May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.–Mal Reynolds

I congratulate Senator Obama on a race well run. I congratulate him for being a historic figure–the first African-American President of the United States. I congratulate him for being an orator who convinced the larger group of voters to vote for him.

I congratulate the American people on a great election, and for yet again proving that we are the greatest country in the world, passing on power peacably and orderly every four years for more than 220 years.

I hope President-Elect Obama lives up to the hopes of his followers. I will post nothing negative about him on this historic day. There’s time for that later–apparently for almost four and a half years.

Senator McCain, who was my fourth choice, ran a fine race. He left nothing on the field. He fought hard. Governor Palin did an amazing job in the face of terrible adversity. Those are the breaks.

Election Night 2008–Live from the ‘Lou

For the national view, please check out the awesome folks at http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com

9:57 That deathly silence from me is me having nothing to say. Obama takes Virginia. CNN just projected Obama as President-Elect. Fat lady is loosening up her vocal chords. http://money.cnn.com/data/world_markets/ Asian markets are digging it (for today). I’ve turned on Dirty Jobs instead. Preparedness tip: Obama has indicated he’s a fan of an assault weapons ban. He has advocatd 500% taxes on ammo. He has said he will close the gun show loophole. If you’re a 2nd Amendment enthusiast, be sure to have Santa bring you your goodies before1/20/09.

7:58 Peter Kinder (R) winning for Lieutenant Governor. Has that contemptible Oompa Loompa Shepard Smith become even more orange?

7:50 John pours two shots of Maker’s Mark into a highball glass. Is this what the country really wants? Socialism and surrender?

7:33 Things still screwed up in Velda City. Long lines. So far, Props A, B, and C all passing, but it’s early. No electoral call right now–I can’t find a news source that’s not basing it on speculation.

7:15 Jay Nixon (Democrat) is going to win the governor’s race in Missouri. For folks reading this from outside the state, Nixon ran to the RIGHT of the Republican. He ran as a “bitter clinger.” May not reflect the Missouri Peisdential vote. Electoral vote unchanged.

7:00 pm: Polls closed in St. Louis. People in line can still vote. National Electoral Count: McCain 34 Messiah 77.

6:05 pm: All the local news outlets are reporting that many voters on the near north side are refusing to use the voting machines and insisting on paper. At my polling place they had both. Ironically, I voted electronically precisely because I was worried about St. Louis city shenanigans.  

5:53 pm: The worst of the voting problems appear to be occurring in Velda City, Missouri, which is one of the many, many municipalities of St. Louis County. For the uninitiated, St. Louis City is NOT part of St. Louis County–we’re our own thang. St. Louis City has a population of about 400,000. St. Louis County surrounds the city and has a population of a million or so. Velda City is on the near north side, and poor. TV helicopter cameras are showing a line of hundreds of voters waiting patiently outside the polling place. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of Velda City, and I’ve lived here for 15 years.

5:40 pm: Well, here we are. I voted this morning at 7:15, after standing in line for an hour. According to a small unscientific sample, that was pretty standard for south St. Louis. I’m watching the local news now, and while polling trouble is not widespread, there are long lines on the north side. If you are in line at 7 pm, you WILL be allowed to vote. Therefore, there’s no way the polls are closing tonight at 7. Turnout is huge. Maker’s Mark at hand; getting set to order a pizza. Harboring a small flame of hope.

I won’t start posting in earnest until 7; I just don’t think it’s right until the polls close in St. Louis. should be an exciting night. Here we go.

Vital stats: Dow up 305 to 9628; gas $2.09 a gallon; silver up $0.36 to $10.15 an ounce.

Song She Sang to Me, Song She Brang to Me

This should be it for today. I’m heading off to bed early tonight so I can be at the polling place first thing at 6 am tomorrow. I’ll be live-blogging the results (and any weirdness that may happen in St. Louis) tomorrow. Drink of choice? Maker’s Mark–tastes like Keith Olbermann’s tears.

A good couple of days at the Gulch. Went to see Neil Diamond last night. Don’t judge me. He puts on one hell of a show, and we got a last-minute upgrade that left us only about 100 feet from the stage. A good break from all the stress I’ve felt over this election. Hardest working man in rock and roll adult contemporary.

