond his base is to ensure the public sees and hears him as little as possible.

The irony being the Clinton campaign had figured that out a long time ago. The Clinton negative ads that Trump whined about during the debate often consisted simply of footage of Trump himself speaking.

Add to that the extent to which the Trump campaign relies on people projecting themselves on Trump and it's like the whole argument for silent protagonists in video games.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:19 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Clinton's election night playlist.
posted by dis_integration at 7:19 AM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

OK, so I have a two hour delay with my testing for work and decided to spend my free time making some phone calls for Hillary. How do i join the Mefites United Team??
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 7:20 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

We should be giving all voters more choices on how to vote. We should be making voting as simple as it can be, period. There should be automatic registration updates granted as soon as you change your residency or marital status or gender identification any other legal modification. There shouldn't be disenfranchisement based on past crimes or the inability to make ends meet or any of the other blatantly bigoted methods conservatives stand behind today.

Anybody who wants to limit the methods to register and vote, or make it more difficult, especially based on gender or race or any other quality, they're the problem. They're the ones who think that basic, universal rights need to be earned instead of granted.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:20 AM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

It's not getting much play, but Trump cancelled a campaign appearance in Wisconsin yesterday. Maybe our days as a swing state are finally over!
posted by drezdn at 7:21 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Add to that the extent to which the Trump campaign relies on people projecting themselves on Trump and it's like the whole argument for silent protagonists in video games.

Oh god, don't add Gordon Freeman to the list of things ruined by this stupid election.

Wait, he's already covered under "any and all videogames culture". phew.
posted by Artw at 7:21 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Interesting. It's a continuance of Obama's best trick, that of making the most indefensible person in the conservative movement the spokesperson for the movement.

We really, really can't blame the liberals here. Clinton didn't trick them into nominating Trump, the Republicans did that on their own, and it's the culmination of a long term, at least 8 year trend. Sarah Palin over-shadowed McCain in 2008, she was the face of that election, not him. And Romney won only because the deplorables could not settle on a standard bearer. Santorum/Gingrich/Bachmann led Romney for months. Republicans didn't suddenly go nuts this year, Clinton didn't make them pick Trump, Obama didn't make them more racist. This is who they've been the entire time.
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:21 AM on November 7, 2016 [69 favorites]

Main thing Obama did to conservatives was be black, successful and popular. That this forced them into an 8 year long campaign of stripping down to their racist core is more their flaw than his.
posted by Artw at 7:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [91 favorites]

the GOP seems to have a tighter grip on its people in terms of staying in lockstep.

"Democrats fall in love; Republicans fall in line."
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Clinton didn't trick them into nominating Trump, the Republicans did that on their own, and it's the culmination of a long term, at least 8 year trend.

More like 48 years. This moment was inevitable from the second Nixon decided to make Southern Whites alienated by the Civil Rights Act a crucial part of the GOP.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:24 AM on November 7, 2016 [43 favorites]

but Trump cancelled a campaign appearance in Wisconsin yesterday. Maybe our days as a swing state are finally over!

Yeah, but in which direction? It could mean he has Wisconsin sewn-up.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:24 AM on November 7, 2016

but as long as the mailed-in ballots can be replaced with a subsequent ballot AND there are days (plural) where people can show up in person to change any vote that was coerced,

Sometimes I really feel like people are not aware of what life looks like for a SAHM in a relatively traditional-gender-roles relationship, even before you get into adding Extra Patriarchal flavors.

It's not like you generally have all day every day to yourself to just do what you want. You have to account for your time, and a two hour ballot changing block is not going to be easy in the same way "Welp, time to do my civic duty now" time blocks are.

People act like getting polling booths is somehow restricting voting, but ignore the fact that vote-by-mail states are mostly /all/ Vote By Mail, and don't offer other options. This isn't a hypothetical, btw - I know actual women here in WA who have voted for Trump even though they hate him because of marital pressure.
posted by corb at 7:24 AM on November 7, 2016 [61 favorites]

Yeah, but in which direction? It could mean he has Wisconsin sewn-up.

The only way Wisconsin is sewn up for Trump is if there has been a consistent ~6-10% polling error in Trump's favor in every public poll for the past year. I can imagine that it might be closer than the polls report because of polling errors, but not enough to make it a clear win for Trump. Maybe he skipped out on Wisconsin because fuck Paul Ryan?
posted by dis_integration at 7:28 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Given that Paul Ryan announced he was going to be on-stage with Trump about 30 minutes before the Trump campaign cancelled, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility!
posted by carsondial at 7:31 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

d'oh, ignore me. If i RTF (Post) there is a metatalk about how to join the team. I am in and making calls to Ohio!
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 7:31 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

palindromic: Hillary Clinton wins Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick The President poll

More from the mouth of babes: last night I was taking about voting on Tuesday with my 5 year old son, and he said "I'd vote for the nicer person, I don't care if they're a man or a woman." We haven't talked about the election much, but we have said that Donald is the worst sort of bully.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:33 AM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

but Trump cancelled a campaign appearance in Wisconsin yesterday. Maybe our days as a swing state are finally over!

Yeah, but in which direction? It could mean he has Wisconsin sewn-up.

If Trump was strategically planning his campaign stops, why the hell was he in Minnesota? Nobody thinks that's going for Trump. It seems more likely that someone got confused, or that the Minnesota stop was some really passive aggressive swipe at Paul Ryan.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Boston-area churches holding election prayer vigils tonight and tomorrow (scroll down a page or two for the list).
posted by adamg at 7:36 AM on November 7, 2016

Paul Ryan is the luckiest man in the world.
posted by Yowser at 7:36 AM on November 7, 2016

More Dick Cavett:

"So this must be the day that he will, as he has over and over promised, release his tax returns before the election? How do you finesse that one these days, sweet Kellyanne?"
posted by Capt. Renault at 7:38 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

mrzarquon: "And then there is the other obvious thing we could be doing, which is making the second Tuesday of November a national holiday."

I don't see that being the pancena people think. For the people most impacted by having to work on election day all it does is trade a variable number of hours of lost wages for eight guaranteed hours of lost wages.
posted by Mitheral at 7:40 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

My municipality went to online voting in our last election. Pass codes were mailed to each voter and you could just log on and vote. My wife and I both got pass codes but she wasn't planning on voting (at first...she eventually did). I realized that I could have *easily* voted twice (I wouldn't have, though) and wondered how many people actually did. One council race was decided by five votes.
In-person, behind a booth, paper ballot voting is the best way to have a fair election.
posted by rocket88 at 7:40 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Tierney Sneed: Dems Ask SCOTUS To Re-Instate Voter Intimidation Order Against Trump Camp:

Democrats made a last-ditch appeal late Sunday to the Supreme Court to re-instate a restraining order against the Donald Trump campaign to prevent voter intimidation tactics, an order that was issued by a federal judge in Ohio on Friday but then halted by an appeals court Sunday.

The Democrats, in their emergency application to the Supreme Court, pointed to procedural issues with the appeals court action. Namely, the panel of 6th Circuit judges blocked the restraining order from being implemented without giving the Democrats a chance to argue directly to the appeals court panel, via briefs or a hearing, in favor of keeping the restraining order in place.

The Democrats' filing also argued in favor of a restraining order on the case's merits.

posted by palindromic at 7:42 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Yeah, but in which direction? It could mean he has Wisconsin sewn-up.

His campaign no longer has internal polling of any kind, and we know from that article yesterday that his advisers were literally dicking around on 270towin and imagining New Mexico - one of the few states that would still be blue if only men voted - as a flippable state. They do not have any secret info about Wisconsin being winnable, and every single public poll says it is utterly out of his reach.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:42 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

Final snapshot: Democrats slight favorites to win the Senate

As the final, frantic hours of the campaign for control of Congress come to a close, Democrats look like slightly-better-than-even favorites to reclaim the Senate, while Republicans appear certain to hold the House after a Donald Trump-induced October scare.

If Democrats manage to flip the Senate, senior party aides and strategists involved in battleground races said they’re looking at a majority of 52 seats, best case. That would be a letdown from their earlier hopes of a 54- or 55-seat advantage and put Republicans in the pole position to win back the chamber in 2018.

Huffington Post's model gives Democrats a 67% chance to take the Senate.

The New York Times' Upshot says 56%.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

@lukeoneil47: These subject lines from Trump emails sound like an absolutely fire Dashboard Confessional tracklist

Feat. "Crooked", "Last Chance", "No More Months Left", "Your Name on My Wall", and of course "Memo from Kellyanne"
posted by saturday_morning at 7:44 AM on November 7, 2016 [23 favorites]

Automatic registration and at least a week of open voting would solve 90% of the problems with voting.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:44 AM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

Automatic registration and at least a week of open voting would solve 90% of the problems with voting.

I'm also in favor of adopting Australia's compulsory voting laws. The fine is minimal (something like $20AU) but its mere existence has to have a big effect on driving turnout which is like 90-95% Down Under.
posted by dis_integration at 7:47 AM on November 7, 2016 [27 favorites]

Found out today that I'm going to be on travel tomorrow during the polls. Thankfully I'm on the permanent vote-by-mail list and was just planning to drop off my ballot at a polling place tomorrow morning. Stick a stamp on 'er, sign 'er, drop 'er in the postbox! Now I just get to hope that we're not in the dark timeline.

I'm going to be in a cheap hotel deep in a rural area of a red state tomorrow night. I suspect I'm locking myself in my room and celebrating (hopefully) or weeping very, very softly.
posted by Alterscape at 7:47 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Does anybody know why electoral-vote.com shows NV as barely-Trump even after all the early-voting news?
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:48 AM on November 7, 2016

jeffburdges: Early voting kills Trump in NV

I repeat: Trump is dead here, barring a miracle or anomalies invisible not just to me, or many other experts. (I surveyed 14 smart insiders this weekend. All 14 said Trump loses the state.)

[REAL, but MISLEADING]

For clarity, he's only figuratively dead in Nevada, in terms of his chance to get those 6 electoral votes.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:48 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

I'm also in favor of adopting Australia's compulsory voting laws. The fine is minimal (something like $20AU) but its mere existence has to have a big effect on driving turnout which is like 90-95% Down Under.

I remember reading that it was a festive scene with free sausages or such. Also, aren't ballots usually limited to one race or referendum in most of the world?
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:50 AM on November 7, 2016

Does anybody know why electoral-vote.com shows NV as barely-Trump even after all the early-voting news?

Several reasons:

-Nevada has historically been difficult to poll for a couple of reasons: a high number of Hispanics who are difficult to poll in English, a relatively transient population, and a large number of Dems who work odd hours (Vegas baby).
-There are fewer public polls, and by worse polling outfits, this close to the election, because many of the best pollsters are conducting private polling for campaigns. PPP has talked about this on their Twitter.
-Poll aggregators do not take EV turnout into account.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

and put Republicans in the pole position to win back the chamber in 2018.

I love Ruth Bader Ginsberg. I even have two tees; You Can't Handle the Ruth and the Notorious RGB. And in a sane world I'd love for her to be able to stay as long as she'd like. But Republicans don't live in a sane world and if we take back the Senate, I really hope she, and probably Breyer too, steps down before the 2018 election to allow Clinton to nominate their successors. Because we know the Senate won't confirm anyone post-2018 if Rs regain control, which is almost a certainty. And winning 4 presidential elections in a row is very iffy. Liberal control of the court for the next 30 years is just too important.
posted by chris24 at 7:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

It's not like you generally have all day every day to yourself to just do what you want. You have to account for your time, and a two hour ballot changing block is not going to be easy in the same way "Welp, time to do my civic duty now" time blocks are.

People act like getting polling booths is somehow restricting voting, but ignore the fact that vote-by-mail states are mostly /all/ Vote By Mail, and don't offer other options.

I don't know why you're responding as if I didn't explicitly say that I only support vote-by-mail if it includes a traditional voting in a booth option. Also, your "fact" is not a fact -- only three states have all-mail elections -- the rest either allow it in addition to in-person, or allow all-mail elections only in very limited circumstances, e.g. candidates running unopposed, special elections, etc. I would prefer an in-person option for all races, but it's completely inaccurate to say that most states that have adopted vote-by-mail have abandoned in person voting.
posted by tonycpsu at 7:52 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I was raised by a narcissist who shows a lot of the same behaviors as Trump. Not the conservative, racist politics but the bullying, gas lighting, self-centered, authoritarian abusive behavior and language. I was surrounded by people who thought she was amazing or, at the worst, a mother who must clearly love me because that's what mothers do. I grew up thinking that there was something wrong with me that I couldn't see the good in her. I felt alone and crazy.

I've been having nightmares* for the past few months which has sucked. But! But! It has been so redemptive to see the number of people who have called out Trump's bullshit, who have joined with me in seeing the monster.

Each and every one of you who has volunteered, donated, spoken up and voted is travelling back through time to stand with me as a child, telling me that I'm not crazy and that I'm not alone.

I know this election has far greater stakes than a traumatized child from 35 years ago, but I want to make sure you know that your actions have ripples that extend farther than you can image. Thank you.

*In one, I was dating (ugh!) Trump and standing outside of his office planning how to break up with him in the way that would be least likely to cause him to lash out and hurt me.
posted by mcduff at 7:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [97 favorites]

Johnny Wallflower: "Does anybody know why electoral-vote.com shows NV as barely-Trump even after all the early-voting news?"

Early voting is just not part of Tanenbaum's model. From his FAQ:

What algorithm formula) is used to compute the map?
In 2004, we ran three different algorithms. The main page just used the most recent poll. The second algorithm averaged three days' worth of polls using only the nonpartisan pollsters. The third one included a mathematical formula for predicting how undecided voters would break based on historical data. The second one was most stable and gave the best final result, so this time a slight variation of it is used: The most recent poll is always used, and, if any other polls were taken within a week of it, they are all averaged together. This method tends to give a more stable result, so the colors don't jump all over the place due to one unusual poll.

posted by octothorpe at 7:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

In-person, behind a booth, paper ballot voting is the best way to have a fair election.

A fair election for those with the time and motivation to vote in person, yes. Our low participation rates suggest that this is not that many people.
posted by tonycpsu at 7:54 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

If Democrats manage to flip the Senate, senior party aides and strategists involved in battleground races said they’re looking at a majority of 52 seats, best case. That would be a letdown from their earlier hopes of a 54- or 55-seat advantage and put Republicans in the pole position to win back the chamber in 2018.

All we need is 50+VP. Then let's seat 3 USSC Justices before 2018 flips the Senate back and that's the ballgame.

Seriously. Get back the majority on the Supreme Court, and the Republican Party as it currently exists is dead. Down goes Citizens United. Back comes the Voting Rights Act. Down goes the voter suppression. When the tidal wave of disenfranchisement comes to an end, they'll need to win on the merits.

That means they lose.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:55 AM on November 7, 2016 [83 favorites]

lets seat 3 USSC Justices before 2018 flips the Senate back and that's the ballgame.

+1 Would fave again.
posted by chris24 at 7:57 AM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

The tl;dr for the Senate:

After Kirk's utter cratering in Illinois (yay) there are currently eight Senate seats which look at all competitive. The Dems need four of those eight to hit 50 seats:

Wisconsin
Pennsylvania
Nevada
Indiana
New Hampshire
Missouri
North Carolina
Florida

Of these, all but Nevada are currently held by Republicans, meaning three of them need to flip.

Polling-wise, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania look pretty good - not sure things, but pretty damn good. Maybe 75% chance if you look at the average across all the aggregators. And Jon Ralson is incredibly bullish on Nevada at this point and seems to really know his shit.

So that leaves us needing to win one of:

Indiana
New Hampshire
Missouri
North Carolina
Florida

Polling in all of these races is neck-and-neck, with slight D advantages in IN and NH, slight R advantages in MO and NC, and a strong R advantage in FL. (However, in the case of FL, the unprecedented Hispanic turnout may mean that this polling is off, much like Nevada. It's harder to call though because FL's early voting system is brand new, so we don't have the same type of historical data to compare it to.)
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:57 AM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

In place of a concession speech Donald Trump is going to ball his fist and shout: K-H-A-N!
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 7:58 AM on November 7, 2016 [23 favorites]

Charles Pierce: What to Expect in the Next 48 Hours:

VALLEY FORGE, PENNSYLVANIA—Early Sunday evening, as I was driving back from Harrisburg, Democracy left a voicemail on my cellphone. (I do not talk while I'm driving because I am a good little do-bee.) This was Democracy's message:

"Jesus H. Christ on a junket to the Northern Marianas, tell James Comey to stop trying to do me any favors."

On Sunday night, Comey, who at this point is wandering around the 2016 election like that guy in The Stand who drives into Vegas atop the nuclear missile, announced publicly that the FBI's inquiry into the new trove of e-mails has produced pretty much the same sizzling nothingburger that we've all been fed since the Illegal Private Server first hit the news.

posted by palindromic at 7:59 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

...then after we kill the unfair funding advantage, we can start turning our focus to the state legislatures. The 2020 census is a big deal. 2018 will give the RNC another Pyrrhic victory, but 2020 will bury them, assuming Hillary doesn't screw up the administration with stupid Clintonian scandals (fingers crossed).
posted by leotrotsky at 7:59 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I see the concerns with controlling spouses and all-mail voting, but I think such a controlling spouse would also limit their partner's ability to get to polling places as well.

Washington does offer in-person polling booths during the entire mail-voting period as well!

Can I vote in-person?
Each county opens a voting center prior to each primary, special election, and general election. Each voting center is open during business hours during the voting period, which begins eighteen days before, and ends at 8:00 p.m. on the day of, the primary, special election, or general election.
posted by Radiophonic Oddity at 7:59 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

assuming Hillary doesn't screw up the administration with stupid Clintonian scandals (fingers crossed).

You mean, assuming the Rpeublicans don't continue to throw everything at the wall praying something will eventually stick?
posted by C'est la D.C. at 8:01 AM on November 7, 2016 [42 favorites]

So that leaves us needing to win one of:
Indiana
New Hampshire
Missouri
North Carolina
Florida

I think you can kiss Indiana goodbye. Bayh has simply dropped off the map in the past two weeks. His ads were being swamped by pro-Young ads, and Bayh's ads had no comeback for them. None. His PAC support seems to have vanished, too. I think Indiana is a lost cause to go D.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:02 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Then lets seat 3 USSC Justices before 2018 flips the Senate back and that's the ballgame.

Ah, so people DO want the Justices to engage in politics.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:04 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

with slight D advantages in IN and NH

Trust me, Bayh is toast; if he's *really* lucky our likely new governor Gregg will drag Bayh's lazy ass over the line. Hassan is leading, but also trending down, unfortunately. It's down to the wire.

The crazy high turnout is such a wild card it's hard to tell.
posted by leotrotsky at 8:05 AM on November 7, 2016

In place of a concession speech Donald Trump is going to ball his fist and shout: K-H-A-N!

...and then pull more flags out of his nose.
posted by flabdablet at 8:06 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

Ah, so people DO want the Justices to engage in politics.

Nah, just engage with reality.

That reality has a liberal bias is not something to apologize for.
posted by Mooski at 8:06 AM on November 7, 2016 [27 favorites]

Brandon Blatcher: “Ah, so people DO want the Justices to engage in politics.”

Obviously not; "engaging in politics" just means "doing stuff we don't want them to do." As long as it's stuff our side supports, it's not politics – that's called "upholding the Constitution."
posted by koeselitz at 8:06 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

The crazy high turnout is such a wild card it's hard to tell.

That's the thing. FL seems like a lost cause based on polling but could totally change based on the very weird turnout patterns; NC might be more possible than it looks based on coattails as well. But there's no way to know. It really is incredibly close.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:07 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

What I'm baffled by is the few people I know who aren't voting, not out of any moral conviction but just because they don't care. I had a friend say to me "Sorry, I'm not into politics," as if it was a tv show she didn't watch.

Not sure if that's more or less enraging to me than the people who have adopted a position of superiority to elections because they see right through the whole con game.
posted by thelonius at 8:08 AM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

If the fate of the Senate didn't depend on him winning, due in no small part to horrible recruiting by Schumer and DSCC in Florida and Ohio, which each should've been more competitive, I'd be cheering the well-deserved loss of Evan Bayh.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:09 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Then lets seat 3 USSC Justices before 2018 flips the Senate back and that's the ballgame.

Ah, so people DO want the Justices to engage in politics.

Nobody, not even the most blinkered of Con Law professors, believes that 'balls and strikes' bullshit. It's a political court, and always has been, even if the political divisions are not always clearly left/right. See Scalia on flag burning, DNA searches, and video game censorship, for example.

That said, I don't need Goodwin Liu; I'd take a full court of Merrick Garlands any day of the week.
posted by leotrotsky at 8:10 AM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

I just came across this and apologies if it's been in these threads before.
Has Donald Trump ever used a computer?
posted by numaner at 8:10 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

One Day More! - Les Misérables - 10th Anniversary Concert
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

All we need is 50+VP.

A question I've had recently: in that scenario, it's usually assumed that the VP will represent the president in casting the tie-breaking vote, but what kind of control does the president have over the VP in the event that they disagree? It seems like in a presidency with an exact 50-50 party split, the vice presidency might end up being a bit more powerful than usual.
posted by enn at 8:13 AM on November 7, 2016

From my friend who had the issue about duplicate ballots in Florida: "I just spoke to a volunteer with the Florida Democratic Party regarding the situation with the ballots that I wrote about yesterday. They said they have a list with over 10,000 names on it - Republicans, NPAs, Democrats - and they are trying to call every one of them."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:14 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

You have to be able to read to use a computer, and people are saying that Donald Trump can't read.
posted by rikschell at 8:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

They Always Wanted Trump

Interesting. It's a continuance of Obama's best trick, that of making the most indefensible person in the conservative movement the spokesperson for the movement.

Unfortunately, I feel like the long-term results, which probably should have been predictable, is that it has made the most indefensible people the spokespeople for conservativism. Hey, undisguised, violent racism, misogyny, antisemitism, know-nothingism, etc. You weren't missed, and it's not great to have you back!

Blaming Obama for Nativism, racism and "traditional family values" misogyny in the GOP is bizarre.

A lot of people (including myself) thought that Rubio would end up being the nominee. Considering how important the Latino vote has been for Democrats that could have made a difference in both turn out and votes. My Chicano father has somehow moved from the Peace & Freedom Party of his youth to the Republican Party in his dotage (I can't explain it at all.) He subscribes to the National Review and wrote them a letter in protest when they endorsed Ted Cruz in March and he hated Trump. We never talked about Rubio specifically, but I could have seen my father supporting him. I can think of a bunch of people in my family who would have supported a Latino candidate.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

The VP can break ties however s/he wants to. But I'd imagine there'd be some big blowback if s/he voted against what the President wanted. (Imagine if we still let the #2 finisher be VP, though.)
posted by gracenote at 8:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Jenifer Lewis has a VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE for everyone in these streets [Facebook]
posted by koeselitz at 8:17 AM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

Or. And I know it's hard to have hope. But here's my hope, rather than cynicism. Maybe Bernie's further-left ideology and Trump's insanity is able to fuel GOTV drives in 2018 that manage to turn Congress bright blue color, regardless of now the next couple days go.
posted by fragmede at 8:18 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

(And - I was beaten to the punch by NorthernLite, but I guess it bears repeating...)
posted by koeselitz at 8:18 AM on November 7, 2016

Guys, I never once cut class even in my MBA (which is 50% cutting class if you do it right), but today I ducked out of work to attend Hillary rally in Pittsburgh. Worth it.
posted by Alison at 8:19 AM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

If we're talking PNW voting reforms, worth mentioning Oregon's new motor voter law, which automatically registers eligible voters when they interact with the DMV. Turnout is on track to match 2012 levels, which would be a big sign of the policy's success given the 250k new voters added to the rolls.
posted by kelseyq at 8:19 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Apologies if this has been posted already, but this is a great read. She was born the day women got the vote. And then a century passed. . .
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 8:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

If Clinton wins and gets a Democratic Senate, I think RGB and Breyer have something of a moral obligation to retire ASAP. The consequences for the nation if they hang on until, say, 2019 and then die leaving a Republican Senate to block any and all Clinton appointments (as they've pledged to do) are dire.

RGB especially is an amazing Justice and her absence will be sorely felt whether she retires or dies in office. But as has been said before, she's irreplaceable, not immortal.
posted by sotonohito at 8:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

You mean, assuming the Rpeublicans don't continue to throw everything at the wall praying something will eventually stick?

Yeah, no shit. The Republicans investigated the Clintons' CHRISTMAS CARDS. Ten days. 140 hours of testimony. ON CHRISTMAS CARDS. Clinton is only as scandalous as the Republicans want to make her. And I truly mean that.
posted by xyzzy at 8:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [85 favorites]

A question I've had recently: in that scenario, it's usually assumed that the VP will represent the president in casting the tie-breaking vote, but what kind of control does the president have over the VP in the event that they disagree?

None whatsoever, save "I'm not going to put you on the ticket in 2020."
posted by Etrigan at 8:26 AM on November 7, 2016

I'm also in favor of adopting Australia's compulsory voting laws. The fine is minimal (something like $20AU) but its mere existence has to have a big effect on driving turnout which is like 90-95% Down Under.

This I'm not so sure about. There was that article above somewhere that pointed out many of Trump's supporters are low information voters. Now I believe everyone who wants to vote should be able to in the most convenient way possible for them, so for those with difficulty at polling booths, the handicapped or those who otherwise have a hard time getting to the designated locations, mail in is better, for others, polling stations, but for those who choose not to involve themselves or inform themselves with the relevant information and prefer not to vote, they should not be penalized for that, not only as their personal choice, but because their votes can penalize the rest of us.

In a binary system, there's no good reason to suspect any group of uninformed voters will improve the chances of a beneficial outcome, however you might personally evaluate that. One would assume, at best, they would simply roughly match the polling numbers on candidates already at hand and just up the count, but in cases where one candidate is more famous, those low info voters could swing an election based on nothing but name familiarity, which we might see based on this election as not being all that great an outcome.

There are perfectly good reasons for people to choose not to vote, faith in their better informed neighbors and trust in the system not fucking things up too badly so after the election they will continue on as before. Now, an informed voter will rightly question that, as they should by being informed, and that is exactly what the uninformed voter relies on.

Now should they do that? No, ideally all voters should be completely informed on all issues and cast votes that match their values and beliefs in who should run the country or local municipality, but that is never going to happen. Apathy, in those cases, isn't the worst outcome, it shows faith in the process even if the process also bugs them for being annoying in whatever way. It's exactly that kind of faith that can help prevent elections from becoming civil wars when a voter, for whatever reason, isn't informed enough or interested enough in participating themselves. I don't advise or advocate for ignorance of any sort, but recognizing it exists and allowing people to opt out of decision making processes they don't feel comfortable in joining is not a bad thing.
posted by gusottertrout at 8:27 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Jennifer Lewis

GOOD LORD that woman's lone voice sounds like a whole symphony orchestra performing on the back of a rolling freight train. Wow.

Adding musical voices, New England singer/songwriter Marina Evans just made a song out of Woody Guthrie's poem about Donald Trump Sr.'s racism (his landlord) as "Color Line (Old Man Trump)," and it's pretty great. (Bandcamp link)
posted by spitbull at 8:29 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Oh joy, I just got a Pat Toomey robocall warning me about handing Hillary Clinton a 'blank check'. There was no 'if she wins' caveat, it was being said as a foregone conclusion.
posted by splen at 8:30 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh joy, I just got a Pat Toomey robocall warning me about handing Hillary Clinton a 'blank check'. There was no 'if she wins' caveat, it was being said as a foregone conclusion.

Yeah, my local Rep (suburban Detroit, gerrymandered all to fuck to keep the R in there) has been campaigning with "Keep me in office to stop the Clinton-Obama-Pelosi agenda!" pretty much all along. I think he was doing it before the convention.
posted by Etrigan at 8:34 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Steve Inskeep on NPR's Morning Edition, just now: "Just to drop a little reporting in here..."

WHY START NOW, STEVE?

LOL, you beat me to it. I literally did a double-take in the shower when I heard that.
posted by Preserver at 8:34 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I'm...I'm...ok with handing Hillary a blank check for a couple of years.

"Here, here take my card. America's had it rough for a while, take it out for a new wardrobe, some rims, that fancy place Italian place on 56th. Seriously, show it a good time, 'cause it needs it. "
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

"Uh... meanwhile in Sarasota... this just happened"

[Warning: Includes photo of Trump holding up a rubber trump mask which cannot be unseen]
posted by garius at 8:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

I registered to receive Trump's emails for lulz and they have been spamming the crap out of me (in Virginia) in the last few days, looks like Trump is really hoping for VA and NC?
posted by Tarumba at 8:36 AM on November 7, 2016

I think the big advantage of a compulsory vote system (which has a snowflake's chance in hell of ever getting up in the US) is that it shifts institutional outlooks: it gives the electoral commission an affirmative responsibility to go out and get people registered and voting, and gives a stronger case for those who are disenfranchised - because government is legally requiring them to do something (and threatening a fine if they don't) but then preventing them from doing it.
Compulsory voting also pushes major parties towards the centre and away from the base/fringe as they chase the median voter - whether that's a feature or a bug depends on your political views.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 8:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

In other NPR hate today, they had Cokie Roberts and Tucker fuckin Carlson on to discuss the latest Comey letter. Apparently on the West Coast they had enough time to edit out Cokie's comment about birth control controlling the Latino vote, but she's getting some ugly heat on Twitter. I don't know why I even listen anymore.
posted by Existential Dread at 8:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

I think the biggest advantage of a compulsory vote system in the US is that it would actually discourage the "I never do what the man wants me to do" crowd from voting. The "keep your government hands off my Medicare" people would be proudly burning their fine letters in protest instead of voting.
posted by zachlipton at 8:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Compulsory voting would also make it essential that employers facilitate voting either through an election holiday or with mandated allowable voting time (something similar to jury duty).
posted by Tarumba at 8:44 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

Y'all, Pantsuit Nation is so fun! I keep seeing that various friends have liked or commented on posts there, and it makes me feel all excited and glowy inside.
posted by aka burlap at 8:44 AM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

"I registered to receive Trump's emails for lulz and they have been spamming the crap out of me"

That reminded me - on Twitter this morning I scrolled past a sponsored ad for Trump. Leaving aside the question of what algorithm told them that I might possibly be the target market ... the ad was all like, "DONATE NOW!" and I thought, "Now?"

So I looked closely and the tweet was originally sent out on October 12th, and apparently they just paid to have it show up again today. I mean I get it, maybe it's because I'm in Louisiana that it showed up for me, but c'mon. That's what you're doing? Asking people to donate on the day before the election? The funds might not even reach your account before you find out you're never ever ever going to be the president.

I mean I'm sure there are a dozen reasons that this ad might have shown up. I sometimes see some local business's Fourth of July Sale ad run on the local television channel late at night on the 6th, you know what I'm saying? But the idea that his campaign isn't any better organized than Mid-South RV Superstores of Louisiana and Mississippi is ... well, you know what it is. We've all been watching it for months.

I guess it was just nice to have a reminder on the penultimate day that yeah, this really is the level of quality that his campaign could put together.
posted by komara at 8:46 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

In other NPR hate today, they had Cokie Roberts and Tucker fuckin Carlson on to discuss the latest Comey letter. Apparently on the West Coast they had enough time to edit out Cokie's comment about birth control controlling the Latino vote, but she's getting some ugly heat on Twitter. I don't know why I even listen anymore.

I noticed that their segment did not play at its usual (horrendous way to start Monday morning) time this morning. I wonder if that was due to editing out Cokie's racism.
posted by hydropsyche at 8:46 AM on November 7, 2016

I've really been enjoying PN. I'm going to need to turn down the firehose after Weds, but for today and tomorrow it's really nice to think that these are the people I'm in a democracy with. These are my people.
posted by Dashy at 8:46 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

RGB especially is an amazing Justice and her absence will be sorely felt whether she retires or dies in office. But as has been said before, she's irreplaceable, not immortal.

Ruth Gader Binsburg? Or are you advocating replacing RGB with CMYK?

#jokesareallIgot
posted by papercake at 8:46 AM on November 7, 2016 [34 favorites]

I'm in an actually secret seekrit Hillary FB group only for women which had about 1000 people when I joined and is now up to just under 8000. It's heavily moderated (mefi style) and is very lovely. I've been invited to PN a couple of times but it seems to unwieldy. I'm a MeFite all the way down.
posted by Sophie1 at 8:47 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Apologies if this has been posted already

Y'all know you can paste a URL into the Search box to see if it's been posted before, right?

The More You Know 💫
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:49 AM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

Includes photo of Trump holding up a rubber trump mask

*Gasp* Old Man Jenkins!
posted by octobersurprise at 8:49 AM on November 7, 2016 [58 favorites]

Sophie1, now we're all going to want in on the REALLY SECRET Hillary Support Group.
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 8:50 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Drove past my nearby polling place here in NOVA and saw this sign and had to take a picture. I said holy cow, McMuffin! I need to take a picture. My wife said "who?" And I said exactly!

Also great- this median is across from a McDonalds.
posted by phearlez at 8:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

West Coast they had enough time to edit out Cokie's comment about birth control controlling the Latino vote,

This West Coast listener wasn't listening closely, but I heard it. It struck me as a statement of demographic inevitability. As I said, I wasn't listening closely, but Carlson said something about only eliminating immigration could keep Texas red or something like that, and Cokie said he thing, which I took to mean "even that won't work because the Latino population will still increase." Maybe I give Cokie too much credit.
posted by entropicamericana at 8:54 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I sorta want to go over and try to get a shot with the arches on the background but that seems a little aggressively stupid.
posted by phearlez at 8:55 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

‏@NoahGarfinkel 38m38 minutes ago
The whole "You can't review 650,000 emails in 8 days" thing will become the foundation for Hanukkah II.

There was only enough email for 1 day, but the emails lasted for 8 days!!! Nes gadol haya po. (a great miracle happened here.)
posted by Sophie1 at 8:55 AM on November 7, 2016 [31 favorites]

“I’m on message,” Mr. Trump asserted, with effort. “I’m not playing around. In fact, I’m a little nervous standing here talking to you even for just a minute.”

I still can't get over that his campaign's message about Trump being on message is literally Trump saying "I'm on message."

And in the very same breath, worrying that any minute now, continuing to talk will result in him going off message.
posted by Gelatin at 8:57 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

McSeeeney's: In Case I, Nate Silver, Die, Follow These Steps to Update the FiveThirtyEight Elections Forecast Model [fake]
posted by zachlipton at 8:57 AM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

A good friend of mine who was a big Bernie supporter and a Bernie or Buster Stein voter for a long time just posted this on Facebook. I know Clinton's consolidated a lot of D support, but hopefully more late conversions like this are happening and will help ensure a Clinton win and D Senate.

I'M VOTING FOR HILLARY CLINTON TOMORROW

The reasons I am such an avid Bernie Sanders supporter are his integrity and judgment. In his 30 years in political office, he has always had the people's best interests at heart. He didn't need polls to tell him what the right thing to was. He didn't care if it would make him popular. He spoke his mind and fought the good fight. I suspect many Bernie fans support him for the same reason. So here at the 11th hour...why would so many of Bernie's supporters suddenly disregard his record of prescient judgment and integrity, the same reasons they touted for supporting him in the first place and not heed his advice?

Bernie has literally been the sole conscience our country in the Congress for decades. And suddenly, many of his supporters are turning on him and accusing him of selling out? Isn't one of the reason he had our support in the 1st place is he that he isn't a party shill and put the people's needs first?

I know many are angry, but the fight for what's right wasn't going to be won solely by electing Bernie into office and it isn't lost because he didn't earn the nomination. Believe me when I say, Bernie won. WE won. The dialogue has shifted. 45% of primary Democratic voters voted for Bernie despite the concerted efforts of the DNC, Democratic leadership and the media to thwart him. We're on the right path. The fight will continue if WE continue to fight.

I get the anger and frustration at the disintegration of our democracy. I get the need to get to 5% of votes for Independents. I get the tiresome boogie man rhetoric that each side trots out every election cycle to scare their bases into voting the party line is infuriating. I get that Hillary Clinton isn't our candidate and embodies the very establishment politics of which we have grown tired.

I. Get. It.

And no one gets it better than Bernie.

There are 30 years of videos of Bernie trying to stop us from making stupid mistakes. You can now add to that list videos of Bernie saying now is NOT the time for a protest vote and now is NOT the time to vote 3rd party. He's proven to be right for 30 years. He views the Trump threat as too real as its not really about Trump himself. It's about his supporters. I think Bernie is right again. He's always been.

I'll be voting for Hillary Clinton tomorrow as will Bernie. Let's hold Hillary's feet to the fire starting on November 9th to ensure we will be stronger together in creating a future we can believe in.

Come Unity. Please vote. Peace.

posted by chris24 at 8:58 AM on November 7, 2016 [61 favorites]

I joined PN when it was still under 20,000 (like last week?) and it definitely seemed more wieldy then but I still like it. I'm glad the group has grown and I don't think it changed the character of the group too much.

I'd rather celebrate the success of PN than make little jokes about SEEKRIT GROUPS and now PN isn't exclusive enough, etc. The dominant narrative is still that everyone hates Hillary Clinton, yet a group got to over a million members in just over a week.
posted by zutalors! at 8:59 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Where Are the Candidates Today?

HRC and her people are in:
Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Florida, Virginia, Colorado

DJT and his people are in:
Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Florida, Minnesota
posted by palindromic at 8:59 AM on November 7, 2016

There was only enough email for 1 day, but the emails lasted for 8 days!!! Nes gadol haya po. (a great miracle happened here.)

And that is why every year we drink Mazel tov cocktails.

And, of course, koshercocktail.com already has a recipe for Mazel Tov Cocktail: An Apertif for the End of the World.
posted by zachlipton at 9:00 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

That reminded me - on Twitter this morning I scrolled past a sponsored ad for Trump. Leaving aside the question of what algorithm told them that I might possibly be the target market ... the ad was all like, "DONATE NOW!" and I thought, "Now?"

You assume they care about the election outcome. Grifters gonna grift. That campaign contribution will go towards another portrait of him hanging in a golf course named after him.
posted by leotrotsky at 9:00 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

"I'm Hillary Clinton, and, one last time, I approve this message"

Turns out HLC has a final message for the American people, airing tonight.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 9:00 AM on November 7, 2016 [78 favorites]

You can look at Hillary Clinton and think she's got a good head on her shoulders, but when I look at Donald Trump all I can think is "what the fuck is that on his shoulders!?"
posted by OverlappingElvis at 9:01 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Fox’s Andrew Napolitano: It’s time to gut the FBI and Comey’s resignation is ‘the most important’:

“The FBI has to stay out of politics,” Napolitano said on Fox Business News. “Eight months ago, James Comey had the best reputation for integrity amongst major law enforcement leaders in the United States of America. Today, he’s being mocked as J. Edgar Comey, to connote his most infamous predecessor, precisely because he has allowed the FBI to enter itself into a political race.”

Napolitano pointed out that Rudy Giuliani had admitted that FBI agents leaked to him.

“The FBI shouldn’t be leaking, they shouldn’t be taking sides,” he argued. “They should be the pristine neutral law enforcement entity of high fidelity to the Constitution that we all grew up thinking they were.”

posted by palindromic at 9:01 AM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

Stations & Platforms Video Streaming Election Day Coverage (Spreadsheet)
posted by gwint at 9:03 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

I live in North Carolina and have religiously voted Democratic in every election my whole life. My husband re-registered as a Republican last year "to be hilarious" and so he could vote in the Republican primary. I don't know whether it's because he didn't vote in 2012 or because of the switch in party affiliation, but for weeks the Clinton campaign and North Carolina Democratic Party have been bombarding him multiple times a day via text and phone, piles and piles of mail, and at least three in person visits to our house in the past week. It's kind of hilarious how concerned they are about him, even despite him reassuring them many times he's voting for Hillary. They have not paid any attention to me whatsoever.

I've also just realized, though, that the Trump campaign and Republican Party haven't contacted him once. Nada. A brand-new Republican voter, in maybe the swingiest of swing states, and they've not reached out at all. Trump's ground game really is utter garbage.
posted by something something at 9:04 AM on November 7, 2016 [80 favorites]

The EV suppression in North Carolina is gutwrenching, but the saving grace there is that the campaign knows it better than anyone, down to the individual level, thanks to the public nature of early voting data, and all of its resources are going to be directed towards the voters who were dissuaded or gave up ahead of Tuesday, as well as those who wait till the day itself.
posted by holgate at 9:04 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I LOVE this final ad. It is authentic HRC all the way. I am very happy with her appeal to our best instincts, not our worst. It reminds me of the truly wonderful spirit of the DNC this year.
posted by bearwife at 9:05 AM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

Philadelphia transit strike reportedly over (NPR). Thank God.
posted by rikschell at 9:05 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

“The FBI shouldn’t be leaking, they shouldn’t be taking sides,” he argued. “They should be the pristine neutral law enforcement entity of high fidelity to the Constitution that we all grew up thinking they were.”

no wait... people actually thought that?
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:05 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

And the final ad has a bona fide Hamilton reference!
posted by Nekosoft at 9:06 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

“The FBI shouldn’t be leaking, they shouldn’t be taking sides,” he argued. “They should be the pristine neutral law enforcement entity of high fidelity to the Constitution that we all grew up thinking they were.”

Did these people not watch The X-Files?
posted by OverlappingElvis at 9:07 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

This is the first election without the full Voting Rights Act — and it's already a disaster
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:07 AM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

Fox’s Andrew Napolitano: It’s time to gut the FBI and Comey’s resignation is ‘the most important’:

I would like to think Napolitano is just seeing the light, but now it just feels like a trap whenever people on the right agree with the left.
posted by drezdn at 9:07 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

In Case I, Nate Silver, Die, Follow These Steps to Update the FiveThirtyEight Elections Forecast Model

That tunnel is like 15.5 miles long, Nate Silver must be really damn healthy if he walks/run that after updating 538 every day. Unless he always bring a scooter down there and really should add that to his instructions. WTF Nate.
posted by numaner at 9:07 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Does someone have a link to the final ad? I swear I did a search.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:08 AM on November 7, 2016

That tunnel is like 15.5 miles long, Nate Silver must be really damn healthy if he walks/run that after updating 538 every day. Unless he always bring a scooter down there and really should add that to his instructions. WTF Nate.

I was just happy that the entrance is near public transportation. Makes it easier to get there in time.
posted by thecaddy at 9:09 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Also, that location is a really specific place. I wonder if anything's hidden there?
posted by thecaddy at 9:10 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

xkcd is with her.
posted by jedicus at 9:11 AM on November 7, 2016 [77 favorites]

Folks Glenn Beck thinks Trump is unhinged (first link is to tweet where I saw it, second the article linked in it.)
posted by R343L at 9:11 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

no wait... people actually thought that?

To be fair, many of them are too young to remember Hoover.
posted by flabdablet at 9:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Supposedly, upon signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Lyndon Johnson said "(the Democrats) have lost the South for a generation". Looks like enough time has passed. [And here's a link I enjoyed to President Obama's remarks at the 50th anniversary commemoration.]

If Clinton wins, I suspect that the typical election-year celebration of throwing my neighbors under the bus for the sake of inter-regional spite will likely last about 48 hours. If Clinton loses, we can expect that to last a few months, at least.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 9:12 AM on November 7, 2016

What is a "mazel tov cocktail?"

I went ahead and invented one. Drink it election night!
posted by maxsparber at 9:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

odds are moving on 538. florida is back blue.
posted by andrewcooke at 9:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

I am befuddled by all the media commentators who insist that the FBI has not traditionally been involved in politics. But, then, they are young people, many of them, who do not remember J. Edgar Hoover trying to get Martin Luther King Jr. to commit suicide and the FBI shooting Black Panthers in cold blood in the 60's.
posted by kozad at 9:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Clinton's election night playlist.

Seriously, is there some "official" control over what music gets played at the campaign events? When I heard Bell Biv DeVoe's "Poison" being played at last week's Phoenix (Tempe/ASU) event it kind of took me aback. I guess no one listened to the lyrics? It's the kind of song I would've expected to be played at a Trump event.

Given the stunning and seemingly unexpected influence of early voting in this election, what are the odds the GOP-controlled legislatures will in the near future start trying to dial that back? They might decide that reducing the number of polling places and early voting days--in addition to the more blatantly racist stuff they've done--maybe hasn't been enough of a deterrent.
posted by fuse theorem at 9:16 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Q: What is the sound of a mazel tov cocktail exploding?
A: VERKLEMPT!
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:16 AM on November 7, 2016 [28 favorites]

The transit strike is over. They're ramping service back up and should be at full capacity by morning.

There's also a giant rally down at Independence Hall tonight at 7pm. Hillary and the Obamas with John Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen performing. Chris Christie will be sitting on the Camden side of the river weeping into a bag of leftover halloween candy.
posted by cmfletcher at 9:16 AM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

@AnthonyMKreis: Nothing to see here, right? Just the NCGOP openly celebrating voter suppression.
posted by zombieflanders at 9:17 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

But, then, they are young people, many of them, who do not remember J. Edgar Hoover trying to get Martin Luther King Jr. to commit suicide and the FBI shooting Black Panthers in cold blood in the 60's.

It happened before they got their iPhones and saggy pants, so it's not "relevant"
posted by thelonius at 9:19 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Non-Jews trying to speak Yiddish makes me cringe (although I will say, Rachel Maddow does a decent job - she loves the word 'mishegas') - kvetch is a total tell. ScottieNell Hughes should definitely not try to speak Yiddish (or use words she doesn't know - i.e., Molotov).
posted by Sophie1 at 9:21 AM on November 7, 2016

Live stream of the Hillary rally on the University of Pittsburgh campus. (Hide the chat stream for sanity.)

(I'd be at or around the rally right now if I hadn't planned wall-to-wall work meetings today.)
posted by tonycpsu at 9:22 AM on November 7, 2016

Meanwhile, this happened... raise your glass!
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 9:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Give Cokie too much credit

Yeah she has always been a dog-whistling racist.
posted by spitbull at 9:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm 30. It never occurred to me to not trust the FBI until this election. The only other context in which I've seen much about them is murder investigations, and perhaps the first season of the X-Files, of which I really only remember Mulder & Scully being pretty good people.

Color me naive, I guess.
posted by samthemander at 9:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

It happened before they got their iPhones and saggy pants, so it's not "relevant"

Ahhh, millennial bashing! When was the last time we saw that in an election thread? I remember it like it was only yesterday.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 9:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

If Clinton wins, I suspect that the typical election-year celebration of throwing my neighbors under the bus for the sake of inter-regional spite will likely last about 48 hours.

I can be as petty and vindictive as the next person, but I really hope we can all consider Lincoln's words from his Second Inaugural Address:

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds...which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

posted by kirkaracha at 9:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [21 favorites]

Pantsuit Nation is so fascinating. Because what I see inside there is women talking about the fact that they have kept their mouths shut because they rely on the kindness of family and friends, can’t afford to alienate business clients, and they say over and over again that they’re afraid of the aggressive bullying they’ve gotten on FB when they’ve dared to express their support for her, and are breathing a sigh of relief to have a safe space in which to voice their opinions. And I notice that when I’m reading all the positive, happy PN posts, it has a very persuasive effect on me, an already pretty enthusiastic Hillary supporter. I feel like, yeah, I’m part of something cool. I’m excited and proud.

Then I go back to reading the rest of my normal FB feed. Virtually all of my FB friends are women and by far the vast majority have scrupulously avoided making any partisan political posts at all. I have too. Most of the posts I can remember seeing about Hillary are of the “two equally lousy choices this year” ilk. And when I’m in that normal FB environment, I still have all my same opinions of Hillary, but I feel definitely NOT encouraged to voice my opinion, and do not feel like I’m part of something exciting. There must be many, many people who are on the fence about Hillary who would be tipped toward her if they were exposed to an environment like PN. I’m not sure what the answer is to bringing that feeling out in public because the magic there is that you can say you’re excited to vote for Hill and not immediately be verbally assaulted in the comments. What’s going on inside PN is the best possible advertising for Hillary, but it would be quickly undone by, I guess, a kind of observer effect, or worse, if you bring in the people that you’d most like to see it.
posted by HotToddy at 9:24 AM on November 7, 2016 [50 favorites]

I'm 30. It never occurred to me to not trust the FBI until this election.

I am a cynic, but it never occurred to me that the IRS would have more integrity than the FBI does. It's pretty shameful.
posted by suelac at 9:24 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I think such a controlling spouse would also limit their partner's ability to get to polling places as well.

They might not stop them from voting if its important enough to their patrirarchical/matriarchal personal (internal or external) to allow it.

Alone in a voting booth is an oppty to be oneself. Sometimes you just need a moment to oneself to break free.
posted by tilde at 9:25 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

BBC radio saying that HRC's ground game is probably going to swing it for her, despite Comey's 'lost week' for he Democrats. This after a fairly solid few weeks of 'oooh scary Trump might do it' reporting, heavy on interviewing Trump supporters and light on polls.
posted by Devonian at 9:25 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Ahhh, millennial bashing! When was the last time we saw that in an election thread? I remember it like it was only yesterday.

I think (hope?) the bit about "saggy pants" was thelonius parodying millennial-bashing.
posted by zombieflanders at 9:26 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

It happened before they got their iPhones and saggy pants, so it's not "relevant"

c- effort; i would have gone with the "skinny jeans" troll
posted by entropicamericana at 9:26 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

It never occurred to me to not trust the FBI until this election. The only other context in which I've seen much about them is murder investigations ...

Speaking of murder investigations, you can check out the murder of Fred Hampton to see why some of us don't think so highly of the FBI.
posted by Bookhouse at 9:27 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

I'm 30. It never occurred to me to not trust the FBI until this election. The only other context in which I've seen much about them is murder investigations, and perhaps the first season of the X-Files, of which I really only remember Mulder & Scully being pretty good people.

The FBI have spent decades doing nasty shit and using Hollywood to promote a completely counterfactual image. This series goes into it a bit.
posted by Pope Guilty at 9:27 AM on November 7, 2016 [21 favorites]

it was an attempt at making fun of myself a bit, sorry. "Relevant" really does if drive me crazy if you want to put a snake-person-bashing jacket on me, though
posted by thelonius at 9:28 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I am a cynic, but it never occurred to me that the IRS would have more integrity than the FBI does. It's pretty shameful.

99.5% of what people hate the IRS for is just the IRS doing what Congress tells them. Mad about taxes and tax collection? Yell at your Senator and Representatives.
posted by Pope Guilty at 9:28 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

R343L Folks Glenn Beck thinks Trump is unhinged

That article is emphtaically not to be missed.

Some highlights (all real):
-[Beck] heralded [Michelle] Obama’s remarks as “the most effective political speech I have heard since Ronald Reagan.”
-“Obama made me a better man.”
-He regrets calling the President a racist and counts himself a Black Lives Matter supporter.
"So much of what I used to believe was either always a sham or has been made into a sham."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:29 AM on November 7, 2016 [64 favorites]

>I'm 30. It never occurred to me to not trust the FBI until this election.

Not to derail, but you should know about the FBI's policy of not recording interviews.
posted by Catblack at 9:29 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

NC is blue again too. I feel like Nate is just fucking with us and I don't want to give him page views no more. Where can I go to supplement my talkingpointsmemo now?
posted by rikschell at 9:30 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

With Trump's twitter taken away, I really want someone to do examples of what Trump would post if his main social media platform was Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.
posted by drezdn at 9:31 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

"It happened before they got their iPhones and saggy pants, so it's not "relevant""

I really hope this is satire, otherwise I don't know what you're trying to accomplish.

BTW I have an android.
posted by Tarumba at 9:31 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm sorry I sniped at you, thelonius.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 9:32 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Oh my god, imagining Trump on tumblr is such a mindfuck that I don't even know where to start.
posted by dinty_moore at 9:32 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

R343L Folks Glenn Beck thinks Trump is unhinged

That article is emphtaically not to be missed.

glenn beck is an irredeemable pigfucker, i don't care a whit about his recent epiphany.
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:33 AM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

With Trump's twitter taken away, I really want someone to do examples of what Trump would post if his main social media platform was Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.

I was tempted to produce examples of Trump communicating solely through PornHub comments, but was unwilling to research said comments enough to parody the style.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:33 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

There is no joke I could come up with about Cokie's comment that didn't come off as equally racist, so I'll just say; the day we have free birth control for all in this country should be a happy one and not spoiled by "we got this thanks to racists!" so please shut up Cokie.
posted by emjaybee at 9:33 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

Our home has been approached repeatedly by Democratic canvassers of late. yesterday, Comrade Doll told them, "I am so glad you are doing what you're doing, but you've got us. We're 100% on board. Get out of here and go spend time on someone who's on the fence. HURRY!"
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

If Trump loses and gives a speech, what's the over/under on his speech just naming who has let him down.
posted by drezdn at 9:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

Oh my god, imagining Trump on tumblr is such a mindfuck that I don't even know where to start.

Oh wait, yes I do, the image of Trump being constantly dragged by sixteen year-old girls.
posted by dinty_moore at 9:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

If Trump loses and gives a speech, what's the over/under on his speech just naming who has let him down.
I am sure someone will let us know via the "Hitler Gets Angry" series
posted by robbyrobs at 9:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

He'll also get in at least four hotel plugs.
posted by cmfletcher at 9:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

If Trump loses and gives a speech, what's the over/under on his speech just naming who has let him down.

"And to all my many volunteers, I just want to say - you tried, right? It just wasn't hard enough. Not big league. Sad!"
posted by murphy slaw at 9:39 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

"Now that I am done with this election, I will relax at the new Trump hotel in Washington D.C., making a list of all the ways I'll get my revenge on Paul Ryan."
posted by drezdn at 9:39 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

"Maybe I'll call Hannity."
posted by drezdn at 9:39 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Sorry my sense of humor isn't working today, Thelonius.

I am in bed with a cold, without a chance for distraction.
posted by Tarumba at 9:41 AM on November 7, 2016

"I told you they'd never figure it out, Hillary."

That's the sort of nastiness I'd expect, anyways.
posted by Mooski at 9:41 AM on November 7, 2016

As trained by Roy Cohn, Trump has always declared victory after his various losses in court and business. So I'm trying to imagine what that will look like this time around.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 9:41 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

I don't know I'm kind of gunning for his heart popping like a cherry tomato
posted by The Whelk at 9:42 AM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

In other NPR hate today, they had Cokie Roberts and Tucker fuckin Carlson on to discuss the latest Comey letter. Apparently on the West Coast they had enough time to edit out Cokie's comment about birth control controlling the Latino vote, but she's getting some ugly heat on Twitter. I don't know why I even listen anymore.

What was actually most bizarre about that was how reasonable Carlson came across. I stopped listening to Cokie Roberts' actual words decades ago, I have to admit.
posted by aught at 9:43 AM on November 7, 2016

He could just say that he raised alot of important issues to the public, but that seems to even-keel for Trump.
posted by drezdn at 9:43 AM on November 7, 2016

As trained by Roy Cohn, Trump has always declared victory after his various losses in court and business. So I'm trying to imagine what that will look like this time around.

"We started a conversation, and we made sure that the Washington elites know that we're out here, and we're going to keep them accountable."
posted by Etrigan at 9:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

She's here! She is resplendent in a red suit and standing just 100 feet from me. I'm standing next to a woman who will be driving her 99 year old neighbor to the polls tomorrow. The biggest cheer so far is for equal pay and "deal me in" and affordable college.
posted by Alison at 9:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [77 favorites]

The Romney campaign didn't even prepare a concession speech. iirc. I can't imagine Trump formally preparing one, either. But he has to have been daydreaming about it for a long time. Hell, it's probably going to be more fun for him than winning. Wild accusations, threats of lawsuits, self-pitying rants - what's not to love?
posted by thelonius at 9:44 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

(Except with more weird gestures, and a few Trump Hotel plugs.)
posted by Etrigan at 9:44 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

"Did I win the ~~debates~~ election, or what?!!"
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:44 AM on November 7, 2016

Glenn Beck has become a real boy?
posted by Kitty Stardust at 9:46 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

If Trump loses and gives a speech, what's the over/under on his speech just naming who has let him down.

I want to shout out to the good folks of Indiana, thank you for your votes. Best people there.
Mike Pence, what a loser.
He let me down.
Chris Christie let me down.
That broad who talks for me, Kellymelly or whatever her name is, she let me down but let me tell you about her [microphone goes inaudible for a few moments as sounds of struggle on the mixing board are heard] in the penthouse of Trump Tower.
That Bannon fellow, he let me down.
Everyone, from each and every volunteer all the way up to, but certainly not including my family, except Tiffany, let me down.
But I'll tell you who won't let you down.
The good people at the Mar-A-Lago.
I will get in a lot of trouble talking about it up here...
(Boos from the crowd)
Yes, yes, I know, my manager down there will have my head. But if you need to get away for a few days, I now heard they have a 'Trump Special' deal where if you stay for 4 nights AND purchase $1,200 or MORE in Mar-A-Lago cash to be used at the property except where null and void, you'll get a free continental breakfast Wednesday mornings. Now, I know that's going to be the headline tomorrow but the lamestream media won't be reporting on that, now will they.
Also, Paul Ryan let me down. Bigly.
posted by splen at 9:47 AM on November 7, 2016 [28 favorites]

How soon after the polls close d'yall think Donald gets his Android back?
posted by Devonian at 9:47 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Ana Navarro: I'm voting for Hillary Clinton -- and against Donald Trump [CNN; warning: autoplay video]
posted by melissasaurus at 9:48 AM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

It is not outside of the realm of possibility that upon losing, Trump casually makes another set of thinly veiled assassination/coup provocations and learns very quickly the difference where the Secret Service is concerned between threatening a nominee and threatening the president-elect.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:49 AM on November 7, 2016 [37 favorites]

How soon after the polls close d'yall think Donald gets his Android back?

No one will be left to give it to him after about 10 EST.
posted by Etrigan at 9:50 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

How soon after the polls close d'yall think Donald gets his Android back?

Which one? Eric or Junior?
posted by Sys Rq at 9:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [52 favorites]

... do not remember J. Edgar Hoover trying to get Martin Luther King Jr. to commit suicide and the FBI shooting Black Panthers in cold blood in the 60's.

There are different kinds of playing politics. One might argue that the FBI was reflecting the political will of their masters, which -- at least to some extent -- is their job. Interfering in who gets to be master is a very different kind of politics.
posted by Bovine Love at 9:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

“Computer geeks have tools that make searching the emails extremely easy,” wrote Graham. “Given those emails, and a list of known email accounts from Hillary and associates, and a list of other search terms, it would take me only a few hours to reduce the workload from 650,000 emails to only a couple hundred, which a single person can read in less than a day."

I can do that in the Outlook search bar in less than a minute.
posted by JackFlash at 9:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

How many days after the election until Trump's next 3 am tweet?
posted by drezdn at 9:51 AM on November 7, 2016

R343L Folks Glenn Beck thinks Trump is unhinged

That article is emphtaically not to be missed.

quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon: glenn beck is an irredeemable pigfucker, i don't care a whit about his recent epiphany.

A solid point. The interesting thing about Beck is he just praised Obama.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/glenn-beck-obama-made-me-better-man

And major conservative blogs like Red State fall over themselves in worship of Beck, all the while preoccupied with pointed hate toward Obama. Now, what more grandiose compliment can Beck make of Obama than this? Hee hee.
posted by uraniumwilly at 9:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

R343L Folks Glenn Beck thinks Trump is unhinged

There is a beautiful train-wreck of an interview on a recent On The Media, where Bob Garfield repeatedly calls Beck on his bullshit and Beck gets defensive, then sulky, then runs away like a baby. [real]
posted by aught at 9:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [21 favorites]

glenn beck is an irredeemable pigfucker, i don't care a whit about his recent epiphany.

100% agree. It's still noteworthy he's even trying to go down this road, though.

It's like The Flash is real, Flashpoint happened, and we've suddenly got the Glenn Beck from Earth-19.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

In Sarasota, Trump went on a weird rant about firefighters being shot as they try to put out fires (oh, now he cares about firefighters, but not fire marshals?) Someone on Twitter pointed out that the only case of a firefighter being shot in the area involved one who was shot by the police during an armed standoff.
posted by zachlipton at 9:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

If Trump loses and gives a speech, what's the over/under on his speech just naming who has let him down.

I'm hoping he channels Jack Lipnick in Barton Fink:

"You didn't let me down. We don't live or die by your votes. You let my campaign staff down. They liked you, trusted you ... and that's why they're gone. They're fired. They had hearts as big as the all outdoors and you fucked them."

posted by octobersurprise at 9:54 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

This video of the Clintons surviving 30 years of Republican congressional hearings is amazing. (went for the funny juxtiposition, stayed for the absolutely bonkers nature clip)
posted by gwint at 9:54 AM on November 7, 2016 [38 favorites]

Constance Wu: Get Down with the Downballot

Following the AAPI for Hillary Facebook page has been delightful mainly because nobody cares about AAPI issues enough to hatefollow it so there are only nice comments, but getting stuff like this is a close second.
posted by sunset in snow country at 9:58 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Sorry for posting all the way down here because I haven't read any of this thread (I'm still slogging through the last one!) but I just wanted to say that as an American overseas this has been a difficult time because I've had to not only explain how the Electoral College works (or at least attempt to do so), answer for the crazy percentage of my co-citizens that support Trump, and stay up super late to watch the debates, but I've also had my lefty bona fides questioned by UK friends who think that Hillary is terrible -- that tsunami of negative Hillary coverage has been carried by the jet-stream to these shores.

Anyway I had joined the MF call team a few days ago but only ever got voicemails. Tonight in this dark-at-4:30-pm gloom I decided to do something to change my mood and I fired up the call tool, and chose Wisconsin woman-to-woman calls. Surprisingly the first three people I called picked up, and although the calls were brief it was fantastic to click that "Strong HRC" button three times, as well as hear the dulcet tones of Midwestern American English once again. It warmed this Michigander's heart. I never would have thought to volunteer except for reading about it on these election threads. Yay for Skype, yay for cheeseheads, and yay for HRC! #Imwithher
posted by tractorfeed at 9:59 AM on November 7, 2016 [66 favorites]

On empathy for the opposition, understanding how they think and feel, and what informs that, can be useful in figuring out good strategies for getting in their heads and getting them to behave in ways that help you out.
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:00 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

If they keep Trump from Twitter any longer, he'll start posting to Ello! Or Google Plus!
posted by drezdn at 10:02 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

glenn beck is an irredeemable pigfucker, i don't care a whit about his recent epiphany.

