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Counting Bush's Blessings

By Vera H-C Chan
Tue, November 04, 2008, 8:48 pm PST

The occasion of a wife's birthday is as good a reason as any for a man to spend a quiet night at home. That justification especially helps when the husband holds the distinction of being the president with the poorest approval rating since Harry S Truman, and the day happens to be Election Day.

The AP reported that George W. Bush stayed "out of sight" and the "White House purposely went dark." The focus however wasn't entirely on who would be No. 44 in the line of succession. Variations of searches for the president popped up the day before the election, including nostalgic look-ups for "bush kerry polls," "bush tax cuts," and the "bush doctrine," which stumped Republican vice-presidential pick Sarah Palin (and many other citizens, it turned out).

The media's focus may have been on who would be No. 44, but outlets such as The Herald took Election Day to revisit the Bush legacy. The Scottish newspaper reminded people of Bush's roots as a "moderate with a message of 'compassionate conservatism,'" hopeful to win over the country as the "first MBA president." Hong Kong's last colonial governor mince few words in calling him "the worst US president," although his faint praise included the assessment that Bush was "perfectly intelligent."

On the domestic front, Washington Post's review verged on eulogy, in which staffers lamented the "series of calamities" that "unfairly maligned" his reputation, and the "real sadness" about the financial upheaval that squandered any chance of legacy achievements in the last 100 days. The Naperville Sun agreed with the Hong Kong politico's assessment on Bush, but called him a "comedian" who "was a good sport." The International Herald Tribune, aka the "global edition of the New York Times," asked six writers to reminisce about "What I will miss about President Bush." Among them: his political acumen in his Texas days, his human decency, his moral clarity, his battle with English, and his wife.

However history judges his terms, Bush did know two things: Whoever follows him needs a transition plan and a blessing. He is providing both. Bloomberg reports both parties have been giving him kudos for taking measures to get his successor off to a "fast start." He also gave a toast to No. 44 at the quiet White House birthday dinner, declaring "May God bless whoever wins tonight." And bless us, everyone.

Filed under: Politics, George Bush, Elections, Presidents

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Buzz Updates: Key Wins and Other Election Night Calls

By Yahoo! News Blog
Tue, November 04, 2008, 5:48 pm PST

Updates from the Yahoo! News Blog:

Obama wins presidency | 11:01 p.m.

Obama wins California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, giving him 324 electoral votes to McCain's 120 (AP). He will be the 44th president of the United States. After a tight battle against Republican Sen. John McCain, Obama has become the first African American president in the history of the United States.

Obama is set to address his supporters from Chicago's Grant Park.

Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware will be accompanying Obama to the White House as his vice president. Biden made his first unsuccessful bid for president in 1988, and again this year before dropping out. A six-term senator, Biden is the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. One of his adult sons from his first marriage is currently serving in Iraq.

On June 4, Obama won the Democratic presidential nomination, beating Sen. Hillary Clinton in a tight primary race. The 47-year-old Democratic senator from Illinois stepped into the national spotlight in 2004, delivering the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.

By now, Obama's personal history is well-known: He was born in Hawaii, the son of a white mother and Kenyan father. Obama's father returned to Kenya when Obama was two years old, leaving him to be raised by his mother and her family, including his beloved grandmother, "Toot," who died one day before her grandson was elected one of the most powerful leaders in the world.

After graduating from Columbia University, he went to Harvard Law School, becoming the first African American president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, where he sits on several committees, including Foreign Relations, Homeland Security and Veterans' Affairs.

 

Obama and his wife, Michelle, have two young daughters, Malia and Sasha.

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.
 

Obama wins swing state of Florida | 10:58 p.m.

Obama has won the highly contested state of Florida, adding 27 electoral votes. Going into the Election Day, Obama held a slim 2-point lead over McCain. Republicans have taken Florida in 8 of the last 10 presidential elections. In 2000, the Florida was one of the most compelling races of the election. After a controversial recount and intervention by the Supreme Court, George W. Bush took the state by the narrowest of margins.

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.

 

Obama scores big win in Virginia | 10:50 p.m.

Obama has taken the coveted battleground state of Virginia and its 13 electoral votes (AP). Like Indiana, the state has voted Republican in every presidential race since 1964. Leading into the election, Obama led McCain in the polls by a razor-thin 3-point margin.

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.

Key win for Obama | 10:40 p.m.

Obama wins the battleground state of Ohio and its 20 electoral votes (AP). Heading into the election, Obama led McCain by 7 points. Ohio was considered a must-win state for McCain. However, the Obama campaign flooded the state with volunteers in March, specifically rural and suburban regions. Obama had 82 offices in Ohio, more than double the number McCain had. Ohio has voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1964. Obama has also won Iowa's 7 electoral votes. According to Yahoo!'s political dashboard, Obama has a considerable lead in electoral votes: 207 to McCain's 114.

