# Nov '04 Election Comments Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 2, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563 "2004-11-02T16:04:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/1 "2004-11-02T16:04:59Z")
I’m surprised no one started a thread for this purpose yet. Might as well get things started… I’ve got CNN in the background and things seem to be going OK so far, although they are reporting some irregularities in Florida. Sounds preliminary and inconclusive. May the best man win!! ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/2 "2004-11-02T16:09:02Z")
Damn right! All the partisan bullshit aside, hear hear for the process and may the best man win! ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/3 "2004-11-02T16:43:46Z")
On Air America this morning the hosts said the state of Ohio website was accidentally webcasting returns as they came in this morning for a while. It had since stopped, but one of the hosts said she had a printout of what was released before they stopped it. The other host asked if the numbers were “positive.” The host with the printout (Lizz Winstead, I think) hesitated, then said “well, they’re pretty close.” I took that to mean Bush was ahead. But I can’t find anything about this story on the Web. Can anyone else here? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/4 "2004-11-02T16:50:04Z")
Well, drove by a couple of the voting places here in New Mexico this morning and voting seems heavier than I remember it before (I voted 2 weeks ago so didn’t have to go in). Its too early to tell whats going on. Supposedly Fox has some kind of race tracker on their web site (a friend told me about it this morning) that will track individual state races as well as the national totals. I haven’t been on their site this morning to check it out though…I’m working today unfortunately and busy as usual. I agree with the OP…may the best man win! 🙂 -XT ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/5 "2004-11-02T16:52:30Z")
May the winner reflect the true voice of the American people. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/6 "2004-11-02T16:54:48Z")
Meh. I went to the polls expecting to battle fierce-eyed Democrats, painted as for battle, and all I got was a typically short line and some cookies from a cub scout/brownie bake sale. I looked deep into my soul, and thought about who to vote for. 2.8 milliseconds later, I marked straight-ticket Republican, randomly voted on the much-sought-after Wayne State University Board of Somethinerother and assorted sundry positions, and left. Huzzah! ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/7 "2004-11-02T17:00:38Z")
[Electoral Vote Predictor 2004](http://www.electoral-vote.com/) currently has it at Kerry 262 Bush 261…with New Jersy (15 EV’s) tied up atm. These are of course VERY early results (if he’s even stated putting results in from early counts). -XT ---
**Author:** ![Jon\_the\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Jon\_the\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jon_the_Geek)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/8 "2004-11-02T17:09:19Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > [Electoral Vote Predictor 2004](http://www.electoral-vote.com/) currently has it at Kerry 262 Bush 261…with New Jersy (15 EV’s) tied up atm. These are of course VERY early results (if he’s even stated putting results in from early counts). As far as I know, those numbers are polls through yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/9 "2004-11-02T17:13:30Z")
**Brutus** , I am shocked - SHOCKED - to hear that you voted Republican. Wasn’t the Batshit Insane Loony Party on the ballot in your neck of the woods. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/10 "2004-11-02T17:14:50Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Meh. I went to the polls expecting to battle fierce-eyed Democrats, painted as for battle, and all I got was a typically short line and some cookies from a cub scout/brownie bake sale. Were they at least fierce-eyed Cub Scouts and Brownies? ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/11 "2004-11-02T17:15:41Z")
> [@bup](#): > > May the winner reflect the true voice of the American people. And may the losers accept him as such. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/12 "2004-11-02T17:19:40Z")
> [@Fiver](#): > > Were they at least fierce-eyed Cub Scouts and Brownies? The Cub Scouts had a proper gleam in their eyes, like they were ready to pounce on the weak and unwary. The Brownies were just sort of trying to sell cookies to fund somethingerother. Though I respect the ‘cull the herd’ mentality of the Cub Scouts, the Brownies had better stuff, (giant chocolate chip cookies), so they got more of my money. This just in from FNC: A bunch of election monitors’ car tires were slashed over in Mil-wok-eee. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/13 "2004-11-02T17:21:14Z")
i am on my lunch break from working the poll in my precinct. we had a line out the door 20 minutes before the polls opened, and it has not let up. turnout is huge! lh ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/14 "2004-11-02T17:21:46Z")
To clarify: A) Chocolate _chunk_ cookies. B) 30 cars had their tires slashed? Hrmmmm. Lots of fast and loose news being reported today, so I dunno about that… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/15 "2004-11-02T17:35:13Z")
> [@furt](#): > > And may the losers accept him as such. On behalf of losers everywhere, I second that motion!! ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/16 "2004-11-02T17:39:47Z")
No one has any more info regarding my post, #3 above? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/17 "2004-11-02T17:40:20Z")
The website of _The Nation_ has a whole page of links to sites and blogs that are doing real-time monitoriing of the election: [http://www.thenation.com/blogs/actnow?bid=4](http://www.thenation.com/blogs/actnow?bid=4) From one of those, the Michigan Independent Media Center, [http://michiganimc.org/:](http://michiganimc.org/:) > [@](#): > > Toledo, OH–Voters in the predominantly African-American community of Toledo’s Old West End were turned away from the polls this morning at Glenwood Elementary School, after it was discovered that the voting machines were locked away in the principal’s office. Over one hundred people had been turned away before the machines were retrieved. Just a few hours later at 10:45 A.M., voters were again turned away when the polling place ran out of pencils used to mark the ballots. Poll watchers ran out and purchased pencils out of their own pocket. Some voters may have been turned away due to the short pencil deficit. > > 12:15 PM People for the American Way reports the following: > > By mid-morning, the Election Protection Hotline has received numerous reports of voter intimidation in several states: > > In Ohio, the Hotline has received numerous calls regarding the presence of challengers outside of polling places. Also from Ohio was a report of someone in a white “Voting Rights Team” jacket approaching/harassing voters. > > From New York, the Hotline received a report that every single voter at a particular precinct was being challenged and it was causing long delays. > > In Delaware, a black voter claimed he waited in line behind 30-40 white voters, none of whom were asked for identification. When he came up to vote, they asked for his ID. > > In Jacksonville, Florida, there is a report of a group wearing unidentifiable badges going around and telling voters that they can vote until Nov 18 and that it is not necessary to vote today. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/18 "2004-11-02T17:41:17Z")
I went to the polls when they opened at 7AM, expecting to be done with it in 10 minutes–it’s not like Texas is a battleground state, or anything. Instead, I found a line 3-people wide wrapping around the church where the polling was being held, had to park in a neighborhood across the street, and left 1:45 minutes later. It’s gonna be an interesting day, hopefully in a way that doesn’t involve civil war. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/19 "2004-11-02T17:41:54Z")
Fox reporting a lawsuit already filed in Ohio. I have a bad feeling that Ohio is the new Florida… ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563/20 "2004-11-02T17:56:04Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I agree with the OP…may the best man win! 🙂 I _dis_agree - 'best" is a subjective judgment. May the candidate preferred by the plurality of voters win! > [@furt](#): > > And may the losers accept him as such. Hear, hear. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nov-04-election-comments-thread/272563.md?page=2)