Current Results for Michigan U.S. House Race, District 1

From MLive.com;

U.S. House – District 1 – General

November 04, 2008 – 11:50PM ET

UP-Northern Lower Pen

Michigan – 399 of 528 Precincts Reporting – 76%

Name Party Votes Vote % Stupak , Bart (i) Dem 150,485 65%   Casperson , Tom GOP 76,644 33%   Treacy , Jean Grn 1,777 1%   Grow , Daniel Lib 1,706 1%   Warren , Joshua UST 1,436 1%

Some Michigan Results

As of posting, at 11:31pm, C-SPAN Electoral Map is projecting these results;

Presidential Results

Michigan Popular Vote

Obama 56.6% w/ 1,471,177 votes

McCain 41.9% w/ 1,096,323 votes

Nader 0.7% w/ 17,148 votes

Barr 0.5% w/ 12,887 votes

Baldwin 0.3% 7,824 votes

U.S. Senate Results

Michigan popular vote

Levin is already being declared the winner

Levin 61.8% w/1,660,772 votes

Hoogendyke 34.6% w/930,525 votes

Boman 1.6% w/43,172 votes

Mikkelson 0.9% w/25,225 votes

Nikiton 0.7% w/17,498 votes

U.S. House Results

District 1; Bart Stupak is already being declared the winner 64.9%

Voter Initiatives

Proposal 1 Medical Marijuana 63.2% Yes

Proposal 2 Stem Cell Research 52.4% Yes

Victory for Prop 1!

From a Michigan for Coalition for Compassionate Care email blast;

Victory! Voters make Michigan the 13th medical marijuana state

We did it! The Associated Press has called Proposal 1.

After months of furious campaigning and an inspiring outpouring of support from patients, caregivers, and other concerned citizens across the state, it’s now official: Michigan is the 13th medical marijuana state and the first in the Midwest! With the passage of Proposal 1, sick and suffering Michiganders who use medical marijuana with their doctors’ recommendations will no longer fear the threat of arrest and jail.

Michigan voters have clearly signaled in no uncertain terms their support for a compassionate medical marijuana law. The new law will go into effect by December 4, and the Department of Community Health will have an additional 120 days to issue regulations for a medical marijuana registry.

Michigan’s new law allows patients with debilitating medical conditions to register to use marijuana according to their doctors’ recommendations. Patients will be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana without facing arrest. They will also be allowed to grow up to 12 plants in an indoor, locked facility, or to designate a caregiver to cultivate for them.

Our state is home to 10 million people and, with the enactment of this law, nearly 25% of all Americans now live in a medical marijuana state. This in and of itself is historic, and we have the good people of Michigan to thank for it.

But some particular individuals need to be thanked for their passion, dedication, and inspiring commitment to seeing this sometimes grueling effort through to victory. Thank you to the brave patients and caregivers who spoke out on this vital issue; people like Dr. George Wagoner; Deb Brink, RN; Charles Snyder III; Stephanie Annis; Lynn Allen; Lyle Imel; Jane Stewart; Ken Shapiro; and Rochelle Lampkin.

We’d also like to acknowledge a special debt of gratitude to the countless local activists who made this victory possible. In particular, we’d like to thank those who went above and beyond in this campaign: Matt Abel; Christopher Chiles; Zach Jarou; Melody Karr; Christeen and John Landino; Dave Light; Kelsey Maniez; Brian Morrissey; Bill and Trena Moss; Greg Piasecki; Dr. Bob Pizzamenti; Anne Renaud; Leeor Schweitzer; and the Rev. Steve Thompson.

Our opposition threw the kitchen sink at us, hoping one of their false claims and outright lies would cost enough votes to tank this effort. But Michigan voters saw through the deception, and soon numerous seriously ill patients across the state will no longer need to live in fear for taking their doctor-recommended medicine.

Once again, thank you all for your passion and support throughout this historic campaign.

What The Hell is Wrong with Europeans!?

Never did take that nap. Never did get back to my cheese and crackers. I am hungry. I am trolling the internet. My adrenaline is up. I am not sure if I want another Pabst or cup of coffee. I guess maybe the good thing about supporting a third party candidate is that now that the end is near, I can look at things through a neutral eye.