McCain has won Texas, West Virginia, Utah, North Dakota, and Louisiana, totaling 56 more electoral votes (AP). ABC and CBS project McCain will win Mississippi's 6 electoral votes. ABC and Fox are projecting McCain will win Nebraska's electoral votes, though there are also reports that the state may, for the first time ever, split its 5 electoral votes.

Obama has won New Mexico's 5 electoral votes. Historically, the state has had close races: In 2004, George W. Bush beat John Kerry by fewer than 6,000 votes. In 2000, Al Gore squeaked by Bush with less than 400 votes. Gov. Bill Richardson was a rumored vice-presidential candidate earlier this year and is expected to be a front-runner for a Cabinet position, should Obama win the election.

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.

Obama wins 5 more states | 9:04 p.m.

Obama wins Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (AP). The big wins here are Michigan with 17 electoral votes, New York with 31, and Wisconsin with 10. Obama held a huge 16-point lead in Michigan's polls heading into Election Day. The state's hard-hit economy has been the focus of both candidates during the campaign. The last time Michigan voted Republican was in 1988.

McCain wins Arkansas, Wyoming, and Alabama adding 18 more electoral votes to his count (AP). CNN, NBC, and Fox also project McCain will win North's Dakota's 3 electoral votes.

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.

 

Obama wins Pennsylvania | 8:42 p.m.

Obama wins the battleground state of Pennsylvania and its 21 electoral votes (AP). Heading into Election Day, he held a comfortable 10-point lead in the polls over McCain. Obama's campaign invested heavily in Sen. Biden's home state, with more than 60 offices throughout the state. The last time Pennsylvania went red was in 1988.

Obama has also won New Hampshire and its 4 electoral votes (AP). New Hampshire gave Obama the very first votes of Election Day, when he won the tiny town of Dixville Notch, the first Democrat to do so since 1968. The 75 or so residents of Dixville Notch began voting at midnight; the final tally: 15 votes for Obama, 6 for McCain. Since 1960, Dixville Notch has opened its polls just after midnight on Election Day.

ABC, CBS, and Fox project McCain will win Arkansas'  6 electoral votes. ABC and NBC also project McCain will win Alabama and its 9 electoral votes.

NBC and Fox project McCain will win the big-prize state of Georgia and its 15 electoral votes. Going into the election, McCain led Obama by a 5 percent margin, with 8 percent of voters undecided. Georgia has voted Republican in the last two presidential elections. Pres. Bush took the state twice, with huge wins over Al Gore and John Kerry.

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.

Obama wins slew of states, McCain wins 2 | 8:04 p.m.

Obama wins Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey (AP). These 7 states plus D.C. give Obama another 78 total electoral votes. Meanwhile, McCain has won Oklahoma and Tennessee, giving him a total of 34 electoral votes (AP).

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.

 

Obama wins slew of states, McCain wins 2 | 8:04 p.m.

Obama wins Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey (AP). These 8 states give Obama another 72 electoral votes. Meanwhile, McCain has won Oklahoma and Tennessee, giving him 18 more electoral votes (AP).

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.

 

TV networks project South Carolina | 7:47 p.m.

NBC and CBS project McCain will win South Carolina's 8 electoral votes. While Obama's primary win gave him a big boost against Sen. Hillary Clinton, the state has not voted a Democrat for president since 1976.

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.


TV networks project West Virginia | 7:32 p.m.

CBS and Fox project McCain will win West Virginia and its 5 electoral votes. McCain had a comfortable 9-point lead over Obama going into the vote. George W. Bush took the state handily in both 2000 and 2004.

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.

 


First 2 states called | 7:03 p.m.

Obama has won Vermont's 3 electoral votes while McCain has won Kentucky's 8 electoral votes (AP). In 1992, Bill Clinton turned Vermont blue after years of GOP rule, and the state has voted a Democrat for president ever since. In recent elections, Kentucky twice voted for George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

See more polls and results or read the latest from AP.

Filed under: Politics, Elections, Presidents

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Battleground States Buzz Countdown: The Political Trinity

By Vera H-C Chan
Mon, November 03, 2008, 3:46 pm PST

Tuesday will be E-Day, when the lines will be long and the media blitz intense, especially for the biggest three swing states: Ohio (20 electoral votes), Pennsylvania (21) and Florida (27). In the past seven days, voters from all three have turned online to make their final decisions on presidential contenders John McCain (R) and Barack Obama (D).

