Let's get back to normal. We haven't had much News Of The Weird or basic levity around these parts for a while, and frankly, it's too exhausting to be deadly serious all the time.

Some of us just can't maintain a state of furious intensity for very long. Call it a failure of character.

Here, let me kick this off:

What's the difference between a woman and a tuna?

---The US just elected a Marxist to preside over the systematic overthrow of the American Dream. John F. Kennedy's corpse is spinning like a top.

*clap, clap*

Thank you, thank you!

Now you.

Posted by: LauraW at 10:17 AM | Comments (327)
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Steven Den Beste.

And now they're bound to be disappointed. Not even Jesus could satisfy all the expectations of Obama's most vocal supporters, or fulfill all the promises Obama has made.

I think Obama is going to turn out to be the worst president since Carter, and for the same reason: good intentions do not guarantee good results. Idealists often stub their toes on the wayward rocks of reality, and fall on their faces. And the world doesn't respond to benign behavior benignly.

But there's another reason why: Obama has been hiding his light under a basket. A lot of people bought a pig in a poke today, and now they're going to find out what they bought. Obama isn't what most of them think he is. The intoxication of the cult will wear off, leaving a monumental hangover.

And four years from now they'll be older and much wiser.

Posted by: Slublog at 08:23 AM | Comments (391)
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Consider this the official sound off on the election thread.

As for myself, after a brief bout with Obama Derangement Syndrome as the results came in, I decided I couldn't do it. Sure, I'll photoshop stupid pictures, criticize our new president with vigor and joy, and work to ensure that conservatives are a thorn in his side, but like I said last night, I won't hate him for a simple reason.

I love this country too much to do to President-Elect Obama what the left did to President Bush, John McCain and Sarah Palin. We're better than that.

Demonization is not essential to opposition. I plan to spend the next four years like I spent the last four - being a husband, dad and extremely reluctant taxpayer. I'm going to disagree with the president a lot, but I don't see that as a license to hate. I've spent far too much time criticizing the left to become like them.

Okay - I'm not suggesting we reach across the aisle and embrace bipartisanship, or roll over for The One and give him what he wants. No way. I'm simply saying that in our zeal to defeat him and his policies, we shouldn't go overboard and turn into the shrill hatemongers we have spent the last eight years despising.

Posted by: Slublog at 06:44 AM | Comments (400)
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Californians solidly passed Props 2, 3, 9, and 12. That's more expensive eggs and meat (and not just for California, but for everyone we sell to) and unnecessary funds for UCLA children's hospitals. But the others are victim's rights and the CalVeteran funding, so there's a silver lining.

Californians solidly opposed Props 5, 6, 7, and 10. Those were rehab in lieu of imprisonment, many other changes to the criminal justice system, renewable energy, and alternative fuels. I'm pleasantly surprised that Californians opposed these in such great numbers. These are the types of things that "sound nice."

There are still four Props too close to call: 1A, 4, 8, and 11. It looks like 1A, the L.A.-to S.F. high speed train will pass. As will Prop 8. It looks like parental notification before a minor's abortion will not. And Prop 11, redistricting, is truly too close to call.

On Prop 8: I know most of you disagree with me about it. But could we have a moment of silence for those poor fools who were happily married or engaged yesterday and today are finding out that they don't have squat? Prop 8 was much more personal than some silly high-speed train or hospital funding. People are hurting today. And I'm one of them.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 06:20 AM | Comments (348)
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Commenter apotheosis points out Steven den Beste on sucking it up like a man. Den Beste is probably the reason I'm blogging, so go on over there and check it out, especially his predictions.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 06:00 AM | Comments (61)
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A reader, jon, has been spooking me telling me that only pro-Franken Duluth precincts are outstanding. Well, okay, that gave me pause.

But in the last several moments Coleman extended his lead from 2500 to 4000+.

Not a big jump, but I'm less worried now that there are going to be a sudden surge in Franken votes.

So the Ace of Spades Decision Desk calls this for Franken.