No doubt, but Robert Byrd went from Grand Wizard of the KKK to being eulogized by the NAACP. Sure, it took 40 years, but we can always hold out hope. And thus, we too can dream of a day that Beck will be used by idiot conservatives and social media neo-Nazis as an example of how liberals are the real bigots during President Laverne Cox's re-election campaign.
posted by zombieflanders at 10:03 AM on November 7, 2016 [57 favorites]

Trump Makes Play For ‘Amazing’ Latino Community On Election Eve
Noticing a “Blacks for Trump” sign in the crowd, Trump said “One of the things they are seeing in a couple of these states like Florida, African-Americans are not turning out and when they do, a lot of them are voting for Trump. This is very disturbing to the other side.”

That's one interpretation. There are alternate theories.
posted by T.D. Strange at 10:05 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

This, by the way, is what happens when you gut the Voting Rights Act and intentionally seek to depress turnout: the NC GOP puts out a celebratory press release about fewer black people voting.
posted by zachlipton at 10:06 AM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

If they keep Trump from Twitter any longer, he'll start posting to Ello! Or Google Plus!

I would enjoy the notion of Trump displaying a honey-badger-like inventiveness in trying to get on social media while his staff plays whack-a-mole with his accounts and devices until he is finally posting on Friendster and Classmates.com from a public library terminal.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:08 AM on November 7, 2016 [40 favorites]

Trump Promised to Fund His Own Campaign. Now He's Asking for Pizza Money.
posted by zombieflanders at 10:09 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Trump has been posting to Google Plus for a year now. Nobody's noticed. [fake, probably, but quantum theory says that an unobserved system has not collapsed to a definite state]
posted by Devonian at 10:09 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

I'm pretty much assuming that Trump believes that he will still get to rule the states that he has won, and that that will be the gist of his post-election speech. He will just move forward, angrily refusing to acknowledge that for president, it's winner take all.
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:10 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

This is lovely and is the type of thing I need to read to keep myself calm today: An ode to Hillary Clinton’s laugh

posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:10 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

> "As trained by Roy Cohn, Trump has always declared victory after his various losses in court and business. So I'm trying to imagine what that will look like this time around."

I suspect this is the reason that campaign insiders are saying he desperately wants to beat Romney's EV count. So that even if he loses he can spin it into "I was still winninger than any other previous or possible Republican candidate!"
posted by kyrademon at 10:11 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

He will just move forward, angrily refusing to acknowledge that for president, it's winner take all.

Surely in this circumstance it's more appropriate to say 'loser take none.'
posted by Ragged Richard at 10:11 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Trump Campaign Manager Says Running for President Is His Charitable Donation:

Donald Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, was asked in an interview on CNBC Monday morning to defend the Republican nominee's lack of a paper trail for his claims of charitable donations. As documented in extensive reporting by the Washington Post's David Fahrenthold, there is scant evidence that Trump has given any significant amount of his own money to charity.

Conway started her response by saying she had personally observed Trump signing checks. Then she switched to a novel defense of Trump's generosity: His presidential campaign qualifies as a charitable contribution to the country.

posted by palindromic at 10:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [31 favorites]

Kitty Stardust: "Glenn Beck has become a real boy?"

Glenn Beck was originally a morning zoo-style shock jock who got a sorta-political show on the Clear Channel family of stations decades ago. I actually listened to him back then - he came off as not being a terribly deep thinker or well informed but seemed to understand that about himself. He was conservative leaning but often willing to have his mind changed about things. His primary focus was always on putting on a show, though, even if this bits were based on poor understanding or shallow knowledge. In short, he wasn't anything special, but she wasn't batshit, either.

I think what happened was that he spent so much time in Conservative Media Land due to his proximity to Rush and other right-wing radio talk-show hosts that he got swallowed up by that world. His listeners wanted the right-wing stuff, his broadcasters probably wanted the right wing stuff, and he didn't have to listen to anyone to give him opposing opinions anymore.

One of Beck's prominent aspects early on was that he was a recovering addict. I wonder if he somehow became addicted to right-wing politics because he now sounds more like his old "clean and sober" self.
posted by charred husk at 10:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

jedicus: "xkcd is with her."

I want that on a poster.
posted by octothorpe at 10:14 AM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

Then she switched to a novel defense of Trump's generosity: His presidential campaign qualifies as a charitable contribution to the country.

That's right up there with him making sacrifices by hiring people and building things.
posted by nubs at 10:14 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Voted today in LA. 5 hours 28 minutes from getting in line to turning in my ballot. There has to be a way to make this easier.

I am simultaneously humbled by the dedication, and angered that this happens.

I live in Toronto, which is the 4 largest city in North America. Not including travel, it has never taken me more than 5 minutes to vote in a federal election. I can't remember ever actually standing in a real line--worst case there was the person currently in the booth, and then me.

The last two federal elections I walked from my home to the polling station, voted, and walked back in less than 15min. And this was what should have been peak time, right after I got off home from work.
posted by HighLife at 10:16 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Sunset in snow country: Thank you for posting the Constance Wu link! I tweeted it and shared it to my FB feed! I sit here, typing away from the indigo-blue SF Bay Area, and, being husband-free and family-free, I don't have anyone pressuring or threatening me away from Hillary and the Dems. Being a white professional, I'm not a target of voter repression. So, in a way, my vote isn't really that important (because Bay Area!).

But, these days, I'm really on fire with DOWN WITH THE DOWN BALLOT! Voting for President is glamorous and sexy and empowering. But we need to get in a Congress that will work with HRC instead of against her, who won't throw toddler tantrums, who will know that their job is governing and not obstructing government. We need governors and state legislatures that will work to improve the lives of their residents, not Sam Brownbacks who will despoil their states and leave ruins behind them.

The California Democrats sent me an election guide, and so did the California Teacher's Union. My mom was a teacher and proud union member, so I use the union endorsements as a partial guide. I think there are similar guides in most states or you can google [Your State] Democratic Voter's Guide. School boards and State Assemblies are how senators and Presidents put their feet on the political ladder! I voted for a school board member who worked as a community organizer, which is how Barack Obama got started!

School boards count. Transit boards count. State assemblies count. Remember the down ballot, people! Put on your pantsuit and go!
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:16 AM on November 7, 2016 [21 favorites]

I've been watching this election from overseas, in a Francophone country without particularly close political or cultural ties to the US. Still, people are watching. Today a colleague told me, only somewhat jokingly, that his countrymen need to pray that Hillary wins.

Its a really different experience. For one thing, is is completely uncontroversial that Trump is racist. No one tries to explain how he's not really racist because X. There is no "false balance" on this issue. It is surprisingly refreshing, even though I wish I was in the US and could do more (like phonebanking or canvassing).

Also, MeFi is one of the few places where I can read people talking about the election without having to throw things, so, uh, thanks guys.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 10:16 AM on November 7, 2016 [20 favorites]

I'm thinking his "I lost" speech (because I don't think he'll officially concede) will be a Festivus airing of grievances. Or basically like the rest of his campaign; ranting at perceived slights, gross unfairness, and mortal enemies, both friend and foe.
posted by chris24 at 10:21 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

And that is why every year we drink Mazel tov cocktails.

They're on special at the Aloha snack bar.
posted by duffell at 10:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

You can listen to 21-y.o. Hillary's commencement speech (via Brainpickings).
"Fear is always with is, we just dont have time for it."
Listening, I somehow feel both an older woman's fondness for youhful enthusiasm, and younger again myself.
And I can hardly wait to celebrate her victory with halal tacos and mazel tov cocktails!
posted by NorthernLite at 10:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I don't know I'm kind of gunning for his heart popping like a cherry tomato.

I'm kind of expecting him to tear off his flesh suit to reveal his final Boss Form.

No wait, I'm still thinking of Ted Cruz. Never mind.
posted by happyroach at 10:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Trump is all "I win; you lost it for me"
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:22 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

> I'm kind of expecting him to tear off his flesh suit to reveal his final Boss Form.

No wait, I'm still thinking of Ted Cruz. Never mind.

Those things might not be mutually exclusive!
posted by Tevin at 10:24 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Ryan’s reservoir of respect runs dry

He’s about the only person capable of serving as speaker, so for the good of the country we hope the Freedom Caucus doesn’t toss him overboard. Beyond that, however, the GOP will need to look for moral leadership and future presidential prospects elsewhere. Ryan has lost his exalted place in the conservative pantheon. Sadly, he did it for nothing.

That's from "Right Turn," the Post's conservative blog. If (TTTCS) Trump loses, Ryan is going to be the primary person he blames, and the flames are going to be huge.

Ryan had darn scary policy, but he threw away every shred of respect he had and got absolutely nothing in return.
posted by zachlipton at 10:25 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

A friend tells me he is having an election party, complete with a pinata that looks startlingly similar to Hillary's opponent.

I'm imagining that whatever speech Hillary's opponent makes, they're gonna take it out on the pinata.

"It was rigged!" WHOMP
"I'm going to take this to the supreme court!" WHOMP
"My hotels are tremendous!" WHOMP
posted by mochapickle at 10:25 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

If Trump doesn't win, is Reince out at the RNC?
posted by drezdn at 10:26 AM on November 7, 2016

The best part of Trump's run might be the ruination of Ryan.
posted by chris24 at 10:26 AM on November 7, 2016 [36 favorites]

I wrote this for my Facebook (thus why it reads more like a blog post), but I thought I'd share it here too, because I've been thinking about it a lot.

"I’ve seen a lot of people asking why Hillary Clinton’s suits are referred to as ‘pantsuits’ all the time. Like, why not just ‘suits’? The answer is more infuriating than you may realize.

Until very very recently – more recently than most people my age can probably believe (it was a shock to me) – ‘a women’s suit’ meant a suit jacket and a skirt, full stop. As in, guess when female Senators were last required - REQUIRED - to wear skirts on the Senate floor?

Fucking 1993.

NINETEEN NINETY-THREE. I was six years old and female Senators were still required to wear skirts! And it only stopped when two female Senators showed up in pants to protest it.

1993. Women wearing suits with pants was still controversial 23 years ago. And Hillary Clinton has been a woman in public life for almost 40 years.

And she was a woman who wore pants, who at first didn't wear makeup and didn't change her last name, and kept her career after her husband entered politics, and got involved in politics herself, and had strong opinions which she freely expressed.

This made her fucking Satan as far as conservatives were concerned, and she's been Satan to them ever since.

The use of the word ‘pantsuit’ to refer to Clinton’s suits, which she began wearing long before it was broadly socially acceptable, is a leftover dogwhistle from a less tolerant time. The very phrase 'pantsuit' basically means, a suit worn by an uppity woman. A suit worn by the type of woman who doesn't care that skirts are PROPER professional garments for ladies. A suit for goddamn rabble-rousing hippie bitches.

Can't wait to see what color pantsuit HRC wears when she's the goddamn president."
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:26 AM on November 7, 2016 [236 favorites]

Ah. I forgot about Beck's frat boy past. I just remember him crying on TV about FEMA death camps.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 10:28 AM on November 7, 2016

Noticing a “Blacks for Trump” sign in the crowd, Trump said “One of the things they are seeing in a couple of these states like Florida, African-Americans are not turning out and when they do, a lot of them are voting for Trump. This is very disturbing to the other side.”

That's one interpretation. There are alternate theories.

They played that clip on MSNBC this mroning and the reporter in the field said something like, "For the record, at this current Trump rally of around 5,000 people, there are maybe 5 or 10 African Americans in attendance."
posted by zakur at 10:29 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

I live in Toronto, which is the 4 largest city in North America. Not including travel, it has never taken me more than 5 minutes to vote in a federal election. I can't remember ever actually standing in a real line--worst case there was the person currently in the booth, and then me.

While I agree that how voting is handled in the States could be improved, I do think this is something we as Canadians should resist comparing. When we vote, our ballots are no where near as lengthy or as complex to fill out. In a federal or provincial election, this is our sample ballot. Compare that with the ballot for Maryland in the 2012 election.

Voters in the US need more time in the booth than Canadians do because of this; it isn't a straight comparison.
posted by nubs at 10:29 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Politico has a really great oral history of Obama's 2008 victory, 'Oh Man, I Guess We’ve Won This Thing’

Tommy Vietor: A colleague made the funniest joke I heard that day: “Looking at exit polls is like hooking up with your ex-girlfriend. You know before you do it that you shouldn’t. You do it anyway because you can’t resist. In the short term, you’re gratified, and then it quickly wears off, and you’re ashamed of yourself for the rest of the day.”

posted by ZeusHumms at 10:31 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Wow. According to Bradd Jaffy, this ad is running in heavy rotation in South Florida today.

One Word - Jewish
posted by chris24 at 10:34 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

So, we've sifted the percentage chances various predictors have given to a Clinton win, but what are they actually claiming as their most likely or median EV count? Some give high uncertainty to these numbers (like 538), some give very low uncertainty (like PEC), but here's what they've got as the middle right now, the day before the election ...

Poll aggregators that offer an EV prediction --
Daily Kos: Clinton 323 EVs
PEC: Clinton 313 EVs
538: Clinton 296.9 EVs

Poll aggregators that offer a percent win chance, but not an EV prediction (estimated from their state-by-state data) --
HuffPost Pollster: Clinton 323 EVs
Pierre-Antoine Kremp: Clinton 323 EVs
NYT Upshot: Clinton 322 EVs

Poll aggregators that do not predict either EV or win chance (taken from recent polling with no modeling) --
Electoral-Vote.com: Clinton 317 EVs
RealClearPolitics: Clinton 301 EVs

Expert opinions --
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball: Clinton 322 EVs
The Cook Political Report: Clinton 301 EVs (estimated from their prediction of 278 solidly Clinton, plus half of their 46 "tossups")

Betting markets (estimated) --
PredictWise: Clinton 322 EVs
posted by kyrademon at 10:34 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

"I’ve seen a lot of people asking why Hillary Clinton’s suits are referred to as ‘pantsuits’ all the time. Like, why not just ‘suits’? The answer is more infuriating than you may realize.

This is great. I've been smiling at this Pantsuit Nation post since yesterday, where a woman describes her trans daughter rooting through her old "boy clothes" in the basement to put together a fitting outfit, plus a pearl necklace.
posted by zachlipton at 10:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

Wow. According to Bradd Jaffy, this ad is running in heavy rotation in South Florida today.

One Word - Jewish yt

There's a Mormon one running in Utah
posted by T.D. Strange at 10:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Voters in the US need more time in the booth than Canadians do because of this; it isn't a straight comparison.

The problem isn't time in the voting booth, it's that bigots deliberately removed places to vote, made it harder to register to vote, tried to (and often succeeded in) removing the ability to vote early, purged voters off rolls for minor discrepancies, made insane and discriminatory requirements for voter ID; and just generally brought voting back to the days of Jim Crow, if not before the 14th, 15th, and 19th amendments altogether.

"Having a complicated ballot" is like reason #2,342 on the list of problems with voting in the US.
posted by zombieflanders at 10:39 AM on November 7, 2016 [20 favorites]

One Word - Jewish

It's an astonishingly bold 15 seconds of advertising. I only hope and fear that people don't take the wrong message from it.
posted by zachlipton at 10:40 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

As a Floridian, I will be furious with anyone who re-elects Rubio

Marco has his supporters, though they don't have the best prediction track record around.
posted by Wordshore at 10:41 AM on November 7, 2016

He will just move forward, angrily refusing to acknowledge that for president, it's winner take all.

"Isn't it crazy that the guy who comes in second gets to be Vice President?"
posted by Hlewagast at 10:42 AM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

Damn, for a minute there I thought Pantsuit Nation was [fake], but a friend just added me.

So awesome. So moving. Reminds me that despite fragile males constantly complaining about the world going to shit because they view any gain by women and PoC as some huge loss for them, and despite a host of very large and very pressing problems that women and minorities continue to face, for those of us who have been othered for centuries -- if not millennia -- this is a very exciting and inspiring time in American history.
posted by lord_wolf at 10:42 AM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

Ugh— someone I know and love posted the new alt-right meme about how Huma Abedin is a secret Muslim operative!!! And Hillary has twelve seizures a day!!! But they prop her up when the seizures miraculously end before she gives speeches!!!

I posted the Snopes link pointing out that this meme claims to be info from Wikileaks, yet the text appears in none of the wikileaks documents. She responded that SOROS OWNS SNOPES DUH. So, in the course of a very short time, she outed herself as an Islamophobe and an antisemite.

Can we schedule a mass deprogramming for 40% of the country? Please?
posted by a fiendish thingy at 10:46 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

Nothing but this election could compel me to stuff myself into the only pantsuit I have on election day.

It's way too small so all I can promise is to do my best.
posted by Tarumba at 10:46 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

I'll be wearing a sweatpant suit.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:49 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

My favorite yard sign, spotted on two neighbor's houses this week.
posted by PearlRose at 10:49 AM on November 7, 2016 [61 favorites]

I can't shake the haunted feeling that a Hillary presidency without a dem senate will be 4 messy years, and far worse than Obama's, especially given a newly refreshed left platform and expectations.
posted by uraniumwilly at 10:49 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Nothing but this election could compel me to stuff myself into the only pantsuit I have on election day.

I don't have a pantsuit, but I intend to spend tomorrow fully decked out in red white and blue and metallic gold sneakers. Gonna paint little Hillary logos on my nails tonight. I am going to be insufferable.
posted by phunniemee at 10:50 AM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

it isn't a straight comparison.

Fair enough, the ballots aren't apples-to-apples. But it's also not apples-to-'59 Studebaker which is what the wait times seem like.
posted by HighLife at 10:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Lots of people saying "wear white!" dude I have one white top and it's one of those peasanty summer things, I can't wear that in November, even in Texas.

I do have a pantsuit but only wear it when making a presentation or otherwise compelled to.

Now, if I had a Space Grandma type of pantsuit like Hilary, I might wear that every day.
posted by emjaybee at 10:51 AM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

Leave it to Pantsuit Nation to finally make me wish I'd kept FaceBook. Ah, well. Keen radiations on you all.
posted by Mooski at 10:52 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Ha, I actually just got back from shopping, where I was hoping to find some kind of patriotic top to wear with my pantsuit tomorrow, but no dice. I'm definitely painting the fingernails red white & blue, though.
posted by something something at 10:52 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Hey treepour,

"I also learned today that I suck really bad at phone banking. I just couldn't keep it up for very long. ... Sorry Hillary. I should have done better."

YOU DID GREAT. There are lots of people who haven't made a single call. There are lots of people who won't even manage to vote.

You overcame a huge hurdle and got yourself involved. Now you know that you can do it - and you ALSO know that maybe some other tasks would be a better fit for you, so if there's any political stuff going on next year, or for sure in 2018, you'll be able to contact your local party early, if you want, and tell them you'd like to get involved but phone banking isn't really your thing - could you do data entry or hang door hangers or something?

I SO appreciate you getting involved - and I hope you'll hang on to the feelings of camaraderie and community and contribution, and let them draw you in to staying involved in the years to come.

Thank you for being a part of this!
posted by kristi at 10:54 AM on November 7, 2016 [75 favorites]

I can't shake the haunted feeling that a Hillary presidency without a dem senate will be 4 messy years, and far worse than Obama's, especially given a newly refreshed left platform and expectations.

Bill Clinton was able to get some things done, even after the 1994 Republican landslide. Even just replacing Scalia would make a huge difference right now.
posted by drezdn at 10:54 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

I can't shake the haunted feeling that a Hillary presidency without a dem senate will be 4 messy years, and far worse than Obama's, especially given a newly refreshed left platform and expectations.

I'm going to hold that pessimistic thought for now. But this is why down-ballot is important, and midterms are important. I hope some of the newly energized left can keep the momentum going, so that we get House and Senate candidates who we don't have to hold our noses to vote for, and put potential future candidates in the pipeline. And, of course, crossing my fingers - that voter suppression can be ended via the Supreme Court, so that people can vote in the first place.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:54 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

"Having a complicated ballot" is like reason #2,342 on the list of problems with voting in the US.

I'm not saying there isn't a host of other problems and voting suppression efforts that are impacting the voting in the US; I'm just a little wary of us Canadians making a straight up comparison between our two systems when there is a difference of "our ballot takes two seconds to mark" at play; it means we can't just point and say "do it like we do".

The fact that the ballot is longer makes its own argument for more polling stations, more early access, and more options in general from my perspective, and that's before we get into the blatant efforts at voter suppression.
posted by nubs at 10:55 AM on November 7, 2016

Bill Clinton was able to get some things done, even after the 1994 Republican landslide. Even just replacing Scalia would make a huge difference right now.
posted by drezdn

Excellent point, albeit, the things done were with great compromises and yes, to a hopeful liberal replacement to Scalia.

I'm going to hold that pessimistic thought for now. But this is why down-ballot is important, and midterms are important. I hope some of the newly energized left can keep the momentum going, so that we get House and Senate candidates who we don't have to hold our noses to vote for; and put potential future candidates in the pipeline. And, of course, crossing my fingers - that voter suppression can be ended via the Supreme Court, so that people can vote in the first place.
posted by Rosie M. Banks

Nearly all of our political donations money went to senate races. We made the calculated guess that Hillary had enough and our money would be more valuable in the efforts toward regaining the senate.

Here's a nice little bit of prediction news.

posted by uraniumwilly at 11:01 AM on November 7, 2016

In Missouri, my last three polling locations have been churches. I currently vote at the Presbyterian church about three blocks from my house, where I rarely have more than one person in line ahead of me. Tomorrow might be busier but not that busy- I'll still take my 2yo with me. He's been canvassing 4 times this season, so he deserves to charm a poll worker or two and then take my sticker away from me.

I'm kinda surprised that we don't have a bigger problem with closed polling locations here, given that it would be an easy way to neuter the effect of our cities on the statewide elections.
But I heard today that friends in my old hometown (population <300 people) have to drive 12 miles to the county seat to vote tomorrow unless they vote absentee at the courthouse in advance. More closed polling locations would affect those communities too. We do have a voter ID thing on the ballot tomorrow.
posted by aabbbiee at 11:02 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

That Glenn Beck interview is surreal even by 2016 standards.
posted by Skorgu at 11:03 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Clinton has cancelled her fireworks.

eep.
posted by SansPoint at 11:04 AM on November 7, 2016

I'm okay with not having to hear a bunch of explosions on this particular day.
posted by Etrigan at 11:06 AM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

The hero we've needed all along: Stone Cold Steve Austin interrupts Trump's rally. [fake, but well done]
posted by scaryblackdeath at 11:06 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Clinton has cancelled her fireworks.

eep.

I have no idea what this means, but I 100% know it doesn't mean "We looked at the numbers and we're going to lose, so no point in paying for fireworks."
posted by Horace Rumpole at 11:08 AM on November 7, 2016 [60 favorites]

Clinton has cancelled her fireworks.

eep.

That did give me pause, but I don't think we can read too much into it. I have to assume they had reasons to cancel besides "all is lost. cancel the fireworks".
posted by dis_integration at 11:08 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

no wait... people actually thought that?

Yes, they did. The FBI has consistently been portrayed as "the good guys" and the CIA as "the bad guys" on various television shows up until very recently. (Warning: TVTropes!) Given that the vast majority of people do not interact personally with the FBI, television portrayals are a proxy for actual knowledge of how the organization works.
posted by xyzzy at 11:08 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

It's November and rainy/bad weather would be a good reason to cancel fireworks ya'll stop freaking out.
posted by emjaybee at 11:10 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

I can't imagine NYPD is expecting any sort of violence from the Hilton Ballroom, where Trump's people will be, but it's possible they asked the Clinton campaign not to divert their resources.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:10 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Sylvia Contover has one wish for her 100th birthday: a female president

“I had two goals,” she says. “A goal to get to be 100 and I think I’m going to make that. And then this goal to have a woman president.” She pauses. “Isn’t that fun? I think we’re going to make it.”
posted by bonehead at 11:10 AM on November 7, 2016 [20 favorites]

In lieu of fireworks, she's just going to direct everyone to bask in the glow of the exploding ball of orange goo coming from the Hilton Midtown.
posted by tonycpsu at 11:10 AM on November 7, 2016 [47 favorites]

538 has lowered firework projections down to 38%. [fake]
posted by drezdn at 11:11 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

All I know is the FBI are the guys who come in and try to steal cases from all those hardworking police people who just want to see that murderer put behind bars.
posted by charred husk at 11:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [43 favorites]

It's November and rainy/bad weather would be a good reason to cancel fireworks ya'll stop freaking out.

Looks like rain is expected in NYC Tuesday night / early Wednesday morning. I'm going with that explanation.
posted by dis_integration at 11:12 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

In Sarasota

ugh whyyyyyyyyy

Trump went on a weird rant about firefighters being shot as they try to put out fires (oh, now he cares about firefighters, but not fire marshals?) Someone on Twitter pointed out that the only case of a firefighter being shot in the area involved one who was shot by the police during an armed standoff.

My general recollection of these kinds of incidents is that it's usually some aggrieved, right wing, middle-aged white guy who barricades himself in his house and starts shooting after emergency services shows up for what's usually a bogus call. That is, the kind of person that makes up Trump's base.
posted by indubitable at 11:14 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm sure we'll be able to read Podesta's email explaining why the fireworks were cancelled soon enough.
posted by drezdn at 11:14 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

Maybe it is a good idea not to further irritate irate Trumpkins already worried about civil unrest and terrorist attacks with the sounds of exploding fireworks.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 11:14 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Pants seem like a good defense against tabloid-driven panty-shot photographers.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 11:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Bummer. I live on the Jersey side of the Hudson and was looking forward to popping the bubbly while watching the fireworks.
posted by monospace at 11:15 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I don't care about fireworks anyway. I care about the sound of weeping, and gnashing of teeth, rising from the GOP's pit of despair.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 11:18 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

FBI? You mean the guys who played directly into Hans Gruber's plan and then tried to shoot John McClane?
posted by ckape at 11:18 AM on November 7, 2016 [32 favorites]

Approximately 1/3 of the electorate has voted already. And the percentage of women voting thus far is 2% higher than in the final 2012 numbers.

@BraddJaffy
Early/absentee voters nationally:

— 42% are DEM, 39% GOP
— 55% are women, 44% men
— 72% are age 45 or older

@BraddJaffy
As of today: 43,194,446 votes have been cast in the presidential election; 19,929,044 in 12 battleground states, per NBC data analysis
posted by chris24 at 11:18 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I am 43. From the first debate to today has been 2.9% of my entire life.
posted by vbfg at 11:19 AM on November 7, 2016 [60 favorites]

I'd be far more impressed with Beck if he used his cachet to reach out to his fanbase and teach them a few lessons in decency.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 11:21 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Maybe it is a good idea not to further irritate irate Trumpkins already worried about civil unrest and terrorist attacks with the sounds of exploding fireworks.

Alternate suggestion, then: on googling, the explosion of Krakatoa seems to have been at around 180dB. How hard could it be to pump out a muezzin's call at 150dB?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

"For the record, at this current Trump rally of around 5,000 people, there are maybe 5 or 10 African Americans in attendance."

It is SARASOTA I grew up there and the colored people are over on Central Ave at around MLK Way
The question has always been in Sarasota "Where are the black people around here?"

I never really thought about it until a while after I left, but it is pretty seriously de facto segregated. It's only after living elsewhere in the South and regularly seeing people of color around town, at the grocery store, at the bank, as neighbors, etc. and then going back to visit that the contrast really struck me.
posted by indubitable at 11:23 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Clinton has cancelled her fireworks.

Probably didn't want a real-life version of that 30 Rock episode.
posted by dirigibleman at 11:24 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

All I know is the FBI are the guys who come in and try to steal cases from all those hardworking police people who just want to see that murderer put behind bars.

"Just because your parents can afford better toys than ours doesn't make you better than us!"
"Yes it does so."
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:24 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Nthing that the Glenn Beck interview is certainly a special sort of slow motion car wreck. I enjoyed listening to it.
posted by RolandOfEld at 11:25 AM on November 7, 2016

I did the NextGen Climate text canvass someone mentioned in the last (?) thread online tonight (while modding!) and it was literally the easiest "canvass" I've ever done. I texted 300 people in less than an hour with their voting location for Tuesday

I just want to put in a plug for this, because I just did it as well. Here's the link to get started. In my case, I was texting OSU students, helped several find their polling place and gave them information on local rides to the polls, and had a couple promise to vote tomorrow, where I helped them make a plan. This stuff works, and it's super easy. If you can sit here writing comments on the blue, you can reach out to some voters.
posted by zachlipton at 11:25 AM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

#SCOTUS denies Democrats' application to vacate stay in 6th Cir voter intimidation case. RBG gives statement.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:29 AM on November 7, 2016

Interpretation: Ginsburg, effectively, says, "I'll deny the Dems' request — but keep in mind that you're barred from voter intimidation." #SCOTUS
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:30 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I can't imagine NYPD is expecting any sort of violence from the Hilton Ballroom, where Trump's people will be, but it's possible they asked the Clinton campaign not to divert their resources.

Yeah, that makes sense:

NYPD Planning Biggest Election Day Deployment Ever
NYPD Chief of Department Carlos Gomez told reporters on Monday that the department is preparing to deploy more than 5,000 uniformed officers on election day, focusing on the city's 1,200-plus polling sites as well as both presidential candidates' Midtown party venues. "This is by far the largest election detail that the NYPD has ever had," Gomez said. "More than double the previous year, and comparable to New Years Eve and the Pope visit."

posted by monospace at 11:31 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Protect your vote: specific resources for marginalized communities, via David Perry: links to information about an ASL voter assistance hotline, Transequality's page on voting while trans, and the Rooted in Rights disability voting resource page.
posted by Lexica at 11:34 AM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

According to the NY Post, the Clinton campaign still has a valid permit for fireworks, the NYPD chief of intelligence is quoted as saying he "believes" they're not going forward with fireworks, and the article also points out that the original plan was to kick off fireworks as early as 9:30pm Eastern.

My gut is telling me that this is a non-story. Like, they "cancelled" the fireworks at 9:30 pm because they're waiting a little longer to roll on the celebration, or they re-allocated funds to cover something else (open bar? just saying), or whatever. But for the love of god, the news outlets I've seen covering this are such high-caliber joints as Breitbart and the Daily Caller, don't let it get you all spun up into fear again. Breathe, my babies. Vote. Visit Pantsuit Nation. Make some calls. Step away from the internet and pet a doggo if you can.
posted by palomar at 11:34 AM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

>As of today: 43,194,446 votes have been cast in the presidential election; 19,929,044 in 12 battleground states, per NBC data analysis

That sounds huge. How does it compare to prior elections?
posted by Dragonness at 11:34 AM on November 7, 2016

Election Day weather will be good, and that favors Democrats at the polls
posted by zombieflanders at 11:34 AM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Clinton has cancelled her fireworks because there is a NEW plan to do a citywide balloon drop that will make the DNC drop look like the ball pit at IKEA [fake]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:35 AM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

folks maybe she just needs those fireworks to burn the ineffectual Khals who oppose her
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:37 AM on November 7, 2016 [38 favorites]

how else are we to light the wicker trump?
posted by palomar at 11:38 AM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Maybe the FBI are the good guys in TV shows but they aren't in Die Hard (best Xmas movie ever).
posted by kingless at 11:38 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

zombieflanders: Election Day weather will be good, and that favors Democrats at the polls

For decades, social and political scientists have been studying how weather affects election results. One of these more recent studies found foul weather — mainly rain and snow — decreased voter turnout and benefited Republicans. For every inch of rain, voter turnout declined by just under one percent, and the bad weather dissuaded Democrats the most. Results from a survey conducted by the Weather Channel before the 2012 election confirmed that finding.

So what’s the deal? Republicans enjoy torrential downpours, and Democrats are weather weaklings?

No. It’s much more simple than that: Good weather means more infrequent voters will hit the polls. In a world of reasons not to vote, weather won’t be one of them on Tuesday.

And the U.S. Census Bureau has a pretty good idea of who those infrequent voters tend to be, historically. The numbers show 18- to 34-year-olds have been least likely to vote when categorizing the electorate by age. Black and Hispanic populations have been less likely when categorizing by ethnicity.

posted by filthy light thief at 11:38 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

The life sum is fairly simple - on a four-year election cycle where the campaigns run for the last year, we'll all spend a quarter of our lives in an American election period. More, if you count the mid-terms.

The only way this will change is if the election cycle changes. No elections, no time spent during campaign periods. The price of freedom is eternal periodic irritation.
posted by Devonian at 11:38 AM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

fireworks

I'm actually glad to hear it. The HRC win I expect will suffuse me with quiet joy. And, I do think HRC really wants to reach out to the non HRC voters (less the deplorable.) I just don't think fireworks are right.
posted by bearwife at 11:40 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

NYPD Chief of Department Carlos Gomez told reporters on Monday that the department is preparing to deploy more than 5,000 uniformed officers on election day, focusing on the city's 1,200-plus polling sites as well as both presidential candidates' Midtown party venues. "This is by far the largest election detail that the NYPD has ever had," Gomez said. "More than double the previous year, and comparable to New Years Eve and the Pope visit."

Maybe I'm just being Johnny Doom-'n'-Gloom here, but feeling it necessary to roll out record numbers of already militarized police to keep the peace on election day does not quite have that "healthy and flourishing democracy" new-car smell to it.
posted by middleclasstool at 11:42 AM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

Presently driving into Missouri and the weather will be stormy/rain in outstate Missouri (rual) tomorrow and looks like good weather tomorrow for the city of St. Louis which is a BIG Democrat stronghold
I have driven from Rolla Mo to Bentonville AR and it is STRONG Trump country
posted by robbyrobs at 11:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

That sounds huge.

Bigly, even.
posted by drezdn at 11:43 AM on November 7, 2016

We can also shorten the election period. Six months should be good to go through candidates announcing their intention to run through a round a primaries and then the final vote. It'd be a lot cheaper, too.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:43 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I think I've settled on what cocktail to bring to the neighborhood Election Night party.

Tears of a Clown: Orange-tinted margarita, dusted with a crushed Cheeto.

The great thing about this drink is that if things go badly it can be easily switched out for the #MAGArita: Margarita with extra tequila, garnished with a Cheeto that must be swallowed whole.
posted by Jonathan Harford at 11:44 AM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

That sounds huge. How does it compare to prior elections?

Yeah, it is huge. In 2012, 32,311,399 voted according to the ElectProject. Not exactly as many states had early voting then though, so it's not a perfect 1 to 1 comparison.
posted by chris24 at 11:45 AM on November 7, 2016

I'm hoping for kamikazes with some Crystal Head Vodka.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:47 AM on November 7, 2016

I hope she was able to early vote.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:43 AM on November 7 [2 favorites +] [!]

From the Janet Reno thread.

I know what a misguided woman was caught "accidentally" committed voting fraud by sending her deceased husband's ballot in, "knowing that he would have voted for Trump," which is illegal (deceased persons cannot vote, for one thing).

However, if someone early voted, then passed away before the election date - is it still a valid vote?
posted by porpoise at 11:47 AM on November 7, 2016

I think I've settled on what cocktail to bring to the neighborhood Election Night party.

My lovely wife made me a bunch of ginger syrup for my birthday recently, so we'll be making a whole lot of penicillin to fight off infections.
posted by thecaddy at 11:49 AM on November 7, 2016

And plenty of states passed severe early voting restrictions between 2012 and today, too. I imagine that if they'd all been struck down (or even better, Shelby v Holder had gone the other way) we'd be looking at several million more.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:49 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

What Happens if You Vote and Die Before Election Day?
posted by melissasaurus at 11:50 AM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

I have to say, the headline "Donald Trump’s Big Bet on Less Educated Whites" just makes me so sad.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:50 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Last week I had dinner with my dad and found out he voted for Trump. This didn't surprise me. At the same dinner he said "Italians had it just as bad as The Blacks but you don't hear us complaining about it." So, yeah. Whatever.

Last night my mom came over for dinner. She said months ago she wouldn't vote for Trump but she also holds Hillary responsible for all Bill's sins so she'd never vote for her. My mom is a one issue voter, that one issue being abortion, so she always votes Republican. Against my better judgement I got it out of her that she voted for Trump.

I was furious. I started going off about how thousands of actual, living children will probably die under a Trump presidency. She just laughed and said the same tired thing about how "they're all the same but I have to vote with my conscience.", whatever that means.

We live in Massachusetts, so it's not like her vote is going to help Trump win, but she still, whether she'll admit it or not, supports this man and all he stands for.

I couldn't sit at the same table so I walked to another room in the house and closed the door. I sat and stewed for a good twenty minutes. What to do? I couldn't very well just never talk to my mother again, I knew I probably had to talk to her again that night.

So I thought for a bit, and then an idea struck me. A pretty darn good idea.

There was a computer in the room, so I clicked a few buttons, typed in my Paypal password, and in 30 seconds I had channeled my anger. I was happy. I was ok. I was no longer mad. Disappointed, sure. Mad, no.

I walked out of the room and back to the table. "I'm better now. ", I said.

My wife knew I was up to something. My mom saw the giant shit eating grin on my face and asked me what was up.

"I just donated $200 to Planned Parenthood because you voted for Trump. Thanks for that."

I've never had a more satisfying "fuck you" in my entire life.
posted by bondcliff at 11:52 AM on November 7, 2016 [232 favorites]

>Yeah, it is huge. In 2012, 32,311,399 voted according to the ElectProject. Not as many states had early voting then though, so it's not a perfect 1 to 1 comparison.

It sounds like a strong argument in favour of countrywide early voting.
posted by Dragonness at 11:52 AM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

The HRC win I expect will suffuse me with quiet joy. And, I do think HRC really wants to reach out to the non HRC voters (less the deplorable.) I just don't think fireworks are right.

Man, I want some fireworks. I want all the fireworks and all the balloons - balloons so goddamn big that Bill can't even get his arms around them! - and the world's biggest brass band and, like, a ballroom swarming with celebratory corgis for petting.

I want this country to celebrate the first woman president and the end of this most miserable of election seasons with some pizzazz. I want joy. I want everyone to have an invitation to join the party, but also an acknowledgment that this country made its choice and the party is happening regardless.

(Probably best I'm not in charge, but that's what I want.)
posted by Salieri at 11:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [23 favorites]

We can also shorten the election period. Six months should be good to go through candidates announcing their intention to run through a round a primaries and then the final vote. It'd be a lot cheaper, too.

I can't imagine people standing for that. There's a lot of inter generational pride in the primary season. And it's a states rights issue, as well AFAICT.
posted by tilde at 11:53 AM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

feeling it necessary to roll out record numbers of already militarized police to keep the peace on election day does not quite have that "healthy and flourishing democracy" new-car smell to it.

True, but it's also quite unprecedented to have both parties host Election Night rallies in New York City, a city which is already on heightened alert because of terror threats related to the election.
posted by monospace at 11:55 AM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Bill Clinton will be in some room with balloons, right?
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:56 AM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

The NYT article about how Trump has legitimized racism is pretty chilling: Donald Trump's Extremist Supporters Feel Like Winners Either Way

When I see pictures of his rallies, I look at all the people in the audience, and I just wonder what the hell went wrong with you. I try to have empathy, if for no other reason that empathy might help change minds, but I am all burnt out on empathy for Trump supporters now. There is no excuse for voting for this man.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 11:56 AM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Bill Clinton will be in some room with balloons, right?

If there is any justice in this universe.
posted by Salieri at 11:56 AM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

So, Rick "Roll" Wilson went on a tweetstorm about his two pieces of oppo, which I kind of do appreciate despite my overwhelming sense of annoyance (after all he really does not control whether stories come out).

1. Compromat story has made the rounds with enough granularity and specificity in intel circles that the majors all chased it.
2. Senior US and allied intel officials description is revolting, and a number of journos have had its content and existence confirmed.
3. Natch, SVR ain't doing anything to hurt Trump. But having the compromat is the POINT.
4. And btw I mean MAJOR have chased it. High editorial cliff to climb.
1. You've also seen story 2 outlined by @lizmair, but I'll do this in the form of questions a journalist COULD ask Trump.
2. Have you ever paid for an abortion or caused someone to do so? How many? Who administers these requests if not you?
3. Tell us about the NDAS and any payments made to women with whom you've been involved.
4. Have you ever had your legal other staff issue cease and desist/NDA warning letters to women?
5. To whom did you say 'The last call they get to me is 'Donald, I'm late.'"
Looping back on the compromat story...it's both hideous and from several accounts has a racial element. #classy

(For background, the "compromat" is rumored to be a FSB-filmed orgy in Russia.)

Anyway. Goodbye forever, Rick Wilson.
posted by acidic at 11:57 AM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

If we could defeat Trump without having to see his junk, I would be a happy woman.
posted by emjaybee at 11:58 AM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

Clinton account's "Delete your account." tweet at Trump was the most retweeted 2016 US presidential election tweet, per Twitter: 512,000.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:59 AM on November 7, 2016 [34 favorites]

@StevenTDennis
Gallup: Obama approval jumps 3 points to 56%, disapproval down to 41%

Not that Clinton is Obama, but a third term would be a cinch and she's the closest thing. I also find it hard to believe that 7% or so of people who think Obama is doing well would switch to vote Trump to get him over the top.
posted by chris24 at 11:59 AM on November 7, 2016

KEEP CALM
AND
FINISH HIM

[jpg; via twitter]
posted by melissasaurus at 12:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

I think the length of the election cycle in the US contributes to false equivalency by forcing us to consider terrible candidates over a long enough timeline and from enough angles that they start to seem plausible, even when they clearly should not.

I think the average "undecided" voter, had you approached them on say, August 1, and told them that Trump had weird ties to Russia, bragged about sexual assault, had no respect for Gold Star families, would never release his taxes, thought using nukes was a solid option sometimes, etc. they would have said GTFO. Stretched out over a longer timeline, that shit sandwich got chopped into tiny bite-sized pieces that were easier to choke down.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

@Marvel: TOMORROW. #ElectionDay

It doesn't say who Kamala is going to vote for, but I'm pretty sure she'd show some Khan solidarity with Khizr and Ghazala.
posted by zombieflanders at 12:04 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

in the end we will learn that we always had the power to defeat Trump without the legendary Ultimate Abortions & N-Word Oppo Drop
posted by prize bull octorok at 12:04 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Based on the fact that he has yet to say he'd accept the results, can Trump legally request and get an entire 50-state re-count?
posted by Thorzdad at 12:04 PM on November 7, 2016

"Having a complicated ballot" is like reason #2,342 on the list of problems with voting in the US.

I think it's a political problem: how many people actually have a stake and an informed opinion on who becomes State Commissioner of Widgets? I understand the history of avoiding political patronage but if you end up on the ballot for those positions these days, you've already worked your way up the party ranks. Straight-ticket downballot addresses that somewhat, but it's one of the things state GOP legislative majorities like to remove. (And that doesn't address judges or propositions which are their own messes.)

There's a lot of inter generational pride in the primary season. And it's a states rights issue, as well AFAICT.

To some degree, but the national parties dictate the calendar by saying whether a primary or caucus is considered valid for the purpose of selecting delegates. The main "states' rights" issue is that Iowa and NH feel like they are entitled to the attention and the pastiche of retail campaigning in states that look nothing like the nation as a whole. But that won't happen without mutual agreement between the two main parties.
posted by holgate at 12:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

So let me get this this straight. The 'rumor' is that the main reason that Trump is all lovey dovey with Putin and Russia is because they literally have an orgy tape as a threat.

In any other year I would say no way that's just silly and over the top.

But hey it's 2016 and Trump.
posted by Jalliah at 12:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

I am so looking forward to Wednesday -- ok, maybe Thursday -- when I can click on news sites without seeing the name that stands for so much awful.
posted by Dashy at 12:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I got called by the Clinton campaign this weekend, I think! I was at lunch in a loud restaurant when I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. The lady on the phone had a thick accent I couldn't place, and I couldn't really hear her, so I stepped outside. When I got outside I recognized she was partway through the script from the Clinton call list, so I stopped her and told her I had voted for Clinton. She seemed really nervous and just said 'Oh, thanks. Haveaniceday." and hung up. I was sad she didn't stay on the phone a bit so I could tell her to keep up the good work!
posted by DynamiteToast at 12:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Based on the fact that he has yet to say he'd accept the results, can Trump legally request and get an entire 50-state re-count?

Him having (theoretically) said "I'll accept the results" wouldn't make any difference. As for recounts, state laws vary widely.
posted by Etrigan at 12:07 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Just made my 250th call for Hillary, to a lovely woman who, when asked if supporting Hillary tomorrow, exclaimed "OF COURSE!" In all those calls, I've only gotten one grouch, a woman who said she doesn't trust either one and hung up on me. I lived to tell the tale. If you ever wanted to phonebank but were too nervous to try it, now's the time. All we're doing is making sure people know where and when to vote. Easy! Here's the link once again: Call Tool|Hillary for America.
posted by HotToddy at 12:07 PM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

can Trump legally request and get an entire 50-state re-count?

If the vote differential is within a state's legally mandated margin, it's automatic and paid by the state. If not, then depending on the state he needs to go to court and/or pay for it himself. But it is state by state. He can't just say "Count them all!"
posted by chris24 at 12:07 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

in the end we will learn that we always had the power to defeat Trump without the legendary Ultimate Abortions & N-Word Oppo Drop

The power was inside us all along? Because I'd really rather just cut it out of Mark Burnett instead of going through all this.
posted by zachlipton at 12:07 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

So let me get this this straight. The 'rumor' is that the main reason that Trump is all lovey dovey with Putin and Russia is because they literally have an orgy tape as a threat.

The one argument against it is that Trump hasn't accused Hillary of there being an orgy tape being held over her head.
posted by drezdn at 12:07 PM on November 7, 2016 [85 favorites]

Based on the fact that he has yet to say he'd accept the results, can Trump legally request and get an entire 50-state re-count?

I've never heard of any legal mechanism by which that could be done. If Trump wants a nationwide recount of the election, I think he has to file lawsuits in every state demanding that they have a recount. On what basis? A bunch of allegations about the election being "rigged" and some hearsay about one guy who voted with someone elses's name?
posted by thelonius at 12:08 PM on November 7, 2016

I think the length of the election cycle in the US contributes to false equivalency by forcing us to consider terrible candidates over a long enough timeline and from enough angles that they start to seem plausible, even when they clearly should not.

I think this is true, and I think there's also an opposite danger - it has been so necessary to fight tooth and claw for Clinton for so long that many liberals have gone from critical of her to totally in the bag for her - which in many ways is great, because I think she is a great politician with a vision for America that I largely agree with, and I think she will do what she can to accomplish her vision.

But of course, I don't agree with her on everything. And there will be times when it will be necessary for liberals to hold her feet to the fire, and I hope that we will.
posted by showbiz_liz at 12:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

Dynamite toast, I also got a phone call from someone whose first language wasn't English (not Spanish either) and they nervously said ohokaythankyoubye when I told them I would vote for Hillary.

💕💕💕
posted by Tarumba at 12:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Adding on to my bit earlier about the length of election cycles... Had you approached that same undecided voter on August 1st and said, "They look at Hillary's emails pretty much continuously through the election, but they never find anything" they would have told you to grow up and STFU. But by bringing it up, letting it die, then bringing it back, ad infinitum, they make it seem more legitimate.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:11 PM on November 7, 2016

Given how I read the cat, I don't imagine Trump would be super concerned about being filmed in an orgy. Unless, maybe, he was fellating Putin or some such act.
posted by Fezboy! at 12:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I will be so glad when tomorrow is over and everything will be settled.
posted by mazola at 12:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm in line for the Hillary rally! It's...very long. I'm at south st, but the line keeps going behind me, and doors don't even open for another 50 minutes.

People are pretty cheerful, hope it keeps up :)
posted by kalimac at 12:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

"The one argument against it is that Trump hasn't accused Hillary of there being an orgy tape being held over her head."

Well, yes and no. @realDonaldTrump
posted by klarck at 12:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I will be so glad when tomorrow is over and everything will be settled.

Don't jinx that!
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

I posted this comment last year.

There are only 575 days until the election.

Only?

Now I understand what they meant by 'only'. You managed to fit an eternity into that time. I thought it was bizarre because in Australia election campaigns are announced a couple of months before they happen. We had an election and transition of government I think twice during those 575 days.

Trump will lose but he won't concede. Remember that scene in Game Change when Steve Schmidt is explaining to Sarah that the candidate for Veep doesn't give a concession speech. She insists and he gives her a firm NO. The opposite is going to happen now. They will have to drag him to the podium, and even then he'll just say it was rigged and bullshit. He'll just blame everyone but himself.

Good luck you guys. I'm really fond of your country and I'd love to visit one day. I'm building a big ladder and it's gonna be yuge.

I know there's still time to vote so let me stress this as much as possible:

DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR SHOT.
posted by adept256 at 12:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

Bummer. I live on the Jersey side of the Hudson and was looking forward to popping the bubbly while watching the fireworks.

you know how DJT feels about thousands of people cheering in Jersey City
posted by mintcake! at 12:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

Ha, ha! I nearly printed out the election thread by mistake!
posted by mazola at 12:15 PM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

One thing I keep thinking about is how many Republicans are terrified of a Clinton win, and it occurred to me that one of the reasons they are so afraid is because they assume that Clinton will use power the way Republicans use power.

For so many Republicans, gaining power is a chance to abuse it, to punish political enemies, to extract glorious revenge from the people they despise, to target the groups they actively dislike. A chance to game the system, to go on a cronyism spree, to break the system so future players have a harder time making anything happen.

And because they live according to that model, no wonder they fear Obama and Clinton. They assume that the levers of power will be used to crush them, for once, that those who have been oppressed are ravenous with longing to be the crushers for once. It never occurs to them that some people actually want to make the world better. That some people desire power not for power itself, but to help the powerless breathe a little more freely.

So when Obama tries to help them, they claim they are being attacked. When Clinton reaches out a hand to them, they scream about her duplicity. It's the only model they seem to understand. How sad.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 12:17 PM on November 7, 2016 [74 favorites]

Ha, ha! I nearly printed out the election thread by mistake!

Shares of Dunder-Miffllin 328% higher on startling news from the internet.
posted by mcstayinskool at 12:17 PM on November 7, 2016 [32 favorites]

I'll be spending election night tomorrow praying, drinking, and recreating 2008 with a cheesy electro indie playlist. Any suggestions for tracks, hit me on this AskMe.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:18 PM on November 7, 2016

Ha, ha! I nearly printed out the election thread by mistake!

Currently, the thread is 187 pages. I'm thinking printing this out at the office is something like accidentally hitting play on a YouTube video with your volume all the way up in the middle of a work meeting. It's like sending up fireworks that say, "Totally screwing off during work hours!"
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:18 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

I don't imagine Trump would be super concerned about being filmed in an orgy. Unless, maybe... it reveals the true size of his Little Donald.

Here's a DIY comic from Tom Tomorrow for tomorrow: Eerily timely - except when it's not!

And regarding Marvel's Kamala Khan image: they apparently have an election-themed Ms. Marvel coming out, but due to the regular publication schedule, it's due to arrive the day AFTER the election. And, while Marvel is now a subsidiary of Disney, its CEO is still one of Deplorable Donald's few big business contributors.
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:20 PM on November 7, 2016

Everyone should read this Twitter thread by @BeardedStoner. It tells a story 13 years in the making. I can personally relate to it because my political awakening happened around the same time under similar circumstances.
posted by guiseroom at 12:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

Trump on TV now talking in North Carolina, I believe. Isn't Palin supposed to join him at some point? I want me some Palin word salad. Floor that accelerator like Immortan Joe across the desert, Donald. Let all the crazy out for people to see.
posted by bluecore at 12:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Trump's been tacitly acknowledging defeat ever since he got on his Rigged Bigly donkey. If tomorrow goes as the consensus indicates, he won't agitate for a recount, because what would it achieve? He's just going to double down on angry denunciation with no specifics and reinforce the convictions of his base that the whole system is rigged against them, he never lost fairly because of MSM and Crooked Hillary and the FBI and the Evil ISIS Golem Sprites and whoever else falls into his tarpit of a mind.

But he'll still be seventy and counting, hell still have some really nasty lawsuits coming up (with yuge media attention), there'll be who knows what financial shit oozing out of post-election revelations of campaign funds, he's still got to deal with a brand that now smells of dead iguana rotting in a swamp, and he'll have not a friend in the world who isn't thinking of making a buck off the orange hue of his radioactive decay.

I know. He hasn't lost yet. TTTCS. But with every darn prediction giving Clinton 50+ extra EVs past the finishing line, surprise at his victory will no longer be enough - I will be forced to resort to astonishment.
posted by Devonian at 12:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

One thing I keep thinking about is how many Republicans are terrified of a Clinton win, and it occurred to me that one of the reasons they are so afraid is because they assume that Clinton will use power the way Republicans use power.

And the thing is that it doesn't matter how the Democrats rule- the Republicans will insist that they are being persecuted and abused on a daily basis. Compromise is pointless. Moderation is pointless. It will win nothing.
posted by Pope Guilty at 12:22 PM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

Trump isn't going to agitate for a recount, because that is a complicated, time-consuming, formal process that can only be undertaken by organized, focused, professional political operatives with an intricate knowledge of the process.

No one like that works on the Trump campaign. Certainly not 50 states worth of them.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:25 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Greg Nog Why not both?
posted by SansPoint at 12:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Andrew Sullivan stares into the abyss.

I have long had faith that some version of fascism cannot come to power in America. The events of the past year suggest deep reflection on that conviction. A political hurricane has arrived, as globalization has eroded the economic power of the white working classes, as the cultural left has overplayed its hand on social and racial issues, and as a catastrophic war and a financial crisis has robbed the elites of their credibility. As always in history, you still needed the spark, the unique actor who could deploy demagogic talent to drag an advanced country into violence and barbarism. In Trump, America found one for the ages.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 12:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

ACLU: What to do when faced with voter intimidation: Q.Who can I report intimidation to?

A. You can report intimidation to:

The Election Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español)
The U.S. Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline: 800-253-3931; TTY line 877-267-8971
Local and state officials, including poll workers; your county clerk, elections commissioner, elections supervisor; or your state board of elections.

posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

DirtyOldTown Which is why it's important that Hillary win by a solid margin of states. The more electoral votes over 270 Hillary gets, the more recounts would have to happen. The more recounts Trump has to sue over, the less likely he'll actually follow through.
posted by SansPoint at 12:28 PM on November 7, 2016

Trump in NC: "The miners are going to be back, clean coal."

No coal mines in NC.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [36 favorites]

A political hurricane has arrived, as globalization has eroded the economic power of the white working classes, as the cultural left has overplayed its hand on social and racial issues, and as a catastrophic war and a financial crisis has robbed the elites of their credibility.

*eyeroll and wanking motion*
posted by duffell at 12:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [42 favorites]

Yes Andrew Sullivan, blame the American left for the rise of fascism in America. Rather than an abyss, maybe you should do your deep reflection in a mirror, you shitbag.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 12:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [35 favorites]

I'm completely at peace. Either Hillary will win or else Trump will trigger the Rapture and I won't be here.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Actually, the Mazel Tov cocktail is real. And it's delicious.
posted by numaner at 12:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

in lieu of fireworks, ~~when~~ "if" the race is called for Hillary tomorrow night, I would like to see her come out in frizzy hair and giant round 70s eyeglasses and cackle for an hour straight while "Rodham/Kaine" banners unfurl over the existing signage
posted by prize bull octorok at 12:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [97 favorites]

Andrew Sullivan stares into the abyss.

Wasn't he in self-enforced exile? Someone should force him back.
posted by T.D. Strange at 12:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

What Happens if You Vote and Die Before Election Day?

uhh would crazy idiots actually go out and hunt down early voters and then challenge those votes as they're being hauled off to jail?
posted by numaner at 12:33 PM on November 7, 2016

No coal mines in NC.

Also, clean coal remains a goddamned myth that coal proponents like to pretend already exists.
posted by Pope Guilty at 12:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

"Rodham/Kaine" banners unfurl over the existing signage

Rodham/Holton, surely!
posted by everybody had matching towels at 12:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Guys, Sullivan and Chait are both at NY mag. All you need to do is NOT GO TO THAT website and your life will be 300% better. They've done us a public service with this quarantine.
posted by selfnoise at 12:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

What is going on with Glenn Beck? My guess is that he realized that he couldn't out-crazy Alex Jones, and is left doing the one thing that will bring him the most attention- reject the Republican candidate and say nice things about the Obamas.

Yeah, a person does sort of suspect that he has identified "less racist, non-inflammatory Repubs" as the next right wing growth sector and is just staking an early claim on that target market.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Does the vagenda of manocide begin immediately on the 9th or does it take a few days to get started? I think I'm ready.
posted by Golem XIV at 12:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [92 favorites]

I just got the strangest voicemail ever, in its entirety: "Did you see Donald Trump is your next president press one for yes press two for no…"

I'm in MA and it was a MA number. What in the actual fuck? That is one hell of a misfire.
posted by lydhre at 12:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I just saw this neato "What to Watch for on Election Night" guide on Facebook. The last page is a blank electoral vote map that I will print and color with glittery pens and orange frowny faces.
posted by Metroid Baby at 12:38 PM on November 7, 2016 [23 favorites]

Yeah, a person does sort of suspect that he has identified "less racist, non-inflammatory Repubs" as the next right wing growth sector and is just staking an claim on that target market.
Well, he's been right on some of his market targeting and wrong on some (otherwise The Blaze - that's his personal network thingy, right? - would be much bigger). Maybe he's just trying to get noticed again (and it WORKED, at least here).
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:39 PM on November 7, 2016

What is going on with Glenn Beck?

I'd bet that with his credibility and stock falling, a market study was done on his schtick and he decided to make some adjustments toward the cause of his future relevancy.
posted by uraniumwilly at 12:39 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I got called by the Clinton campaign this weekend, I think! I was at lunch in a loud restaurant when I got a call from a number I didn't recognize.

This happened to me just as I had gone to my local early voting place to pick up the keys for the polling place I am going to be an election judge at tomorrow. I rarely pick up my phone when it's not a number I recognize, but I wanted to be sure to answer so they could accurately take me off the list, so I ran outside to answer, proudly carrying my election judge envelope. After I answered and I heard the beginning of the spiel, I thanked the woman who was calling for calling at this particular moment since it made me feel better about not getting to vote on Election Day and that I had already voted for Hillary by mail because of my judge duties. Then she thanked me for being an election judge. And then I thanked her for making phone calls. And then we thanked each other back and forth at least 5 more times.

After this, I stopped to collect myself and my stuff, and as I did, a young girl (I'm bad with age but she couldn't have been more than 9 years old) came toward the polling place and was telling her mom about how "Make America Great Again" was a slogan that Trump was using because he didn't think America could be great when Obama was president and that a lot of people who felt that way were racist. And I'm not going to lie, it made me cry and I'm not sure if it's because I was happy this little girl kicked so much ass or because I was sad that she even has to know such things. [real]

I was also relieved that she was 100 feet from the door so I didn't have to rough her up for electioneering. [fake]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:40 PM on November 7, 2016 [71 favorites]

Andrew Sullivan status: still a giant piece of shit. His publishing racist garbage, pushing it into the mainstream, played a big role in keeping it legitimate and creating/maintaining space for open white supremacy in the mainstream of American opinion.

What?. White supremacy? Don't cry wolf. Save those accusations for the real white supremacists.
posted by Liquidwolf at 12:40 PM on November 7, 2016

"Does the vagenda of manocide begin immediately on the 9th or does it take a few days to get started?"

I don't know, but you should consider laundering your feminazi uniform for Wednesday, at the very least.
posted by Tarumba at 12:40 PM on November 7, 2016 [32 favorites]

On the possibility of Trump wanting recounts, it's worth remembering what chris24 posted above: Unless a state's popular vote is within a state-defined limit, Trump or the GOP would have to go to court or pay for the recount. I believe an entity would have to have evidence of election fraud or malfeasance to win a court-ordered recount. I would think each recount would be pricey. I would have to ask, then, who would be willing to pay for Trump's recounts, since it's a sure bet he'd want them but won't pay for them.
posted by Silverstone at 12:40 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

What is going on with Glenn Beck? My guess is that he realized that he couldn't out-crazy Alex Jones

He now claims he had a mysterious, undiagnosable brain disease at that time.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 12:40 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

What is going on with Glenn Beck? My guess is that he realized that he couldn't out-crazy Alex Jones, and is left doing the one thing that will bring him the most attention- reject the Republican candidate and say nice things about the Obamas.

Obama is also on the cover of Beck's new book, Liars, between FDR and Hillary Clinton, and Hillary is right next to Donald Trump, because apparently they're all lying progressives. Glenn Beck is just another hate merchant, let's not support his latest form.
posted by airish at 12:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

If there's one thing I've learned from this election cycle, it's that America would be perfectly happy to elect a fascist. The only reason we're not doing it this time is because the fascist who is running is so laughably incompetent and transparently corrupt and mendacious. If Trump had his shit more together, I really do think he'd be winning this thing. That's not a knock on Hillary; it's a knock on the American electorate. Clean him up a bit and people would be lining up in droves to vote Trump and his politics into the presidency. What the actual fuck, America?

Despite the fact that we probably aren't going to elect Literal Hitler tomorrow (TTTSC) I am feeling profoundly disillusioned by my country. I knew there was a lot of rot at the top, and that we still had big big problems with racism, misogyny, etc. I had no idea how bad it was, how many of my neighbors, coworkers, family members will gladly turn out to vote for a fascist candidate, even when he is obviously an idiot, even when his (evil) promises are obviously false to the point of nonsense, even when he carries so much baggage in the form of scandals and corruption that newspapers are running special features just trying to keep track of it all.

The lesson I've learned from this election is that It Could Happen Here, and roughly half of my countryfolk would definitely vote for it to happen. I will never look at my fellow Americans the same way again.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 12:43 PM on November 7, 2016 [99 favorites]

Andrew Sullivan status: still a giant piece of shit. His publishing racist garbage, pushing it into the mainstream, played a big role in keeping it legitimate and creating/maintaining space for open white supremacy in the mainstream of American opinion.

What?. White supremacy? Don't cry wolf. Save those accusations for the real white supremacists.

Probably not the time or place to get into a deep dive of this, but the wolf is real [1] [2]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:43 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

You all are breaking out the Mazel Tov cocktails now? In my family we always saved them for Hanukkaboom.
posted by Servo5678 at 12:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

I'm just curious if I will be able to turn in my white skin, penis, and gun in one convenient location before I am forcibly gay-married to a Mexican mujaheed, or is this going to be a big schlep around town?
posted by Behemoth at 12:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [32 favorites]

Please remember: if you are a "Male" and volunteered during this election for our Her Hillness, do NOT forget to pick up your Immunity Badge before the Manocide Vagenda begins. This is critical, as we will be used as the spearhead when the Purge begins in earnest.

STRONGER TOGETHER BRETHREN
posted by Tevin at 12:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [52 favorites]

Kitty Stardust, that is a hilarious excuse. No doubt some people will believe it. His target audience isn't exactly big on critical thinking.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 12:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

How Teens In The Balkans Are Duping Trump Supporters With Fake News
posted by robbyrobs at 12:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Global warming may be favoring the Democrats. Mild weather is forecast for virtually the entire United States. Bad weather favors Republicans. (pdf)
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I just saw this neato "What to Watch for on Election Night" guide on Facebook. The last page is a blank electoral vote map that I will print and color with glittery pens and orange frowny faces.