Obama’s grandmother died today. Prayers for her and her family.

The picture above? Oh, just the Messiah being cute after he mentioned John McCain’s name today. Could be written off as a simple gesture, except for the fact that he did the EXACT SAME THING to Hillary in the primaries…and both times he left a thoughtful pause for his disciples to laugh.

Speech came out today from early this year where the Messiah said he’d bankrupt the coal industry. Hopefully that will make a bit of a difference in the bitter clinger coal-mining lands of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. It also came out today that the first actual business the Messiah worked for was closely affiliated with…Bernardine Dohrn’s Students for a Democratic Society, precursor of the Weather Underground. He also noted that he wanted to tax certain items (almost certainly junk food, booze, and ammo) to influence people’s behavior. Big Brother is looking out for you.

Hey, early voters? Aren’t you thrilled you committed yourselves before you had all the facts?

Well, regardless of what happens tomorrow, the Messiah has accomplished something this time. He’s personally killed public financing of elections. No one will ever do it again after he parlayed his lie about taking public financing into a 600 million to 1 billion dollar private war chest. Candidates would be fools to agree to public financing when they know their opponents can lie about it and then outspend them.

Vital stats: Dow down 5 to 9320; gas $2.12 a gallon; silver down $0.05 to $9.81 an ounce. 

Rand of the Day(Francisco D’Anconia is speaking with Hank Rearden): “Mr. Rearden,” said Francisco, his voice solemnly calm, “if you saw Atlas, the giant who holds the world on his shoulders, if you saw that he stood, blood running down his chest, his knees buckling, his arms trembling, but still trying to hold the world aloft with the last of his strength, and the greater his effort the heavier the world bore down on his shoulders–what would you tell him to do?”

“I…don’t know. What…could he do? What would you tell him?”

“To shrug.”

Vote NO on Missouri Proposition C.

Read This Now! Weather Underground “Osawatomie” newsletter

http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/?p=70

Blogger zombie has gotten its hands on the first issue of Osawatomie, the Weather Underground newspaper. Check out that logo, all the way from 1975. Apparently, by 1975 the Weather Underground had decided to try to destroy the country from within. Lots of interesting talk in there about the role of “Community organizers” and “audacity.” Terrorists William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn apparently had more influence on the Messiah than he ever knew.

When this election is over, people may want to ask themselves why the media abandoned its role and left the investigative journalism to the bloggers. Those discussion can wait–for now, just go out and vote to keep the Socialist from becoming the most powerful man in the world.

It’s a Callahan full-bore auto-lock. Customized trigger. Double cartridge thorough gauge. It is my very favorite gun….I call her…Vera

An excellent day at the Gulch. Woke late, went to the range. Had to wait 45 minutes to get a lane, practiced for my concealed carry permit. Good stuff–I love shooting. I didn’t start until a few years ago, and it’s so much fun I wish I would have started earlier.

Came back to find that the Messiah’s disciples had put some literature on my door. I’m almost sorry I missed them, but not really. There’s nothing I could say to convince them out of their choice, but it would have been fun to try to crush some youthful idealism. My mother, a yellow-dog democrat, announced on Wednesday that she’s voting for McCain. Furthermore, she, who barely has a sarcastic bone in her body, has started referring to Obama as “the Messiah.” Heh. My work here is done. Well, it’s almost done. I cannot wait to vote on Tuesday. Regardless of what happens nationwide, I am really looking forward to doing my bit to help the Messiah achieve Epic Fail in the Show-Me State.

In that vein, here’s a little musical interlude courtesy of Glenn Beck. Sing it to the tune of the Soviet National Anthem:

OBAMA ANTHEM LYRICS
 All hail the messiah
 Obama, Obama
 The path to the new socialist motherland
 Our savior, our savior
 Obama, Obama
 The leader more famous than Lindsay Lohan
 Bow down and praise the One
 Give him your money and your guns
 Give us a country
 That makes your wife proud
 Oh, Lord Barry heal the bitter ones
 White and Clinging to faith and to guns
 Hope for the change of the hope of the change!

