Oh, it would so serve the asshats right if route 2 went into effect.

Yeah. Plus it'd be funny as fuck.

Those Newsweek behind-the-scenes articles about the campaigns are incredible.

I'm quoting this directly from an LJ on my friends' friends list (so if it's one of y'all and I didn't know your LJ name, sorry that I just co-opted you): Newsweek has started releasing tidbits from their traditional Special Election Project. They spin a dedicated unit off for a year that has no contact with the magazine and works under the promise they won't release any information until the day after the election, and they write a book about the presidential election with unusual access.

An excerpt, re: Palin:

NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin's shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family—clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent "tens of thousands" more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.

The first 2 chapters and an intro are up: [link]

My students were all BUH? Prop 8 is CRAZY.

My boys are the same. They haven't a clue why gay people can't marry. It makes no sense to them. Of course, it makes no sense to us either, but we know the programming that caused people to think that way. There is some comfort in knowing that it Will Change, but change is taking way too long.

In other discouraging news, my parents voted McCain. They didn't think Obama was a terrorist, but just too young and inexperienced. I think she was comforted with my argument that the energy and enthusiasm of youth was a good thing with the pile of problems that need solving. They still are convinced that there will be abortion clinics on every corner, but I know better than to try and win that argument.

My main argument against the inexperience thing is that I really believe he'll listen to other people in a way that I wasn't at all convinced McCain would and Bush absolutely DIDN'T.

I was just saying yesterday that this is the first campaign that I've actually WANTED to read a Making of the President 2008 book because I really do want to find out the horrendous details of what must have been going on in the McCain campaign.

Also, because this is so damn cute, somebody put together a blog of pictures of Obama holding babies, mostly:

[link]

My main argument against the inexperience thing is that I really believe he'll listen to other people in a way that I wasn't at all convinced McCain would and Bush absolutely DIDN'T.

Absolutely. I also argued that if how each man ran his campaign was a clue as to how they would run the country we can be sure the right choice was made.

As bummed as I am, THIS is the silver lining. My students were all BUH? Prop 8 is CRAZY. Which is kind of cool. Because it means there is hope for future change.

This. I had to break the news to one of my classes this morning (they asked me point blank if I'd heard the final results), and there was a moment of stunned silence followed by expressions of confusion and disgust. Granted, I teach on the Westside of LA--not exactly politically diverse.

OK, I think Obama is smart and he thinks things through before he acts - so if he has advisers telling him something, he'll probably listen to them and base his actions on facts, rather than wishful thinking. He's also good at keeping his temper, as far as I can tell, which is a Good Thing.

And, referring back, the atmosphere downtown does remind me a bit of when the Berlin Wall fell. I have an old-ish videotape of the concert to celebrate the wall falling - Beethoven's 9th, Leonard Bernstein conducting, musicians from Germany (both sides), Russia, the U.S., France, Britain I think. In the introduction there are shots of people dancing and hugging. There's a line from the choral section, "alle menschen werden bruder wo dein sanftel flugel weilt" which came into my head as I was walking around at lunch. Translation (roughly) - all men become brothers where thy [joy's] wings dwell.

Dude, look at Condi [link]

All the AfAm newscasters last night were just glowing - Pierre Wossname, Steve Osunsame, the local Atlanta NBC woman...