The Inquisitr » election 08

Sarah Palin on 2012 run: God will provide the answer

Duncan Riley — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:07:35 +0000

Failed US Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin has responded to rumors that she will run for President in 2012 by saying God will “show her the way.”

In an exclusive interview with Fox News this evening, Palin said of a run in 2012: “I can’t predict what’s going to happen a day from now, much less four years from now”

“You know, I have — faith is a very big part of my life. And putting my life in my creator’s hands — this is what I always do,” Palin said.

“I’m like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I’m like, don’t let me miss the open door. Show me where the open door is,” she added.

“Even if it’s cracked up a little bit, maybe I’ll plow right on through that and maybe prematurely plow through it, but don’t let me miss an open door.”

“And if there is an open door in ‘12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I’ll plow through that door.”

(via AFP)

Will.i.am is back with It’s A New Day

Duncan Riley — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:51:46 +0000

Will.i.am is back with a new Obama song, this one celebrating the election victory.

It’s a New Day celebrates the change just as the title suggests. Video clip as follows:

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Sarah Palin offered $2 million to appear in porn film

Duncan Riley — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 02:06:28 +0000

Failed VP candidate has been offered $2 million to appear in an adult film.

The offer comes from Florida-based porn director Cezar Capone who calls himself “the king of all MILF films.” Capone said in a letter on his site that the film would be distributed internationally, shot in high definition, and feature a “beautiful mother recognized by all of America … as the most desirable woman over 40.”

According to Canada.com, Palin’s husband Todd has been offered a co-starring role in the production, for which Capone would be “prepared to kick in an extra $100,000,” and a new Arctic Cat snowmobile.

Palin has yet to respond to the offer.

Courtney Love Blogs About Proposition 8

Meieli Sawyer — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:32:15 +0000

In an extremely confusing (and frightening) blog entry, Courtney Love spilled her feelings about Prop 8–but was she for or against it? I’ve read her post a couple times now, and I think she was actually on the right path until someone tried to explain voting to her. Prepare to have your head messed with:

“blown away
Current mood: bouncy

That prop 8 passsed! motherf[*]ckers! who voted against it!
it was confusing language in malibu there were kids reminding us to vote yes thatthe language was conbfusing and people were votingno when they meant yes or soemthin”

Anyone want to take a stab at deciphering this? Was Courtney actually trying to Vote No on Prop 8? Methinks someone should’ve just “Saved to Draft.”

I found the screenshot for you to enjoy.

Obama’s first press conference [video + transcript]

Duncan Riley — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:27:22 +0000

President Elect Barack Obama has held his first presss conference today, an historic first after winning the election earlier this week.

Obama covered a range of issues including the economy. Obama Press Conference videos as follow (2 parts)

Full transcript to follow, but this is the Obama Press Conference opening statement

This morning, we woke to more sobering news about the state of our economy. The 240,000 jobs lost in October marks the 10th consecutive month that our economy has shed jobs. In total, we’ve lost nearly 1.2 million jobs this year, and more than 10 million Americans are now unemployed. Tens of millions of families are struggling to figure out how to pay the bills and stay in their homes. Their stories are an urgent reminder that we are facing the greatest economic challenge of our lifetime, and we must act swiftly to resolve them.

The United States has only one government and one President, and until January 20th of next year, that government is the current Administration. I have spoken to President Bush, and I appreciate his commitment to ensuring that his economic policy team keeps us fully informed as developments unfold.

Immediately after I become President, I will confront this economic crisis head-on by taking all necessary steps to ease the credit crisis, help hardworking families, and restore growth and prosperity.

This morning, I met with members of my Transition Economic Advisory Board, who will help guide the work of my transition team in developing a strong set of policies to respond to this crisis. We discussed several of the most immediate challenges facing our economy and key priorities on which to focus on in the days and weeks ahead:

First, we need a rescue plan for the middle class that invests in immediate efforts to create jobs and provides relief to families that are watching their paychecks shrink and their life savings disappear. A particularly urgent priority is a further extension of unemployment insurance benefits for workers who cannot find work in the increasingly weak economy. A fiscal stimulus plan that will jump-start economic growth is long overdue – and we should get it done.

Second, we must address the spreading impact of the financial crisis on other sectors of our economy: small businesses that are struggling to meet their payrolls and finance their holiday inventories; and state and municipal governments facing devastating budget cuts and tax increases. We must also remember that the financial crisis is increasingly global and requires a global response.

