2012 Elections

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 11:17 am

I showed up at 6:50 this morning and was the 15th person in line. By the time I finished voting at 7:10, there were probably close to 300 people in line (line went all the way around the building and back out the doors) and not a single spot in the parking lot.

Whew.

Arcanis · Post by **Arcanis** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:07 pm

Shenanigans started early this morning. Heard radio reports of the Black Panthers at the same Philly voting location as 2008 trying to act menacing. Also a few GOP poll watchers being forced to leave in Penn. as well, no word as to the reasons. Anyone else heard anything suspicious going on?

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:22 pm

Taken from the other thread, there's this.

WPD · Post by **WPD** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:28 pm

Anyone else heard anything suspicious going on?

Halo 4 to swing the election?

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:31 pm

Arcanis wrote:Shenanigans started early this morning. Heard radio reports of the Black Panthers at the same Philly voting location as 2008 trying to act menacing. Also a few GOP poll watchers being forced to leave in Penn. as well, no word as to the reasons. Anyone else heard anything suspicious going on?

Also in PA:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/0 ... timidation" target="_blank

Is PA a crazy state or what?

msduncan · Post by **msduncan** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:52 pm

WPD wrote:
Anyone else heard anything suspicious going on?

Halo 4 to swing the election?

Hail to the Chief*!!!!

*Master

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 1:08 pm

Arcanis wrote:Shenanigans started early this morning. Heard radio reports of the Black Panthers at the same Philly voting location as 2008 trying to act menacing. Also a few GOP poll watchers being forced to leave in Penn. as well, no word as to the reasons. Anyone else heard anything suspicious going on?

cheeba · Post by **cheeba** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 1:51 pm

The Meal wrote:
noxiousdog wrote:
cheeba wrote:
Defiant wrote:That's not how independent is usually defined.

You don't need to vote reliably for one party or the other in order to be a member of that party. Or indeed, you do not need to vote to be a member of that party.
Urgh, OO minutiae argument time.

An independent voter is generally one who doesn't rely on the party line but instead picks and chooses his issues. There are degrees of independence, of course, but I would say if you might vote for someone based on the issues and not just his political party, then you have at least some degree of independence. If you're undecided it's because you're not dependent on a political party affiliation.
What if you just have a personal dislike against your party's candidate, but you vote straight ticket otherwise?
When I lived in Michigan, cheeba's home state, they did things differently. Anyone, registered or otherwise, could select the party for which they vote in the primary election. In such circumstances, folks typically only self-identify with one party if they are straight-ticket voters. As I've grown older and lived in other states, I see that the Michigan system is not typical for how things work around the country. That system may color cheeba's internal definitions leading to his "Urgh, OO minutiae argument time" line.

The OO minutiae thing comes from arguing over the definition of independent, which is kind of an inane argument to me. I can't say for certain my definitions for an independent aren't colored by my state's odd way of dealing with primaries, but I'm pretty sure most of it has to do with 4.5 years at U of M getting my useless philosophy and polisci degrees. And of course my belief that everything is on a scale comes from my career as a pollster, putting people on scales

.

So if someone votes straight Republican ticket but votes for Obama because hey, how the hell can you vote for someone named Mitt, then I would put that person's party affiliation at 90% Republican/10% independent.

Fretmute · Post by **Fretmute** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 2:11 pm

Skinypupy wrote:I showed up at 6:50 this morning and was the 15th person in line. By the time I finished voting at 7:10, there were probably close to 300 people in line (line went all the way around the building and back out the doors) and not a single spot in the parking lot.

Whew.

My county had polling location wait times available online. I spent almost no time at all at a middle school, then drove by the around the building lines at the courthouse. Technology!

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 2:30 pm

Arcanis wrote:Shenanigans started early this morning. Heard radio reports of the Black Panthers at the same Philly voting location as 2008 trying to act menacing. Also a few GOP poll watchers being forced to leave in Penn. as well, no word as to the reasons. Anyone else heard anything suspicious going on?

The Tea Party poll watchers sent away from polls in Pittsburgh were telling people in line that they had to have ID or they couldn't vote. This isn't true, so a judge ordered them booted.

I don't know what the deal is with Black Panther guys in Philly, although I live there and I haven't heard any local coverage. Philly is an Obama stronghold by any skin color, so presumably Panthers would want to increase rather than suppress turnout (--unless the Panthers are supporting Romney??). Of course they're being watched and filmed every moment. I'm sure they'll get the boot if they pull misinformation crap a la Pittsburgh.

Teggy · Post by **Teggy** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:01 pm

The stories about Black Panthers in 2008 are sketchy, although confirmation of some of the more offensive stuff they were accused of is hard to confirm.

