Articles for November 6th, 2012
PollWatch 2012: See You in Four Years
Just to wrap things up, everyone but Karl Rove realizes that Obama has been reelected. And all three Dallas bond proposals passed. Says Mark Davis: “@MarkDavis: Tomorrow morning 7 am. God is still in command. It is still America. I will still fight for good ideas and against bad ones. Let’s roll.” For the next seven hours and 45 minutes or so, without God in command, let’s all be careful out there.
PollWatch2012: Mohawk Elementary, Richardson
From an alert, but uncertain, FrontBurnervian:
I’ve been reading posts from around the country about people being asked for identification outside polling places as they were on their way in. Same thing happened to me this morning in Richardson, and it got my back up but I decided it was just me. Now I’m not so certain.
I got in line (a short line) at Mohawk Elementary School in Richardson this morning shortly after 7:30. A woman was working her way down the line and I heard her asking if people had their voter registration card and their photo ID. That got my attention so I asked if she knew that a judge had stayed the part about the photo ID. She told me she had said voter registration OR photo ID. I figured I had misheard her so I went back to reading my book. When she got to me she asked if I had my voter registration. I said yes and she asked to see it. I asked why and she said they were just checking to see that people were in the right place to, you know, make things move more quickly.
I showed her my registration, but I was reflecting on national reports, and on the fact that I didn’t think to ask her who she was, and on the fact that I’d never been asked such questions at a polling station before and I’m wondering if something was going on. No way to tell now, and I am pleasantly surprised that nothing like what I experienced has been reported.
Maybe she was being helpful, but there was a vibe there that made me wonder.
Twist! A PollWatch twist!
PollWatch 2012: Austin American-Statesman Columnist Votes as Big Bird
Source: Ralph Barrera
That’s the American-Statesman’s humor columnist (Still a thing? Really?) John Kelso. According to Romenesko:
I didn’t pull this stunt because I’m a big fan of Big Bird. Nope, this one is Mitt Romney’s fault. If the Mittster hadn’t said during one of the presidential debates that he loves Big Bird, not likes but loves, I might have rented a Daffy Duck or a Tweety Bird suit instead. I prefer those two birds to Big Bird.
But when Romney said he would cut off funding to PBS, Big Bird’s boss, I decided to go to bat for the yellow guy.
Mark this under “Things I’m glad I didn’t do, but am happy someone else did.”
hctaWlloP!
True Confessions of a Robo-Caller, Ctd.
A local lady sent me an email in response to this post. She didn’t want to post her children’s phone numbers on the blog, but she said I could call them if I wanted to. She said she was “keeping my fingers crossed these two twentysomethings will heed their parents’ example and encouragement to actually vote.” I couldn’t reach her daughter. But I got her son. Here’s how our conversation went:
P.P.: “Hello?”
ME: “Is this P.P.?”
P.P.: “Yeah.”
ME: “Hi, this is Tim Rogers. I’m the editor of D Magazine, and your mother wants you to vote today.”
P.P.: “What?”
ME: “Your mother? S.P.? She wants you to vote.”
P.P.: “So why are you calling me? She already told me that.”
ME: “Because it’s important that you cast your ballot, let your voice be heard.”
P.P.: “Whatever.”
I’m going to mark him down as “undecided.”
Museum Tower Offers Money-Back Guarantee
This story (paywall) makes me smile. Museum Tower is offering buyers a money-back guarantee. From the Morning News:
“We’re confident and proud of Museum Tower and are willing to financially stand behind the project,” tower spokeswoman Rebecca Shaw said Monday. … She declined to provide details of how the guarantee would work.
How do you offer a guarantee and then not explain how it works? Follow-up question: how do you offer such a vague and therefore unenforceable and worthless guarantee — and still get a newspaper to write a story about it? Shaw is a Spaeth Communications operative. Merrie Spaeth has apparently taught her the “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for” mind trick.
PollWatch 2012: Voting Extended in Galveston
Enough about Dallas, let’s talk about the Gulf.
The Houston Chronicle’s reporting that, due to voting machine glitches, the polls will remain open for two extra hours in Galveston County:
District Judge John Ellisor ordered that polling places remain open until 8:54 p.m. at the request of officials from the Democratic and Republican parties, said Neil Baron, attorney for the Democrats.
The order said that all votes cast after 7 p.m. would be cast as provisional ballots.
The polls opened at 7 a.m., but the voting machines at all 45 polling places took longer than expected to complete a process known as “zeroing out” whereby the machine verifies that no votes are recorded before voting starts, County Clerk Dwight Sullivan said.