The news coming out of the auto industry this week reminds us of the hardship it faces – hardship that goes far beyond individual auto companies to the countless suppliers, small businesses and communities throughout our nation who depend on a vibrant American auto industry. The auto industry is the backbone of American manufacturing and a critical part of our attempt to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I would like to see the Administration do everything they can to accelerate the retooling assistance that Congress has already enacted. In addition, I have made it a high priority for my transition team to work on additional policy options to help the auto industry adjust, weather the financial crisis, and succeed in producing fuel-efficient cars here in the United States. I have asked my team to explore what we can do under current law and whether additional legislation will be needed for this purpose.

Third, we will review the implementation of this Administration’s financial program to ensure that our government’s efforts are achieving their central goal of stabilizing financial markets while protecting taxpayers, helping homeowners and not unduly rewarding the management of financial firms that are receiving government assistance. It is critical that the Treasury work closely with the FDIC, HUD and other government agencies to use the substantial authority they already have to help families avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes.

Finally, as we monitor and address these immediate economic challenges, we will be moving forward in laying out a set of policies that will grow our middle-class and strengthen our economy in the long-term. We cannot afford to wait on moving forward on the key priorities that I identified during the campaign, including clean energy, health care, education and tax relief for middle class families.

My transition team will be working on each of these priorities in the weeks ahead, and I intend to reconvene this Advisory Board to discuss the best ideas for responding to these immediate problems.

Let me close by saying that I do not underestimate the enormity of the task that lies ahead. We have taken some major actions to date, and we will need further actions during this transition and subsequent months. Some of those choices will be difficult, but America is a strong and resilient country. I know that we will succeed if we put aside partisanship and work together as one nation. And that is what I intend to do.

Conservatives call for Fox News boycott over Palin treatment

Duncan Riley — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:31:46 +0000

Republicans supporting failed VP Candidate Sarah Palin aren’t very happy at the moment about the continued media disclosure of stories such as Palin thinking that Africa is a country, and they want to do something about it.

Their target: Fox News.

A thread with strong support on right wing political site Free Republic has called for a boycott of Fox News for airing the Palin allegations

I propose that we punish the FOX Network for its hatchet job on Sarah Palin.

For one week beginning at 3:00 PM today no one tunes them in. We will demonstrate the power of conservatives when their ratings plummet dramatically.

Will you join me?

Maybe Fox News isn’t as fair and balanced as conservatives would have you believe

Obama transition page goes live

Steven Hodson — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:57:04 +0000

Just in case you are interested and not feeling bloated from the flooding of political news you might want to keep up with the Obama Transition team information. Their page has now gone live – Change.gov

Obama impeachment parties start on Facebook

Steven Hodson — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:45:36 +0000

Jeez the guy isn’t even sworn into office yet and already folks on Facebook are calling for his head

[via The Raw Feed]

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Palin didn’t know that Africa was a continent

Duncan Riley — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:23:23 +0000

It just keeps on giving. As recriminations start to fly in the Republican Party about the election loss, new details on Sarah Palin’s knowledge have started to emerge, and there’s some serious humdingers.

According to the following report from Fox News, Palin didn’t know which countries are in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but better still, didn’t know Africa was a continent and thought it was a country!

Even Republicans would have to start to agree now: thank god she’s no where near the red button.

Palin points finger at media for election loss

Duncan Riley — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:08:09 +0000

We thought we’d be clear of Sarah Palin stories now the election is over, but it would seem the failed VP candidate keeps opening her mouth in front of cameras.

The latest bizarre tirade from Sarah Palin is directed at the media, who Palin sort of blames in this clip for her election loss. According to Palin, the media isn’t fair and balanced, and that she’s interested in teaching them how to be. The comments follow on from her pre-election rant suggesting that the media was abusing their first amendment rights.

(via Donklephant)

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Obama Lego Minifig

Duncan Riley — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:43:54 +0000

Via Mona, the President-Elect Obama LEGO Minifig

Obama Victory Inspires New National Lampoon Site, Spam Attacks

JR — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:40:46 +0000

Barack Obama’s victory this week is inspiring a wave of new Internet activity, both business-oriented and malware-driven.

