Tim Blair

Thanks for the use of the great comments site, Tim.

First Howard. Then Bush. If Blair wins the upcoming election I dare say the Leftists will by emotionally scarred for life.

Long live the Anglosphere!

I found the blogworld only since the Aus election. Thank God for a voice for those not happy with SMH and Margo. The downside to this is that I am now addicted to BlogWorld and have to fight my husband for access to the computer.
Tonight I have decided to buy a really BIG plasma TV so I can better view the "change of regime" in Iran and Syria.
USA USA yeah

Your headings always crack me up Tim. :D

Tim, we love you, man. No seriously, man. Listen. You're beautiful. You're like, beautiful, man. You're like, a beautiful person, OK? Seriously. [falls off bar stool, chunders on own shoes, passes out]

Blair is a socialist. He has raised taxes by a huge amount, he forced GWB to go to the UN to get the second resolution, he wants to force Britain into the euro and the European Constitution.

He deserves to lose to the Conservatives. This blog has chearlead (is that a word?) for Bush and Howard. It now needs to support Michael Howard in Britain.

PJ: WTF?

Michael Howard's no prize, PJ.

Quentin -

It'll be a long time before he forces Britain into the Euro and we may even get a tax cut instead of increases as far as the eye can see.

David Gillies - just read up on British history over the last seven years. I can't believe how many people on this blog think [Tony] Blair is a conservative just because he backed Bush in the Iraq war - the only good thing he has ever done. Even then, he twisted and lied and squirmed and did harm to the cause he supported (dodgy dossier anyone?)

vot as ovar? NO

Those of us who can't - salute you!

Blair might well deserve to loose to the Conservatives. Unfortunately, despite everything, they deserve to loose to him more.

Our Howard is no match for your Howerd (or is it the other way around?)

Hi bloggers,

my name is Tony Blair and I thought I would clear up the confusion for you.

Yes, it is true I am a socialist and more importantly, I am a scot.

My partner (although we havent had sex for years), Gordon Brown put a tax on pensions that has crippled UK Pensions and has damaged shares so badly that out stocks are just 3% above 1997 levels.

As a scotsman, Gordon and I gave scortland, wales & northern Ireland parliaments. But for England we will introduce regional parliaments. This is to produce a united Ireland, Wales & Scotland but a divided England.

We spend 100% more (per head) in scotland than in England. Scots have more MPs per head. Plus, our crowning gem, Scots can vote on English matters, but English cannot vot on Scottish matters.

We hate England and will destroy it. Everyone will smile at that!

Then we introduced IR35. This forces independent workers to have a slave master. The idea was to try and get more tax. Unfortunately the opposite has happened as it has made idependent workers uncompetitive with corporations (who are skilled at tax dodging).

Then we introduced mass immigration. The idea was to reduce the numbers of ethnic english people. The English always vote Conservative and thus must be cleansed.

If you think I am English and middle class, I thank you for the compliment, because I am just an actor. I say what people want to hear and do what we want.

It is a little like those girls I bed. I tell them all the sweet things. By the time they find out I lied, they have already been screwed ;-)

Ohio - 144 000 lead (51 to 48) with 99% done, New Mexico almost there, and Sky say Bush is apparently about to declare victory.

Oh goody! Bush is pissing it in.

I'm off to gloat some more.

Heh

MarkL
Canberra

Tim, where are you going to be celebrating the Bush victory? Name the place and I will shout you one.

Sky are insane. They still say Ohio is too close to call, even though the commentator says he can see what the Republicans mean when they say the Dems are delusional.

Onya, Aussies!

Now it's up to those Pommy bastards and we'll call it a trifecta.

Tim, you rock. Honorary American. Highest compliment I can pay.

And Assies? You guys are the fucking BOMB!!

God DAMN I am glad you are on our side.

Great day! Morning in America. Again.

Was it votaire who pointed out in candide that a short tern mistake is often of long tern benefit?

yes Tim your education of the guardian has finally paid huge dividents.
who will spin this as a cynical Blair move for the incumbent?

Back at ya, Tim. I'm hoisting a cold one right now in salute to you and our Aussie mates.

Bush received more votes this election than Clinton did in either 92 or 96.

Bush received more votes this election than Clinton did in either 92 or 96.

I want to give an Ohioan hours of head. Male or female.

dropped by today?? i tried to get to this site at 9am aust and only got into it at about 4pm. was there something big happening today?

America. Fuck yeah!

The problem in Ohio is that the Democrats claim that there are 250,000 of those "provisional ballots" that were given out to people whose voter registration was brought under question when they arrived at their precinct house to vote.

Those people in question are those who were registered at the last minute, or had some other problem with registration (such as not being citizens of the US!). The provisional ballot was so they could go ahead and vote, and have their registration problem straightened out later. The Dems claim that there are 250,000 provisional ballots in question, and the State says that there aren't that many... that there aren't enough to turn the election even if every ballot was for Kerry. Since the State is Republican, the Dems may claim "shenanigans" with the provisionals, and this could end up in court :(.

Kerry is going to hold out for a count.

This could be a long week, folks! :(

I don't care if Tony Blair or Michael Howard gets in. Neither of them is the candidate of the far left and that makes me happy. As a conservative, Michael Howard would be nice (after all, he could get rolled for someone better), but that would just be gravy. Either way, the lefties lose.