I saw this, it's really thorough! The only issue I take with it though is that they're not including Pennsylvania in 'all the typically blue states.' Pennsylvania hasn't gone for a Republican since 1988, six elections in a row! Meanwhile Colorado's gone D, D, R, R, R, D in the same time period.
posted by showbiz_liz at 12:47 PM on November 7, 2016

No coal mines in NC.

Well, we're going to have them! The best coal mines!
posted by thelonius at 12:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

the vagenda of manocide

Excellent username and/or death metal band/album name.
posted by Dr Dracator at 12:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Guys. I'm really not comfortable with the explicit manocide jokes.

We know that there are likely to be increased in domestic violence after events like this. It's not funny because it's too close to the truth that already exists.
posted by bilabial at 12:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Mostly, I am feeling confident about tomorrow.

I did still check real estate prices back in Comrade Doll's home country of Romania, though.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:51 PM on November 7, 2016

> We know that there are likely to be increased in domestic violence after events like this. It's not funny because it's too close to the truth that already exists.

[fair point, sincere apologies]
posted by Tevin at 12:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Sigh. You're right, bilabial.
::takes off mechanical Furiosa arm::
posted by Kitty Stardust at 12:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

We know that there are likely to be increased in domestic violence after events like this

Cite please. Difficulty: Cannot be the debunked Super Bowl urban legend.
posted by asockpuppet at 12:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

I think this is a good time to remember that women's right to vote came down to literally one vote by one dude in Tennessee; it was stalled until Representative Harry Burn decided to vote for it, because he received a note from his mother, Pheobe Ensminger Burn:

... known to her family and friends as Miss Febb. In it, she had written, “Hurrah, and vote for suffrage! Don’t keep them in doubt. I notice some of the speeches against. They were bitter. I have been watching to see how you stood, but have not noticed anything yet.” She ended the missive with a rousing endorsement of the great suffragist leader Carrie Chapman Catt, imploring her son to “be a good boy and help Mrs. Catt put the ‘rat’ in ratification.”

Still sporting his red boutonniere [an anti-suffragist symbol; pro-suffragist was yellow roses] but clutching his mother’s letter, Burn said “aye” so quickly that it took his fellow legislators a few moments to register his unexpected response.

Little things can tip the balance if there's enough of them.
posted by emjaybee at 12:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [139 favorites]

the vagenda of manocide

Excellent username and/or death metal band/album name.

Clearly, Cattle Decapitation needs to make this record, to go along with Testicular Manslaughter and other hits.
posted by Existential Dread at 12:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Mexican peso just soared after the FBI cleared Clinton

And Reuters is reporting the dollar is strengthening as Clinton looks more likely to win. The latter article features the bizarre but believable statement "Trump's stance on immigration, foreign policy and trade have made the Mexican peso a proxy for his election chances." [true]
posted by psoas at 12:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Cite please. Difficulty: Cannot be the debunked Super Bowl urban legend.

Is it really that hard to imagine Trumpazoid men going ballistic on their wives in revenge if Clinton wins and there's talk about Trump-husbands' wives secretly voting for Hillary? This isn't a fucking football game, people are, for better and for worse, deeply connected to the outcome.
posted by fraula at 12:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

Does the vagenda of manocide begin immediately on the 9th or does it take a few days to get started?

I don't know, but I've got my jackboots polished to a shine, and they are going to look FABULOUS paired with this sensible authoritarian pantsuit.
posted by Mayor West at 12:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Ugh I thought questionable humor against a privileged group you belong to is allowed and provides credit against said privilege, you can't police humor like that it's taking it too far wait I'm doing this wrong
posted by Dr Dracator at 12:59 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

> I don't know, but I've got my jackboots

jillboots, surely
posted by Tevin at 12:59 PM on November 7, 2016 [37 favorites]

Obligatory Snopes: FALSE: Domestic Violence on Super Bowl Sunday
It is not true that the incidence of domestic violence against women is higher on Super Bowl Sunday than on any other day of the year.

Also not true: legions of prostitutes flock to Super Bowl city ("mostly false"), and simul-flushing breaks sewer systems during Super Bowl time-outs ("false"). But the rise in car accidents after the game is true.
posted by msalt at 1:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

So, the house I drive by many times a week that, without fail on an every three months basis has a "free kittens" sign out, that I yell FIX YOUR FUCKING CATS at every time I see it, sprouted Trump signs this weekend.

Ok, soren_lorensen This is the final straw in the pile of "I think you might actually be me." I've nearly posted that several times over these election threads. But that exact thing happened to me as well. (But seriously, they need to get their cats fixed.)
posted by threeturtles at 1:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Elided two thoughts there. I fear there may be increased domestic violence (because women are going to be the demographic most likely to vote for Hillary) and we know there will be increased hate crimes (especially given the moves past dogwhistling and straight to calls to mass deport)
posted by bilabial at 1:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Also, the word I heard (from a social worker in New Orleans, though I don't have a hard citation) is that domestic violence incidents in New Orleans spike by 20% on the days when the Saints lose. Never underestimate the dangerousness of a thwarted male ego.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 1:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I Think Hillary Clinton's Politics Are Terrible. I'm Voting For Her So We Can Grow The Left.

I’ve undergone two shifts in thinking over this long election season that influenced my decision. The first was becoming skeptical of the extent to which I'd bought into an understanding of voting as a self-expressive speech act. The language used in this framework—having a personal responsibility to make your voice heard—started to sound to me like individualistic, sappy liberal bullshit. Voting, I now think, is not chiefly a performance of self-expression, but a stone cold tactic for achieving a political outcome. Better to vote for someone whose politics are terrible, if that accomplishes something good, than to vote for someone whose politics are great, if that accomplishes nothing good, or worse, something bad. In this case, being a New Yorker, whatever my vote accomplishes is negligible: the point is I have shed my aversion to voting for terrible politicians.

I also began to question whether the main consideration for leftists should be which candidate is likeliest to enact our agenda—the lesser evil. The fact is, the left is not yet strong enough to extract major concessions. To imagine what it would have been like had Sanders been elected president (as he surely would have if we’d gotten him nominated), just look at what Jeremy Corbyn is facing in the U.K. and scale it up. With Sanders hamstrung, the country would have decided that it had tried socialism and socialism had failed.

Our most urgent task is growing the left. Our priority, therefore, should not be to elect the leftmost president, but the president under whom the power of the left is likeliest to grow

Normally, this means Democrats. When Republicans are in power, the left gets subsumed as the left flank of the official opposition, which is led by Democrats. With Democrats in power, though, the left gets to be its own opposition, to draw contrasts between leftism and liberalism—against a Democratic president.

posted by tonycpsu at 1:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [35 favorites]

Meanwhile Colorado's gone D, D, R, R, R, D in the same time period.

OTOH, Florida has gone for the full monty and has voted U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, B, A since '76.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [34 favorites]

And on non-preview, looks like I was thankfully mistaken. That's a small load off my mind.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 1:02 PM on November 7, 2016

But then, even Trumpists know this election is more than 'just a game'.
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:05 PM on November 7, 2016

OTOH, Florida has gone for the full monty and has voted U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, B, A since '76.

I still remember back in '92 when Georgia voted ABACABB.
posted by Talez at 1:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

Trump: "The world hates us."

For certain values of us. Go eat worms, Donnie.
posted by msalt at 1:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [23 favorites]

That Florida man would have to have 30 lives after some of the things I've read he's done.
posted by cmfletcher at 1:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

However, republican conventions are a boon to the sexworker industry - even for male escorts, too.
posted by porpoise at 1:07 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Trump: "The world hates us."

The world hates people like Trump, that much is true.
posted by Tarumba at 1:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I’ve undergone two shifts in thinking over this long election season that influenced my decision. The first was becoming skeptical of the extent to which I'd bought into an understanding of voting as a self-expressive speech act. The language used in this framework—having a personal responsibility to make your voice heard—started to sound to me like individualistic, sappy liberal bullshit. Voting, I now think, is not chiefly a performance of self-expression, but a stone cold tactic for achieving a political outcome.

I want to ascend into the astral plane and sear this understanding into the collective unconscious of humanity.
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [34 favorites]

I am suddenly grateful that I work in academia where I have a need to look professional on occasion and I have a healthy supply of pantsuits in my closet from which to choose. Unfortunately, it's going to be 90 degrees in Los Angeles tomorrow, so do I pantsuit for the symbolism and sweat my tits off in line, or do I go with the comfy clothes and fuck the symbolism?

I think perhaps I'll leave the pantsuit in the closet and get a yellow rose.
posted by Sophie1 at 1:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Just want to emphasize this: I'm not keen on 538 and the other aggregators using the election as a math experiment while broadcasting their results in general, especially when there are some questionable assumptions about agency and history involved.

YES. If this is supposed to be an untouched experiment of a statistical prediction model, then broadcasting it and relentlessly analyzing it in public ruins any scientific usefulness. I know so many people who rely on 538. They definitely have an effect on the election itself. Talk about the ultimate "observation changes results" especially when the observers are out there aggressively talking about their observations.

Either help us predict the results more accurately or run your experiments scientifically and PRIVATELY.
posted by threeturtles at 1:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

"If we don’t win, I will consider this the single greatest waste of time, energy…and money," @realDonaldTrump says 1 day before the election

--@WordsOfSarah

Yup. He also continued to insist today that he's put more than $100M into his campaign, despite the FEC records saying otherwise.
posted by zachlipton at 1:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

...Had Sanders been elected president (as he surely would have if we’d gotten him nominated)...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I mean, I can be convinced I'm wrong but until then...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
posted by VTX at 1:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

What is going on with Glenn Beck? My guess is that he realized that he couldn't out-crazy Alex Jones

He now claims he had a mysterious, undiagnosable brain disease at that time.

Like a brain cloud?
#JoevsVolcano
posted by tilde at 1:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

A friend just waited two hours to vote in Oak Park, by Chicago. But she did it!
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

From I Think Hillary Clinton's Politics Are Terrible. I'm Voting For Her So We Can Grow The Left. (thanks tonycpsu) :

It's not that she's the *lesser* evil, though she is; it's that she's the *more strategically useful* evil.

posted by ZeusHumms at 1:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Giant Trump sign update: replaced with a fresh one.
posted by tilde at 1:13 PM on November 7, 2016

Actually, the Mazel Tov cocktail is real. And it's delicious.

Think I'll pass on trying to eat a 90s Jewish punk zine.
posted by Rykey at 1:14 PM on November 7, 2016

How Teens In The Balkans Are Duping Trump Supporters With Fake News

Bad headline, Buzzfeed. The takeaway from this story isn't that Trump supporters are being duped; they don't need fake articles to feed their Hillary hatred. It is a constant.

The problem is the low-information voter who sees these bogus headlines pop up time-and-time-again on their facebook and twitter timelines. Though most of them won't bother clicking the links to read the full articles, it only adds more fuel to the fire of the "Hillary=Evil/Both Sides Do It" false narrative.
posted by Atom Eyes at 1:15 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Link to video in @HillaryClinton tweet:

Look how far we've come from having no voice to being on the brink of making history.

(for some reason it's super-dusty in here)
posted by salix at 1:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

On the domestic violence/sport issue, it’s from a different country, but:

New study links Old Firm games to domestic abuse

(‘Old firm games' = soccer games between the two big Glasgow teams, Rangers and Celtic)
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 1:16 PM on November 7, 2016

OTOH, Florida has gone for the full monty and has voted U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, B, A since '76.

I don't know Florida thinks the Konami code will do for them. Are they hoping for rising tide immunity, no-clip continental travel for Disney victims, or infinite tax breaks?
posted by Slackermagee at 1:18 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

In re "lesser evils": I know it pushes people's buttons to hear that. However, look, we've all got a long slog ahead, and everyone who is amenable to moderate social democracy and no skullduggery abroad* has to work together. We've got to get past some of the "this pushes my buttons, don't say it if you want me to like you" stuff, on both sides of the equation. Liberals and leftists are different, we have different basic understandings of the world, different end goals, different shibboleths. We need to let some of the rheotorical crap roll off our backs. Liberals frequently really like Hillary as a human; leftists frequently feel that she is totally the lesser of two evils. We can argue those positions all day long but it gets us no forrader, and I think what people of good will ought to do is focus on the goals we do share - specific improvements to the social safety net, restoration of voting rights, better health, housing, employment and school outcomes for all, etc.

Again, once we've got the moderate social democracy down, we can duke it out over the rest, but we have to win the moderate social democracy first.

*Which is basically, I think, the compromise position that pulls together liberals and leftists.
posted by Frowner at 1:19 PM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

I don't know Florida thinks the Konami code will do for them. Are they hoping for rising tide immunity, no-clip continental travel for Disney victims, or infinite tax breaks?

Webpages filled with sparkly unicorns.
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:20 PM on November 7, 2016

"If we don’t win, I will consider this the single greatest waste of time, energy…and money,"

I dare say, though, he will try to claim it all as a tax deduction.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:25 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

I don't see it as "lesser evil" situation at all. Politics is a game of inches, not yards. You do your best to progress, but sometimes the best you can hope for is to hold on to what you have. (Please note that in the case of Ms. Clinton, I think she will make progress for us, maybe not in all the things I'd like, or go as far as I want, but lord is is better than what we'd lose under Trump.) This is something I feel a lot of people forget on both sides, but the Left especially. We're so impatient, we refused to play the long game. A compromise that moves the ball forward is still better than nothing, let along moving backwards.
posted by SansPoint at 1:25 PM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

I am flipping through a list of Delightful and/or Productive Directions in which This Election Thread Could Go and I do not see "domestic abuse" anywhere.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:25 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

As we approach the end of this madness, it's illustrative to look back at The Atlantic's 152-part Trump Time Capsule and marvel at the number of entries that should have killed any campaign in a remotely normal year:

The main idea was to chronicle what was different about Trump: Norm-changing, unprecedented statements or positions or revelations that would have stopped any previous candidate but that did not impede him.

As I look back over these unfolding stories, I see at least 40 or 50 that would have had that campaign-ending potential in any previous year. The mocking of first John McCain and then the Captain Khan family? The “Mexican judge”? The “grab ’em by the pussy” Access Hollywood tape and subsequent complaints? The de-facto admission that he’s paid no taxes, and the trail of fraud and buncombe left by his businesses and “charities”? The refusal to provide tax information at all? The disprovable-even-as-he-said-them series of lies? The ever-more evident intrusions on his behalf by a foreign government? “She should be in jail”? “It’s all rigged folks, I tell you”? I alone?

To put these into perspective, just think back to the comparatively pipsqueak “scandals” of a more innocent time: Whether Sarah Palin really read newspapers. Whether Barack Obama called some people “bitter.” Whether Mitt Romney thought 47 percent of the public might be freeloading. Whether Rick Perry had to leave the race because he forgot one of his talking points in a brain-freeze on stage. Whether Dan Quayle could spell “potatoe.” Whether Al Gore exaggerated his role as a founder of the internet. Whether the young George Bush had had a DUI. The chagrin these episodes caused to their victims is almost touching. The candidates’ embarrassment indicated that they believed there was a standard in public life they needed to live up to.

posted by zachlipton at 1:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [40 favorites]

i just used the restroom in our shared office building facility

the guy in the stall was listening to the radio on full blast, some conservative talk show or other with newt gingrich as a guest

newt gingrich emanating from a stall amid a flurry of strained grunts and groans is fittingly surreal, and easily one of the strangest personal moments in this exceedingly strange election season
posted by Tevin at 1:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [46 favorites]

The world hates people like Trump, that much is true.

Let's be fair, Trump has assembled an amazing basket of deplorables there: Newt Gingrich, Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon and Kelly Anne Conway. As I wrote elsewhere, that's like the Avengers of sleaze, a vile Voltron of scandal.
posted by msalt at 1:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Couple comments removed, let's, yeah, maybe just wander away from the stuff in the vicinity of speculating and certainly joking about domestic abuse stuff.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

There's nothing like taking your radio into the stall for a nice dump
posted by thelonius at 1:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I would have to ask, then, who would be willing to pay for Trump's recounts, since it's a sure bet he'd want them but won't pay for them.

You have perhaps heard of a little thing called the Trump Foundation?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

The world hates people like Trump, that much is true.

I wish it were so. A quick glance around the world right now suggests... not so much. Terrifying.

Good and hopeful thoughts for you all from the UK.
posted by Ilira at 1:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

So, I have a question. I have a cold (plus fever), and now I think it might be inconsiderate of me to show up to the polls tomorrow.

I was considering wearing a surgical mask, would this be allowed? I don't want to make a bunch of people sick but also I don't want to freak people out. Not sure what to do?
posted by Tarumba at 1:30 PM on November 7, 2016

I don't frequently wear pants (beware the dreaded long torso/wide hips/BIG ASS combo), so instead I will be opting for a blue dress with a Rosie the Riveter brooch.
posted by pxe2000 at 1:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

in lieu of fireworks, when "if" the race is called for Hillary tomorrow night, I would like to see her come out in frizzy hair and giant round 70s eyeglasses and cackle for an hour straight while "Rodham/Kaine" banners unfurl over the existing signage

Can't we see him driven before her even a *little* bit? Like just a block?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [30 favorites]

Tarumba: Go to the polls. Be prepared to remove the mask if need be. Carry hand sanitizer. Vote, go home, and rest.
posted by SansPoint at 1:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Hi folks, I (clearly) have not read any of the rest of this or the last thread but wanted to give you all a quick MeFi Election Thread Baby Update! We gave birth to a wonderful, healthy baby girl around 7:55 PM on Friday and are home now from the hospital. It is amazing! And terrifying! (SO SO TERRIFYING) Thank you all for your thoughts and well-wishes ... prob won't be following in realtime tomorrow but I'm looking forward to popping in tomorrow night (...I'll be awake) to celebrate with y'all! We're in the home stretch.
posted by alleycat01 at 1:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [283 favorites]

>The lesson I've learned from this election is that It Could Happen Here, and roughly half of my countryfolk would definitely vote for it to happen. I will never look at my fellow Americans the same way again.

Ooh, boy I know what you're talking about and my guess is a lot of you reading this feel the same way. I happened to find a bit of comfort though and yes, some hope, today. I went back and looked at the transcript of Hilary's speech from the DNC this summer, and wouldn't you know it? There's some actual guidance there, it's as if she is a rational human being who understands and thinks about these things.

I know that at a time when so much seems to be pulling us apart, it can be hard to imagine how we'll ever pull together. But I'm here to tell you tonight — progress is possible. I know. I know because I've seen it in the lives of people across America who get knocked down and get right back up. And I know it from my own life.

More than a few times, I've had to pick myself up and get back in the game. Like so much else in my life, I got this from my mother, too. She never let me back down from any challenge. When I tried to hide from a neighborhood bully, she literally blocked the door. “Go back out there,” she said. And she was right. You have to stand up to bullies.

You have to keep working to make things better, even when the odds are long and the opposition is fierce.

Look, I don't get it either, I have neighbors with Trump signs and relatives who I'm pretty sure are going to be voting for him, and am I judging them? Yep, damn right I am. They are on the wrong side of history and they will have to live with it. I know intellectually that a lot of this "fierce opposition" is based on fear, but honestly that doesn't help much. In the end, I am choosing not to waste energy on casting too much judgment though, instead I'm going to use that energy to support a leader who is going to have a lot of bullies pounding on her door the next 4 years.

That support is going to come in the form of trying to raise my teenage son as a decent and educated member of society, volunteering for causes I believe in and taking a fucking break from the Internet more often cause goddamn is this exhausting!
posted by jeremias at 1:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

There's nothing like taking your radio into the stall for a nice dump

At my office one of the bathrooms has a radio sitting in the corner. Been there for years. I think it's mostly forgotten about and never used. But then once in a rare while I'll go in and hear a faint static coming through the speakers as if someone needed a bit of white noise to accomplish their goal. And I spend the rest of the day preoccupied with figuring out who it might be. They have to be someone who has worked here a while, so I have a few possible candidates. But I wouldn't dare ask them.
posted by downtohisturtles at 1:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Greg Nog, don't say that, you're going to get us all stuck babysitting.
posted by Sequence at 1:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [28 favorites]

alleycat01: I think the only appropriate thing to say right now is Mazel Tov!

(Since you've been a touch busy and haven't been following the thread: context)
posted by zachlipton at 1:39 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

alleycat01 just fyi legally by posting that here the baby belongs to all of mefi now

... unless you can guess our true names

And reach our spooky castle at the center of this Muppet-filled labyrinth...

*turns Trump into the prince of the land of Stench*
posted by Strange Interlude at 1:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

The line to get into @HillaryClinton's rally w/ POTUS, FLOTUS and Bruce Springsteen stretches from Chestnut to Catherine St — almost a mile
HRC guy directing the line says we'll all get in because the Independence Mall lawn holds 30,000. This is pope-level line-waiting
"I want him to see some positive things about the election," says Jeff Cohen, an attorney from Voorhees, waiting with his 14-year-old son.

--@aubreyjwhelan
posted by zachlipton at 1:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [32 favorites]

Now that election threads have taken human-baby form they are unstoppable.
posted by Skorgu at 1:43 PM on November 7, 2016 [57 favorites]

Oh no, I tweeted that I was listening to "One Day More" from Les Mis and some random dude tweeted back "I know how you feel, fellow deplorable!" and when I went to his profile, yep, #MAGA.

DON'T RUIN LES MIS FOR ME JERKWAD.

I guess he missed my Tweet where I assigned Les Mis roles:

ValJean: Clinton (punished forever for a not-really crime)
Javert: Republicans (she can never be redeemed!)
Monsieur Thénardier: Trump (no explanation needed)
Cosette: America (somebody help her!)
posted by emjaybee at 1:43 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

I feel compelled to post that for some reason there's a tow-plane flying around downtown seattle with "MILLENNIALS FOR TRUMP! GO VOTE!"

Of all places, why here?
posted by emptythought at 1:43 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

TOOK the kids to the library this afternoon and most of the questions being answered by the librarian s are about where and how to vote tomorrow. Until 7pm yesterday, this was an early voting site.
posted by tilde at 1:43 PM on November 7, 2016

This thread is so long that ACTUAL HUMAN BABIES have been born during it!
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:43 PM on November 7, 2016 [63 favorites]

Trumplestilstkin
posted by cortex at 1:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

I feel compelled to post that for some reason there's a tow-plane flying around downtown seattle with "MILLENNIALS FOR TRUMP! GO VOTE!"

That's how you get millennials: physical advertising on a damn plane
posted by codacorolla at 1:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

I feel compelled to post that for some reason there's a tow-plane flying around downtown seattle with "MILLENNIALS FOR TRUMP! GO VOTE!"

Because that's the place where someone was so pointlessly rich as to be able to waste money on that.
posted by Mitrovarr at 1:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

In Richmond VA we have a yuge sign on the highway that reads Chinese Americans for Trump in massive letters. It showed up over the weekend.

The Chinese American community here is tiny.
posted by Tarumba at 1:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

The Chinese American community here is tiny.

They're not who that sign is for.
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

I realize that hack comedians and would-be wits have had at this one for years, so I'm not trying to beat a dead horse comedically, but uh, did we decide what we're calling Bill if HRC is elected? I favor "First Lady." Still just "First Lady." Or just refer to them collectively as "The Presidents Clinton."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

i thought he said he wants first laddie
posted by poffin boffin at 1:49 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

did we decide what we're calling Bill if HRC is elected? I favor "First Lady." Still just "First Lady." Or just refer to them collectively as "The Presidents Clinton

"First Gentleman" if he were otherwise untitled, but "President Clinton" in this instance.
posted by craven_morhead at 1:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I can see "First Gentleman" if "First Lady" makes people all huffy.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Suggested names for William Jefferson Clinton as the husband of the first female president:

- First Husband
- First Creeper
- First Best Boy
- First Dude
- First Bad Hombre
- First Nasty Dude
- First "First Husband" Husband
- Firsty Husband

To be decided by popular consensus two weeks after inauguration.
posted by Tevin at 1:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

And that's not going to be confusing because the current president will be 'President Rodham'. [uncertain]
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

I don't like attempts at humor that involve implying a man is a woman. So no "First Lady," please.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 1:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

We had the "Chinese Americans for Trump" sign over the Eastside (Seattle area) last week.
posted by The Tensor at 1:52 PM on November 7, 2016

He also continued to insist today that he's put more than $100M into his campaign
That's the amount of tax deduction he'll take (I would HATE to be his tax accountant now)
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Trump: "The world hates us."

I only can hear this with Andy Serkis's voice. Yes preciouss, it hates uss.
posted by Namlit at 1:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Considering he's Bill, just call him the White House Dog.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

That's how you get millennials

At least it's not ants
posted by zutalors! at 1:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [29 favorites]

There is a Chinese Americans for Trump billboard just south of Philadelphia as well. I laugh as I drive by it each day.
posted by nolnacs at 1:53 PM on November 7, 2016

Aerial advertising isn't very expensive if you don't get a custom banner and instead use the plain lettering sign board like thing most of the towplane outfits seem to have.

There are so many people trying to build time so they can get an ATP license and work for the airlines it costs barely any more than the cost to operate the plane. The pilot definitely isn't making a living wage. I'd be surprised if whoever is paying for it is paying even $150 an hour. It could easily be half that.
posted by wierdo at 1:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'd be just fine with President Rodham in the White House come January.
posted by infinitewindow at 1:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

I think with it having been used for governors and such, "First Gentleman" has been around long enough to have at least the start of the veneer of tradition. It's not like this is the first woman in ANY executive office in the US. We've gotten a smidge further than that.
posted by Sequence at 1:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

The Verge: How to follow the 2016 election results online
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:55 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

I misread that as President Rodman, which...well, shit, I'd still vote for him over Trump.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

We had a Star-bellied Sneetches for Trump sign out this way [fake]
posted by yhbc at 1:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Namlit: Trump: "The world hates us." I only can hear this with Andy Serkis's voice. Yes preciouss, it hates uss.

Wouldn't it be fun if he'd have burst into song?
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

First Gentleman seems like the proper, stately, and polite cross-gender analogue to First Lady.

But this could be fun. Let a hundred flowers bloom.
posted by wildblueyonder at 1:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

This election has been like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer for 500 or so days straight. Tomorrow, we get to stop.
posted by VTX at 1:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Folks above are right though. Probably, people will just call him "Former President Clinton." As in, "President Clinton and Former President Clinton are arriving now in Air Force One."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

> In Richmond VA we have a yuge sign on the highway that reads Chinese Americans for Trump in massive letters. It showed up over the weekend.

This just showed up along I-5 in-between Tacoma and Seattle as well, on a digital billboard that until very recently had Gary Johnson ads on it as part of the rotation. I was at a bit of a lack for words when I saw it, and had to do a double-take to ensure that it was indeed plural.
posted by MysticMCJ at 1:59 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I mean, people devised ways to refer to the Presidents Bush and the Presidents Adams. We'll figure this out.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 2:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Well since we're having another "First Gentleman" derail, a thought occurred to me last night. After she gets elected, Hillary should answer the first question about this by responding "Chelsea will be First Lady" and just ignore any questions about Bill.
posted by DynamiteToast at 2:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

Perhaps we should go with "Presidents Clinton".
posted by dis_integration at 2:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

This is a digression to old issues, but I have to ask, since the Egg McMuffin that became namesake for our favorite Nth Party candidate is a 'poor man's Eggs Benedict'* and since I have only heard small bits of the beloved Hamilton musical (please don't hate me), so does Benedict Arnold appear as a character or even get referred to in Hamilton?

*btw, I had a high school job at McDonalds not long after they introduced the Egg Mc, a million years ago, and that's what some people at the Mickey D's actually called it
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:01 PM on November 7, 2016

The Presidents Clinton are arriving on Air Force One.
posted by Oyéah at 2:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I watched Thirteen Days the other day with my kid, who is interested in Cold War stuff. Can you even *imagine* Trump being president during a Cuban Missile Crisis?
posted by Chrysostom at 2:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

I don't care what the official decision is, I'm still going to use President Consort to refer to Bill.
posted by ckape at 2:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [31 favorites]

I popped into the local campaign office with water and snacks, and it was all busy-busy with canvassing. "Did we dispatch you?" asked one volunteer. Another piped up: "No, we just were about to dispatch someone." "Well, that's good." I apologised that I couldn't do more, thanked them for their work, and wished them all the best.
posted by holgate at 2:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

I know the conventional wisdom is that having a former prez as a spouse is a resource and I'm sure that's true. But I also think HRC is in for some spousal second guessing on a level no previous POTUS has ever imagined.

That said, I bet Hillary's, "Honey: STFU" game is hella strong by this point.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

Suggested names for William Jefferson Clinton as the husband of the first female president:

Husbandy McHusbandface?
posted by OHenryPacey at 2:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [49 favorites]

Can you even *imagine* Trump being president during a Cuban Missile Crisis?

Well YOU can just rock me to sleep tonight
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:04 PM on November 7, 2016 [35 favorites]

I misread that as President Rodman, which...well, shit, I'd still vote for him over Trump.

I guess relations with North Korea would improve?
posted by C'est la D.C. at 2:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Suggested names for William Jefferson Clinton as the husband of the first female president:

Former President that guy *speaker rolls eyes*
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

The Washington Post has an interesting way to track the election this year - 3D printed models of the White House, one for Hillary, one for Donald. For each electoral vote won, one 270th of the White House will be built.
posted by ZeusHumms at 2:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

No, Benedict Arnold does not appear in Hamilton.
posted by rikschell at 2:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

After she gets elected, Hillary should answer the first question about this by responding "Chelsea will be First Lady" and just ignore any questions about Bill.

Lordy, do you know how many aneurysms three Clintons in the Whitehouse will cause?
posted by peeedro at 2:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Catching up after a long day of canvassing. According to my Fitbit, 18000 steps or about 8 miles worth.

Re Trump's delusions about his support in the black community. I spent all day knocking on doors in Pittsburgh's East End black neighborhoods and looooooool no. Like, I had to stop asking people who they were voting for in my patter because people were just insulted that I'd imply they'd vote for Trump. Also, community elders do not take kindly to the implication that they might not be planning on voting. Heeeeellll to the no on that--they are rounding up all three generations and marching everyone to the polls bright and early and don't you dare suggest they don't know where, when or how to vote. They fought too hard for that right. They know what's up. I wish I had a dollar for every "ma'am, I have been voting here for forty years" side eye that I received today.

PA doesn't have a voter ID law (we did for a hot minute but it got struck down, thankfully) but the rules we do have are still tough for transient populations. You have to have some kind of document with your name and current address on it, which sounds pretty reasonable, until you talk to someone who isn't working (so no pay stub) and is living with a friend (so no utility bills) and doesn't drive (so he didn't bother to renew his license when it expired). I gave him the voter assistance phone number and hopefully they can help him scare up something that will be admissable as proof of residence.
posted by soren_lorensen at 2:07 PM on November 7, 2016 [86 favorites]

Well YOU can just rock me to sleep tonight

Indeed.
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:07 PM on November 7, 2016

Not long after the Cokie debacle this morning, NPR had another piece where they interviewed a representative of some independent think tank or other, this one specializing in anticipating political events for the purpose of aiding market evaluations. Anyway, the short version of that conversation is that the rep explained to Steve Inskeep his thoughts on what a Clinton cabinet might look like. "And a Trump cabinet?" Steve asks. "We do not consider that a realistic enough possibility to allocate resources considering it."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [47 favorites]

No, Benedict Arnold does not appear in Hamilton.

is joke, for making of lols. are u familiar with lols
posted by poffin boffin at 2:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

bondcliff, tell your folks I just gave $100 to Planned Parenthood in their honor.
posted by spitbull at 2:09 PM on November 7, 2016 [37 favorites]

Congratulations to alleycat and alleykitten and the entire alley clan!!! Mazal Tov!
posted by Sophie1 at 2:09 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Lordy, do you know how many aneurysms three Clintons in the Whitehouse will cause?

In the Disney made-for-TV-movie Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, Chelsea Clinton is President in 2049. The kids learn about her in school, which, naturally, is taught by a teacher who is a hologram.
posted by phunniemee at 2:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Congrats indeed, but now we gotta name a baby before they get the chance to name it themselves!
posted by azpenguin at 2:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Also: "First Bubba."
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Lordy, do you know how many aneurysms three Clintons in the Whitehouse will cause?

Yep, that sounds like a really bad idea.

A really bad idea. Yep.

Real bad.

National tragedy.

/clears throat

So, you know, be sure not to make that happen as quickly as possible.
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

538 moved Now Cast to 70% HRC. First time I've seen a number above 67 there for a while.
posted by bearwife at 2:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Suggested names for William Jefferson Clinton as the husband of the first female president:

President William Jefferson Clinton-Rodham
posted by mikelieman at 2:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

No, Benedict Arnold does not appear in Hamilton.

is joke, for making of lols. are u familiar with lols

In British America, lols made u.
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

So, assuming all goes well (TTTCS), I'm guessing Hillary and Bill may break FDR's record for most years residing in the White House?
posted by entropicamericana at 2:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

> For each electoral vote won, one 270th of the White House will be built.

Wouldn't a subtractive process make more sense for Trump?
posted by MysticMCJ at 2:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Of all the baseless accusations (as seen on National Enquirer headlines) I've seen, there is one I kinda halfway wish was true. And that's that Hillary has had a long-time lesbian affair with 'closest aide' Huma Abedin (and they comforted each other over their creepy husbands). Now, with Huma actually breaking up with Duh Weiner-shitzel, I have a weird dream that as part of her victory speech, Hillary R.C. says "yes it's true, and I'm divorcing Bill and going to gay-marry Huma and have my own Real First Lady." Not a bad dream.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:15 PM on November 7, 2016 [29 favorites]

"No, Benedict Arnold does not appear in Hamilton."

duh, because he was too busy hosting SNL last Saturday.
posted by komara at 2:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

538 moved Now Cast to 70% HRC. First time I've seen a number above 67 there for a while.

Current 538 prediction algorithm.
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:17 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Suggested names for William Jefferson Clinton as the husband of the first female president:

Balloon Boy.
posted by mazola at 2:17 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

No, Benedict Arnold does not appear in Hamilton.

He's in the book but seeing as the play is like three hours long, I can see why he got cut.
posted by octothorpe at 2:18 PM on November 7, 2016

538 moved Now Cast to 70% HRC. First time I've seen a number above 67 there for a while.

It is pretty bizarre that the nowcast would be different from the other forecasts on the eve of the election. All the polls are in, aren't they?
posted by dis_integration at 2:19 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

In British America, lols made u.

in british america colonists are required by act of parliament to provide housing and food for any lols in the area, also the lols are referred to by their proper name, "chortles"
posted by poffin boffin at 2:19 PM on November 7, 2016 [30 favorites]

The only equally confusing naming thing I can think of was the late mother of the current Queen of Great Britain etc. Who was also called Elizabeth and was also Queen. Her official title was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. So perhaps Bill can be President Clinton the President Husband.
posted by Grangousier at 2:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [36 favorites]

also the lols are referred to by their proper name, "chortles"

Laughter One Laments
posted by Celsius1414 at 2:23 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Or Queen Mum, which would translate roughly to Hubby Bubba.
posted by Mooski at 2:24 PM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

You all are breaking out the Mazel Tov cocktails now? In my family we always saved them for Hanukkaboom.

Feh! Everyone knows you drink them on Moishe Fawkes Day!
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:25 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Tim Kaine will be at two rallies in Virginia tonight — the first at George Mason University, and the second here in Richmond at the airport. Anyone else, pantsuited or not, planning to go?
posted by emelenjr at 2:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Or President Clinton Mark I.
posted by Grangousier at 2:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Or President Clinton Mark I.

President Clinton 0.9 (Beta)
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

LMM is saving Benedict Arnold for the sequel: Hamilton 2, Electri-- no, sorry, I just can't.
posted by rikschell at 2:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Can you even *imagine* Trump being president during a Cuban Missile Crisis?

"The missiles are flying. Hallelujah, Hallelujah!"
posted by kirkaracha at 2:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have a weird dream that as part of her victory speech, Hillary R.C. says "yes it's true, and I'm divorcing Bill and going to gay-marry Huma and have my own Real First Lady." Not a bad dream.

I've had this same fantasy for a while but in mine they announces at an Inaugural Ball and then dance together.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I just realized, we had exactly zero canvassers (either polling or GOTV) come through our neighborhood this season. Zero.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:28 PM on November 7, 2016

538 moved Now Cast to 70% HRC. First time I've seen a number above 67 there for a while.

I'm at the point where I find 538 a bit too bouncy for my tastes.
posted by uraniumwilly at 2:29 PM on November 7, 2016

I hope WJC is called Bad Hombre in Chief
posted by pxe2000 at 2:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm not fond of Bill. I'll personally think of him as The Bill and Chain. Or maybe Mr. Balloon Man.
posted by bearwife at 2:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Politico: Exit polls under siege

Ever since Jimmy Carter’s early concession in 1980 was blamed for losses to down-ballot Democrats in Western states, both politicians and media outlets have been religious about not reporting the results until everyone’s voted.

But that’s all about to change, starting early Tuesday morning.

This year, a handful of different projects are underway to disrupt the rhythm and flow of information on Election Day — including one controversial effort that some worry could affect the actual election results.

A good summary of some of the (potentially wildly misleading) data we'll get during the day tomorrow and what it may mean.
posted by zachlipton at 2:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Surely someone has already suggested "Clinton the Lesser" for Bill, right?
posted by BlueDuke at 2:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

I'm at the point where I find 538 a bit too bouncy for my tastes.

it's almost like he's trying to maximize last-minute pageviews from nervous voters
gotta make hay while the sun shines, i suppose
posted by entropicamericana at 2:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

"Polls are only good for strippers."

Those are real words that Sarah Palin's brain really told her mouth to say just now. And her mouth was all, "Fuck it, I hate her, too. SEND THAT SHIT."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [33 favorites]

Or Queen Mum, which would translate roughly to Hubby Bubba.

Prez Hubby.
posted by Grangousier at 2:31 PM on November 7, 2016

big willie style
posted by poffin boffin at 2:31 PM on November 7, 2016

Shiiit emelenjr I'm too sick to go ughhhhh.

Although Country Style Donuts is on the way to the airport. . . Hmm
posted by Tarumba at 2:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeesh. I think I actually preferred the "ZOMG! PANIC! NATE SILVER WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN US???" type comments to the "Gee, I wonder which china pattern First Dude Bill will pick out for the Grover Cleveland Kitchen Nook" kind.
posted by Atom Eyes at 2:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I know it's waaaay upthread, but re: the "Ivanka Voter," color me surprised that upper-middle class white women who do yoga and shop at Whole Foods can be racist too.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 2:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

Jeanette Rankin: the only woman to vote to give American women the vote.
posted by Rumple at 2:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Does anyone know if they're live streaming the Independence Hall rally tonight, and maybe have a link?
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 2:34 PM on November 7, 2016

Just have him continue Michelle's garden project and call him Groundskeeper Willie.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [59 favorites]

Bill will look fabulous sporting a pillbox hat for the inauguration.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

color me surprised that upper-middle class white women who do yoga and shop at Whole Foods can be racist too

Everybody can be racist. Racism is surprisingly inclusive.
posted by Grangousier at 2:35 PM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Her official title was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. So perhaps Bill can be President Clinton the President Husband.

This is brill.
posted by octobersurprise at 2:35 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Reporting from oil country in red state North Dakota. I just got back from my county Recorder's office. I had to file some docs due to some mineral acres kerfuffle. Anyway, early/absentee voting was going on. So far they had seen 4000 since they started. That's about ten times the normal amount. Glancing around the room I wasn't seeing a lot of angry old people. I'm thinking it won't be enough to turn this state blue but it's going to be closer than the state GOP would like.

Also, my wife got tired of my NPR station's barrage of Dylan songs (she's choir brat, hates his voice) so she started channel surfing. Hit some dude talking about how Comey should be behind BARS for caving to She Who Must Not Be Named. He was foaming at the mouth. What goes around comes around doesn't it?
posted by Ber at 2:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

I saw a McMullin sign today! I didn't even know he was on the ballot here (he is).
posted by dilettante at 2:38 PM on November 7, 2016

I just realized, we had exactly zero canvassers (either polling or GOTV) come through our neighborhood this season. Zero.

You and your neighbors (but it might just be your house specifically) are probably considered a lock for HRC by the campaign so they didn't waste time knocking your door. I mean, you were always going to vote and vote for HRC right?

Their data analysis skills are real.
posted by VTX at 2:38 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

"I'm serious, can we get a headcount of mefites that didn't even know their partner or have their baby when Hillary started this thing."

I went from merely dating to engaged to married if that counts.
posted by komara at 2:38 PM on November 7, 2016 [38 favorites]

as an American overseas this has been a difficult time because I've had to not only explain how the Electoral College works (or at least attempt to do so)

"The Electoral College is like Parliament, but it only sits once, to choose the President after an election. After that it's disbanded."
posted by Joe in Australia at 2:39 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

They turned on Comey so fast. Once Trump gets in front of a mic on election night, what are the odds he turns on the deplorables too?
posted by Kitty Stardust at 2:40 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Tim Kaine will be at two rallies in Virginia tonight — the first at George Mason University, and the second here in Richmond at the airport. Anyone else, pantsuited or not, planning to go?

Me! I am at George Mason now. The Bidens will be speaking, I felt like this was the last chance to see them, so I made it happen.
posted by peeedro at 2:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

"She Who Must Not Be Named. "

This would make Bill Clinton Nagini, I think.
posted by Tarumba at 2:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Your political posts on social media are actually changing minds — sometimes

Looking forward to voting tomorrow, stomach in knots about the outcome.
posted by theora55 at 2:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Report from Edinburgh, where I was stocking the Devonian cave with supplies for tomorrow night (sommelier says that adequate levels have been achieved, but perhaps I should buy some food? Apparently, the half dozen lemons I bought for the Aviations (blue, y'see) don't count).

The young white Scottish check-out guy said he has an American girlfriend, who hates Trump but wanted Bernie to run as an independent. Reader, our eyes rolled in perfect synchronisation - not out of disrespect for Bernie and his supporters, but at the apocalyptic idea of what that would have done. The much older black security guy who stopped me at the exit (check-out guy had missed an anti-theft tab on one of the bottles of bubbly) said he thought Trump would edge it 'because the polls say that'; I updated him and he was much cheered by the news. Although I think he saw the whole show as some bizarre ritual carried out by strange people in a strange land, given by how much he giggled.

And FT chap on the BBC just now predicted a constitutional crisis to come, with the GOP gearing up to do everything in their power to cripple the Supreme Court and find anything they could to impeach HRC while trying to break the electoral results by claiming that yes, they were rigged.

I'm not quite so sure about that. The theory that the GOP politicos will have to get on board the Trump train after the election seems rather tenuous, and any policy of claiming a rigged election will have to have some evidence other than 'we lost'. I just can't see that getting any traction - not only will there be no smoking gun, there won't even be a picture of a pea-shooter. I just can't see any practical course of action to advance Donnie's rigging fantasy into any realm of reality where anything judicial can get a foothold. it's not like persecuting the Clintons: you can't impeach hundreds of millions of voters because they used Gmail.

Whatever. HRC has intimate knowledge of the very worst the GOP can do and will be under no illusions that happy-happy inclusivity and bipartisan reach-arounds will do any good whatsoever. I hope and trust she hits the ground spitting absolute fire at the GOP bigwigs while finding ways to communicate with their voters jthat if they want a working America, they have to talk to the people they elect. A tricky task, but what else can be done?
posted by Devonian at 2:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

adept256: I mean really! It's 575 days since Hillary announced. How many people have met, fallen in love, and now have a happy newborn in that time? I'm serious, can we get a headcount of mefites that didn't even know their partner or have their baby when Hillary started this thing. Opt-in, I don't want to pry but it'd be interesting to know. It must be more than one.

I think this would be better for MetaTalk, considering what thread this is and what day it is....
posted by chonus at 2:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Talking in New Orleans in the Age of Trump
posted by brundlefly at 2:43 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Her official title was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. So perhaps Bill can be President Clinton the President Husband.

Or like Albert, the Prince Consort, Bill, First Consort: COTUS.
posted by bonehead at 2:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

So, assuming all goes well (TTTCS), I'm guessing Hillary and Bill may break FDR's record for most years residing in the White House?

No, because they're separate people.
posted by mudpuppie at 2:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

It's 575 days since Hillary announced. How many people have met, fallen in love, and now have a happy newborn in that time?

I got married less than 575 days ago, and we should start fostering a baby before the end of this calendar year, so kind of me?

Actually, hang on a second.

*checks Facebook*

Right, so I have some friends who started dating about 600 days ago (knew each other prior), have since gotten married, and have a due date of less than a month from now. Pretty close.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 2:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

"Polls are only good for strippers."

Had a good run with barber shops, though
posted by thelonius at 2:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Our daughter (four months today!) wasn't born when Hillary announced. Tomorrow she'll get to go with Mommy and Daddy to vote for, hopefully, the first female president. We're really excited.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 2:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

Kinksters of the future may be getting Consort Bills. Who can say?
posted by bonehead at 2:49 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I can see part of the line to get into the Philadelphia campaign event and I'm over 2 miles away from Independence Mall. There are a lot of people happily waiting to get in!
posted by mcduff at 2:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

The theme of this comment is itshappening.gif

At Trump's NYC Election Night party venue, there's a camera spot labeled "TRUMP TV" on the main riser in the grand ballroom.

--@jdelreal

NYT: This Time, There Really Is a Hispanic Voter Surge

This year, Hispanic voters, perhaps motivated by Donald J. Trump’s policy proposals (including deportation) and harsh language aimed at undocumented Hispanic immigrants, really might decide this election.

Early voting data unequivocally indicates that Hillary Clinton will benefit from a long awaited surge in Hispanic turnout, vastly exceeding the Hispanic turnout from four years ago.

It’s too soon to say whether it will be decisive for her. The geographic distribution of Hispanic voters means that many of her gains will help her in noncompetitive states like Texas and California, not Michigan and Pennsylvania.

But the surge is real, and it’s big. It could be enough to overcome Mr. Trump’s strength among white-working class voters in the swing states of Florida and Nevada. If it does, it will almost certainly win her the election.

posted by zachlipton at 2:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

A tricky task, but what else can be done?

Well, there's this document from 2012, colloquially called 'The Autopsy' that could be of assistance in this case ...
posted by eclectist at 2:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Let's stop giving Glenn Beck a break. I remind you that his latest book is Liars: How Progressives Exploit Our Fears for Power and Control.
posted to MetaFilter by wittgenstein at 7:01 PM on October 6, 2016 [12 favorites +]
posted by wittgenstein at 10:59 AM on November 7 [13 favorites +] [!]

Wittgenstein, please post this again on December 8 so we can see if it will get 14 favorites
posted by ejs at 2:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [50 favorites]

How many people have met, fallen in love, and now have a happy newborn in that time?

Me! In that time I met a nice girl and married her. And even got her to tolerate the amount of time I've been spending on "that blue website".
posted by saturday_morning at 2:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [27 favorites]

"I'm serious, can we get a headcount of mefites that didn't even know their partner or have their baby when Hillary started this thing."

I went from partnered and co-home-owning, to divorcing and much happier. The election and the divorce are the two things in my life that really, really need to end. At least one of them will be over tomorrow.

With the end of both of them comes a new era, so that's kinda cool too.
posted by mudpuppie at 2:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

No, because they're separate people.

They would each break the record at the same time if she serves a full eight years.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 2:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Hey all. Anyone who has me mailed me a out PN. I'm away from my computer for the evening and it's to awkward on my phone. I'll get to it when I get home if you have found and alternate invite by then.
posted by Jalliah at 2:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I was considering wearing a surgical mask, would this be allowed? I don't want to make a bunch of people sick but also I don't want to freak people out. Not sure what to do?

Unless you have super ebola you should go vote. Wash your face and then your hands thoroughly before you leave your house and then (and this is the key) do not touch your face again until you get home. Most people don't realize how often they touch their face. It always freaks me out. Don't touch your face! Keep your hands in your pockets if necessary.

But you live in Virginia so, uh, vote.

Also everyone should have gotten their flu shots by now! If anyone hasn't, go get them tomorrow. They won't have kicked in by election day but it's still a good idea.
posted by Justinian at 2:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Merriam-Webster has a funny.

We've updated our Twitter header in honor of the election.
posted by Sophie1 at 2:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

soren_lorensen, I had a really similar Pittsburgh canvassing experience to yours. I ended up not using the script at all, especially because everyone would just roll their eyes at checking their voting affiliation and then point at the Catholic Church that we could all see at the bottom of the hill when I brought up their voting location. Luckily, I was canvassing my own neighborhood so I knew to tell them that the Presbyterian church one block over (also a polling location) has a really good bake sale every Election Day. I was able to offer new, valuable and tasty information to the people.

Seriously, Pittsburgh voters, get yourselves a brownie or equivalent gluten-free treat at Greenfield Presbyterian tomorrow. They're 50 cents and you've earned it.
posted by Alison at 2:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

How many people have met, fallen in love, and now have a happy newborn in that time?

I would have to be some kind of sadist to bring a child into the future portended by this election.
posted by Coventry at 3:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

lol, just found this video of Donald Trump in December 2012 saying if GOP doesn't pass immigration reform they won't ever win again.

--@KFILE

It's a Fox and Friends interview. Seems like the kind of thing that should have come up during the primaries...
posted by zachlipton at 3:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

Right, so I have some friends who started dating about 600 days ago, have since gotten married, and have a due date of less than a month from now. Pretty close.

Now I'm thinking, statistically, there are going to be some babies born on election night and half of them will be girls. So somewhere there'll be a couple meeting their baby girl for the first time, dreaming about what her future is, hoping for the best, when they get the news about the first female president. She can do anything.
posted by adept256 at 3:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

Mr. President Clinton
posted by snuffleupagus at 3:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

What is going on with Glenn Beck?

I think he's using contrition to sell books. I'll be interesting to see how it works.
posted by Coventry at 3:08 PM on November 7, 2016

I got Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls Were Born to Lead for my two-year-old, and I recommend it to anyone looking for electorally appropriate baby gifts.

i may or may not 100% unequivocally plan on bringing that book and only that book when visiting the grandparents in florida
posted by palindromic at 3:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

So, I went to my writers' group here in Scotland, and the election was mentioned and someone said that he thought both candidates were awful blah blah blah and I. Went. OFF. On a five or ten minute rant about how there was absolutely no comparison and false equivalence and the literal nazi-style propaganda and policy and how he was ending his campaign with an antisemitic ad and and and ...

Well. It's been a long year.
posted by kyrademon at 3:09 PM on November 7, 2016 [66 favorites]

For each electoral vote won, one 270th of the White House will be built.
Except for Trump, wouldn't the depiction of the White House be the one Obama showed at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner?

And for every electoral vote over 270 for Clinton, a piece of the Trump Tower would be disassembled.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

So, I went to my writers' group here in Scotland, and the election was mentioned and someone said that he thought both candidates were awful blah blah blah and I. Went. OFF. …

Been there, done that. :(
posted by mazola at 3:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm just curious if I will be able to turn in my white skin, penis, and gun in one convenient location before I am forcibly gay-married to a Mexican mujaheed, or is this going to be a big schlep around town?

I checked with my wife. She says I can keep my penis, but I'll need to get it registered.
posted by Coventry at 3:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

I checked with my wife. She says I can keep my penis, but I'll need to get it registered.

I believe Bill has been beta-testing that policy for a few years.
posted by Devonian at 3:14 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

> "Politico: Exit polls under siege ... This year, a handful of different projects are underway to disrupt the rhythm and flow of information on Election Day — including one controversial effort that some worry could affect the actual election results."

So, another norm being destroyed this year. Wheee.
posted by kyrademon at 3:15 PM on November 7, 2016

"A member of Glenn Beck's PR team reached out to me to say Beck doesn't support #blacklivesmatter + they've asked @NewYorker to correct." via @NickBaumann Twitter feed.
posted by awfurby at 3:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Every Way to Stream the 2016 Election Results Online
posted by palindromic at 3:17 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I want to drop this comment from the Janet Reno thread here:

Things I didn't know until today: Janet Reno was a Girl Scout.

You know who else were Girl Scouts?
posted by phunniemee at 9:06 AM on November 7 [16 favorites +] [!]

...because tomorrow is my first time voting in my new town, where I've lived for just under five months, and my polling place is the town's Girl Scouts' Cabin.

I am so incredibly giddy about the fact that I get to vote for the first woman president of the USA in the freaking Girl Scouts' Cabin.
posted by mudpuppie at 3:17 PM on November 7, 2016 [47 favorites]

I work for a nonpartisan organization and have attended many rallies from both parties this season. Just got an email at my work email address (that I've had to use to sign up for the rallies.):

Cookiebastard --

Thank you again for supporting Donald Trump for President. Just a reminder that if you encounter any problems casting a ballot or if you witness any disruptions at a polling location please call our Voter Assistance Hotline at (844) 332-2016. You can also report any of these incidents on-line at:

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/landing/election-issue

Team Trump-Pence

Aren't they supposed to not be doing that because of a lawsuit?
posted by Cookiebastard at 3:18 PM on November 7, 2016

I checked with my wife. She says I can keep my penis, but I'll need to get it registered.

But no open carry, please.
posted by zakur at 3:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [66 favorites]

Josh Marshall: What I Think We'll See Tomorrow Night:

In any case, looking at the public polls, the best breakdowns of the early vote, the indications of a high turnout election in general, what I can glean about what Clinton campaign thinks is happening, I suspect Clinton is going to over-perform the public polls and end up with a more lopsided victory than a lot of us have expected.

Am I sure? Not at all. These are just 'more likely than not' reads; and a lot of those reads are favoring Clinton.

(One meta-point is worth making here. We've heard a lot about both candidates being unlikeable, the election being ugly and so forth and how that means people are going to be turned off and a lot of people just won't vote at all. We don't know the total numbers yet. But all the indications from the early vote are that that is not going to be true. This should have been obvious. Everything we've seen over the last generation tells us that hard fought elections where a lot is on the line turn out a lot of people. That makes total sense. Why people stick to this other assumption is a mystery.)

posted by palindromic at 3:22 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Ari Berman: There Are 868 Fewer Places to Vote in 2016 Because the Supreme Court Gutted the Voting Rights Act: Nearly half of counties that previously approved voting changes with the federal government have cut polling places this election.

Berman on Democracy Now: This is Voting in 2016: Armed Intimidation Squads, Purged Rolls, 868 Fewer Polling Stations

Victoria Law: Disenfranchised by Misinformation: Many Americans Are Allowed to Vote but Don't Know It

Democracy Now: Disenfranchised by Misinformation: Victoria Law on the Millions Who Can Vote—But Might Not Know It
posted by homunculus at 3:23 PM on November 7, 2016 [42 favorites]

I work by the downtown Minneapolis early voting center. There has been plenty of traffic and stickers for the past week, but today is the first day I've seen a significant line. Still, the weather is amazing and the mood seems generally light.
posted by dinty_moore at 3:25 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Clinton will win. But, sooner or later the voters will tire of a Democratic White House and
elect a less sleazy version of Trump.
posted by robbyrobs at 3:26 PM on November 7, 2016

Republican Political Consultant Derek Ryan has published an analysis (pdf) of the early voting in Texas. He doesn't track the whole state, but it's a pretty interesting snapshot:

2016 EV turnout in the top 15 counties: 4,497,431
2012 EV turnout in the top 15 counties: 3,407,497

(Doesn't have full statewide turnout, but Erica Grieder has EV votes across the state at 7 million. For comparison, 8 million people total voted for President in Texas in 2012.)

Page 7 of that report is really interesting:
"Of all the early voters in the counties that Ryan Data & Research is tracking, 15.8% had no previous General Election or Primary Election history. The breakdown of that group is as follows:

43% Registered Since Primary

By Gender
• Male: 42.8%
• Female: 53.3%
• Gender not listed: 3.9%

By Ethnicity
• Hispanic surname: 25.6%
• Non-Hispanic surname: 74.4%

By Age
Under 20: 10.0%
20 to 29: 25.0%
30 to 39: 21.9%
40 to 49: 16.9%
50 to 59: 12.9%
60 to 69: 8.6%
70 to 79: 3.3%
80 to 89: 1.1%
90 and Up: 0.2% "

I don't think this means Texas is Blue, but it's definitely going to be Purple. Romney won it by 16 points. Trump may be in the low single digits.
posted by IanMorr at 3:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

We had a Star-bellied Sneetches for Trump sign out this way [fake]
2 signs seen in pictures from a recent Trump rally:

Children for Trump.
College Educated Women for Trump.

I guess it is easier to print up signs showing support for your campaign from various groups rather than listen to said groups and craft policy around their interests.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

>This thread is so long that ACTUAL HUMAN BABIES have been born during it!

It's not a REALLY long thread until they're now posting in it.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 3:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [33 favorites]

Also Hillary you said you were going to email me for the last time earlier today and now I have yet another email from you, you liar.
posted by dinty_moore at 3:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

Clinton will win. But, sooner or later the voters will tire of a Democratic White House and
elect a less sleazy version of Trump.

How do you square this with the changing demographics in this country?
posted by zutalors! at 3:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

I just had a somewhat frustrating text conversation with a PA voter. She had a lot of confusion about her voter registration, said she accidentally tried to re-register, then thought she needs to bring her voter registration card which she doesn't have, so she's not going to vote. I looked up the state information, confirmed she should be able to vote with other forms of ID (or none if she's voted at that address before), gave her the hotline to call to confirm her registration and the requirements, and convinced her to show up at her polling place tomorrow and insist on casting a provisional ballot if there is any issue.

At the end she said: "Couldn't believe they texted back figured it was a mass text."

I'm a real boy!
posted by zachlipton at 3:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [33 favorites]

From an article in Literary Hub

George R R Martin:

"Come Tuesday night, I will either be relieved or suicidal."
posted by Tarumba at 3:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Clinton will likely win. The Village People will make loud noises about how she needs to ‘reach out’ to Republicans to share power. Whatever she does on that score, the Republicans in power will opt to oppose anything she says or tries to do. Republicans in the Senate, if they retain power, will decline to consider any appointment she makes, to the courts or elsewhere; and if they don’t retain power, they will certainly try to filibuster those appointments, resulting in the Democrats abolishing the 60-vote rule to approve judicial nominees, which the Village People will call an example of Democrats destroying comity for partisan reasons. The Republican-controlled House will hold one scandal hearing after another and eventually, if not immediately, convene impeachment proceedings. After 4 years of this, the Village People will declare the Clinton presidency a failure, note that she hasn’t accomplished anything, and blame the failure on her inability to reach across the aisle, being careful to always note that whatever the sin, Both Sides Do It. Republicans will nominate a less overt racist and bigot – surprisingly a white male! – and he will likely win.
posted by robbyrobs at 3:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

By Ethnicity
• Hispanic surname: 25.6%
• Non-Hispanic surname: 74.4%

This is probably a reasonable measure in Texas, but I can't help but be reminded of my Filipino roommate whose family was forever being bombarded by Republican election materials in Spanish.
posted by hoyland at 3:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

WSJ $100 Million? How Trump Fundraising Pledges Panned Out

3. Role of Special Interests

Mr. Trump over the course of the campaign has frequently criticized his rivals for being beholden to special interests and corporations. Yet super PACs backing Mr. Trump have raised $33 million just from donors who wrote checks of $1 million or more, including four billionaires. Mr. Trump also gave a top donor, hedge-fund executive Robert Mercer, hefty influence within his campaign.[...]

4. Campaign Finance Transparency

During the primaries, Mr. Trump routinely called for more transparency in campaign fundraising as he attacked his rivals for accepting super PAC support. Yet Mr. Trump has emerged as the single biggest beneficiary in the presidential race of spending by a non-profit group that is not required to disclose its donors.

A non-profit called 45 Committee, affiliated with a super PAC funded by billionaires Sheldon Adelson and Joe Ricketts, has aired at least $17 million in ads on Mr. Trump’s behalf. While the group’s affiliated super PAC, called Future 45, is required to disclose its donors to the FEC, the non-profit faces no such requirements, allowing anonymous donors to fund TV ads highlighting Mr. Trump’s policies in the final days of the campaign.

posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Children for Trump.
College Educated Women for Trump.

Ten bucks says that these, along with the Chinese Americans for Trump, are held by the same white men and women that were photographed holding Blacks for Trump signs.
posted by Existential Dread at 3:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

Also Hillary you said you were going to email me for the last time earlier today and now I have yet another email from you, you liar.

FOX NEWS ALERT: *NEWER THAN EVER* EMAILS EXPOSE DISHONESTY FROM THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN
posted by scaryblackdeath at 3:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Mr. Trump also gave a top donor, hedge-fund executive Robert Mercer, hefty influence within his campaign

Well, the Mercer legacy is secure now.
posted by zachlipton at 3:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

we're probably good on "don't celebrate, the future holds naught but obstruction and Trump 2.0" comments for awhile
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

Mr. Trump also gave a top donor, hedge-fund executive Robert Mercer, hefty influence within his campaign

Mercer's firm is about two minutes down the road from my office. I try to set it on fire with my mind when I drive past, but no luck yet.
posted by pemberkins at 3:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

The one argument against it is that Trump hasn't accused Hillary of there being an orgy tape being held over her head.

That entirely depends on who you're talking to. Because I got to hear all about John Podesta's child sex orgy parties that Hillary attends yesterday.
posted by threeturtles at 3:35 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

What word from Dixville Notch
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 3:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

The Village People will make loud noises about how she needs to ‘reach out’ to Republicans to share power.

You and I remember the 70s differently, I think.
posted by pointystick at 3:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [29 favorites]

Bloody hell, Ann Coulter and Martin Amis are discussing the election on the telly.

Not out of the weirdwood yet.
posted by Devonian at 3:39 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

That's a conversation I would like to see.
posted by Coventry at 3:40 PM on November 7, 2016

What word from Dixville Notch

Roughly 12:02 a.m. EST.
posted by adamg at 3:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

[Alarm clock flips]

[I Got You Babe plays on the radio]

Hey there campers, rise and shine! And don't forget there's one more day left until this election is finally over!
posted by ckape at 3:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [94 favorites]

After she gets elected, Hillary should answer the first question about this by responding "Chelsea will be First Lady" and just ignore any questions about Bill.

The correct term for Chelsea is "the Lady in Waiting."
posted by msalt at 3:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Here is my final pre-election update on newspaper, magazine, and periodical endorsements for the candidates. Almost all of the changes since the last one are not new endorsements, but earlier endorsements from small papers which had previously been overlooked.