I found this article in Yahoo news.

World hopes for a ‘less arrogant America’

BERLIN – The world was riveted by the election drama unfolding Tuesday in the United States, inspired by Barack Obama or simply relieved that — whoever wins — the Bush administration was coming to an end.

From Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate to the small town of Obama, Japan, the globe geared up to celebrate a fresh start for America.

These people are just ignorant.

In Germany, where more than 200,000 flocked to see Obama this summer as he moved to burnish his foreign policy credentials during a trip to the Middle East and Europe, the election dominated television ticker crawls, newspaper headlines and Web sites.

Why do Germans care so much about this guy to “flock” to him? Just sounds fishy to him. Something ain’t right. I don’t know what it is, but it ain’t right.

The French are planning on having a “Goodbye Bush” Party. Why do they care so much? Look, I don’t like everything about George Bush, but I don’t dislike everything about him. And he is the president of my country. What he does affects me way more than it does the French.

“Like many French people, I would like Obama to win because it would really be a sign of change,” said Vanessa Doubine, shopping Tuesday on the Champs-Elysees. “I deeply hope for America’s image that it will be Obama.”

[....]

Yeah, it will be change, but what kind. Change can be good. Change can be bad. If it is nothing more than some catch word said zomby-like; it is never good. The image Obama will give America won’t be good.

“America is electing a new president, but for the Germans, for Europeans, it is electing the next world leader,” said Alexander Rahr, director of the German Council on Foreign Relations.

“We see new challenges coming up, not only Islamic extremism, but a newly resurgent Russia, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea — everywhere there are fires,” he said. “And we, as Europeans, can’t solve these problems without America. A world without American leadership is, for most Europeans, a world of chaos.”

[....]

Well at least this guy has half a brain.

Article goes on to dis Sarah Palin, Republicans abroad are planning to celebrate a McCain/Palin victory, blah, blah, blah.

In much of the Islamic world, Muslims expressed hope that the U.S. would seek compromise rather than confrontation.

[....]

Europeans think America and George Bush are mean, blah, blah, blah.

“I hope Obama wins (because) of the need of the world to see the U.S. represent a more cosmopolitan or universal political attitude,” said Rais Yatim, the foreign minister of mostly Muslim Malaysia.

[....]

I have nothing to say, other than scary. I mean SCARY! What the hell is a “universal political attitude”? Does it mean the whole world politics should be just like Malaysia?

Goes on to quote Muslims who love Obama.

Israelis are rooting for McCain. Because they believe he will be tougher on Iran.

Israeli leaders, who consider the U.S. their closest and most important ally, have not openly declared a preference. But privately, they have expressed concern about Obama, who has alarmed some by saying he would be ready to hold a dialogue with Tehran.

Taking a cigarette break on a Jerusalem street corner, bank employee Leah Nizri, 53, said Obama represented potentially frightening change.

She is one common sense gal!

The article says that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will not say who he is rooting for.

And other Europeans made much of Obama’s ethnicity. “It’s a sort of pardon of America for its slave past,” said Alain Barret, a bank teller in Paris. “It lets America turn an important page in its history.”

“It would be fantastic to have a non-white president,” added Letisha Brown, a Londoner.

These are two of the most asinine comments I have heard during this whole election. So the presidency is owed to Barack because of his ancestry. Barack is owed the presidency due to slavery no more than McCain is owed to it because of the way hippies treated ‘nam vets when they came home. Either one of these guys should be elected on merit and merit alone.

Kenyans made their allegiance clear: Scores packed churches on Tuesday to pray for Obama, whose late father was born in the East African nation, and hailed the candidate — himself born in Hawaii — as a “son of the soil.”

[....]

Well now, we finally have a legit reason to support Barack Obama. “I’m Kenyan. Barack’s daddy is Kenyan. So I want to see him become president of a faraway country that does not affect me as much as it does Americans.” WTF!!!!

Quotes some Kenyans.

In the sleepy Japanese coastal town of Obama — which translates as “little beach” — images of him adorned banners along a main shopping street, and preparations for an election day victory party were in full swing.

[....]

Well, finally a legit reason.  NOT!!!!