Online Laughs

On the productive side, National Lampoon — the company behind “Animal House” and the other classic movies — has bought the Web site BarackObamaJokes.com and is adding it into its arsenal of comedy sites. National Lampoon isn’t saying how much it paid for the domain and content.

The company describes its vision for BarackObamaJokes.com as being a blog-type of setup that will focus on “aggregating political jokes and videos” about Obama and politics in general. It also indicated more site acquisitions are likely to follow in the coming months. “We are always on the lookout for funny, compelling, and entertaining sites and content,” CEO Daniel Laikin says.

Online Attacks

On the darker end of the spectrum, two separate security firms are reporting a sudden jump in Obama-related malware following Tuesday night’s win. Sophos goes as far as to say 60 percent of the e-mailed viruses coming into its labs today had something to do with Obama’s name or image.

Most of the messages appear to be standard spam types of attacks, presenting realistic-looking links to Obama information or videos that end up installing Trojans on your system. It’s no surprise — certainly these types of attacks pop up with names of people in the news at any given time — but it’s a warning worth passing on, particularly to family who might be less computer-savvy and more apt to fall into the trap.

Obama: The morning after and some last thoughts

Steven Hodson — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:47:25 +0000

Did you feel that wave that felt like it was enveloping the world last night?

In the giddy aftermath of Obama’s acceptance speech it felt like as hard as the road forward would be for the United States anything was possible for the first time in a very long time. Now in the light of a fall morning of November I thought it would be interesting to look at what some of the people I read on a regular basis had to say about last night, today and all those tomorrows ahead of us.

The interesting thing is that for all the excitement and reborn hope there was also the knowledge that this isn’t going to be easy. There was the understanding that for all the hope that Obama made us feel we know that there will be failures; or at least missteps, along the way. Hope tempered with realism – what an interesting concept.

Here are some of the more interesting; and heartfelt, thoughts about the Obama victory that I read this morning over coffee.

What a night! Thank you America for giving us something to believe in for the first time in so, so long. Cheers rose up all over the city of New York tonight and socres of people, like these people at Columbus Circle, ran outside to dance in the streets. My whole city – and my country – is smiling. And, even if it turns out to be only for tonight, it seems that, indeed, yes we can!

= B.L. Ochman

I’ve never stayed up late to watch an election. I’ve never donated to a campaign before. I’ve never shed tears of joy when our new president walked on stage for the first time.

All that changed tonight. Godspeed, President Obama.

- Brett Nordquist

I guess that’s why this was bigger for me than I thought it would be. Like everyone else, I am dying for a leader we can believe in and get in line behind and follow. We’ve got one now.

- Fred Wilson

We as a country seem to have regained our sanity.
We’ve put aside fear and cynicism and deceit and we’ve embraced hope and optimism and progress.
America is an amazing country, capable of amazing change.

- moby

I’ve always been a proud American, but today is a great day. Regardless of how the next four years go, it’s such an incredible step in the right direction for healing the ongoing race issues that have divided this country for so long. The month that I was born, riots littered the country, the Civil Rights Act was signed and Martin Luther King was put to rest.

It’s sad that it took 40 years, but it’s still an incredible day in America. It really is the first day in 40 years that this country has had a significant event that pushed racism into the gutter that it belongs. Regardless of what side of the aisle you’re from, it’s a great day to be an American.

- Douglas Karr

Yesterday was a historic day. We can all be proud as Americans. Today, we begin a new future. It’s time to come together. I am ready for a united United States.

- Michael Hyatt

What we witnessed last night and what we’re still feeling the aftershocks of this morning is, in a word, history.
An epochal groundswell that wiped away the old and ushered in the new.
A singular moment that, years from now, will be looked upon as the line that divided the past from the future.
Yesterday, “change” was merely a word; today, it’s something tangible — something you can feel in the air.

- Chez (Deus Ex Malcontent)

I was seriously impressed with what Obama had to say. He left no stone unturned and after he left the stage, I had this feeling of wanting to go out and kick some ass as an American to help get things back in order. Obama had one hell of a speech and it really messed with my emotions.

- Jeffro

Tonight, walking home from a movie, I heard loud cheering from houses along the streets. I peered in and saw the elections on TV, Obama posters on the windows, and knew he won. I made a quick detour to the business school here in Queen’s, and the student lounge was packed with people watching President Obama giving his victory speech. I heard from a friend that earlier in class, laptops all around her were monitoring the presidential ticker counter.

