US Elections 2012 Part II: The Conventions, Debates and Election results

[Ithekro]

Wikipedia lists the referendum on the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as the following:
"The referendum resulted in 53.8% of voters voting to change the political status, and 61.9% opting for Statehood."

If this is the case (and the local government and others somehow don't fight it), they will take the case to Congress for statehood as per Constitutional rules of such things. Their statehood must pass both houses and be signed by the President. The President (and Romney) has said he would back whatever the referendum (the will of the people I suppose) said. I don't imagine too much trouble in Congress over it since it is potentally a benefit to either party depending on how they manage it.

[Destined_Fate]

Considering many PRs live in the USA already and more keep coming I see nothing wrong with welcoming them as fellow American brothers and sisters since they pretty much are already.

Originally Posted by Urzu 7

The GOP needs to revise themselves, though. They are marching towards the doom of their party.

The Tea Party really did them no favors nor did the No Tax pledge since many Americans are wising up that you can't accomplish anything without compromise.

The Republicans need to shake up their party and start kicking out all the fanatics and really show that they're committed to their true goals and not just going against anything the Democrats say. Not saying all Republicans are like that but that's the image they have now because of the very loud and vocal fanatics.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Theo

That's pretty cool. Maybe someday...



People keep saying this but we still have millions voting for the Repubs. I think Dems have a bit wishful thinking the GOP as being two wolves tearing at each other when it seems to be just one wolf with a deer tick stuck onto its fur, screeching about guns and black people and terrorists.

What you need to factor in are the unassailable momentum of demographics. The Republicans are rapidly becoming the party of "mostly old white people and some of the rich". That is an inexorably shrinking group.

They're driving off the Latino vote, they have no chance of recovering the black vote, the asian vote is mixed. They're losing the young people over their intransigence on social issues. They've even lost the imaginary high ground on being the "party of fiscal responsibility". They simply aren't that any more and they look like idiots when they bark about the budget now.

Its a primary driver of many of these faux voter ID laws. The courts are rightfully shooting them down because they're simply poll taxes in fancy clothes. A blatant attempt to reduce the ability of the poor, students, the elderly, working class people to be able to vote. VOTER fraud is not even at noise level. Vote COUNTING fraud and vote SUPPRESSION, otoh, is well above noise level.

If you're not going to revamp yourself, the only other course is to keep those who don't follow you from voting. :P

[Iron Maw]

The marriage amendment: REJECTED

It's all over AP

Originally Posted by Theo

Pundits were always useless. Just took Nate and others like Stewart and Colbert to drag them out into the searing light. Hopefully 538 promotes renewed interest in math and statistics.

CAN YOU FEEL ZE SCHADENFREUDE, CONSERVATIVE TALK RADIO? Can't wait for colon clenching and anal devastation soon.

Man, you should have seen Karl Rove on FOX a few hours. The was enough of that there to last a week.

Can't wait to see the playbacks later today.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Iron Maw

The marriage amendment: REJECTED

It's all over AP

Which one? There were four states with the issue on the ballot.

Edit: Apparently, the only one not winning is Minnesota (though that's a projection if I understand it)
(88% reporting with a difference of a 100,000 or so in yea/nay)
Main, Maryland, and Washington State all cleared the hurdle by a fair margin.

[Iron Maw]

^Minnesota.

EDIT: Yeah, but what I'm hearing from twitter and various forums, it's only a matter of time.

[Vexx]

OH... I see. The Minnesota one was written reverse grammar.

Minnesota voters decide whether to change their constitution to deny same-sex couples the right to marry with Amendment 1.

So its a win for "adults can marry" all the way across the board... sort of.

Evergreen State voters decide whether to approve a law passed earlier in 2012 allowing gay marriages.

Question 1 on the ballot in Maine legalizes gay marriage

Maryland Question 6 allows voters to decide whether to approve a state law passed earlier this year legalizing same-sex marriages.

[Irenicus]

Yes, the amendment that loses is the one that would put "Marriage is for Man and Woman" into the Minnesotan Constitution; in other words, a defeat of the ballot here is a victory for gay marriage, albeit an incomplete one -- it is still not legal in Minnesota, but it signals the first sweep of a great wind.

