Courage…

Well, they've beaten him up, they've mocked his sweaters, they've exposed his memos, they've made sport of his Afghan garb, but Dan Rather's still standing, and refusing to call Ohio for Bush. Even Peter Jennings is starting to waver on this one. In the last ten minutes, Bush's Buckeye lead has been widening, as all those "urban precincts" come in.

Comments

[Paul]

Dan who?

[crimethink]

It really sucks watching election coverage on a B&W TV.

[crimethink]

Dan just called MN for Kerry. Woo.

[crimethink]

Bush ahead by 3% with 90% of the vote in, so Kerry would have to win by 27% in the final 10% of the precincts...

Good luck.

[Jason Bourne]

Yahoo still hasn't called Ohio.

[Jason Bourne]

crimethink,

It all depends on how bad of a mess the provisional ballot issue turns out to be.

[Jason Bourne]

The Secretary of State of Ohio has just stated that they wait ten days to be sure to get all the overseas ballots in and counted, and only then will they start counting the approximately 250-300k provisional ballots. Anyone have any idea how the provisional ballots tend to break as far as valid v. non-valid ballots are concerned (I know provisional ballots aren't new to every state)?

[Brett]

Recent Rather quote: "We'd rather be late than wrong". Yep.

[Ammonium]

The best thing about this election is that soon I'll get to wave goodbye to all my leftie friends who have sworn they will leave the country if Bush wins.

[Paul]

Jason Bourne:

Don't know how they break, but statistics show that 90% of provisional ballots end up being valid. My guess is that there's NO way to tell how provisionals break- because they're arguably not demographic. Provisionals are filled out due to someone coming to the polls who's recently moved- recently registered- some problem with the general bureaucracy. I can't imagine a particular demographic falling into the category.

[crimethink]

Jason,

OH's S of S just estimated about 150,000 prov ballots that will need to be counted. Bush is leading by 100,000 votes with 92% reporting -- so the provisional ballots would have to break roughly 2:1 for Kerry for him to tie.

[Curtis]

12:50 CST ABC is carefully introducing the calling of Ohio for Bush - 1 correspondent and consultant at a time.

[JDM]

I've seen the figure 19% for valid provisional ballots in a couple of news stories. Bush will finish tonight with 110,000 vote or so lead in Ohio. The provisionals will probably not make it up, considering some will be for Bush.

[B Beatty]

Go to DrudgeReport. I think you should all go to bed and rest assured that the world is going to be a safer place tomorrow because George W. Bush is still president. Good night.

[xit1254]

I don't see how a Libertarian could vote for the "statist" Kerry. I'm not particularly happy about Bush, but Kerry?

[Jason Bourne]

B. Beatty,

Yes our President-Savior-Father will protect us. *groan*

I really wish people would get past the bone-headed hero-worship/cult of personality style of politics.

xit1254,

I didn't vote for Kerry.

[Jason Bourne]

I'll note how the bigots came out to play and voted in favor of ten amendments banning gay marraige (the majority of them also ban civil unions).

JDM,

His lead is more like 150,000; about what it was in 2000.

[B Beatty]

Jason - "Cult of Personality?" Do you want to talk about "cult of personality?" Okay, let's start with John F. Kerry... JFK... and how he his entire life has been crafted as a personal monument to the late John F. Kennedy? His impression of JFK has it down to the hair cut (in the 60's - 70's), the state he moved to... MASS, and the high-financed lifestyle (his wife).

So, yes, I agree. I'm sick of the cult of personality, hero-worship too.

[Jason Bourne]

B. Beatty,

Hmmm, just because Democrats have such with regard to Kerry doesn't excuse your similar thoughts with regard to Bush. What is it with these people who think that a negative comment directed at either Kerry or Bush automatically means that the individual making the remark supports one or the other of these bozos?

No, I don't feel like I will sleep safer under Bush; that doesn't mean I support Kerry. A pox on both their houses.

[B Beatty]

Jason -- ahh... spoken like a true Libertarian. If the Libertarians ruled the world... or at least the U.S. we have legalized marijuana. I'm sure THAT would help you sleep better. But, then again, I see that you only turned out a little more than their 300,000 voters? Maybe they forgot where they were supposed to vote... busy looking for a doobie.

[crimethink]

"We'd rather be late than be wrong."

So why the hell am I watching your stupid network at 2 am?

[Jason Bourne]

B. Beatty,

Well, I am a libertarian (small "l" for the ignorant like yourself). As to your hopelessly fallacious argument from popularity, well, all I can say is that its hopeless fallacious. 🙂 For someone who implies that my thinking isn't clear due to use of marijuana, you certainly are are a muddle-headed dope.