And all this happening in Canada, for a president not even theirs, in a demographic not usually associated with politics.

- Daryl Tay (Canada)

I felt his victory speech was amazing. Obama shows great leadership when he talked about similarities instead of differences. Hope instead of fear. He is not trying to divide but to unite. He will face some of the most difficult problems any president could face. A financial crisis, 8 years of war and neglect of the home country. But somehow he will manage to get the United States back on track, restoring hope to those that lost it during the Bush administration. The evidence is already there. Just look at how he won this election.

- Alexander van Elsas (Netherlands)

So did the United States change last night? Maybe it has but as much as we might like to believe this the fact is that nothing has changed yet. Yes Barak Obama won the election to become the next President of the United States but that doesn’t change the fact that homes are still being foreclosed on, Wall Street is still making us all seasick and men and women are dying in Afghanistan and Iraq.

It is true that hope for the American people has been reborn but the real impact of this election won’t hit the U.S.; and the world, until that day in January when Barack Obama puts his hand on the Bible and swears to uphold the American Constitution. That is when the totality of change will really make itself felt and I truly hope that the American people will be able to rise up to the momentous changes they can bring to both their own country and to the world with a leader like Obama.

That hope though is tempered with a realism of human nature and how deeply ingrain with the American psychy some things are. While you may have elected an African American to that high office you are also a country where children can be called n* lovers because they voted for Obama in a mock school vote. You are a country where religious intolerance is at an all time high and where doctors can be killed because of it.

I truly hope that Obama doesn’t become the JFK of our era because I don’t know if the American spirit could survive it now that it has hope. None of us can afford for that candle to be blown out again regardless of where we live.

Obama Inauguration: Tickets, Hotels, and Everything Else

JR — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:34:56 +0000

With the election over, America’s attention now turns to Inauguration Day. President-Elect Barack Obama’s inauguration will occur on January 20, 2009 — and the planning starts right now.

Inauguration Day 2009 Tickets

Want to attend? You do need a ticket, and it won’t be easy to get one. About 240,000 Inauguration Day 2009 tickets are being printed for the public, but you can’t get these puppies through Ticketmaster. The public passes are handed out through senators and representatives, so the only way you can get your hands on one is to beg your local lawmaker.

The inauguration tickets are expected to be pretty close to forge-proof, too. In fact, officials in charge of the planning won’t even say what they look like because of “security precautions.”

The general public can still take a chance without tickets — but with all the security, odds are you’ll end up watching from a TV screen from quite a distance away if you don’t have those credentials. The inauguration parade, though, is open to anyone.

Inaugural Ball Hotels

There’s also the issue of where to stay. Even before the election ended, hotels in and around Washington, D.C. were booking up in advance of the inaugural ball. The Ritz-Carlton hotels and the Four Seasons had sold more than half of their rooms by midday Tuesday, according to the Washington Business Journal, and the Willard Hotel along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route was more than 90 percent booked. As for the remaining rooms, many of the hotels also have wait lists, and those people will get first grabs starting Wednesday morning. The potential guests wanted to wait to see who won the race before committing.

Wondering how much people are willing to pay for such an excursion? The Ritz-Carlton’s high-end inauguration package — which includes a four-night stay; two seats at the inaugural parade; two tickets to one of the official balls; a specially commissioned 18k white gold “Heart of the Nation” pendant with white diamonds, rubies, and blue sapphires; a 24-hour on-call chauffeur, and a personal outfitter from Saks Fifth Avenue — runs $50,000.

Smaller hotels offer more modest options, and some reported still having open rooms as of Tuesday evening.

The Obama Inauguration

The Obama inauguration itself promises to be a monumental event. Unofficial estimations predict a record turnout, with attendance in the range of 500,000 to 1 million. President Bush, in comparison, had about 300,000 at each of his inaugurations. Planners are preparing 30,000 “front-row” chairs to set up around the U.S. Capitol, where the swearing in takes place. They’re also readying scores of blankets and ponchos in case of rain, as umbrellas are not allowed because of security reasons.

Traditionally, the inauguration begins with a religious service, followed by a meeting with the outgoing president. The vice president is then sworn in, after which the new president takes his oath. The inaugural address follows, then lunch, the parade, and the inaugural balls begin.