Total endorsements for --

Hillary Clinton: 496 (77.6%)
No Endorsement: 81 (12.7%)
Donald Trump: 25 (3.9%)
Anyone But Donald Trump: 24 (3.8%)
Gary Johnson: 9 (1.4%)
Split Endorsement: 2 (0.3%)
Evan McMullin: 1 (0.2%)
Anyone But Hillary Clinton: 1 (0.2%)

Total endorsements from periodicals with a circulation of greater than 100,000 for –

Hillary Clinton: 68 (79.1%)
Anyone But Donald Trump: 7 (8.1%)
No Endorsement: 6 (7.0%)
Gary Johnson: 3 (3.5%)
Donald Trump: 2 (2.3%)

Total endorsements from periodicals known to have endorsed Mitt Romney 4 years ago, for –

Hillary Clinton: 48 (40.7%)
No Endorsement: 47 (39.8%)
Donald Trump: 16 (13.6%)
Gary Johnson: 5 (4.2%)
Anyone But Donald Trump: 2 (1.7%)

Total endorsements from periodicals known to have endorsed Barack Obama 4 years ago, for –

Hillary Clinton: 171 (97.2%)
No Endorsement: 2 (1.1%)
Gary Johnson: 2 (1.1%)
Anyone But Donald Trump: 1 (0.6%)
posted by kyrademon at 3:43 PM on November 7, 2016 [28 favorites]

So the Washington state Republican party's big final phone push to get out the vote was "Vote for the heroes, not the zeroes." Those dudes are killin' my brain like a poisonous mushroom. I knew I should have left my damn phone unplugged...

Oh, and fuck Slate and Vice for their early reporting push. Assholes.
posted by gusottertrout at 3:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Trump really whipping the crowds into a frenzy.

@WaPoSean Trump's Scranton rally the rowdiest of the day by far. "She's a witch!" and "She's a demon!" could be heard as Trump lambasted Clinton.

@CandaceSmith Very boisterous crowd tonight. In response to the roar of the crowd, Trump says, "This is not the sound of a second place finisher."

@AshleyRParker Bad energy here in Wilkes-Barre. A camera man is screaming at a correspondent who accidentally bumped him, as the crowd roars, "CNN sucks!"
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:47 PM on November 7, 2016

The Village People will make loud noises about how she needs to ‘reach out’ to Republicans to share power.

This is a good group costume idea for five Rons Fournier
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 3:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

[I Got You Babe plays on the radio]

Hey there campers, rise and shine! And don't forget there's one more day left until this election is finally over!

I don't use the word 'villain' very often, but you are the greatest villain in American history.
posted by palindromic at 3:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Thank you kyrademon for all the endorsement data. I've been looking forward to your updates. Great work.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:49 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Trump's Scranton rally the rowdiest of the day by far. "She's a witch!" and "She's a demon!" could be heard as Trump lambasted Clinton.

Gingrinch Takes Stage, Insists "She Turned Me Into a Newt!"
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 3:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [46 favorites]

Y'all, I don't know if I can bear sitting up for Dixville Notch. I thought they waited till morning. I am wound tighter than a string instrument as it is, and although I dare say that the demographics are not representative, I don't want to go to bed on a bad omen.

Why am I superstitious when I'm an atheist, aargh
posted by Countess Elena at 3:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

If you're on snapchat, check out taylorlorenz's story. She went to the Javits Center and then snuck into the Hilton to compare the preparation for both victory parties. The difference is amazingly hilarious. The Hilton looks soooo drab and rundown.
posted by acidic at 3:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I got added to Pantsuit Nation today and it's been fun seeing who of my friends is a member. I was scrolling along basking in the glow when BAM! I see my parish priest! She's been SOOOO careful to be non-partisan but now I know her secret!
posted by Biblio at 3:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

A Guide to This Week’s Live Presidential Election Coverage by Comedians
posted by palindromic at 3:51 PM on November 7, 2016

The Hilton looks soooo drab and rundown.

Sad!
posted by entropicamericana at 3:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

The Mexican peso just soared after the FBI cleared Clinton

And Reuters is reporting the dollar is strengthening as Clinton looks more likely to win. The latter article features the bizarre but believable statement "Trump's stance on immigration, foreign policy and trade have made the Mexican peso a proxy for his election chances." [true]

I really wish the financial press didn't use judgemental terms like "strengthening" and "weakening" to describe currency movements, because it misleads people into thinking one is unambiguously good and the other is bad. For example, a "stronger" dollar could cost manufacturing jobs here in the US since US exports become relatively more expensive for other countries. Imports also become cheaper here. Who bears the costs and receives the benefits? It deserves actual discussion, and can't really be used as a metric for "goodness" of political candidates.
posted by indubitable at 3:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

I'm probably just going to stay up and vote when the polls open. I don't have to work tomorrow. Get a nap sometime tomorrow and then, hopefully, all night taco party.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 3:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

WaPo Evan McMullin supporters just want to feel good about something in politics

The McMullin voter base is not a monolith. Some, like Haymond, are Mormons who are simply repulsed by Trump and cannot support the social policies that Clinton would put in place.

“The Mormons that are here in Utah don’t believe in a man like Donald Trump,” Haymond said. “And most of the people in Utah are not interested in voting for Hillary Clinton in the first place.”

Other McMullin voters are angry at the Republican leadership for allowing the party to fall into Trump’s hands. They want to see some new political organization rise up and take its place, as McMullin has proposed.

“I was a Republican, I don’t consider myself a Republican anymore,” said Carolyn Taylor, 56, who traveled from Allen, Tex., to help get out the Utah vote for McMullin. “The party could have put their foot down and not allowed this to happen.”

Not everyone in Utah is happy with McMullin’s popularity. A Trump supporter crashed his lunch event and screamed about how McMullin was handing the state to Clinton, before being escorted out of the diner by security.

posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

I can't wait until the first time Hills addresses Congress and the Sergeant at Arms says
MISTER SPEAKER, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
posted by kirkaracha at 3:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

I've reassured my friends in the U.K. that this vote will turn out the right way.

My most politically savvy friend and I chatted this AM. We agreed we are not worried, but we are stressed. We both expect HRC, a thin majority for Ds in the Senate, and ongoing R control of the house.

Nonetheless I agree that there is a very superstitious part of me that fears the worst. I am going to wear a pantsuit tomorrow to fight this evil fear demon.
posted by bearwife at 3:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

For naming I would go with President HR Clinton and former President WJ Clinton.

I'd want to remove the linguistic implication of partnership to some degree because even though traditionally it has empowered the First Lady by elevating her status, in this case it would imply Clinton's 'dependance' on Bill to many.
posted by AlexiaSky at 3:55 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

The Village People will make loud noises about how she needs to ‘reach out’ to Republicans to share power.

You and I remember the 70s differently, I think.

Mefite, there's no need to feel down.
I said, mefite, pick yourself off the ground.
I said, mefite, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy.
posted by happyroach at 3:55 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

From the Freethought Equality Fund PAC mailing list:

In an interview with Bill Maher discussing discrimination against atheists, President Barack Obama said, "I think you’re right, that there are certain occupations — probably, most prominently, politics — where there would be a bias against somebody who’s agnostic or atheist in running for office." The President later went on to say, "we should foster a culture in which people’s private religious beliefs, including atheists and agnostics, are respected." You can see the full interview here.

The mission of the Freethought Equality Fund is to fight against this bias by supporting open humanist and atheist candidates for public office at all levels of government.

The election is tomorrow and we have assembled a great cohort of endorsed candidates -- you can see their bios and photos here. I'll give you a full report of how our candidates do on Wednesday.

posted by audi alteram partem at 3:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

NBCNews On Trump's Last Day of Campaigning, Trumpisms Abound

SARASOTA, Florida — Donald Trump's rallies have always been a medley of classic "Trumpisms" - sayings unique to Trump - and somewhat random, tangential asides. His final day of campaigning is no different.

He's still really bothered by that Beyonce and Jay-Z concert for Hillary. And now he's mocking rap music too. "So she got Jay-Z and Beyonce and the language they used was so bad. The language. The language was so bad. And as they were singing - singing right? Singing? Talking? Was it talking or singing? I don't know. But the language by both, but the language was so bad that many of the people left."

Trump admits that both he and Clinton are doing "fine" in the polls, but he can't quite get why. "I see she's doing fine, I'm doing fine in the polls and all this, I don't know how. Nobody goes to her rallies."[...]

Trump spotted a mask of himself in the crowd and held it up, for a side by side comparison. "Look at this mask. Look at this mask. Oh wow, wow that's beautiful. Look at that. Looks just like me!" He exclaimed. "Nice head of hair, I'll say that"[...]

Upon seeing a baby, dressed in a "cute" elephant costume, Trump congratulated the father. "Good job Daddy, wow."

posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

So, my spouse (Mermayd) is a practicing catholic, and after 6x years is pretty good at it. In church last sunday, the priest ended the service with ~" please vote on election day. And remember, only one of the candidates opposes abortion ~" (~" is 'approximate quotation')

She returned to her jewish atheist spouse pretty burned up about this. We know the priest--it seems like this may be just required text from our local bishop (Seregetti?). Certainly, today's missive from Pope Francis seems at odds with this sentiment. But -- eccch!

So I suggested changing out monthly church donation to a donation to the IRS, since it is clear that the church is violating church/state (and tax-exempt) separation. We'll see.

(We've already doneted a bunch to the Dems, including NJ5 (which is in play) but not NJ11 (where we live and seems not to be in play, and Frelingheusen is the scion of a looong line of pols and rich shits who have run this area for hundreds of years, and besides he is a genuine VETERAN from the 1960s, before repubs realized they could bullshit veteran==love of country, and seems to be a nice guy for a tea party acolyte, and likely wants his genes to last another 300 years in North Jersey.)

It's pretty fun to look up the name on wikipedia--there's a bunch of them. And -- does his name mean 'spring trousers'? Inquiring minds want...well, you know what inquiring minds want.
posted by hexatron at 4:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

A fashion historian describes the controversial history of the pantsuit:

Why does the pantsuit rankle so many Americans?

Women’s appropriation of men’s clothing should be ho-hum in an age of unisex fashion trends and boyfriend jeans. But the line between “his” and “hers” took centuries to build and will take more than a female presidential candidate to dismantle.

People seem to hate the pantsuit because it includes, well, pants – which happen to be one of the most controversial garments in women’s clothing. Skirts (whether worn on their own or as part of a dress) obscure the female form, leaving one to wonder, “Hey, what’s underneath there?” But pants – traditionally a man’s garment – leave little to the imagination. On women, pants take away all of the subtlety that Western society has valued in female dress for hundreds of years. They play to society’s fears about what happens when women dress themselves and decide, on their own, what it means to be feminine.

posted by palindromic at 4:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

She went to the Javits Center and then snuck into the Hilton to compare the preparation for both victory parties. The difference is amazingly hilarious. The Hilton looks so drab and rundown

Well, the Clinton campaign has always looked like the huge, slick, moneyed machine compared to the ragtag bumbling of the Republicans. All year long. Remember the conventions? The DNC looked like Oscar night while the RNC was a rerun of Hee Haw.

(PS I am not entirely comfortable with this, no. Cheering for overwhelming, well-financed favorites is difficult for my brain to process. Even when it's the right thing sometimes. Real life is weird.)
posted by rokusan at 4:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

For what to call Bill, what's wrong with just "Mr. Clinton"? Let him ditch the title for a while, it looks better.
posted by dilettante at 4:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Julie Zuckerbrod [Clinton's videographer]: I’ve spent more than 6,000 hours with Hillary Clinton over the past 2 years. These are my favorite moments.

After all the emotional clips, the final one of Facetiming with grandkid: "Chugga chugga choo choo!"
posted by NorthernLite at 4:06 PM on November 7, 2016

LIVE VIDEO: Clintons, Obamas rally on Independence Mall (ABC Philadelphia)

Event starts in about 20-30 minutes. Hillary, the President, Michelle, Chelsea, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi.
posted by cashman at 4:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

For what to call Bill, what's wrong with just "Mr. Clinton"?
Or just "Mr. Bill?" OH NO!
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:09 PM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

Hillary Clinton says she’ll call Donald Trump if she wins

But will he answer?
posted by zakur at 4:09 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I have to thank Eyebrows McGee for telling me about the NextGen Climate Text Canvass - seriously dead simple and low pressure. No need to actually text - everything is done from your computer. I polished off a couple lists and the responses come at a really manageable rate. I'd been doing a fair bit of phonebanking but had lately been feeling a bit weary of it particularly as it became clear that the people being called were sick and tired of it. At least with a text they just text "STOP" or "stop texting me!" and you opt them out and that's that. I've only encountered one Trump supporter so far and all he texted was #trump. Try it! It's kind of fun.
posted by peacheater at 4:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Hillary Clinton says she’ll call Donald Trump if she wins
She'll call him what???
posted by robbyrobs at 4:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [23 favorites]

I try really hard to avoid Trump rally speeches so maybe it's just me, but this in last speech he sounded like someone had their finger on the turntable. At first I thought he was trying to hypnotize people: "You're thirsty! You're thirsty!" but then he just sounded like he's on downers. Is this his new normal?

Also, the news is on and my 87-yo mom asked me if I thought Hillary was going to win. I told her I did. She paused and said, "So now we just wait for Trump's revenge."
posted by Room 641-A at 4:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

phunniemee: Gonna paint little Hillary logos on my nails tonight.

something something: I'm definitely painting the fingernails red white & blue, though.

How do any of you have any fingernails left
posted by theodolite at 4:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [40 favorites]

BusinessInsider A fired 'Apprentice' contestant says he has 'potentially damaging' Trump audio — but won't release it because he wants him to win

Brian McDowell, a candidate on the third season of the show in 2005, said he was approached by reporters from People Magazine and The New York Times to publish the audio. Business Insider also asked McDowell for the audio, but he declined to provide it. An independent source confirmed the existence of McDowell's audio and his assessment of it.

McDowell said he was also aware of the $5 million offer being pitched by David Brock, the founder of a pro-Clinton Super PAC, to help pay for legal fees stemming from potential non-disclosure agreements from the show that were still standing. McDowell said he no longer was under an NDA from the show.

McDowell said that despite still refusing to release the audio, he wanted to publicize its existence because he thought it was a good way to display the importance of electing Trump. He said he obtained it by recording his experience on the show and its set himself. He declined to provide a detailed description of the audio.

I'm not following his logic. No he won't release the tape but he wants everyone to know about it so that we are made aware of the importance of electing Trump. Huh?

Well, the Clinton campaign has always looked like the huge, slick, moneyed machine compared to the ragtag bumbling of the Republicans. All year long. Remember the conventions? The DNC looked like Oscar night while the RNC was a rerun of Hee Haw.

(PS I am not entirely comfortable with this, no. Cheering for overwhelming, well-financed favorites is difficult for my brain to process. Even when it's the right thing sometimes. Real life is weird.)

rokusan, don't think of it as the result of a slick, moneyed machine but as the end result of smart, experienced people who are working hard to produce good results. Hell, Trump has the money to put on a big show but he is half-assed and uninterested in tradition. And don't forget that experienced professionals have learned to say to "No" to him because he so often stiffs his contractors.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [29 favorites]

I'm not following his logic. No he won't release the tape but he wants everyone to know about it so that we are made aware of the importance of electing Trump. Huh?

Here, let me translate McDowell's statement for you:

HEY EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME! OVER HERE!!!! LOOK AT MEEEEEEE!!11!11!ONE!!1!
posted by dersins at 4:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [44 favorites]

Pulled back image of some of the crowd in Philadelphia for Hillary's rally. Tweet.
posted by cashman at 4:17 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

BusinessInsider A fired 'Apprentice' contestant

would like to be on TV again please
posted by prize bull octorok at 4:17 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

NYCers should come to Washington Square Park now
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:17 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

How much do I have to donate for Hillary to legally change her last name back to Rodham before Inauguration Day?
posted by Flannery Culp at 4:18 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

Andrew Kaczynski on Twitter:

lol, just found this video of Donald Trump in December 2012 saying if GOP doesn't pass immigration reform they won't ever win again.

posted by palindromic at 4:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Madonna is performing in the fountain in Washington Square Park. I'm at home with my cat, but it sounds fun.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

> >This thread is so long that ACTUAL HUMAN BABIES have been born during it!

> It's not a REALLY long thread until they're now posting in it.

If they are posting, they'd better read the Election Thread reference on the wiki. I don't want any of those whippersnappers asking "who's Meredith?" or "why does everyone like Egg McMuffins so much?"
posted by tonycpsu at 4:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

COTUS is a bit too similar to coitus, i think?

In my understanding, the two have always been close.
posted by roll truck roll at 4:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

NYCers should come to Washington Square Park now

Talk about preaching to the choir; too bad this isn't happening in Florida or Arizona.
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:22 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Julie Zuckerbrod [Clinton's videographer]: I’ve spent more than 6,000 hours with Hillary Clinton over the past 2 years. These are my favorite moments.
posted by melissasaurus at 3:46 PM on November 7

I am having trouble picturing her opponent having moments this human....ever.
posted by OHenryPacey at 4:22 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Upon seeing a baby, dressed in a "cute" elephant costume, Trump congratulated the father. "Good job Daddy, wow."

*fingers crossed*

pleasedontbemyniece pleasedontbemyniece pleasedontbemyniece...
posted by indubitable at 4:22 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

robbyrobs: "Clinton will win. But, sooner or later the voters will tire of a Democratic White House and
elect a less sleazy version of Trump."

That demographic hill is just going to get steeper and it's hard to imagine that african-american, latinx or islamic voters are ever going to forgive the Republican Party.
posted by octothorpe at 4:25 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

@SopanDeb Two more rallies left in Trump 2016. A reminder: No press conferences since July 27. Took Qs from limited group on September 5.

So for anyone thinking about running for President here are my takeaways from the Trump Campaign:

1) You don't have to release your back taxes
2) You don't have to answer questions from the press
3) You can lie as much as you want as long as you just keep repeating those lies with confidence
4) You don't have to have experience in governance or know anything about the government
5) Anything negative in yourself or your past can be can be ascribed to your opponent
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [70 favorites]

That demographic hill is just going to get steeper and it's hard to imagine that african-american, latinx or islamic voters are ever going to forgive the Republican Party.

They will forgive. Time will heal wounds. As soon as Republicans get over racism and xenophobia they'll begin to make moral alliances again between harder-line latinx catholics and morally inclined muslims.

There's plenty of alliance making that transcends race. Republicans just have to walk through the door.
posted by Talez at 4:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

NYCers should come to Washington Square Park now

is the Hour of Manocide at hand??

Madonna is performing in the fountain in Washington Square Park.

oh
posted by prize bull octorok at 4:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

For any other folks outside the US who are jonesing for an "I Voted" sticker, I put together a few templates you can use with Avery L7102 glossy white oval labels. You can now print off your own traditional "I Voted" stickers as well as "Stronger Together", "I'm With Her" and a special edition "I survived the 2016 metafilter election threads".

Here's the link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3RSVTaGOtC5Y3VMN01fcWgtS3c

I recommend downloading the docs and opening/printing with MS Word (label templates always go funny for me in Drive).

Note: template is for A4 size only. Apologies to those using US Letter size paper.
posted by mosessis at 4:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

Let’s keep democracy alive by sending pizza to voters stuck in line:

It’s not always easy doing your patriotic duty. In some areas of the United States, voters may find themselves waiting in seemingly endless, slow-moving lines for hours, just for the privilege of casting a ballot on Election Day. Some citizens, discouraged and weak from hunger, may even consider dropping out and going home. Fortunately, a website called Pizza To The Polls can supply these weary, would-be voters with the “piping hot ’za” they need in order to go the distance.

posted by palindromic at 4:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

As soon as Republicans get over racism and xenophobia

Not gonna hold my breath tbh
posted by Existential Dread at 4:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

I am having trouble picturing her opponent having moments this human....ever.
That was a BIG issue for me with Trump. For me I NEVER saw from Mr Trump a genuine, heartfelt sense of humor. What I did see was all the vile humor that he is now infamous for displaying. I have learned to avoid persons that NEVER display a genuine basic sense of happiness.
posted by robbyrobs at 4:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

They will forgive. Time will heal wounds. As soon as Republicans get over racism and xenophobia they'll begin to make moral alliances again between harder-line latinx catholics and morally inclined muslims.

notsureifserious.jpg
posted by octothorpe at 4:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

NYCers should come to Washington Square Park now

is the Hour of Manocide at hand??

Madonna is performing in the fountain in Washington Square Park.

oh

And she's brought her burdizzo!
posted by Devonian at 4:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

LaPage engages in some good old fashioned voter intimidation of college students in Maine,.
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:35 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Currently making calls to Florida! It's easier than usual, because it's just GOTV for people they're pretty sure are Hillary supporters, and I've gotten 4 out of 15 so far who were excited to vote tomorrow! Also they're Floridians so none of them feel like their votes don't matter because they all remember 2000.
posted by DynamiteToast at 4:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

“piping hot ’za”

in case you're curious to know the precise moment you lost me
posted by prize bull octorok at 4:38 PM on November 7, 2016 [28 favorites]

rokusan, don't think of it as the result of a slick, moneyed machine but as the end result of smart, experienced people who are working hard to produce good results. Hell, Trump has the money to put on a big show but he is half-assed and uninterested in tradition. And don't forget that experienced professionals have learned to say to "No" to him because he so often stiffs his contractors.

If anyone wants to compare the quality of the campaigns like that you have only to look at the balloon drops. The RNC and the DNC each dropped about 100,000 balloons on their delegates - but the DNC one came down in spectacular red, white, and blue monochromatic waves while the RNC balloon drop just mixed them all together into a blur. So between the DNC's one being visually striking and Bill Clinton's sheer joy at balloons we all remember the DNC one as having been much much bigger when it was in fact just better done and better appreciated.
posted by Francis at 4:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

As soon as Republicans get over racism and xenophobia

You understand you're talking about their base, right?
posted by Mooski at 4:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Yeah, the silver lining here is that Republicans have locked up the 30% or so of the vote that is actively, overtly white supremacist and any bridges they try to build with oppressed groups in the US will come at the cost of losing that 30%. They're in a bind where the politics of bigotry is such a big part of their brand that they can't try to move away from it in any kind of sincere fashion without losing their base. Fortunately, that base doesn't seem to be enough to win a national election, and as a percentage of the overall population it's getting smaller each year.

And anyway, if the Republicans dropped the bigotry from their platform they'd suck way less and I wouldn't have as much of a problem with them. We'd still vehemently disagree on many fronts, but they would be much closer to being a respectable political party if they could legitimately shed the xenophobia, misogyny, islamophobia, racism, etc. I just don't think they can do that without losing their base.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Hillary's Philadelphia rally has started! Bon Jovi is playing.
posted by cashman at 4:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

This should help you understand za.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 4:43 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeah, the silver lining here is that Republicans have locked up the 30% or so of the vote that is actively, overtly white supremacist and any bridges they try to build with oppressed groups in the US will come at the cost of losing that 30%

I've been saying for a while that my biggest fear isn't Trump, but the one that comes after Trump. The one who can split that difference and still not sound like a raving lunatic. That's the person that might well usher in a new dark age.
posted by lumpenprole at 4:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

whuppy: "Posit Trump vs. any other Republican nominee. Who would you pull the lever for? "

A better comparison would be something like Jill Stein managing to win the Dem Primary vs. say Chris Christie or some other moderate Republican. Then Jill goes over the top with statements discouraging vaccines and endorsing homeopathy. Maybe she gets arrested chaining her self to a Modesto reception desk. Throw in promises to disband the FDA and ban WiFi in places frequented by children. Hints that Maury Povich will be her first Supreme Court nominee.

Who do you vote for? Now that is a dilemma equivalent to what Republicans are dealing with.
posted by Mitheral at 4:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I mean really! It's 575 days since Hillary announced. How many people have met, fallen in love, and now have a happy newborn in that time? I'm serious, can we get a headcount of mefites that didn't even know their partner or have their baby when Hillary started this thing. Opt-in, I don't want to pry but it'd be interesting to know. It must be more than one.
posted by adept256 at 2:35 PM on November 7 [1 favorite +] [!]

Not really in your time frame, but germane(ish)...I was on the phone with my wife (who was in Pt) in 2008 when VA went blue, and when we had our first AA president. I was crying, and my Portuguese wife did not quite understand how important it was. Fast forward to the 2012 election, and she is over here in school, and doing everything she can; phone banks, canvassing etc., to see this man re-elected. Which, ttg, he was, and now she has listened to me, and supported me, for the past two years so that we can (hopefully!) be in the parade again in DC for our first Madame President! More germane to your question...we lost our big Great Dane (RIP Buddy), but now have three lil' rescue Beagles!
posted by PlantGoddess at 4:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

I’ve spent more than 6,000 hours with Hillary Clinton over the past 2 years. These are my favorite moments.

These are really charming, and I wish we'd seen more of this kind of thing throughout the campaign. I think she's quite endearing in small spontaneous moments.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have been waiting in line to early-vote for just over an hour. Nearly there!

A few people behind me is a young Latino-looking guy wearing a #buildthewall shirt. So far I have avoided giving him dirty looks.

SO FAR.
posted by tivalasvegas at 4:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

The poor object to being governed badly; the rich to being governed at all
G.K. Chesterton

I think of this quote every time I notice that the greatest grievance of the suburban middle class, photo radar and red light tickets, gets pages and pages of ink in local papers on the regular.
posted by srboisvert at 4:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

Just sent in my vote for Clinton. All I can do.
posted by brecc at 4:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

So I was talking to a friend of a friend on Facebook, because apparently I don't think I suffer enough, and I was trying to explain good campaign strategy vs. bad campaign strategy and looking for examples.

About three searches in I found this gem.

That's this election in a nutshell. The reddit post is kind of insightful as to the state of the art in Trumpistan.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 4:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

HRC back above 70% on 538
posted by skewed at 4:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I watched the clips from the Clinton campaign videographer. The last one, where Hill and Bill are face timing with their granddaughter, was so sweet and resonant to me. The Grandma-in-Chief!

This brought to mind a short essay I read by Ursula LeGuin, many many years ago, called The Space Crone...The only text I can find online is in this rather graphically challenged site, but I encourage y'all to read it. It's pretty quick.

Into the space ship, Granny.
posted by Sublimity at 4:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

But Ann Coulter said on my screen just now that Trump was nothing to do about racism or misogyny, which was just the nasty media,, and it's all ordinary people fighting the system, and she expected him to get the highest GOP proportion of the black vote since Nixon, and that would only not happen if they didn't bother to vote at all.

Martin Amis disagreed quite strongly, and started to ask Coulter directly (the interview was between them and the anchor) whether she could actually say that misogyny wasn't a factor with a straight face, without blushing, but she interrupted him half-way through his question with 'If you'd only let me finish'. Although it was quite a short question, and she'd finished speaking.

So it's not racism and xenophobia, it's about trade deals and jobs. So no problem reaching the Latinx, POC and women, and it's all the fault of the media. Or something. If only we let her finish.
posted by Devonian at 4:49 PM on November 7, 2016

A better comparison would be something like Jill Stein managing to win the Dem Primary vs. say Chris Christie or some other moderate Republican.

first of all pretend I put one of those skeptical/disapproving emoji faces here in re: Christie "moderate"

the problem with all of these bizarro world Trump thought exercises is that the whole racism/misogyny/xenophobia thing is really key to why Trump was so particularly awful and there's no real equivalent to that in any flip-the-script scenarios. Democrat Trump does not become the nominee running on a blatantly racist platform. it doesn't track. you can't reverse this polarity. Donald Trump is a uniquely Republican fuckup. sure Democrats could run a shitty candidate but you cannot get some illuminating mirror image what-if revelations out of this
posted by prize bull octorok at 4:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Twenty twenty twenty-four hours til polls close; I wanna be sedated.
posted by melissasaurus at 4:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [82 favorites]

The Philadelphia rally is also being televised on C-SPAN
posted by nolnacs at 4:55 PM on November 7, 2016

you can't reverse this polarity.

You can't reverse the polarity but there's a lot of left-wing populism that is batshit insane and would ruin the country.
posted by Talez at 4:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

In Two Days, The Politics Of The Supreme Court Will Change

Most Republicans are likely to take a second look at Obama’s Supreme Court nominee if Hillary Clinton wins on Tuesday — regardless of what they’re saying now.

posted by kirkaracha at 4:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Wow-- Chance the Rapper just led a parade of thousands of people from a free concert to an early polling site in Chicago. Lots of videos on his twitter. Good for him.
posted by acidic at 4:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [65 favorites]

All I know is, MSNBC better stomp their feet and light a match for this Hillary rally once the speakers begin. For all the times they showed an empty fucking stage for a trump rally. For all the times they covered him hawking his products, with zero interruption whatsoever. For all the times turning to MSNBC resulted in the words "Trump to ___ soon" on a screen with images of a podium and lighting, for 15, 20, 30 minutes at a time. They better show the president's remarks in full, Michelle's remarks in full, and Hillary's remarks in full.
posted by cashman at 4:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

The Philadelphia rally is also being televised on C-SPAN

My seventy-something parents thank you (and they are both "with her" in Chester County)! They were gathered around my mom's iPad!
posted by gladly at 4:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Citations of the ruinous left-wing populism. Is that hippie farming? Is that environmentalism? What?
posted by Oyéah at 4:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

You can't reverse the polarity but there's a lot of left-wing populism that is batshit insane and would ruin the country.

If so, it's not mainstream in the same way. It doesn't dominate the Democratic platform. It's not the core of every talking point, like Trump's xenophobic, toxic misogynist, fascist blathering. It's not even remotely comparable.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I can't watch any more news or politics tonight. I'm watching the black and ~~white~~ chrome version of Mad Max. Nothing seems more appropriate for election eve .
posted by octothorpe at 4:59 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

It doesn't seem to be mainstream in the same way though, does it.

On the left there's plenty of people not colored white who find the white nationalism abhorrent.

There's plenty of Rs on the other hand that are shitting their pants at Trump destroying the global order and basically ruining the US's status throughout the world by acting like the state equivalent of a toddler having a tantrum.
posted by Talez at 5:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

We need to develop easy and secure technology allowing public tracking of election location congestion, the same way bikeshare programs display available bikes at a station.
posted by theraflu at 5:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I can't watch any more news or politics tonight. I'm watching the black and white chrome version of Mad Max. Nothing seems more appropriate for election eve .

At least Immortan Joe wasn't a climate change denier.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

Okay, I appreciate that Bongiovi is a popular entertainer and adds sparkle to a rally, but good lord he's just as awful as he was in the 80's....one song and done please, let's get to the good stuff.
posted by OHenryPacey at 5:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Garbage In, Garbage Out: Are Republican “Pollsters” Gaming Poll Aggregators with Bullshit “Polls?”
posted by Artw at 5:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Charles Pierce: We Have Never Resolved the Fight Over What This Country Is Meant to Be:

They look out on the long, broad expanse over which Robert E. Lee sent the better portion of his army to its destruction. They look out over the fields and, almost as one, they shake their heads in wonderment at the magnitude of the mistake and the magnitude of the sacrifice that was its inevitable consequence.

No, pundits. This is not as divided as the country ever has been. It is as noisy as the country ever has been, and it probably is as grumpy as the country ever has been, although I'll still take the years between 1965 and 1972 in a fair fight. But we are engaging ourselves over trivia because we don't want to admit to ourselves that the issues that prompted the bloodshed on this ridge are still with us today, regardless of whether or not John Roberts declared the Day of Jubilee. We have never resolved the fight over what the country is, what the country is meant to be, and who

posted by palindromic at 5:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Okay, I appreciate that Bongiovi is a popular entertainer and adds sparkle to a rally, but good lord he's just as awful as he was in the 80's....one song and done please, let's get to the good stuff.

The Roots really, really should have been involved, but whatever.
posted by cashman at 5:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Trump: "And what's with that filthy wrapper music"
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 5:04 PM on November 7, 2016

Get plenty of relaxation and rest and sleep, America - a bit of a long day, tomorrow...
posted by Wordshore at 5:04 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

My 2016 election day/night playlist (warning: dark energy)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

You can't reverse the polarity but there's a lot of left-wing populism that is batshit insane and would ruin the country.

Not really. I mean, those people exist, but they're fringe enough that most of them don't even vote Democrat because the Democrats are too far to the right for them to stomach. Trump's followers are the core of the Republican voter base. It's really not the same.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 5:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

My seventy-something parents thank you (and they are both "with her" in Chester County)! They were gathered around my mom's iPad!

Glad I could be of help. My wife and I were thinking about going tonight but were both feeling a bit under the weather so decided to stay in and watch it instead. It's a shame since it would have been so convenient to just walk the few blocks over to Independence Mall.
posted by nolnacs at 5:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Another Colorado issue: Amendment T to repeal language in our state constitution authorizing slavery as punishment for crimes. From the Colorado Independent: “Words matter”: The great-granddaughter of a slave on what Amendment T means to her:

CI: If Amendment T is passed, what would that mean to you?

LM: It would mean a lot to me. It would mean for myself, as well as my family, my community, a sense of human dignity. I think it would give us a spirit of freedom, a spirit of equality. It’s just hurtful to know that it’s still in our Colorado constitution.

I’m originally from Texas, but I grew up predominantly in Colorado. I graduated from Palmer High School in Colorado Springs and I really don’t think that it is a Colorado value. Morally, it’s just hurtful. And actually, my mother is still living, she’s 103, and it would mean a lot to her. Her grandmother was a slave.

posted by audi alteram partem at 5:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

like what is the Border Wall of Nega-Trump (D)? Universal Basic Income?
posted by prize bull octorok at 5:08 PM on November 7, 2016

NYT squeezes in one more email story before election day: How the F.B.I. Reviewed Thousands of Emails in One Week

As it turned out, law enforcement officials said, there was no need to review all of the emails, only Ms. Abedin’s. Those emails numbered in the thousands, and even many of those were duplicates of messages that had been looked at previously, officials said.

That allowed the F.B.I. to sort through the emails faster than many, including some at the agency, had expected.

“You can’t review 650,000 emails in eight days,” Donald J. Trump said at a rally on Sunday.

Maybe not, but they didn’t have to. Here’s how federal agents, in the span of a week, could pore over a huge cache of emails and once again conclude that neither Mrs. Clinton nor her aides should face charges related to her handling of classified information on a personal server. The investigation, again, is closed.

posted by zachlipton at 5:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

cashman: The Roots really, really should have been involved, but whatever.

Tariq / Black Thought was in the trenches in NYC helping GOTV today.
posted by bluecore at 5:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

"So now we just wait for Trump's revenge."

Just don't drink any Trump Water and you should be fine.
posted by orange ball at 5:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Anyone know the order of speakers/performers for this HRC rally?
posted by saturday_morning at 5:13 PM on November 7, 2016

Amanda Marcotte: Stalking, gaslighting, threatening violence: The abusive shape of Hillary Clinton hate:

Abusive men use four general strategies to dominate their female victims: limiting their freedom, stalking and surveillance, gaslighting and threatening or even using violence to keep them in line.

Those are also the same four rhetorical strategies that Republicans have been using to delegitimize Clinton’s run and her potential presidency. These tactics may not seem sexist on the surface, but the overall pattern points to a tendency to treat Clinton like a woman who needs to be put in her place.

posted by palindromic at 5:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [43 favorites]

I'm not following his logic. No he won't release the tape but he wants everyone to know about it so that we are made aware of the importance of electing Trump. Huh?

Maybe he's trying to drive the price up.
posted by Coventry at 5:17 PM on November 7, 2016

BRUCE!
posted by spitbull at 5:18 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

CTRL-F didn't yield a livestream link to Philly rally - anyone have a recommendation? My search on YouTube brought up an image of the location, but with really bad stock rock guitar music over it. Did it not start yet?
posted by Miko at 5:18 PM on November 7, 2016

After 1:00 AM here in the UK, time to go to bed. See you all in the morning ... going to be a long, long day here across the pond ...
posted by kyrademon at 5:19 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I like how this election has helped as all really get to know John Podesta.
posted by drezdn at 5:19 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Here's the Philly rally.
posted by Quonab at 5:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Citations of the ruinous left-wing populism. Is that hippie farming? Is that environmentalism? What?

I could see it. I think it'd be the rejection-of-science brigade; the anti-vaxxers, homeopaths, anti-toxin-ers, etc. They'll burn down all of the ways to solve problems with science but not offer any way (that works) to do it instead.

Left-wing populism would quickly wreck the place with a hard anti-financial institution, anti-corporate stance. We'd probably have a quick liquidity crisis and massive inflation if we come out of that.
posted by Talez at 5:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Springsteen on the trail for Clinton has to be the ultimate humiliation for Chris Christie. His approval rating is just above that of Congress, he could well be indicted for Bridgegate, and he's been reduced to Trump's McDonald's fetcher [real, though he has denied it], but losing Bruce has to just crush him inside, and I can't say I'm not pleased with that.
posted by zachlipton at 5:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [29 favorites]

Here.
posted by Oyéah at 5:21 PM on November 7, 2016

Did it not start yet?

Right here!

Bruce is singing Thunder Road right now.
posted by spitbull at 5:21 PM on November 7, 2016

The Beyoncé "Get Out the Vote" video previously linked as HRC Twitter is now on YouTube.
posted by salix at 5:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm not following his logic. No he won't release the tape but he wants everyone to know about it so that we are made aware of the importance of electing Trump. Huh?

Maybe he's trying to drive the price up.

Bit late for that. At this point, every moment he waits, the value of the tape goes down. In a day it will be worthless either way.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:22 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

newt gingrich emanating from a stall amid a flurry of strained grunts and groans is fittingly surreal

He should run some fiber into that stall.
posted by pracowity at 5:22 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Bruce has been out for the last days of the Kerry and both Obama campaigns. Christie was always kidding himself.
posted by spitbull at 5:23 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

We'd probably have a quick liquidity crisis and massive inflation if we come out of that.

You think businesses would run away from the largest market on the planet because it got a little more expensive to operate here?
posted by Coventry at 5:23 PM on November 7, 2016

Left-wing populism would quickly wreck the place with a hard anti-financial institution, anti-corporate stance. We'd probably have a quick liquidity crisis and massive inflation if we come out of that.

glad everyone's focused on the real enemy here
posted by indubitable at 5:25 PM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

oh no, not universal health care and a living wage, anything but that
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 5:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [34 favorites]

You think businesses would run away from the largest market on the planet because it got a little more expensive to operate here?

It's not business. It's the flow of money that keeps the wheels of the economy turning. We had a massive liquidity crisis just on the back of policy incompetence. Someone deliberately trying to wreck the top parts of the economy would easily be able to cause another.
posted by Talez at 5:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

oh no, not universal health care and a living wage, anything but that

The thought experiment isn't about moderate center-left liberalism. It was trying to imagine what a left-wing Trump-a-like would be.
posted by Talez at 5:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

We had a massive liquidity crisis because Bush was a laissez-faire ideologue. Pretty much the opposite of a hard anti-financial institution, anti-corporate stance.
posted by Coventry at 5:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Imagine going to sleep later tonight, knowing that tomorrow, you will likely change a country's history. Holy shit.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

We had a massive liquidity crisis because Bush was a laissez-faire ideologue. Pretty much the opposite of a hard anti-financial institution, anti-corporate stance.

There's plenty of room for it to also happen if you kibosh the short term money market by smashing the banks buying the paper.
posted by Talez at 5:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Second best concert I ever saw was one of those Kerry Rock the Vote shows in St Paul. Bright Eyes, REM, and Bruce, with guest appearances by John Fogarty and Neil Young. Sweet Jebus, they tore the fucking roof off that night.
posted by Ber at 5:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

You and your neighbors (but it might just be your house specifically) are probably considered a lock for HRC by the campaign so they didn't waste time knocking your door. I mean, you were always going to vote and vote for HRC right?

Well, I certainly am, but, this is Indiana, so...

I knocked on doors here in MN last week. The list I had had us knocking on 2 of 4 apartments in a building and skipping houses here and there. Some, I assume, had asked not to be visited again, had been tried in that time-slot before, or were solid supporters who vote reliably.

I work from home so I'm pretty confident that no one has knocked on my door this year either. I had grand visions of forcing treats and/or water/sodas on them. After door-knocking, I think it might be because I vote every single year.
posted by VTX at 5:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Talez: What do you mean by smashing the banks?
posted by Coventry at 5:33 PM on November 7, 2016

You know who else were Girl Scouts?

Girl Scouts, we get the job done!

I'm kind of surprised, though I don't know why, but there have been a lot of big name Girl Scouts, including quite a few in the White House (and our probable soon-to-be-President). I didn't know Michelle and Hillary were both former Scouts, but that makes me pretty happy as a former Scout myself.
posted by ashirys at 5:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [21 favorites]

Springsteen. So uniquely American. Lovely.
posted by Oyéah at 5:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

It was trying to imagine what a left-wing Trump-a-like would be.

Remember that conversation hella threads ago when we were talking with corb about American ultra leftists and anarchists vs Sandinistas? You guys know how the intro to the Right Wing Authoritarian book says he doesn't really talk about Left Wing Authoritarianism because that doesn't really exist in America's current landscape or cultural history? He's right. There is no leftist equivalent to Trump because the left in America does not have the history of violence and power and affiliation with the ruling classes that it does in eg former communist countries. We're having trouble with this weird last minute distraction thought experiment because it's a false equivalence. Leftists have never, ever been a dominant majority in the way rightists have in this country. They have never been aligned with the big, murderous power structures that aligned themselves with subjugation of ethnic minorities and women and LGBT people or enslavement of the working classes either through chattel or indentured or wage slavery or trafficking. The answer to that question is: it doesn't exist.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 5:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [47 favorites]

Human Rights Campaign video: Obama & Clinton: Moving Equality Forward
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:36 PM on November 7, 2016

Springsteen is done and walks off stage. The "I'm with Her!"....."She's with Us!" call and response chants start back up, then lead into a Hill-a-ry! chant.
posted by cashman at 5:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Chelsea and Bill on stage now at the Clinton campaign rally in Philadephia.
posted by cashman at 5:37 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Funny thing is, Hillary is still the counter to a far left Trump.
posted by VTX at 5:40 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

For the poll aggregate obsessives, the 538 trendline adjustment in favor of Trump appears to be slowing down. Expect NC and FL to flip to blue by end of Monday and Clinton's win probability to jump back up. Just in time.
posted by one_bean at 10:51 PM on November 6 [1 favorite +] [!]

odds are moving on 538. florida is back blue.
posted by andrewcooke at 9:15 AM on November 7 [5 favorites +] [!]

HRC back above 70% on 538
posted by skewed at 4:48 PM on November 7 [6 favorites +] [!]

Hey look, it's my horn. Toot toot.

Here's my coda on 538. I think I have a pretty good sense of how their model operates at this point in response to different polls. I do not believe Nate messed with the model intentionally to drive hits to 538. The polling part of the site itself does not have a ton of advertising. I do think they legitimately messed up by over-emphasizing the trendline adjustment, and that's what's contributed to them being so much more volatile than all the others. Kremp's model is like a mic drop. It's a really good one. It's more complicated than PEC - which is not great - but it's really good. And, like 538, he incorporates both state-to-state correlation and a trendline - he just does it in an empirically defensible way. And it's based on a peer-reviewed model, which is wonderful. Unlike Nate. I think 538 will probably re-think that after the election.

The writing on 538, though, has been awful. Both Silver and Enten have been churning out piece after piece deliberately designed to inflame sensitive voters and get those sweet, sweet clicks. They have consistently over-emphasized small probability outcomes (even outcomes with a small probability in their model) to drive visits to their site. They have interpreted small shifts in polls as "momentum," the exact kind of horse race coverage Silver used to rail against when he wasn't worth millions of dollars.

Final assessment: their model is unintentionally mediocre; their journalism is irredeemable.
posted by one_bean at 5:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

You need to look beyond the USA to find leftist authoriarian leaders. Venezuela, China, Cuba… those are places that were led by leftist authoritarians in living memory. There has never been an equivalent in the US; leftist politics in this country always come attached to anti-authoritarian ideology. That's not to say that it couldn't happen, but it would be unprecedented.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 5:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Michelle Obama's up on stage in Philadelphia!
posted by cashman at 5:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Talez: What do you mean by smashing the banks?

It's different depending on who you ask and what day of the week it is. Some examples I've seen are complete shutdowns of any speculative activity, massive taxes on transactions, straight up forced breaking up banks into smaller units, nationalizing banks, extremely strict regulation of compensation.
posted by Talez at 5:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

You need to look beyond the USA to find leftist authoriarian leaders. Venezuela, China, Cuba… those are places that were led by leftist authoritarians in living memory.

Or Peron in Argentina, years ago.
posted by msalt at 5:45 PM on November 7, 2016

The Catholics on my FB are lit up about this right now but seriously do not click if you have any sensitivities surrounding death, disrespect of the dead, any/all of the above. (Link is just an article, no pictures, condemning something that a pro-Trump Pro-Life complete loony toon Catholic priest did that is just so beyond the pale I'm not going to describe it.)

How has DJT convinced anyone that he gives a shit about abortion? He doesn't give a shit about abortion, y'all. Not a whit. Not a jot. Not a single iota.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

Ok. They start voting in Dixville Notch in a bit over three hours. Why is the Now-cast different from the Polls-plus model? For the Senate it's 1.5 percentage points different right now. I realize the trendline impacts the model, but come on.
posted by zachlipton at 5:46 PM on November 7, 2016

Crowd enthusiastic for Chelsea and Bill, but Michelle lights the place up...
posted by Devonian at 5:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Talez: I can see how any of those could be harmful when taken to extremes, but those extremes seem like straw men. Although, I guess if Trump is the standard it's hard to say what's a straw man and what's an actual tin man / cowardly lion.
posted by Coventry at 5:49 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

The Catholics on my FB are lit up about this right now

My god that is horrifying.
posted by zachlipton at 5:49 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Gonna turn in now, as I'm up at 4AM to work the polls for my first time. Just wanted to say thanks to everybody in these threads—they've truly been my sanity over the past weeks, helped me understand this shitshow (as much as it can be, I guess), and given me some great ideas for how to stay involved between and during future election seasons. See you on the other side of Election Day.
posted by Rykey at 5:49 PM on November 7, 2016 [36 favorites]

Michelle is bringing me to tears here. Love. So much love.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 5:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

A few people were talking about an election day playlist- 30 days 30 songs is still adding anti-trump songs. They're up to about fifty now. Death Cab For Cutie, Aimee Mann channeling Tiny Rick, REM... there are a lot of great songs there. I'm partial to No Guns. I'm gonna have the spotify playlist going all day tomorrow at my house.
posted by fomhar at 5:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Folks, let's not dig down the rabbit hole about a hypothetical "what if the left were the real bad guys" scenario? It seems likely to lead to more heat rather than light.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 5:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Michelle Obama obliquely references "Hillary's opponent" but pointedly declines to say the name. And then her intro for Barack... so heartfelt, so amazing.
posted by saturday_morning at 5:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

President Obama coming to the stage now! Joining Chelsea, Bill, and Michelle!
posted by cashman at 5:52 PM on November 7, 2016

Michelle is The Rock. Electrifying.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

I can't believe that the last year and a half is leading up to tomorrow. I'm going to do a sleep now. See you on Election Day...
posted by pxe2000 at 5:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

in case you're curious to know the precise moment you lost me

i was once reluctantly forced to engage in a gruesome physical altercation over the inclusion of that vile word in the new scrabble dictionary

i regret nothing
posted by poffin boffin at 5:55 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

Wait, Ann Coulter and Martin Amis were in the same room?

Man, 2016, huh? Huh?
posted by adept256 at 5:55 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Michelle ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
posted by spitbull at 5:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

I'm pretty sure I've told this story on Mefi, but it feels especially relevant today:

I lived in the Clintons' Arkansas from 1975-1980 and was lucky enough to participate in one of the state's first gifted and talented programs in my elementary school. After reading so much lately about Hillary's dedication to education, I'm sure she was instrumental in starting my program.

One day all of us in the program were supposed to have lunch at the Governor's mansion and meet the Clintons. I refused to wear a dress and my mom wouldn't let me go.

Pantsuits forever!
posted by bendy at 5:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [112 favorites]

That's the same priest that pulled that stunt at the 2012 convention. Looks like the same baby. Which means,I'm betting he's just like that operation rescue asshole that keeps a fetus in a jar to shake at women's clinics. Idolatry is forbidden Father, whereas abortion, not so much, even using your holy book.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 5:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

bendy you should really send HRC a letter about that! You might get an invitation to make good on that lunch, this time at the White House. Pantsuit to pantsuit.
posted by saturday_morning at 5:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [61 favorites]

Obama is spitting fire right now
posted by T.D. Strange at 6:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

As soon as Republicans get over racism and xenophobia they'll begin to make moral alliances again between harder-line latinx catholics and morally inclined muslims.

There's plenty of alliance making that transcends race. Republicans just have to walk through the door.

By running on misogyny and homophobia instead of racism, apparently? That doesn't especially make me feel better about this hypothetical future nonracist Republican Party.
posted by Pseudonymous Cognomen at 6:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Thanks for the heads-up about the rally at Independence Mall. The president is up.

And reading Pantsuit Nation is affirming, not only to bask in the positive energy of like-minded individuals at this historic moment in U.S. history, but I also found out that one of my children is open to the invitation, and I gather she is breaking the current voting tie in my household. I did mention that I have two strong daughters.
My husband and I are cancelling each other out, which is normal. Oklahoma is still red as a tomato, which is... what it is.
But each step forward is a good one.
posted by TrishaU at 6:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Wait, Ann Coulter and Martin Amis were in the same room?

I thought Amis quit doing drugs ages ago.
posted by octobersurprise at 6:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Donald Trump’s Extremist Supporters Feel Like Winners Either Way
posted by robbyrobs at 6:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Obama is tearing it up. So much good about Hillary. She is strong and tough, like the American people. He is rocking it Obama style. And shade to trump for days.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 6:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

are they going to swap out that Presidential Seal podium when HRC comes out
posted by saturday_morning at 6:03 PM on November 7, 2016

12 hours until my first shift as an election worker! Turns out I'll be working near UC Berkeley, not up in the hills as I first thought. I expect it will be interesting. I'll try to give reports on my breaks.
posted by clorox at 6:04 PM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

MSNBC is definitely playing everything in full, cashman.
posted by Sophie1 at 6:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

He's going all in on Republicans in Congress too. Blaming them for obstruction and making clear they're promising more
posted by T.D. Strange at 6:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Q.Who can I report intimidation to?

A. You can report intimidation to:

The Election Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE
or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español)

The U.S. Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline: 800-253-3931; TTY line 877-267-8971

Local and state officials, including poll workers; your county clerk, elections commissioner, elections supervisor; or your state board of elections.
posted by petebest at 6:06 PM on November 7, 2016

evidently Trump is reading a letter of support from Bill Belichick...and says Tom Brady voted for him too.
posted by acidic at 6:06 PM on November 7, 2016

The Rude Pundit: The Rude Case for Hillary Clinton (Part 1)

The Rude Case for Hillary Clinton (Part 2: A Mom's Perspective)
posted by homunculus at 6:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I just stopped watching wwe raw and tuned in the prez. One guy is way too close to the mike, on cnn anyway. The prez is on the beat and on the word.
posted by vrakatar at 6:07 PM on November 7, 2016

One guy is way too close to the mike

The dude hollering back like he's in church? I lol'd.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:09 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

MSalt, Perón was not on the right or the left, he just took the worst from both sides and managed to be a populist corporatist. He said himself he wasn't on either side.
posted by Tarumba at 6:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I'm liking that hype man.
posted by yasaman at 6:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

hey uh um if someone could drop me an invite to pantsuit nation that would be uh you know like SUPER AMAZING (acct in profile)
posted by rebent at 6:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I like how he approvingly smacked the podium on his way out. Like YES that was VERY AWESOME of me
posted by saturday_morning at 6:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [28 favorites]

And here is Hillary Clinton.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:13 PM on November 7, 2016

Obama's podium slap was wonderful. "Nailed it."
posted by uncleozzy at 6:14 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Loved POTUS setting the little riser at the podium. What did he say? "They'll set that permanently for you"?
posted by holgate at 6:14 PM on November 7, 2016 [20 favorites]

BBC World News says 40,000 people there.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:15 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Bless his heart, the president adjusted Hillary's podium step for her. We are going to miss him.
Peace out 'til tomorrow night. Have a good celebration, Mefites. We've worked for it, and we need to take a breath for the next four years.
Sweet dreams.
posted by TrishaU at 6:18 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Oh, I see: it's the POTUS podium, with the presidential seal still on it while Hillary speaks. Now, you're not supposed to do that, but who is Trump going to complain to about it? The White House?
posted by holgate at 6:18 PM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

Well, Clinton might have pulled off Ohio. #Earlyvote change from 2012
Cuyahoga +1,052 (+0.4%)
Franklin +22,522 (+10.2%
posted by T.D. Strange at 6:19 PM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

[semi derail question: is Evan McMullin's spoiler candidacy in Utah the first time in the entire history of the organization that the CIA has meddled in a country's national elections in a way that will help preserve that nation's stability? Asking for a friend.]
posted by moonlight on vermont at 6:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

NFL update:

Trump says Tom Brady called him today and said he voted for Trump
Brady said on @KirkAndCallahan this morning he hadn't voted yet. Early voting in Massachusetts ended Friday.

--@smclaughlin9 (video)

"So Bill Belichick wrote Trump "you have dealt with an unbelievable slanted and negative media and come out beautifully"" --@Bencjacobs (according to Trump allegedly reading from the letter on stage)

"I would like to hear this from Belichick mostly because I want to see if it's true he talks 100 percent like Trump." --@BecketAdams
posted by zachlipton at 6:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

rebent check your friend requests
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:21 PM on November 7, 2016

Hillary mentioning how dark the tone of the campaign became.

Random lady: "Not your fault."
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:24 PM on November 7, 2016 [89 favorites]

I'm hesitant to post this because I worry about all my anxious homies here, but:

In a first, rather than wait for election results to be tallied at county courthouses and to be announced by The Associated Press or the TV networks, a company called VoteCastr will project the results in real time. The results will be published on Slate and Vice. It might make you want to throw up.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

"So Bill Belichick wrote Trump "you have dealt with an unbelievable slanted and negative media and come out beautifully"" --@Bencjacobs (according to Trump allegedly reading from the letter on stage)

Wait, Belichick supports Trump? SOMEONE TELL OHIO. As far as I know, the entire northern half of the state still hates that man with the power of a thousand suns.
posted by ultranos at 6:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

xkcd is just the latest website I've seen post a high-profile link to Warren Buffet's drive2vote.org. It's a noble concept, linking people who need a ride with those willing to offer them... but does nobody notice that it's intended *only* for residents of Nebraska's 2nd district?
posted by Rhaomi at 6:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

In further sportsball news, Curt Schilling described the lynching journalists t-shirt as "Ok, so much awesome here..."

Please make it stop.
posted by zachlipton at 6:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Hillary's Philadelphia rally has started! Bon Jovi is playing.

@wkamaubell
"So we have Jay Z, Beyonce & Bruce Springsteen. That should do it."
"What about Bon Jovi?"
"He's not really releva..."
"I. WANT. BON. JOVI."
posted by bibliowench at 6:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [20 favorites]

evidently Trump is reading a letter of support from Bill Belichick...and says Tom Brady voted for him too.

Not the only reason I stopped watching the NFL, but definitely one of them.
posted by thecaddy at 6:29 PM on November 7, 2016

Ha! I'm watching the Philly rally on the computer while the TV is on in the background, on mute, and a Trump ad comes on. The tag line on the screen, over Hillary's picture: "Hillary Clinton only cares about Power, Money, and Herself."

And then it cuts to a picture of a smarmy-faced Donald Trump. Who only cares about Power, Money, and Himself.

I mean, that right there is some incredibly bad, myopic marketing.
posted by mudpuppie at 6:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

That was really like watching FDR campaign for Harry Truman.
posted by octobersurprise at 6:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Tina Fey: "...people say that Hillary is a bitch. And let me say something about that: yeah, she is, and so am I. And so is this one [pointing at Amy Poehler]. You know what, bitches get stuff done. That's why Catholic schools use nuns as teachers and not priests. Those nuns are mean old clams, and they sleep on cots and they're allowed to hit you. And at the end of the school year, you hated those bitches, but you knew the capital of Vermont. So, I'm saying it's not too late Texas and Ohio. Get on board. Bitch is the new black!'"
posted by kirkaracha at 6:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [54 favorites]

dis_integration: "I'm also in favor of adopting Australia's compulsory voting laws. The fine is minimal (something like $20AU) but its mere existence has to have a big effect on driving turnout which is like 90-95% Down Under."

Except the US "Justice" system is a racist mess. A $20 fine can't easily mean time spent in jail and/or hundreds or thousands of dollars in court fees if you happen to be poor.

charred husk: "All I know is the FBI are the guys who come in and try to steal cases from all those hardworking police people who just want to see that murderer put behind bars."

The FBI are also the people who step in when local LEOs get to blatantly corrupt.

thelonius: "There's nothing like taking your radio into the stall for a nice dump"

Practically everybody carries a radio into the stall nowadays.

Grangousier: "The only equally confusing naming thing I can think of was the late mother of the current Queen of Great Britain etc. Who was also called Elizabeth and was also Queen. Her official title was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. So perhaps Bill can be President Clinton the President Husband."

The high point of the Buckingham Palace switchboard operator’s day is when she puts the Queen through to the Queen Mother. ‘Your Majesty? Her Majesty, Your Majesty.’ -- Jerrold M. Packard, The Queen & Her Court: A Guide to the British Monarchy Today, 1981

Kitty Stardust: " color me surprised that upper-middle class white women who do yoga and shop at Whole Foods can be racist too."

In my limited experience these are exactly the people who show public disdain for "bad" (IE: racial minority) neighbourhoods.
posted by Mitheral at 6:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

For what its worth, I spent decades loathing Bon Jovi then saw him in concert (long story) a couple of years ago and now begrudgingly respect his music and actively love his live performances, so I'm sold on this Bon Jovi playing for Clinton thing.
posted by Joey Michaels at 6:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Trust me, I'm related to a lot of the suburban moms in the counties surrounding Philadelphia. The Jon Bon Jovi thing plays.
posted by gladly at 6:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

I mean, that right there is some incredibly bad, myopic marketing.

I'm convinced that at least part of the Trump ad campaign strategy has been to take everything that is obviously bad about Trump and simply apply those things to Clinton.
posted by wondermouse at 6:34 PM on November 7, 2016

I. WANT. BON. JOVI

On a steel horse she rides. She plays for keeps, cuz she might not make it back.
posted by nubs at 6:35 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

In further sportsball news, Curt Schilling described the lynching journalists t-shirt as "Ok, so much awesome here..."

In 2018 I plan to walk into one of his election campaign town halls, get in line to ask a question, and ask him "Why are journalists hanging from trees so much awesome?"
posted by Talez at 6:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

Oh Yeah paste it to you!
posted by Oyéah at 6:37 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Not fucking around.

@kylegriffin1
Clinton camp aide says its Pennsylvania team knocked on more than 1.3 million doors this weekend & added 12,675 new volunteers to its ranks.
posted by chris24 at 6:38 PM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

In 2018 I plan to walk into one of his election campaign town halls, get in line to ask a question, and ask him "Why are journalists hanging from trees so much awesome?"

You've got to get the tweet printed out and ask "What is so awesome about this?" Like you're asking someone to explain a racist joke.
posted by drezdn at 6:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

The tag line on the screen, over Hillary's picture: "Hillary Clinton only cares about Power, Money, and Herself."

And then it cuts to a picture of a smarmy-faced Donald Trump. Who only cares about Power, Money, and Himself.

Trump's Mirror has proven much more resilient than I anticipated. It's apparently polished stainless steel and not actually glass.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

MSNBC is currently running a scroll of all the presidents with their dates of service. Pretty cool.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

How about one more confirmation of the true nature of Trumpsim on election eve?

How Do Trump Supporters See Black People? “Less evolved,” our survey shows.

"Our research indicates that many whites see blacks as less human than they see members of their own racial group. More than one-third of whites we surveyed rate black people as “less evolved” than they rate whites. Furthermore, substantial proportions of white respondents say that the terms “savage,” “barbaric,” and “lacking self-restraint, like animals” describe black people well. Those who hold these dehumanizing views of black people are disproportionately likely to support Donald Trump."
posted by chris24 at 6:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

Clinton camp aide says its Pennsylvania team knocked on more than 1.3 million doors this weekend & added 12,675 new volunteers to its rank

Our phonebanking became obsesed with the number of calls we made since the final four day push started. We now put that on the front of each packet. (Its variable, since we're mopping up lists by precinct.)
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

I take back everything I ever said. Start the impeachment proceedings.

Senior Obama official, to me, just now (I am not making this up): "The President loves Fight Song."

--@teddygoff

(I will confess, in my most vulnerable moments, that I don't always completely hate Fight Song.)
posted by zachlipton at 6:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Are the speeches from Hillary's rally tonight up anywhere? I need some fortification for the long day tomorrow.
posted by codacorolla at 6:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'd just like to say that this election and these threads have made me want to work harder to be a better person just in case I in some way resemble a Trump supporter.
posted by srboisvert at 6:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [36 favorites]

if you ate a live baby right now you would still be better than a trump supporter
posted by poffin boffin at 6:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

Well yeah, I probably eat better than most Trump supporters.
posted by Oyéah at 6:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

One of the volunteer phonebankers brought in the best two-year old daughter who completes phrases like "Vote for..." "Hillary!" "Hillary for..." "President!" and dressed as Ruth Bader Ginsburg for Halloween, with the white necklace in daytime and the sparkly black one for night.

Her favorite book is called "I Dissent." She likes a lot of phrases!

"I do not concur."

Dog jumps on the bed - "I beg to differ!"

Come phonebank!
posted by halifix at 6:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [45 favorites]

But hey, the feds are sending election observers down to San Juan County, Utah, home of the potential Bears Ears Monument, and home of the Navajo reservation. They are sending observers in response to letters from the Navajo about the mail in ballots making it harder for them to vote, and closing their polling places.
posted by Oyéah at 6:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

So my son's elementary-middle school held their election today, and the result was 60% Trump, 40% Hillary. We're in one of the darkest bluest districts in the country, so I'm not worried, but it's so disheartening. One of my son's (8 year old) friends said he voted for Trump "because he's the funniest."

I'm kind of afraid to ask who my son voted for.

I wasn't planning on wearing a pantsuit tomorrow, but I may just put one on just for school dropoff.
posted by Mchelly at 6:55 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

charred husk: "All I know is the FBI are the guys who come in and try to steal cases from all those hardworking police people who just want to see that murderer put behind bars."

The FBI are also the people who step in when local LEOs get to blatantly corrupt.

I realize what they call satire today is different from when I was a kid, but I think that was it.