Tim,

Beautiful Rovian move on Clark County. I hoist my beer in your direction (to the south of Korea). As Harry Dean Stanton said in \"Repo Man\": \"You\'re aaalll right!\"

An addendum: My question is: How on earth did the Democrats know that there would be 250,000 voter registrations brought under question at the polling places? Curious.

An addendum: My question is: How did the Democrats know that there would be 250,000 voter registrations brought under question at the polling places, requiring them to give out a provisional ballot?

Curious!

Sorry about the double post... the first message claimed that it had an error! :(

Stan -

a) Blair is a lefty. Not an extreme one, but they aren't dangerous any more, because they don't get elected. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing. They are the most dangerous kind. Check your tax bill to see what I mean.

b) He wants to tie Britain to France and Germany with the Constitution and the currency. That should worry even American and Australian conservatives by itself. Would the proposed EU foreign minister give America and Australia the unstinting backing that the British did in Iraq? No.

c) He's said he won't serve a full third term, and some lefty might well get elected in his place.

d) M Howard isn't perfect. But I think he's significantly better than people give him credit for, and, as I've already stated, his European and tax policies are vastly superior.

Anyway, enough of British politics. I don't want to take the shine off a great night for conservatives around the world, and a bad night for Islamic fundamentalists, terrorists and Communists.

Fabulous; its all going President Bushs way.

Tom Daschle is also almost gone (no more filibusting?)

Even the fat lady is singing.

Joins Tim in sending love from Australia.

PJ, Quentin G etc:
Michael Howard sucks. He is a conservative version of John Kerry. I would rather deal with a socialist with some principles than slippery sams like Howard.

And above all I want Howard to lose as payback for shafting the coalition in the war. Scumbag.

Robert Blair -

That's the first time I've ever heard anybody describe Tony Blair as a man with principles. He is a sleazy, disreputable liar.

Howard didn't "shaft the coalition" on the war. He still thinks getting rid of Saddam was the right thing to do. He doesn't think that, knowing what we know now, Iraq's apparently non-existent WMD on their own justified an invasion, but then neither does Tony Blair. Howard is a much more principled man than Blair will ever, ever be. AND he is much more likely to cut taxes.

LOL

Kerry O'Brien just said "It will now take a miracle for John Ken... er Kerry to carry Ohio..."

Classic.

Kerry O'Brien said that? That means I have to watch it here in WA.

Anyway that settles it - Bush has won.

Phew.

Alright folks, could we perhaps save the UK election pissing contest for a more appropriate time? Just saying...

I largely agree with PJ on Tony Blair. He's been a staunch ally to America, and for that I'm grateful, but his hostility to tradition and love of statist meddling would put him out of the running for me if I were a Brit voter.

What's more, Howard has the all-important Christopher Lee endorsement.

Well, Daschle is gone. So the Reps have a greater control of the Senate than before, and the Dem Minority Leader has been defeated for the first time in decades.

Attention!

Calling all British Conservatives!

Haven't you forgot someone . . . UKIP! Yes, ok, so they won't win any seats or anything, but look at it like this: what are the two important issues of our age? Obviously, The War On Terror and Europe. And which party has decent values on either of those? Come on folks, don't be cynical, particularly not now Kilroy-Silk has gone, and vote UKIP!

Many, many, many congratulations to both GWB and America, by the way. You rock!

Thanks Tim!

As the immortal Ray Charles used to say,

O beautiful, for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountains, majesties
Above the fruited plain
America, America,
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood,
From sea to shining sea.

yeeeeeeeeeee-haaaaaaaaa!

It's like The Sun for Maggie T.
Tomorrow's headline: 'It's the Guardian Wot WON it!'

Sorry if this has been said before, but doesn't this all sound like a carbon copy of the Aussie election? The media and polls and mentally unstable bloggers kept saying that the appeaser had a good chance of victory, but in the end it wasn't even close, with the conservative incumbents extending their lead, and getting decisive control of the Senate.

I first knew that Bush would win today when I tuned in to ABC radio at noon, and heard the hesitation in the voices of the presenters even as they talked of the exit polls being good news for Kerry. When the host initially questioned the correspondent about the prospects for Kerry, a downbeat correspondent said that the states were going pretty much as expected, with red states going to Bush and blue states to Kerry, and that Kerry was on track to win. Then later, as more exit polls came in and the host asked a similar question, the correspondent started talking about how a high turnout was likely to favour Kerry, rather than talking about how the actual votes were going. Spinning like a top! It goes without saying that discussion was of how Kerry was going and the prospects for a Kerry victory - Bush was hardly mentioned while I was listening.

time to troll kos

if anyone has a kos account please recommend my diary so it gets to the front page

I remember Don Luskin mentioning the Fair model predicting a landslide for Bush. Bush won all right but I think Professor Fair is going to have some problems fixing what is obviously not going to be a very useful regression model.

Yes! Two for two!

God, I'm going to enjoy the screams of agony from the libs. Esp. with Bush's 3.5 million+ pop vote lead.

:-)

PJ, Brian, etc
I feel too happy to piss in anyones soup - all power to Howard and Blair (us Blairs must stick together y'know) and let the poms sort themselves out.

What is bliss ? A good conserative victory celebrated by a half bottle of Wild Turkey Rare Breed (neat, room temperature) and a Romeo y Julietta No 2.

Ha! bet Stephen Green couldn't do that aND STill not have any spelling errors (fuxck the caops lolck who cares ...)

