The Official 2010 Election Thread

[hblask 1]

538 now has R's favored to take over 9 Democratic senate seats, and Dems favored to take no Repub seats. There doesn't appear to be any reasonable way for the R's to pick up that 10th seat right now, unless there is some shocking development, such as a child porn charge or something. 538 has moved their odds up to about 1 in 4 of getting 10, but it doesn't look that high to me. The polls have stopped moving in their favor in the remaining swing states.

[SAM_Hard8 50]

I might vote for her. But again, a RINO in office isn't a good thing for any long term gains.But Jerry Moonbeam Brown?How bad are things when Moonbeam is back?

California is fucked anyway. Does it really mater who the governor is?

[Balloon guy 158]

California is fed anyway. Does it really mater who the governor is?

I'm ever the optimist.It will probably be the death of me.

[Balloon guy 158]

Well at least Jerry Brown is capable of shooting himself in the foot like Whitman is.

Someone from Jerry Brown’s camp has been caught on tape using an extremely inelegant term to refer to opponent Meg Whitman. Will this remark make a difference in the already-heated California gubernatorial race?

Guess either Brown or an aide called her a who%# and it was taped.What's funny is that this is the best Whitman has to grab onto to stop the housekeeper from bringing her down.I am curious though how much the housekeeper will be getting after the election from the Brown camp.Because if Whitman wins, she's getting deported.

[vbnautilus 48]

Guess either Brown or an aide called her a whore and it was taped.

Hmm, I think he just got my vote. It was an aide though.

[dapokerbum 0]

Well at least Jerry Brown is capable of shooting himself in the foot like Whitman is.Guess either Brown or an aide called her a who%# and it was taped.What's funny is that this is the best Whitman has to grab onto to stop the housekeeper from bringing her down.I am curious though how much the housekeeper will be getting after the election from the Brown camp.Because if Whitman wins, she's getting deported.

No, what's funny is that Whitman hasn't tried to use this as a platform for anything, If I were her, I would ask why the Border Patrol, who apparently has a taped confession telling everyone that she is indeed an ILLEGAL alien living and working in the united states, isn't doing anything about it. Is this then a failure of the border patrol? It's funny that she doesn't take it as an opportunity, rather than seeing it as a negative, she should rework this into a positive. Of course that would probably require the truth in some areas and we all know that any politician is incapable of the truth.

[Balloon guy 158]

The O'Donnell Coons debate last night was a big victory for O'Donnell in my eyes.Her are some typical liberal tactics by moderators to help their candidate:After a discussion on the ways to cut spending on the federal budget, here is the direction the moderator goes:

KARIBJANIAN: Let's open the discussion on correcting some of the financial issues here by talk about some of your own personal financial problems. And most people know about it by now, including an IRS lien that was for about $12,000 in taxes and penalties from '05. There was the '08 mortgage default judgment on your home. You just received your bachelors degree, as you said, because it took a decade to pay of the tuition.The question, then is, how can voters rely upon your thoughts on how to manage the deficit if you're having such personal financial issues of your own?O'DONNELL: Well, first of all, that IRS tax lien, the IRS already admitted that it was a computer error and my opponent should not be bringing that up, because as I've gone up and down the campaign trail, I've discovered there are thousands of Delawareans who have faced the same thing. An IRS mistake has caused them greatly, which is all the more reason why we need to reform the IRS, not put them in control of our health care.Second of all, you mentioned education. I don't have a trust fund. I didn't come from a privileged, sheltered background as my opponent says he did...KARIBJANIAN:: Let's stay to the issue of paying bills...O'DONNELL: I am. I paid for my own college education. I also have a graduate fellowship in constitutional government from the Claremont Institute. I know how hard it is to earn and keep a dollar. And one of the reasons why the Delawareans should be able to trust me is because when I did in this economy, I worked for nonprofit groups. Nonprofit groups were the first to have been hurt. When I fell upon difficult times, I made the sacrifices needed to set things right. I sold my house. And I sold a lot of my possessions in order to pay of my personal debt and to become in a stronger position.I have worked hard in order to get to the position that I am. So I can relate to the thousands of Delaware families that are suffering right now. And I'm stronger for it. I made it through to the other side. And that's where -- leadership doesn't count in whether or not you fall, it counts in whether or not you've gotten up and that's what I’ve done.

I think O'Donnell handled it very well. and how does the moderator asking the tough questions then lead into Coon?