To read the full article, click the title at top.

Final Results May Not Match Polling Data

From Yahoo News;

It’s Election Day!

As of close of business Monday night, Barack Obama had a 7.3-point lead in the Real Clear Politics national poll average.

But presidential elections are not decided by popular vote. They’re decided by the Electoral College. What matters here is how individual states vote, so we’ll take a look at the individual state polls heading into D-Day.

If Americans cast their ballots in a manner consistent with Monday’s final state poll averages, Obama would win 338 electoral votes, far surpassing the 270 needed to win the presidency. Don’t bank on it though. People may not cast their votes the way the polls predict and that makes this race a lot less of a sure thing than most people are saying.

A snapshot of the Yahoo! News Political Dashboard Monday night

Here’s a quick recap of what the state poll averages looked like as of Monday night for the big-get states, the swing states and the states that are surprisingly in play.

more here

I don’t know what’s going to happen.  Perhaps Barack won’t be elected.  I did vote for Bob Barr.  I know he ain’t gonna win.  My vote was my voice.  I have no remorse.  I hope that Barack does not become president.  In an ideal world, Libertarian Candidates would get as much notice as Democrats and Republicans and there would be no media bias.  Those of you who voted, or will vote, for John McCain, more power to you.  You had/have your reasons.  I know that was way off subject, but I had to say it.

Black Panthers Guarding Doors at Philly Polling Place

I am scared. I mean I am scared. I just sat down to have my cheese spread and crackers. While watching FOX News, they reported there was two members of the Black Panthers standing in front of the doors, at a polling place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One was even holding a night stick. A former military vet tried to get in through. He told some of the poll watchers. One of the men standing outside said that a black man was going to be elected no matter what. Police had been called. The men standing outside said that it was the people from the news were the ones who were intimidating voters.

This is just freakin scary what this election has come to. I know that not all Barack Obama supporters are like this. In fact most of them are not. But to think that even two of his supporters would resort to voter intimidation. About a week or so ago I had heard some pundits say that if Barack Obama loses, that neighborhoods with large black populations would riot and cry racism. I did not believe it. I did not want to believe it. I still do not want to believe it. But after hearing this, I don’t know.

Regardless of what anyone thinks about Barack, there is a chance for a black man to become president. Whether he wins or loses, actions like this can guarantee that it will be a long, long time before another black person ever again runs for president. Actions like this make it bad for decent black people who may or may not support Obama. Actions like this make it bad for a future possible black candidate who does have good ideas.

Scholar in Training at A Couple Things has all the details at http://www.acouplethings.com/blog/2008/11/fnc-reporting-black-panthers-intimidating-voters-in-philadelphia/

I Voted! Did You?

Got out of work. He aded for the polling place. Wa s quite b usy. Three times as many people as previous elections. Even more than in ‘04. Went to grocery store. Bought Election Day snacks. Have FOX News on. Republican Poll watcher in Philly was harassed. I think I am going to take a nap and wake up when the action starts up. I have set comments to go through automatically. You can have your say. Talk about anything election /candidate/proposal related. Any comments that are off topic or threatening to any other commenter will be deleted. Just keep it nice.

Could Voters be Checking Out Bob Barr at the Last Minute?

I having just been “trolling” the internet.  I wanted to see what is going on over at Bob Barr’s website.  In all the time I have supported Bob Barr, since it was apparent that John McCain would be the Republican Nominee, never, ever have I gotten a viewing error.  Now, when I click on links within the website I keep receiving errors that the site may be busy.

Election Day

It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for. Take a couple of friends or family and get out and vote for Bob Barr and any other Libertarians on your ballot! And, remember…VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE!!!

From Bob Barr Blog.

Glenn Beck Election Night Coverage Online

Insider Election Coverage

On November 4th you won’t find him on TV or radio, instead Glenn will be broadcasting online for Insiders only. Don’t miss a this one of a kind election coverage, sign up to become a glennbeck.com Insider today.

The broadcast will start at 6pm eastern and feature up to the minute vote counts, analysis, listners calls, newsmaker interviews, and either giddy celebration or depressing sadness.

Plus as an Insider bonus we’ve put together the ultimate election pack exclusively for glennbeck.com Insiders. It’s filled with the entertainment and enlightenment that you’ll need to survive this election.