I always expected my first "when I was your age" comment would be about robotic butlers or flying cars and not a 2300 year old comedic form. Fuck this election. Fuck it so hard!
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 6:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Silver's mistake is that he needs to get better data and stop being so reliant on public polls.
posted by humanfont at 6:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I got to make a lot of popcorn, load up on left over Halloween candy and a pony keg. This makes me like an election prepper. Tomorrow is going to be a hell of a day.
posted by jadepearl at 6:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

if you ate a live baby right now you would still be better than a trump supporter

Trump eats them two-fisted. [Source.]
posted by mudpuppie at 6:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Trump: I have a letter here from the Publisher's Clearinghouse saying I may have already won this election. [fake]
posted by drezdn at 6:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Silver's mistake is that he needs to get better data and stop being so reliant on public polls.

Sort of in the nature of being a 'poll aggregator', no? If they just conducted your own private poll (which would be insanely expensive if it were a good one), they couldn't then apply the same methodology that they do. It would defeat the purpose of what he's trying to do.
posted by modernnomad at 6:59 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

dis_integration: "I'm also in favor of adopting Australia's compulsory voting laws. The fine is minimal (something like $20AU) but its mere existence has to have a big effect on driving turnout which is like 90-95% Down Under."

Except the US "Justice" system is a racist mess. A $20 fine can't easily mean time spent in jail and/or hundreds or thousands of dollars in court fees if you happen to be poor.

Re Australian elections: Also, our elections are on a weekend, postal voting is easy, we have a single National Electoral Commission that coordinates voting, and personally I've never had to wait in line more than 5-10 minutes. And virtually every voting place has a sausage sizzle and a cake stand.

There's a lot to commend it.

Our candidates are still largely garbage though, so...
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 7:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

Ok, these elementary school elections? Those guys have like, tops, a sixth grade education. Annoyed that it hits the front page "flava'" of my middlin'-sized city paper.
As I recall my third grade class in 1980 voted 50/50-- boys for Reagan cuz' bombs are badass, and girls for... Anderson? Whoever the independent was, because they felt sorry for him. I don't recall Carter getting any love up in southeast AK.
posted by Capybara at 7:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh and also Eric Swalwell our (next door for me) House rep stopped by earlier too and made a great pep talk but the short videos made my day
posted by halifix at 7:02 PM on November 7, 2016

Univ. of Virginia's final electoral guess: Clinton 322, Trump 216
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:04 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

dis_integration: "I'm also in favor of adopting Australia's compulsory voting laws. The fine is minimal (something like $20AU) but its mere existence has to have a big effect on driving turnout which is like 90-95% Down Under."

Except the US "Justice" system is a racist mess. A $20 fine can't easily mean time spent in jail and/or hundreds or thousands of dollars in court fees if you happen to be poor.

The Australian Electoral Commission also give you a chance to explain why you didn't vote, you don't even necessarily get fined. One year we drove past the polling station on the way to visit dad in hospital (mum: Oh fuck, I forgot!) and it was fine. If you are all omg, I'm sorry, I totally forgot because of Reasons it's usually ok (at least the first time). People who get fined for not voting are usually wanting to get fined to make their point. Otherwise you just turn up, scribble something and get your democracy sausage. You just have to participate.
posted by kitten magic at 7:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

All the pundits on MSNBC are talking as if the election were over and Trump had already lost
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 7:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeah and you don't even have to actually write anything on the ballot.
posted by awfurby at 7:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Let's not be those pundits. Opinion polls don't vote.
posted by holgate at 7:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Boots the Election Predicting Goat says Hillary will win tomorrow. No word on whether he TTTCS after his proclamation.

Seriously, everyone. Can we huddle for a minute? Thank you for helping me keep my perspective and sanity these last few months. Your willingness to synthesize the information and talk about the generalizations of all the horrific shit Tiny Hands said without spelling it out has been a gigantic (yuge?) help to those of us who just can't take hearing the specifics. I am hugging you all so hard right now in my mind.
posted by _Mona_ at 7:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [31 favorites]

You know what I am most afraid about in this election at this point? Russian voting machine hacking. Not to give the election to Trump (too hard to pull off), but to obviously and ham-fistedly switch votes to Clinton. Two or three highly publicized incidents like that would be far easier to arrange, play right in to his whole "rigged" narrative, and call the whole election into question for many people, even if they don't affect the outcome.

I hope I am wrong, but that is what worries me.
posted by fings at 7:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

So instead of sausages and cakes on a weekend, we got a mishmash of election laws that can vary by county, city and state in the name of independence

From another perspective: America got a slightly tweaked version of 18th-century British election practices (and brought along most of English law, aside from Louisiana) and feels stuck with it.
posted by holgate at 7:14 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Lawrence O'Donnell is giving himself the last word tonight, will give himself five minutes. Should be good.
posted by zutalors! at 7:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

MTV's Jamil Smith Empathy For The Devil

I've been a practicing Christian since I was a child, but I've been black even longer. And so the part about forgiveness being necessary for salvation has always been a sticking point with me. I don't want to be handed a divine rose on the condition that I must impale my fingers on its thorns. Christianity carries with it a mandate for universal empathy that can often prove utterly inconsistent with African-American survival, let alone advancement. Too many times, we're asked to understand those who have opposed or even terrorized us, while expecting no such consideration in return. We’ve reached that moment in our presidential race, with people who look like me expected to have compassion for an electorate that plans to vote for white supremacy on Election Day.
...
This Trump moment should make us finally realize why we shouldn't make empathy such an overriding priority in politics. Yes, emotion is a primary driver of voters, and should be understood as such. But I just don't feel for a white Christian family man who may be down on his luck if he's voting for white supremacy. That vote is an explicit message that he couldn't give a damn about me, or anyone who looks like me. If he's voting for a candidate who said that women having abortions (and the doctors providing them) should be punished, you can't expect women to be concerned about his "economic anxiety." A lot of folks who don't consider themselves racist, sexist, or otherwise "deplorable" will vote for Donald Trump and not think themselves hypocrites. But the Republican nominee has made it more obvious than anyone since George Wallace what his flock would get in return for their support. So I don't really care who Trump's voters are. I care what they're about to do.

posted by zachlipton at 7:22 PM on November 7, 2016 [59 favorites]

This election, y'all. My 13 year old watched the rally with me, and when it was over he said that he was really worried about tomorrow because he's afraid no matter who wins, the trumpers are going to be armed and dangerous and looking to start civil war, the trumpening. I tried to talk him down and explained all the phone banking we were doing, and the texting, but we live in deep teahadist territory, and he passes a house with a massive rebel flag on his way to school, and frankly he doesn't have the comfort of mefi or PN, and goddamn it, political candidates shouldn't make my kid afraid. This fucking year, man. This fucking year.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 7:24 PM on November 7, 2016 [74 favorites]

Bill O'Reilly just now: "You know if I'm going for the minority vote, I don't know that I'd have the Boss and Bon Jovi. I'd have the O'Jays"
posted by porn in the woods at 7:25 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Russian voting machine hacking.

Voting machines aren't on the internet. There are specific attacks possible in some states because of the way the databases are assembled, but those tend to require a lot of inside knowledge and physical access too. There are people in some places who can fuck with the vote, but they aren't Russian and they aren't going to be able to affect more than a few precincts with a particular attack vector, which will almost always involve physical access.
posted by Bringer Tom at 7:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

DirtyOldTown: "Currently, the thread is 187 pages. I'm thinking printing this out at the office is something like accidentally hitting play on a YouTube video with your volume all the way up in the middle of a work meeting. It's like sending up fireworks that say, "Totally screwing off during work hours!""

Way back in the twee, pre-web stages of the public internet there was a period of time in which blonde jokes were a thing. It was the sort of thing my father enjoyed so when I came across a compilation one day of ~50 Q and A Blonde Jokes I decided to print off a few copies for him (a few so he could spread them around).

Now while this was technically in the days of the PC serious computing at my university was done on shared systems and these were of course the only computers with USENET and FTP access. However this meant that printing needed to be done via a single, shared, chain printer overseen during the day by a generally no fun lab monitor. The printing of anything non course related was strictly verboten and printing for personal use when caught resulted in lecture and usually confiscation.

Luckily the program I was in, being 75% computer based, had extended hours access which didn't get monitored. So late one night/early morning a friend and I slipped down to the lab in a quest to print off the compilation.

So I log in and pull up the file and send it on to the printer. Because our admins were no fun nazis they'd disabled the printcopies switch to the print command. Which just meant that you'd have to type in a little script to repeatedly run the print command to get more than one copy. So I do that and down the hall I hear the printer fire up and start printing. My buddy and I start working on something else and maybe ten minutes later I take notice that the printer is still chattering away and we're the only ones in the lab. So we hustle down the hall and see the printer was still cranking out blonde jokes. Let me tell you a chain printer can crank out a lot of paper in 10 minutes. Seems I'd borked the end condition of the script loop and the printing was never going to stop. I log into the print terminal to get it stop but not before it cranks through the rest of the box of 132 column green bar fan fold (luckily not full when we started). We collect up like a seven inch stack of tractor feed paper and make our getaway.

This is right before Christmas and that year me and the same buddy road trip to California for Christmas. Said buddy has relatives living all over Oregon and California and everywhere we stopped a copy of the blonde jokes was left behind to great amusement (people were fascinated by the paper). I think we even managed to brighten the US customs guard day who insisted we completely empty my car in the middle of a cold December night when he interrogated us about the huge stack of computer paper.
posted by Mitheral at 7:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

Stay classy Bill! Everyone knows the blacks love the OJays!
posted by petebest at 7:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Oh man. I'm just now getting to the end of Barack's speech in Philly (the tap!) and introduction for Hillary. The warmth. The mic adjustment.
A small gesture. And a grand one.
posted by rp at 7:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Russian voting machine hacking

My understanding is that voting machines are not actually connected to the internet, so they are not susceptible to that kind of hacking.
posted by StrawberryPie at 7:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

America had a bad relationship with King, but managed to break free, but has spent the rest of its life plotting to make sure it'll never get into another relationship like that.

Nah, the Constitution was basically set up to create a relationship just like that; the executive powers under the constitution of the American president are essentially those of a constitutionally-limited monarch, the House of Representatives is analagous to the House of Commons, and the (formerly-appointed-by-state-legislatures) Senate = the Lords. (cf 17th-18th century British political debate about parliamentary sovereignty and the evils of standing armies, etc.) The biggest problem with the US way of doing things is that over time the executive powers of actual constitutional monarchs have been even further limited while those of the US president have grown to imperial proportions, while the country has gone from being "these United States" to "THE United States" (the USA's archaic and poorly designed system of government is responsible for about half of the problems of US politics, and federalism is responsible for the rest).
posted by Pseudonymous Cognomen at 7:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

the trumpers are going to be armed and dangerous and looking to start civil war, the trumpening

There will not be a civil war because the trumpers are cowards, which is why they tremble so terribly at the thought of being deprived of their gunpowder-powered phallic surrogates. There might be a few isolated acts of violence, which would be terrible. But there will be no groundswell of self-styled "patriots" going at the Establishment Red Dawn style, because the closest they will ever get to that Red Dawn scenario will be masturbating to the movie before setting the alarm so they can go to work the next morning and going to sleep.
posted by Bringer Tom at 7:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [28 favorites]

Stay classy Bill! Everyone knows the blacks love the OJays!

I'm rather partial to their soulful ballad "Motherfucker, I Want More Iced Tea."
posted by tonycpsu at 7:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

Remember, 90% of Bill's audience is between 65 and Deceased, so to any blacks in his audience, yep, it's the O'Jays. Maybe also the Spinners and the Temptations...
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:33 PM on November 7, 2016

@DLin71:
TRUMP: I’m going to spend the final hours of my campaign complaining about rap music. What could go wrong?

@ABC7Chicago:
Chance the Rapper leads hundreds of young voters to long early voting lines downtown so they can cast their ballots: http://abc7.ws/2eGWPMp
posted by chris24 at 7:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [35 favorites]

So more and more of the media are finally abandoning any pretense that this is in any way going to be a close election. I still want lots of turnout because down ballot is so important but the national election is done. Unfortunately not as done as it should be, thanks Comey, but still done nonetheless.

It seems like the FBIs little opposition drop did it's job and helped prevent a total asskicking but the impact is wearing off. It's just too bad that some of the Democratic party candidates for Senate decided to completely phone in their operations. Bayh and Strickland in particular need nothing but contempt.
posted by vuron at 7:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Here's a touching quote from Josh Marshall (Just posted)

"I was thinking this evening that for all Donald Trump has tried to soil us, none of it can take away from me my love for the pageantry of democracy, my love of this country. He hasn't been able to break us. I'm sitting here watching Springsteen sing in Philly, immense crowds behind him. This is a Democratic celebration, just one slice of America, not the whole thing. But something is different about this moment. This is not a normal election. I've thought more and more about this as a year of transgression. So many lines crossed, promises broken, so many things we never thought we'd see have happened. But here we are, bruised and transgressed. But still here and unbowed."
posted by uraniumwilly at 7:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [23 favorites]

Ironically, the Trump campaign used the O'Jays "Love Train" so much that the O'Jays complained:

"Our music, and most especially, 'Love Train' is about bringing people together, not building walls." said Williams in a statement. "I don't appreciate being associated with Mr. Trump and his usage of our music without permission."

The O'Jays were formed just an hour's drive from the convention in Canton, Ohio, and according to a press release "flatly rejected" an offer to perform at the event "in light of their personal beliefs that the candidacy of Trump is divisive and at odds with the overriding message of their song."

Levert added, "I don't agree, whatsoever, with Trump's politics to the point where I think he just may be the anti-Christ."

Anyway, Love Train is going on the playlist now.
posted by zachlipton at 7:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [43 favorites]

OK! I am turning in! My election protection poll monitoring shift starts at 5:45. Then I go vote. See you on the other side, Metafilter! We're almost there!
posted by prefpara at 7:37 PM on November 7, 2016 [41 favorites]

The biggest problem with the US way of doing things is that over time the executive powers of actual constitutional monarchs have been even further limited while those of the US president have grown to imperial proportions, while the country has gone from being "these United States" to "THE United States" (the USA's archaic and poorly designed system of government is responsible for about half of the problems of US politics, and federalism is responsible for the rest).

To tell you the truth, coming from a much younger democracy (India), the United States' reluctance to pass Constitutional amendments or even to admit that the writers of the Constitution were imperfect humans, just like every politician today, has always been perplexing to me. It's not as though the Constitution wasn't adopted with an immense amount of wrangling and persuasion - it was always a compromise and I doubt was ever meant to be a static document laying down the will of founding fathers.
posted by peacheater at 7:39 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

It's not as though the Constitution wasn't adopted with an immense amount of wrangling and persuasion - it was always a compromise and I doubt was ever meant to be a static document laying down the will of founding fathers.

It was modified immediately. It could only be adopted with the understanding there would be an immediate Bill of Rights.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 7:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

StrawberryPie: "My understanding is that voting machines are not actually connected to the internet, so they are not susceptible to that kind of hacking."

While I'm not suggesting it is going to happen I'll point out that all sorts of malware does get across air gaps and can be triggered to activate on a specific date/time. A software setup like Stuxnet could be deployed to the machines used to program the voting machines and potentially do malicious things even when those machines don't have a direct connection to the internet. The voting machines need to be configured to show candidates and only a crazy person would do that manually on each machine; update via USB stick or intranetwork is much more likely.
posted by Mitheral at 7:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Here's some free shit you can maybe get on election day. Except in Connecticut and Maryland, 'cause y'all are just being weird. Who doesn't like donuts!?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

US elections: Peruvian shamans call on gods to punish Trump [AFP video, so I guess real???]

Come for the man stomping on a poster of Trump covered in sand, stay for the awesome yell at 0:25. They'd like us to have peace and celebrate democracy tomorrow, so, uh, thanks, I think.

One warning though, back in January, some election predicting Peruvian shamans predicted that Trump wouldn't be the nominee. And, uh, it appears to be the same guy. We might be doomed.
posted by zachlipton at 7:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Just scrolling to the bottom, at 7:45 PST, I'm up at 3:41 in the thread, about to go play soccer. When I come back it will have begun. HERE WE FUCKING GO!!!

Stronger Together everyone.
posted by Windopaene at 7:47 PM on November 7, 2016

Obama tells the story of "fired up, ready to go" at the New Hampshire rally "for the young people here."

An abbreviated version of this story was done in a promo piece on Fired Up and its architect, Edith S Childs from the 2012 campaign.

FIRED UP

READY TO GO
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 7:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

The final nights of presidential campaigns on cable news can sometimes be interesting because as the campaigns wind down, the pundits often talk -- with frankness -- about actual issues with long-term consequences. I got pointed to a conversation on MSNBC that started with horserace stuff from Chuck Todd but turned into a discussion led by GOP strategist Steve Schmidt about the faultlines in long-established political coalitions and the impacts of technology and automation and what happens to the truck drivers.

The US is a place where a lot of people get paid a low wage to stand or sit around and wait, and a lot of people get paid a middling wage to do repetitive stuff. It is the land of the drive-thru window, but also of the parking lot attendant and the grocery bagger. I was wandering around a mall tonight because it was too dark to walk outside, and most of the retail staff were on standing-around duty because malls are for walking, and for looking, and maybe sometimes for buying stuff, but for anything more expensive than a Cinnabon you might just look and order online, which means that an Amazon warehouse worker picks it out on a strict countdown clock, finds a box, any box, and sends it on its way to your door.

This is the last presidential election that will be fought on terms defined by Boomers.
posted by holgate at 7:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

SF Zoo To Make Election Day More Tolerable By Live Streaming Red Pandas All Day on Tuesday.
posted by TwoStride at 7:49 PM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

@mckaycoppins:
Trump brings back the "Pocahontas" dig at Elizabeth Warren on the eve of the election. #closingargument

@KevinMKruse:
Hysterical. Hey, totally unrelated, but the 100K member Navajo Nation in Arizona says hello.
The Clinton Camp Thinks Native American Voters Could Make The Difference In Arizona
posted by chris24 at 7:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

Harry Belafonte: What Do We Have To Lose? Everything.
posted by TwoStride at 7:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

how soon after hillary wins can we lure donald into the wicker man

maybe it could be at rockefeller center where the tree will go next month
posted by poffin boffin at 7:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

Remember, 90% of Bill's audience is between 65 and Deceased, so to any blacks in his audience, yep, it's the O'Jays. Maybe also the Spinners and the Temptations...

You gotta go even older than that for Bill O's crowd. We're talking holographs of Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr. That Motown noise is the devil's music.
posted by Ber at 7:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Well, not being connected to the internet didn't help those centrifuges in Iran.
posted by Joe Chip at 7:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

> So its pitted the states against the feds, with a big preference for the states, because big government is always terrible and we must do whatever we can to prevent it from doing anything.

Yeah, I'll just mention that I work with state govt all day long and it is clearly the worst/least responsive to constituents. Followed somewhat closely by county govt. State govt just sort of goes off and does its thing and there isn't that much media coverage and most people sort of don't even realize what they are doing.

The federal govt on the other hand has the blaze of media publicity plus it's big enough that most members of Congress etc actually have organized constituent outreach. There is at least some level of accountability there.

Local govt is garbage collection and local streets, parks, property inspection, etc. When something goes wrong here, people know it immediately because it's their own property, their own neighborhood.

But state govt just kind of slinks along the in the shadows--not as much publicity, not as much immediate impact. The big money operators can have things their way to a very great degree.

Every time I hear "We need to give more power to the states" I'm like--fuck that.
posted by flug at 7:55 PM on November 7, 2016 [29 favorites]

put his phone in it, poffin boffin. lure him there with his precious twitter phone! Someone in NYC must undertake this mission.
posted by yasaman at 7:55 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Last day of early voting report: Chicago, Uptown neighborhood. Arrived at 5:30pm. Finished and left at 9:00. That's three and a half hours, folks.

I don't usually early vote, so I have no idea if that line means anything at all. But because of a busy last couple weeks, and my schedule tomorrow, my only choices were tonight or crack of dawn tomorrow. I probably would have had much less of a wait tomorrow morning, but on the other hand I'm not good at getting myself up and out the door earlier than usual, so if there was any longer line than usual I would end up seriously late to work. So rather than take any chances I decided to tough it out tonight and get it done.
posted by dnash at 7:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

SF Zoo will be streaming red pandas all day tomorrow.
posted by gingerbeer at 7:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

It was modified immediately. It could only be adopted with the understanding there would be an immediate Bill of Rights.

True, I guess I meant that nowadays it seems like people are reluctant to modify it as they view it as more sacrosanct than people did immediately after adoption.
posted by peacheater at 7:59 PM on November 7, 2016

as the campaigns wind down, the pundits often talk -- with frankness -- about actual issues with long-term consequences

Ah, if only they did that during the campaigns.

Recently there was a really compelling piece in the NYer by George Packer, "Hillary Clinton and the Populist Revolt," on some of the big questions about cultural divides, professionals vs. "workers," the "cosmopolitan elite" and sources of Trumpism. I know people are always posting new things to read, but for analysis that will stay with you for a while, is one of those "if you only read one thing..." things.
posted by Miko at 7:59 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Not just Latinx.

Ballots from Asian-Americans have roughly doubled in Florida, Arizona, Virginia and North Carolina. In Georgia, ballots from the group have almost tripled.
posted by chris24 at 8:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [19 favorites]

Pssst. MeFites United team members - Alaska GOTV call list available!
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 8:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Hey, totally unrelated, but the 100K member Navajo Nation in Arizona says hello.

And maybe the tribal communities in Alaska. Maybe.

state govt just kind of slinks along the in the shadows--not as much publicity, not as much immediate impact.

Power (mostly) without accountability, the worst of all worlds. Which is why state govt. got taken over by DC operations like ALEC, because long-term state legislators are usually not that bright and not that conscientious. Pretty much every federal democracy in the world does that delegation of power better than the one that came up with the concept.
posted by holgate at 8:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

FEC Extends Election By 7 Months To Give Nation Chance To Better Get To Know Candidates

[still fake]
posted by Cookiebastard at 8:04 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Yeah, state legislatures are the number one reason why states rights is a horrible idea. See also: NC bragging about how minority voting is down this year. WE DID IT! WE RUINED DEMOCRACY! YAY!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:04 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

People who get fined for not voting are usually wanting to get fined to make their point.

Or trigger a court case to try and get the practice abolished.
posted by Talez at 8:05 PM on November 7, 2016

Come rage with me.

If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting, Trump would win in a 50-state landslide.

--@AnnCoulter

@AnnCoulter That's the exact standard the Nazis used. True story.

--@Mikel_Jollett

But then Trump couldn't run, since his mom and paternal grandparents weren't born in the US. So, um, yeah.

--@jaketapper
posted by zachlipton at 8:07 PM on November 7, 2016 [119 favorites]

>So for anyone thinking about running for President here are my takeaways from the Trump Campaign:

1) You don't have to release your back taxes
2) You don't have to answer questions from the press
3) You can lie as much as you want . . .

Well, if Trump WINS tomorrow I think we can take away all of those lessons.

But since Trump is (almost certainly) going to lose badly, I think the lesson is actually just the opposite.

If each one of those things moves the polls by even 0.1% each, then doing all of them would have put Trump in at least decent contention in this race.

By not doing any of them, it virtually sealed his fate, no matter what he did elsewhere in this race.

Also, there are a lot of reasons to believe a decent Republican candidate could have been +1% or +2% this year.

So if Trump comes out even -1% or -2%, any sane candidate in the future is going to be asking: What things *must* I do to in order to make up the missing 2-4%? The things on your list are going to be at the top of his/her list.

And if Trump loses by let's say 5-10%, then that pretty much clinches the idiocy of the Trump "burn the place down" approach for ever after.

I mean yeah, it's amazing that Trump can do all of those things and poll more than 5% (or certainly greater than the 27% "crazification percentage"). But the objective in a Presidential race is NOT to poll greater than 27%.

The objective is to WIN.
posted by flug at 8:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

WaPo: Inside the huge, ‘secret’ Facebook group for Hillary Clinton’s biggest fans

Young people in the group have reacted strongly to stories from older members about the push to even be allowed to wear a pantsuit to work in the past, the “pantsuit as a symbol,” Chamberlain said. And that prompted others to share stories about their mothers or grandmothers struggling to gain entry to male-dominated fields. There are also a “lot of posts about embracing difference,” Chamberlain said, declining to get more specific because members of Pantsuit Nation post there with the assumption that it will not become public. “about being supportive of one another through challenging situations.”
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

Got back from the rally an hour or so ago. It was PACKED! I got to the line around 3pm, and finally got past security just as Bon Jovi started his first song. Everyone was in really good cheer though, friendly and chill. (And were very nice when some friends and their three very young children line-jumped to join me.)

I was pretty far back from the stage -- I could just make out the musicians (on one stage) and the speakers (on another.) (If you know how the Mall is arranged, the stages were at the North end next to the Constitution Center and I was pretty close to Independence Hall itself). I mostly saw stuff on the gigantic monitor.

Bon Jovi was fine, Springsteen was wonderful. They were both very, very low-key; only acoustic songs, and those very soft and slow. Bill and Chelsea were wonderful as well, but again kind of...I won't say low-energy, but quiet. Calm. It was honestly a nice break.

Michelle made me cry because I'm going to miss her so much -- she was just perfection. Obama is so clearly at the No Fucks Given stage, and he was wonderful. Hillary was so cool! Even way in the back, she held the crowd. (I cried, and kind of did that gasp-y sobby thing when she said the love trumps hate line.) I cried a lot, basically.

The whole rally felt very low-key; the crowd was just...very quiet. In part because everyone was tired -- we'd all stood in line for hours! I chatted a little with two guys next to us who spent the whole rally with arms around each other. It was incredibly sweet and probably nice and warm. (I wound up with one of the toddlers in our group strapped to my back,and may I just say, a small human heater snuggled up to one's back is IDEAL for late-autumn outdoor stuff.) It was wonderful, and I'm so glad I went, and I'm honestly glad it wasn't a barnstormer; it was about how far we've come and the work we've got to do tomorrow.

Also, because I love Fight Song, I was very happy as we all filed out. 30 or 40k or however many were there dispersed fast, too!
posted by kalimac at 8:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [45 favorites]

True, I guess I meant that nowadays it seems like people are reluctant to modify it as they view it as more sacrosanct than people did immediately after adoption.

It's not that people are reluctant to modify it, it's that there is no agreement on how it should be modified!
posted by Justinian at 8:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting,

...at least?
posted by rifflesby at 8:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [30 favorites]

Sometimes the internet weirds me out a bit. Here's Flightradar24 of a 737-86J with no flight number flying from PHL to RDU.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 8:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

If only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America were voting,

...at least?

Well, who knows how lizard people even reproduce? Maybe Coulter has like, 16?
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:17 PM on November 7, 2016 [28 favorites]

US elections: Peruvian shamans call on gods to punish Trump

Even the Peruvian shamans are rigged!!!

only people with at least 4 grandparents born in America

Who are these Americans with more than four grandparents? Seems sketchy to me.

(on preview...everyone)
posted by invincible summer at 8:17 PM on November 7, 2016

I spent most of today at the urgent care waiting to be seen for what has turned out to be flu>laryngitis>death bronchitis. I'll be okay, but I walked out of there with a ton of steroids and codeine-containing cough medicine and can't walk more than about two feet without getting winded and coughing violently, so election day will likely be spent in a vague state of prone-ness with as much work as I can muster and this thread streaming by.

These threads have been a lifeline for me. At some point tomorrow night, history will be made for better or for worse and I'll probably be here to see it happen with all of you.

[/weeps into codeine]
posted by mynameisluka at 8:18 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

> Yeah, state legislatures are the number one reason why states rights is a horrible idea.

A few years ago I went to a presentation "How to work with state legislators".

The presenter's first major point was "State legislators exist in a low information environment."

It is astonishing the degree to which this is true. State legislators don't know what is going on in the communities they represent. Or what is the current law in the areas of the committees they sit on. Or the history of their own legislature's actions in the areas they work in.

They are quite literally like a blank slate. That's one reason lobbyists are so successful in working with them.

Members of Congress are not necessarily much smarter. But they have staff--lots of staff. And the staff is typically razor smart and very knowledgeable about the topic areas they work in. Being surrounded by that kind of staff can make a huge difference--if the staff are good and the system is managed well.

There is nothing like that on the state level--at least, not in my state . . .
posted by flug at 8:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [50 favorites]

I can't remember the source but there is the old line: state legislator is highest office one can achieve in the US without any scrutiny into your background. And having worked in the background in state government I can tell you this is sadly and most certainly true.
posted by Ber at 8:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Me and my partner are in NY from Belfast. We're meeting people tomorrow to watch the results and drink and pray to God for Hilary. We were out for dinner tonight and listened to a table of twenty somethings talk about it and one young woman said she couldn't even let herself think that Hillary wouldn't win because she couldn't imagine a world where people would vote for "horrible racists". Her friends weren't as relaxed because "Brexit happened". We listened quietly and I wanted to lean over and tell them we were rooting for them but didn't want to look like crazy strangers. When we came back we fell into conversation with a porter in the hotel, an immigrant, and when the election (inevitably) came up and we asked who he supported he said "I'm with her. With all my heart and soul." and I choked up. Good luck you guys. We're with you in spirit all the way.
posted by billiebee at 8:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [72 favorites]

Take maybe with a grain of salt (also News Corp publication) but Louise Mensch reports FBI ‘Granted FISA Warrant’ Covering Trump Camp’s Ties To Russia
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

...at least?

Can't let Mormons vote using their advantage. They're voting McMuffin.
posted by Talez at 8:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

"So, my spouse (Mermayd) is a practicing catholic, and after 6x years is pretty good at it. In church last sunday, the priest ended the service with ~" please vote on election day. And remember, only one of the candidates opposes abortion ~""

Unfuckingfortunately these sorts of lapses aren't prosecuted at all and there won't be any penalty. In 2012 the bishops of Peoria and Springfield (IL) told their flocks to vote for the GOP or be excommunicated -- and in fact the Peoria bishop excommunicated all Democratic voters -- but there's been no action. (I have not been to communion since 2012 because excommunicated because I'M FUCKING NOT SORRY and CANNOT MAKE A FIRM INTENTION NOT TO SIN AGAIN although my parish priest and I have period go-rounds about it because my priest insists I'm not personally excommunicated but I know an excommunication when I see it, I have two degrees in theology. Basically I figure until the bishop moves I'm out. Still had the baby baptized because SHE'S not excommunicated just because I am. Fun fact: I went to college with my bishop. Funner fact: My theology grades were better than his.)

Anyway if I get run over by a bus send a priest but STILL NOT SORRY ABOUT THE OBAMA VOTE, STILL BELIEVE IT PRO-LIFE-IER.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [137 favorites]

Someone up there mentioned the growing Australian tradition of Democracy Sausages. It's a rather charming thing. Voting is on Saturday morning, it really only takes 90 seconds (at least for me), then you go outside and there's a grill set up where you can get a slice of bread, a sausage, and a splash of sauce. For a buck. A Democracy Sausage. We even had a website set up so you could check which polls will have vegan options.

It's pretty Australian. Most of us will have a barbeque on Saturday anyhow, because look at it out there! Why are we in the kitchen? Let's take all of this outside and cook it out there!

Soooooo... the obvious question is what would be the American equivalent? Hotdogs? Hamburgers? I want to say Democracy Tacos because it would be so trollface to have a taco truck at every polling station.
posted by adept256 at 8:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

Sometimes the internet weirds me out a bit. Here's Flightradar24 of a 737-86J with no flight number flying from PHL to RDU.

Huh. I should've stepped outside to wave.
posted by indubitable at 8:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Wednesday morning when Trump has lost, everyone will be turning on him. He personally will be blamed for everything. He will be ripped to shreds by everybody on both sides of the fence. His party will be saying if he hadn't messed up so much they could have won. The media will have a field day getting stories from the campaign trail as his team members cash in with their juicy stories. I'm very happy to not be in his shoes because it's going to be ugly, brutal and unrelenting. He will have nowhere to turn. For a man like Trump it will be a very difficult thing to endure. He'll be a loser. I wonder how he'll come out of it.
posted by unliteral at 8:39 PM on November 7, 2016 [33 favorites]

I wonder how he'll come out of it.

With dignity, humility, and quiet self-reflection, the same way he does everything else.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 8:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [67 favorites]

I wonder how he'll come out of it.

He'll launch his shitty Fox News ripoff, hire that InfoWars dude to anchor his own primetime show, and make a squillion dollars by advertising to the gormless, ignorant, racist, misogynist idiots that voted for him, while he spends the next 8 years screaming about how the election was rigged and he was robbed.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

I'm very happy to not be in his shoes because it's going to be ugly, brutal and unrelenting. He will have nowhere to turn. For a man like Trump it will be a very difficult thing to endure. He'll be a loser. I wonder how he'll come out of it.

Maybe this makes me a bad person, but I seriously do not give a shit if he suffers, or even comes out of it all.
posted by dersins at 8:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [21 favorites]

tribal communities in Alaska

My Facebook feed, which usually consists of photos of freshly butchered meat and inspirational prayers to Jesus, might reassure you: they're all in for Hillary.
posted by spitbull at 8:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [29 favorites]

Democracy Tacos because it would be so trollface to have a taco truck at every polling station.

Electron Bread is an old American. Thing, it's kind of cinnamony and nutmegy and sugary.

I mean I'm getting tacos after I vote cause taco trucks and also there's one like a block away
posted by The Whelk at 8:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

In a lovely bit of pre-emptive shaming, Brian Williams shows chunks of every Presidential election concession speech from 1960-2012.
posted by FelliniBlank at 8:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [20 favorites]

For a man like Trump it will be a very difficult thing to endure. He'll be a loser. I wonder how he'll come out of it.

He's been claiming it's all rigged for a while now, that's not only an excuse to his followers for why he has been losing, it's also a way for him to protect his ego. He didn't lose the emmy, the emmies are rigged! He will be in denial, and I also think that many of his supporters will be as well. Remember, millions of his supporters still think Obama is a secret Muslim bent on taking their guns. Reality rejects their views, so they reject reality.

Of course, blaming the rigged media is also a great way to build your own base for a new media outlet, which Steve Bannon, and Jared Kushner, will try to create. Trump just needs to license his name, and maybe tour the country doing rallies they can stream online.
posted by airish at 8:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm also predicting the more insane trumpian pundits to go full doomsday cult and refuse to believe the election actually happened and move on as if they never said anything
posted by The Whelk at 8:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I see a future for Trump in a reality show where he debates experts in a wide variety of subjects: physics, astronomy, evolution, theology, art history, literature, etc. And he always wins the debate.
posted by perhapses at 8:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Quick recap of Biden and Kaine rally at George Mason University tonight.

I was there with some people volunteering for LuAnn Bennett, we met at Holton Plaza, named for Tim Kaine’s father-in-law who signed the legislation which created George Mason University. The line to get in the event was like a quarter mile long, we worked the line making sure every knew where their polling place is and who their down ballot candidates are. There was a crowd of people from the SEIU (in purple, of course) canvassing against the anti-union amendment on the ballot. There were volunteers in green (Fairfax Democrats I think) focused on a county tax on prepared meals. Moms Demand Action was there in force.

There were girlscouts and boyscouts to lead the pledge of allegiance. Super cute.

Besides Biden, it was an all Virginia line-up: speakers were LuAnn Bennett (running for VA-10), Representatives Connolly (VA-11), Beyer (VA-8), Scott (VA-3), Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, Senator Mark Warner, then Biden then Kaine.

Bobby Scott is likely the guy to replace Kaine in the Senate should the Clinton ticket win tomorrow. He represents most of the African American portions from Richmond to tidewater. He has stage presence and comes across as pretty sharp. I would volunteer for him in the 2017 special election when that happens.

Biden was great, talked about what happens after tomorrow in a way that sounded like a bittersweet goodbye to politics. Tim Kaine was great too, but I was there for Joe.

It was nearly 100% positive, not a whole lot of time wasted on sick Trump burns. The message was all about getting out the vote and making history. This was to rally the troops and get out the vote. Biden did not wear shades. It was dark out.

> Oh, I see: it's the POTUS podium, with the presidential seal still on it while Hillary speaks. Now, you're not supposed to do that, but who is Trump going to complain to about it? The White House?

Same thing at the Kaine rally. It was a plain podium when the Virginia Reps were speaking, then they slapped on the VP seal before Sen Warner introduced Biden, and left it on when Kaine was speaking (lousy picture from twitter). There must be some kind of proper protocol, but I don't know it.
posted by peeedro at 8:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [20 favorites]

Dixville Notch, Hart's Location and Millfield votes are only 15 minutes away!

(Meanwhile, doing my best to forget that literally tens of millions of people in my country would eagerly elect Benito Mussolini 2.0.)
posted by darkstar at 8:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

There's a tweet floating around that someday in the future, Donald is going to look a reporter in the eyes and deny that he ever ran for President. That image has kept my hope alive through all the dark hours, though now I think he's going to be wearing an orange prison jumpsuit while he does it.

(The #PantsuitPower video also helped.)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Electron Bread is an old American. Thing, it's kind of cinnamony and nutmegy and sugary.

NPR on election cake.
posted by peeedro at 8:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

So many people here have commented variations on "you guys saved my sanity." And while that warms my heart, I'm torn between that and "I'M OBSESSIVELY DRAWN TO THESE ENDLESS THREADS" which doesn't feel all that sane and makes me unproductive for work.

But bigger picture, you're absolutely right. Trump & co. have been aggressively gaslighting America, trying to bully their reality into everyone's minds with no integrity or shame whatsoever, with the full help of Fox News and Breitbart and the passive acquiesence of mainstream media hypnotized by profits and/or fear of calling bullshit for what it is and being called biased.

THAT is the thing that has been driving me crazy, and this place is the sanest alternative to all of that, a place where we still disagree and hash things out and respect objective reality, for no profit at all. It's invaluable. And I hope we can find some way to spread that value system, so that #NeverTrump becomes a bipartisan way of warning against evil power-mad mindfuckers, and a new sane Republican party (or alternative) that accepts logic and science rises out of these bitter ashes.
posted by msalt at 8:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [40 favorites]

> In a lovely bit of pre-emptive shaming, Brian Williams shows chunks of every Presidential election concession speech from 1960-2012.

He was at every one of those speeches.
posted by guiseroom at 8:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

I mean I'm getting tacos after I vote cause taco trucks and also there's one like a block away

I just finished cleaning all the election watch party prep work dishes my wife produced for pork tacos and these spicy little fried avocados stuffed with chicken and stuff that she's calling bad hombres. I'm ready for a good night.
posted by DynamiteToast at 8:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

I had pre-election grilled cheeses and (condensed, campbell's from the can) tomato soup. I AM SUPER AMERICAN.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 8:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

Electron Bread is an old American. Thing, it's kind of cinnamony and nutmegy and sugary.

I'm sure you're on a phone or something, and typos are forgivable. But I really wish Electron Bread was a real thing because I want some.
posted by adept256 at 8:53 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

I'm mainly just wondering what sort of animated GIFs the mods have in store for tomorrow's thread. Remember when there were sirens, and we were like "whoa you know shit is getting real when there are sirens on MeFi"? That's just not gonna cut it this time. If I don't have a seizure from all the klaxons and strobe lights and air raid signals and flashing red DANGER signs, then the mods will have failed me.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 8:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

I can't believe we're heading into midnight with an 1800-some comment thread. This thing's going to murder some laptops and phones by mid-afternoon tomorrow.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

I am having pre-election frozen pizza and box wine, where is my tiara for being Queen of America
posted by palomar at 8:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

The plan is apparently to have a new thread tomorrow, though it may not have a Hamilton reference in the title and I will be extremely sad about that.
posted by zachlipton at 8:55 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Pre-election boxed scalloped potatoes in the hizzyyyyyy
posted by mynameisluka at 8:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

I'm happy to say that neither of my 30+ year conservative voting parents didn't vote for trump (in Maryland, but still). I'm optimistic for Hillary, but still nervous. I think I have to force myself to go to sleep... see you all on the other side.
posted by codacorolla at 8:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

He was at every one of those speeches.

LOL "But you fuck ONE goat. . . ."
posted by FelliniBlank at 8:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

I just thought of how it must be for Chelsea: she'll be the first American to ever say "I voted for my mom for President!"
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 8:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [59 favorites]

He'll launch his shitty Fox News ripoff, hire that InfoWars dude to anchor his own primetime show, and make a squillion dollars by advertising to the gormless, ignorant, racist, misogynist idiots that voted for him

Or maybe not. There's clearly a plan to make money off the campaign assets one way or another, but the Trump brand is going down the shitter, and Trump's lenders are at this point not the kind of people who follow conventional banking practices. The ability to balance out supposed high-status operations with grubbing for pennies has a limited lifespan.

Electron Bread is an old American. Thing, it's kind of cinnamony and nutmegy and sugary.

A friend set up her own cafe-bakery this year. She's big on reviving Election Cake. I should pop by tomorrow, not just for Election Cake because Tuesdays are pasteis days and seriously, they make up for not having a Portuguese bakery nearby.
posted by holgate at 8:58 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

At my office one of the bathrooms has a radio sitting in the corner. Been there for years. I think it's mostly forgotten about and never used. But then once in a rare while I'll go in and hear a faint static coming through the speakers

I'm pretty sure that means there are monsters in the area. If it gets louder get your weapon ready.
posted by bongo_x at 8:59 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

As Dixville Notch is about to demand we pay attention to them for no particularly good reason (stream over here), Election Day has officially begun.

I just want to thank all of you for your good cheer, your stories, your canvassing and volunteering and pollworking, your donations, your efforts to make me think and learn and appereciate new perspectives, your passions for the causes you care about, your links to news, articles, and tweets, your Merediths, Steves, and McMuffins, and most of all, your Hamilton references. I don't know how I would have gotten through this year without this community. Thank you all.

Today, history has its eyes on us.
posted by zachlipton at 9:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [31 favorites]

I just polished off a pint of Extreme Moose Tracks chocolate ice cream, so I'm feeling somewhat mellow for now. But ideally, I would just lapse into a sugar coma for the next 20 hours, and wake up just in time to watch Wolf Blitzer's hologram calling Florida and Ohio for Hillary.
posted by darkstar at 9:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

It's here! It's finally here! It's midnight EST, and it's ELECTION DAY!

(And my first one, natch.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 9:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

Oh Jesus darkstar, I forgot about the holograms. What insane graphics will tomorrow hold??
posted by mynameisluka at 9:01 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

And Dixville Notch is voting. The clambake begins; good night and good luck, compadres.
posted by FelliniBlank at 9:02 PM on November 7, 2016

It's midnight EST, and it's ELECTION DAY!

Good luck, guys.

Please take regular breaks between medicinal tequila shots and pints of bourbon. Remember to eat something and drink some water. Every hour, get up, stretch a bit, watch some cat videos or pat a dog.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 9:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

I can't believe I set my alarm to wake up just before 5am to get the result from wherethehecknewhampshire. Current status in England: cold and tired.
posted by Wordshore at 9:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Speaking of holograms and such, I don't have cable. We get ABC, NBC, CBS, and sometimes PBS, and I have a laptop I can hook up to my televsion. What is going to be my best bet for non-hysterical news coverage tomorrow evening?
posted by skycrashesdown at 9:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

His thoughts were red thoughts: "He'll launch his shitty Fox News ripoff, hire that InfoWars dude to anchor his own primetime show, and make a squillion dollars by advertising to the gormless, ignorant, racist, misogynist idiots that voted for him, while he spends the next 8 years screaming about how the election was rigged and he was robbed."

I don't know; that would require a level of success that Trump hasn't exactly shown with his previous ventures.
posted by Mitheral at 9:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

A Catholic priest put an aborted fetus on the altar in an appeal for Donald Trump

Hey uh where does one y'know get an aborted fetus to do electioneering with

Asking for a friend
posted by Existential Dread at 9:05 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

What is going to be my best bet for non-hysterical news coverage tomorrow evening?

Of those options, PBS. Just try to tune out David Brooks, ugh.
posted by FelliniBlank at 9:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

It's midnight EST, and it's ELECTION DAY!

I just want to tell y'all good luck. We're all counting on you.
posted by Joe in Australia at 9:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [33 favorites]

I love you all.
posted by rp at 9:07 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Dixville Notch: 7 votes in person, 1 absentee (guess someone wanted to sleep). One is registering right now since they have same-day registration. There are far more reporters than voters, and it takes a shockingly long amount of time to count to 8. 2 votes for Trump, 4 for Clinton, 1 for Johnson, 1 write-in for Romney.

This concludes our pointless exercise in paying attention to these people. See you in 2020.
posted by zachlipton at 9:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [56 favorites]

ah, Dixville Notch. Remember when Election Day was about zany bureaucratic trivia instead of numb horror
posted by theodolite at 9:08 PM on November 7, 2016 [31 favorites]

you can pick anyone in the world.

and you pick mitt romney.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 9:09 PM on November 7, 2016 [40 favorites]

Raleigh, live. Gaga on stage right now.
posted by holgate at 9:09 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

IDGAF what anyone says. I LOVE THE DIXVILLE NOTCH TRADITION. <3 <3 <3!!!
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 9:09 PM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

Actually, that sounds about right. Thank you, good people of Dixville Notch.
posted by yhbc at 9:10 PM on November 7, 2016

I lied to myself, I couldn't sleep until I saw the haruspicy done up there. Now I can sleep.
posted by Countess Elena at 9:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm not prone to superstition but I decided to save a Sierra Nevada 12-pack (they're in NC now, y'know) until Nov. 8 and crack one at midnight. And now "Glory Days" just came on the playlist which I take as a good sign.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

that would require a level of success that Trump hasn't exactly shown with his previous ventures.

Also involves competing directly with Rupert Murdoch. I wish I didn't have to say this, but I'd back Murdoch in that contest.
posted by holgate at 9:11 PM on November 7, 2016

(Rapid breathing, erratic heartbeat)
posted by aramaic at 9:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Poor Egg.
posted by infinitewindow at 9:11 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Mitt Romney is currently on 12.5% in New Hampshire in votes cast.
posted by Wordshore at 9:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [30 favorites]

As Dixville Notch is about to demand we pay attention to them for no particularly good reason

lol at least it's a cute harmless political tradition and not something like the Iowa primary.
posted by DynamiteToast at 9:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [31 favorites]

Mitt Romney currently leading Jill Stein!
posted by Justinian at 9:12 PM on November 7, 2016 [51 favorites]

I want to thank the folks in the previous (or maybe previouser) thread who recommended Detectorists. We've gone through season one and it was just the thing to distract us from our pre-election anxiety. That and my wife stress-knitted me a really nice scarf.

I wish I had some insight to give you all from here in southeastern Idaho, supposedly the beating heart of trump country, but all my Mormon in-laws (at least the ones I was close to) have died or moved away in the last few years and even when they were here we pretty much avoided talking politics. I do wish our one Democratic voting true blue Mormon aunt had lived to see Hillary Clinton take office.

All I can offer is what I glean from yard signs, which have been strangely absent until about a week ago when McMullen Fever hit and his white and blue signs were everywhere. There was one trump sign that popped up after the first debate and then disappeared about the time the Access Hollywood tape surfaced. For a while the only national candidate sign I saw was a Johnson/Weld sign near our house I misread as Johnson/WEED.
posted by gamera at 9:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Hey uh where does one y'know get an aborted fetus to do electioneering with

You need a fetus? I can get you a fetus, believe me. Hell, I can get you a fetus by 3 o'clock this afternoon, with nail polish.
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

FWIW:

Clinton: 4
Trump: 2
Johnson: 1
Romney: 1

First precinct in. Clinton takes it. We're under way.

(Romney? WTF HAHAHA)
posted by jammer at 9:13 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

Hillary Clinton is made of steel.

- Lady Gaga
posted by vverse23 at 9:14 PM on November 7, 2016 [18 favorites]

Gaga's actually giving a really good speech.
posted by acidic at 9:14 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

(I would like to thank the people who recommended The Detectorists as well. I have only watched 3 eps so far but it's good entertainments for my noodle.)

FIRED UP, READY TO GO!
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 9:15 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Only 8 voters in Dixville? There were 22 in 2008.
posted by dw at 9:15 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

I can't watch any more news or politics tonight. I'm watching the black and white chrome version of Mad Max. Nothing seems more appropriate for election eve .

This is perfect for me right now. Thanks I wouldn't have thought is my self. I have it on a blaring. Turned up the subwoofer so my bed is shaking.

I was out and had a fun evening. Got to try the new Playstation VR headset and it was great. I got in the car to drive home and CBC ideas had some debate on with Newt Gingrinch, Laura Ingram and two other people I can't remember. Good God almighty. I think it was Ingram talking about all the the thing Trump wants and believes. It was all this nuanced and complex policy points and something, something help black people and before I knew it I was screaming at the radio. I can't remember what the heck they were saying but it didn't matter because they were talking about a candidate that DOESN'T ACTUALLY EXIST. It was their imaginary candidate. It was the most ridiculous and disgusting thing I heard all election and I completely lost it. I expect there were Republicans in the northern US heard me yelling at them for making a complete fucking moron who wouldn't even be capable of understanding what these people were saying he understands.

Ahem...

Anyways turned it off after a few minutes, shook it mostly off but still a bit grrrr, arrrgh, so some Furiosa is really hitting the spot right now. Plus as bonus I get to look at Tom Hardy.
posted by Jalliah at 9:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Gaga's speech was great but she does look a bit like a cyborg generalissima.
posted by holgate at 9:18 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

When Gaga runs for Starfleet Council, she's got my vote.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:19 PM on November 7, 2016 [44 favorites]

Interestingly, according to this, New Hampshire is one of the 8 states where write in candidates are allowed that doesn't require a candidate to register beforehand. So that might actually go into the record books as an officially scored vote for Mitt Romney.

I love trivia.
posted by jammer at 9:19 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

but she does look a bit like a cyborg generalissima.

I'm not hearing the problem.
posted by EatTheWeek at 9:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [43 favorites]

I know four (maybe 5) voters in NH who are definitely voting blue.
posted by bendy at 9:20 PM on November 7, 2016

Gaga's speech was great but she does look a bit like a cyborg generalissima.

♫ Don't cry for me, paparazzi ♫
posted by FelliniBlank at 9:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

She's in favor of an unstoppable steel woman who will protect us all, so that's good enough for me.
posted by Small Dollar at 9:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

The board just says "Mitt" so it could be any Mitt. Maybe it's Mitt, who runs the hardware store in town.
posted by theodolite at 9:21 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

I mean the cyborg I'd pick for generalissima is Janelle Monae, but I guess Gaga would be okay too
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 9:22 PM on November 7, 2016 [29 favorites]

Nate Silver might actually be losing it.
posted by Existential Dread at 9:23 PM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

A white (because, of course) Facebook friend of mine just posted a photo of his ballot in Arizona (FUCKING ARIZONA!) and a hand-wringing, monocle-popping whine about how both major candidates are troublesome to him, because one has a "questionable political past" and the other "has no political experience." (Oh, really? That's what makes them so troublesome for you?)

So the photo of his ballot is . . . a write-in for Jeff Lebowski.

In Arizona.

The.
Fucking.
Privilege.
posted by CommonSense at 9:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [60 favorites]

Well this hits close to home, and I mean that in the literal sense as this news comes from my hometown and makes me sick:

Transgender woman's truck painted with 'Trump' and set on fire.

My first thought was fear for my truck-driving transgender military veteran friend - but it turns out there are at least two of them in my tiny hometown because this happened to someone else. This absolutely makes me ashamed to be from there, and I can't bear the thought of reading the comments on this article or god forbid on my hometown newspaper's article (if it even publishes one).
posted by komara at 9:26 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

Nate Silver might actually be losing it.

I dunno. I think that's pretty funny. But then my sense of humor can be pretty weird.
posted by Jalliah at 9:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [14 favorites]

Transgender woman's truck painted with 'Trump' and set on fire

I guess we couldn't get through the whole election without an actual tire fire.
posted by rhizome at 9:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I want tacos for dinner.
posted by kitten magic at 9:28 PM on November 7, 2016

"I will remember you. Will you remember me? In memoriam ... the best of the worst Trump pundits"
--@scout_finch

A video wrap-up of people I hope are never allowed on television again.
posted by zachlipton at 9:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

lol local newscasters talking over Gaga performance to describe Gaga performance on the stream
posted by EatTheWeek at 9:28 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

HEY OBSESSIVES --

Do you want to compulsively update your estimate of the probability of a Clinton win as the night progresses? YOU DO?

Well then my friends have I got good news for you, because Kremp has provided us with update_prob(), a function for R that takes the most recent update of his election model (the one Slate is using) and updates it for Things What Have Happened Already. You can tell it that Clinton won New Hampshire or that she took X% of the vote in a certain state, or any mix of stuff like that, and it will re-estimate Pr(FINISH HIM) given those things.

It runs very quickly. THAT'S GOOD! But that's because it's looking a set of pre-generated draws from the posterior distribution of results. THAT'S EITHER GOOD OR BAD! It means that it doesn't re-estimate the whole model when you ask it about stuff, it just looks at those simulations where the stuff you ask about happened and tells you how often Clinton won in those simulated circumstances. THAT'S BAD? A little, because you can't ask it silly stuff like what's the probability of Clinton winning if Trump takes New York. If you try it will just barf at you. And I expect it means that if you continually update it with new results as they come in, it will look at narrower and narrower slices of the pre-generated data until its standard errors asplode.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [17 favorites]

We're in the pipe.

Five by Five.

Catch you all on the surface.
posted by PROD_TPSL at 9:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

Trivia: Lady Gaga is wearing Michael Jackson's outfit that he wore to the White House in 1990 (maybe not the exact one, but it's awful similar)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:29 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Dude, Hillary is 69 years old and doing a midnight rally with Gaga right now, the night before the biggest day of her life.
That is superhuman.
To contrast, I am a pretty in-shape dude 47-years her junior and if you asked me to Uber downtown right now to be given $1000 cash Id be like ".... but that's so far"
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [98 favorites]

Nate's just havin' some fun. And yes, I too find that map funny.
posted by jclarkin at 9:30 PM on November 7, 2016

Meanwhile in Florida, one resident and library director prepares for life post-election.
posted by Wordshore at 9:31 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

Trivia: Lady Gaga is wearing Michael Jackson's outfit that he wore to the White House in 1990 (maybe not the exact one, but it's awful similar)

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same one, she talked to James Corden about owning and collecting Michael Jackson outfits.
posted by airish at 9:32 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Slate is going to be providing audio updates all day, starting at 9am Eastern. Why not just go all out and do a live stream? A constantly-updated podcast is a confusing concept.
posted by roll truck roll at 9:32 PM on November 7, 2016

Pantsuit Nation is beyond amazing. I can barely read/like anything because the comments come in so quickly that I'm basically perpetually scrolling, but it gives me so much hope in this country.

THANK YOU MEFI for being awesome this election season. I've been mostly a lurker after opening an account a number of years ago, but maybe this will be the push I needed to contribute more outside of the election threads. Because y'all are some good people.

I have a cheap bottle of pink moscato and my Hillary Clinton wine glasses to get me through tomorrow evening. (And also a pile of work that's almost insurmountable, but hey, I've been neglecting it this long. What can one more day possibly do?) I have this shirt to wear tomorrow - because even if Texas doesn't go blue this time for real, at least it will be blue on my shirt.

I am feeling SO GOOD about this, after such a shitty few months. It's like right after the Democratic Convention again, seeing the best parts about this country's vision of itself and what it wants to be. The deplorables may have made most of the noise, but they don't speak for everyone. We're by no means a perfect nation, but we have millions of people who are going to vote out of hope instead of anger, and that's a beautiful, inspiring thing.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered and donated and pushed others to do the same. (And hey, I wouldn't have thought to donate to Hassan a couple of days ago if it wasn't for this thread, so it's working!) I am humbled (and ashamed of what I didn't do myself). These threads have been absolute hell on my productivity, but I wouldn't give them up for anything.

And yes, just in case...one final TTTCS.
posted by Salieri at 9:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [25 favorites]

Seriously, Senor Cardage, I was just saying the same thing to my husband. I'd literally have to train for a year to have as much endurance and energy as she does right now.
posted by Sophie1 at 9:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Watching so much 1776 while reading Pantsuit Nation with teary eyes: let's do this, America.
posted by jetlagaddict at 9:34 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

@NateSilver538: The now-cast has merged with the forecast.

@fart: @NateSilver538 my ass has merged with my weiner
posted by roll truck roll at 9:35 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

We're in the pipe. Five by Five.

I dunno about you, but I'm not Ferro. I plan on surviving this shit, not getting et because Spunkmeyer left the hatch open instead of keeping his aircraft secure.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:36 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

Goddamn that Spunkmeyer
posted by awfurby at 9:38 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

I love seeing Gaga bring it like this in the flattest light with the most minimal stage setup. Working so hard. She's great.
posted by wemayfreeze at 9:38 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

while reading Pantsuit Nation with teary eyes

actually tbh this is such an understatement, I almost fell off the couch while reading with joy and love for all of the families and love and perseverance in America; for all of the great-grandmothers older than the right to vote, having their say; for all of the hope. Pantsuits and joy forever.
posted by jetlagaddict at 9:38 PM on November 7, 2016 [10 favorites]

JOVI GAGA TEAMUP ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
posted by EatTheWeek at 9:38 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

America is Sunnydale High class of 1999.
Trump is the Mayor.
Hillary is the Slayer.
Let’s stop the Ascension.
posted by guiseroom at 9:39 PM on November 7, 2016 [27 favorites]

When does the new thread go live?
posted by zachlipton at 9:40 PM on November 7, 2016

There's a Metatalk for that now, and basically the plan is, this thread stays the thread for now. Two new threads tomorrow, posted late morning/early afternoon eastern time.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:41 PM on November 7, 2016 [4 favorites]

Dude, Hillary is 69 years old and doing a midnight rally with Gaga right now, the night before the biggest day of her life. That is superhuman.

MSNBC cut to Andrea Mitchell on the press bus heading to the Raleigh venue and she was bearing up well enough to do a live bit, but she was clearly beyond knackered. I have no idea how the candidates do it. (Well, with Trump, it's uppers.)
posted by holgate at 9:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Trump is the Mayor.

No. Mayor Wilkins actually had extensive experience in public office (he founded Sunnydale and was mayor for several terms). He was also exceedingly polite.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 9:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

Horror film idea: During preparations to go vote tomorrow you trip, fall, hit your head, and wake up realizing it's actually March 15th and you've hallucinated the last 8 months. In reality, Clinton has all but locked up the nomination mathematically but bitter infighting is developing among the party while Trump is only beginning his racist march to the nomination!

Nooooooooooooo.
posted by Justinian at 9:43 PM on November 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Romney was more like Mayor Wilkins, Trump is more like that vampire elder with hooves for hands that couldn't leave his hot tub
posted by The Whelk at 9:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

Mothra Twins Have Voted And It's Not For Who You Think
posted by y2karl at 9:44 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

Anyone see the way Bill grabbed Bongiovis head when he hugged him? It was kind of adorable.
posted by R.F.Simpson at 9:45 PM on November 7, 2016

But I really wish Electron Bread was a real thing because I want some.

That's pretty much any kind of bread. If you ever tried a slice of bread without electrons, I think you'd be shocked.
posted by straight at 9:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [41 favorites]

Dang Buffy nerds. Grr! Argh!
posted by guiseroom at 9:47 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

Justinian: Horror film idea

Don't buy trouble, dude.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:48 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

The now-cast has merged with the forecast.

As the clock tolls its midnight chime, Nate Silver reaches into the worn burlap pouch that hasn't once left his side this entire quest.
He fishes inside. His plump fingertips make contact with the smooth crystal panes of this the final shard and it chirps jarringly to life, humming with an emerald glow simultaneously eerie and seductive: it knows it is now safe in the presence of its 3 counterparts. The lodestone is primed and awaits its absent piece with vibrations that project soothing calm yet also seem to warn that he shouldn't take his time.
The shard feels impossibly cold as he slides it into its home and the great predictive contraption of the ancients lurches to attention.
It is time.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:49 PM on November 7, 2016 [31 favorites]

Vote Trump and this guy promises to give you a discount on horse semen [real, and also illegal]
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:50 PM on November 7, 2016 [9 favorites]

You can never have enough horse semen.
posted by guiseroom at 9:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

Jill Stein is currently getting beat by both Mitt Romney and Bernie Sanders.

posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:52 PM on November 7, 2016 [15 favorites]

RE: horror film idea

On the news this evening, our county recorder here in Maricopa County, AZ said that it'll probably take as long as ten days to get a final vote count for the election.

So we've got that going for us.
posted by darkstar at 9:54 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

You can never have enough horse semen.

When do I whisk in the lemon juice and mustard again?
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

Horror film idea: During preparations to go vote tomorrow you trip, fall, hit your head, and wake up realizing it's actually March 15th and you've hallucinated the last 8 months. In reality, Clinton has all but locked up the nomination mathematically but bitter infighting is developing among the party while Trump is only beginning his racist march to the nomination!

I got up to March 15 and thought, but who is Brutus? Ryan?
posted by adept256 at 9:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Vote Trump and this guy promises to give you a discount on horse semen

But we've been getting BS for free since June 17, 2015.
posted by mochapickle at 9:56 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

That Raleigh rally is bouncing and Raleigh is not a city I generally associate with bounce.
posted by holgate at 9:57 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

What a year. Thank god for Hamilton. And vodka.

From those of us watching from above (the forty-ninth parallel)...

I just want to tell you, good luck. We're all counting on you.
posted by sixswitch at 9:59 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

Jill Stein is currently getting beat by both Mitt Romney and Bernie Sanders.

On the plus side, she seems to have pulled even with Harambe.
posted by dersins at 10:00 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

Alright peace out, see y'all in the morning.
posted by DynamiteToast at 10:01 PM on November 7, 2016

I wonder how he'll come out of it.

on fire, screaming, for the goodwill of the harvest gods
posted by poffin boffin at 10:02 PM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

It's striking just how real the election fatigue and mounting anxiety is when you have a year and a half long presidential campaign in such an incredibly polarized political environment.

I feel like a significant number of US citizens are going to be dealing with symptoms of mild PTSD after tomorrow, even if (when) our preferred candidate wins.
posted by darkstar at 10:03 PM on November 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

Harvest Crescent Moon
posted by sixswitch at 10:04 PM on November 7, 2016

Couple comments deleted; maybe let's leave the horse semen/food jokes as understood and move briskly along.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:06 PM on November 7, 2016 [22 favorites]

I think we just found our next thread title.
posted by guiseroom at 10:09 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

MetaFilter: leave the horse semen/food jokes as understood
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:10 PM on November 7, 2016 [43 favorites]

Is that a Hamilton reference?
posted by localhuman at 10:15 PM on November 7, 2016 [13 favorites]

What an amazing time to be alive. A highlight reel of Donald's worst surrogates.