KARIBJANIAN: Let's just remember we're in the discussion portion so if you have anything you want to address on things that have been said on this topic thus far, go for it.COONS: Well Nancy, I frankly think that we need to focus in this debate this evening and in the campaign, not on personal financial difficulties or background earns but on the issues in front of us, the things that Delawareans are concerned about – how do we tackle the deficit and debt, how do we get Delaware back to work?There’s been lots of discussion in the national media about things my opponent has said or done that I frankly think are a distraction from the core issues that Delawareans ask about – ask both of us about.O’DONNELL: You're just jealous that you weren't –COONS: What would you do in Washington?O’DONNELL: -- on "Saturday Night Live."COONS: I’m – I’m dying to see who's going to play me, Christine.

Even Coons is shocked that the moderator is attacking O'Donnell with personal stuff and is trying to keep the discussion on things that matter.And then Blitzer steps in to get the debate on track? No, he steps in to keep piling on O'Donnell.

BLITZER: Well, let’s – on a serious note, let’s get through some of the accusations that she’d made and – and we’ll give you a chance to respond.

Okay Coons, if you're not going to play ball with us as we try to get you elected, then we'll make you.He then goes on to give Coons every opportunity to get his side of the story out:

BLITZER: Well, explain your record on – on taxes. Did you increase taxes as the county executive?

Coons gives a speech, O'Donnell gets a 'quick response' before thy move on.She does, and it doesn't sit well with Blitzer, so he goes back to Coons so he can explain his side again, leaving Coons with a full speech and a half and O'Donnell a 'quick response.'

[Balloon guy 158]

So then the debate turns to national security and Afghanistan, after touching on the subject and O'Donnell trying to continue on that subject, in steps the moderator to once again bring about the purpose she has for this debate:

KARIBJANIAN: -- sorry, but we do need to move on.I know that we’ve said that the statements out in the national media, the "Saturday Night Live" skits are distractions. I appreciate that, but to the voter in Delaware, it is the message that they are receiving. So we would be remiss if we did not address this issue.So the comments that you've made in the past, which are in your own words because they're on the videotape, have become the fodder for the late night TV shows. You even released an ad that opened up by saying "I am not a witch" and a local newspaper columnist said that the comments that you’ve been – seemed to be making make Delawareans cringe.So what do you say to voters who want the change but are uncomfortable by these remarks?

Thank you ms. liberal reporter. National Security should take a back seat to SNL and comments made a decade ago.O'Donnell's response:

O’DONNELL: This election cycle should not be about comments I made on a comedy show over a decade and a half ago. This election cycle should be about what is important to the people of Delaware, how we're going to get real jobs back to Delaware, how we're going to get our economy back on track, how we're going to protect our senior citizens and safeguard our social security. These are the issues that Delawareans are concerned about.You know, as, Wolf, you can attest, I have not welcomed this media attention. You’ve been asking for an interview for quite a long time. My priority has been getting back to the Delaware voters, meeting as many voters, going to as many community forums as possible so that we can counter these things.O’DONNELL: My opponent has said that the statements that we made in our 20s should be off the table, and after he made that statement, days later, he started running ads. In his own campaign materials, he's going back on his word using those statements to misrepresent my character.So, again, I thank you for the opportunity for the Delaware voters to get to know who I am and what I’m all about because what I can assure them is, while I made statements, my faith has matured over the years but regardless of my personal faith, when I go down to Washington, D.C., it is the constitution that I will defend and it is by the constitution that I will make all of my decisions, and that will be the standard bearer for every piece of legislation that I will vote on.

[CaneBrain 95]

maybe she should try and have less stuff in her life to defend. don't know why you are so concerned about an uncompetitive race......and Coons seemed like he did just fine and went out of his way to talk issues instead of worrying about O'Donnell's personal weirdness.

[Balloon guy 158]

Best part of the debate: Wolf shows himself to be the hack liberal that he is, and O'Donnell kicks his butt.

KARIBJANIAN: All right but let’s go to the issue of faith and politics, because you were a student pastor at Yale. You also said in an interview once that you thought you would either end up a preacher, a professor or a politician. You've occasionally been a guest speaker at some of the churches here in our community, Baptist churches, Presbyterian churches to name a few. So how much of an influence does this faith in your life have on your politics?COONS: Faith is a central part of how my wife and I are raising our three children, of why we decide to do the community service and the outreach that we do but ours is a faith that we think a general motivation towards public service, towards trying to create a community that's more tolerant, inclusive, and just, and towards the sort of forgiveness, healing and reconciliation that we think is the central message of our faith. But I also think, as someone who has been elected ten years, I’ve learned to reach a balance where my private faith, the aspects of my faith that are religious doctrine, don't influence the decisions that I’ve made for the public in my ten years in county office.

