By David Futrelle
If you haven’t already, GO VOTE and then come back to enjoy(?) this open thread. Tell us how it went. Talk about any shady sit the GOP tries to pull today. Discuss the results as they come in. Talk about your hobbies. Post pictures of animals. Post videos. Whatever it takes to get through this incredibly nerve-wracking day.
No trolls.
@Ooglyboggles
Good luck! I don’t know which OC district you’re in but how the hell is Dana Rohrabacher still in office?
@Ooglyboggles
Omg good luck! Idk which OC district you’re in but how is Dana Rohrabacher still in office?
@sylvia bath
Officially in the 39th district. I’m just glad that Ed R Royce is gone. GOP mate, it does things to protect monsters like Dana aka the person who was special assistant to Ronald Reagan.
As an update from last night, I unfortunately can’t drink my bottle of wine tonight as I’m now stricken with a damn cold.
Time for TheraFlu!
As a french, I wish good luck to all american. Let’s hope the remote possibility that the Democrat get both the house and Senate !
There’s a local election soon in my city (the old Prime Minister who was elected here have resigned to try his luck in Spain, good riddance). It won’t be anywhere as tense however ; will the second in command of the incumbent is not my first pick, he is roughly equivalent to electing Hillary Clinton, aka not ideal but not horrible.
The other mainstream option is the candidat of our “supposedly left-wing but actually kind of authoritarian” guy, named Melenchon. I suspect it’s the main bullet to dodge in the election, and it’s nowhere as bad as a trumpite.
That’s where my grandparents live! They voted straight ticket Democratic & are praying for the district to flip too.
Ugh I hate this feeling so much. I’m trying to keep my expectations low so I can’t be disappointed
@sylvia bath
Same. Yes I get how the stats how that GOP voters have gone way down over the years, but at the same time we’re at best “leaning left” not “yes for sure we’re in the clear democrat county.”
As usual, voted here in rural Vermont – no worries, no challenges, no crowds, no hacking (paper ballots counted and recounted with care).
Not a terribly exciting race here. Bernie Sanders is running but he’s a shoo-in I think. Ditto I think Peter Welch, the Dem. representative. The most interesting part is probably the race for Governor, in which a ground-breaking transgender Democrat is running against one of the least objectionable Republicans around – anti-trump, pro gun control, pro environment. My wife and I couldn’t decide which way to vote. I was favoring the Democrat and she the Republican this morning, and when we voted I decided at the last minute to vote for the Republican and she the Democrat. Either one would make a decent governor, so no worries.
My expectations for the country at large are bleak and pessimistic. I see so much stupidity and bigotry going unchallenged by people who are apparently such fools that they are not enraged to be taken for such fools.
I voted by mail a couple of weeks ago. It’s by far the superior option, IMO. I can sit here with the cat and a glass of wine, my voter info pamphlet, the googles, etc.
The cat thought it was silly to have weighted “first choice – second choice – third choice” options for unopposed candidates, but I explained that guy is really pro-treats so we’ll just give him first choice and keep movin’.
It’s the California ballot initiatives that keep me on my toes. Anyone can get anything on the ballot if they can get the signatures (and if it’s a legal proposition. The initiative to divide California into multiple states got cut this year, since only Congress can do that). We usually end up with some pretty weird shit to decide.
Good luck to my American cousins, May the Cheese Doodle and his enablers get their power thwarted.
Yours in Canada.
I’ve already voted, so I went out this afternoon to the two closest polling places to thank the poll workers for all they’re doing today. They seemed to appreciate it.
Then I got a bottle of Bourbon*, just in case I need it for breakfast tomorrow.
*Well, Bourbon-adjacent.
Just voted. Poured a big glass of wine.
And so my watch begins.
1st flip of the night! NBC is calling VA for Jennifer Wexton, defeating Republican incumbent Comstock!
@weirwoodtreehugger: chief manatee
I wish I could drink with you. But I got an essay to write. Or at least attempt to get down by tomorrow at 3.
Another flip. Shalala wins Florida 27. 2 down, 21 to go!
I had no alcohol in the house, so I got a half-size bottle of vodka and a little mini-bottle of Kraken Spiced Rum (spouse likes it in his coffee.) Tip— should you ever wish to feel younger, go to a liquor store and buy hard liquor in small bottles— you’ll be carded so fast your head will spin (I am a month shy of forty-four).
@weirwoodtreehugger: chief manatee
Great news.
EDIT: Even better for me the essay is actually due on the 14th of November. I can watch the elections with y’all with great anticipation.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2018-midterm-election-forecast/house/california/39/
Fuck shit why do I have to vote against a fellow asian on this? Oh yeah because she supported Royce and is GOP the fuck.
Fivethirtyeight looks terrible rn…
@sylvia bath
To be fair it’s probably because of so many people checking in right now for current updates on this horse race.
Yeah, on the whole early signs don’t look too great for the Democrats; as of now, Republicans are either matching or overperforming the polls. (I mean, things aren’t horrible, but as of now we’re seeing no real indication of a “blue wave.”) Still, it really is early: people forget this, but back in 2016 Trump wasn’t looking so hot at first either.
I voted at around 6:30 PM ET. There were only a few people there. I live in a rural county in Pennsylvania. I’m trying not to look at any election updates, because I wish to sleep tonight.
I can barely look at the results coming in. Im so sick to my stomach. I live in texas. Go Beto!!!!
I voted the weekend before last; Today I was cut off several times by various Brodozers either rushing to the polls or rushing home to watch Fox or whatever.
Currently checking in and out while riding my skateboard back and forth on the stony parts of the floor. It’s not pacing if I’m on wheels, right? …right?
I got my voting done last week (absentee ballot since I’m in college in another county.) Unfortunately, my hopes aren’t very high. West Virginia is a very red state and it’s highly unlikely to flip red. About the best I can hope for is to keep Patrick Morrissey out of the senator’s position. Unfortunately, Joe Manchin isn’t much better. I really wish he would just register Republican already and let us have a real Democrat option.
Bricking myself here in NY, too. Much too much like 2016 for comfort.