Let freedom ring! Can I borrow someone's gay friend to hug? I need a hug.

[Theo]

Originally Posted by Vexx

What you need to factor in are the unassailable momentum of demographics. The Republicans are rapidly becoming the party of "mostly old white people and some of the rich". That is an inexorably shrinking group.

They're driving off the Latino vote, they have no chance of recovering the black vote, the asian vote is mixed. They're losing the young people over their intransigence on social issues. They've even lost the imaginary high ground on being the "party of fiscal responsibility". They simply aren't that any more and they look like idiots when they bark about the budget now.

Its a primary driver of many of these faux voter ID laws. The courts are rightfully shooting them down because they're simply poll taxes in fancy clothes. A blatant attempt to reduce the ability of the poor, students, the elderly, working class people to be able to vote. VOTER fraud is not even at noise level. Vote COUNTING fraud and vote SUPPRESSION, otoh, is well above noise level.

If you're not going to revamp yourself, the only other course is to keep those who don't follow you from voting. :P

You're right about the shrinking demographics, but it won't be terminal yet for them in 2016 I imagine.

On another subject, I'm glad people are recognizing Nate Silver, but we need them to recognize him for his excellent mathematics on voter RATIO rather than the oversimplified "Oh, X state won, he's a genius!"

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Irenicus

Yes, the amendment that loses is the one that would put "Marriage is for Man and Woman" into the Minnesotan Constitution; in other words, a defeat of the ballot here is a victory for gay marriage, albeit an incomplete one -- it is still not legal in Minnesota, but it signals the first sweep of a great wind.

Let freedom ring! Can I borrow someone's gay friend to hug? I need a hug.

I suspect we may be going out with some friends this weekend on the matter. Since the Washington State one passed, locals consider Oregon a good bet for its own bill in 2014.

[Ithekro]

In California news, Prop. 30 might pass.

[Theo]

And Mary's been legalized in Colorado and Washington. Once the border states do this in the next seventy billion years, the Mexican cartels will be feeling the same butt pain Beck and Hannity are feeling right now. Or in this case, culo dolor.

[Xacual]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

In California news, Prop. 30 might pass.

Yeah I've been following it closely, so very thankful of my fellow Californians if it does.

[Rahan]

Ahah So Donald Trump will lead "Occupy Wall Streetwhatever 2013"
Awesome

[SaintessHeart]

[Skane]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

And I suppose the FOX News ones power the generators?

Congratz to the USA for dodging a bullet.

[Mentar]

I honestly don't want to come over as vindictive, but the way I see it, the main victory of this last night was that the Foxnews/Tea Party/GOP alternate reality bubble has been punctured, plainly clear for everyone to see.

So here's hoping that due to the clear necessity to widen its tent, the GOP will hopefully stop their self-engineered reentrenchment and obstruction. Calling it the most important task to make sure BO is a one-term president has failed, and failed in a time where even an average "normal" candidate should have had a serious shot. It will be interesting to see if the self-immunizing victimization narrative ("Whites are the minority now" or "The 47% takers paid their dues") will eventually make way to a more realistic assessment. If so, things could be looking up in America. Because I don't see Obama as the leftist firebreather communist at all he's been painted by the GOP all the time, he's a centrist. Maybe America could *gasp* get something done via compromise? Not like there's not enough work cut out?

So glad the Foxnews "Reality Marble" collapsed...

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by Mentar

So glad the Foxnews "Reality Marble" collapsed...

That's pretty much my view too. The GOP had been performing self hypnotism and ignoring the reality. It's not just that they lost; they literally did not understand WHY they lost because they no longer pay attention to the real world.

Now the illusion has dissipated, and they saw that they were living a lie.

The question is if they would go back to sleep, or face reality.

[Ascaloth]

@SaintessHeart,

That one has been around since Clinton.

I'm showing my age so much...

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Skane

And I suppose the FOX News ones power the generators?

Congratz to the USA for dodging a bullet.

No, they are using it to run a piston trying to outdo an atomic clock.

Originally Posted by Ascaloth

@SaintessHeart,

That one has been around since Clinton.

I'm showing my age so much...

Look at TRL.
Now look at Aohige.
Now look at Vexx.
Finally look at Seijisensei.

Do you feel young now? *runs*