So first the liberal ms. journalist who nobody knows goes for the set up.And Wolf goes for the kill

BLITZER: Let’s give you a chance to respond to some of the things she said because in a television appearance back in 1998 on Bill Maher's show you said evolution is a myth. Do you believe evolution is a myth?O’DONNELL: I believe that the local -- I was talking about what a local school taught and that should be taught -- that should be decided on the local community. But please let me respond to what he just said.BLITZER: We’ll let you respond but answer the question. Do you believe evolution is a myth?O’DONNELL: Local schools should make that decision. I made that remark based on --BLITZER: What do you believe?O’DONNELL: What I believe is irrelevant.BLITZER: Why is it irrelevant?O’DONNELL: Because what I would support …BLITZER: Voters want to know.O’DONNELL: What I will support in Washington, D.C. is the ability for the local school system to decide what is taught in their classrooms and what I was talking about on that show was a classroom that was not allowed to teach creationism as an equal theory as evolution. That is against their constitutional rights and that is an overreaching arm of the government.

Wolf: Answer me, Answer me, ANSWER ME. Let ME paint you in the light I want to paint you. Fit MY mold, do not respond in a manner that you want, respond how I want you to respond.O'Donnell handled it well and turned it around on Wolf, so then Wolf decides if he can't hurt her, he can at least help Coons:

O'Donnell: But, please allow me at least the full minute to respond to what he said because he said these statements that we made should be taken into consideration when casting your vote. So then I would be remiss not to bring up the fact that my opponent has recently said that it was studying under a Marxist professor that made him become a Democrat. So when you look at his position on things like raising taxes, which is one of the tenets of Marxism; not supporting eliminating death tax, which is a tenet of Marxism -- I would argue that there are more people who support my Catholic faith than his Marxist beliefs, and I’m using his own words.KARIBJANIAN: We’re going to clarify that.BLITZER: Because a lot of people remember, because they've learned in last few weeks you did once describe yourself when you were in college a long time ago as a bearded Marxist.COONS: Great question, Wolf. I hope folks will go and read the article.It’s an article that I wrote as a senior the day of our commencement speech and the title and the content of that clearly makes it obvious that it was a joke. There was a group of folks who I had shared a room with, my roommates junior year, who are in the Young Republican Club and who thought when I returned from Kenya and registered as a Democrat that doing so was proof that I had gone all the way over to the far left end, and so they jokingly called me a bearded Marxist. If you take five minutes and read the article, it's clear on the face of it, it was a joke. Despite that, my opponent and lots of folks in the right wing media have endlessly spun this. I am not now, nor have I ever been, anything but a clean-shaven capitalist.

Wolf: He he he come on Coons, a while ago you said something, but what did you really mean? wink wink go Ahead brother, set the record straight. you have as much time as you need.But the O'Donnell camp wasn't sitting around all day hoping the liberal moderators would protect her, so they actually prepared for the debate.

O’DONNELL: Well, I would -- I would stand to disagree because, first of all, if you're saying what I said on a comedy show is relevant to this election, then absolutely you writing an article, forget the bearded Marxist comment, you writing an article saying that you learned your beliefs from an articulate, intelligent Marxist professor and that's what made you become a Democrat, that should send chills up the spine of every Delaware voter because then if you compare that statement to your policies --

O'Donnell slams it. She knocked it out with this. If you are going to judge me by a single comment I made on a Comedy show ( which is debatable if there actually is any comedy on that show ) If you are going to judge me on that, then shouldn't you be judged on what you wrote down for an article for a newspaper?Quick ms liberal 'journalist, save him...change the subject:

KARIBJANIAN: Let’s go to an issue that you brought up about being schools and this goes to you first, Mr. Coons. This is the issue of education in our country. And in many public school districts all across America, as they're trying to get in accountability in the classroom, it is very difficult to dismiss an underperforming teacher because of the stringent contracts that have been negotiated with the individual school districts and teacher unions. Do you feel teacher unions are too powerful?

Whew..almost thought Coons would have to devote a whole 30 seconds to his commenting that he became a democrat because of a Marxist professor.

[Balloon guy 158]

More slanted questions by the liberal moderators towards O'Donnell:

BLITZER: Let's switch gears and talk about health care, which is such an important issue to millions and millions of Americans right now. Under the new health care law that was recently signed into law by the president, children now can stay on their parents' insurance policies until the age of 26. People can no longer be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. Insurers, the big insurance companies, are prohibited from rescinding coverage if a customer becomes sick and they can't impose any lifetime limits on essential benefits like hospital stays or expensive treatments.You say you want to repeal all of that?