I'd blocked so much of this out.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

Are you guys as excited as I am for the final reporting of the LA Times tracking poll? As goes the LA Times tracking poll so goes the nation.
posted by Justinian at 10:18 PM on November 7, 2016 [7 favorites]

Alright, I need to sleep at least a couple of hours. It's 1:25 am and I want to be at the poll at 6am.

Good luck everyone!
posted by Tarumba at 10:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm just back from the rally for Tim Kaine, his second one of the day (Monday) and his last audience before polls open.

His parents were there! His relatives from County Cork were there! Anne Holton called him her lover!

Paraphrasing Kaine: You can beat me at Trivial Pursuit. You can beat me at checkers. But you can't beat me at running for office. (He's 8-0, undefeated.)

Polls open in a little more than four hours, and I'm feeling good.
posted by emelenjr at 10:27 PM on November 7, 2016 [35 favorites]

As goes the LA Times tracking poll so goes the nation.
Or so the participants in the tracking poll so leave the nation...
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:32 PM on November 7, 2016

Nate Silver said that NC and FL have just flipped blue in his forecast (barely), which is great but also annoys me because I was going to really enjoy gloating that he was wrong about them (turns 3x, spits)
posted by en forme de poire at 10:39 PM on November 7, 2016 [5 favorites]

Here are House races to keep an eye on.

And here is what I will be wearing in a few hours - it brought good luck in 2008 and 2012!
posted by Chrysostom at 10:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm watching the results tomorrow with my partner and her mother, who was at the heart of early 70s radical feminism in New York; I've found a bottle of something pink, alcoholic, and sparkly, and we'll be toasting the first woman president by midnight (I hope and yes, TTTCS).

I've read nearly every comment through every election thread, and echo what others have said above: thank you for getting me through this with my sanity more or less intact. I don't know what I would have done without Metafilter to screen and curate the news for me; I couldn't take it straight up. Those of you who have been able to report back from the wilderness of cable news, you have more fortitude than I. You have done a great service.

I've snapped at one friend on Facebook who was posting anti-Clinton articles because he thought the stories were "interesting", and blocked another who is a hard left, "let's shoot our feet off because we don't like the shoes on offer" sort, but they were the only two who disturbed my blessedly like-minded feed. I'm grateful for that. It's been a hell of a summer and fall.

Mazel tov to all. America, you great unfinished symphony, do not throw away your shot. See you on the other side of the war...
posted by jokeefe at 10:45 PM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Tomorrow I'm taking PTO to work the polls. After much consideration as to whether a simple pantsuit would be electioneering, I've decided to go with stretchy pants and a dress literally titled as "comfy dress" by its manufacturer and on Zappos. I'm nervous and excited. I'll try to post a west coast polls update if I can during a break.
posted by samthemander at 10:46 PM on November 7, 2016 [6 favorites]

@LibyaLiberty: When you've heard that the ransom payment has been made and you're about to be released.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 10:51 PM on November 7, 2016 [16 favorites]

Has this Medium post about the 538 trend line been posted yet? (Not the HuffPo article, a different one.) Money quote:

Here’s a picture of the national trendline using smoothing of 0.65 (left) and 0.85 (right). The outcomes are qualitatively different for election day. ... We’ve established that this smoothing parameter matters for the trendline, and this is a model that 538 uses for trendline adjustment. If we had enough data, we could cross-validate to learn this parameter on past outcomes, but there haven’t been that many elections. I’m not sure how 538 determine the smoothing parameter (or what it is), but it’s clear that the trendline itself is sensitive to it.

I think if nothing else it's a good example of how doing a lot of individually-reasonable-sounding corrections can still have non-obvious problems, especially compared to fitting the entire shebang to some model with properties that have been pretty well worked out (a la the Krempcast).
posted by en forme de poire at 10:59 PM on November 7, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm not sure Gaga's dictatrix outfit sends the right message—the red armband, in particular, seems a bit tone-deaf. (I heard a rumor that she was a last minute substitute for P!nk, who's not feeling well and stayed back at the hotel.)
posted by The Tensor at 11:16 PM on November 7, 2016 [11 favorites]

The election has driver Frank Miller sane, it's that bad.
posted by Artw at 11:18 PM on November 7, 2016 [37 favorites]

I'm looking at the video clips from the official videographer posted upthread, and though they're all fantastic, there's one that stands out, from Flint, where a little kid called Jaylon is enraptured by the fancy cameras taking pictures, takes a few of his own, and Hillary says to (I assume) his mother, this a kid who's focused and interested, "we need to make sure he gets a chance to follow through with cameras, I'm serious." And that's not something in isolation: there's a keenness to say "this is curiosity, this is aptitude, please don't let it go to waste just because of circumstances" that I would love to see embedded in policy and grand vision.
posted by holgate at 11:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [26 favorites]

Lurker here. I can't let this moment pass without a YUGE thanks to you all. Thank you for helping me know how to give, and where. In real time. Thank you for helping me understand how to think sometimes when I thought I was alone and must be insane! Thank you for helping me know how to help. Thank you for helping me listen. Thank you for helping me learn. Thank you for giving me stories that helped me explain. Thank you for being nerds. Thank you for being completely hilarious, ecstatically funny at times even. Thank you for the analysis, the arguments, the super cheesy gushy moments, the heartbreak and heartwarmth so many stories provided. Thank you for #pantsuitnation (Which I apparently joined in the first few days, forgot, felt left out, and then BAM on my FB feed, a single reason to log in to the goofy place). I wish I felt competent to interact, and I have to believe I'm so far from the only one. Oh, Dear me...Thank you MODS!!! Heroes.

What you have taught me so far:

It's Electron day. Free Egg McMuffins for everyone!!! [fake]

(I'm killing my first election comment...SO Bigly. Yugely.)

Molotov, y'all!
posted by metasav at 11:20 PM on November 7, 2016 [78 favorites]

You want to know how long this damn election has been? We already had a Molotov/Mazel Tov confusion new story with Scott Walker back in December 2014 when he signed off an email about a Hanukkah display with "Thank you again and Molotov, Sincerely, Scott Walker."

Did the writers get so lazy that they set off Chekhov's Molotov a second time?
posted by zachlipton at 11:30 PM on November 7, 2016 [12 favorites]

This has probably already been shared, but hell if I can keep up with these threads and it's too good to risk that someone might not get to read it, so:

I want Hillary Clinton to be president. And I want to understand why.

I want Hillary Clinton to be president because, in my mind, then I become undeniable. She stirs an important insurrection by daring to be seen — it is a riot under the skin, and on the airwaves and bedrooms and ballrooms and ball fields. For me this is very personal. What I want to say is, in this exceptional time, in this subversion of language and image, I feel a shudder of hope that the woman president makes me real.

posted by lunasol at 11:33 PM on November 7, 2016 [31 favorites]

YES, zachlipton, all I could think about is good ol' crappy governor Scott Walker, and how he must be SO MAD because he could have been right there, on the eve of election night, if only he had stuck with Molotov.

Also, I'm another lurker who finally joined a little while ago, and this is my first comment--so I wanted to say thank you. Y'all have kept my sanity intact for a long time (see above: Scott Walker is my governor. I am a state employee. It's...fun?), and even more so during this election. Thanks!
posted by TheFantasticNumberFour at 11:35 PM on November 7, 2016 [24 favorites]

Update on Pantsuit Nation: it was created just two weeks ago. Friday it had 500,000 members. Right now it has 2,394,575 members, now that I just added my two daughters. That's almost 3% of the entire 2012 electorate.
posted by msalt at 11:38 PM on November 7, 2016 [35 favorites]

I'm glad Hillary ended her final rally speech with a call for volunteers because I volunteered for a political campaign for the first time in my life today. I felt awkward as hell about it because waiting until the day before the most important election of my lifetime to get involved is the exact sort of shitlord decision I would wind up making but everyone was really nice. I phone banked for about an hour while they put together a canvassing plan for me (walkarounds this afternoon, and a ridealong with someone who was down to drive but not talk tomorrow). The other volunteers were also really nice. The snack table was out of control.

In the distant past, I've been both a telemarketer and a door to door cable TV salesman - two jobs that I burnt out on completely and permanently. Jobs that, when I was working them, I felt utterly hopeless about my future or the state of a country where such a task could be considered worth burning up time on. Two jobs that I eventually crumbled in, got to a point where I physically could not deal with another moment of trying to convince someone to make a choice. Jobs that I spent months feeling like shit about not being able to hack, once they were behind me. But today I did them both, for free, because someone called me up the night before and asked if I could help out.

Since my days of low-stakes / high pressure bullshit sales, I've become a comic, an actor and a theater manager. I've been on stage hundreds of times and run a volunteer staff of hundreds of people. Today I had stagefright about every knock, every dial. Today, when I came to check in, someone that I once gave standup advice to before his first three minutes onstage was running the show at the campaign office. (it's a small town) Today I felt stagefright about every knock and every call, even if only a fraction of them ended in real human contact. The old salesman instincts awoke - I sized up driveway depth, decorations, porch clutter, dog health / confidence, yard state and ashtray density just like I used to when I bothered strangers about some dumb shit as low stakes as whether or not they wanted to save big on our new HBO bundle. I abandoned doing the script verbatim pretty quick, but it took a long while to get my social anxiety balance correct. It's a helluva thing to ask of a stranger, "hey, do you have a minute to talk about all my hopes and anguished prayers for tomorrow?"

I should have done this months ago, weeks ago even. I can't believe I waited until the last 48 hours to get any skin in the game. These vicious, evil fucks out there in support of Trump - I can't believe this is something we have to deal with in 2016. I can't believe we're still burning time and energy to deal with the tantrums of the shittiest white dudes available. I believe to the root of my soul that we'd be arguing over Mars colony policy right now if we hadn't lost so much time and resources as a species to white male insecurity. I can't believe the United States is home to so many bullshit grown bullies, so many locker room talking pieces of shit who would be fine with burning down the country if that meant they got to stick it to "political correctness" one last time. I grew up bullied, so I know what moves these shitheels, I know what they're after. I can't believe that as a man grown today, it took me so damn long to take a swing at them and their horseshit political movement and the buffoon presently bearing its standard. I can't believe I let them try to scream down tomorrow without making the barest effort to push back against them until now.

None of which meant anything to the organizers I met today. They made a plan for me, and they gave me snacks while they made it. They set me up with a driver tomorrow. I'll be out there for as long as I can, and I'll be resolved to tag in much sooner for the midterms to make up for this tardiness. However late, I know I could not face remember 2016 without knowing that I at least took a swing, that I made some small effort in trying to shove this country forward. I have five nieces and nephews, the oldest of which is only six. They might ask about this year one day. I need to have something to tell them.

Thank you to the mods for coping with these ridiculous election threads. Thank you to Metafilter at large for being a safe place in this terrifying year. I hope we're back here in one day's time to celebrate. I want to tell you all good luck, we're counting on you.
posted by EatTheWeek at 11:42 PM on November 7, 2016 [111 favorites]

Just posted my last appeal to Facebook, in the slim hope that certain of my fence-sitting relatives will come to their senses.

I've been blown away by the optimism, sense of history, and straight up love coming out of the Clinton campaign the last few days. It can be seen in that final campaign ad (the Katy Perry one), and especially in the Pantsuit Nation Facebook group, where millions of people are sharing their stories of overcoming misogyny and abuse, and the stories of mothers and grandmothers who struggled against it themselves and couldn't be here tomorrow to see history made.

Coz this has been an election pitting 'make america great again' against make america greater than it's ever been. Let's make it better than lynchings and the glass ceilings, better than private prisons and police shootings. There's too much that still needs to be done to even think of going back now.

And yeah, there's a lot to be concerned about with Clinton. I'm not enthused to have dynasties in American politics, in particular. But all the rest that's at stake that overrides those concerns by a longshot.

So, yeah. #ImWithHer, #LoveTrumpsHate, #GoHigh, #DontBooVote.

posted by kaibutsu at 12:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

In advance of today: Thank you, mods. You have done and will do amazing work; it's because of you that we can experience this momentous day as a community.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [43 favorites]

The more I imagine my made-up Louisiana Senate Apocalypse Scenario, the more I think that it is exactly the sort of thing that the vengeful demons responsible for this election would do. So here is my hideous prediction:

-Dems win 49 Senate seats tomorrow

-Louisiana's jungle primary selects one Democrat and one Republican for the runoff in December

-Clinton's GOTV machine, the entire news media, and the attention of the entire nation and world descend upon Louisiana like a pack of rabid wolves, and our national nightmare continues for another solid month

-Hell is real
posted by showbiz_liz at 12:09 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

A Hillary victory will redeem some of 2016's general shitiness. What would really redeem it would be "No-Fucks" Obama going on the most glorious lame-duck tear of any president. I'm not sure what that looks like, other than Trump's candidacy in retrospect was considered the high point of 2016 for Republicans.

Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. I hope the Senate is as blue as my dreams.

It may be that the general shittiness of 2016 is the result of much time-traveller tampering to make sure we got Hillary instead of Donald. Like, Prince and Bowie could still be here, but the Lincoln bedroom would have been converted into a spray-tan center.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 12:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

i hideously predict i will go to westside market and buy all the chocolate outrage cake they have available
posted by poffin boffin at 12:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Happy election day to you all! Good luck everybody!
posted by threetwentytwo at 12:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

CNN.com is in election mode. This is not a drill.
posted by guiseroom at 12:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

A couple of more memorable calls:

- The very polite man who said he was actually flying back into town on Election Day and asked me for help locating his polling place, because he was concerned he wouldn't be able to get there in time. So I plugged in the address on Google Maps and together we figured out where it was, and it turned out to be fine.

- The man who sounded annoyed that I even had to ask if we could count on him to vote. He said, "Of course I'm going to vote!" and that that was why he spent 12 years fighting in the military. When I asked if he was planning to drive or walk to his polling place, he said, "I'm jogging there." Me (impressed): "That sounds good -- getting some exercise in, too." Him: "Are you kidding?? I'm not jogging anywhere. I'm seventy[something] years old! I'm going to drive." :)

Whether you're volunteering, voting, hiding out, at school, at work, whatever: Hang in there and stay safe today.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 12:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

That Raleigh rally is bouncing and Raleigh is not a city I generally associate with bounce.

We saw a pretty banging Widespread Panic show there back in 2002, so don't tell me that town ain't got no heart.
posted by mikelieman at 12:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

CNN in full election mode? Is Wolf Blitzer interviewing hologram Wolf Blitzer while a third Wolf Blitzer reports in on the big screen? That's how we did it in my youth.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [47 favorites]

CNN.com is in election mode. This is not a drill.

what's the hologram situation
posted by murphy slaw at 12:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

What the hell comics folks. We lost Jim Steranko and Frank Miller got a last act redemption arc.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 12:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

So theoretically when can I buy all the pot? tomorrow?
posted by Justinian at 12:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

An update from across the pond: the election is dominating the morning kitchen chatter across the office, everyone I talked to in our little agency here in Munich is with her. However, people are a bit anxious after being burned by the Brexit surprise this summer, despite my reassurances that Hillary got this in the bag (not trying to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high above the thing).

I just wanted to thank all y'all for keeping me sane throughout this last year of craziness, this has been the best place to keep up with the election (and Hamilton) on the internet.
posted by starzero at 12:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Bah, apparently dispensaries are only allowed to sell to people with authorization cards and the state has to ramp up issuing of those and they go into effect in like a year. Sad. Low energy.
posted by Justinian at 12:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Google autocompleted to "When does proposition 64 take effect?" when I had typed "When does pro". They know whats up.
posted by Justinian at 12:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [24 favorites]

I just want to put in here, that I want Trump TV to fail. Not just regular fail, though, I want it to fail in a way that makes the FOX news antics I suspect it is planning on replacing suddenly way way un-marketable. I want it to fail in such a way that it changes the way the nation talks to itself and the whole Roger Ailes era comes to a crashing, collapsing end. I hope James O'Keefe helps bring this change about by stepping so far over the line that he is blamed for it and thus deemed un-employable.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

So theoretically when can I buy all the pot? tomorrow?

According to the writers you just hide your "I voted" sticker when you see a white supremacist and he'll give you pot for free.
posted by sebastienbailard at 12:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Holograms? Bah. Back in my day Lou Dobbs and Mary Alice Williams were only 16 pixels high, and if you put them too close to each other they'd start to flicker.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 12:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

Donald Trump Sycophants Plan Cabinet Positions For Coming Government-In-Exile (via wonkette)
posted by dougzilla at 12:47 AM on November 8, 2016

- timings calculated (Florida polls close at midnight in the U.K.)
- Wednesday booked off from work
- spouse picking up finger food
- live streams organised
- £100 on Clinton over 360 EVs

Good luck America.
posted by sektah at 12:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, am I?

Im not worried about winning, I'm worried that we won't decimate Trump. That will be disappointimg. I keep hoping they find another Trump portrait and it looks like Marge painted it.

spouse picking up finger food

I see what you did there.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

It's not the end.
It's the beginning.

Yasss Queen
posted by fullerine at 1:01 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I saw Chuck Todd say something weird about broadcasting in VR the other day. Is VR the new hologram?
posted by xyzzy at 1:01 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

the Peoria bishop excommunicated all Democratic voters

I remember my mom started going to some sort of women's group meetings in the 90s and telling me she would be automatically excommunicated if the Church knew about it. I really have no idea what the group was, all I ever remember my mom saying about it was talking about general feminist/women's help topics like self-esteem and codependency and marriage advice kind of stuff.
posted by threeturtles at 1:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

What the hell comics folks.

Some clever artist livetweeted this nasty woman during the debate. It's the background on my phone now. Thanks to the mefite that brought it to my attention.
posted by adept256 at 1:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

The final LA Times tracking update is in! Trump +3, down from Trump +5 yesterday. Too bad people, the trend was with us but we just didn't have enough time to turn this thing around. Maybe next time. /hamburger

Final JCPL: Copacetic. Let's do this.
posted by Justinian at 1:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [41 favorites]

As a member* of the "I don't even own a TV" club, I wasn't sure how to watch live election coverage tomorrow. CNN's live streaming requires a cable subscription. Fortunately there's a 7-day trial of Sling TV that lets you watch CNN, I just have to remember to cancel it before they charge me.

* OK, there are 3 TVs in the house along with 6 computer screens. But there's no cable service and we live next to a mountain that blocks all over-the-air TV signals... I watch lots of TV but it's all Netflix and iTunes.
posted by mmoncur at 1:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

oh i guess i might as well just stay up til the polls open at 6

time for overwatch with the australians
posted by poffin boffin at 1:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Friend on twitter is talking about watching Pacific Rim as an election night movie.

"We're canceling the apocalypse!" Is a pretty nice theme for today.
posted by mrzarquon at 1:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

All the networks are (unofficially but reliably) streamed live on YouTube, guys. Just search for CNN, for example, and filter to 'Live' up the top.
posted by postagepaid at 1:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Streaming options from earlier:

Every Way to Stream the 2016 Election Results Online
posted by palindromic at 5:17 PM on November
posted by Short Attention Sp at 1:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

[JOY-ANN REID]
How does Donald
An arrogant
Immigrant-hating, lech
vulgarian, a sexist who makes me want to retch
Somehow reach
the home stretch, the end
A day he’s dreamed of since the beginning
Since he said he'd never get tired of winning?
Today's gonna be the day when it happens—-

[CHORUS OF JOURNALISTS]
The day when it happens
The day when it happens

[REID]
Today really is the--

[CHORUS OF JOURNALISTS]
The day when it happens

[REID]
Til 2020

[NANCY PELOSI (echoing)]
DON'T FORGET THE MIDTERMS!

[YOUR LOCAL MAYOR (whispering)]
and your local elections

[DONALD TRUMP]
Dear H. R. Clinton:

I am quick to anger
But I cannot tweet
For I've lost my main
Tool to browbeat
I look back on all my wins
And it becomes ever more clear
Every common thread has involved my mirror
Now you call me deplorable
A nuclear danger
But go through my thugs
They're unignorable
And you're horrible

I have the honor to be Your Obedient Servant
D dot Trump

[HILLARY CLINTON]
Dear Donald whatever-your-name-is:

I am not the reason no one trusts you
No one knows what you believe
I'm usually more cautious about my opinion
It's part of how I overachieve
But as to you it simply must be said
It is plain for all to see
You simply live in your own reality
Tonight from that world you'll be a deportee

[TRUMP]
Wrong

[CLINTON]
Hey, while you were off talking
'Bout your fruniture shopping
I was doing my best for our republic
I was born for this fight
And I won’t apologize for doing what's right

I have the honor to be Your Obedient Servant
H. R. C.

[TRUMP]
Careful how you proceed, devil lady
Nasty woman indeed, devil lady
Answer for the accusations I lay at your feet or
Yet more emails I will unleash, devil lady

[CLINTON]
Don, woo, ok.
A little shimmy and back into the affray
You stand only for yourself
It’s what you do
I can’t apologize because it’s true

[TRUMP]
Then stand, Crooked Hillary
America. Tuesday.
Votes. USA.

[CLINTON]
You’re on

[BOTH]
I have the honor to be Your Obedient Servant

[CLINTON]
H. R. C.

[TRUMP]
D dot Trump
posted by zachlipton at 1:59 AM on November 8, 2016 [63 favorites]

Thanks to the time change and a fair dose of election day jitters, I apparently am up for the day. In two hours I'll be pantsuited up, at my polling place waiting for the doors to open along with my husband and housemate. Then we'll don our stickers and head to what will probably feel like the longest work day ever. Probably going to listen to Hamilton on repeat if I don't have too many conference calls.

Tonight's dinner is tacos, of course, to be supplemented with plenty of alcohol, some pie, and with luck, a little bubbly not too late into the evening. I actually did the TTTCS outside the liquor store when I bought it.

Thanks for the community and sanity, y'all. Stronger together & that's the truth!
posted by miratime at 2:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

East Coast awake. My cat still has no idea what Daylight Saving means. And then I was too excited to go back to bed. Voting today for my great grandmother, who came here when she was 16, on her own, to avoid Nazi persecution that killed the rest of her family, and for my three year old niece, who is Muslim, and told her grandmother the other day that she doesn't like Donald Trump.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 2:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [38 favorites]

MSNBC cut to Andrea Mitchell on the press bus heading to the Raleigh venue and she was bearing up well enough to do a live bit, but she was clearly beyond knackered.

Still not bad for 70, though!
posted by Room 641-A at 2:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm up way too damn early so that I can work the election, so I'll have to turn off my phone soon. I'll miss trying to keep up with these threads. Have a great election day, drink some wine for me, and hopefully it'll all be over before I can check in again.
posted by Akhu at 2:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

ugh half an hour to go and im so tired

cry
posted by poffin boffin at 2:33 AM on November 8, 2016

Heading out to work at the polls here in NC. Our precinct had a ton of early voting, so we're expecting a busy but not insane day.
posted by jeoc at 2:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Yay, on my way to the poll, weeee!

Taking drivers license and passport just in case.
posted by Tarumba at 2:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Good morning, East Coast!

Just want to tell you all good luck, we're all counting on you.
posted by Vetinari at 2:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

<3 good luck everyone
posted by Elementary Penguin at 2:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Happy voting, everyone! Good luck!
posted by Defying Gravity at 2:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Woke up and peeked at Twitter. Someone mentioned Clinton had landed back in NY at 3-ish AM. Brought back memories of election day in 1992. My then-spouse and I went to Little Rock in the morning to great Bill at the airport. He gave a very brief talk, shook a lot of people's hands and went off for a few hours sleep. I remember his technique for crowd handshaking because it surprised me at the time. Rather than grab people individually, he'd just throw his outstretched hand into the crowd and let people grab him. He looked exhausted but would make eye contact and smile and say "Hey, how you doin'?" (since he was with Arkansans, he let a little bit of Arkansas come out). I remember thinking this was brave of him to blindly trust the crowd with his hand. I could have never done that.

Feeling good about today. Get to vote in 2 and a half hours. My presidential vote won't matter much here in Kansas, but I'm excited about it anyways. If Clinton can come within 5 points of Trump in Kansas, I'll be thrilled.
posted by honestcoyote at 2:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

You guys you guys you guys

🎵 HERE COMES THE GENERAL 🎵 election
posted by duffell at 2:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [42 favorites]

Updates from London, this morning -

My ten year old daughter, "Trump is so awful, he says sick people aren't fit to be president."
(She has juvenile RA, so it is a big deal to her)

Later on, same conversation, "Michelle is so awesome, why can't she just be president?"

I haven't been talking about the election much with her, she has a lot on with the illness, but she has clearly soaked up some of the important stuff!
posted by fizban at 2:48 AM on November 8, 2016 [26 favorites]

Just landed in Copenhagen (I left upstate New York c 18 hrs ago). Mr. Nat is also out of the country, in Sydney. (Yes, we both voted by mail already). Our jokes about this have changed from "ok we are both safe" to "aw, we will miss the experience."

In other news, I didn't sleep on the flight, so .. nap now and stay up unspeakably late, or sleep at a normal hour and wake up to certainty (I hope)?
posted by nat at 2:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Nat- I'm sitting in a Vienna hotel room. I will be attending a keynote 9am tomorrow that is when the west coast polls close.

This is very surreal.
posted by mrzarquon at 2:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

...or I could get here before the chief judges and be stuck out in the cold. Dammit.
posted by Akhu at 2:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Y'all - Election Cake Is Real!

I mean, they said there would be cake but - *snf* It's beautiful

Election cake – Thirty quarts of flour, 10 pound butter, 14 pound sugar, 12 pound raisins, 3 doz eggs, one pint wine, one quart brandy, 4 ounces cinnamon, 4 ounces fine colander seed, 3 ounces ground allspice; wet flour with milk to the consistence of bread over night, adding one quart yeast; the next morning work the butter and sugar together for half an hour, which will render the cake much lighter and whiter; when it has rise light work in every other ingredient except the plumbs, which work in when going into the oven.

Mmrf- demvcrfy i' dewichsz
posted by petebest at 2:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

I didn't even try to stuff myself in my old pant suit because I remembered I have these office yoga pants in pinstripes which look so serious but feel like pajamas.

Betabrand: attires for the lazy feminazi
posted by Tarumba at 2:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

Up early with jetlag (Dutch luggage screener commented approvingly on my Hillary button on the way out of the country). Nothing to do at 4am but dig my only pantsuit out of the back of the closet. Suited up and ready to go.

Good morning voters!
posted by antinomia at 3:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.
posted by XMLicious at 3:09 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

God speed, everyone.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 3:09 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Electron cake - is that the ohm-made stuff with the currents in? Can't resist it.

(A pal did voluntary service overseas, running a newspaper in Papua New Guinea. He says election season there was marked by the candidates hopping from village to village by plane, talking to the village chiefs and dropping off slabs of beer and bales of weed in exchange for a promise of the village votes. I know I Voted stickers are cool and all, but come on America...)

Anyway. Good luck, everyone. Burn that motherfucker down to the waterline. .

TRUMP DELENDA EST
posted by Devonian at 3:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

Sleeping in my.Hillary shirt tonight. Take care, all.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 3:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I'm wearing blue today. Good luck, my overseas friends!
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:13 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Beer comes in slabs? I want to build a castle of beer.
posted by XMLicious at 3:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Pantsuit Nation is organizing pantsuit photo shoots today, one of which is two blocks from my office. I alerted some of my coworkers by email last night and am hoping we have a strong contingent.
posted by Sublimity at 3:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Trump says Tom Brady called him today and said he voted for Trump

Brady said on @KirkAndCallahan this morning he hadn't voted yet. Early voting in Massachusetts ended Friday.

Well now I am pissed. Typical Trump, ever the social climber. You know damn well Giselle would not let him vote for that parvenue.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Got my Hillary shirt on, leant my gf my Notorious RBG shirt, have hoodie to cover so I won't be electioneering in the polling place. Fired up. Ready to go.
posted by Skorgu at 3:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

okay, Sane America, speaking for the rest of the world that isn't run by dictators, we're trusting you to get this done

also to make a new thread because jeez this one is long now
posted by mightygodking at 3:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I just voted!! Northern Virginia here, very diverse neighborhood. I was in line before the doors opened at 6:00 AM and there were about 100 people in front of me. When I left the line snaked down a long hallway, back through the lobby of the community center and out the door to the sidewalk. My wait time was about 15 minutes once they opened the doors.

Go Vote! Go Hillary!
posted by BigVACub at 3:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

Slab of beer - it's an Australian term for nine litres in 24 bottles, bur now also used for similar configurations of cans. In Oz, you can buy refrigerators specially designed to be wide enough to have a special shelf into which you can just slide your slab. Because you don't want to waste any time.
posted by Devonian at 3:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Good Morning #pantsuitnation my toddler is ready.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [41 favorites]

Well, I'm just about ready to head out and hit the local phonebank to ~~beseech~~ ~~exhort~~ GOTV. Prep checklist:

~Drag self out of bed at asscrack of pre-dawn -- check
~Put Hamilton on hi-fi -- oh yeah
~Guzzle down a big mug of tea -- in progress
~ Recharge burner phone -- done
~Shower and don "Such a nasty woman -- who votes" shirt -- next

That just leaves glancing en route at the nearby polling place to get a sense of the early turnout and grabbing some doughnuts for the vol. crew. Keep up the good fight, MetaFilter. ♫ You have your orders now go, man, go! ♫
posted by FelliniBlank at 3:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

I know I said the previous newspaper/periodical update was going to be my last one but there were, in fact, some election day endorsements after all, meaning ... HILLARY CLINTON HIT 500 ENDORSEMENTS!

With Donald Trump at a total of 25, that means he got exactly 1/20 the number of endorsements that she did. In addition, Anybody-But-Donald-Trump has at the last minute pulled ahead of Donald Trump, relegating him back to fourth place!

Total endorsements (final tally):
Hillary Clinton: 500 (76.7%)
No Endorsement: 82 (12.6%)
Not Donald Trump: 32 (4.9%)
Donald Trump: 25 (3.8%)
Gary Johnson: 9 (1.4%)
Spit Endorsement: 2 (0.3%)
Evan McMullin: 1 (0.2%)
Not Hillary Clinton: 1 (0.2%)

In addition, last time I accidental missed some of the >100,000 circulation periodicals in the tally, meaning the number for those for both Hillary Clinton and Anybody-But-Donald-Trump is actually a bit higher than I'd stated. Donald Trump is still fifth in this category, with Clinton getting 37.5 times his number of endorsements from large publications:

Total endorsements from publications with a circulation greater than 100,000 people (final tally):
Hillary Clinton: 75 (77.3%)
Anyone But Donald Trump: 11 (11.3%)
No Endorsement: 6 (6.1%)
Gary Johnson: 3 (3.1%)
Donald Trump: 2 (2.1%)
posted by kyrademon at 3:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [56 favorites]

I'm up two hours earlier than I need to be for my pollworker shift! I'm blaming it on excitement as well as the delicious aroma of the chili I started making yesterday in my slow cooker, but really I wanted a chance to catch up on the election threads before I go to my polling place.

We've been told we can't use our phones during the day -- and may well be too busy for checking them anyway -- but that doesn't mean I won't be checking Metafilter whenever I get a break. It's going to be a long day, but I'm up to the challenge. Let's do this together!
posted by vickyverky at 3:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

In ten minutes the east coast polls open. I just figured out what to do with four bags of Halloween candy.
posted by tilde at 3:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Re Australian elections: Also, our elections are on a weekend, postal voting is easy, we have a single National Electoral Commission that coordinates voting, and personally I've never had to wait in line more than 5-10 minutes. And virtually every voting place has a sausage sizzle and a cake stand.

There's a lot to commend it.

I want to third or fourth this. Aussie elections work really, really well. Example (bear with me): annoying person Pauline Hanson is a far-right nationalist who got re-elected recently after being out of office for 20ish years. I personally dislike her quite a lot, but she legitimately has the support of about half a million people in Queensland. (The state of Queensland is sorta like the South in the US, politically.) Recently elected PM Malcom Turnbull now has the unfortunate job of trying to work with her, but to his credit he has committed to do so (my sympathies). Now, how is a wingnut senator getting elected a success?

It's a success because there's no large voting bloc going unrepresented. As annoying as having Pauline Hanson in the Senate is, I think the alternative is worse. Imagine if you have a voting bloc of half a million people left feeling unrepresented and building up a sense of resentment for an extended period. These voters are now vulnerable to a Donald Trump figure (wingnut squared, or something). Do I need to continue that line of thought?

I think compulsory voting helps in this regard. It's a way of forcing people to not build up grievances, in a way. Not happy with your pollies? You've got one vote like everyone else. Use it.

I think Australia has also succeeded in creating a culture where voting is a Thing You Do. I'm sure schools vary, but in both my primary- and high school it was made fairly clear, often and explicitly, that having a legitimate democratic vote is a massive privilege and to waste it is really very silly. And this lesson is actually not lost on a fair number of kids.

The other thing is the barbecues. I'm not quite sure how this got started (anyone?), but it's been a thing for as long as I've been a voter. And it's fantastic. It's a way of co-opting the national culture (yes we're kinda big on barbecues here) to promote the health of the political system. It's really quite hard to overstate how effective an incentive that is for most Australians. I said, very seriously, in one of the other threads that the US needs an equivalent. US culture is (I think) less homogeneous than Aussie culture, so you'd need region-appropriate things but the key is the incentive. Make it low-cost, easy to fundraise for by local non-partisan civic bodies, but make the thing enough of an incentive that showing up for 20 minutes is a small price. (Can the MeFite hivemind come up with anything here?)

A commenter earlier pointed out that there's some value in having the right to opt out of voting. There might be a legitimate argument there, but let me just say that in Aus the way we do that is voting for Mickey Mouse or the Sex Party or whatever. (We actually have a Sex Party, but as far as I'm aware there's never been a national-level candidate named Mickey Mouse, so that remains a popular option for making a protest vote.)

While I'm at it, let me just drag in the issue of police shootings and point out that we don't have that issue, despite having armed police. A large part of that comes down to really fantastic training and maybe also appropriate vetting of hires. (My mate, despite having a perfect temperament for being a cop, is currently being made to do a year's interim stuff so he's properly prepared. No free passes.)

So. I used to joke that American elections were far more entertaining than those in Australia, but I think I'll stop doing that now. I'm pretty convinced that boring federal elections is a plus. Both me and most of the rest of the world would probably be fairly happy if you guys never have a Trump candidate ever again.

As for the sausages (and the cops), #MakeAmericaAustraliaAgain
posted by iffthen at 3:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [37 favorites]

I voted here in Louisville, Kentucky.

This was the first time since we moved here that there was a line when polls opened.

The election workers were a bit disorganized and flustered, so I thanked them tried to offer some encouraging words.

It's going to be a long day for these volunteers, so please be kind to them.

What a shame that we don't have mail or no-excuse early voting here. I think it would encourage more involvement in government and a smoother voting experience.
posted by SteveInMaine at 3:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

I voted! Got the sticker and everything. My polling place is run by a very efficient cadre of older women who do this every year, so the line moved quickly. A lot of people wanted to get their ballots in right away just in case life happened.

Posting from my phone because my computer cord vanished yesterday.
posted by Leslie Knope at 3:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

You guys you guys Hillary & Co just did the mannequin challenge!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [39 favorites]

Clear eyes, open hearts, fuck Trump.

Let's do this.
posted by spitbull at 3:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [34 favorites]

Slight derail. While the Australian system works well, Malcomn Turnbull deserves no sympathies wrt Pauline Hanson. It is his and the former PM's creation in the same way Trump is a result of a sick party in the USA. The bigger difference is we have a proportional system, allowing for many smaller parties and independents to gain seats.
posted by michswiss at 4:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

About forty people lined up before polls open here in Pittsburgh. Heading in now people.
posted by octothorpe at 4:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Jury Sentences Nasty Woman to Four Years in Big House
posted by GhostintheMachine at 4:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [42 favorites]

Cast my vote, second in my precinct. Heart pounding. It's really real.
posted by miratime at 4:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

And as a multi-decade, Nasty Woman, expat, I'd like to thank so many of you for your efforts both in these threads, but even more for your volunteering.
posted by michswiss at 4:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

I just dread the tantrum (and that of the surrogate tantrumers) when Dudley Dursley is denied His Precious Presidential Present.
posted by Namlit at 4:07 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

The line was a lot longer here in Connecticut than I'd ever seen it before, and longer still when I got out 20 minutes later. So that's encouraging.

Discouraging was the truck ahead of me as I pulled into the parking lot, with it's Trump/Pence bumper sticker next to another sticker with a photo of Trump and the text "Finally, someone with BALLS". Disgusting.

I know this isn't how it works, but I still screamed inside my head "SIR, MY VOTE IS NOW EXPLICITLY PURPOSED TO CANCEL YOURS OUT!" So that felt pretty good.
posted by Aznable at 4:09 AM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

Just voted. We're almost there.
posted by Shutter at 4:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Alright, I voted

Everybody can calm down I took care of it
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [66 favorites]

As a last side note. When I moved to Melbourne, someone began explaining the federal voting system. It all sounded too familiar. Then it clicked, just like back in Cambridge Mass.
posted by michswiss at 4:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I was the 42nd person at my tiny upstate NY town to vote at roughly 6:40. People are fired up.
posted by waitingtoderail at 4:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

I'm off to cast my vote, one drop in the ocean of Clinton's win in NY. But still excited. IT'S HAPPENING is really the only emotion I have right now.
posted by dis_integration at 4:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Voted at 6:15. There was a short line but it moved quickly, even with the old guy who needed help from the poll workers because he had apparently never used one of the machines we've had here for years. I'm feeling kind of encouraged that he was there.
posted by dilettante at 4:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

A commenter earlier pointed out that there's some value in having the right to opt out of voting. There might be a legitimate argument there, but let me just say that in Aus the way we do that is voting for Mickey Mouse or the Sex Party or whatever.

Non-starter here: compulsory voting would be compelled speech and ruled out by the first amendment. Also, it would hurt the GOP's feelings:

North Carolina GOP Brags About How Few Black People Were Able to Vote Early (motherjones)

North Carolina has been the epicenter of voter suppression efforts during the 2016 campaign, and the North Carolina Republican Party is now celebrating the stats showing those efforts worked.

The party sent a press release to reporters on Sunday trumpeting the fact that fewer black voters cast early ballots this year than they did in 2012. "African American Early Voting is down 8.5% from this time in 2012," the release read. "As a share of Early Voters, African Americans are down 6.0%." The statement also cheered the rise in white voters as compared with 2012. "The once dynamic Obama Coalition [is] crumbling and tired," said Robin Hayes, the North Carolina GOP chairman, adding that the party's "motivated statewide volunteers and extensive ground game" are the reason for the good news.

posted by sebastienbailard at 4:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Upper West Side, Manhattan.

In 2008, I waited about 5 minutes to vote.
Today, I waited 33.

Lots of parents with little girls there today.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [45 favorites]

Non-starter here: compulsory voting would be compelled speech

We can compel speech in other situations (court testimony, for example). There is room in first amendment jurisprudence for compulsory voting.
posted by dis_integration at 4:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

What Time Do the Polls Close (And When Will We Know Who Won)?

tl;dr: 8:30/9:00 EST
posted by petebest at 4:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

To clarify, Australia does not have mandatory voting. It has mandatory pole attendance. Get your name checked off and leave. There is no requirement to complete a ballot. But buy a snag, please!
posted by michswiss at 4:19 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

MetaTalk: Get Yer Voting Stories Here!
posted by Wordshore at 4:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

So this has been me, over the past month or so (several times, actually, and spontaneously, for no good reason). I'm going to go vote now and I'm going to be bawling. So excited! Thank you for keeping me sane, Metafilter! #StrongerTogether
posted by longdaysjourney at 4:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Good morning from Florida. Took a vacation day even though I voted last week, have chosen coffee as my first beverage of the day.

It's been a long, strange trip, and I'm going to be taking the last few steps with you, MeFites.

Let's do this.
posted by Mooski at 4:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Just voted in Philadelphia. We got in line about 15 minutes before the polls opened. The line when we left was already out the door. This is in a wealthier blue collar neighborhood. Never seen a line of more than 10 people here in prior elections.
posted by Eddie Mars at 4:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

To clarify, Australia does not have mandatory voting. It has mandatory pole attendance. Get your name checked off and leave. There is no requirement to complete a ballot. But buy a snag, please!

That certainly avoids the first amendment speech problem in the US. But I wonder if you still run into first amendment problems when it comes to assembly. That said, I don't know that the courts have ever affirmed that a right to assembly is also a right not to assemble (which has been done for speech--thank you Jehovah's Witnesses refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance). Then again, conscription is constitutional, so pretty sure voting would be.
posted by hoyland at 4:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Just voted in my town outside Pittsburgh. Volume seemed heavy, although I normally vote mid-day. Most people seemed cheerful, which seems to bode well!
posted by Chrysostom at 4:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

In line at 6a with 70 people before me (one of the high school helpers was counting) and done by 6:50a in central VA. They had a ~15 min delay getting started as the cords for the electronic pollbook computers were missing so they had to do the paper backups. We're only 10 min from the county election office so the entire situation was odd.
posted by bluesapphires at 4:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

@sethdmichaels: Boy, are you Dixville Notch, because you always come early and it's not especially meaningful
posted by zombieflanders at 4:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

The lady voting in a white pantsuit made me tear up. Let's do this!
posted by Sreiny at 4:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Only took about twenty minutes to get through the line and it felt so good to get this thing over with.
posted by octothorpe at 4:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Passed several polling spots in DC where the lines are already around one corner.
posted by zombieflanders at 4:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

And just passed another that goes on for a couple blocks.
posted by zombieflanders at 4:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

(I missed what adept256 said above, and posted pretty much the same thing, but more verbosely. Count my post as an endorsement of their idea.)
posted by iffthen at 4:39 AM on November 8, 2016

showbiz_liz: "Louisiana's jungle primary selects one Democrat and one Republican for the runoff in December"

There is an outside chance the top two finishers could both be Democrats - the Republican side is highly fractured. That would be HILARIOUS.
posted by Chrysostom at 4:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

The lines in the city of St. Louis are very long (Democratic stronghold) and equally as long in Kirkwood MO (a St. Louis suburb) the home town of Claire McCaskill
posted by robbyrobs at 4:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I just spent way too much time picking out a pantsuit this morning. It's a little big, but it'll do. I dressed it up with some pearls and pulled my hair back high and tight. I think there's a little part of me that's dressing up for Hillary today.

I'm headed to the polls and am so excited to vote, and then go to my government policy job where we'll continue to work very hard to do the right thing for the American people. Then I'll come home and clean the house while my boyfriend makes tacos and we'll plop down on the couch and that's probably when I'll dissolve into a puddle of happy relief.

Thanks so much to all of you. Onwards and upwards!
posted by kinsey at 4:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

I'm really looking forward to the next set of uncomfortably prescient Onion headlines. Remember "After Obama Victory, Shrieking White-Hot Sphere Of Pure Rage Early GOP Front-Runner For 2016"? I do...
posted by the painkiller at 4:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

Let's go defeat some evil today, everybody.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [23 favorites]

Guys I wanted to get on a bus to philly, but I can't make it. Think they'll have something for me to do at HFA Brooklyn field office?
posted by schadenfrau at 4:46 AM on November 8, 2016

Arrghh, I can't keep my eyes open any longer. It's been a stinking hot, sweaty, grubby day and I am exhausted but I've set my alarm for 7 AM which is when the East Coast polls close so I'll be with you at the end.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Remember "After Obama Victory, Shrieking White-Hot Sphere Of Pure Rage Early GOP Front-Runner For 2016"?

Yep, they got it exactly right except for the color!
posted by mmoncur at 4:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

As all you folks wake up and make your way to vote, or GOTV, I'll be sleeping a few restless hours hoping that sanity is gaining and that I can cry over FaceTime with my 80 y/o Mom in OKC that Hillary is President-Elect, the same way we did eight years ago with Barack.
posted by michswiss at 4:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Hour by hour guide of stuff to look for, from DailyKos.
posted by Chrysostom at 4:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

If you are standing out in the cold while waiting in line to vote, please warm yourself with a video of some Korean seafood jeongol. Wishing everyone a safe & happy election day.
posted by shortfuse at 4:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Just chiming in to say that the spousal unit and I will be having shrimp tacos tonight. Hopefully our Bad Hombre and Nasty Woman shirt arrive in the mail today.
posted by Twain Device at 4:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I listened to this artifact from an election gone by (has it really been 12 years?!) a couple times yesterday. It still definitely works.
posted by jferg at 4:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

From way back in the thread, but:

The Senate race here between Bayh and Young is now a dead heat, with Young making big gains against Bayh in the past couple of weeks, thanks largely to his PAC supporters hitting us with a withering flood of ads while Bayh seems to have all but disappeared from the tube.

I'm wondering if TV buys vary from market to market throughout the state? Or do candidates and PACs usually just make state-wide buys? Because I've been seeing roughly equal number of Bayh and Young ads here in Indy. (Or, I should say, anti-Young and anti-Bayh ads, because there's far more of the PAC anti- ads than the pro- ads from the candidates themselves. Bleah.)
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 4:55 AM on November 8, 2016

I'm hoping that a few days after the election is over there's a weird (non-tragic) news event that draws in all the tv news media.
posted by drezdn at 4:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Ugh. I learned over dinner last night that my dad voted for Trump. He was born in a town outside of Havana and moved to the United States after the communists seized his family's business. He said that it's not that he voted for Trump, but that he "voted against the Clintons" and because he hates the state of the town in Georgia where he lives, my hometown. I will admit that each time I go home I feel like Marty McFly visiting the alternate, Biff Tannen run, Hill Valley. There are whole burnt out apartment complexes and every tenth house is boarded up due to depressed real estate values.

But still, it's baffling after all of the horrible things Trump has said about Hispanic people and even Cubans. He could have not voted for president or written in someone else. He even said "I voted for the idiot".

The conversation switched to Janet Reno, a women who evokes strong feelings in Cubans due to the Elian Gonzalez incident. My dad pulled out his Elian Gonzalez T-shirt, one that he wore 10 years ago while helping me move apartments. It has Bill Clinton's face pasted on one of the soldiers pointing a gun at the closet and Janet Reno's face on the person holding Elian. "Ah" I said, "That is why you don't like the Clintons." "No, that's not it." he replied. My dad is a complex dude.

I just had the epiphany that he got more complex after radiation treatments for cancer this year.

Oh, well. I still love him and did not feel the need to throw pie on the floor or anything. I'm about to go vote with my family and then knock on doors some more.
posted by Alison at 4:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

From the corner of President and Clinton.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:59 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I don't think I realized exactly how important this election was to me until I told Gentleman Caller that I was planning on attending an election results shindig and staying until the polls close. He was skeptical (I'm not going to relitigate the primaries, but he's voting for Stein because he can't write in Bernie) and reminded me that I have to be at work early tomorrow. AUGH.

I'm rocking Tim Kaine and Rosie the Riveter on my lapel and I'm cautiously excited about today. Let's do this.
posted by pxe2000 at 4:59 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Australian about to turn in for the night. Strange to think by the time I get home from work tomorrow the election will probably have been called. Only thing I wanted to add was SWEEP THE LEG HILLARY! PUT HIM IN A BODY BA-oh wait I keep forgetting cobra kai are the bad guys. good luck is all i'm saying.
posted by um at 5:01 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

-Clinton's GOTV machine, the entire news media, and the attention of the entire nation and world descend upon Louisiana like a pack of rabid wolves, and our national nightmare continues for another solid month

-Hell is real
posted by showbiz_liz at 12:09 AM on November 8

You see, what you in New York consider "hell" we in Louisiana were talking about as "the only way a Louisiana Senator who wants to fight climate change gets elected" or "the only way the National Party would accidentally pay attention to our state" or "the only way to begin to bring the oil industry to pay for its damages in election 2016"

What if you could elect a Senator that had the stomach to fight the Coal industry in West Virginia? To transition to a cleaner economy? That's what democrats are doing down here, you all are welcome to join us from now until December 10th!

The runoff will likely be Campbell (D) vs Kennedy (R), although I in my heart and in my phone calls I hope for a Campbell (D, populist) vs Fayard (D, liberal) runoff in December.

The bad news is that one of the paid directors of Sunoco Logistics, one of the companies constructing the DAPL, will likely be elected a US Congressman today. I apologize. Unless we fight harder, or people pay attention, We are going to have one of the tails of the DAPL running through our nicest swamps, and threatening our drinking water in Lafourche.

Let me be the first to say Welcome to Louisiana for the December 10th runoff election!
posted by eustatic at 5:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Financial District, Manhattan.

Got there at 6:20, long lines for NYC, took about a half hour. Gave my I Voted sticker to a boy who was making a beard with his mom and dad's stickers but needed a moustache. Made my day when the boy looked at his reflection in the elevator door and said "all I need now is a hat and I could be Abraham Lincoln."
posted by chris24 at 5:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [55 favorites]

Checking in from north suburban Boston. There was a line (20 minutes), but everyone was in good spirits.

It feels great to finally do this! Let's make our voices heard, and hand that guy his ass on a platter.
posted by Otherwise at 5:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I'm a very long time lurker who finally joined before the last US election, and I just wanted to post in one of these threads to say hello. I'm from London and Brexit was a horror - but I don't think it's the same at all today, I feel scared but optimistic. I've really valued all the discussion, though my phone is overheated my thumb is in danger of RSI from scrolling. Many thanks for the tip about clicking the timestamp every so often to mark your place. As always I've learned so much along the way, and I have been so grateful for this intelligent, insightful, funny community. It's really moving to finally see people posting that they are at the polls.

We're here, it's today. I know you guys are going to do this.

Tomorrow (for us in the UK) will be another bleary early November morning with eyes full of happy tears, watching a joyful, diverse crowd cheering as history is made.
posted by tardigrade at 5:07 AM on November 8, 2016 [27 favorites]

Intern at Wikileaks frantically trying to find something to leak "What if we highlight 'I' here, 'did', the word 'foster' here, and 'mur' from Murdoch, and 'er' from her?"
posted by drezdn at 5:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Good morning sunshine! (And MeFi has truly been my sunshine and salve in this tirefire election season and I can NEVER thank you all enough)

Let's talk about election day ground game for a minute. While Trump has been telling his followers to just show up at polling locations to "watch", Dems have been mobilizing volunteers to train and credential them to work as official observers, both working to prevent suppression at the polls and able to monitor the progress of turnout for key precincts and voters, updating internal records that will then serve to adjust election-day GOTV efforts in real time. This is not some half-assed effort that somebody slaps together. This is a sophisticated operation battle tested and matured through '08, '12, and now. This is the preparation that happens when grown-ups run campaigns and donations fund infrastructure rather than flights on Trump planes and stays in Trump hotels and the salaries of an army of grifters.

And this is just to say: if you have any time to give today, another hour or two to offer to make history happen, to preserve our progress and protect our future, it will not be wasted today. It's not too late to make a little bit more of a difference. We're ready, and every last bit matters.
posted by shelbaroo at 5:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

The media will have a field day getting stories from the campaign trail as his team members cash in with their juicy stories.

Team members will have no choice cashing in because Trump will have stiffed them.
posted by Ber at 5:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Got to the polling place (DC) around 6:30, waited half an hour for them to open, then maybe ten minutes to get in and vote. Lots of people in line when they opened, way more than the primary, despite that containing most of the significant votes DC makes. A woman drove by screaming "FUCK TRUMP! FUCK TRUMP!" to a mixture of delight and confusion (I would be shocked to find a single Trump voter in the line). The report from my wife's cubicle was that she put our daughter's hand around the pen to vote for Trump and then she refused to give it back, so she voted for all races.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Wednesday morning when Trump has lost...

<sigh> Ok, Whatever, high atop the Thing, lets do this.
<faces resolutely forward, neither spits nor curses>
posted by Reverend John at 5:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

NYS - No early voting... I was at the polls within an hour of opening and I Have Voted! I don't remember stickers at our polling place before, but I got one today!

I teared up - maybe choked up - when I went to slide my ballot into the machine, to the point that the attendant noticed and asked if I were all right. I almost wish I'd waited 'til after work so I could have sat in the parking lot and had a really good cry.

I'm quiet here, but I have been reading even when I don't pipe up. Thank you all who participate in these threads, and a big thanks to the mods for all their work.
posted by jaruwaan at 5:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

I closed on a house here in Richmond, Virginia last week and didn't want to change my address for fear that it might complicate things with voting, so on my way to vote in my previous (liberal white) neighborhood poll I got to see my new (historically African American) neighborhood polls and there were lonnnnnng lines, mostly African American people.

When I got to my previous poll place it was almost empty, except for a couple of joggers who decided to swing by to vote.

Most of my black friends were worried about minority turnout here, but anecdotally I'd say it's going well.
posted by Tarumba at 5:13 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

Got to my polling place in Brighton, MA about 10 minutes before it opened, probably waited half an hour to vote. Lots of people in line, everyone looked a little chilly and bemused by the line, but happy to be voting. We can do this, y'all.
posted by dismas at 5:13 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Today is (and tomorrow will be) a fun day to look at the Newseum's Front Pages.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 5:13 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

TRUMP DELENDA EST

Your mouth to God's ears, my friend. See y'all on the other side. Let's make history.
posted by penduluum at 5:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Alert! Alert! My polling station has stickers! This is not a drill! Fellow Pittsburghers, is this a county thing or just the excellent poll workers in my neighborhood going rogue?

No line at all, but I've literally never waited to vote where I live. Just my one neighborhood has two polling places, and actually three if you count the fact that one of them further subdivides into two locations within the building depending on your address.

So, my son helped me touch the touch screen (his most favorite thing in the world to do) and we both got stickers and now I'm headed to work where I will be completely non-productive and biting my fingernails down to nubs all day.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

Sad that I can't vote until sometime after 4.
posted by drezdn at 5:17 AM on November 8, 2016

PA needs to get with early voting.
The line here is over an hour long.
posted by splen at 5:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

This election has wrecked me, you guys. Woke up and immediately started freaking out about election day violence and how my kids' school is a polling place and ack ack ack. Said to myself, self, you are unhinged. Go read Hillary facebook for a while and calm yourself down. Did that, and now I'm sitting here crying my eyes out while packing lunches.

When this is over I need a vacation and so much therapy
posted by gerstle at 5:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

The report from my wife's cubicle was that she put our daughter's hand around the pen to vote for Trump

Did I really say that? Oh my god, I'm sorry to both of them. Hillary. She voted for Hillary.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [65 favorites]

Two more spending a lovely morning defeating evil in Pittsburgh and around the world. Represent.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 5:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

No stickers at my polling place (not Pittsburgh, but Allegheny County), soren_lorenson.
posted by miratime at 5:21 AM on November 8, 2016

Gah! Fave limit hit already. Thanks everybody who's voting, especially those who are waiting way longer than it should be. We got this!
posted by chris24 at 5:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Here is a source to check out news media from literally around the world
posted by robbyrobs at 5:21 AM on November 8, 2016

"(I would be shocked to find a single Trump voter in the line)"

Same here, we had a bunch of people campaigning for mayoral candidates, school board, etc. outside the elementary school where I voted. Nobody even mentioned presidential because we're all obviously voting Democratic in that district.

A woman by the door handed me a blue cheat sheet with all my Democratic downballot options helpfully pointed out.
posted by Tarumba at 5:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

miratime: "No stickers at my polling place (not Pittsburgh, but Allegheny County), soren_lorenson."

Same here. Gotta be a rogue electoral team that bought stickers.
posted by Chrysostom at 5:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Okay, finally calling #InboxZero on this thread using the nuclear option and skipping to the bottom.

I canvassed for a ten-hour day yesterday, with meh results. (I also had a really infuriatingly sexist encounter AT the Dem HQ that I'm still fuming about.) (Not with an official campaign worker. No one I'd ever seen there before, anyway.) Am about to go for a run then off for more of the same, hopefully with productive results. I'll be canvassing in the Diane Von Furstenburg Madam President T-shirt under my pantsuit, although since we're supposed to hit 90° today (hello, November in Phoenix), I will probably ditch the jacket in the middle of the day.

Friends report the lines at the polls are already super long, right at 6 am when they opened. This was the biggest concern I ran into yesterday, and I'm very worried it'll suppress the vote.

Despite my long day yesterday, I slept fitfully. Tonight I will have tacos. We can do this. We MUST do this. Even in Arizona.
posted by Superplin at 5:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [26 favorites]

Did I really say that? Oh my god, I'm sorry to both of them. Hillary. She voted for Hillary.

THE VOTER FRAUD BEGINS [fake]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

PA needs to get with early voting.
The line here is over an hour long.

It could be worse. Here in NC my early voting line was an hour long.
posted by winna at 5:23 AM on November 8, 2016

Good morning, MeFi.

Last weekend I had a concert, and when prep for that kicked into high gear I started losing track. I'm about four posts back. I'll go back and Tehhund afterwards, but no way now.

I haven't read all 2200+ comments here yet either—in, what, 12 hours?—but I will try.

In the meantime I wanted to thank you, all of you. The postsmiths and the commenters. The volunteers and pool workers and voters, those of you who spoke or are speaking for me. I've learned a lot here, and I've felt safe here. Without the grounding here, the sheer evil surreality of this year would have overwhelmed me.

Next year, there might be interim elections. And if everything goes well I'll be able to vote in them. If not, midterms 2018 definitely. Expect me.

Thank you again.
posted by seyirci at 5:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

My favorite leaked Hillary email is the one where she asks for a report on the treatment of women in Afghanistan and also what time the Good Wife and Parks and Rec air.
posted by drezdn at 5:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

(Oh, and: Perfect choice of line for the title.)
posted by seyirci at 5:25 AM on November 8, 2016

Same here, we had a bunch of people campaigning for mayoral candidates, school board, etc. outside the elementary school where I voted.

We had one person running for Advisory Neighborhood Commission member who was outside, in a race with two candidates with no web presence or other campaign material that I could find. I figured actively campaigning beats not and voted for her.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 5:25 AM on November 8, 2016

I am going to shut my door and pretend to do chart audits all day while refreshing the blue.

I've already heard "I want a woman president someday, but not THIS woman president."
posted by catlet at 5:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

I'm at home with my daughter today, so I will be strategically voting around 10 AM so that I am not in anyone's before work/lunchtime/post-work way.
posted by palindromic at 5:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

It could be worse. Here in NC my early voting line was an hour long.
I'm sure.
At least you had the option for early voting.
posted by splen at 5:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh! Forgot to mention--at my polling place, which is a school, we were met by a school bus full of kids who were sticking their heads out the windows and shouting VOTE FOR HILLARY.

V (^_^) V
posted by Sing Or Swim at 5:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [64 favorites]

Dammit, my kids' school is having "Dress Like A President" day today and there's no time to get a kids size 8 pantsuit!
posted by jferg at 5:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Took a work from home day on account of a cold. So the only GOTV effort will be to GOMV. Medford, MA here. Solid Hillary town, though the police need to be LARTed about their recent Hilary-in-orange incident. Will report once Mrs. Ocschwar, mini-Ocschwar and Micro-Ocschwar come down the hill for the vote.
posted by ocschwar at 5:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

If you're in a long line right now and need a little anger to keep you motivated, I highly recommend the new Keepin it 1600, because they are spitting fire about how close we have come to fascism and the cowards in the Republican party enabling it.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [24 favorites]

I am going to shut my door and pretend to do chart audits all day while refreshing the blue.

I've already heard "I want a woman president someday, but not THIS woman president."

I'm looking forward to Thursday, when hopefully I won't have to hum loudly at work until I get my headphones in to avoid having to hear things that will make it impossible for me to respect people.

Today I'm going to be playing happy hardcore all day - no sound can leak through that.
posted by winna at 5:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Eight years ago, I stood in line for well over two hours on a Saturday to cast my vote for the first African-American president. Last week, I cast my vote for the first woman president.

And if that isn't a true blue miracle, I don't know what one is.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 5:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Lets take a moment and consider the millions of people in America who cannot vote today (by your opinion justified or not) Individuals convicted of a felony are ineligible to vote while incarcerated, on parole, or on probation.
posted by robbyrobs at 5:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Tis done. My three ladies (MsEld, KiddoEld, and BabyEld), all dressed in white, took me to the polling place and we all placed 1/2 a vote, 2 votes total ya'know, for Hillary.

I tend towards being politically agnostic and just downright cynical... but I can't see myself not casting a vote against the evil monstrosity that is Mr.Trump, doubly so since we now live in Florida/OneOfTheStatesWhereVotesActuallyMatterTM.

It was a pleasant trip, no waiting, lots of stickers (thank God). Quiet here at 7:15, but that's expected with the island mentality, I could see it starting to ramp up even by the time we walked out.

Here's hoping that all's well and done by bedtime this evening.
posted by RolandOfEld at 5:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Opened my eyes this morning and it felt like some weird form of Christmas. Looks like there was bit of an explosion on my Facebook feed last night. I don't know who started it but someone posted about how stressed and anxious they were to the point of them not know how she was going to focus at work tomorrow. And then a bit about feeling weird because it wasn't even our election. That led to 'your not the only one' which then led to a whole lot of people just getting out 'oh thank goodness I'm not the only one that is having such a bad time'. It was mass Canadian election anxiety confession time.

It is quite something.

But on a more positive note so many 'Best Wishes' and ''We're with yous' to pass on from my Canadian family and friends.
posted by Jalliah at 5:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

"I want a woman president someday, but not THIS woman president."

I'm not sure if it's this election but lately I have been obsessed with mortal kombat x, (the Android game) which has my husband weirded out because I am normally completely averse to violence.

Anyway when I hear stuff like this I swear I hear that deep voice in my head go "FINISH HIM". All in all I'm glad this election is coming to an end.
posted by Tarumba at 5:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [25 favorites]

My polling place was packed at 6:15 am, but the crowds were moving quickly and I voted and was out the door in fifteen minutes. I live in a super-liberal town in a solidly blue state, but it still felt great to vote and to be surrounded by folks who were motivated and excited to vote, too.

Thanks to all of the poll workers who are out there today, and to everyone who has helped #GOTV.

Tonight, I'll be watching in earnest, eating the hottest Indian food I can handle, and hopefully celebrating.
posted by rachaelfaith at 5:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

So my girlfriend and I were going to phone bank from home... she made three calls while I was at work Sunday before the anxiety became overwhelming, but that's three more than I managed. :(

So as of yesterday we're assigned to be poll greeters today! We'll be in an older white - younger Latinx part of town, so direct confrontations are unlikely.

Headed out now, in fact - let's do this!
posted by Kelrichen at 5:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Participated in an exit poll on my way out of the polling place, you can thank me for helping depress the evening Trump vote.
posted by zombieflanders at 5:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [24 favorites]

Also, I am FIRED UP to start calling Ohio in a half hour. GOTV Ohio! You don't want your smug asshole neighbors to the north be EVEN MORE smug and assholish.

If you go for Hillz, I solemnly vow to let you just say you went to Ohio State without asking 'You mean THE Ohio State?'
posted by palindromic at 5:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

I only had to wait about ten minutes here in Chicago. Would that it were the same all over this land.

