# McCain not as forked as the McCain Forked thread, but still forked **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 8, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951 "2008-10-08T03:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 56
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1101 "2008-11-03T17:17:35Z")
> [@C3](#): > > Did you mean Hagan instead of Dole? Hagan (D) is up in the polls and has increased her lead since the release of the “Godless” commercial. …yes. :smack: And **jayjay** , we don’t need to gain 11 seats for a filibuster. We currently have 49 Dems and 2 Independents. Joementum will, I think, vote with us most of the time, so that’s 51. With 7 or 8 seats gained, at a minimum, that’s 58/59. I don’t think peeling off 1 or 2 of Specter, Voinovich, Snowe, Collins, Gregg, and probably others will be all that hard most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1102 "2008-11-03T17:22:19Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Rachel Maddow (man, I’d turn for her. My husband agrees-- he’d like to be around for that) had to be talked down. She was showing lines in, I think, Atlanta. At the time people were waiting up to 8 hours. “If you have to take time off of work for this, it’s basically a poll tax for hourly workers.” At the end of **The Truth (With Jokes)**, Al Franken details what the Democratic controlled House and White House would do in the first 100 days. One of the very first things is making Election Day a national holiday. I sincerely hope that if he wins his senate seat, he sets about making it happen ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1103 "2008-11-03T17:25:41Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > It would be sooooo nice if the next 4 years allows us to clean house, where there are no longer “problem states” with “voting irregularities”. I would be perfectly happy to see Ohio and Florida go republican in 2012, if I knew it was done honestly. My boss, and all but 2 of the attorneys in my practice group, are in FL right now working the election. The boss called in and reported that tons of newly registered voters (most of whom are probably Obama voters) haven’t received their registration cards in the mail yet, and are under the impression that they can’t vote without the registration cards. Yes, it’s sad that there are so many misconceptions floating around the voting-age population about these things. But why haven’t the damn cards arrived? Why, in one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, can’t we manage to send out a piece of paper to people within a reasonable period of time? ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1104 "2008-11-03T17:37:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Not all Republicans were there to protest. > > “I wanted to see the next vice president of the United States,” said Josh Simmons, **Gators for McCain chairman**. > > Simmons said he voted for Obama about two weeks ago. > > “I’ve seen a different John McCain than the one I signed up to work for,” he said. > > Simmons said he submitted his resignation Sunday night and will no longer be chairman for the group, which has more than 1,000 members. > > “I expect them to be incredibly pissed off,” he said. Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1105 "2008-11-03T17:38:20Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > One of the very first things is making Election Day a national holiday. Jesus. Just what we need. Business owners complaining that it takes workers away from their jobs in a sagging economy. Retailers happy for another Big Sale Day during the Holiday Season. More drunks voting than since the 1840s. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1106 "2008-11-03T17:55:27Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Jesus. Just what we need. Business owners complaining that it takes workers away from their jobs in a sagging economy. Retailers happy for another Big Sale Day during the Holiday Season. More drunks voting than since the 1840s. It’s better than workers trying to get to the polls on a day the business is supposed to be open, which business owners would resent even more. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1107 "2008-11-03T18:16:47Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Jesus. Just what we need. Business owners complaining that it takes workers away from their jobs in a sagging economy. Retailers happy for another Big Sale Day during the Holiday Season. More drunks voting than since the 1840s. Are you saying Americans are that much _lesser_ than us South Africans? Our national voting day is nothing like what you depict. I, for instance, only get drunk after I vote. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1108 "2008-11-03T18:21:08Z")
LOL alert for the day: Drudge is running out of ideas. 😃 Today’s FRONT PAGE GIANT FONT HEADLINE? [OBAMA CONGRATULATES MCCAIN](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBMdWxcFXQg). Link leads to a youtube video of Obama scratching his face with… you guessed it… HIS MIDDLE FINGER. Clearly this man is a radical. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1109 "2008-11-03T19:11:39Z")
Gallup’s daily tracking [Final Presidential Estimate](http://www.gallup.com/poll/111703/Final-Presidential-Estimate-Obama-55-McCain-44.aspx): Obama 55%, McCain 44% ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1110 "2008-11-03T19:25:43Z")
I’m not quite sold on Gallup’s polls, but even [PEW](http://pewresearch.org/) has got O:52, M:46, and [FOX](http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/03/fox-news-poll-obama-leads-going-election-day/) has Obama 50-43. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1111 "2008-11-03T19:28:59Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I have no idea why missing work should be a consideration. Here, voting day is a f’ing _national holiday_, as it should be. The very idea that someone can’t exercise their franchise, if they choose, because of economic considerations, strikes me as undemocratic. Same here. In fact, if election day does not fall on a Friday or Monday half the day before is also a holiday to allow workers who couldn’t be arsed to change their registration when they move from one place to the other to travel and vote. On the other hand, election day already falls on a holiday here (it’s always a national holiday as it falls on Restoration of Independence Day. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1112 "2008-11-03T19:56:22Z")