Anyone not drunk by now is a loser ... yes, you Kerry - loser!

Geez Andrea - its bloody hard to key in that security code when your half pissed ...

OT: I'm just reading through the threads at David's Medienkritik where they were live-blogging the German "coverage" of the election...makes almost everything I read tonight about the slanted U.S. coverage look like amateur hour. Just in case anyone thought the U.S. media can't get any more partisan in the next four years...there's still plenty of space in their race to the bottom, as the media back in my home country so amply demonstrates. :(

Incidentally, thanks so much to Tim for giving all of us the space to rant and sound off here, it really does keep me (and probably others also) just a little bit saner than we'd otherwise be.

Drat, and right when I clicked on "Post", I knew I had forgotten something...oodles of thanks to Andrea as well for continuously putting up with the angry mob that we all comprise. :)

Geez! Are they ever ranting at Kos! It’s a dead-heat between the in-fighters, the hanger-on'rs, the Lets-take-the-violence-to-the-street'ers, the count-ever-vote'rs. But the overall consensus appears to be the appropriateness of crying in one's beer. I love it! All of there "let democracy speak" rhetoric is out the window! I guess democracy only matters if it's going their way.

Today Kerry, Fallujah tommorow.

Robert Blair, hate to spoil your your party but Wild Turkey is French. Switch to an American brand.

Tim, Andrea, All of you,

I agree with PW. Thank you very much. I am so happy for the USA, and for the rest of us.

Isn't it a lovely day.

Thanks for the heads up to Matt T about Red Kerry.
I'm in WA, the DVD is loaded and am I going to go to town with Photoshop and various evil gif manipulations.

On a far more serious note, thank you, America, for your wisdom in re-electing W despite all the furious screeching and howling of the Bushitler mob.

Tonight, my little corner of the world seems a safer place than it was yesterday.

My favourite ex-lefty, Christopher Hitchens, is on ABC Lateline putting Tony Jones in his place at long long last. But is Hitch three sheets to the wind - or is he just leaning to the right more than he used to?

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Allison-to-lead-Democrats/2004/11/03/1099362218280.html\

Demcrats ringing in the changes already!

I hope Charlemagne isn't banned. He could explain to us how Bush won.

CNN just called OH for the GOP!!!!

It's over!
Dubya wins.
And so yet again the justice and goodness prevails!

Isdor: here you are. (Everyone, spare a tear for charlie: despite the fact that bits of his skull and brainette are all over the floor, he still managed to type that out. What a trouper!)

Hee hee hee. "Brainette"!

"Today Kerry, Fallujah tommorow"

Could it just get better and better with Arafat and Castro dirt napping soon?

One has to hope!

Thanks to Tim B and Andrea Spinster!

P.S. I hope Michael Howard realises now that the right is right, and gets his arse in gear on Europe, the WoT including Iraq and taxation. Otherwise the UKIP is going to get my probably wasted vote.

GOOOOOOOOD MOOOORRRNNNINGGGG AUSTRALIA!!!!!

AMERICA - FUCK YEAH!!!!!

Yesterday my country proved that Australia isn't the ONLY country on this planet that still has some BALLS!!!!! We put that rootin'-tootin-badd-ass-cowboy back in the White House!!! We sent John Fucking Kerry to the ash heap of history!!! And we sent Tom Daschle there to keep him company!!!!

YAAAAAHHHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

THANK GOD!

Love you Yanks.You fuckin rock.
By the way, are you gettin' that 'XXX won because of interest rate scare campaign (or some other pathetic excuse)' from the losing side yet. we here in Oz were getting it shoveled on about 3 minutes after John Howard made his victory speech......

*in best "trailer-trash" Southern accent for the Guardian*
YEEEEEEHAAAAAWWWWWW!

Honey, it's past 6am, gimme a beeeeeeeer!!!!!!

Whoops, hehe. I meant the SMH, didn't I?
It's so hard to keep these leftist rags straight!
Bush has 140,000 vote lead in Ohio and Kerry won't concede? I see he's going to make an even bigger ass out of himself than he already has in the past year.

I'd have been serious ashamed if you Australians had managed to re-elect Howard, and then we Americans had somehow elected Kerry.

But ... it looks like that's not going to happen.

Woohoo!

More on Clark County here:

Clark Country Swings to Bush
But Mass Suicide is Averted - For Now
'Significant Risk' of Alcohol-Induced Fatalities Worries Some

It just keeps getting better and better,
The Age has a poll up asking who would be the preferred President.
9754 votes,
14% Bush
85% Kerry

There will be salty tears in the lattes at Brahton tomorrow!

Schadenfreude is lovely.

Here in Ohio, we are proud to have done our part.

I had three Goose Island Honkers' Ales in celebration of the win, and in memory of the "last goose to die for the Kerry mistake."

I'll add my thanks to Tim and all the rest of you right thinking Aussies. We may come to pay you a visit one of these days. It's been a lifelong dream to see your part of the world.

Can't wait for the movie of the Guardian's attempt to educate the voters of Clark Co. Their reading of the political situation in flyover country USA is just as much "spot on" as the rest of their political analysis, i.e., it's 180 degrees off the mark

I hear Michael Moore is writing a screen play about the caper with Michael Caine playing the delightfully looney Guardian editor and the leftwing celebrity authors who joined the letter writing campaign playing themselves.