Obama “I am my brother’s keeper” watch: Yesterday it was revealed that Obama’s aunt is living in the United States illegally, in a Boston slum. Now, this isn’t some obscure relative, like his half-brother who’s living in wretched poverty in a hut in Kenya. This is an aunt he discussed in Dreams of My Father. The Messiah’s a millionaire who lives in a mansion, and yet he allowed a close relative to live in poverty. I do hope that those who expect him to pay for their gas and homes and cause the seas to fall and the earth to cool aren’t too disappointed. ”Hello. My name is Barack Obama. Dreams of My Father. Prepare for lies.”

Did I mention that “The Warriors” is on? Could today get any better? Vital stat: gas is $2.18 a gallon.

Rand of the Day (Atlas Shrugged, Part 2, Chapter 3)(Dr. Ferris is blackmailing Hank Rearden on behalf of the looter government): “Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against–then you’ll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We’re after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you’d better get wise to it. There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makesthem. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted–and you create a nation of lawbreakers–and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system, Mr. Rearden, that’s the game, and once you understand it you’ll be much easier to deal with.”

Vote NO on Missouri Proposition C

Now, morbid and creepifying, I’ve got no problem with*

*I’m on a Serenity/Firefly kick, can you tell? Come to think of it, the crew and passengers of Serenity were Gulchers–when the Alliance government became too oppressive, they dropped out and formed their own place.

A good day at the Gulch–worked, handed out candy to the neighborhood kids, and am kicked back watching Poltergeist (scariest PG movie ever). Not a lot of good horror movies on tonight, strangely. TCM is showing The Dunwich Horror at 11, and that’s the second best choice after Poltergeist. It’s bad Lovecraft, but bad Lovecraft is better than no Lovecraft. I may have to dig out Re-Animator instead.

Obama Purge Watch–the Messiah had to make room on O Force One. Who got kicked off the plane? Reporters from the three newspapers that endorsed McCain. Change! They’re worried–the Messiah and his disciples. It’s beginning to not look so good.

Vital stats–gas $2.19 a gallon, silver up $.02 to $9.75 an ounce, Dow up 144 to 9325.

Preparedness tip of the day: Do you have a zombie survival plan?

Other preparedness tip:Do you have an election night plan? Do you know how to extricate yourself from a riot situation? Now would be an excellent time to read up on that. Stay inside on election night. Stay in touch with family and friends. Listen to the radio, watch local tv, monitor walkie-talkie radio bands if you have them. Be prepared for fires and looters. Hell of a thing that it’s come to this, but with that moron Erica Jong talking about blood running in the streets if the Messiah loses, and the Messiah himself saying it’s going to get nasty, well, forwarned is forearmed. As for me, heading to the range tomorrow. 

And, oh yes, vote NO on Missouri Proposition C.

People don’t like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think, don’t run, don’t walk. We’re in their homes and in their heads and we haven’t the right. We’re meddlesome.

A couple of good days at the Gulch. Had visitors, including my brother. Nice dinner at PF Chang’s. As intended, I missed the Messiah’s sermon to his people. Apparently a lot of folks did.

Today’s statistics: Dow up 190 to 9181. Gas $2.25 a gallon. Silver down $.12 to $9.77 an ounce.

Yesterday: Dow down 75 to 8990. Gas $2.29 a gallon. Silver up $1.10 to $9.89.

No one can TALK to each other any more. I was talking to a guy tonight abut taxes, and I could tell he saw the basic point of not taxing the folks who work for a living and create the jobs too onerously, but he went back to “It’ll be okay,” and “They can afford it.” Part of it was just trying to get a rise; I don’t know how much he actually believed. 

And, obviously, close to 50% of the population thinks this way.

Let’s be clear–I’m not rich. If Obama were telling the truth, I would be one of the people who would be receiving some of that redistributed wealth. I don’t WANT it. I don’t want to receive stolen property. It’s not mine; I didn’t earn it. If the government can confiscate the wealth of people wealthier than I, then eventually than can confiscate mine too. Hopefully it’s a moot point, because I think Obama will lose, and if he wins, I think EVERYONE who pays taxes will see a pretty severe hike.