The guy who showed up this time was supposedly holding the door open for people.

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:04 pm

Rany with a very long and interesting blog post on his vote and the shunning of the Muslim vote by the GOP

In the 2000 election, approximately 70% of Muslims in America voted for Bush; among non-African-American Muslims, the ratio was over 80%.

Four years later, Bush’s share of the vote among Muslims was 4%.

...But - third parties aside - the alternative was Mitt Romney, and I could not vote for Mitt Romney. There is simply no way that I can justify voting for a party that denies the very legitimacy of my identity as an American. And there is no way that I can justify voting for any member of that party that does not, in the strongest possible terms, denounce that view. Nor can most other members of the American Muslim community, who just happen to be clustered in swing states like Ohio, Virginia, and Florida. If Nate Silver is right, not only will Romney lose the election, but it can be safely said that if the Muslim community had voted the same way they had in 2000, he would have won.

Teggy · Post by **Teggy** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:22 pm

Which dumbass in Florida thought it would be a good idea to put 11 ballot initiatives up this year?

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:24 pm

Teggy wrote:Which dumbass in Florida thought it would be a good idea to put 11 ballot initiatives up this year?

The Florida legislature.

Teggy · Post by **Teggy** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:28 pm

El Guapo wrote:
Teggy wrote:Which dumbass in Florida thought it would be a good idea to put 11 ballot initiatives up this year?
The Florida legislature.

What a bunch of dumbasses.

geezer · Post by **geezer** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:31 pm

Teggy wrote:
El Guapo wrote:
Teggy wrote:Florida
Florida
What a bunch of dumbasses.

FTFW

cheeba · Post by **cheeba** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:36 pm

Teggy wrote:The stories about Black Panthers in 2008 are sketchy, although confirmation of some of the more offensive stuff they were accused of is hard to confirm.

The guy who showed up this time was supposedly holding the door open for people.

I don't think the stories are sketchy at all. There's video of the New Black Panther Party (or whatever they call themselves) dressed in military-inspired gear holding nightsticks standing outside polling centers in 2008. Here's an example. The dude even states he's "security." That's not good. They were charged with violating voter rights through intimidation, but the Obama administration dropped the charges.

The dude today is standing outside in the same fashion without a billy club this time. Most likely he's just attention-whoring, but if the skinheads were doing this, y'all would freak the hell out.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:53 pm

Left and Right, most of the poll watchers are there to watch the other side's poll watchers.

Malachite · Post by **Malachite** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:53 pm

Arcanis wrote:Shenanigans started early this morning. Heard radio reports of the Black Panthers at the same Philly voting location as 2008 trying to act menacing. Also a few GOP poll watchers being forced to leave in Penn. as well, no word as to the reasons. Anyone else heard anything suspicious going on?

I heard that the corpses of the original Tea Party participants have risen en masse from their graves, and are devouring the hearts of the Tea Party members who are lying to people about whether they can vote.

But hey, that's just what I've heard.

Vorret · Post by **Vorret** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:55 pm

Malachite wrote:
Arcanis wrote:Shenanigans started early this morning. Heard radio reports of the Black Panthers at the same Philly voting location as 2008 trying to act menacing. Also a few GOP poll watchers being forced to leave in Penn. as well, no word as to the reasons. Anyone else heard anything suspicious going on?
I heard that the corpses of the original Tea Party participants have risen en masse from their graves, and are devouring the hearts of the Tea Party members who are lying to people about whether they can vote.

But hey, that's just what I've heard.

Zombama!

Teggy · Post by **Teggy** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 4:02 pm

cheeba wrote:
Teggy wrote:The stories about Black Panthers in 2008 are sketchy, although confirmation of some of the more offensive stuff they were accused of is hard to confirm.

The guy who showed up this time was supposedly holding the door open for people.
I don't think the stories are sketchy at all. There's video of the New Black Panther Party (or whatever they call themselves) dressed in military-inspired gear holding nightsticks standing outside polling centers in 2008. Here's an example. The dude even states he's "security." That's not good. They were charged with violating voter rights through intimidation, but the Obama administration dropped the charges.

The dude today is standing outside in the same fashion without a billy club this time. Most likely he's just attention-whoring, but if the skinheads were doing this, y'all would freak the hell out.

I had heard stories about them yelling at white people that they were going to learn what it was like to be ruled by black people - that's what I was referring to. Although since then I have found a tiny snippet of a video showing that this was said, although the context isn't clear.

Oh I was using the term "sketchy" to mean "improper", not "unclear".