Mel Gibson, cast as the dark power of evil, Tim Blair, who foiled the scheme and probably had a lot to do with Ohio going for Bush. My apologies to Tim who is probably a lot younger and better looking than old Mel, but Mel's films do bring in the ladies. However, on second thought, Moore wouldn't cast Mel, so you have your choice of Eric Baldwin, Richard Gere, Sean Penn, Tim Hutton, Eminen, or Jimmy Carter to portray you in the film, working title, a play on Kerry's warning to the electorate before the voting began, "The Buckeyes of the World Are Watching You."

I just wish Kerry would concede and end this horrible tension, so we can start celebrating that the future of the planet is in good hands.

BTW - Do you think Tony Blair (no relation, I presume) will regret saying he hopes Kerry will win (if he really said it)?

The Dems have lost pretty much every losable election since '98 haven't they? The 2000 election, the 2002 midterms, the California recall and now the Presidency and the Congress. I hope the Republicans destroy the power of the trial lawyers and the teachers' unions in their second term. Those guys give parasites a bad name.

With apologies to Johnny Horton:

In 2004 we took a little ride
Along with Colonel Blair across the digital divide
We took our best pajamas and our terror fightin' mo
And we met the lefty British in Clark County, O-HI-O!

smalldick moaning herald isn't taking the BUSH VICTORY terribly well...

Thanks Andrea.
I was hoping charlemagne would address the reasons why he was wrong in his predictions.
I was looking forward to some twisted logic...
But I guess I was asking too much

Ahhhh, nearly forgot - savour this article from the Guardian

I hope you right wing death beasts realise that this election was all about interest rates and had absolutely nothing to do with support for the racist fascist islamophobic invasion of a peaceful country and its beloved leader in the name of a phony "War on Militants" carried out by Halliburton and its Saudi/Zionist cronies.

Just read the SMH article linked above by Anonymous. Normally such absolute crap would at least annoy me to some degree but not tonight. Each feeble, petty, twisted, grasping line of the article just make me smile more and more.

Congrats all, heres to four more years of the Bush regime.

According to official vote tallies , and official provisional ballot figures from Ohio (assuming they are all legal, which is highly unlikely), Kerry could, theoretically, still take Ohio.

Kerry is currently 130,566 votes behind, with 100 per cent of all precincts reporting. There were 135,149 provisional ballots issued. Assuming these are all legal, if Kerry wins 132,858 of these, and assuming Bush gets the remaining 2292, Kerry would take Ohio by one vote.

This of course ignores votes coming in from overseas.

So, all Kerry has to do is win 98.3048 per cent of those provisional ballots.

My conclusion is the same as every other sane person's: this thing is over Mr Kerry, concede already.

Here's a most heartfelt review of the victory, from one of your cuzzins who's drinkin' beer and watchin' Muddy Waters. The ABC must have known that we we're going to win- I've now got to retrieve bets from commie bastards.

Sorry, above should read "assuming Bush gets the remaining 2291". Not that anyone except the Hampster probably cares.

ili,
I'm piss-drunk, but I been to the Wild Turkey brwery-thingy where they make this stuff (luvly too let me tell you) and f*cked if they were talkin frog-talk mate ... go get a bottle ili, then tell me ifts french or not - froggies can't make good grog - you need go tennesee or bloody Scotland or sumwhers

Hey, ili, bourbon aint the same without the cubans, an I dont give a f*ck about their politics neither - they make bloody rippa ceegars ...

First John Howard; now GWB. Thank God.

I feel like I did the day the statue toppled in Baghdad. F**k the lefties.

The following shite was posted at HALF PAST TEN tonight at the SMH. How deluded are they? Half of the story is about a potential, viable Kerry victory:

"Should Senator Kerry succeed in challenging the result and winning enough disputed votes to get over the line, Mr Howard will not be as comfortable.

His public declaration that he hoped Mr Bush would be re-elected has not gone unnoticed by the Kerry camp.

The alliance will remain strong, but Senator Kerry is likely to look more towards rebuilding relationships with Europe that have been strained by the war on Iraq."

And goes on for another EIGHT para's in that same vein, clutching at the remaining straws of the strawman.

The heads are exploding at Democratic Underground, right on schedule!

Australia

Thank you so much from Tennessee, U.S. You've stood by us in our hours of need, (more hours maybe needed) but I believe George Bush has beat the leftist media, the leftist smear and the leftist Hollo-Wood'ites.

WE will proudly stand next to you, your brave people and your John Howard.

Together YOU, US and other ALLIES, (the ones with eyes wide open) will defeat the greatest threat to humanity, (evil, fanatical and radical in the extreme Islam) since World War II and the former Soviet Union.

So, did Kerry carry Paris?

So, if John F'n Kerry doesn't succeed in stealing the election in the courts, will he get Edwards to sue W. for emotional distress? Will he throw his medals away for real this time? Whatever happens, let's hope W. doesn't ease the squeeze on Kerry's nads and those of his spinmasters.

Congratulations, America, from Australia. It was a good, clean election. My congratulations to Senator Kerry on a race well contested. But in the end I think that the better man won.

Anyhow, to paraphrase a line from STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE:

"This will be a year long remembered. It has seen the re-election of Howard...it will soon see the re-election of Bush."

Oh, yeah - and FUCK YOU, Osama bin Loser!

YOU don't dictate OUR goddam elections.

We ain't Spain!

And goes on for another EIGHT para's in that same vein, clutching at the remaining straws of the strawman.

Sounds like that charlemagne post over in the other thread.