I'm going to a results viewing party tonight, but the crowd's enthusiasm for Hillary will probably be pretty muted. I wonder what they'll have to say about my "Women's rights are human rights" shirt.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 5:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I voted today with my beautiful daughter! I wrapped her little paw around the pen to fill in the oval so she could vote for the first woman President and be a part of history. She and I each got stickers and I took pictures of her so for the rest of her life she can show people that she was part of something big.

Then I dropped her off at daycare and my office is closed today so now I'm going to watch Parks and Rec, eat potato chips, and take a glorious, uninterrupted nap.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [48 favorites]

Just voted in my rural Illinois county that usually votes Democrat. It's populated by farmers and old people. There usually isn't a line because that would require more than three people to show up at once. Today the line got up to 12 people long while I was there. There were some younger people (by which I mean people without gray hair) and more women than men and one person in a wheelchair. I feel optimistic.
posted by Blue Genie at 5:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

I have a voter suppression story. Mind this is in Australia though.

I used to have this epic 6-month long beard. Not a carefully trimmed one either, a real captain caveman thing. I cut it off after the third time someone asked me for drugs. I was also getting stopped by the police just walking around my neighborhood. I looked like a homeless dude.

On election day I went to the primary school down the road. There was no queue. On the way in a woman asked if I had my ID. I said sure and went to grab a ballot. The guy asked me to spell my name and looked it up on his computer. I fill it out, stuff it in the box and I'm gone.

It was only when I got home I realised I never took my ID out of my pocket at all, I just had to tell them my name. Why did that lady ask if I had it? Did she even work there? My theory is she didn't like the look of me, thought I was homeless, I didn't have ID, so by saying I needed it would shoo me away.

I feel super gross about it now because I didn't do anything about it. And oh boy, that was around the corner from a big homeless shelter. I wonder how many people that villain stopped from voting?

But she wasn't wearing a cape and twirling a mustache with darting eyes. She just seemed like a nice old lady giving helpful advice. So be wary at the polls today.
posted by adept256 at 5:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

I saw a woman this morning wearing a white pantsuit over an I'm With Her shirt (while wrangling two small children) - she basically won Spirit Day.
posted by zutalors! at 5:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [34 favorites]

Have us USians all apologized to the rest of the world yet? We are REALLY sorry it got this far, and we are taking care of it today. We promise.
posted by schadenfrau at 5:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [26 favorites]

Half hour line outside in the cold, but we were waiting when the polls opened. My 3-year-old has no idea the significance of it, but she personally filled in the bubble for the first lady president, and only scribbled a tiny bit outside the lines. (The official assured me it wasn't enough to invalidate the ballot)

Obligatory "I'm with her" family selfie
posted by Mayor West at 5:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [26 favorites]

The report from my wife's cubicle was that she put our daughter's hand around the pen to vote for Trump

Did I really say that? Oh my god, I'm sorry to both of them. Hillary. She voted for Hillary.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:18 AM on November 8 [16 favorites +] [!]

Oh Jesus Christ, sweetheart, maybe I'm not the only one who needs a nap*. Anyway, I can confirm that the kraken and I voted for Hillary Clinton to be our President.

*Definitely not the only one who needs a nap.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

Just voted here in the city of Hillary love. The poll workers said the line was the longest they've ever seen for the morning. I had the good fortune of a relatively short line for my division within the ward. so I was in and out in about 30 minutes. There was the regular union guy handing out sample ballots and a trump guy with sample ballots. Didn't see anyone take the a Trump sample ballot during my wait in line.

Stickers for everyone (english and spanish) but mine fell off my coat on the way into the office.
posted by cmfletcher at 5:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

A secret group of Jeopardy! contestants I belong to is informally polling members about their vote and I am very much looking forward to reporting those results here. The former Jeopardy! contestant demographic is, I'm sure, a coveted voting bloc.
posted by palindromic at 5:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

My 3-year-old has no idea the significance of it, but she personally filled in the bubble for the first lady president, and only scribbled a tiny bit outside the lines.

I don't know why, but this made me emotional. I'm glad you decided to go this route instead of doing a vote swap.
posted by papercrane at 5:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

MetaFilter, I'm on the West Coast. Asking for a friend: How early is too early to start drinking?
posted by entropicamericana at 5:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Right now, for example, Clinton/Kaine is receiving ~84% of former Jeopardy! contestant votes, with 256 people polled. More people report voting 3rd party (30) than Trump (11).
posted by palindromic at 5:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

A secret group of Jeopardy! contestants I belong to is informally polling members about their vote and I am very much looking forward to reporting those results here.

The show itself tends to lean more toward the Libertarian side of things. It will be interesting to know your group's results.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Pansuited up and voted, in PA.

I skipped the option of straight-ticket voting so I could feel the shiver when I hit the HILLARY CLINTON / TIM KAINE button.

In & out in five minutes because it's trump country here.
posted by Dashy at 5:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Jury Sentences Nasty Woman to Four to Eight Years in Big House

FTFY Ghostinthemachine
posted by zakur at 5:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

MetaFilter, I'm on the West Coast. Asking for a friend: How early is too early to start drinking?

Well I'm EST and it's 8:45. The only reason I don't have Baileys in my coffee right is that I have to go to a class tonight. I'd be partaking all damn day if I didn't have to drive eventually.

When I get home though...
posted by Jalliah at 5:44 AM on November 8, 2016

I wrapped her little paw around the pen to fill in the oval so she could vote for the first woman President and be a part of history.

really because i heard a rumor she voted for trump
posted by Greg Nog at 8:42 AM on November 8

I hate everything.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [25 favorites]

> "The former Jeopardy! contestant demographic is, I'm sure, a coveted voting bloc."

I can report that Clinton has the Jewish bisexual expat absentee vote in Scotland sewn up. Both of us are nervous but cautiously optimistic, according to polls.
posted by kyrademon at 5:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [42 favorites]

I've read all of the election threads but not commented much for various reasons, but all y'all have given me a lot of great information and a place of refuge in a time of storm.

I'm a product of mid-1980s Arkansas and everything that was mentioned in the earlier article about both Clintons' efforts to improve our state's dismal education. It's one of the reasons I've been unreasonably angry about Camille Paglia's "what has she accomplished?" glurge earlier. Because I'm one of the things HRC has accomplished. I went to AEGIS camps in the summer. I participated in newly-constituted Gifted & Talented classes. I went to the six-week Governor's School program before my senior year of Arkansas. I grew up in a small Arkansas town of 10,000, and yet I had the chance to see how much larger of a world was waiting for me out there. To a large extent, I am a scientist today because of the opportunities HRC provided Arkansas through her spearheading education reform.

I support her for a multitude of reasons, but one of the major ones is because I am a living legacy of her work. And today, I'm with her.
posted by sgranade at 5:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [124 favorites]

> I wonder how he'll come out of it.
> With dignity, humility, and quiet self-reflection, the same way he does everything else.

Yeahhhh... quiet dignity and grace...
posted by Fiberoptic Zebroid and The Hypnagogic Jerks at 5:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

A secret group of Jeopardy! contestants

Do you have underground street-jeopardy! tournaments like in the IT Crowd? Please say yes.
posted by Tarumba at 5:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

miratime: "No stickers at my polling place (not Pittsburgh, but Allegheny County), soren_lorenson."

Same here. Gotta be a rogue electoral team that bought stickers.

Bummer, dude. I saw a student this morning sporting a sticker totally different from mine, so I suspect various poll workers have gone rogue and bought them themselves. The workers in my division are a stalwart crew that are there every single year without fail, and this year were joined by some highschool girls as well. Everyone asked how my chickens are doing because it's that kind of neighborhood ^_^

As far as various partisan staff, there was someone handing out D sample ballots, but not a single R in sight, and also a couple election protection peeps. All was very sedate and there was a steady stream of people coming in. And I saw my first Stein signs! Orange, white and green is an interesting choice for an American presidential campaign. But thinking back I am actually pretty sure there were no Trump signs out front of the building. Just Hillary and Stein and maybe one Johnson? Good jerb, Republicans. Such ground game. Much grassroots. Wow.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

It's never too early to start drinking.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 5:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I'm hoping that a few days after the election is over there's a weird (non-tragic) news event that draws in all the tv news media.

There will be, and it will be Donald's meltdown.
posted by spitbull at 5:48 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

It's never too early to start drinking.

It's oppo droppo'clock somewhere.
posted by mcstayinskool at 5:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Chapel Hill, NC checking in. After all the sound and fury of this election, my own tiny part of it had all the numinous calm of a Norman Rockwell painting; a line of people, mostly white, bundled up against the November morning chill, spiraling around the entrance hall of the local church that is our polling place so that the doors could stay shut. From Dixville Notch, New Hampshire (which I remain to be convinced is not just a tasteless joke amongst political reporters that has been allowed to go on for too long) to Adak, Alaska, the same scene is being repeated. I am proud to the marrow to have been one two-hundred-millionth part of the grandeur and continuity of our democracy this year, which despite its baked-in peculiarities and injustices, and despite the the best efforts of the media, Vladimir Putin, hysterical FB troll posters, and the FBI, will go off today, as it has since the Revolution, and will go on until there is no longer a United States.
posted by Captain l'escalier at 5:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

is it over

did we win
posted by beerperson at 5:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

Polls are closed in Dixville Notch. Polls closed means bottles open.
posted by cmfletcher at 5:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Voted at 7 am here in upstate New York. It took ten minutes, including drive time (my polling place is a church right around the corner). I wore a red shirt (camouflage!) and when I asked the guy manning the polling machine if I should just stick my voting card in, he said something about checking the screen. I glance down at the machine and there's this big green button that says "CAST." So I reach toward it and ask, "So, I punch this button?" And the man says "No! Don't touch anything!"

So yeah, I almost brought down the entire New York State voting network. Almost.

Now I'm watching the MetaFilter MST3Klub Election Day Marathon. We're all with her! Hi-keeba!
posted by valkane at 5:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Finally made it to the end of the thread as I stand in line getting ready to vote! LET'S DO THIS!!
posted by mothershock at 5:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Argh I'm out of favorites already, going to be a long day. I don't know why I'm even bothering to go to work today - I took tomorrow off in case of hangover but today I'll be so distracted that nothing will get done. I've got my black pants and black blazer and pearl necklace to wear, and I'll be spending the day trying not to smack any of my coworkers for saying stupid things, and constantly clicking "X new comments" in whichever election thread is most current. (A significant part of the reason why I upgraded my phone last month is literally so I could read the election threads without it reaching an alarming temperature and crashing on me.)

Thank you to everyone - to the folks who've voted and the folks that will, to everyone here for the threads that keep us sane, to the mods for the incredible burden they've shouldered in keeping this all running smoothly.
posted by skycrashesdown at 5:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Voted for 1st woman president at my local church, then coughed up 5 bucks for brownies from the little old lady running the bake sale on the side. Win win.
posted by triage_lazarus at 5:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I waited maybe 20 minutes to vote this morning, the longest I've ever waited. My polling location had separate lines for different districts within the town, but evidently the only people who went at 6:30 in the morning were from the immediately surrounding blocks (like me), so we all had to wait. toddlerozzy fed the ballot into the machine; she was so happy when it sucked it up.

And so was I.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Yesterday I got added to Pantsuit Nation so I logged back in to Facebook to check it out. I was delighted by the outpouring of positivity I saw. I read it and thought yeah, even as creepy as Facebook is, I could see sticking around for this kind of experience.

Then I went back to my main TL and saw that an old high school friend posted a side-by-side yuk-yuk comparison of Trump voters and Clinton voters. The former was represented by a screengrab of the vehicles from Fury Road charging forth. Amusingly, they were the vehicles of the misogynistic rapist slavers from a post-apocalyptic hellscape, a point that appeared to elude him.

The latter was a woman leading a man around on all fours on a dog leash. Which, given his general FB output, was predictable enough har-har from him.

He posted this with the comment: "HILARIOUS!!" And I thought, oh, dude. What are you up to now, anyway. So I checked his profile.

He's a judge. A small town municipal judge, but a judge.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but elections matter, y'all. Even and perhaps especially the downticket races. Hie thee to the voting booth.

Me, I early voted, but today I put on the closest thing to a pantsuit I got: sportcoat, slacks, dope-ass bright yellow paisley pocket square. Let's do this.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:59 AM on November 8, 2016 [36 favorites]

In line now. Oh wait...who am I supposed to vote for again? The crotch grabber or the email lady?
posted by sexyrobot at 5:59 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Several elections ago, my polling place (Mississippi, albeit in a college town) got new electronic voting machines and I was a bit anxious about how to work them. The person who handed me the card was a young Black man, perhaps not old enough to vote himself. I looked at the card, I looked back at him, and I said, "What do I do now?" He threw his eyes and hands beatifically heavenwards and sang out, "Now, you vote!!" I laughed and decided I'd probably figure it out in the booth, and I did. This is why I vote. Because we have come so far, and we have so far yet to go.
posted by thebrokedown at 6:00 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Circlet Press has three volumes of queer political scifi erotica on sale for $2.016. Coupon code ERECTIONDAY.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 6:01 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

My sticker isn't the usual I voted! Red white and blue affair, but dark blue and yellow with an eagle clutching arrows and what I think might be a bunch of laurel.

It's way more badass than usual.
posted by Tarumba at 6:01 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Do you have underground street-jeopardy! tournaments like in the IT Crowd yt ?

We're all pretty much LearnedLeague members. Does that count?

i have known the greatest joy of all - beating a 5-time J! champ because of my superior knowledge of popular internet cats
posted by palindromic at 6:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

If my spouse wrote in joke candidates for all the unopposed Republicans, what will happen? Will the ballot be invalidated or not? We're in South Carolina. I read what I could find on the code but it wasn't clear; it said if the instructions aren't followed for write-in candidates "the ballot will be tabulated by [the officials]". Does that mean they just count it for whoever they feel like?
posted by Scattercat at 6:02 AM on November 8, 2016

About 30 minutes in Greenwich Village and we got stickers!
posted by AJaffe at 6:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

apparently today is the day I put "The Story of Tonight" on repeat and try not to cry at my desk
posted by catlet at 6:03 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I have dusted actual dust off a pantsuit and folded my "I voted" stub from the mail-in ballot into a pseudo pocket square. Let's do this.
posted by deludingmyself at 6:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Just voted in NY. Very busy, but they're moving people right along.

Even after everything, seeing 'Donald J. Trump' on the ballot was surreal. Like I wasn't quite awake yet.

Thank you everyone for these threads! They've been a liferaft. I can't wait (TTTCS) to see Hillary's speech tonight.
posted by postcommunism at 6:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

I was curious what my hometown paper was saying about the election and was not happy to see the results of a local middle school election (Trump 300, Hillary 144 Gary Johnson 73), although a lot of the voters seem to have been swayed by the life sized cutout of Trump donated by the local GOP. Still, discouraging news, since you know what they say "As goes Tucker Creek, so goes that part of Havelock, maybe"
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

is it over
did we win

I had a dream last night that I slept through the whole election, woke up to check my phone, saw that Hillary won, then went back to sleep so soundly (still dreaming, mind you) that I missed half the next workday.

When I forreal woke up, it was an hour before my alarm and I got to spend all that extra time with my dog and tbh I'm feeling pretty fantastic even though I didn't magically get to sleep through this day.
posted by phunniemee at 6:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

If someone nervous wants a way to pass the time, I would love to see a "Trainspotting"- style poster but with items like "Choose competence. Choose unity. Choose staying cool and collected. Choose doing your homework. Choose tolerance."

I would do it but my laptop died this weekend and the new one isn't here yet.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:07 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Individuals convicted of a felony are ineligible to vote while incarcerated, on parole, or on probation.
Just wanted to pop in to say that this varies by State. But most of you knew that.
posted by Floydd at 6:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Good morning from Baltimore, where a blue result is the most foregone of conclusions. Still, I'm heading out to my polling place now, all fired up.

A chance to shatter a glass ceiling and crush a real threat to our country all at once? Oh, hell yes.
posted by baltimoretim at 6:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Out in VA doing voter protection work right now. Already had a dude with stars and bars on his truck stand just outside the perimeter yelling loudly how he can't believe anyone would vote for Clinton.

They're dumb enough to do voter intimidation, but they seem to be educated as to what their limits are without me having to get the cops and polling officials involved.
posted by Karaage at 6:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

This election has made me so twitchy that I brought extra ID to the polls because last time I voted the lady snitted at me because the address on my license is out of date. I had the little cardboard piece the DMV gives you in Virginia when you update your address. I checked the text the requirements and it doesn't say anything about the address but I still brought my passport. No issues voting but I was tense about it. And then I got interviewed by Voice of America Korean edition and was sputtery nervous the whole time.
posted by brilliantine at 6:13 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

No stickers! 😡 If that's not a cause of action against the county board of elections it damn well should be.
posted by enn at 6:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Good morning, USAians.

I just wanted to tell you good luck. We're all counting on you.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

South St. Louis. 15 minutes in a catholic school gym. One guy outside handing Lyda Krewson mayor pamphlets. No one else. Process was pie.
posted by asockpuppet at 6:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

@nmeyersohn: .@RogerJStoneJr sounds NV SIREN: "Nevada is problematic. Trump has run one of the worst campaigns in modern political history in the state."

Man, I can't wait to see what happens to this slimeball once the feds start sniffing around him and he decides no Trump NDA is worth the trouble.
posted by zombieflanders at 6:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

Sad evidence of voter disenfranchisement: the flag at my polling place had a gold fringe, identifying it as an admiralty court polling location, meaning I was forced to cast my vote for only the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and not for the President of the United States.

But on a serious note, I filled in the "straight ticket - democrat" circle at the top of my scantron, and filled out the partisan section. But I couldn't leave without filling out the "Hillary Clinton" circle, so I did that one too. And then I worried that maybe that would mess up my straight ticket section? So i filled in a few other bubbles, and, well that took longer than I expected. But, #185 at my polling location! We're going to do this, friends.
posted by rebent at 6:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

I could tell it's an important day because, despite the codeine, I woke up several times and dreamed about the election all night. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, AMERICA. I'm hoping we can find a reason to be proud about at least our democracy, if not also our electoral system today.
posted by mynameisluka at 6:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Thanks to the community for the suggestions in that AskMe I posted above. In case you want a Spotify playlist that captures the greasy sweaty car-dancing life-affirming spirit of 2008 here is your jamz.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:19 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

And so the rest of your life will hopefully act out.
posted by Wordshore at 6:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

In Darkness and Without Fanfare, Governor Christie Votes for Trump

It's okay, Grima. It'll be over soon.
posted by Mooski at 6:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

If someone nervous wants a way to pass the time, I would love to see a "Trainspotting"- style poster but with items like "Choose competence. Choose unity. Choose staying cool and collected. Choose doing your homework. Choose tolerance."

And I'd like to see a gif of the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark with Hillary's spirit emitting from the the ark melting the faces of all the collected Republicans, but I'll settle for a regular old acceptance speech with cutaways to Trump HQ and just imagine the rest if need be since that'll be close enough to being the same thing that it won't matter much if they aren't explicitly dressed in Nazi attire.
posted by gusottertrout at 6:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Also: my district is full of sour old white people -- seriously, would it kill you to crack a smile on Election Day? -- but I also saw lots of young people and more Hispanic people (of which there are lots and lots in my neighborhood, and I guess of which I am technically one, but I have never seen any great number voting) than I have ever seen before at the polling place.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

DAMMIT WORDSHORE.
posted by Mooski at 6:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

So yeah, did the voting thing - in what might be described as the fasionable outer suburbs of St. Louis (when Woodrow Wilson was President). Got there at 6:05 and the line was already longer than I've seen it in years.

Observations:
That wear red thing that Trump supporters were crowing about at some point. I think my neighborhood leans blue but I don't think it is anything like 100%. I saw two people in what might have been described as red in St. Louis! One was, of course, the Cardinals, the other was more watermelon colored and had the name of a local hospital on it.

The poll workers apparently didn't think a "Cthulhu 2016" button counted as electioneering. I had fun telling the guy that I thought Shub-Niggurath did a better job of sticking to the issues during the debates. He smiled.

I don't know who is going to get the most votes, but this guy wins election day as far as I'm concerned.

No sign of any sort of wankery but the day is still young.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 6:21 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

It's okay, Grima. It'll be over soon.

More of a Renfield, tbh
posted by middleclasstool at 6:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I'm annoyed. I've been sitting here having a serious craving for an Egg McMuffin. I KNOW it's because of some bizzare election association but my brain is stuck on it.

I have no willpower right now and am giving in. Getting out of my PJs to go to town. So thanks Metafilter, this is all your fault. *shakes fist*
posted by Jalliah at 6:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Made it to the bottom! Now heading out for last minute phonebanking, so it'll probably take me 'til tomorrow to catch up. Thx to Wordshore for the Election Day posts in advance.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Just got back from voting. Surprisingly busy. Had around a 5 minute wait. Most years, I don't have to wait at all. Also happy to report my little town's amount of Trump paraphernalia remains at zero. None of the trucks or cars around the polling place had Trump stickers.

Have to confess with a heavy heart that I voted for a Republican. One of my friends is running, unopposed, for county treasurer. Only the second time in my life I've pulled for an R. Feels quite weird, even though I know she's good people.

Over at the post office, there's a poster laying out the stances of each candidate. It's been there for a month. Every time I go in, there are pins stuck in the portraits of both Hillary and Donald. The number of pins in each has vacillated with each one trading places as the most disliked. After voting, I went in and the pins were all gone. Both candidates are well-perforated at this point, but Trump had slightly fewer pinholes.
posted by honestcoyote at 6:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I picked up an egg mcmuffin on my way to vote, so you're not alone, Jalliah

MD's was full!
posted by Tarumba at 6:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I would guess that under President Jacob Zuma, I am the MeFite with the Most Embarassing President. I will gladly take one for the team! Keep that title on me!
posted by PenDevil at 6:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

I just want to say thank you to everyone that has phone banked or volunteered or done anything to help the Clinton campaign.
posted by drezdn at 6:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Any chance trump can get arrested of any of what are prob numerous sec fraud activities, his charity stuff, the model agency trafficking thing, assault, anything?

Or are they just waiting til after election?

Actually, I figured there was a non-zero chance he was actually running because his candidacy would make prosecution for any of several things less likely.
posted by Mooski at 6:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

No Egg McMuffin for me. My voting food connection is cuban sandwiches or mofongo. And that's dinner, for when I hit the polls after work. Question is which do I get. Or, shall my partner and I order one of each and split them?
posted by SansPoint at 6:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

In Darkness and Without Fanfare, Governor Christie Votes for Trump

In most fantasy novels, the craven spit-upon minion gets some measure of revenge against the dark lord at the end. I'm hoping he used the privacy of the booth to vote Clinton while muttering & giggling.
posted by honestcoyote at 6:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

The Simpsons at the voting booth
posted by robbyrobs at 6:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Waiting in line, looks to be a 1.5 hour ordeal in this sky blue uptown Minneapolis precinct. These are Hillary people.

Bonus points if your voting place is a 100 year old Unitarian church!
posted by localhuman at 6:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

So it looks like I'll be flying in from Denver to Boston when the election is called. Dammit I gotta pay for Wi-Fi and MSNBC? -_-
posted by Talez at 6:31 AM on November 8, 2016

honestcoyote You give Christie way too much credit. He's probably thinking that this is his last chance at a cabinet position.
posted by SansPoint at 6:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

@nmeyersohn: .@RogerJStoneJr sounds NV SIREN: "Nevada is problematic. Trump has run one of the worst campaigns in modern political history in the state."

Holy fuck. Trump's inner circle is turning on him at 8am on election day. We got this! FINISH HIM!
posted by chris24 at 6:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [29 favorites]

I voted - basically there was no reason to vote for anyone but a Democrat this time around.

Some Republican snake person had the fucking gall and hubris to run an ageist campaign against Minneapolis's own Karen Clark - seriously, that was just about the only thing on her promo materials, basically "Isn't Karen Clark old? Vote for me instead!" She didn't even put "Republican" on her stuff since that would sink her around here. Yeah, sure, Karen Clark is 71, and she's done more for GLBTQ people and working people and people who need housing in any single year of her service than some Republican garbage person would do if she had a whole career in the legislature. I felt like sending the Republican candidate a link to Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done For Me Lately" video.

Sure, eventually Karen Clark will need to retire, but we're going to elect a Democrat (or maybe a local Green or something) to her seat, and we won't elect someone whose whole deal is "don't vote for the Olds".

Polls were busy for this polling place - probably 2.5 times the number of people usually there, but no real line.
posted by Frowner at 6:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

"It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people - women as well as men." - Susan B. Anthony

This election has in no small part been turned into a referendum on whether or not women and all people of color are actually people or not. This is such an old and endless and exhausting fight. Please give us this victory today.
posted by skycrashesdown at 6:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [46 favorites]

Here's an Election Day Bingo Card
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Florida folks, please Vote No on 1. It's bullshit. Total fucking bullshit. Thank you.
posted by Cookiebastard at 6:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

The dude hollering back like he's in church? I lol'd.

Just now catching President Obama's speech on YouTube and that guy is cracking me up. The DNC should hire him to be an official hype man--assuming some canny campaign worker didn't place him there deliberately.
posted by fuse theorem at 6:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Good morning from my hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona! I turned on the TV this morning to find the airwaves full of ads for the astonishingly vile Joe Arpaio. Ann Kirkpatrick is advertising heavily, too, which was much nicer to see.

My fervent hope today for all voters in Maricopa County, and everywhere voter intimidation is a threat, is that you be safe as you exercise your right to vote.

I'll be in San Diego tonight after a long day of work and election watching. Let me know if you know of a good pro-Hillary party tonight in San Diego, preferably one with ample margaritas.
posted by cheapskatebay at 6:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

this guy wins election day as far as I'm concerned.

Damn, it's David S. Elections! Any questions?
posted by lord_wolf at 6:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

Frank Zappa says: VOTE LIKE A BEAST
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Northeast Rhode Island, I waited about five minutes. Cheerful volunteers and several of my neighbor's. :7 One of my kids came with me and I let him put the ballot in the scanner machine -- but only after assuring the poll workers that he was under age 13.

Here we go, America!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

The best election song of 1980…..Or maybe ever.
posted by robbyrobs at 6:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

> Trump has run ~~one of~~ the worst campaigns in modern political history ~~in the state.~~

FTFY, Roger.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

A Guide to Spotting Voting Intimidation and How to Report It (WaPo. Are they taking the paywall down today or is that just the New York Times?)
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

If you haven't read it yet, LobsterMitten put up an election day roundup thread on MetaTalk earlier.
posted by Wordshore at 6:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Voted about two weeks ago in Maryland, which has been pretty quiet since the primary. Did a bunch of phone banking for Hillary this past weekend, although I think about 90% of the people I called didn't pick up. (Falling response rates: They're not just for pollsters anymore!)

I am anxious, but am hopeful that what is good and beautiful about this republic will overcome what is twisted and evil about it, at least for the time being. I'm listening to Nate DiMeo of the Memory Palace podcast read Whitman's "Song of Myself" in its entirety. It's great; I don't think I'd ever heard the whole thing.
posted by Cash4Lead at 6:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Argh! Too many threads to monitor! I've only got five screens here people!
posted by valkane at 6:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Every four years the American electorate is two percentage points less white
posted by robbyrobs at 6:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

I voted! The line at my Fairfax County, VA, polling place (Herndon, specifically) was bonkers -- every other election I've voted in as a northern Virginia resident, including the 2012 presidential election, there was zero line and I got in and out in a matter of minutes. This time, I waited an hour; the line went around the corner, and the election officer told me that when they opened at 6 AM there was already a line built up that took 90 minutes to clear. So yeah, turnout is anecdotally very good.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 6:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

Scenes from the polls, 11/8/16, 7:18 AM:

My 3-year-old daughter, having helped fill in the ovals on dad's ballot, gleefully runs to the front of the line and grabs a handful of "I Voted!" stickers, adhering several to her face.

Me: She only voted once, I promise.
Election official: Vote early and vote often, right?
Me: I guess she's the Republican nightmare come to life, huh? Multiple ballots cast by an ineligible voter, and now she's rubbing our faces in it?
Election official: (uncomfortable laugh)

FIN
posted by Mayor West at 6:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [74 favorites]

Canvassed on Sunday and voted today for Hillary. Let's close this thing out - and I am not alone in hoping the GOP is torn apart by their orange monster.
posted by glaucon at 6:48 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

What a clusterfuck. Got to the polls at 5:45. Finally voted at 7:30. One precinct had its own line with two computers, the other two precincts had a single line with one computer. Which couldn't look up my name, even after I corrected the poll worker who put my first name in the last name spot and last name in the first name spot. Finally he noticed that I had already put my election notice on the scanner and scanned it...but who knows what would have happened if i'd not had the notice.

...and the gal walking up and down the line telling the other precinct people that they could just walk right up was also telling people they needed photo IDs. Which is not correct (although there's an amendment on the ballot to require it...)
posted by notsnot at 6:48 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I have trouble believing Trump will think any result where he lost is fair.

@JakeSherman
on @Morning_Joe, Don Trump Jr just said his father will concede tonight if he loses, and its a fair result.
posted by chris24 at 6:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Comcast picked the worst possible time to cut off my router to force me to buy a more updated one, so I'll have to catch up on all your lovely election thread posts later, but I just have to say it was a pleasure and a privilege to go through these almost-600 days with you all. With all sincerity - you guys make America great. Especially you mods.

I hope everyone (including my #1 boss ladies Katy Tur and Olivia Nuzzi) are safe today and tonight and that we all get to celebrate in our favorite ways.
posted by sallybrown at 6:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Voted this morning and stood in line for about forty-five minutes in South St. Louis County, MO. My wife and I glanced at each other and had a silent conversation about which way each exiting voter had gone. I felt that sense of relief so many people have talked about at finally filling in the little circle next to Hillary's name.

On the way out we heard an old lady ask two adorable little ginger toddler boys who they were going to vote for. "Hiwawy Cwinton!"
posted by EarBucket at 6:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

I couldn't help myself. Despite a forecast for 90 degrees, and even claiming here that I wouldn't, I put on my damn pantsuit this morning and will vote at 1 p.m., when it is probably going to be actually 90 degrees, because I am a sucker for semiotics!

Love you, mefi! Thanks, mods!
posted by Sophie1 at 6:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

hopefully I won't have to hum loudly at work until I get my headphones in

OMG I thought I was the only one who did this! The office isn't bad but I have done this on/waiting for the bus a number of times. Not just the headphones but the humming, because it is impossible to get the headphones out of the bag and in the ear fast enough when you hear "Well I think they are both EQUALLY BAD..."
posted by acanthous at 6:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

and its a fair result

That's the tricky bit, though, isn't it? What's fair to the rest of humanity is not what Donald Trump considers fair.
posted by SansPoint at 6:53 AM on November 8, 2016

I AM SECOND IN LINE AND SOMEONE BROUGHT GOLDEN RETRIEVER PUPPIES!!!

My pantsuit is covered in so many puppy kisses and fur and I HAVE NO REGRETS
posted by jetlagaddict at 6:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [92 favorites]

"Well I think they are both EQUALLY BAD..."

See, this is actually a good thing; it lets you know in advance which of your coworkers can be trusted with a pair of scissors.
posted by Mooski at 6:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [34 favorites]

adept256: I'm serious, can we get a headcount of mefites that didn't even know their partner or have their baby when Hillary started this thing.

Our baby was (wonderfully, unexpectedly) conceived a few weeks after Hillary announced her candidacy, was born toward the end of January, this year, and is now just over 9 months old.

It's a girl!

My Austrian wife told our daughter yesterday that, "Papa ist heute und morgen nicht ansprechbar" / "Daddy won't be available today or tomorrow", since she knew I'd be spending most of my time following election news on metafilter and elsewhere until the race is called.

Thanks to everyone here for working together to create a safe and thoughtful environment for following and discussing election news.
posted by syzygy at 6:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [36 favorites]

You have your orders now go, man, go!
posted by whuppy at 6:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I voted in Brooklyn this morning, there was enough of a line that it took half an hour to do it but I managed to get out in time to join the Hillary GOTV bus to Philly. I'm on the bus now with some wonderful people and you guys were right, volunteering has totally calmed my nerves. Thank you to all of you for getting me through this election and for encouraging me to volunteer, something I've never done before and never thought I could. OK, so we're doing this!
posted by doublenelson at 6:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Just reminding everyone that later tonight, /r/the_meltdown will be servicing all your schadenfreudian needs without having to open /r/the_deplorables, /pol/ or any other cesspool of the Interwebz.
posted by Talez at 6:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

MetaFilter, I'm on the West Coast. Asking for a friend: How early is too early to start drinking?
posted by entropicamericana at 5:41 AM on November 8 [1 favorite +] [!]

June. June was too early.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 6:56 AM on November 8, 2016 [34 favorites]

Nthing the positive feelings from overseas. Good luck, people. We love you and trust in you.
posted by vbfg at 6:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

"Well I think they are both EQUALLY BAD..."

See, this is actually a good thing; it lets you know in advance which of your coworkers can be trusted with a pair of scissors.

Not when you have to pretend like you respect them as thinking adults and your face may as well be a marquee on Times Square for displaying your opinions.
posted by winna at 6:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

@timkaine
I wanted to be first at my polling place, but 99-year-old Minerva Turpin beat me to it. Looks like I need to get used to being number two! [pic with Minerva]
posted by chris24 at 7:00 AM on November 8, 2016 [84 favorites]

Not when you have to pretend like you respect them as thinking adults and your face may as well be a marquee on Times Square for displaying your opinions.

Do I have a T-Shirt for you!
posted by Mooski at 7:01 AM on November 8, 2016

No new baby or relationship, but I got tenure and promotion since the election season started!
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:01 AM on November 8, 2016 [25 favorites]

Omg Talez I wish I had known about that reddit before, hours of schadenfraude!
posted by Tarumba at 7:01 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

"When astronauts get their absentee ballots, their address is listed as "low-Earth orbit"

How NASA astronauts vote from space
posted by garius at 7:03 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

So today's my birthday (a Democratic Senate would be a nice gift in case you were wondering) and my oldest son, a county corrections officer, wrote this on his Facebook wall:

My father told me the only thing he wanted for his birthday was for me to get out and vote. This election is more important than just deciding who the next president will be. This election is about standing up to a bully. It's about doing what's right, and not wavering in my beliefs. So thank you for instilling in me the values that make me who I am today. And happy birthday, you crazy old man.

I could have done without the old part and I guess somebody must have been cutting onions in the office when I read it, but I think it's the nicest present I ever received.
posted by maurice at 7:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [77 favorites]

I've got exactly one pro-Trump friend left. A friend of 20 years, a mentor at work, helped me get my current job. Good father, nice boss, literal war hero. Commendable human being in most ways, but also a PTSD-having vet who feels must kill all Jihadists! is the only issue that matters. I'm trying hard to make it through this last day while staying friends with him but he's living in my FB feed and not making it easy.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Non-starter here: compulsory voting would be compelled speech

We can compel speech in other situations (court testimony, for example). There is room in first amendment jurisprudence for compulsory voting.

The hurdle for compulsory speech isn't too high for commercial efforts and yeah, you can compel testimony (though you still have that 5Am refusal possibility) but I don't think you're going to get over that for forcing political speech. But I think it would work a lot better to lean on the ACA supreme court ruling and just make it a tax which you can get forgiven if you vote.

If we had a less awful Congress it could make for a nice bit of annual stimulus. Instead of a fee for not voting make it a refundable tax credit for, say, $20. (SAIT)
posted by phearlez at 7:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Stories from Voter Protection: Just had an old white man tell me to go to hell when I had advised him that he can't bring his Trump sign with him into the polling station.

A poll worker just stopped him. The man's throwing a fit about his first amendment rights.
posted by Karaage at 7:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [51 favorites]

Just got back from voting. Ten minute wait in line; pretty sure that's the busiest I've ever seen my polling place.
posted by indubitable at 7:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Okay now he's accused the poll worker of being a Clinton supporter. The polling official might get involved soon.
posted by Karaage at 7:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

I'm trying hard to make it through this last day while staying friends with him but he's living in my FB feed and not making it easy.

You know you can ignore posts from him without unfriending right? How do you think the vast majority of my family and I co-exist as facebook friends in the first place?
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I met my boyfriend in February. He's been a strong counterpoint to the "worst year ever" narrative for this year.
posted by zutalors! at 7:07 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

@Refinery29
RT if you're with @HillaryClinton (and her killer pantsuit game) ❤️ #ImWithHer [image]

The image attached to this tweet is awesome.

No One Better Suited For The Job
posted by chris24 at 7:07 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Women are flocking to Susan B Anthony's grave to cover it with "I Voted" stickers

posted by signal at 7:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [48 favorites]

Okay crisis averted. People started jeering him and and man at the front of the line told him to shut up and vote already and let him cut ahead so he could stop embarrassing himself.
posted by Karaage at 7:09 AM on November 8, 2016 [34 favorites]

One of this election's biggest mysteries may go unanswered... Why did Trump wear over-long ties?
posted by drezdn at 7:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Center city Philadelphia : we got to our division's polling place just after it opened this morning and were the 99th and 100th [my wife was extremely happy about being number 100] people in line. Despite the fact that there were only 7 things to vote for, we were still in line for over an hour. As a comparison, the longest I have previously waited to vote at the same polling place was 5 minutes.

Either the turnout is extremely heavy or people don't want to risk waiting till after work.
posted by nolnacs at 7:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Since Hillary declared, I've started a new job, gotten married, moved into an apartment, gotten a cat, purchased a house, quit that first job, and then started another job. This weekend I get two more cats.

So it's been eventful, but this was also a very long election.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

drezdn: Well, if you view the necktie as a phallic symbol...
posted by SansPoint at 7:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

So for whatever it is worth....our polling location had one line that splits into two based on last name - A through L, M through Z.
At 8:45 am, the A - L line was well over an hour long
The M -Z line was walk right up to the table and vote
Very weird.

Similar story here in Hampton, New Hampshire. Longer line than I've experienced, but it moved quickly. When I got to the actual entrance to the school gymnasium, the A-B long was very long, a few others also long-ish, but I was the only person at S. Would be interesting to determine the "first letter of last name" distribution in town.
posted by schoolgirl report at 7:11 AM on November 8, 2016

Oh, I read about this. I think it's that Italian ties are "the classiest" so Trump buys those, but they're longer so you have enough fabric for a more complicated knot, but Trump doesn't use that knot. So they hang down too far.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

One of this election's biggest mysteries may go unanswered... Why did Trump wear over-long ties?

Why Trump's suits don't fit
posted by tofu_crouton at 7:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Just voted in Utah. 45-minute wait, but that was because the computers were down and they switched to paper ballots. I enjoyed filling in the circle next to HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON.

My neighborhood is half hispanic but the line was almost all white people. No surge of hispanic voters here...
posted by mmoncur at 7:13 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

There's actually a live feed of Susan B. Anthony's grave. Today is SO COOL.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:13 AM on November 8, 2016 [36 favorites]

I think it's that Italian ties are "the classiest" so Trump buys those, but they're longer so you have enough fabric for a more complicated knot, but Trump doesn't use that knot.

Ha. Very American, I'll give him that much.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:13 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

If you had to guess why Trump's ties are so long, you'd probably bet that he buys expensive ties and then doesn't bother learning how to tie them properly. And you would be right.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

My husband, who almost never votes, has headed out to do so, excited to vote for the first female President. :)
posted by agregoli at 7:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

What happens if trump doesn't concede?

Legally, nothing at all. A concession is just a speech, it has no effect on the actual election.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

What happens if trump doesn't concede?

Well, we can't put him in timeout exactly, but that's what I do with my 2 year old when she doesn't play nice with others... just for reference of course.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

What happens if trump doesn't concede?

Nothing.
posted by Mooski at 7:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

If you had to guess why Trump's ties are so long, you'd probably bet that he buys expensive ties and then doesn't bother learning how to tie them properly. And you would be right.

Jeebus, the man is an obstinate asshole about even his neckties.
posted by Fleebnork at 7:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

So for whatever it is worth....our polling location had one line that splits into two based on last name - A through L, M through Z.
At 8:45 am, the A - L line was well over an hour long
The M -Z line was walk right up to the table and vote
Very weird.

We had the opposite problem - A-L had nobody at it and M-Z was overflowing. I had a similar problem while caucusing. I never understood why they don't look at the actual last names of registered voters in the precinct and split it up that way - I really doubt it's evenly distributed.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

What happens if trump doesn't concede?

As others have said, he has no legal obligation.

But if he doesn't concede and make some effort to calm his rabid supporters, shit gets weird, and maybe violent. The trumpistas have already been threatening violence, and already think the system is "rigged", so if he doesn't concede it's basically him saying: get your guns out, and to some heavily armed wingnuts.
posted by dis_integration at 7:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Here's a blog with some long lines from my neighborhood. (NYC, UWS)
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:17 AM on November 8, 2016

This election is like a sociology experiment that would never get past the ethics review board. We are finally going to get a percentage figure on how much privilege a wealthy cis white male still has in the US, once all other factors have been eliminated.

A randomly selected group of US citizens (n=300000000) was presented with a scenario involving a choice between a wealthy white man and a wealthy white woman for a position of responsibility over the group. The group was primed in advance with images of a black man succeeding in the same role, and reminded repeatedly that the male candidate had no qualifications or experience relevant to the job. The results are suggestive, but further research on this scale is not necessary.

Good luck, USians: we're all counting on you to stop before this goes full Zimbardo.
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 7:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [87 favorites]

On the topic of feeling "inspired", understand that today and only today you have the opportunity to:
* vote for the first female president in US history
* vote for the most progressive agenda in decades
* vote against a clear and present existential danger to not just our republic but the world itself.
I voted in 96. I know from uninspiring elections. What we are doing today is straight up thrilling and heroic when you look at it.
So let's get out there and save the world.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 7:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

Legally, nothing at all.

But in practical terms, the opening bell for at least four years of unprecedented partisan rancor. If Trump insists Clinton's victory (turn, spit) was illegitimate then it opens the door for the GOP's right wing to simply refuse to acknowledge her as president. Never mind working against her, we'd get the House Freedom Caucus whackos insisting that the office of the presidency is vacant and Paul Ryan should therefore be considered our chief executive.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:18 AM on November 8, 2016

I'm sharing this with you all so that I am not the only one who is living with this info: r/the_meltdown just informed me that the dude who was filmed completely losing is everloving racist shit on a black driver has the distinction of also having had himself banned from bestiality sites for being too creepy.

Again: America's best and brightest, truly.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

In Darkness and Without Fanfare, Governor Christie Votes for Trump

You just know Christie is lying in a dark room, listening to "Nebraska" on repeat.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [29 favorites]

you'd probably bet that he buys expensive ties and then doesn't bother learning how to tie them properly. And you would be right.

Wait. Just wait.

I assumed folks were referencing some fancy, overwrought knot that only European folks utilize. But they're talking about him simply not knowing or using a double windsor and instead going with a single windsor??!!!? I am without words. It's a good thing they don't let me tie his ties for him or I'd be tempted to do very bad things with a very nice double windsor knot.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:19 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Reporting in from rural and deep-red Pennsylvania: I had a voter number in the high 300's and waited 30 minutes for what's usually a 10-minute business. LOTS of folks behind me, and many buying donuts to support the local Christmas town decoration fund. Wore purple, white, and green to honor those who made it possible for me to stand in line...and it was a joy to take my daughter's little hand in mine and together press the button for Hillary.

Courage, friends--courage!
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:19 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

Just saw a man at my mom's polling place throw his walker around in a fit of pique because his wife kept rolling the car forward every time he reached the door. I have a feeling those votes are going to cancel one another out.
posted by thebrokedown at 7:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [51 favorites]

My eyebrow just arched so hard it flew off my head

Tim Kaine? Is that you?
posted by everybody had matching towels at 7:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

MeFite and recently naturalized US citizen Comrade Doll went and cast her first vote in a presidential election today.

It's not my place to tell you how she voted, but she's an immigrant and a woman and she doesn't move her lips when she reads, so draw your own conclusions.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [62 favorites]

you'd probably bet that he buys expensive ties and then doesn't bother learning how to tie them properly. And you would be right.

It also serves to cover up that pee spot on the front of his pants.
posted by Floydd at 7:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I voted with my family this morning. No stickers in our precinct, so we used the ones that miratime sent us. Thank you! I have me next GOTV packet and will give out the rest to anyone who has voted.

When I dropped my daughter off at school this morning the other kids saw her 'I voted' sticker and surrounded her chanting "Hil-la-ry! Hil-la-ry!" It was a good way to start the day.

Now I'm off to go knock on doors.
posted by Alison at 7:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

The Susan b. Anthony grave stickers made me cry. My gods, I hope we pull this off.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 7:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

@repjohnlewis
The right to vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool or instrument we have in a democratic society. Use it.
posted by chris24 at 7:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

In Darkness and Without Fanfare, Governor Christie Votes for Trump

You just know Christie is lying in a dark room, listening to "Nebraska" on repeat, and weeping into his clenched fists. (FTFY)
posted by Chrysostom at 7:18 AM on November 8 [2 favorites +] [!]
posted by From Bklyn at 7:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Never mind working against her, we'd get the House Freedom Caucus whackos insisting that the office of the presidency is vacant and Paul Ryan should therefore be considered our chief executive.

Well then they can abstain from voting for all the good that'll do them, then. I think Pelosi wouldn't mind having the gavel back in her hands.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:23 AM on November 8, 2016

Here's Hillary Clinton voting for herself yo.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Sort of in the nature of being a 'poll aggregator', no? If they just conducted your own private poll (which would be insanely expensive if it were a good one), they couldn't then apply the same methodology that they do. It would defeat the purpose of what he's trying to do

I think that his fans would probably crowdfunding some data collection efforts. He doesn't have to do full scale national polls, but could do some limited polling to check and verify the data and assumptions about the electoral models. Anyone can aggregate polling data and make simulations from it. If he wants to maintain his edge as king of polls and stats he needs to do more.
posted by humanfont at 7:24 AM on November 8, 2016

roomthreeseventeen: Has cheeto-face voted yet? Will he even bother?
posted by SansPoint at 7:24 AM on November 8, 2016

Here's Hillary Clinton voting for herself yo.

Will she stop at nothing in her ruthless quest for power??
posted by theodolite at 7:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [93 favorites]

If Trump loses and doesn't concede, my guess is the normal Republicans will pretend he never even happened. They'll try to obstruct things regardless.

It's possible he could try suing, but unless it was Gore vs. Bush close, I don't see it getting anywhere.
posted by drezdn at 7:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Why did Trump wear over-long ties?

Wow, I really like the actual explanations. I was going to chalk it up to the obvious Freudian symbolism.
posted by Miko at 7:25 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

roomthreeseventeen: Has cheeto-face voted yet? Will he even bother?

CNN had "Trump votes soon" up as a chyron a few minutes ago. So he's about to.
posted by dis_integration at 7:25 AM on November 8, 2016

Has cheeto-face voted yet? Will he even bother?

I haven't seen one way or the other.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:26 AM on November 8, 2016

Here's Hillary Clinton voting for herself yo.

Wait. So this footage isn't Hillary Clinton?
posted by Talez at 7:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

The last early vote Florida report from Steve Schale.

I want to start with a couple of numbers. First: 67. 67% was the percentage of the electorate was white in 2012 -- which by the way was down from 71 in 2008. My foundational assumption was if the electorate was more diverse than 2012, the basic coalition that got President Obama over the line in 2012 would hold. We finish early voting at 65.7 white, 15.3 hispanic, and 13.1 black, with the black number closing in on the 2012 share, and the white number down.

The other thing working into play here is the explosion of turnout in Central Florida and Miami. If you reweighted the 2012 election by the current 2016 share of vote by market, Obama would have beaten Romney by almost twice the 2012 margin, or 1.5%. Under same scenario, if you apply the 2012 margins by county to the 2016 turnout, you end up with a nearly 2 point Clinton win.

posted by chris24 at 7:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Is it the 28th already?
posted by cmfletcher at 7:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

I took my soon-to-be-11-year-old daughter with me to vote this morning and I hadn't made it all the way to the scanner yet when we were given "I Voted" stickers and I told her she couldn't put it on until I'd actually voted, explaining that it's the same as how hockey players can't touch the Stanley Cup until they win it... Go Rangers!
posted by AJaffe at 7:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

From the right spot in our (rural Iowa, purple city / blue county) backyard, we can see the home of a contractor who did some work on our house a few years ago. He has a flagpole in his front yard, which is currently flying the American flag at half-staff. (Really more like 40% staff, even.)

I suppose technically there are multiple different messages he could be trying to send with this, not all of them assholish, but . . . I don't think we're going to be hiring him again.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 7:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Holy shit, if anything I can thank the election cycle of the orange faced shitgibbon for is finally googling how to tie a double windsor.

Attending private school, I was forced the simple single windsor and it was always weird and awkward anyway, and I've never really bothered to learn how to tie ties properly since then (because of the associated discomfort with it). I mean, I live in the PacNW and work in IT software, it's never really been a thing. And I'm assuming the terrible prep school experience with ties is how Trump has decided to tie his also.

This goes on the list of things that I realize I can now enjoy since I now understand how it is supposed to work. Like properly fitted suits and cufflinks.
posted by mrzarquon at 7:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

The Real Voter Fraud (NYT). Key section:

“Congress could set minimum standards for each state — requiring automatic voter registration, for example. I realize that most congressional Republicans now have little interest in voting rights. But I’d urge them to consider their party’s long-term interests: Opposing basic rights for large and growing groups is not so smart.”

“If Congress won’t act, the Supreme Court can. The court can acknowledge that its 2013 dismantling of a key part of the Voting Rights Act hinged on an overly rosy view of the aftermath. The Equal Protection Clause offers one solution, as the scholar Richard Hasen has argued: The justices could interpret it to overturn state laws making it harder to register and vote.”
posted by Chrysostom at 7:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Has cheeto-face voted yet? Will he even bother?

Morning Edition reported that he voted early in the AM in Manhattan and will be watching returns from Trump Tower. His event will be at a nearby hotel.
posted by Miko at 7:29 AM on November 8, 2016

Just got back from voting, proudly rocking a pantsuit and blue top. I'm a blue dot in a red state, but damn it still felt amazing. The Pantsuit Nation and Pantsuit Nation - Louisiana Chapter facebook groups kept me sane yesterday, and the amount of uplifting posts and pictures so far this morning has brought me to tears more than once.

Our state gave out these amazing Rodrigue blue dog stickers, I hope it's a good omen.
posted by tryniti at 7:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

10 minute wait at most at my polling place at around 9:20, which is about 9 more minutes than usual. I knew this morning that I would be selecting women in all three of our national races, but it was still hard to believe when it was on the screen at the end. No stickers tho. :(

So glad that the campaign is over. Nervous about the outcome and about the future of a nation that let it get this close, but hopeful that the road to recovery begins tonight.
posted by tonycpsu at 7:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Here's Hillary Clinton voting for herself yo.

Will she stop at nothing in her ruthless quest for power??

HILLARY CLINTON'S UNPRECEDENTED VOTING PRACTICES RAISE TROUBLING QUESTIONS
posted by medusa at 7:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

What happens if trump doesn't concede?

Hillary becomes President on Jan 20.
posted by scalefree at 7:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [45 favorites]

He has a flagpole in his front yard, which is currently flying the American flag at half-staff....

but . . . I don't think we're going to be hiring him again.

If you really want to be asinine about it you can watch and see if he raises it to full staff before lowering it (aka the proper way) or just lowers it straight to the ground. The choice to use this information, if applicable, to continue judging him from afar or to snidely correct him after walking over is up to you.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Wapo reporting computer issues at all 57 polling place in Durham NC.

?? tf?
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:32 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Yes I wore a red white and blue outfit to the polls
posted by The Whelk at 7:32 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

"Well I think they are both EQUALLY BAD..."

See, this is actually a good thing; it lets you know in advance which of your coworkers can be trusted with a pair of scissors.

Oddly enough, I heard exactly that from my former *barber*!
posted by notsnot at 7:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Vox Election Emotion tracker--you can update your emotions every 30 minutes.
posted by crush-onastick at 7:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Has cheeto-face voted yet? Will he even bother?

Morning Edition reported that he voted early in the AM in Manhattan and will be watching returns from Trump Tower. His event will be at a nearby hotel.
posted by Miko 1 minute ago [+] [!]

CNN has been teasing that he will be voting soon.
posted by Brainy at 7:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Here's Hillary Clinton voting for herself yo.

Will she stop at nothing in her ruthless quest for power??

HILLARY CLINTON'S UNPRECEDENTED VOTING PRACTICES RAISE TROUBLING QUESTIONS

Such bad optics for her, terrible optics. Over to you, Jim.
posted by Behemoth at 7:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Re: Trumps suits not fitting. I'd just always assumed that they were too big because:

1) He thinks he's got broader shoulders than he has.
2) He thinks his arms are longer than they are (sort of in compensation for the hands thing).
3) He thinks he's taller than he actually is (and thus they have the wrong inside leg measurement).

I'm sure multiple tailors have measured him and told him his actual measurements, only to get angrily "corrected." They've then just rolled their eyes and made the suits to the measurements they were told.

I mean, I'd kind of been treating the above as common knowledge as it fits with his horrific personality and the multiple accounts of him being obsessed with the size of his buildings (even as architect's models) etc.

But maybe that's just because I used to have a boss who did the same and that man was just as big a fucking idiot as Trump.

_{He once challenged me to a fight because when he asked me where I got my suits from in the pub once I (drunkenly and without thinking) truthfully replied 'same place as you, but mine fit.'}
posted by garius at 7:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [27 favorites]

roomthreeseventeen: Has cheeto-face voted yet? Will he even bother?

CNN had "Trump votes soon" up as a chyron a few minutes ago. So he's about to.

I'm calling it now: he'll be stymied when it turns out he didn't register.
posted by madmethods at 7:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

From the right spot in our (rural Iowa, purple city / blue county) backyard, we can see the home of a contractor who did some work on our house a few years ago. He has a flagpole in his front yard, which is currently flying the American flag at half-staff. (Really more like 40% staff, even.)

I believe flags have been at half-staff due to the unpleasantness in Des Moines last week.

if he was really a concerned Trumpist, he would have inverted it.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 7:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Just voted in Idaho. Polls were nice and problem-free although they were unusually busy, particularly for a non-peak time.
posted by Mitrovarr at 7:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

@Lin_Manuel: That glass ceiling looking rickety as hell today.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

Just got back from voting. About a half-hour in line. Not bad, really, considering our polling place covers two precincts. A bit brisk outside. Rain front moving into the area. The afternoon voters are gonna get wet.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

In Darkness and Without Fanfare, Governor Christie Votes for Trump

"I am your Reek," he whispered as he cast his ballot, before slinking back to the kennel.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 7:36 AM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

Wapo reporting computer issues at all 57 polling place in Durham NC.

We use paper rolls here (despite the fact that we use touchscreen voting machines). Honestly with the computer literacy/ability to touch-type of the average person, I'm not sure switching to paper will increase wait times that much. I hope the poll workers there are putting their thinking caps on to devise a good way to divide the labor of looking people up/pulling their registry/getting them to a booth the way the folks in my precinct do.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Do you think Trump's kids registered in time to vote this time?

Also, does it not seem like this year will set a record for turnout?
posted by Rhomboid at 7:37 AM on November 8, 2016

I've liked the explanation for Trump's ties I've seen elsewhere on Metafilter, that he buys expensive Italian ties which have extra material for making larger knots, but then ties then in smaller knots, but looking at pictures, I don't see him rocking a four-in-hand in any pictures. His ties are always too long, though, and it's distracting.

Say what you will about the politics of Republicans of yore, but, say, George H.W. Bush was a snappy dresser (in a American old money style).
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

> I believe flags have been at half-staff due to the unpleasantness in Des Moines last week.

Well now I wish I'd made a point of checking the flag yesterday.

My husband says they didn't do very good work anyway, so we probably wouldn't hire him again regardless. It'd be nice to know whether he was also an asshole or not, though.
posted by Spathe Cadet at 7:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Also, does it not seem like this year will set a record for turnout?

Yea, I only grabbed a few PreditctIt bets on No for lower number ranges. We'll see shortly I suppose.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:38 AM on November 8, 2016

urgh I just realized that the red jacket I wore (because it's cold outside, dammit) is also what Trump maniacs told each other to wear. maybe that's why people were glancing at me nervously??
posted by indubitable at 7:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh you guys I am so fired up! We voted on Sunday, but I just went to get a coffee and walked by the polling place up the street expecting to see a big line of excited people. Instead I saw construction! Parking blocked off both sides of the street until 6pm, sidewalks blocked off, and giant machines moving up and down the block. They've been working on our street all summer/fall, and you'd think today of all days they could pick a different block. There was just a trickle of people going in, and BY GOD I AM PISSED. I called the Secretary of State polling info line, the County Attorney's office and 311. Talked to someone at the city who agreed it was a bad coincidence and said he would try to get it sorted.

DON'T MESS WITH DEMOCRACY TODAY OF ALL DAYS!
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 7:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

Message from my Canadian cousin which she posted on Facebook this morning. I know it's preaching to the choir here. It just cracked me up.

All right, America. Just remember that you're already great and you have the ability to destroy us all. Ignore the orange muppet in the corner, sulking over the fact that Jay Z didn't come to his party.
posted by Jalliah at 7:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Longest line to vote I've seen in over 20 years in my neighborhood (the entire length of a NYC avenue, around the corner and about a third of the way down the street.) But it moved fast, took about 30 minutes to get to the front of the line and another 10-12 to get my ballot, fill it out and have it scanned. Line looked about 75% female at 8:30 in the morning, but that could just be a reflection of the time slot (after school dropoff, before work starts). Lots of volunteers giving out free coffee and brownies, helping people find out their district before they got to the front of the line.

I almost never wear pants, but I broke out a pair from the depths of the closet to make a pantsuit for this. Feels good.
posted by Mchelly at 7:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

I was all set to go go. I did myself up in my Detroit Pistoffs t-shirt (logo: a fist with a painted thumbnail), my 'I Am Awesome' socks, and with headphones ready to play 'Formation' on loop for the walk and line.

But then my kid remembered she is 2, threw a fit, and now I am waiting for her to chill out.
posted by palindromic at 7:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

If you had PredictIt shares on "Soren Lorensen's ability to concentrate on work = 0%", you're about to get a big payout.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [50 favorites]

Co-worker: So did you hear about that whole Ted Nugent fiasco...
Me: NO.
Co-worker: It was totally outrageous, see he...
Me: NO, I'm saying NO. My blood pressure does not need Ted Nugent today. NO.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

I don't know how I can be expected to get a single thing done today between this thread and Pantsuit Nation. I'm writing it off. Sorry, employer!
posted by something something at 7:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Calling people in Florida. Getting about 1 human for every 25 calls.

Just got off the phone with a woman -- "I voted for Hillary but reluctantly. Lesser of two evils."

HAHAHAHA I for one do not give a shit WHY you made the right choice.

A win's a win, baby!
posted by seinwave at 7:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [20 favorites]

I just cast my vote in a very small town in the rural midwest. I was wearing my pantsuit. My husband and I got plenty of dirty looks from our fellow citizens on the way inside and outside of the polling place.

Voting itself was super fast. It makes me sad how much easier it is to vote now that I live in a mostly white area. When I lived in a big city in the south I waited in those multi-hour voting lines with my black neighbors. That's so not right.

But anyway, I did have a small hiccup. In my zeal to vote D, I marked the lines too thick on my ballot, and though I've always done it that way here and not had a problem (at least that I knew about), this time the machine spit my ballot back out with a receipt that said "defective." The white guy waiting behind me to put his ballot in the machine said to me, "Hopefully that means your vote won't count."

If I was a little quicker on the uptake I would have said something like "Wow, what a deeply unAmerican sentiment, sir" but instead I just turned to him and smiled. Yeah, I'm pretty cool.

Then I filled out a new ballot, which the machine did accept.

I'll be thinking of that guy when I watch the returns come in tonight.

Here's to sweet, sweet white male tears.
posted by the turtle's teeth at 7:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [71 favorites]

My husband works in a small town outside of our city, total Trumpland, and he's been pretending to be apathetic about politics all this time.

When people try to convert him to Trump he just says empty things like "ugh politics are so corrupt!" and he has told a couple of pushy people he can't vote because he defaced a forever stamp and that's a felony. He has a kind of deadpan humor and is/looks like a metalhead so people tend to see him as an oddball so they get confused.

Today we got up at 5:30 and went to vote, now he's in the office being all like Hillary who? What is a Trump? And i just think it's hilarious because everyone in his office thinks he's soooo clueless.
posted by Tarumba at 7:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [38 favorites]

It makes me sad how much easier it is to vote now that I live in a mostly white area.

SAME.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:49 AM on November 8, 2016

So, are we thinking Hillary's approval goes up once elected?
posted by leotrotsky at 7:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

One of my bosses is wearing a POTUS t-shirt with the Female symbol replacing the O. I love it. I love my job.
posted by SansPoint at 7:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [26 favorites]

Now that it's finally election day, I just want to tell you all: good luck, and we're all counting on you.
posted by LooseFilter at 7:50 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

BBC 6Music is playing The Revolution Will Not Be Televised which is nice'n'ironic...

NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
Or report from 29 districts.
posted by Devonian at 7:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

So, are we thinking Hillary's approval goes up once elected?

I'm hoping, not expecting. I think I'm on record as wanting her to hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats right out of the gate, so I'm maybe not as concerned with approval ratings.
posted by Mooski at 7:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [19 favorites]

Voted at 7am this morning. My polling place is tiny, but there were at least ten voters there, and I only counted two white people.

I don't think for a second that this means that my states will go blue this election, but it was still heartening to see.
posted by magstheaxe at 7:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Looks like HuffPo got under Nate Silver's skin.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I voted in my rural town outside of St. Louis this morning. The line was 45 minutes long and completely white. No problem, no hiccups and a smattering of pantsuits in the crowd. Got stopped by two different poll watchers for my shirt ("because they are someone") but ultimately no hassle.
posted by Jacob G at 7:51 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Today we got up at 5:30 and went to vote, now he's in the office being all like Hillary who? What is a Trump? And i just think it's hilarious because everyone in his office thinks he's soooo clueless.

Everyone must think they've found a dumb unicorn, the mythical undecided voter.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

@pwthornton 51m
This is not a line to vote; it's a line to see Susan B. Anthony's gravesite.

Probably a good sign for turnout, people waiting in extra lines just to celebrate voting.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

My wife won't let me vote without her, so I'm stuck "working" from home until she gets home from work. The polling place is a block away, and I can see people walking and driving there out my window. I don't know if I can wait until she gets home to vote. I never thought both of us wanting to vote for the same candidate to be the first female president of the US would be a potential cause of marital strife, but that's 2016 for you.
posted by mollweide at 7:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

The Slate Votecastr is now live.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:52 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Donald Trump: "No matter what happens tomorrow, at least I had fun" [The Onion/fake/somehow not fake enough.]