Included in the Insider 2008 Election Pack:

Just a Few Glitches

I checked out this story on My Yahoo news updates.

Record number of voter expected to deluge polls

A likely record voter turnout on Election Day has polling officials across the country braced for problems, and some difficulties surfaced early Tuesday as people turned out in droves even before balloting began in Eastern Seaboard states.

Voters needed to use paper ballots because of problems with electronic voting machines in some New Jersey precincts, and in Virginia, long lines of voters waited longer than necessary in one instance because, poll workers said, the head of a branch library had overslept.

WTF! You are the head of the branch library and knew you were supposed to open up the library to be a polling place. If that were me, I would have had two or three alarms set super loud. Or better yet, just slept at the library, sheesh.

[....]

And of course, what kinda election would this be without the American tradition of a lawsuit, or two, or three…?

Lawsuits alleging voter suppression already had surfaced in Virginia, a hotly contested state. A judge refused late Monday to extend poll hours or add voting machines to black precincts in some areas. The NAACP, in a federal lawsuit, demanded those changes, saying minority neighborhoods would experience overwhelming turnout and there weren’t enough electronic machines.

U.S. District Judge Richard Williams denied the motion for a preliminary injunction, but ordered election officials to publicize that people in line by 7 p.m., the polls’ closing time, would be allowed to cast ballots.

Republican John McCain’s campaign sued the Virginia electoral board hours before polls opened, trying to force the state to count late-arriving military ballots from overseas.

McCain, a former POW from the Vietnam War, asked a federal judge to order state election officials to count absentee ballots mailed from abroad that arrive as late as Nov. 14.

Lawsuits have become common fodder in election battles. The 2000 recount meltdown in Florida was ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. In Ohio, there was the turmoil in 2004 over malfunctioning machines and long lines was beset by litigation.

[....]

Read more about glitches here.

It’s Election Day: Get out and vote “yes” on Proposal 1 right now!

From a Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care email blast;

The day we’ve been building up to is finally upon us. Get out to the polls and vote “yes” on Proposal 1 right now!

If you’re not sure of the address of your polling location, please check here.

Or give us a call at (313) 615-6702.

Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

And once you’ve voted, please call everyone you know and demand they get out to the polls, too. Studies show that most undecided voters make up their minds based on information they receive from a friend or loved one. So call your friends, call your family, call your neighbors, call people you haven’t spoken to in years. Call everyone … and tell them that you support Proposal 1 and ask that they also vote to protect the sick and the dying. If you get a positive response, please ask them to call through their contacts as well. Every single vote counts, and we can’t afford to overlook any supporter!

If you have any time to volunteer after voting, please contact MCCC statewide organizer Matt Witemyre.

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered, donated, and helped to spread the word about Proposal 1. We’ve accomplished a great deal thanks to your passion and commitment, and we’re on the verge of making Michigan the 13th medical marijuana state.

Now, get out to the polls and help push this crucial effort over the top!

George Jones – The Race is On

The race is on.  It is officially time to vote!

URGENT READ; Alex Strobehn’s Response to Blog Post

This is Alex’s response to my previous posts, Why I Can Not Vote For Alex Strobehn and Michigan Redneck’s For Sure Three Choices;

“In response to the blog I wish to clarify what was meant in the above statements. The interview which this article was based off was my first so I made many errors. I would like to add that this interview lasted 45 minutes. I support lesser government and lower taxes which my opponent does not (see voting record). The programs I was referring to are short term unemployment, schooling, and police are examples. I oppose socialized health care as well as people living off the government. The socialistic elements I believe are necessary are already in place. That being said there are some that need to go. I feel the free market is the way to bring jobs to Michigan, and the red tape is what is stopping it. I hope to count on your vote, thank you and have a great day.”

Merle Haggard – Are the Good Times Really Over

With the election officially kicking off in less than 6 hours, I figure this would be the perfect song for Rockabilly After Midnight.  For all of those patriotic Americans who are fearful about the outcome of the elections, you must watch this video.

This song brought tears to my eyes. “Now stop rolling down hill like a snowball in hell.” And GO VOTE!