I post this stuff for my information, to read it later. I’m not going to bother recouping Obama’s many flaws–Khalidi, Rezko, Ayers, Wright, Pfleger, Dohrn, Said, Frank Marshall Davis, ACORN, gun grabbing, the Infants Born Alive Protection Act, cutting off funding to the troops. None of it seems to matter to people. So let’s just go with this week. Obama has been blacklisting media outlets that ask Biden difficult questions. Today Obama called people who don’t want to pay onerous taxes “greedy.” The LA Times has a video of Obama at a 2003 gathering to celebrate Khalidi–Ayers and Dohrn were there too. The LA Times refuses to release the tape. Ask yourself–if they had a tape of McCain at a Klan rally or a tape of government secrets, would they have released it? You bet. I heard today on the radio that Obama has indicated that if he is elected, he will name Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff. Rahm’s currently busy trying to save the career of Florida Democrat congressman Tim Mahoney, who was paying off one of his lovers. Change!

I don’t understand why this election’s even close. McCain’s a deeply flawed candidate, and also essentially a Democrat, but Obama is just such an obvious nightmare. I wish I understood what was happening.

Oh well, I suspect that the silent majority is going to say something during the only poll that matters next Tuesday. May they speak loud and clear. If McCain wins, I’m going to drink Maker’s Mark and pretend it’s Keith Olbermann’s tears.

Get out and vote, and, oh yeah…

Vote NO on Missouri Proposition C

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?*

*God rest John Belushi

Nothing is over until we decide it is. I’m in a better mood today. No reason–I didn’t believe the polls then, and I’d be a hypocrite to believe them now. Still, I’m harboring the flame of hope (not “HOPE” like the holy Soviet Realist Obama triptych at the Royale, but the little hope). The Republicans are finally starting to spend their money: I saw the “I am Joe the Plumber” ad and the “Biden: Mark my words” ad last night. I know the theory is the big 72-hour plan to dump all their money this weekend; hopefully it will convince the undecideds that all is not lost. As for me, I’m going to keep fighting. Walked in the door tonight and someone had conveniently left me a “Democrat sample ballot” on my door telling me who and what I should vote for. I suppose the Republicans do this in Republican areas–I’ve never lived in one, so I wouldn’t know–but it shows a pretty low respect for the thinking capacity of the voter. I still need to look up the judges on the ballot to see who needs to be thrown out–the Dems say to keep them all in power, which is already one strike. Heh.

I told my co-workers today that I’m taking next Wednesday off–I intend to be hung over, regardless of who wins. One of them suggested I come into the office for safety’s sake. A lot of people have a bad vibe. I’m not scared; we’ll see how it goes.

National Review arrived today-first one since they asked Christopher Buckley for his resignation. I was gratified to see Mark Steyn back on the back page–he’s a treasure. Things you never expect to see in National Review: an article about Burning Man. Author liked it, too, sort of.

The weird continues apace. One of the radio stations here, the River 101.1 FM, has been running Christmas music 24/7 for the past 2 weeks. I don’t suspect it will stop. Makes me want to jam an icepick in my face when I hear it, though.

Speaking of Christmas (*removes icepick*), I made my list today. 12 adults, 2 teenagers, 2 babies (yay!), and a dog. This year I vow, no credit cards. I expect the bargains to be good, and I ought to be able to swing it, cash-wise. If the economy well and truly goes to hell, it can be apples and string NEXT Christmas. The worst part is that December is personal property tax month–that one always hurts.

Dow up 889 to 9065. Apparently the Fed is meeting tomorrow, and this is the market’s way of saying it wants and expects an interest rate cut. I’m not an economist, and I have no idea if that’s a good or bad idea. We’ll see what happens tomorrow if Bernanke DOESN’T lower the rate. Gas is $2.29 a gallon, and silver is down $.26 to $8.79 an ounce, which strikes me as inexplicable.

Preparedness tip of the day: This one is my hat tip to an interesting conversation at Little Green Footballs today–pick up books. Good books, good history, good literature. See what they’re giving away at the library. Hard copy knowledge, especially knowledge that has stood the test of time, is invaluable.

Vote NO on Missouri Proposition C.

You’re broke, darlin’*

*In the immortal words of Dave Ramsey.