Here's a paraphrase:Wolf: Obama care is wonderful and all people are going to live for ever, why do you want to stop Obama care and kill them?And how do they question Coons on basically the same subject?:

KARIBJANIAN: Well, we're now into part of the discussion on it. So let me just ask you then, the issue was brought up about malpractice reform, and Democrats are often accused of being too close to trial lawyers, and Republicans say that's why that there has not been the opportunity for reform in this area, and why it was not included in the health care bill.If you were elected, would you work to amend that bill to include malpractice reform?

Paraphrase: Well there are some small problems, ones that democrats want to fix, how would you make this bill even better?Really? Obama Care is given a complete and total position of being great with minor problems? That's how you want to frame the issue?

[CaneBrain 95]

So, the moderators were about negative politics and so was O'Donnell but Coons stuck to issues instead of worrying about Marxist professors. Sounds about right.You are just sour because she is the biggest reason you will owe me 100 bucks in a month.

[Balloon guy 158]

Time to finish off O'Donnell now:Notice the direction the moderators keep the focus:

BLITZER: I want to be precise on this specific health care-related issue. You oppose the government mandating that everyone must purchase health insurance, is that right?O'DONNELL: Yes, because we're confusing coverage with care. Our goal needs to be to make health care affordable.BLITZER: All right. Well, here's the question. Let's say someone decides not to purchase health insurance, makes that conscientious decision, even though this person can afford to buy health insurance, but decided he doesn't want to. This person gets critically ill, is rushed to an emergency room.Should we, people who pay for health insurance, provide him or her with that kind of treatment, or should we kick them out of the emergency room, said, you made a decision, you're not going to get this kind of treatment?O'DONNELL: If we do the things that I've said that will help to address-- that I'm proposing, that will help to address the issue of health care, then that person can afford to buy a catastrophic-only policy from across state lines. They'll be able…BLITZER: Well, what if the person doesn't want to buy it?O'DONNELL: Well, then we have to address that.BLITZER: Who should take care of that person in an emergency?O'DONNELL: We have to address it.BLITZER: Would we, all of us tax-payers…O'DONNELL: We have to -- no, we have to…BLITZER: … have to pay for that person?O'DONNELL: Anything that they do when they have another bill that they can't pay, make them pay it. Hold them accountable for that.KARIBJANIAN: Before or after they get care?O'DONNELL: But right now, right now -- well, that's up to the hospital.But right now we're forcing them to. We're forcing them that they have to give care to illegal aliens.So this is something that we're already doing. What I'm proposing, you're also talking about a very small hypothetical using scare tactics to make people support this health care bill.What I'm proposing in the health care reforms that I'm proposing will help address those situation and help alleviate those situations.BLITZER: Not just a small number...O'DONNELL: Well, nobody should be forced to pay for anyone else's health care, and that's what Obamacare is doing.COONS: And that's what's happening today. Before the health care reform bill passed, all of us who have health insurance, who have health coverage have been bearing the costs, paying the freight for those who don't have insurance and don't have coverage. They're getting health care through emergency rooms now. That's partly why small businesses, employers like New Castle County have faced double digit increases in our insurance costs year after year and year because that's how we provide care now, it's inefficient, it's inhumane and it's not effective.KARIBJANIAN: We have to (inaudible) this issue for now and move on to our next topic.

If this were more biased, they would have just muzzled O'Donnell and had James Carvill speak for her on how she 'really feels'

[Balloon guy 158]

So, the moderators were about negative politics and so was O'Donnell but Coons stuck to issues instead of worrying about Marxist professors. Sounds about right.You are just sour because she is the biggest reason you will owe me 100 bucks in a month.

If I had both moderators tearing up my candidate with bias control of the clock and forcing issues framed around a liberal agenda, I would shut my mouth and act above it all too.I'm not saying Coons is a fool to let the two moderators do his dirty work.

[CaneBrain 95]

If I had both moderators tearing up my candidate with bias control of the clock and forcing issues framed around a liberal agenda, I would shut my mouth and act above it all too.I'm not saying Senator Coons is a fool to let the two moderators do his dirty work.

Why didn't she insist on one CNN mod and one Fox News mod? Because she is a dope?

[Balloon guy 158]

Why didn't she insist on one CNN mod and one Fox News mod? Because she is a dope?

"It's her own fault that the moderators are unable to be fair"

[SAM_Hard8 50]

Why didn't she insist on one CNN mod and one Fox News mod? Because she is a dope?

So you admit that the moderators were biased.Do you believe a challenger down in the poles gets a choice of moderators? She was lucky she got a debate.Journalism is in a sad state if she even had to worry about it.