That means two extra hours before Texas’ statewide numbers are known, so get some coffee.
PaulWash!
PollWatch 2012: Dallas County Government Center, Oak Cliff, Dallas
Rap The Vote
Bill Betzen has a crazy idea: corporations aren’t people, they’re corporations. And if you happened upon Betzen at the Dallas County Government Center on Beckley Avenue this afternoon, he’d have told you as much.
Betzen’s with Texans United to Amend, a group petitioning local officials in an effort to reverse Citizens United v. the Federal Elections Commission, the case that allowed corporations unlimited spending for federal elections. TUA’s got a petition (can sign here, if you’d like) and Betzen said they’ve already got the support of two Dallas City councilmen.
“It’s Scott Griggs and, ah, I can’t remember the other one.”
To be honest, the top of this post is just an excuse to run down some of the awesome things that happened at this polling place:
1. See photo at the top.
2. Dude rolled up on a kid’s BMX bike, with a Home Depot apron on, chained the bike to a tree, and walked inside. Five minutes later he was back on the bike, presumably heading back to work. Dedication.
3. Two paleta salesmen camped out under some trees. This did not happen at the Lakewood Elementary polling station.
PolishWatches!
Robert Jeffress: Obama Is “Paving the Way for … the Antichrist”
An alert FrontBurnervian points us to the news that First Baptist Dallas’ pastor, Robert Jeffress, knows how to generate headlines. From his Sunday sermon:
“I want you to hear me tonight, I am not saying that President Obama is the Antichrist, I am not saying that at all. One reason I know he’s not the Antichrist is the Antichrist is going to have much higher poll numbers when he comes. President Obama is not the Antichrist. But what I am saying is this: the course he is choosing to lead our nation is paving the way for the future reign of the Antichrist.”
You must admit: the line about the Antichrist’s poll numbers is a good one.
PollWatch 2012: South Oak Cliff High School, Dallas
“I’m sorry, WHERE is the polling location? I don’t see any signs.”
Ron is 43 years old, a DART supervisor, and a South Dallas native. He voted for the first time in his life today.
“A lot of times, we put people in office that don’t deserve to be there,” he said. “And if I’m not voting, I can’t complain. If I don’t vote, I can’t say anything to anyone.”
He voted for Barack Obama, just like the majority of people at South Oak Cliff High School will when the votes are tallied tonight. The first true Democratic stronghold of my day, the grass in front of the school was filled with “Go West” Royce West signs and – literally – the first “Sadler for Senate” signs I saw all day.
Alvin Waits also voted for Obama. The disabled veteran is worried about his Social Security.
“Mitt wants to take away Social Security from the people, but Obama will fight to save it,” he said, sporting a DeSoto Eagles collared shirt. “I gave my vote to Obama because he’s just trying to help the people, not take stuff away.”
Voting was light at the school, with voters in and out quickly even during the lunchtime rush. It was also the only place that an elections official accosted me in my car.
Official: “You know you’re not allowed to talk to people inside the 100-foot barrier, right?”
Me: “Yes, I do.”
Official, stunned by, I don’t know, my honesty?: “Oh.”
Me: “Is that all?”
Official, now leaning in my car window: “Um, yes.”
Me: “Okay, I’m leaving.”
Official: “Good.”
(Official creeps back to school, sends out other official to make sure I keep my promise.)
WatchPoll!
PollWatch 2012: Outside a Junkyard, Dallas
Let’s not forget that we all live in a great country, one where voting is a right, not a hope.
True Confessions of a Robo-Caller
Just minutes ago, I willfully and gleefully abandoned any semblance of journalistic objectivity that I might have heretofore claimed. Here’s how it happened:
A co-working FrontBurnervian signed up to receive text messages from the Obama campaign. He showed me one he just got. It read: “Will you make one call for President Obama? Reply CALL and we’ll send you the name & phone number of one voter in a key state who needs to hear from you.” The names, I assumed, were registered Democrats who had not yet voted. Fine, I was game. I commanded my co-worker to get me a name and number.
First up was Kodie in Iowa. I called him or her and got a “disconnected or no longer in service” message. Obviously Kodie is out of work, has fallen on hard times, and can’t pay his or her phone bill. I’m just a robo-caller and not a registered pollster, but Kodie will be voting for Romney. Margin of error: +/- 72%.
I asked my co-worker to get me another name and number. Robert in Virginia is so Democrat and so poor that he doesn’t even have an answering machine. Robert clearly is a member of the “taker class” and will be voting straight ticket Socialist Party. Bank on it: based on my research, Obama will take Virginia.