The obvious solution to me would be to have multiple voting options and times, so that anybody can find the time to do it. We’re already moving that way, with early voting and voting by mail. Election Day should simply be the last day of the cycle. But those who don’t benefit from more people voting aren’t going to be too supportive of that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1113 "2008-11-03T20:01:06Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > The obvious solution to me would be to have multiple voting options and times, so that anybody can find the time to do it. We’re already moving that way, with early voting and voting by mail. Election Day should simply be the last day of the cycle. But those who don’t benefit from more people voting aren’t going to be too supportive of that sort of thing. …especially since it gives folks who are turned away the opportunity to rectify any issues with registration or documentation and come back tomorrow or the next day to ultimately cast their vote. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1114 "2008-11-03T20:21:27Z")
Here’s my idea. Polls open for a 24 hour period all over the country. So they all open at the same time, which might be 6 am eastern time and 3 am pacific time. They are all open for 24 hours, and all close at the same time. Everyone has plenty of time to vote. All polls close at the same time so there is no issue of the media ‘calling’ a state before the others are done voting. Easy. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1115 "2008-11-03T20:39:43Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > At the end of **The Truth (With Jokes)**, Al Franken details what the Democratic controlled House and White House would do in the first 100 days. One of the very first things is making Election Day a national holiday. I sincerely hope that if he wins his senate seat, he sets about making it happen ASAP. Hillary stated in 2000 that as a Senator she’d work to repeal the Electorial College. I notice that this hasn’t happened yet. We clearly need to make some changes regarding election proceedures, but I’m so not going to hold my breath that it will happen within my lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1116 "2008-11-03T20:47:19Z")
Making it a national holiday wouldn’t solve the problem. There are many jobs which don’t get national holidays off, including many of the minimum-wage hourly jobs. And those are precisely the people who are already presented with the greatest difficulties in voting. The best solution probably is, as **An Arky** says, to have an extended voting period, so each voter can decide when, where, and how it’s easiest to vote. Even then, there will still be some who won’t be able to make it, but I’m not sure how much more we can do for them. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1117 "2008-11-03T20:51:22Z")
Just a quick report on some non-Obama supporters’ tactics I saw over this past weekend when I went from NYC to Philapelphia to canvass. My walk-partner and I discovered about 1/4 of exactly half of our list’s addresses already had a door hanger on it. These door hanger list the precisely designated polling places for that address (we confirm as we hang them) AND WERE THE WRONG POLLING PLACE. Strange. We reported it to the campaign office, investigation was done and it was decided some people who actually probably supported McCain had somehow gotten ahold them and were purposely trying to mislead people. It definitely wasn’t an error by the office we were working out of because the incorrect polling place that was being put out there had nothing to do with the office we were working out of. Are the Republicans getting just a little desparate? I’ll be going back to Philly on Tuesday to GOTV – on the 5:30am bus! ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1118 "2008-11-03T21:09:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Making it a national holiday wouldn’t solve the problem. There are many jobs which don’t get national holidays off, including many of the minimum-wage hourly jobs. And those are precisely the people who are already presented with the greatest difficulties in voting. The best solution probably is, as **An Arky** says, to have an extended voting period, so each voter can decide when, where, and how it’s easiest to vote. Even then, there will still be some who won’t be able to make it, but I’m not sure how much more we can do for them. Don’t some states use mail-in and internet voting for primaries? How does that work for them? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1119 "2008-11-03T21:19:54Z")
> [@autz](#): > > Here’s my idea. Polls open for a 24 hour period all over the country. So they all open at the same time, which might be 6 am eastern time and 3 am pacific time. They are all open for 24 hours, and all close at the same time. > > Everyone has plenty of time to vote. All polls close at the same time so there is no issue of the media ‘calling’ a state before the others are done voting. > > Easy. Nope. This would only help those who can’t get to the polls before they close because of late or long hours at work. It wouldn’t help those who are challenged once they get to the polls as it’s unlikely, in most cases, that documentation issues can rectified the same day. One way to solve the problem is to change the voting period to a three to five day window. ETA: This would also cut the lines and the wait way down. ---
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/1120 "2008-11-03T21:41:31Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Rachel Maddow (man, I’d turn for her. My husband agrees-- he’d like to be around for that) had to be talked down. She was showing lines in, I think, Atlanta. At the time people were waiting up to 8 hours. “If you have to take time off of work for this, it’s basically a poll tax for hourly workers.” Right? I don’t quite get it either. I don’t swing that way in any percentage, and if I ever did I’d expect it to be for a less masculine looking woman (not that she’s manly or anything, but you know what I mean), and I’m an Independent, so it’s not a philosophical agreement swoon or anything. I don’t know what it is about her, but I totally have the girl-crush as well. Part of it may be that great smile. Or that she’s generally fairly cheerful and good-natured with Pat Buchanan, and was also so with Tucker Carlson back in the day. Unlike Janeane Garofalo, who’s technically physically cute but who’s turned into a rabid yellow dog. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951.md?page=55) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951.md?page=57)