Comments on: USA! USA!

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:36:10 +0000

I don’t think the numbers have quite settled down enough to declare a winner. But as a crowd, yes, we were pretty good.

By: Cryptographically anonymous

Cryptographically anonymous — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:54:08 +0000

So, who won the vote count prediction contest?

The commenter “Joshua Zucker”, apparently.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_2008#Grand_total

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/07/03/prediction-contest-update/#comment-320006

Tantalizingly, our averaged predictions were within 1.1% of the actual outcome – and the median, 0.7%!

The mean (unweighted — sorry) prediction was that Obama would win 53.6 percent of the McCain/Obama popular vote, while the median was 53.2. The average standard deviation was 1.2%.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/07/03/prediction-contest-update/

Everyone, a round of applause for the invisible hand.

By: Ijon Tichy

Ijon Tichy — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:07:18 +0000

For the millionth time, Obama is not a socialist, and his policies aren’t even close to socialist. He’s not even left-wing. Obama is a right-of-centre liberal. And to prove himself, like Kennedy, he will govern even further to the right. But he and Biden were still by far a better choice than the unstable McCain and pig-ignorant Palin. So congratulations USA.

By: dolo mite

dolo mite — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:52:32 +0000

John R Ramsden “Some of Obama’s policies sound a bit socialist ”

if only. sadly he isn’t even 10% socialist.

this euphoria reminds me of the mid-1990s. then we had “tony blair and the string theorists”–what an awful rock band they turned out be.

back in the present, any lingering hope of progressive politics must be dashed by barack hussein obama’s new white house chief-of-staff: rahm israel emmanuel, a former snake-charmer from chicago. forget change, but enjoy the irony.

By: John R Ramsden

John R Ramsden — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:06:23 +0000

Sean “Let’s take this country for a spin and see what it can do”.

Oh dear, that word “spin” again. We’re all too familiar with it in the UK, and let’s hope Obama doesn’t turn out to be a grinning vacuous Tony Blair Mark 2. Some of Obama’s policies sound a bit socialist, which doesn’t bode well. I wonder if everyone will feel so ecstatic in four or eight years’ time.

By: Elliot

Elliot — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:43:14 +0000

Joanne,

I had the same reaction to Jesse Jackson’s tears.

Sean, it’s time to get serious about getting you appointed to DOE or DODE (department of dark energy) secretary. Since Dark energy is 70% of the universe and regular energy only 5%, this seems like a much bigger job.

By: Lydia

Lydia — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:44:32 +0000

Stephen told me you took my advice. You are now christened a true Angeleno, vato.

http://www.laweekly.com/2008-02-07/eat-drink/the-hot-dog-so-good-it-sillegal/

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:42:57 +0000

So, who won the vote count prediction contest?

By: Lawrence B. Crowell

Lawrence B. Crowell — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:48:08 +0000

It is time to enjoy a little schadenfreude. Of course the really tough time is ahead. Obama has one hell of a mess to clean up.

Lawrence B. Crowell

By: J_P

J_P — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:51:07 +0000

I had accepted years ago that I had just become jaded and cynical about American politics. I’m a staunch conservative, but even I had become extremely disillusioned with the state of our country, our government, and America’s global presence. It’s very painful to watch the decline of a great Republic at the hands of a sub-par President.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I found myself swept up in a huge swell of pride, joy, and amazement this morning when I heard that Sen. Obama had won the election. It felt good, it felt strange, it felt like hope.

We are riding the wave of a major change, please let’s do what we can to live up to the promise we’ve made to ourselves.

By: True_Q

True_Q — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:27:23 +0000

Hard to imagine but even here, in Poland, we were excited by this elections;) Hope this mean change not only for US but hole world!

By: Haelfix

Haelfix — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:05:09 +0000

McCains position was always sad. He knew he couldn’t win as the person he really is (eg the 2k centrist version) so had to sell his soul to even stand a chance. Eg pander to the right, and go negative.

Honestly, I think a lot of liberals did a great disservice to the country in the long run by demonizing the guy, as much as his campaign was distasteful (and it was). He is still about as good a candidate fundamentally as the R party has produced in a long time.

So instead, all thats going to happen is they’re going to go right back to being uber conservative and picking a Palin or a Huckabee in 4 years (disenfranchising the remaining center right people).

I am convinced it is not in the US’s interest to have an extreme right wing party.

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:15:32 +0000

McCain’s concession speech was great. It reminded me that I once thought, like, here’s a decent guy who’s in the wrong party, or in the right party but at the wrong time, and stuff. But the reaction of the crowd, well, that was different. It looked as if that McCain wasn’t the McCain they would have wanted to win the election.

Sad.

^_^J.

By: Thor

Thor — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:49:41 +0000

Magnificent speech by Obama.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/5/0510/83437/390/653543

Congrats again, America! Dont think, Run with this!

By: Elliot

Elliot — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:40:28 +0000

A truly great and historic night for our country. But we wake up tomorrow with tremendous challenges ahead. I hope that we all can work together to make this a better, safer, and more humane planet.

By: Eugene

Eugene — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:17:31 +0000

He gotta win, he taught in U of C for crissakes.

By: milkshake

milkshake — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:14:17 +0000

I, for one, welcome our new Canadian overlords

By: WhatMeWorry

WhatMeWorry — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:08:00 +0000

Well done USA. Up here in Canada, Obama would have taken about 85% of the popular vote, so we are breathing a big sigh of relief.

By: ts

ts — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:02:25 +0000

Thank you very much for restoring my confidence in you, America. Just remembered why I came to study in this country… It has been a looong time, though….

By: Lawrence B. Crowell

Lawrence B. Crowell — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:53:18 +0000

Pop the champaigne bottles people — it happened. An eight year national mini-dark age is over.

L. C.