Good to see that you guys up there decided to run with Bush. I now await the photo session with Howard/Bush - up to you now Tony to join the club.

How sweet it is!

I'd like to second David Giles, but I don't drink. Is it okay if I just vomit on my shoes, fall off my chair, and pretend to pass out in a drunken stupor?

Does anyone else suspect that the "youth" vote didn't come out for the Democrats because it was really a bunch of old people lying about their age on the internet in order to hook up?

From the unofficial tallies at Fox, Bush carried NV, IA, and NM. This gives him 286 EV.

Kerry has 252 (WI went to him, unofficially).

So Ohio is Kerry's only shot -- 20 EV would shoot him to 272, and Bush down to 266.

But as other posters have noted, this is highly unlikely. I still expect litigation the DNC. A safe bet, with those weasels.

The Fat Lady is singing, but the Dems, they ain't listening! Too bad.....

The DU whines are classic!! POP! goes the lefties heads!

Hear that sound? It's the sound of victory for Western Civilization! We just have to deal with the whiners and whingers first. My apologies, but it is our system, for better or for worse. And it proves that dissent is not being crushed, else the jackbooted Storm Troopers would be all over the DU.

Until then, THANK YOU AUSTRALIA! For being a staunch ally (screw YOU, SMH!), and for drinking in support of a Bush victory.

And a hearty thanks to Tim and Andrea for hosting this Election Blog!

Yes, Daschle is gone! Here's my 'Daschle Has Finally Crashed and Burned' happy dance --> tippity-tap, tippity-tap, spin and dip, Jump, Jump, Jump.

Buh-bye, arrogant obstructionist pissant.

Hellooooooo, Mr. Thune.

It seems to me the close electoral college contest has disguised what is a poor democrat result comparable in some respects to the ALP performance in the recent election here?

Much prominence was given last time around to the failure of Bush to win the popular vote with Gore finishing about 0.5 million votes ahead. Currently Bush is ahead by about 3 million votes, 51% to 48%, in a high turnout election. This is surprising considering the tight electoral college and strong democrat position in highly populated states such as California & New York.

The key to this result seems to be the south, once the Democrat stronghold. The map of the south is now solidly Bush and quick flick over the numbers shows thumping majorities in places like Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana etc. In 2000 Al Gore became a rare presidential candidate who couldnt hold his home state of Tennessee which would have been critical to the outcome. This time John Edwards not only couldnt deliver his home state of North Carolina they were thumped bigtime there too.

Edwards old senate seat has now been lost to a Republican. Louisiana has elected a Republican Senator for the first time. Out west in South Dakota high profile Dem Senate leader Tom Daschle (who was effectively the 'opposition leader' for much of the Bush first term)is also looking like a loser. Apparently the first time a senate leader has lost re-election in 52 years. The Republicans made gains to consolidate control of the Senate and increased numbers of State Governors.

Thats a very different scenario from 4 years ago where Bush took over after losing the popular vote in a controversial election and the initial wafer thin republican margin in the Senate was lost for period after a defection. To go back to where I started its difficult not to see this as a far worse outcome for the Democrats than the close electoral college contest may indicate?

Oh, it's a solid thumping for the DNC, thersites. They lost big time, no question. Popular vote, electoral vote (unofficially, until the "gray" states start declaring), lost seats in Congress.

Now, if the DNC would get their collective head out of their collective ass, and start listening, things would really improve in this country.

I heard on the news that the uncounted votes in Ohio also includes absentee ballots from the military, which is very pro-Bush. FNC talked to some Marines outside Falluja this morning and almost all of them said they voted for Bush. One Marine said he believed that if Kerry was elected they'd have to stay in Iraq longer, and that they would have to come back to Iraq in 10 years to fix the mess Kerry would make.

Official figures now have Bush up 136,483 in Ohio. He cannot lose, even if all provisionals go to Kerry. Screw it Dubya, if the hampster won't concede, just declare victory already.

Here's another gem from DU (remember, Edwards complained about the "two Americas", which of course was Bush's fault):

"I live in a Blue State, so it's easier for me, but, NO MORE OF MY MONEY GOES TO ANY BUSINESS IN A RED STATE - PERIOD. Those of you that live in the Red States can get groceries, drugs, Toilet paper, damn near anything from the Internet from companies that are run from Blue States. It may come to having our Blue state legislatures and local governments look at ways to boycott Red States, perhaps in-state provisions for purchasing."

The interesting thing I am waiting to see is the black vote - in the end Bush dented it but not as much as I thought. It cost him. I had predicted 52-48 and over 290 EC and that was a little over optimistic. But look at the map. NE is all Dem. South is all GOP. WEst Coast is all Dem. Rockies and Plains all GOP. Midwest is tied up, but Bush did grab Iowa and Wisconsin and Minnesota are getting more conservative. Chicago and Detroit are saving Dems in Illinois and Michigan. Soon, it would seem that the upper midwest except for Michigan will be red, but next time Nevada will probably be blue. It is pretty wild to see how it is setting up geographically. And it will be interesting to see if the MSM figures out that flyover country is not listening to them, thus making the geographic divide worse.

Well, the Dayton Daily Rag tearfully called it too close to call in huge front-page font this morning ("It's all down to Ohio now"). I detect the same sort of desperate denial that I saw in Dan Rather's eyes last night. It would almost be funny if it weren't so pathetic.

