RTFA: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individu…

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING…. We are, oddly enough, just a few hours away from some states wrapping up voting for the day. It’s probably a good time to talk a little about tonight’s schedule.

At 6 p.m. eastern, the polls will close in Indiana and Kentucky.

For the past couple of election cycles, these two are called by the networks almost immediately, and are considered reliably Republican states. Tonight, Indiana may prove to be more interesting, with polls showing a close contest. Obama wouldn’t necessarily need Indiana to get to 270, but if he wins the state’s 11 electoral votes, it will reinforce the notion that McCain is in for a long night. (Also note, there are parts of Indiana, most notably Gary, where the polls won’t close until 7 p.m. eastern.)

At 7 p.m. eastern, the polls will close in most of Florida, most of New Hampshire, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, and Vermont.

Obviously, there are some key electoral prizes here. If McCain loses Virginia, his paths to 270 shrink considerably. If McCain loses Florida, his chances all but disappear. Also, keep an eye on Georgia, where turnout has been amazing.

At 7:30 p.m. eastern, the polls will close in Ohio, West Virginia, and North Carolina.

While West Virginia is not in play, both Ohio and North Carolina are home to an intense GOTV effort from the Obama campaign. Polls show Obama with a slight edge in Ohio, and McCain with an edge in N.C.

Good summary of the entire night’s festivities. If you’re in the East, it’s all over by 7:30. …then, it’s just a matter of hearing the tally from Ohio, Virginia, and Florida.

AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

RTFA: http://www.economist.com/vote2008/?mode=descriptio…

The Economist has redrawn the electoral map to give all 195 of the world’s countries (including the United States) a say in the election’s outcome. As in America, each country has been allocated a minimum of three electoral-college votes with extra votes allocated in proportion to population size. With over 6.5 billion people enfranchised, the result is a much larger electoral college of 9,875 votes. But rally your countrymen-a nation must have at least ten individual votes in order to have its electoral-college votes counted.

There are few countries whose votes in the Global Electoral College are a foregone conclusion. So the winner is unlikely to be decided by a small number of “swing countries”. Rather, they will have to cobble together a coalition of small, medium and large nations. (A campaign stop in Beijing is recommended, as well as a tour of Africa.) Voting in the Global Electoral College will close at midnight London time on November 1st, when the candidate with most electoral-college votes will be declared the winner.

Great concept! …but the results are absolutely shocking:

Listen: I’m a registered Republican. I voted for Ron Paul in the primaries, and as we all know, he’s advocated a very isolationist approach. I donated to the McCain campaign, and if you’ve been following RTFA recently, you have probably noticed an endless stream of articles that are critical of McCain. This is because I’m totally angry, disenfranchised, and betrayed by the GOP. I will be infuriated if the GOP manages to steal this election, because they don’t represent Republicans, they don’t represent Americans, and they don’t represent Humanity, at large.

Demonstrations like this map from The Economist give me a moment’s pause. In spite of my Ron Paul endorsement, the rest of the world DOES factor into my calculations, and I advocate for a realistic, gradual shift in focus. There must be a transition from the hard-line, idealistic orthodoxy that has caused the US to exert itself (rather, over-exert) in the affairs of too many foreign nations. Paradoxically, it would appear that I agree with the global consensus, and I conclude that the rest of the world doesn’t want the US in their business.

The essence of the paradox is this: I will listen to the world; it tells me that we should ignore the world. Of course, this is a dramatic over-simplification, but the US must concentrate on its own problems for a few years. I think we can accomplish this through diplomacy: the US can still exert a positive influence by cooperating, through global forums, with other countries that are willing to put forth their own resources towards certain global problems. It is cheaper, and the risks will be shared among more countries.

Here it is… I have delayed as long as possible, but I have reached my breaking point. As a McCain donor, as a registered Republican, as a hard-line fiscal conservative, as a strict constitutionalist:

I am hereby endorsing Obama. I stand with the majority of Americans and the majority of Humans.

RTFA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMHU3VRFGGE&feature…

Johnny Cash’s America was not red, white, or blue, but black. And that blackness contained multitudes. While society has become increasingly divided. Cash navigated some of the most contentious issue of our time – war, prison, reform, youth discontent, religion, Native American rights – without losing his audience. Americans who can agree on little else have agreed on Johnny Cash.

Testify!

RTFA: http://www.vimeo.com/1960006?pg=embed&sec=1960006

Steal Back Your Vote! from Greg Palast on Vimeo.

In 2002, George W. Bush signed the Help America Vote Act. When a Bush tells you he’s going to “help” you vote –look out! The result: in the 2004 presidential election, over three million votes— 3,006,080—were cast and not counted.

I used the term “conservatives” because it describes me, and it might describe you, but I don’t like the term. What I like is this country, and you know what? I’m not satisfied to “keep” the country through fraudulent, illegal voting interference. I think of it like pouring hydrogen peroxide on a deep wound: it stings, but it keeps the gangrene out. It’s like a tetanus shot: it’s sore for days, but the foot doesn’t get amputated. It’s like… oh, you get what I mean.

So here’s the problem with election fraud: when some party gets into power, and you don’t like them, then you must not allow them the tools to stay in power by interfering with the vote. Right now, those tools are more of a liability than an asset. Consider, for a second, how that could possibly be.

I know what you’re thinking: “The masses don’t always know what’s good for them. Sometimes, it’s better for the country if ‘we’ make the decisions for them.” One problem, of many, is that the masses in this country are heavily armed and increasingly less educated, and whoever YOU are, that should give you a moment for pause. There is a reason why democracy ought to be congruent with the desires of the masses…

So that comes back to the vote, and why it’s better for the country to express its will through voting. As a conservative, I’m seriously disappointed by the previous two elections, because I’m disappointed by the approval rating of the president. What I cannot understand easily is how the guy got 50% of the vote – twice – and yet his approval rating is the historical lowest of any president. Does that make sense to you? …and if so, please enlighten me.

As McCain has repeated: people are angry. really angry. and scared. and Angry! It’s important that in 2008, the “people” get to drive the country for a single, shining day. …and then instead of being merely angry, perhaps they will be self-loathing for legitimately putting some guy into office who made the choices that made them angry. If they’re self-loathing instead of angry, maybe “they’ll” shut up. That’s why the vote needs to be clean.

…and that’s why this video is interesting. People want to fuck with this country, and you don’t know if they’re on “your” side. Did you make more money this year? Really? How about these numbers, asshole:

This states that even for the top 5%, median income leveled off during the first 4 years of W. I wish I had newer data, because the 2008 numbers are going to make me cry. Meanwhile, the wealthiest individuals each increased their net worth by increasing amounts, and disproportionally benefited from tax breaks. …so are you convinced that the people manipulating the election are on your side?

The vote needs to stay clean. Conservatives, if the word means anything at all, need to care about this.