Parties aside, though, the most significant moment of all is likely the simple utterance of the constitutional phrase that’s been said dozens of times before:

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Obama Victory Speech

Duncan Riley — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:53:51 +0000

The President Elect of the United States, Barack Obama is set to take the stage at around midnight local time and you can watch the whole thing live online.

Update: speech over. We’ll update the post with a full transcript shortly.

Update 2: switched live feed to archive of speech as follows

Video chat rooms at Ustream

Obama Victory Speech Transcript

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

Its the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and hes fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nations next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy thats coming with us to the White House. And while shes no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what youve sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didnt start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didnt do this just to win an election and I know you didnt do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how theyll make the mortgage, or pay their doctors bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friendsâ€¦though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one thats on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. Shes a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldnt vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that shes seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we cant, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when womens voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Obama Wins Election

Duncan Riley — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:31:29 +0000

Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States of America.

As at 10:30pm EST, Obama had 207 electoral votes needing 270 to win, with the West Coast not yet reporting. California, Oregon and Washington State have 73 votes between them, and are expected to support Obama by a large margin. Battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio that needed to have been won by McCain to have a chance to win are painted blue, and Florida is still too close to call, with Obama on 51% vs 48% for McCain with 69% of precincts reporting.

Video + pics to follow. The footage out of Chicago is amazing, with some reports of over 1 million people on the street to celebrate the Obama victory.

Update: at 11pm EST MSNBC has called it the election for Obama.

Update 2: CNN calls for Obama at 11:03pm EST.

Update 3: McCain concedes.

Carrie Underwood Blasts Candidate-Backing Celebrities

Meieli Sawyer — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:48:22 +0000

We’re all hanging into the results rolling in from today (yay! and eek!), so I thought that you might be interested in one such celeb who did not publicly back a candidate today: Carrie Underwood. In fact, she told TV Guide that she loses respect for celebs who chose to support a candidate and tell people about it. I can definitely understand that in the case of ridiculously OTT Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt:

“I lose all respect for celebrities when they back a candidate. It’s saying that the American public isn’t smart enough to make their own decisions. I would never want anybody to vote for anything or anybody just because I told them to.”

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Disney “star” Selena Gomez was a font of wisdom when she told E! Online that “A lot of people do look up to certain celebrities and will follow in their footsteps. I think you just have to be aware of what you’re saying.” Of course, she quickly said that “I’m not really sure who I would pick to run our country,” which makes me really glad that she’s not two year older.

CNN’s Wolf talks to holographic reporter [CNN hologram]

Steven Hodson — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:43:57 +0000

CNN is well known for using some of the newest technologies available for big ticket events like the Presidential election. This year they are introducing holographic interviews (the CNN hologram) with people around the election and this picture is the first one they have done live with one of their own reporters

Like Princess Leah Jessica Yellin the lady reporter (sorry I for not getting the reporter’s name) is in New York and “beamed in” to Atlanta where Wolf is for the interview.

[thanks to Nick Bradbury for pinging me on Twitter with her name]

Update: more pics + video

Child pushed and called n* lover by other child

Steven Hodson — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:36:01 +0000

This is just too damn sad to be happening in this day and age especially coming from children. Where the hell is the parenting in this. I’m doing a straight cut and paste from Rob Fahrni blog. Rob is the father of the little girl that was accosted by another child today

My daughter just came home from school with a massive headache, she gets them on occasion. On the ride home she tells my wife “We had a mock vote and a kid behind me saw I voted Obama. Then when we were on the way to the bus the kid pushed me and called me ‘N* Lover’.” You know what N* means, and it’s not nice.

I just got off the phone with the Principal and he said this has been happening a lot over the past week. He assured me the situation will be dealt with.

You don’t have to like Obama, you don’t have to support the man, but for heavens sake, don’t get violent over someone else supporting him. In this country we’re allowed to make a choice but that sort of behavior is simply Un-American. Men, and women, have given their lives unselfishly to afford us this wonderful honor. Don’t disgrace their memories with violence against one of your own.

Sarah Palin claims she’s targeted by racial discrimination

Duncan Riley — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:01:55 +0000

Even as the election results are starting to come through, the candidate that keeps on giving keeps on giving.

At a rally this week, Sarah Palin was asked by an African American attendee what she could do to improve upon the minority mix at her rallies. Palin’s response: she knows what racism is like, because Todd is native Alaskan and “We live it.”

Video as follows:

(via Wonkette)