Thanks for the support, Australia! I'm so happy to be in your family!

hehehe. i wonder if all of those folks are having trouble getting cabs to the airports so they can catch their flights to canada?

woo-hooo!

Gotta like how the market is ignoring Kerry and calling it a Bush win by booming. If that isn\'t proof that Kedwards is a heaad-in-sand ostrich, then what is?

For those you who want to thank the Guardian personally for their productive GOTV campaign here, once again, is the mailing list

I know this may be repeating myself and others, but we in the US cannot thank you enough Tim Blair, your idea to Freedland may have significantly caused the votes in Ohio to tip to Bush.

Thank you, Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you........Thank you.

I love the smell of liberals unravelling in the morning.....

Fox's Official tally stands at Bush: 269EV, KKKommy: 242EV.

Their individual state tallys give NV, OH, NM, IA, and WI to Bush.

In other words, Bush has 296 Electoral Votes.

Congratulations, America!

Just a note on the provisional ballots. It's my impression from the TV coverage that it's not the case that very many of them represent "challenged" votes, i.e. votes from voters whose right to vote was challenged from a partisan poll observer. I think there were actually very few challenges.

Most of them therefore are votes from people who either weren't registered or reported to the wrong polling place. The other major possibility is errors on the voter rolls.

The Ohio Secy of State, who's doing a great job by the way, has already won a lawsuit confirming that votes from people who voted in the wrong precinct won't be counted. (Dems wanted votes to be counted as long as the vote was cast in the same county as the correct polling place.)

I'm thinking that the percentage of provisionals that will be appoved is likely to be quite low: 10-20%. Of course there may be court filings to try to raise this percentage.

AP reports that Kerry has called Bush to concede.

well, good for kerry. it will do a lot for his reputation if he concedes now

I just really have to post this. I can't...stop...myself...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=thompson/041102

Tee-Hee!

CNBC reporting Kerry to concede at 1pm eastern time.
In related news single shot pistols and/or poison will be sold to Democrats and their worldly supporters without the usual background checks and waiting delays.

KERRY called Bush to concede!!!!!!!!!!!

WE DID IT! Sending the love back your way, Oz!!

....concession in 1hr,just in time for
Rush Limbaugh (Perth 1am)

Hey BC. Another CDNC, er CNBC watcher. Hi Ya!

Fox trailer comment:

"Kerry calls Bush to concede."

I took that the wrong way at first. Understandable given the DU mindset displayed these days. That's my excuse. Could have been the beer though.

Well Australia - looks like we're as smart as you guys! Now Blair for re-election!

I watched Freedom die today...

Sprinsteen's " No surrender" was Kerry's
campaign song.

I seem to recall Sprinsteen also wrote
a song called "Bye Bye Johnny".

Rather apt.

Thank you our Aussie's for being our friends. We love you, all of you, and now it is time to roll. God Bless you all!!!!!!!!! Out for now in the USA!

Kerry just gained respect in my book, for what it is worth. He will be attacked by his own followers for doing it, but it was the first gentlemanly thing I have seen him do, and I cannot help but respect him for it.

Sorry, not much respect for Kerry here. If he were really a gentleman, he wouldn't have let Edwards go out last night and decide to freak out the collectively country with hints of Florida, pt. 2. Unless Kerry was too pie-eyed to know what was going on - I could sympathize with that :).

And flippin' CNN STILL has the electoral tally at 252 for Bush. Guys, flip the columns already. You're scaring me.

The discussion forums are down at "Democratic Underground".

Tee-hee!

I'll add my thanks to Tim and all the rest of you right thinking Aussies. We may come to pay you a visit one of these days. It's been a lifelong dream to see your part of the world.>>>

I second, ok third that! You all have been one of the brightest spots in this. Humor and sanity. Three cheers for OZ!

Following Jim Treacher. A poem-sorta-for OBL. Its entitled; "The Day the Music Died." Rangers! Rangers! Won't be strangers, tick...tick...tick.

Now that Bush has won, I'm just hoping that Michael Moore wins an Oscar for "Farenheit 9/11" next year. I mean, I just HAVE to hear what his acceptance speech would be like...

Hey thanks for all the help, encouragement and support in this election. We really needed you, and you came through. It won't be forgotten.

I wake up past noon to the grand news of the CONCESSION! Jean leQuetchop—l'histoire! BUSH & the GOP won & the PLASTIC TURKEY MASS MEDIA with all their spin & slant & omission have FAILED! Time for them to go!

[1,2,3,4
Bye!]

We’re Uncle Chomsky’s Plaaastic Turkey Band!
We’re sick you have enjoyed the show• • • •
Uncle Noam’s Fake Plaaastic Turkey Band!
We're livid but it's time to go• • • •
Unnncle Noam’s Fake Flyyying Unnncle Noam’s Unfryyying
Unnncle Noam’s Undyyying Uncle Noam is cryyying
Uncle Noam’s Fake Flyyying Turkey Band!
We’d like to curse you once again!• • • •
Uncle Noamy’s Flown-in Phony Turkeeey Band!
We’ve gone completely ’round the bend!• • • •
Unnncle Noamy’s groaning Unnncle Noamy’s moaning
Unnncle Noamy’s Phony Turrrrrrrr-keeeeeeey Baaaaaaaand!
Evelyn Pringle picks up a theme from the web where delusionals scheme

Ladies and gentlemen, we have razed the Kerry campaign in fashions reminiscent of Genghis Khan.