Finally, I called Dennis in Nevada and got an answering machine. I left him a message that went something like this: “Hi, Dennis. This is Tim in Dallas, Texas. I’m calling because our records indicate you’ve not yet voted. I don’t want to tell you who vote for, but as a U.S. citizen, it’s your duty to get out there and cast a ballot. Please do so. Have a nice day.” That Dennis wasn’t home suggests he’s employed and, presumably, happy with the current administration. That means my persuasive voicemail will generate one vote for Obama.
And now I must turn in my badge and gun. No longer can I be a sworn journalist. If you haven’t voted yet today, leave your phone number in the comments. I’ll give you a ring.
PollWatch 2012: North Dallas High School, Dallas
Outside North Dallas High School this morning.
Is it more disturbing that North Dallas High School voters cast their ballots on the ROTC rifle range or that this sign claims the school has a “riffle” range?
And could the location of the polling station on the rifle range, with targets on the walls next to the booths, have something to do with the fact that our D Magazine staffer reports there was no line for voting when he went?
PollWatch 2012: L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary, Dallas
There was no one in line at this polling place at 9:15 this morning. I couldn’t find my Sam’s Club card, so I presented my voter registration certificate. My ballot was No. 127. I noticed that in every single contested race, the Republican was listed first. (I always thought the person listed first has an advantage, so this must be decided by a coin flip or something. Not that I’m complaining.) The poll worker said there are 1,103 voters in the precinct, and 33 percent of them voted early, down a little from 2008′s pace. Now for the important part: If you get out and vote, you’re entitled to a free order of chips and guacamole today from Taco Bueno. ¡Hurra por el proceso democrático!
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Nov. 6 (The Go Vote Edition)
Recognize anyone? That’s Vice President Biden at A.I. DuPont High School, Greenville, DE. Photo by Amy Rosenfield, used with permission.
Seriously, go do that, before you chug a bottle of Prosecco and do whatever it is you do during the evening hours. (I don’t know, maybe you’re some sort of vigilante with an affinity for forest green.) Even if there are no freaking stickers. Polls close at 7 p.m. tonight, and if the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in that line.
Tuesday party.
And then head to the Granada Theater for our D Election Night Live party, where we’ll all be drinking something and watching the live election coverage on giant screens. One will be a Twitter feed, and we welcome you, amateur comedians. And of course, there’s musical entertainment. Don’t miss The Burning Hotels, AiR DeeJay of Track Meet, and DJ Paris Vidal. As I said yesterday, most or all of us staffers will be there, so you’ll get a chance to see my mug not at the top of this blog post (hope everyone enjoys looking at my smiling illustrated face every day, by the way). Tickets are five bucks, and you can get `em online or just by walking up later this evening.
PollWatch 2012: Lakewood Elementary, Dallas
The 492-foot stretch of Hillbrook Street that rests in front of Lakewood Elementary has 104 campaign signs.
A breakdown:
Kenneth Sheets, Republican for state rep: 21
Robert Miklos, Democrat for state rep: 15
Tincy Miller, for state board of education: 5
Dan Branch, Republican for state rep: 1
“Vote Yes” for the Dallas bond: 16
Pete Sessions, for Congress: 11
John Carona, for state senate: 3
Kirk Launius, for county sheriff: 20
Generic “Vote Republican”: 2
Douglas Lang, for 5th District court of appeals: 7
Romney/Ryan, for world domination: 1
“Kill mosquitos, drain standing water”: 2
Using fail-proof, double-checked mathematics, this means dead mosquitos would defeat the Romney/Ryan ticket in Lakewood by a whopping 2-1 margin.
Voters were less sure of those numbers.
“We’re spending too much,” said Gary, who wore the rare thermal-shirt-with-dress-shirt-underneath combination. “I think Romney will spend less. And if he doesn’t, I’ll vote him out in four years.”
Gary “Come With Me If You Want to Live” Nolastname, I like your moxie.
A high-schooler leaving the school was not swayed by the 16 bond-election signs: “I voted against all the money crap.”
The most interesting character was a nameless woman in an orange sweater. I’m sure she has a name, but for these purposes let’s call her…Margaret Thatcher.
“I just, I just, I don’t want to say anything, because I voted for Obama” Thatcher said. “My friends, they get kind of violent.”
She then covered her head with her hands, faced the cloudless sky, screamed, “WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT,” and headed for her car.
WollPatch!
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