[mk 11]

If this were more biased, they would have just muzzled O'Donnell and had James Carvill speak for her on how she 'really feels'

I think it might be that you are accustomed to Fox News, wherein every major potential Republican candidate for president in 2012, excepting Romney, is on the payroll; i.e. Fox is paying the people they are alleging to cover, granting them immunity from any actual coverage that isn't pure GOP propaganda.Sometimes, people who are actual journalists ask candidates questions and expect to receive answers which contain, perhaps, 1-2% of substance rather than 100% empty language and tautologies.I can see how that would be hard for you.

[Balloon guy 158]

I think it might be that you are accustomed to Fox News, wherein every major potential Republican candidate for president in 2012, excepting Romney, is on the payroll; i.e. Fox is paying the people they are alleging to cover, granting them immunity from any actual coverage that isn't pure GOP propaganda.Sometimes, people who are actual journalists ask candidates questions and expect to receive answers which contain, perhaps, 1-2% of substance rather than 100% empty language and tautologies.I can see how that would be hard for you.

Ha ha, once again your bias shrouds you from reality.Fox News during the democratic nominations was shown to be the most fair when reporting about Hillary Clinton. Much more fair than all the liberal 'news' organizations.Of course facts are no reason for you to change what you no to be true.Fox News: They Report, You Deride.Even the NY times had to admit it

[CaneBrain 95]

"It's her own fault that the moderators are unable to be fair"

If it was a real concern, she should have brought it up.Personally, I think she just has said a lot of stupid crap and that has consequences.And to both you and SamHARD, most of her answers were empty. I have never heard O'Donnell once say anything of substacne, just rhetoric and platitudes. You both see insane bias, I see light bias surrounding a serious attempt to get her to say ANYTHING of substance.

[mk 11]

Ha ha, once again your bias shrouds you from reality.Fox News during the democratic nominations was shown to be the most fair when reporting about Hillary Clinton. Much more fair than all the liberal 'news' organizations.Of course facts are no reason for you to change what you no to be true.Fox News: They Report, You Deride.Even the NY times had to admit it

This was clearly, CLEARLY because they wanted to run against her and not Obama.Good one, though.

[CaneBrain 95]

Ha ha, once again your bias shrouds you from reality.Fox News during the democratic nominations was shown to be the most fair when reporting about Hillary Clinton. Much more fair than all the liberal 'news' organizations.Of course facts are no reason for you to change what you no to be true.Fox News: They Report, You Deride.Even the NY times had to admit it

nice dodge of the fact that every GOP contender for 2012 is on their payroll.Fox News: They Report....while they run for office.

This was clearly, CLEARLY because they wanted to run against her and not Obama.Good one, though.

I know, he leaves out that it was advantageous for them to do this. Fox News would throw Jon Stewart a parade if they felt it would help the GOP in an election.

[Balloon guy 158]

If it was a real concern, she should have brought it up.Personally, I think she just has said a lot of stupid crap and that has consequences.And to both you and SamHARD, most of her answers were empty. I have never heard O'Donnell once say anything of substacne, just rhetoric and platitudes. You both see insane bias, I see light bias surrounding a serious attempt to get her to say ANYTHING of substance.

Dude,Every politician is empty, all their speeches are pre-conceived sentences designed to fool the right people the right way.O'Donnell should not be made to blame for doing what they all do.Nor should she have the moderators decidedly in her opponents favor.If they were equally hard on Coons, then this accusation of favoritism would be clearly shown to be false. They weren't, which is why you are not trying to argue that. you instead are trying to blame O'Donnell for letting those two moderators be liberal hacks.

[Balloon guy 158]

This was clearly, CLEARLY because they wanted to run against her and not Obama.Good one, though.

So their devious plan was to giver her a fair hearing.Those basterds.

[CaneBrain 95]

Dude,Every politician is empty, all their speeches are pre-conceived sentences designed to fool the right people the right way.O'Donnell should not be made to blame for doing what they all do.Nor should she have the moderators decidedly in her opponents favor.If they were equally hard on Coons, then this accusation of favoritism would be clearly shown to be false. They weren't, which is why you are not trying to argue that. you instead are trying to blame O'Donnell for letting those two moderators be liberal hacks.

There's just not as much to be equally hard on Coons as there is on O'Donnell. You pick weirdo candidates, you get what you get. If the GOP had video of Coons saying off the wall things, they'd run it and ask for comments about it. It's not a smear campaign if they are showing video of things you said. (cough, cough Sharon Angle.)