You Aussies Rock! Thanks, Tim!!

I've got to admit that I'm conflicted about the Tony Blair election. The man has been an excellent friend to the United States, and I therefore owe him.

However, it's undeniable that his term in office has been disastrous for Britain, especially in domestic law, and I can't support that either.

It's kind of like finding out that the cop who gave your car a jump-start beats his dog.

John Nowak,
"It's kind of like finding out that the cop who gave your car a jump-start beats his dog."

You're right. I hope others don't remain blind to this.

The heartland sure was red. The People, at last, have had their say. I think they said they're tired of snotty New York/Northeasteners telling them how to think. And, oh yes, thank you ever so much, Graudian. Mr. Bush might have lost without you.

Thank you, Aussies and others who realize the value of this victory to the world.

The results of this campaign show the hazards of concentrating on the important issues like flight physicals missed 30 years ago, lesbian daughters, whose wife had what job when, where are those detonators for the WMD SH never had, etc. The important things. What a bunch of nobs. Hopefully DU, etc will implode.

I think the American people have had enough of those living up to Lenin's maxim - If you tell a lie enough times it will become the truth. They called BS on it this time.

Let's hope it continues. We'll have Hillary stepping up soon. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.

Hope that wasn't too many cliches.

BTW - Tim - best blog going. International, intelligent, perceptive. You, the posters and the irrepressable Ms. Harris.

This is what an English Liberal Democrat MP thinks of Americans after the election result.

http://romseyredhead.blogspot.com/2004/11/american-election.html

Why not write and tell her what you think of her?

"I've got to admit that I'm conflicted about the Tony Blair election. The man has been an excellent friend to the United States, and I therefore owe him. "

You owe him a well paid lecutre tour. Which he can only take up when he leaves office. Which I hope is sooner rather than later.

So no worries, no conflict

I like the idea of Blair losing to a conservative.

Now if we can only get Bush to lose to a conservative as well.....this country needs another Barry Goldwater.

I want to see 1950's era spending ( 10% of current levels ), and over the counter machinegun sales at hardware stores ( another US 1950's era habit ).

Bush is a socialist weenie. Compassionate "conservative" my *ss.

Someone tell the Guardian that our offer is still out there. If they really want to vote in our elections, let them apply for statehood!

We would carefully consider their applications. I suppose we still have room on our flag for two or three nice new British stars. But considering how many people have expressed interest, they had better hurry.

With statehood, they would not only be able to vote for president - we would also send them a replica of the Liberty Bell. They could put it right in Westminster Abby!

statebells.htm

Special Offer for Guardian readers. Sydney Harbour Bridge for sale. Going cheap. Contact Tim Blair.

ForNow rocks!

Chomsky and Dems are the new Lonely hearts.

Thanks Amphipolis. That's a very attractive offer. Would you be able to tug us across the Atlantic too, to a position, say, just off the coast of North Carolina? The weather's better there too, isn't it? It would be a nice bonus.

Can a seppo suggest Tim Blair for Australia's Ambassador to the U.S.?

Oh Yeah, F*ck you very much Groniad.

Hello guys and gals,

I've dropped in on this site now and then to try and understand the American right. Failed dismally and came away confused about the Aussies too. As a Scot, I can say to the poster Tony B Liar that Tony Blair is not Scottish but English and educated in Scotland, like many of the UK top dogs which either says something about the Scottish system or the English. And yes he is a left winger or leftist as you like to say.

Anyhoo - enjoy your victory but surely the people you should be thanking and raising a glass to are Fox News and Osama Bin Laden - without whom your man would not be president today.

Cheers and enjoy your isolation. After making the effort to find out about you Republicans I plan to now ignore US 'news stations', papers, blogs like this for the forseeable future and enjoy delicious beer (none of which can be found in America or Australia - maybe why US people like it there) safe in the knowledge that I don't need to rely on KKKlansmen, Deliverance extras called Cleatus, women with big hair in middle America, fat slobs who only watch Fox, paranoid gun-toters, corporate embezzlers, and, frankly, ignorant twits, to elect the president I support as you have done.

How Bin Laden must be laughing - i'm sure he's got more out of this than he ever could have hoped - more dead Americans, a split US, more and more terrorists all training in a US-built terrorism training zone in Iraq.

Congrats to all. Actually, Jeb Bush deserves all the thanks surely?

Does Arafat Have AIDS?
by Malcolm Thornberry 365Gay.com European Bureau Chief

Posted: November 1, 2004 8:04 pm ET

(Paris) As French doctors continue to run tests on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat some medical authorities not connected directly to his case are suggesting that he may have HIV/AIDS.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath Monday said that all types of cancer had been ruled out.

Arafat has been visibly ill for more than two weeks. Last Wednesday he collapsed and briefly lost consciousness. Initial blood tests performed in the West Bank revealed a low blood platelet count. The Palestinian leader was airlifted to France where he is undergoing more tests.

But, with leukemia and other forms of cancer ruled out, the list of possible diseases is narrowing.

A low blood platelet count is a sign of a weakened immune system. In addition to cancer, the low count could be attributed to bleeding ulcers, colitis, liver disease, lupus, or HIV. It is believed that ulcers and colitis have already been ruled out.

Arafat has lost a considerable amount of body weight. Hopital d'Instruction des Armees de Percy, southwest of Paris, also has some of France's best HIV/AIDS doctors.

For several years there have been suggestions that Arafat was bisexual.