The Decision Desk also calls AK-Senate for the convicted felon Ted Stevens as well. Now let's get a fresh election cooking. (I'm informed now that Alaska doesn't allow the Governor to appoint a short-term replacement, but requires a special election immediately).

Finally, David tells me that the only "No" counties left in California for 8 are smallish ones and there just aren't enough No votes left to make up for the 315,000 advantage that "Yes" has. So the Decision Desk will call this in favor of an elimination of gay marriage in California.

Posted by: Ace at 03:05 AM | Comments (234)
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Just a bit, 52-48.
This was the commercial that turned Prop 8 from a likely loser to a likely winner:

Gay marriage supporters rebutted this ad, and then these guys responded with a really blistering ad that rubbished the rebuttal:

The moment I saw these ads my eyebrows went up and I thought, "Wow, those can change the whole election."

I sometimes grow weary with political experts like Karl Rove speaking so much about "the message." "The message," I tend to think, is PR nonsense; it's the facts that matter.

Well, this is why they pay guys like Karl Rove a lot of money. "The message" can win.

(Just to clarify, Karl Rove, My Dark Netherlord, had nothing at all to do with any of these ads.)

Posted by: Ace at 01:39 AM | Comments (68)
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Let it out. You know you want to.

Courtesy Slublog, AOSHQ Art Director. I encourage you to click over to see what Slu has to say about all this. I can say something that we've all known for a year... you're a better man than me, Slu, a better, better man.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 10:38 PM | Comments (446)
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CNN's numbers.

Bachmann rising, too.

Coleman
(Incumbent) 740,934 43%
Franken 710,344 41%
66% precincts reporting

Bachmann
(Incumbent) 114,926 48%
Tinklenberg 101,266 42%
61% precincts reporting

Posted by: Ace at 09:50 PM | Comments (117)
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steve and I were talking, I mentioned how rudderless the McCain campaign was, because nothing with McCain is clear.

There is no "McCainism" as there was a "Bushism" or "Reaganism." Those men offered fairly clear visions (well, Reagan particularly so). Not McCain. Everything with him is just his personal gut, principle-free, just an instinct, an impulse, which often takes him in wildly contradictory places (but he's always haughty about the moral superiority of his decisions).

For example, he's pro-drilling... but not in ANWR. Um, why? He's forever undercutting himself with unexplained hedges and caveats.

He's pro-business... Kinda. Except when he's making his distaste for anyone working in the private sector "for profit not patriotism" so glaringly evident.

He wants to lower taxes. Sorta. Sometimes. Maybe. In election years.

We must regard Obama as suspect because of his association with the terrorist Bill Ayers... but it's racist to mention his membership in Jeremiah Wright's Church of Hate.

This leads to a paralysis among his campaign staff. Everyone knew, pretty much, the Idea of Reagan. They could act independently with confidence that they were advancing Reagan's goals.

No one could do that with McCain.

Steve mentioned the german military term schwerpunkt, or "critical point." (PDF link.) Every military mission needed an easily comprehended schwerpunkt; even the most complicated mission must have, at its heart, a simple idea, a non-complex goal. If the goal was to capture the bridge, it must be clear that capturing the bridge was the schwerpunkt. Not only was everyone clear on the general goal, then, but when asked to give orders independent of senior command, lower officers would know the main goal that each of their orders must advance, the schwerpunkt. Without that, lower officers could not possibly issue orders that would serve the mission's goal. How can one advance the mission without knowing precisely what is at its heart?

What was McCain's schwerpunkt? What was his case? Ultimately he sought to run not on a plan or an idea, but upon his character, his personal wisdom and integrity (something I note, not uncoincidentally, could never benefit Republicans generally, as an *idea* could).

He always had a tough battle, but in the end he had no plan for battle, only the unwavering belief that he alone was equipped to lead the war.

There was no idea of McCain beyond McCain himself.

And ultimately, he lost. No man is greater than an idea.

Even the great McCain.

Posted by: Ace at 08:37 PM | Comments (490)
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