Among the shared searches for McCain:
  • "mccain on snl," "john mccain biography," "john mccain website," "john mccain campaign," "john mccain meet the press," "mccain tax calculator," "support mccain palin," "celebrities for mccain."

Among the shared searches for Obama:
  • "barack obama jokes," "barack hussein obama," "barak obama antichrist prophecy," "barack obama family," "barack obama infomercial," "barack obama speech," "barack obama tax calculator," "barack obama website," "is obama a muslim," "la times obama," "obama assassination," "obama citzenship," "obama for president," "obama gun control," "obama health care plan," "republicans for obama."

Below details what residents in the political trinity have been researching. To review other battleground denizens' searches on Yahoo!, follow these links:
• Virginia and North Carolina
• Nevada and Colorado
• Montana and New Hampshire
• New Mexico and Virginia
• Indiana and Missouri

 

Troop Activity
 Ohio Pennsylvania Florida
Obama 86% 83% 80%
Biggest McCain Spike "mccain.com" (+643%) "john mccain pictures" (+802%) "cindy mccain bio" (+659%)
Biggest Obama Spike"barack obama's father" (+28,879%)"barack obama's father" (+69,058%)"barack obama's father" (+32,473%)
Distinctive McCain Searches"john mccain family," "john mccain daughter," "meghan mccain""how old is john mccain," "cindy mccain plastic surgery"See Pennsylvania
Distinctive Obama Searches"obama effigy," "obama not us citizen," "obama on abortion," "obama tax cut calculator""biden obama," "obama speech tonight," "vote obama""barack obama on tv," "barack obama pledge of allegiance," "barack obama quotes," "barack obama tv commercial," "facts about obama," "how old is barack obama," "obama antichrist nostradamus," "obama coal," "obama myspace layouts," "obama rally," "obama terrorist"

Ohio

Final Offensives: Both sides came to Ohio Nov. 2, Sarah Palin representing the Republican pitch (with a hard hit on the coal issue) and Obama the Democrat one (playing the Dick Cheney card). Live musical accompaniment: Gretchen Wilson stood by Palin, Bruce Springsteen with Obama.
Insider View: Good mood pervates the long lines for early voting. The Plain Dealer abstracts the local blog mood, and also profiles how black churches are moving away from political activism. Obama may be too different, according to McClatchy Newspapers, but Time believes it may all rest on a single county.

 

Pennsylvania

Final Offensives: McCain hit what he hopes to be the comeback trail Nov. 2. Joe Biden and the Clintons sub for Obama Nov. 3.
Insider View: Pennsylvania governors past and present weighed in on the Early Show. The Republican Party dusted off Reverend Jeremiah Wright for an ad. KYW News Radio points out felons on parole or probation have the right to vote.

 

Florida

Final Offensives: Al Gore returned to the scene of the crime on Halloween. Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin stumped Nov. 1 (but, naturally, not together). Obama paid a final visit Monday, as did McCain.
Insider View: Despite estimates of six-hour wait times, early voters stuck it out. Governor Charles Crist extended early voting hours last week, a move that some claim doesn't benefit the Republicans. Meanwhile, rather than wait until the last moment, local Democrats filed a lawsuit against the GOP over bad addresses. A Florida State University research talked to NPR about how weather changes an election.

 

 Obama supporter, AP Otter plugs voting Campaign buttons

curious scenes from battleground states

Filed under: Politics, Elections, Presidents, Barack Obama, John McCain

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Battleground States Buzz Countdown: Virginia and North Carolina

By Vera H-C Chan
Sun, November 02, 2008, 10:13 am PST

Virginia holds a lucky 13 electoral votes and North Carolina 15. In the past seven days, the two have thrown everything plus the kitchen sink at Yahoo! Search to dig into details about presidential hopefuls John McCain (R) and Barack Obama (D). In both states, one out of 10 queries checks out McCain, while Obama holds 86% of searches (the remaining 4% focuses on the campaign wives).

Below details what Virginians and North Carolinians have been tracking. Follow these links to find what other battleground residents have been contemplating in these waning electoral days:
• Nevada and Colorado
• Montana and New Hampshire
• New Mexico and Virginia
• Indiana and Missouri