And I'm out of here for the next 20 hours or so, in a self-imposed media blackout. With any luck, tomorrow will turn out all right, but in a worst-case scenario, I'd like to have as much of a full night's sleep as possible before I read the news. Good luck, all.
posted by Doktor Zed at 7:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Well now I am pissed. Typical Trump, ever the social climber. You know damn well Giselle would not let him vote for that parvenue.

Here's the written proof for you!
posted by Talez at 7:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Something I have "felt" and thus have no empirical data or proof for beyond just intuition: as we've gotten closer to the day and this has become more real (and in no small part thanks to private FB groups where they could meet without dudes showing up to shitpost about "neoliberal" and "warhawk") I've noticed a lot of women allowing themselves to finally get excited for today. Where as late as 2 months ago you felt a tentative support if at all, maybe an immediately apologetic or lackluster backing, women are finally allowing themselves the clarity that comes with finding out who Clinton actually *is*, what's she's actually accomplished, and what she will actually be as president and you can feel the enthusiasm. It's almost as if getting out of the atmosphere created by men and media made them see her in a new way. And they are really excited about today.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 7:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [22 favorites]

One of this election's biggest mysteries may go unanswered... Why did Trump wear over-long ties?

Oh, is that not a thing? Between the Trumps and Trevor Noah, I was starting to think it was a new, misguided trend in men's business attire.
posted by indubitable at 7:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Apropos of nothing, I think I'm going to send a couple bucks towards the site so the mods can buy celebratory drinks and/or just barely pay for the increased CPU cycles this thread is generating. Hopefully the former...
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Good morning. I am sick with anxiety. I'm poll watching this afternoon and that's just making me more of a wreck. This election feels grimly personal to me. I'm glad for all the happy, hopeful people posting their voting selfies but I'm not sure I'll even feel that happy if she wins, just kind of guardedly relieved. I never understood before how people got to be such angry cranks who let who is president affect their personal happiness, but it must be a phenomenon something like the way Trump to me represents every shitty gaslighting man who has made me feel like I'm losing my mind. I can't imagine how I would deal with having him win.

I'm also struggling with the dilemma of whether I should try to wear a pantsuit, which I dearly want to do, but my foot is injured and all my suits are hemmed for heels.
posted by HotToddy at 7:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

STORIES FROM VOTER PROTECTION Just helped a 96 year old great grandma vote for Hilary from the back of a taxi. She couldn't even get out of the car because of mobility issues. Had to get the poll workers to come out and bring a curbside voting packet. I asked her why she didn't vote by mail. "I'll be damned if I let Trump steal my vote in the mail. I've waited 80 years for this moment."
I AM TEARING UP
posted by Karaage at 7:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [172 favorites]

I work the night shift so I ended work about 4 hours ago... Can't sleep, I keep thinking if I keep watching this site and all the others I'll finally find out some good news that will let me rest...

I guess I'm just going to have to rest. I'll be back in a few hours.

Good luck everyone! And thanks for being the one place I can talk about this stuff without going crazy!
posted by mmoncur at 7:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

bb8. Hillary Voter.
posted by valkane at 7:59 AM on November 8, 2016

@EvanMcS:

Trump is being loudly booed at his polling place

"New York hates you!" One person yells as Trump heads into vote

posted by zombieflanders at 8:00 AM on November 8, 2016 [100 favorites]

The voter suppression chickens are coming home to roost (via /r/the_meltdown)
posted by J.K. Seazer at 8:01 AM on November 8, 2016 [43 favorites]

I was at the polling place when it opened at 7 and there was a tiny line. I let a few people in in front of me, but it didn't seem like the line was going to get obstreperous and make people late for work at that point, so I just went ahead and voted. A guy came out with his postal uniform on and a USMC hat, and I thought, hmmmm, tossup. Could be voting R because marines. OTOH, he's black... Finally I decided he was probably a democrat because of the USPS. What with the recent publicity Newt's been getting, I figured anybody with the P.O. would remember him trying to eliminate the postal service back in the first Clinton administration and vote to save that noble institution. There was a pink-haired millennial in torn-and-patched pajama bottoms whom I suspected could be a berniebro, but then he sneezed in the CDC-approved manner to protect the others waiting in line and I decided he had too much concern for his fellow humans to abandon us all to Trump. I did see a single, sourfaced poll watcher, but then I noticed that my poll worker's name was Wilma Hamilton. Total bluewall experience.
posted by Don Pepino at 8:01 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Re: Trumps suits not fitting. I'd just always assumed that they were too big because:

You know--you just KNOW--that Donald's the kind of guy whose OKCupid profile has him listed at 6'2" even though he wrestled in college at 5'11". Stands to reason his suits are all ill-fitting; any tailor who tries to tell him his inseam is only 33 inches gets publicly flambeed on Twitter.

The Italian-silk-tie-tied-wrong thing is just a new-money affectation. You know he's the laughingstock of the charity gala.
posted by Mayor West at 8:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Princeton Election Consorium

Final Projections: Clinton 323 EV, 51 Democratic Senate seats, GOP House
posted by wintermind at 8:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

The Slate Votecastr is now live.

NOT TODAY, SATAN

OK maybe a little bit, after lunchtime, Satan.
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:03 AM on November 8, 2016 [39 favorites]

I did it, I did a vote! I brought my teenager to fill in the bubble so she could be A Part of History

the poll workers would not accept the ostracon I inscribed with Trump's name and imprecatory glyphs though which is bullshit
posted by prize bull octorok at 8:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

Reports of Trump getting booed as he goes to vote. Good.
posted by Artw at 8:04 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Since I figure most of the people in here have been fairly singularly focused on election mayhem for the last...ever...and might be missing other things that are happening, I wanted to do a signal boost.

Secret Quonsar sign ups close TOMORROW, so if you want to get down with the quonsing spirit, go sign up!
posted by phunniemee at 8:05 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

The Slate Votecastr is now live.

And is already a mess: So Stein on the ballot here (she's not), bizarre Clark numbers and wrong number (off by 150K) of reg voters there. Model probs, @votecastr?
posted by zombieflanders at 8:07 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Reports of Trump getting booed as he goes to vote. Good.

Like never before in his life, Trump's name is mud in his hometown.

He will be eating food with spit in it for the rest of his life, even from the restaurants he owns.
posted by leotrotsky at 8:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [29 favorites]

Not to keep updating these threads with #BuskWithTimKaine updates, but this is probably the last bit of press I'll get on my quest.
posted by pxe2000 at 8:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Video of Trump being booed as he arrives at his polling station
posted by Karaage at 8:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [38 favorites]

Arrived at our polling place expecting a five minute wait and it was 45 at least in this dinky liberal town. As we had the baby with us and no stroller we decided to go get some doughnuts and try again later. Hopefully it calms down a little here before the lunch rush.
posted by zrail at 8:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Breaking out the sockpuppet account for what I think will be obvious reasons... The last time I wore a pant suit was probably 15 years ago or more, for a job interview, before everyone in my industry stopped wearing suits at all. So I donated mine to Goodwill and never looked back. I kept a couple of the jackets, since you can wear them over jeans or a dress. And never thought about them again.

So today I decided I wanted to wear a pant suit for Hillary, only to discover I didn't have one anymore and had to get creative. Found a pair of black pants and a black suit jacket that almost sort-of didn't not-match enough to pass. Then realized that the pants were a bit close-fitting and when I bent at all the jacket rose enough for some serious VPL. No other pants/jacket combo worked, so I had to change to a thong. Another clothing item I still own, but haven't worn since my son was born 8 years ago, thanks to standard pregnancy complications which shall go unnamed. So I'm a bit squirmy getting used to it again, but it looks good, so I think I can make it work for the day.

And then it was time to go vote, but it's cold outside so I needed a coat on top, so no one at the polls even saw. Ha.

TL;DR, if Hillary can jump through every damn hoop on the planet to get this far and keep smiling, I can perform professional femininity in her honor even if I spend half the day in the bathroom de-wedgie-ing. And even if no one knows it but me.
posted by my left sock at 8:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [56 favorites]

The voter suppression chickens are coming home to roost (via /r/the_meltdown)

Oh did I ever need the belly laugh that this brought on. Too damn funny.
posted by Jalliah at 8:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

The stickers on Anthony's headstone bother me some because that is potentially damaging a piece of history. I love the passion behind it but I suspect preservationists are cringing.
posted by emjaybee at 8:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

He will be eating food with spit in it for the rest of his life, even from the restaurants he owns.

In all honesty, this has probably been happening already. I mean, seriously.
posted by Mooski at 8:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Video of Trump being booed as he arrives at his polling station

The only thing better than "don't boo, vote" is BOO WHILE YOU VOTE.

Cackling with glee over here. CACKLING
posted by phunniemee at 8:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [51 favorites]

Just voted here in San Francisco for Hillary/Tim plus a swarm of local officials and a multitude of state and local propositions including statewide legalization of pot. Fellow Californians, once you vote you can kick back and say:

While they go low, we get high.
posted by mono blanco at 8:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Video of Trump being booed as he arrives at his polling station

Don't boo. Vote.

Also, big fat phony!
posted by Talez at 8:11 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

A friend was turned away from voting in Ohio, even though she had the proper documents. She's an attorney herself, so she's dealing with it, but there is definitely suppression out there.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

There's three campus voting places within two blocks of my office. They had big ratfuckery in 2012 as Republican poll watchers challenged literally every student voter. If I go out and see long lines, is it kosher to, like, buy a big bag of candy and distribute it to those waiting? As long as I take off my Hillary buttons?
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:12 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

To everyone who has volunteered:

Thank you for your all your labor (emotional, physical, cognitive, and otherwise). Should Hillary Rodham Clinton win tonight, know that when the stakes were high and the chips down, you stepped up to defend our Republic. So once more, let's put on our pantsuits and get out the vote!

Stop for a moment today to remember those who didn't make it here and to take it all in: History is happening.

See ya on the other side <3.
posted by Excommunicated Cardinal at 8:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [17 favorites]

The Slot, aka Jezebel, has started their video election coverage, with the sort of high-production set you'd expect from the Gawker group! I got a good laugh out of this, but I'm a big fan of Joanna. I especially enjoyed the line "my personal motto is live every day like Canada is watching, and I plan to live like that today also".

... "Do you think Justin Trudeau is watching this livestream?"
posted by DynamiteToast at 8:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I know Trump getting heckled by a crowd and Christie sneaking in to vote under cover of darkness doesn't mean anything electorally but man, it's starting to feel like we don't have to be afraid of these clowns anymore.
posted by theodolite at 8:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [46 favorites]

If I go out and see long lines, is it kosher to, like, buy a big bag of candy and distribute it to those waiting? As long as I take off my Hillary buttons?

Technically, you're required to let anyone have the candy. You can't offer anything as a incentive to vote.
posted by zombieflanders at 8:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Video of Trump being booed as he arrives at his polling station

On repeat here.

Don't boo, vote? But I can't vote. So...
posted by Devonian at 8:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

The stickers on Anthony's headstone bother me some because that is potentially damaging a piece of history. I love the passion behind it but I suspect preservationists are cringing.

I think if repeated application of hands and stickers to her grave wears it down to a nub, that will be its own kind of beautiful monument and SBA would almost certainly approve.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

People booing Trump at his polling place. Oh my. I love this town. I love this fucking town!
posted by SansPoint at 8:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

I'm in my navy blue pinstriped pantsuit today, with pearls and heels. In Starbucks I complimented another woman with awesome shoes as I went by, like so: "Awesome shoes!". She said thanks then walked after me and told me she was admiring my suit. I said "Pantsuit day!" and we grinned at each other. Then we talked a little about the election. She said, "It's like a not so secret code!"
posted by bearwife at 8:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

I'm about to drop my vote-by-mail ballot off at city hall (election anxiety made me procrastinate for some stupid self-defeating reason).

Then I'm gonna drink a bunch of coffee and play RimWorld on a computer with no internet access until tomorrow morning because that is the only thing that will keep me from falling into an election results k-hole for the next 24 hours.
posted by murphy slaw at 8:15 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

soren_lorensen, I think so. Just don't do it with the requirement of voting.

Reporting in from Pittsburgh: there was a huge line (100 people?) at my polling place at 7:00 this morning; I work from home, so I just went now, and there was no line.

As I left the first time, I called out "nice pantsuit" to a woman coming to vote, and we grinned at each other.

Everyone here in my (100% blue) neighborhood seems very happy today.
posted by punchtothehead at 8:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

I just got back from voting! I have a pretty sleepy polling station, so there wasn't any line. But usually I'm literally the only person there whenever I show up to vote, and today every voting booth was taken. One of the volunteers told me that the turnout so far had been "incredible" and far more than for Obama in '08. A young Latino guy came in and said that he was voting for the first time, which bodes very well indeed! I smirked at the one sad Duck Dynasty-looking dude with a "Silent Majority for Trump" sign at the end of the polling station block when I left, but was classy enough not to fist-pump in his face, MeFi. Now I'm gonna see if I can score a free donut to reward myself.
posted by TwoStride at 8:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

When I voted, the same mysterious curious george lunchbox was there; it had been there during the primary. I also hummed "vice prez potato vice prez potato" in line and chuckled to myself like a crazy person. I almost feel like I'm going to start cackling and rising into the air like the last scene of The Witch
posted by angrycat at 8:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

It is a beautiful blue sunny Election Day morning here in Seattle. After a month of record-setting rain and walking to the bus stop in the dark every morning, we finally reset our clocks and woke up in the light. It feels good.

Washington's postal voting means we can't offer many videos of busy polling places, but you can watch live video streams of election workers sorting, opening, and verifying ballots.

By the way, that record-setting precipitation last month has set us up for possible landslides this month.

♫ Wait for it wait for it wait… ♪
posted by mbrubeck at 8:17 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Maine Gov. LePage accused of voter intimidation after he says college students must establish residency to vote

In Maine, we have same day registration, and students are welcome to register to vote at their school address. (Actual rules here) The area where these flyers were found are in District II, which tends to go redder and is in the middle of a hard-fought Congressional election.

So, yeah.
posted by anastasiav at 8:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Emjaybee, Anthony's headstone is made of limestone which is indeed pretty delicate stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if the stickers left permanent marks after they were removed/washed away in the rain. On the other hand, if someone decides the stone is too effed up it can be restored, or replaced with a granite one. Does it matter a lot whether her grave is marked by its original stone? You don't get a limestone gravestone if you want it to last forever, they stop being legible after a hundred years or so, a lot of the time. Though they probably last longer now that we've got that whole acid rain thing more or less under control.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 8:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Technically, you're required to let anyone have the candy. You can't offer anything as a incentive to vote.
Oh, for sure. I just want to encourage the students to stay in line and not bail. I don't care who they are voting for (because let's be real, they are 18-22 year olds in college).
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:18 AM on November 8, 2016

The stickers on Anthony's headstone bother me some because that is potentially damaging a piece of history. I love the passion behind it but I suspect preservationists are cringing.

Preservationist (former) here to say those stickers are a piece of history too.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [92 favorites]

See ya on the other side <3.

And don't forget to de-wedgie.
posted by y2karl at 8:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

"Tell you what, boo, then vote, then boo some more."
posted by Floydd at 8:19 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

SF Zoo To Make Election Day More Tolerable By Live Streaming Red Pandas All Day on Tuesday.

I got to hand-feed little slices of pear to a red panda at a local zoo last week. It was tremendously relaxing.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:19 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

In Darkness and Without Fanfare, Governor Christie Votes for Trump

Christie looks like he's been on the bender from Hell in that picture. Like the last reel of Leaving Las Vegas.

In my own little corner of urban blue South Carolina I waited in line for 40 minutes or so. Not as long as I waited in '08, but longer than I did in '12. But it's a neighborhood polling place that many people walk to so it always feels something like a block party. It was a beautiful crisp fall morning.

Yes I wore a red white and blue outfit to the polls

I'm just a little disappointed that you didn't go full-on Steve Rogers.
posted by octobersurprise at 8:19 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Don't boo, vote? But I can't vote. So...

I'll allow it.
posted by zutalors! at 8:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Don't boo. Vote.

why-not-both.gif
posted by entropicamericana at 8:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Another video of Susan B Anthony's grave.

History, folks.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

A few tweets:

So @PatToomey will vote at 645 pm today - leaving it nearly as late as possible to (presumably) tell everyone who he supports for president

--@jonathantamari

Donald Trump just donated a few dollars to a bake sale in his polling place. Cc: @Fahrenthold.

--@scottbix. Fahrenthold is totally on it and his twitter crew is trying to analyze frame grabs of the video.

This is Ruby, 80, from Madison. Born in Jim Crow Arkansas. Took 2 trips to DMV & court order for her to get credential to vote in WI today

--@AriBerman

US twitter: pics of poll lines HK twitter: pics of city's lawyers marching bc our rule of law just collapsed and our democracy is fake

--@wilfredchan

Frank Luntz's dismay at the anger of his focus groups is like you getting mad that your puppet said fuck when you opened your hand & mouth.

--@Mobute. [Zach softly sings vice prez potato to himself]

Olbermann's closing The Closer.
posted by zachlipton at 8:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

"I almost feel like I'm going to start cackling and rising into the air like the last scene of The Witch"

Please please Great Atheismo let Hillary do that when she wins.
posted by Tarumba at 8:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Boos for some, tiny American flags for others!

/chorus of boos erupts
posted by Existential Dread at 8:22 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

So my son goes to school at the University of Rochester (Susan B.'s gravesite is a short walk from his dorm). We visited the site the last time we were there. I spoke with someone at the cemetery who said that they clean the headstone carefully and regularly so there is no residue that damages it. They know what they're doing, and they're keeping the cemetery open like four hours later today to accommodate what they expect to be heavy traffic. My son, good person that he is, texted me to tell me that he will be walking over today to take a picture for me.

I might have teared up a little.
posted by cooker girl at 8:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [68 favorites]

Re: Trumps suits not fitting. I'd just always assumed that they were too big because

They are fancy suits in a fancy fabric. They're expensive but they don't hang on his frame very well. I think the suit he wears would fit just fine on a much more slender person.

Ties are the same deal. They're expensive Italian ties that are made a little longer on the assumption that, as a connoisseur of fine menswear, you'll be tying a nice big, traditional full-Windsor knot. Instead, he uses the wimply little four-in-hand knot (which also nearly impossible to get to look symmetrical) which leaves him with too much extra length to stuff back into the tail end.

So basically, instead of consulting experts, he just buys the expensive, flashy thing and won't let anyone else tell him how it should be done.

One more horrible trait in a president.
posted by VTX at 8:23 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

I'm just a little disappointed that you didn't go full-on Steve Rogers.

He already is.
posted by maxsparber at 8:23 AM on November 8, 2016

So, are we thinking Hillary's approval goes up once elected?

Almost certainly. She has high approval in office, and then it drops when she campaigns. Happens every time. It'll drop again when she runs for re-election. People like it when she has power, but they don't like it when she asks for power.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [30 favorites]

The comments are coming in at a rate of about two per minute. If this continues for the rest of the day, we'll need a new thread by 2 pm EST or so.
posted by infinitewindow at 8:24 AM on November 8, 2016

If Hillary wins, my fantasy is she comes out in a hoodie, drops the hood and has a lizard person mask on.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Emjaybee, Anthony's headstone is made of limestone which is indeed pretty delicate stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if the stickers left permanent marks after they were removed/washed away in the rain. On the other hand, if someone decides the stone is too effed up it can be restored, or replaced with a granite one. Does it matter a lot whether her grave is marked by its original stone? You don't get a limestone gravestone if you want it to last forever, they stop being legible after a hundred years or so, a lot of the time. Though they probably last longer now that we've got that whole acid rain thing more or less under control.

Another way to look at it is the sticker marks become part of it's and her history. I totally get the preservation concerns but looking at it with history as a continum in mind is neat as well.
posted by Jalliah at 8:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

I'm impressed at all you folks who took the time to dress up for voting. All I was capable of doing at that hour was to put on the same pair of jeans I was wearing yesterday and pull on a sweatshirt and a pair of sneakers.
posted by octothorpe at 8:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

> I'm a very long time lurker who finally joined before the last US election, and I just wanted to post in one of these threads to say hello.

Welcome, tardigrade! You've come to the right place!
posted by languagehat at 8:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

It's not a substitute for voting, certainly, but don't ever let anybody tell you you can't boo. Gawd almighty, if any man alive ever deserved to leave the stage in full flight with an audience throwing tomatoes, it's Donald Trump.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 8:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [13 favorites]

> Thank you for your all your labor (emotional, physical, cognitive, and otherwise). Should Hillary Rodham Clinton win tonight, know that when the stakes were high and the chips down, you stepped up to defend our Republic. So once more, let's put on our pantsuits and get out the vote!

This, so much. I feel guilty about not getting out there and doing more for my part. To everyone who did, who even made once call, you are heroes and I mean it.
posted by Zalzidrax at 8:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Times that polls close + times that bars close (according to wikipedia)
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:26 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm dressed up in my "vote for tacos" shirt. It doesn't have a lot of utility after today, so I need to get my money's worth.
posted by zachlipton at 8:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

West Village NYC, which is surely as close to 100% for her as any precinct in the US, 11am and a long but fast moving line. We didn't see this in 2008 or 2012. I've never stood in a line that long to vote here, ever. Air of determined optimism. Lots of daughters. Lots of elders.

Hilz is racking them up here.

I said it last thread but again thank you to the many volunteers and activists who are among us. You guys rock.
posted by spitbull at 8:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Just got back from voting in my suburban Missouri precinct. Took about an hour, mostly uneventful, except for the poll worker telling me I was not allowed to use electronic devices in the polling place, so I was slightly bored. Out of curiosity, though, I decided to look up the regulation that dictates that - and discovered that my local election board's website has been suspended due to too much traffic.
posted by jferg at 8:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

All I was capable of doing at that hour was to put on the same pair of jeans I was wearing yesterday and pull on a sweatshirt and a pair of sneakers.

Yeah, the only thought I put into my outfit was making sure I put on a blue t-shirt (Asheville Brew Grass Festival) instead of a red one.

Which was then covered up by a brown hoodie anyway, but still.
posted by Roommate at 8:28 AM on November 8, 2016

Ugh. Long lines and computer glitches are making voting today in Arizona a big hassle for lots of people.
posted by Superplin at 8:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

He will be eating food with spit in it for the rest of his life, even from the restaurants he owns.

Maybe this is why he has staff get him fast food take out.
posted by mazola at 8:28 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Harpo Marx on Yorkville's corrupt Election Days.

... “The great holiday used to last a full thirty hours,” wrote Harpo. “On election eve, Tammany forces marched up and down the avenues by torchlight, with bugles blaring and drums booming. There was free beer for the men, and free firecrackers and punk for the kids, and nobody slept that night.”

Schools and business closed for the day. “Around noon a hansom cab, courtesy of Tammany Hall, would pull up in front of our house." ...

posted by Melismata at 8:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Donald Trump just donated a few dollars to a bake sale in his polling place.

He musta stopped by the Trump Foundation ATM on the way....
posted by valkane at 8:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

.@EricTrump has already had to delete a tweet on #ElectionDay
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Yeah like Chris Christie isn't getting served spitburgers.
posted by spitbull at 8:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

So I no longer own a pantsuit. I was supposed to have a few hours in NYC yesterday before my flight, but my train was 2.5 hrs late (that'll teach me to travel from beyond Albany-- my fellow passengers told me the trains leaving from Albany are much more reliable. I wonder why that is... grrr). Instead today I am wearing pants and a blazer. They don't match, because I don't own any black pants, either. But one of my colleagues still got the point.

In separate news when I drove my friend to the airport at 5 am Saturday, I passed a McDonalds on the way home at 5:20. But it didn't open until 5:30, so I didn't buy anything.

So, partial list of items I have contemplated buying but not actually purchased due to these threads:
pantsuit
egg mcmuffin
posted by nat at 8:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

It seems we are witnessing the rise of the Silent Pantsuit Majority.
posted by clawsoon at 8:30 AM on November 8, 2016 [18 favorites]

You just know Christie is lying in a dark room, listening to "Nebraska" on repeat.

Yes!, finally, Christie provides some tiny bit of value to the world by giving me an excuse to post this fantastic song.
posted by FelliniBlank at 8:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Pouring rain here in Fort Worth TX, hope it doesn't depress turnout too much :(
posted by emjaybee at 8:31 AM on November 8, 2016

Don't boo. Vote.

HAGAMOS LOS DOS, GABACHOS!
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:32 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

It really is weird. I have a couple of pantsuits (and am wearing one today) but I definitely feel this very strong compulsion to go buy more, in bright colors. Like, for real. I might go at lunchtime.
posted by something something at 8:32 AM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

I don't have a pantsuit either. I've never worked a job where one would be appropriate or necessary. I am wearing a very blue dress today though. And I dressed my son in a blue shirt.
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

.@EricTrump has already had to delete a tweet on #ElectionDay

From a reply somewhere that link chain led me, I lol'd:

"You broke the law and you don't know how to color inside the lines. Moron."
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:33 AM on November 8, 2016 [23 favorites]

Christie...listening to Nebraska

Johnny 99 presumably?
posted by spitbull at 8:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Poll watching so I gotta be quick: deep red part of a red state, zero voter intimidation so far, just spotted my first pantsuit of the day! The poll workers say it's never been this busy.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [11 favorites]

The live feed from Susan B.'s grave keeps popping up on my FB feed, and every time I see it, I involuntarily tear up.

I wish there was some chance that Hillary would show up there. I'm sure she can't, but she's not that far away.
posted by anastasiav at 8:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

My social media feeds is full of Canadians cheering on America, Susan B Anthony grave videos and pictures of so, so, so many women in pantsuits.

I am now crying at pictures of women in pantsuits.
posted by Jalliah at 8:37 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

538 understands my pain:

When you’re voting today — seriously, go vote — spare a thought for the residents of San Francisco, who besides having to cast a ballot in races for president, senator and representative also must contend with a thorough phalanx of ballot initiatives. California is bad enough; there are 17 statewide ballot initiatives, including health care policy changes and whether to require people performing in pornographic films to wear condoms. But San Francisco slathers it on, with voters having to tackle 25 additional local ballot measures. If only there were another way, such as democratically delegating an individual to represent the interests of a given community in a body of such people who make informed choices on matters of state.

It's much easier, however, for the individuals we elect to use the ballot as a means to wage proxy fights between progressive wing and the usually-actually-pretty-liberal-but-not-enough-by-san-francisco-standards-except-when-they-criminalize-the-homeless wing of our local government (and to wage war between the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor) instead of taking care of these things themselves.
posted by zachlipton at 8:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Hey if you are in Chicago, you can always visit the grave of Ida B. Wells! And some people have, judging from the comments on that site!
posted by emjaybee at 8:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

I voted in Michigan this morning! Got there around 7:45, no parking so I had to park down the street and get in line. By the time I got in there were about 100-125 people in line ahead of me and it took about an hour to get through. It was a good atmosphere though- a bunch of little kids with their parents, people of all ages and backgrounds. The guy behind me in line was voting for the first time, and the poll workers were awesome at helping him through the process :)
posted by Mouse Army at 8:39 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Anecdotal observation: Friends on facebook that I suspect are voting for Trump are posting things like this:

Cant we just say, "I'm proud of you for voting today, for supporting your right as an American." And leave it at that. The decision is between you and the voting ballot, no one else.

And I can't blame them. I'd be embarrassed to admit to voting for that shit weasel.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 8:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [33 favorites]

I finally got added to PN today and I've been loving all of the men in pantsuits (and some even in heels) in solidarity.
posted by TwoStride at 8:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I'm in what I'm told is an hour-long line to vote on a spectacular sunny day in DC. My polling location is a church near 15th & M St NW... but the line is long enough to wrap around onto 16th Street, as in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In other words I'm staring right at the White House right now. Obama's White House. And very soon to be Hers. Wiping away tears and feeling more hopeful about the world than I have in a long, long time.
posted by argonauta at 8:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [28 favorites]

Students in Ithaca, NY voting in a mock election today.
posted by waitingtoderail at 8:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

So in other news. Friends of mine who are black & live in Chesapeake are having to be escorted by the police into the voting place (twitter thread starts here)
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

The TWO new election threads are now live:

- Presidential election thread
- State level and local election thread
posted by Wordshore at 8:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

This is not a drill people. New threads. Yes I said threads.

Election Day
Senate, state, and local races
posted by zachlipton at 8:41 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Okay, this honest to god made me tear up a bit.
posted by Mooski at 8:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Turnout is huge in Philadelphia. Lines longer than I have seen in the ten years I've lived in this division. The poll workers told us they're looking at turnout they haven't seen since Bill Clinton ran for President the first time, something like 80%. Philly is heavily Democratic, so usually the primaries are the real election, but this one has brought everyone.

Joining Pantsuit Nation did a considerable amount fo lift my spirits. I have felt particularly silenced and alone much of the time during the run-up to this election, partly because it has been the election of disinformation, fake news, comment trolls, and people feeling suddenly free to express racist and sexist opinions.
posted by Peach at 8:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [14 favorites]

So, are we thinking Hillary's approval goes up once elected?

Yes.
posted by longtime_lurker at 8:42 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Friend of mine in here in FL just texted to tell me he voted for Stein. Facepalm. Said Clinton gave too much leeway to Monsanto. I am disappoint.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 8:42 AM on November 8, 2016

zombieflanders: "@EvanMcS: "New York hates you!" One person yells as Trump heads into vote"

Now with video
posted by boo_radley at 8:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

"You broke the law and you don't know how to color inside the lines. Moron."

I knew I'd regret not snapping a photo of my completed ballot. My 3-year-old I referenced previously did a much better job filling in her oval for Madam President than Kid Shitler did filling in his for pops.
posted by Mayor West at 8:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Friend of mine in here in FL just texted to tell me he voted for Stein. Facepalm. Said Clinton gave too much leeway to Monsanto. I am disappoint.

Tell him that now his WiFi will be confiscated for his own personal safety. Live by the Stein, die by the Stein.
posted by Existential Dread at 8:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

More video of the crowd reaction to Trump entering/exiting his polling place in Manhattan.
posted by rmannion at 8:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

You just know Christie is lying in a dark room, listening to "Nebraska" on repeat.

The River, surely, lingering on "Wreck On The Highway" and "The Price You Pay."
posted by octobersurprise at 8:45 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Voted, no line, brought donuts for poll workers. They seemed surprised and pleased.
posted by dglynn at 8:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Reminder, that should you wish to watch the screaming and gnashing of teeth over at the /r The Donald and other reddit subs, you can do so vicariously (and without actually going to those cesspits by visiting /r The Meltdown.
posted by Twain Device at 8:46 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

I got to my polling place (the aforementioned Girl Scout Cabin) at about 7:20 because I was concerned about a line and had to be at work by 9:00 for a meeting. There were only two other voters when I got there, and two more came in as I was leaving. That's not necessarily a sign of low turnout -- just that it was early, and I live in a small-ish town. My name is towards the end of the alphabet and I was registered voter number 1185, so it's also a small-ish precinct. I couldn't take a picture of the ballot because there were "No cameras" signs posted everywhere. I thought I'd have a huge rush, maybe even tears, when marking the box for Hillary, but I didn't. I left there feeling like the whole thing was terribly anticlimactic.

Except.

Oh my god, I feel so. much. better. I got up this morning feeling the same low-level adrenaline thrum that I've had since that hot mic recording dropped. It's the physical sensation that tells me there is a non-zero chance of experiencing a panic attack before the end of the day, and I've had it for a month now. I felt it in my limbs when I got out of bed, after doing the forced 10-minute meditation I've been trying to habitualize, when I left the house, etc.

It's gone. It's totally gone. Voting made it go away.

So it wasn't really anticlimactic at all. This is a pretty literal denouement, and it feels so very good.

*exhale, unclench*
posted by mudpuppie at 8:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

I knew I'd regret not snapping a photo of my completed ballot.

Not sure about the law where you are, but where I vote that's illegal, so do be careful. Actually, I don't know if it's illegal to take a picture, or to publicly share it, but it is extremely discouraged either way.
posted by CancerMan at 8:48 AM on November 8, 2016

"A closely divided panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit allowed Michigan’s ballot selfie ban to take effect Friday."
posted by crush-onastick at 8:50 AM on November 8, 2016

octobersurprise: "The River, surely, lingering on "Wreck On The Highway" and "The Price You Pay.""

"Is a dream a lie if it don't come true / or is it something worse?"
posted by Chrysostom at 8:52 AM on November 8, 2016

In our little Michigan town, there's a statue of Anna Howard Shaw by the public library because she went to high school here. People are putting their I Voted stickers on it.

Then down at the other end of the same street, 101 feet away from a polling place (which is also the local police department) some Trumpists chalked a bunch of hateful anti-Hillary grafitti on a fence.
posted by FelliniBlank at 8:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Looks like the decision is mostly predicated on it being too close to the election to change the law and they don't get much into the purposes of protecting privacy, preventing delays at polling places and thwarting voter intimidation and/or vote buying.
posted by crush-onastick at 8:53 AM on November 8, 2016

@gabbienain: When you trust your wife to vote for you, but not really.
[tweet w pic]
posted by melissasaurus at 8:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [49 favorites]

It's illegal to actually take the picture (sharing it just makes it more obvious that you took it).

The reason it's illegal is to discourage vote-buying, where a photograph could be used as documentation that you voted the way the buyer wanted.
posted by GameDesignerBen at 8:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I HIT MY FAVORITE LIMIT FOR THE DAY THIS IS BULLSHIT THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED
posted by palindromic at 8:54 AM on November 8, 2016 [24 favorites]

Currently standing outside a busier than usual polling station in Bloomington Indiana waiting for my wife to vote. I hope this busyness is a positive sign for Shelli Yoder and Evan Bayh and a change to a blue Indiana.
posted by firstdrop at 8:54 AM on November 8, 2016

Reminder - new threads are live.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:55 AM on November 8, 2016

I voted this morning in St Charles, Missouri. There was a two minute wait for a seat. As I stood in line, I heard a poll worker yell “TAKE IT OFF” to an older woman with a hat on. The woman was angry, but she tucked the hat under her arm and apologized. I saw her on my way out – she was holding a Hillary cap. That’s the first time I’ve seen someone called out for electioneering in a polling place.

There were two Trump/Pence signs outside, and a handful for local candidates. No Hillary signs, but I saw some pleased-looking women in suit-like outfits. One woman at work stopped by my desk to tell me that she hadn’t wanted her husband to leave the house in a red shirt today.

I settled on Chanel No 19 as a suitable perfume to wear while electing the first female president.
posted by a moisturizing whip at 8:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Join us upstairs! New thread!
posted by Tarumba at 8:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

The reason it's illegal is to discourage vote-buying, where a photograph could be used as documentation that you voted the way the buyer wanted.

FWIW, if you're actually being coerced into "proving" your vote w/ a ballot photo, you can just invalidate your ballot after snapping the pic and get a new one to cast your real vote. The selfie bans are either just legislative stupidity or a roundabout way to dampen enthusiasm of generally more liberal younger people.
posted by indubitable at 8:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

You guys, I have oral surgery scheduled in 2 hours. I have to go, I've rescheduled 4 times because I have irrational fear of dentists, but damn y'all, I'm so damn nervous about the election, I'm not even sure I'm nervous about the dentist any more.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 8:58 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Re: Trump's suits not fitting.

He's hiding his girdle. [fake, but probably not?]
posted by longtime_lurker at 9:02 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

I live on the west coast, and have for nigh on twenty years now. My parents, Dad in his eighties, Mom 76, still live back in Pa. Thanks to the wonder that is skype, we talk almost every day.
Dad's a republican, natch, but Mom's true blue. In years past Dad and i would have friendly debates over policy, Mom would chime in on my side, Dad and I would agree to disagree. This year, however, it's been Mom and I telling each other how excited we are to vote for Hillary, while Dad sits quietly to the side. He's told me he's not voting for Trump (he voted for kasich in the primary) and I haven't pushed him on it, but i secretly believe he will pull the lever for Hill when all is said and done.

Every election Mom works the polls as an election official, Dad helps with the polling machines. I asked her last night if she's worried about voter intimidation. She told me that yes, a voter can be challenged for lots of reasons, but then the challenger is given four pages of paperwork to fill out, while the voter gets to get on with voting. Only much later are the challenges read over and a decision is made. The line never slows, the voter is not denied their right to cast a vote.
Mom says the training is intensive, but she loves election day and was going to bed extra early last night so she could be fresh for a long day.
I'm sure I'll get the scoop later tonight once she and her co-workers have tallied the votes. i hope it's a calm day for her and Dad, and I am looking forward to celebrating Hillary's win with her. I never asked if she's planning to wear a pants suit, but it wouldn't surprise me if she does.
posted by OHenryPacey at 9:06 AM on November 8, 2016 [21 favorites]

@gabbienain: When you trust your wife to vote for you, but not really.
[tweet w pic]

jfc.
posted by phunniemee at 9:08 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

Re: Trump's suits not fitting.

From The Economist's new lifestyle magazine, 1943

Trump seems fond of light, finely woven superfine wools, sometimes in mohair or silk mix blends, that come in a slightly varying suite of the classic sartorial patterns. Just like his political spirit-cousin Silvio Berlusconi, he favours a notched lapel so confidently broad as to border on the comically brash. Unlike Berlusconi, however, Trump has a cavalier disregard for fit. The powerfully roped shoulders on his jackets are much too broad for the man inside them, lending him a silhouette so oddly emphasised as to appear prosthetically enhanced. Inexplicably this complements his hair.

Last Trump for the Suit
posted by Mister Bijou at 9:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [5 favorites]

Legally, nothing at all.

But in practical terms, the opening bell for at least four years of unprecedented partisan rancor.

Which the Republicans are going to dish up anyway. Whether Trump concedes or not, Clinton needs to very vocally and deliberately not take the page from Obama's conciliatory playbook and begin running against a do-nothing Congress from Day One. And from Day One point out to the lazy media with its "both sides do it, partisan gridlock, whatreyougonnado" narrative that Obama tried reaching out to Republicans and got his hand bitten each time.
posted by Gelatin at 9:14 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

i'm so ashamed. i don't have a single pantsuit to wear. i do have a leisure suit left over from 1976 but no way i'm jamming all this extra bod into that.
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:16 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I've already heard "I want a woman president someday, but not THIS woman president."

In theory, I would be okay with the US having an orange president. What is George Hamilton's platform like?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [7 favorites]

Here's hoping for none of that reaching out bullshit this time around, it should be treated as War from the start.
posted by Artw at 9:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I really think she may do some cosmetic reachout, so she can point to it and say "Well, I tried!" and then move to scorched earth. She's not going to let herself get played, she's got 20+ years of lessons about that.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

An orange president . . . . What is George Hamilton's platform like?

Elmo 2024!
posted by spitbull at 9:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

an orange president. What is George Hamilton's platform like?

STOP WITH THE HAMILTON REFERENCES ALREA... oh. Never Mind.
posted by Slothrup at 9:31 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

@gabbienain: When you trust your wife to vote for you, but not really.
[tweet w pic]

jfc.

I bet he didn't vote for anyone downticket, just himself.
posted by zutalors! at 9:32 AM on November 8, 2016 [9 favorites]

Yep, she's professional enough that she'll extend a hand to be able to say that she did, but ell oh ell at the idea that anyone who lived through what she did the last 25 years will follow a policy of appeasement.
posted by middleclasstool at 9:32 AM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I want to offer my apologies for totally stealing so many bon mots from you guys and posting them on Facebook without attribution. My friends think I'm actually that witty.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

I knew I'd regret not snapping a photo of my completed ballot.

Not sure about the law where you are, but where I vote that's illegal, so do be careful.

Here is a map showing where ballot selfies are legal or illegal.
posted by spitbull at 9:35 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

The outlawing of ballot photos makes total sense to me, fwiw. If you wanted to set up a votes-for-cash operation (like LBJ used to have in Texas), you'd want confirmation before you paid, and smartphones now make that pretty easy.
posted by dis_integration at 9:38 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Here's hoping for none of that reaching out bullshit this time around, it should be treated as War from the start.

Yeah, a big reason I have some enthusiasm for Hillary is that she can twist arms. We really need a president who has enough political allies to get somewhere AND enough ruthlessness to act.
posted by Frowner at 9:40 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

So, this might be a dickish question, but if someone posted a selfie with their completed ballot in NC on FB today, how do you report that? It's illegal in NC to take photos in the voting booth.

In happy news, my super super 1% friends decided to vote HRC instead of just sitting out this election. I'm really proud of them because they are devout pro life Catholics, so that gave them some extra reason to just not vote, but they said that she is obviously honest and ethical in her beliefs and they trust her to govern for everyone, not just the rich and the religious.
posted by hollygoheavy at 9:44 AM on November 8, 2016 [6 favorites]

As I mentioned last thread, I am an election observer for the League of Women Voters today.

I was watching the registration table when a voter who had moved to Wisconsin since the last election. The poll workers helped her carefully through the registration process, then asked her about her ID. She did not have a valid ID for Wisconsin voting, just an expired ID from another state. The people at the registration table told her that she would need to go to the DMV, get a new license, and bring back the receipt in order to be able to vote today. She looked utterly dejected.

In the LWV training, we learned that voters should be offered a provisional ballot, so I hopped up and followed her out and called the volunteer lawyer hotline to confirm. They said they'd call back, and I went back in to grab my bag and found the poll workers conferring—they realized their mistake and had forgotten about the provisional ballot! I told them that the voter was waiting outside, and they were relieved told me to bring her back.

I asked the poll workers if it was okay if I went along with her, and they said it was okay. She filled out her paperwork and got and cast her provisional ballot. She can get an ID and present it to the City Clerk by Friday.

She filled out a provisional ballot and said she'd go to the DMV tomorrow. She said that if she'd had to leave without voting, she would have gone home and cried.

Many thanks the Election Protection Hotline and the League of Women Voters!
posted by BrashTech at 9:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [59 favorites]

There has been some confusion amongst my friends on this, so just in case it helps make someone's day a little easier: In North Carolina, it is illegal to take photos in a polling place. It is not illegal to use a smartphone to access information already stored on the device. So you can save a PDF of your voting slate and pull it up once you have your ballot. If you are a person who feels like they may be intimidated at the polls, or their vote might be challenged for other reasons, it may be safer to print something out and just use paper, but for the record it is not illegal to pull out your phone in the booth - I had no trouble doing just that when I voted early.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

At Lawyers, Guns and Money, davenoon has an election day piece on the 'Ten Presidential Election Shit Shows, Part I (1800-1876).' The following paragraph in particular, about Stephen Douglas in the aftermath of his loss to Lincoln, I want to hug and kiss and call my own:

"After the contest was over, Douglas — exhausted and demoralized by the campaign and life itself — redoubled his efforts to drink himself into an early grave, a goal he accomplished within three months of Lincoln’s inauguration. In so doing, he set an example that we can only hope Donald Trump will emulate with a winter diet of KFC Bucket Meals and raw cookie dough, eaten directly from the freezer and over the kitchen sink with his bare, tiny hands."

posted by octobersurprise at 9:48 AM on November 8, 2016 [15 favorites]

That’s the first time I’ve seen someone called out for electioneering in a polling place.

I got called out for electioneering in my very first election because I had a quarter-sized pin on my backpack that said "Vote No on Amendment 1." (Amendment 1 was one of those bullshit "make gay marriage constitutionally illegal" ones.) I was 18 and didn't know that was against the rules and I was super taken aback at how angry the poll worker was about this infraction.

Later I figured out that he was likely among the demographic that doesn't think college students should get to vote where they go to school. And that he likely didn't agree with my pin's message in support of LGBQT equality.
posted by the turtle's teeth at 9:49 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

so confidently broad as to border on the comically brash

Why, that's Trump in a nutshell.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:04 AM on November 8, 2016

John Zogby on the radio just now being very unwillingly to be drawn on how it's going - overall for Clinton, yes, but battleground states too close to call. No sign of momentum, still six percent undecided as of this morning. Reasonable chance of popular vote and electoral college vote going different ways.

Gah.
posted by Devonian at 10:05 AM on November 8, 2016

Zogby, pfft.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:07 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Jim Sciutto on twitter: Breaking: #Trump files Nevada voting lawsuit vs. Clark County Registrar, they allege, for keeping polls open “2 hours beyond..closing time"

As I understand it, in most places, if you're in line when the polls close, they stay open to let everyone in line vote.
posted by VTX at 10:24 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Medford MA, voting took 5 minutes. No line prior to ballot pickup.

This year the only race in our precinct is for POTUS, plus referenda.

Eavesdropped at a diner, at people who put the petty in petit bourgeoisie.
posted by ocschwar at 10:29 AM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Picked this off Ana Marie Cox on a retweet, Trump is revoking press credentials for his event tonight.
posted by Ber at 10:43 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Trump is revoking press credentials for his event tonight.

For all press? Sounds like a meltdown alright.
posted by msalt at 10:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

So, this might be a dickish question, but if someone posted a selfie with their completed ballot in NC on FB today, how do you report that? It's illegal in NC to take photos in the voting booth.

You could in theory report it to the local election board, but maybe just don't? The prohibition is almost surely unconstitutional under the first amendment because there's no good public service purpose to prevent it. It's not proof of a vote for buying purposes (the ballot can be spoilt or simply not submitted), the time impact is infinitesimal, it only discloses a vote the voter is free to disclose themselves.

Also, it's disproportionately punishing younger folks who are more likely to do this and who are expressing enthusiasm for voting. And who, by doing so, promote voting in others.

#teamballotselfie.
posted by phearlez at 10:57 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Trump is revoking press credentials for his event tonight.

Others saying he may have quickly voked them again, so what's actually happening is unclear. At least via Twitter...
posted by Devonian at 11:03 AM on November 8, 2016

When I was a little kid - no idea how old but 3rd grade or younger - I had somehow heard about the 'no electioneering' rule (probably my parents told me) and so, when in art class we decorated silly little hats for election day, I made sure to glue both the donkey and the elephant onto my hat, just in case. And then when I went to the polling place with my parents, I anxiously asked the poll workers if it was ok that I was wearing it.

That marks the first and last time in my life I have ever worn any Republican swag.
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:18 AM on November 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

The prohibition is almost surely unconstitutional under the first amendment because there's no good public service purpose to prevent it.

The ACLU has been suing to overturn ballot selfie laws. So far they've won a case in New Hampshire and lost one in California, but they'll presumably be appealing the latter.
posted by tobascodagama at 11:20 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Sunny day here in South Pasadena. Had planned to vote absentee and decided to drop off ballot at local precinct after working out this morning. Drove by and saw the line around the block. The precinct is a New England style church with a tall steeple and the looming San Gabriel Mountains in the background. I felt like a six year old again. The kid who had the presidents memorized at 4 years old and loved my picture of the country and the terms liberty and freedom. There was a flash where I thought I'd like to have a young son with me and to be a part of this. People in line exercising an important right. I'm yelling F*CK YES! in the car. I like what I see. I like what I am feeling. Different faces. Different colors. No bullshit. I go home to get dressed in blue. I want to stand in this line and enjoy it.

I put on my blue jean jacket and levis, black stetson and HRC campaign colored pashmina scarf. I want to celebrate and am feeling rakish. I drive back to the precinct and stand in line and, yes, begin to tear up. I gather myself when I hear a woman's voice behind me begin a conversation. She seems to be in her late 70's and is wearing a white sun hat and orange blouse. It is light talk. She then says to me,

"I heard that somewhere people are going to be out to suppress the vote. How can they do that?"

"All they have to do is to make you afraid. And all you have to do is let them"

I notice the short, stout man in front of me, a man whose face I cannot see, slowly nodding his head. I sense the determination and courage that he, I and many others in our line have. To face down this threat and, ultimately, our own fears

The precinct was run orderly and well. The line captain's name was Janelle. I think, "That's the name of the first girl I kissed" She let's me stay in line knowing I want to have the experience. I go to where voter sign in as I want to openly say my name and see my name in the voter rolls. The workers are lovely. I can sense this sense of pride in what they are doing. I am very effusive when I feel joyful and happy and gladly share this with them. I know this is needed for those who are working in service. They're smiles and effusiveness back show me that we are all on the same page.

I leave my ballot. I leave thinking "Bullshit slide away and cynicism be damned. It's a good day to be alive"

I cast my vote for my partner who left her body from cancer in 2010. For the lover I stood by when she went through breast cancer 20 years ago. For my mother who successfully raised 10 children and who, whether I like it or not, was strong in her politics and faith. For my 5 sisters, one who said in the 70's, "If women want equal rights they ought to come work on a farm" For the feminist/pro-choice organizer in our town who my family virulently protested. And for the men who have held the line in finding balance. We've had to create our own manhood.

There have been 1-2 moments in my life so far where I have heard the sincere appreciation of the freedoms people found in this country. Both experiences involved women. One was a German woman who was raised behind the Iron Curtain, married the son of the man who postulated the Big Bang Theory, and became a successful fabric designer. The other woman was Vietnamese. I knew very little else about her. Two different people. Their sincerity and appreciation were one and the same. I realized how rare it was for me to hear this. How refreshing it was to hear through a hip, cool cynicism that up to that moment I was not aware was around me. It made that prideful 6 year old come to life again. And to keep aspiring to that 6 year olds dream :)

Here's to the 6 year old in all of us.
posted by goalyeehah at 11:27 AM on November 8, 2016 [24 favorites]

So here is a cool thing:

Certainly the main reason I'm politically aware is my awesome parents. But also, I feel lucky to have lived in a city that had Kids Voting.

"Kids Voting USA is a nonpartisan, grassroots-driven voter education program committed to creating lifelong voting habits in children, increasing family communication about citizenship, and encouraging greater adult voter turnout."

They offer mock elections and education about voting for kids, so that by the time they're able to vote, they already understand the process and are used to visiting polling places. And it's been proven to increase adult turnout as well. Plus, they actually tally and report on the votes!

In 2000, I went with my parents to the polls and went into an adorable miniature cardboard voting booth and Kids Voted for Al Gore. And he won North Carolina's Kids Voting vote. I remember thinking: it sucks that we lost the state in the actual election. But all us kids are going to grow up. And then we're going to vote for real.

In 2000 North Carolina voted for Bush by a 13 point margin. And now North Carolina is a swing state.

So anyway Kids Voting Rules. I wish it was in every district in the country.
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:34 AM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

If you wanted to set up a votes-for-cash operation (like LBJ used to have in Texas), you'd want confirmation before you paid, and smartphones now make that pretty easy.

Change the law to make it illegal for photos to show a completed ballot or require that part blurred so that no one can tell who you voted for. Boom, compromise done. Next?
posted by VTX at 11:38 AM on November 8, 2016

Gawd almighty, if any man alive ever deserved to leave the stage in full flight with an audience throwing tomatoes, it's Donald Trump.

NOW I think of something to stash in that gap between my boobs. Oh well, last thing I need is to disenfranchise myself in time for Election Day .
posted by tilde at 11:47 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Change the law to make it illegal for photos to show a completed ballot or require that part blurred so that no one can tell who you voted for. Boom, compromise done. Next?

And how do you propose to enforce that? It's a lot more enforceable to just prevent cameras or phones from taking photos in election booths than try to ensure that each photo doesn't show the ballot or is appropriately post-processed. For god's sake, there's a reason that secret ballots and the privacy of voting booths exist the world over. Let's not overcomplicate things for the sake of a selfie.
posted by peacheater at 11:53 AM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

ENJOY! The Tale of Election 2016 w/ Benedict Cumberbatch
posted by robbyrobs at 11:55 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Leon, Florida pct. 5110 represent! The Cookiebastard Ticket: Prez: Hilz. Duh. Senator: The Not Rubio guy. Murphy? Because fuck Rubio. Congress D2: Walt Dartland. Better him than me. Swell fellow. State Senate: Montford.Decent constituent services. State House: Ausley. She's fine. Judges: It's Complicated. School Superintendent: Hannah. Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors: Tabitha Frazier and Lorin Pratt. Amendment 1: No. It's filth. 2: Yes. 3&5: Sure. Voted today.
posted by Cookiebastard at 11:55 AM on November 8, 2016

And how do you propose to enforce that?

Same way it's enforced now, it mostly isn't.

We can worry about it more when voting for cash is an actual problem (and an effective way to sway an election). There are so many things about this stupid selfie-with-my-ballot debate that sound just like the stupid voter ID law arguments.

I prefer to pass legislation to deal with actual, proven problems.
posted by VTX at 12:01 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm dressed up in my "vote for tacos" shirt. It doesn't have a lot of utility after today, so I need to get my money's worth.

Like Susan B. Anthony's grave, that shirt is a piece of history. Put it some place safe for 10 years then wear it again and see how many "Oh I remember that election day" stories you get.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 12:12 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

I've spent the past week canvassing in Columbus, OH, where I and my 76 year old canvassing partner knocked on hundreds of doors and spoke to Americans from all over the world to GOTV for HRC. We had one last hurrah together yesterday before he flew back home to NYC, and toward the end of our final packet, he turned to me and said, "I don't even know how I'll feel tomorrow." I knew what he meant.

There's a sadness the day after you've run that marathon, or finished a tour with your band, or after the wrap party for a successful play or film. They've accepted your dissertation. You've snapped the last piece of a 2500 piece puzzle into place, you've hit save on the final draft of your novel and closed your laptop. There's always the next battle, but I know I won't be the only one who feels dazed and aimless tomorrow, a bit let down even though I'll know that we've won. So much of my free time has been consumed with phone banking, canvassing, and trying to keep up with the endless election threads on the blue.

Tomorrow, instead of fighting against the spectre of a Trump presidency, I'll return to comparing myself unfavorably to colleagues, lamenting the frizziness of my hair, wondering if my friend secretly hates me when it takes her two hours to text me back.

Prepare for landing, my friends. Fasten your seatbelts, return your seats to their upright positions and take care of yourselves.
posted by sleepy psychonaut at 12:17 PM on November 8, 2016 [10 favorites]

Huge ✊ to everyone who canvassed or otherwise volunteered this year! I got in a total of six hours of phonebanking this year. Thanks for taking up my slack!
posted by ignignokt at 12:30 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

YOU PEOPLE MADE ME GO CANVASSING

IT WAS OUTSIDE! I HAD TO TALK TO STRANGERS! AND PET DOGS! I SAW A LOT OF PRETTY FALL FOLIAGE! I ONLY TALKED TO HAPPY HILLARY VOTERS!

you monsters

skrozidile flashback - happy to report that my whole crew once again voted in Virginia, this time for Hillary.

here is a festive pic of my tiny dog

GOOD DAY!
posted by skrozidile at 12:41 PM on November 8, 2016 [16 favorites]

What Time Will the Presidency Be Decided?

We’ll be tracking the results live after the polls close, using early returns to try to infer how the rest of the country might vote. There are two basic paths for how the evening might proceed. Here’s what we’ll know, and when.

posted by kirkaracha at 12:42 PM on November 8, 2016

My polling place - Highland High School gym, here in Albuquerque - was pretty quiet. I was the only one in line when a ragged old white guy blundered in around the aisle, clearly marked with a cordon, and shouted: "WHERE THE HELL DO I VOTE?" He gestured to the sign ("PLEASE WAIT HERE") and said "well, I guess the asshole who put THIS here didn't know what the hell he was doing, huh!" I tried to gently explain that he could just wait with me if he wanted, and they would give him a ballot in a moment. One of the very kind election workers chimed in: "actually, we can get you both in to vote right now - no waiting." We walked up to the tables where they print out the ballots, and he sneered at the woman printing them: "I almost didn't come, since I KNOW you're just going to THROW MY BALLOT AWAY after I leave." She was speechless for a moment, before frowning and saying, with quiet determination: "oh no, sir; I promise you that we would never do that." "Whatever," he muttered, snatching the ballot from her hands and wandering off to the booths to fill it in. He'd calmed down a bit by the time we came to put our ballots in the machine to be counted, striding out wordlessly as soon as it was over. I tried to make it a point to give all the workers a good "God bless you" and "thank you for doing this" before leaving.
posted by koeselitz at 12:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Oh. NO.

I am booked to go to a conference in Manhattan that starts today, Election Day. I managed to beg off until this evening so that I could vote and canvas. I just learned that the conference hotel is the same one booked for Trump's election night party.

From my coworker: "Bring your media smiles."
posted by Alison at 12:50 PM on November 8, 2016 [12 favorites]

Astonishingly, someone commented on my "Go vote!" Facebook post that he couldn't vote for Clinton because she rigged the primaries against Sanders. Good Ford, we even managed to stop relitigating the primaries here on the Blue, dude!

I didn't respond. But I didn't "like" his comment, either.
posted by Gelatin at 12:51 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

New Thread
New Thread
New Thread
posted by mbrubeck at 1:11 PM on November 8, 2016

Then I'm gonna drink a bunch of coffee and play RimWorld on a computer with no internet access until tomorrow morning because that is the only thing that will keep me from falling into an election results k-hole for the next 24 hours.

I love that story
posted by teirnon at 1:49 PM on November 8, 2016

The secret ballot didn't come about in order to prevent people from taking selfies. It's a right that people fought for. Because if people are permitted to publicly share their ballots, they can be made to share their ballots without recourse. What happens when Mr. CEO "suggests" to all his employees that they share pictures confirming that they voted for the company-approved slate? And that might not be a big threat in national elections, but certainly a whole factory's worth of coerced voters could be enough to sway a local race.
posted by xigxag at 2:42 PM on November 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

If that happens, Mr. CEO gets charged with vote buying, which is already a crime.
posted by tobascodagama at 2:57 PM on November 8, 2016

Mr. CEO sux major, amirite!?
posted by y2karl at 3:49 PM on November 8, 2016

If that happens, Mr. CEO gets charged with vote buying, which is already a crime.

There are lots of things that happen every day that are crimes that are never enforced. CEOs already force plenty of people to do overtime without pay - have you seen great enforcement of that? Just because something is illegal, doesn't mean we shouldn't think about ways to make that illegal thing less easy to do, because enforcement is never perfect.
posted by peacheater at 4:44 PM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

VTX: "So basically, instead of consulting experts, he just buys the expensive, flashy thing and won't let anyone else tell him how it should be done."

Or he simply likes how he looks. Of all the things we dis politicians for I really wish a choice in clothing that isn't obscene wasn't one of them.

dis_integration: "The outlawing of ballot photos makes total sense to me, fwiw. If you wanted to set up a votes-for-cash operation (like LBJ used to have in Texas), you'd want confirmation before you paid, and smartphones now make that pretty easy."

Good thing people can't just request a new ballot after the picture taking or use some exotic software to modify the picture or submit someone else's photo. Oh wait, all those things are possible and the software is included in essentially every copy of consumer operating systems? Never mind then.

The no selfie rule is stupid and I really hope the ACLU prevails.
posted by Mitheral at 4:53 PM on November 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Wednesday morning now Clinton has lost, everyone will be turning on her. She personally will be blamed for everything. She will be ripped to shreds by everybody on both sides of the fence. Her party will be saying if she hadn't been so objectionable they could have won. The media will have a field day getting stories from the campaign trail as her team members cash in with their juicy stories. I'm very happy to not be in her shoes because it's going to be ugly, brutal and unrelenting. She will have nowhere to turn. For a woman like Clinton it will be a very difficult thing to endure. She'll be a loser. I wonder how she'll come out of it.
posted by unliteral at 4:26 AM on November 9, 2016 [3 favorites]

She had better be looking into retiring to France. Before January. I don't know why people think Trump wasn't serious when he demanded she be locked up.
posted by Slap*Happy at 4:35 AM on November 9, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm happy with the Clintons being partially blamed for Trump. Bill Clinton moved the Democrats rightward, shifting the Overton window. I'm just worried that Democrats can simplistically blame the Clintons while conveniently ignoring other culprits like Wasserman Schultz.
posted by jeffburdges at 5:14 AM on November 9, 2016

"Canada's immigration website crashed repeatedly as Donald Trump inched closer to his U.S. election victory - and thousands of Americans vowed to move across the border. The official website, which contains information on how to emigrate and obtain citizenship, began experiencing a series of outages early on Tuesday night - presumably because of a high volume of traffic."

Things are going to get funny with us immigration in 3, 2, 1..
posted by ramonaflowers at 6:24 AM on November 9, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Clinton's didn't move the window right. They moved it slightly back to the left after Nixon and Regan had pushed it far right. Instead of focusing on the Clinton's let's focus on the corrupt media that enabled Trump, the FBI coup, and trying to figure out how to contain Trump's worst policies.
posted by humanfont at 6:57 AM on November 9, 2016 [2 favorites]

She had better be looking into retiring to France. Before January. I don't know why people think Trump wasn't serious when he demanded she be locked up.

Because there's no benefit to it. The Clintons will be private citizens. As long as there's no threat of power, there's no threat.
posted by zutalors! at 7:17 AM on November 9, 2016

I don't know why people keep predicting Trump's future actions based on what a sensible authoritarian would do. This guy picked random public fights with members of his chosen party all through this election, mostly when it wouldn't do him any good. He's on record many times talking about valuing getting revenge. The fact that the Clintons wouldn't be any threat to him couldn't be more irrelevant.

Now, you want to say you think his short attention span won't allow him to go after them because he'll be on to whatever the new slight is? Sure, that's maybe plausible. But what makes the coming four years so scary to me is how completely unpredictable the man is.
posted by phearlez at 8:17 AM on November 9, 2016 [3 favorites]

I don't know what he's going to do, either, it's just my opinion, man, and I'm trying to be optimistic.
posted by zutalors! at 8:27 AM on November 9, 2016

Just form these numbers, it appears low approval ratings hurt Clinton much more than Trump (via @DomenicoNPR)

Turnout
2012 Obama: 65.9m
2016 Clinton: 59.1m = -6.8m
2012 Romney: 60.9m
2016 Trump: 59m = -1.9m

You tell me what happened

It's plausible all the bad polling tells a different story, like that Republicans actually did stay home, but Trump brought out unlikely voters. I doubt that story though.

I suspect the easiest way account for the bad polling might be if Trump and Clinton voters respond differently to questions that gauged their likeliness to vote. In other words, right wingers who dislike both Trump and Clinton said so, and refused to commit to voting for Trump, but ultimately did so. Yet, left wingers who disliked both Trump and Clinton said they hated Trump, and said they'd vote for Clinton, but ultimately lacked the will to hold their nose to vote for her.
posted by jeffburdges at 8:54 AM on November 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

Low-income rural white voters in Pa. voted for Obama in 2008 and then Trump in 2016, and your explanation is white supremacy? Interesting.
posted by jeffburdges at 9:06 AM on November 9, 2016

9% of registered Democrats voted for Trump.
posted by jeffburdges at 9:10 AM on November 9, 2016

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♪♫ The world turned upside down. Finally, it's US election week.
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