Archive for the ‘Elections’
Lassumptions
I spoke with Rick Lass, the Green candidate in the seriously contested D3 Public Regulation Commission race, a few hours ago. He’s predicting (read: hoping, desperately) a win, with something like 52 or 53 percent of the vote. In particular, he says the race hinges on:
1) Winning at least 60 percent in Santa Fe County, his stronghold.
2) The Republicans in Rio Rancho come out and actually vote against the Democrat in the race, rather than sit it out.
3) A strong showing in Los Alamos county (where his Democratic opponent Block shunned the League of Women Voters) and in San Miguel County (the vertex of Block’s campaign finance woes (he was caught lying about a $2,500 in public money he said he paid the county clerk’s country band for a fictitious performance.)
4) People reading the newspaper today. Both the Journal and the New Mex ran pieces about how the Secretary of State issued its final decision that Block would have to pay $11,000 in fines and return $10,700 in public campaign money for the aforementioned lie.
Lass is supposed to be stopping by the Catamount to chat with us on the way to his own election party at about 7:15pm.
Long Lines
The audio and visuals are a little off but once 56 seconds rolls around this video get great. (Reposted from B.Michael’s Notebook Miscellany)
Ron: Long lines out here. Been out since seven this morning.
Reporter: Lines so long you decided to come back?
Ron: I decided to come back and vote a couple times.
Reporter: I think that’s against the law, but it’s ok. Well, thanks Ron, very much.
Stalking America
Rob Paravonian loves him some America!
Now normally I don’t find allusions to abusive relationships funny at all, but somehow Paravonian has managed to take the ideas of stalking and obession to a place where they’re so over the top they actually work. “Whose your founding father bitch? She’d better say it’s me.”
Maybe what makes this so funny is that we’re all so overprotective right now. Judging from the status updates on my friend’s Facebook pages if McCain wins everyone I know, with the exception of the one soul brave enough to admit pride in his Republican vote, will have a complete and utter breakdown.
Maybe we are a little too obsessed with this election. So no more. Ignore it until tonight. Don’t spend the day fretting about something that’s out of your hands now, unless you haven’t voted yet–in that case GET OFF THE INTERNET AND GO GET IN LINE.
I Had No Idea!
My roommate just sent me this sweet hour by hour playbook for tomorrow’s BIG DAY (which is finally here, much to the joy of pretty much everyone I knew) from the BBC. It’s a little scary to know that the rest of the world is watching us so closely to make sure that we don’t make any stupid decisions this time around.
The hour book is interesting but what really surprised me was the interactive map. Jimmy Carter was the president when I was born and lost to Reagan when I was a little more than a year. Since my mother always feared that I’d answer the question of who the president was with the phrase “that jackass” I always thought he’d beat the future Nobel Prize winning Carter by a small margin. I didn’t realize Carter really did have his ass handed to him. The map starts out in 1948 and it’s really interesting to see the huge changes from election to election.
Tomorrow’s the big. Those states will be painted one color or another, hopefully in 24 hours we’ll know the results!
Did Richardson lie about early voting?
Earlier Gov. Bill Richardson claimed that today was the first time he’d ever voted early. The exact quote:
Today, I voted early for the first time in my life. I always vote election day.
But that’s not what the Secretary of State’s Voter View says. It has him voting early in the 2008 primary and in the 2002 general and municipal elections. It also has him voting absentee in the 2004 school district election, the 2000 presidential general and primary elections, the 1998 gubernatorial general and primary elections and the 1997 special election. Here’s our screen capture, but you can check it yourself by ploppin’ his name and DOB (11/15/47) into Voter View.
I’ve sent an e-mail to the Governor’s communications office seeking an explanation. I’ll post it when I hear back.
Bill voted early today (and so did I)
Well, technically Gov. Bill Richardson and I in-person absentee voted, because that’s what it’s called when you do it at the Clerk’s office. It’s just plain ol’ early voting when you do it at the fair grounds.
In this video (shot by intern Bonar Blagden, edited by me) the Guv early votes, then explains why it’s important to early vote, then claims it’s “grossly premature” to suggest that he’ll be the next Secretary of State,” followed by Congressional candidate Ben Ray Lujan acting “grossly premature.”
UPDATE: As Kate Nash reports, Big Bill wouldn’t say whether he voted straight-party or not. Considering that he’s a big Udall supporter and he made it clear he supported Lujan outside…we wonder whether this indicates he didn’t cast his vote Jerome Block Jr., the PRC race being the only other contested race he would’ve voted on.
Are YOU a Swing Voter?
Slate has created a nifty interactive test to determine how important your vote is.
I assumed, living in NM, I was a totally important swing state voter. I guess I was wrong. Damn higher education
SFR’s General Election Endorslettes
On Wednesday we published our endorsement issue along with our recommendations on which way to vote on the various constitutional amendments and bonds that you’ll find on the ballot. So, if you’re still uncertain of who and what to vote for, check out the below endorsements, along with the complete endorsement articles from the Santa Fe Reporter’s weekly edition.
Here is a brief rundown on who we are endorsing:
US President: Barack Obama, Democrat
“The next president faces massive challenges at home and abroad. We are living in uncertain times and are in need of fresh perspectives, steady leadership and, perhaps most of all, inspiration. Barack Obama, whose life story reflects the best of America’s promise, already has brought these factors to the campaign trail. Now it’s time for him to bring them to the White House.”
Click here for the complete Obama endorsement
US Senate: Tom Udall, Democrat
“When asked how his service in the Senate might differ from his role in representing the 3rd District, Udall says he plans to proceed in the same vein he always has: ‘The rule I’ve always applied with my public service is to do the right thing…for New Mexico and do the right thing for the nation…I’m going to continue with that same way of approaching things, to get to the bottom of what’s really happening and then do the right thing.’ We think Udall has the public-service record to back up his words, and we urge all New Mexicans to elect him to the Senate.”
Click here for the complete Udall endorsement
US Congress, District 3: Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat
“We endorse him now with some reservations, but far fewer than we might have expected. On the PRC, Luján has worked hard and emerged, along with Jason Marks, as one of the troubled body’s more progressive and active commissioners. And on the campaign trail, despite his ongoing advantage in terms of name recognition, money and, yes, family connections, Luján has taken nothing for granted. He has traveled the district repeatedly, his campaign has been accessible and positive and, over the last nine months, we believe Luján has made his case to the voters.”
Click here for the complete Lujan endorsement
Public Regulation Commission, District 3: Rick Lass, Green Party
“Given the last eight years, it’s understandable Democrats hope for sweeping victories. It’s understandable some Dems associate the Greens with spoiling elections and delivering George W Bush to the White House.
But that’s not what’s going on in this race. Without Rick Lass, voters wouldn’t even have an option other than Jerome Block Jr.”
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