Virginia

Troop Activity: Locals are checking in for McCain pictures, bio, website, campaign, family, "Meet the Press" appearance, and—oh yes—his "Saturday Night Live" double cameo. The Republican did a skit alongside Tina Fey (masquerading once again as his VP pick), and wife Cindy popped up as well. Meanwhile, scrutiny remains on Obama's parents (especially his father), grandparents, daughters, and the straight tale of his great uncle Charlie Payne. Questions continue to plague him about his citizenship, but also spiking high are examinations into his tax plan (+420%). The desire for t-shirts are higher than "anti barack obama jokes," and more people are checking out "republicans for obama" than the group "obama sucks."
Final Offensives: The real Sarah palin did her own Saturday night, live in Henrico County before 8,000 supporters, while McCain spoke earlier in two Virginia spots. Obama pulled in 10,000 at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater two days earlier on Oct. 30. Campaign surrogates cruising the state include Mike Huckabee and three former Vietnam War POWS for McCain, while celebrities and Caroline Kennedy follow in Obama's wake.
Insider View: Salon profiled Palin's appeal as a true conservative. Meanwhile, News-Record reviewed the strategies of the 2008 campaign soundtrack. One song that crosses party lines: Brooks & Dunn's "Only in Ameica."

North Carolina

Troop Activity: Pollsters declare a dead heat between the two candidates. The Old North State poses less queries as their fellow battleground state, but basically the same questions. One deviation: North Carolinians are checking out "celebrities for mccain."
Final Offensives: Palin pulled another Saturday night, live, at the State Fairgrounds. Obama plans a Monday stop.
Insider View: The stories are coming fast, furious and colorful: Local officials aren't tickled by an anti-Obama casket at a polling place. North Carolinians have been talking in terms of black and white, and the racial gradations in between. Tennesseans lend their organizing efforts to its neighbor. The McClatchy Newspapers report that flawed ballot design may inadvertently disenfranchise state voters their presidential choice. Finally, critically acclaimed HBO series "The Wire" wrapped up this year, but the ensemble cast worked together to stump for Obama ... making pun-dits happy about the metaphoric possibilities.

Filed under: Politics, Elections, Presidents, Barack Obama, John McCain

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Battleground States Buzz Countdown: Indiana and Missouri

By Vera H-C Chan
Sat, November 01, 2008, 10:00 am PDT

Missouri, population 5.8 million. Indiana, population 6.3 million. Each will send 11 votes apiece to the Electoral College., and polls say constituents are in a virtual dead heat. The Buzz Log daily countown focuses upon what these Midwestern states want to know about John McCain (R) and Barack Obama (D).

Follow these links to find what other battleground residents have been contemplating in these last electoral days:
• Nevada and Colorado
• Montana and New Hampshire
• New Mexico and Virginia

Indiana

Troop Activity: McCain pulled in 13% of online research on the candidates, Obama 86% (the difference are queries involving their wives). Searches for slogan "john mccain for president" have dropped 16% in the past 7 days, but scrutiny into his biography is up. Of concern to Hoosiers in the Obama camp are the assassination attempt, although a few still want details on his family and religion. For campaign issues, though, it's all about the "obama tax facts."
Final Offensives: A crowd 40,000 strong heard Obama on Halloween night, but Democratic veep candidate Joe Biden still plans a Nov. 1 stopover in southern Indiana. His Republican counterpart Sarah Palin paid her third visit to Indiana Oct. 29, Mitt Romney's coming Nov. 2, and McCain's expected to campaign in Indianapolis Nov. 3.
Insider View: The Indy Star reports the elections have been so pervasive, it's taking up lunchroom conversations in high school cafeterias. By the way, congrats to winners of the 2008 Elementary Art Contest.

Missouri

Troop Activity: The Show Me State has demanded a lot of details in the past 7 days. Obama accounts for 86% of the candidate online research, and McCain accounts for 12% (respective wives Michelle and Cindy and brother Joe McCain make up the remainder.) Like the other battleground. Obama's family tree, citizenship and religion are in question. People have also focused upon his platforms on gun control, taxes, and abortion. McCain's tax plans have also been examined, and queries continue to climb for "john mccain website" (+47%), "mccain palin" (+14%). Most importantly, Missourians have put the two side by side to compare "obama vs mccain on issues" (+64%), "obama vs. mccain" (+56%), and "mccain obama" (+5%). The attention to "obama mccain polls" dropped 74%—but perhaps because people have been distracted by the creative video, "obama mccain dance off."
Final Offensives: For those who still care about polls, McCain has the slimmest lead. Sarah Palin, Republican veep hopeful, pulled in 15,000 Oct. 24 and even got singer Naomi Judd out of retirement. Democratic veep pick Joe Biden came by Oct. 30 with a line-up of unemployed Chrysler workers. Obama plans an Election Eve appearance in Springfield.
Insider View: NPR captured the people of Mark Twain's boyhood hometown of Hannibal, Mo. The News-Leader estimates a whopping 76% turnout, but a state statute gives workers up to three hours off for poll time.

 Obama in Gary, ReutersMcCain in St. Charles, Reuters

scenes from Indiana and Missouri

 

Filed under: Politics, Elections, Presidents

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