No, not really. Today was no different from any other day, except on paper. Dow down 203 points, to 8176. Silver down $.19 to $9.18 an ounce. I have no credit card debt, car is close to being paid off, and I have an emergency fund. The lights are on as I watch cable and surf the net in my well-heated apartment. I am better off than 95% of the world’s population. I am so very lucky to be an American, and I try to make myself worthy of that good fortune.

Still. My net worth, the product of my labor the government allows me to keep, has shrunk 40% in the past year, just like everyone else’s. Dang. I don’t retire for more than 30 years, so I normally wouldn’t worry.

These aren’t normal times. I’m trying to keep my hopes up, and I’m going to fight for McCain/Palin until the end next Tuesday. Nevertheless, we seem poised to elect a Socialist with 142 days of Senate experience to the highest office in the land. We’re not really going to do this, are we? A man whose father was a Communist lecturer, a man who bragged about his college drug use and vandalism? A man who attended church for two decades in a parish that had one of its precepts as disavowal of middleclassness? A man who despises the Second Amendment? A man who voted that if a term baby survived an abortion it should receive no medical care but be left to die on a cold shelf? A man who blacklists media who ask difficult questions? A man who in 2001 compared his country to Nazi Germany? A man who wants to redistribute wealth? A man whose political career was launched in the home of a woman who openly admired the Manson Family murders and a man who bombed the Pentagon and dedicated one of his books to the assassin of RFK? This is like a nightmare.

In normal times, the stock market would bounce back, naturally, after it underwent its correction. If we elect a Socialist as President, I don’t see how the stock market survives. People will RUN for the exits, lest they be taxed for their success. Obama will rule over a veto-proof Democrat Congress. For two years, they’ll be able to do whatever they want.

Hell of a thing. This Eeyore moment brought to you by John Galt. I’ll be better tomorrow, and I’ll never stop fighting.

McCain/Palin 2008.

Vote NO on Missouri Proposition C.

Obama Socialism Watch– “Redistributed Change” Interview from 2001

Back in 2001, then Illinois State Senator Barack Obama gave an interview on Chicago public radio station WBEZ FM. His Socialist economic positions and ignorance of the Constitution have never been more obvious:

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/10/socialist-obama-talks-redistribution-of.html

TRANSCRIPT:

MODERATOR: Good morning and welcome to Odyssey on WBEZ Chicago 91.5 FM and we’re joined by Barack Obama who is Illinois State Senator from the 13th district and senior lecturer in the law school at the University of Chicago.

OBAMA: If you look at the victories and failures of the civil rights movement and its litigation strategy in the court, I think where it succeeded was to vest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples. So that I would now have the right to vote, I would now be able to sit at the lunch counter and order and as long as I could pay for it I’d be okay.

But the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society. And to that extent as radical as people tried to characterize the Warren court, it wasn’t that radical. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution, at least as it’s been interpreted, and the Warren court interpreted it in the same way that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. It says what the states can’t do to you, it says what the federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf. And that hasn’t shifted. One of the I think tragedies of the civil rights movement was because the civil rights movement became so court focused, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributed change and in some ways we still suffer from that.

MODERATOR: Let’s talk with Karen. Good morning, Karen, you’re on Chicago Public Radio.

KAREN: Hi. The gentleman made the point that the Warren court wasn’t terribly radical with economic changes. My question is, is it too late for that kind of reparative work economically and is that that the appropriate place for reparative economic work to take place – the court – or would it be legislation at this point?

OBAMA: Maybe I’m showing my bias here as a legislator as well as a law professor, but I’m not optimistic about bringing about major redistributive change through the courts. The institution just isn’t structured that way.

You just look at very rare examples during the desegregation era the court was willing to for example order changes that cost money to a local school district. The court was very uncomfortable with it. It was very hard to manage, it was hard to figure out. You start getting into all sorts of separation of powers issues in terms of the court monitoring or engaging in a process that essentially is administrative and takes a lot of time.

The court’s just not very good at it and politically it’s very hard to legitimize opinions from the court in that regard. So I think that although you can craft theoretical justifications for it legally. Any three of us sitting here could come up with a rational for bringing about economic change through the courts.