Ion Pacepa, who was deputy chief of Romanian foreign intelligence under the Ceaucescu regime and who defected to the West in 1978, says in his memoirs that the Romania government bugged Arafat and had recordings of the Arab leader in orgies with his body guards.
If the suggestions that Arafat has AIDS are true, it is doubtful it would be made public.

©365Gay.com 2004

Hmm, a lefty comes in and makes denigrating comments about Fox News...gee, how original. Maybe you guys can get some new material in the next four years. No, make that eight years - wouldn't want to rush you.

Kristopher — While I like your attitude, over-the-counter machine gun sales were stopped in the States in 1936 courtesy of FDR unless you had a Class III FFL

"Looking through the bars":

Actually, I prefer European beer! Quite a few microbreweries here in the USA made an acceptable ale or a near-Guineas quality brew. It's not real European beer, we know that. We even have a wannabe Euro-beer microbrewery here in town. Good Stuff. This acquired taste came from my being stationed in Germany years ago with the US Army.

Another odd thing is that I admire Scotland for her history, her no nonsense people, and her contributions to the world. Hell, I even like bagpipes; I own several CD worth.

Yep, all of this from an honest-to-goodness gun toting paranoid, living in a small rural town! Why, I even watch Fox! Not exclusively, mind you. I try to keep an open mind.

Other than that, we totally disagree. It's sad that you chose to sneer at us from your intellectual pedastal. It's too bad that the bars through which you stare at us form your own cage. I hope you'll let yourself out soon. The world is a great place to be!

The Real Jeffs:

"The world is a great place to be!"

- especially if your name is Osama Bin Laden. Maybe if Bush had concentrated on getting him instead of invading Iraq under false pretences (and of course a huge number of people in the states still believe Iraq was tied in with 9/11 thanks to Fox - hence the constant references) it would be EVEN BETTER?

It's so absurd that working class America (by the way no-one believes the Deliverence, gun-toting blah blahs - it's just you're so touchy about it...) votes for a man who reduces tax for the rich, sucks up to the Saudi royals whose country supplied nearly all the hijackers, and sends their peers in the army to war on false pretences.

Boy it's easy to wind you lot up.

looking through the bars,

Don't apologize for understanding the style of our country. I am proud to be one of those women with big hair in middle Amerika who likes to color, tease, meticulously comb, and spray her hair into magnificence around the head, in a manner reminiscent of Kerry and Edwards.

Boy it's easy to wind you lot up.

Says the guy who needs to come here on the day after an election to pathetically troll for attention. If anyone's wound up here, it seems to be you.

BTW, newsflash for you: There was a video tape last week through which Osama bin Laden made himself just a little more irrelevant than he already was, perhaps you missed that. But do keep on parroting Kerry campaign points - we've all seen how successful those were, yes?

And as for "tax cuts for the rich"...debunked decisively months ago. Another Kerry talking point straight out of fantasy land.

Left this at the Liberal Democrat website:

"BTW - Thanks to the Guardian for helping Bush in Ohio. I doubt they created the margin of victory, but they certainly helped. To Europe's elite intellectuals: Please, please support Hillary in '08. And please tell us why we shouldn't defend our homes and why the death penalty is barbaric. We're counting on you."

And Scottish dude: The best beer in the world is being brewed in America right now. Have you tried Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Stone IPA, Four Peaks Kiltlifter? Didn't think so.

"Looking through the bars":

Well, I did lie about one thing in my statement. I am not paranoid.....but I am a gun toting citizen.

BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

PS:

Nice DNC talking points. As PW pointed.

Please, keep spouting them! They got Kerry to where he is today.

He he he!

"Actually, Jeb Bush deserves all the thanks surely?"

Actually, it's the Guardian that deserves all the thanks for helping W carry Ohio, surely.

Yes, you "failed dismally [to try and understand the American right] and came away confused about the Aussies too." Now don't you worry your little self about understanding us Yanks and Aussies at all; we're perfectly capable of minding our own business.

looking through the bars:
Instead of lecturing Americans, and now Australians, on how we should modify our behavior in order to please the remnants of an imperialistic entity, you should “look to your own knitting.”

Apparently, you’ve never actually been here but still believe you have the God given right to disparage everything not British. Wake up! How do you think your little country got to be an ex-empire? By refusing to adapt to the real world is how.

You see, we Americans don’t put much value in the opinion of those who only stand and whine. Next thing we know, you folks will want a Royal Society to prevent the contamination of British thought by foreign ideas. Oh yeah – you already have that. The President of it in 1895, Lord Kelvin (the degree guy), said that heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible and research in that direction should not be pursued. Another brilliant man the world should have listened to.

ObL – why does everyone think the US isn’t hunting for him right now? It isn’t as though he’s standing on a street corner somewhere in the ME, waving a flag. Actually a lot of the countries where he may be hiding won’t let us ruthlessly hunt him down as some failed politicians have recently suggested. They are sovereign nations, you know. However, the Kaiser, Hitler, Mussolini and Saddam Hussein were all once in his situation. Time will tell.

So smarten up, go down to your local and have a pint of warm beer. You and your mates can complain about the Americans and never have to worry about having to defend your own way of life. While you’re at it, you could discuss how you’re going to remove the English occupiers from Scotland.

Ta,
Winger

PS; “Cleatus”? You get a failing grade for originality, m8. At least it wasn’t “Billy Bob”.