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 4:04 pm

A clear and disturbing sign of voter fraud:

Spoiler:

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 4:09 pm

Retweeted by Popehat

Anemone of the State wrote:Dungeons and Dragons has a more sophisticated alignment matrix than US politics.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 4:45 pm

stessier wrote:Retweeted by Popehat

Anemone of the State wrote:Dungeons and Dragons has a more sophisticated alignment matrix than US politics.

That's the best thing I've read all day. I'm stealing it.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 5:17 pm

Apparently there were some issues when Danica McKellar's mother went to vote.

Hey tweeps - my mom just voted and the woman took the ballot and put it UNDER the box, instead of having my mom insert it into the box.
...
She told my mom she didn't put the ballot in the box because "the box was just for making sure people didn't double vote" - weird, right?
...
Wow, thank you for all your responses!! My mom has reported the incident to 866.OUR.VOTE & they are sending out a representative
...
My mom is in CA and when she went back to the polling place, they said the box was "broken."

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 5:27 pm

Rip wrote:
Arcanis wrote:Shenanigans started early this morning. Heard radio reports of the Black Panthers at the same Philly voting location as 2008 trying to act menacing. Also a few GOP poll watchers being forced to leave in Penn. as well, no word as to the reasons. Anyone else heard anything suspicious going on?

Handled, only badly.

A Philadelphia court judge ordered poll workers to cover up a mural of President Barack Obama that was inside a polling place at a local school.
...
Judge Milton Younge, Jr. of the Court of Common Pleas ordered that the mural be covered for the rest of election day with "blank paper or similar material" and "in its entirety," according to NBC News' Pete Williams.

As of 2 p.m., the mural was not entirely covered. NBC10 snapped a picture showing three sheets of paper covering the president's face.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 5:40 pm

Lines at my polling place were apparently 2 hours long earlier this afternoon. The post-work rush to the polls probably will not help things.

Maybe I should have voted in the morning.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 5:47 pm

WPD wrote:
Anyone else heard anything suspicious going on?

Halo 4 to swing the election?

“The idiots who can't get a date and look at the women's breasts in the games will definitely find Halo 4 more interesting than something that requires thinking,” he said. But Peddie cautioned that most younger adults are likely to make the right choice.

Well to be fair, I hear that Cortana is a bit more "enhanced" in Halo 4.

cheeba · Post by **cheeba** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:01 pm

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:A clear and disturbing sign of voter fraud:

Spoiler:

Clearly this is a troubling trend.

Spoiler:

Fretmute · Post by **Fretmute** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:09 pm

I didn't get a sticker. Perhaps my vote didn't count.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:13 pm

My daughter got 3 "I Voted" stickers.....yet only two of us voted...and neither one of the voters was my daughter!!!

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:15 pm

YellowKing wrote:My daughter got 3 "I Voted" stickers.....yet only two of us voted...and neither one of the voters was my daughter!!!

msteelers · Post by **msteelers** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:41 pm

Fretmute wrote:I didn't get a sticker. Perhaps my vote didn't count.

What's the point of voting if you're not going to get a sticker?

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:43 pm

msteelers wrote:
Fretmute wrote:I didn't get a sticker. Perhaps my vote didn't count.
What's the point of voting if you're not going to get a sticker?

I got a paper receipt that I can take to my FLGS and get 20% off my purchase!

Sadly, I don't think there's anything out there that I'm dying to pick up...

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 6:55 pm

msteelers wrote:
Fretmute wrote:I didn't get a sticker. Perhaps my vote didn't count.
What's the point of voting if you're not going to get a sticker?

No stickers with vote-by-mail.

Malachite · Post by **Malachite** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 9:35 pm

Exodor wrote:
msteelers wrote:
Fretmute wrote:I didn't get a sticker. Perhaps my vote didn't count.
What's the point of voting if you're not going to get a sticker?
No stickers with vote-by-mail.

I get a vote-by-mail ballot, and still got TWO stickers!

Voter fraud! Voter fraud!

Spoiler:

Oh, and there was no one in line when I got there, although all the booths were in use. I do like our system here!

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 9:46 pm

I didn't get a sticker.

No lolipop, either.

Enough · Post by **Enough** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 9:53 pm

We just got a GOTV call here in Colorado paid for by the PA Republicans. That is just bizarre as neither of us are registered as Republicans and ummm Pennsylvania?

Edit, and I just realized we would only have 6 minutes to vote if we had not already.

Malachite · Post by **Malachite** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 10:21 pm

I've gotten 3 GOTV calls, all from the Dems, all for my husband, since I'm not a Dem.

Very nice young people, even though I throw their script off!

Needless to say, they're not worried about the presidential voting, here in CA...

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 10:44 pm

Intrade betting odds have fallen from 30% midday for Romney to 5% now.

At present time still no VA or OH solid calls.

Also, F'in Florida.