No matter how you spin it (and God knows our friend Stefan is trying,) backers of both the rebuild and the tunnel were big losers yesterday, when Seattle voters decisively said “No” to both options of replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct. And I’m not sure if surface-plus-transit supporters could declare victory either, as I’m guessing that might have been rejected too by an ornery electorate.
But there was one big winner yesterday: the election itself.
For all the effort to rile up a controversy over King County’s move to all vote-by-mail elections, yesterday’s first ever of that genre was a huge success, with election officials projecting a 55-percent turnout — a stunning number for a special election, let alone a non-binding advisory vote. And by all accounts, things went smoothly. Wasn’t it a treat to get election results by 8:15 PM, instead of waiting until the wee hours to be told that we wouldn’t really know for several more days?
Personally, I just couldn’t completely give up election day, and dropped my ballot off at the Rainer Community Center. (Saved a stamp, too.) But that’s just me, and I’m guessing that just like the vast majority of voters, I’ll adjust in time.
BREAKING NEWS
Updated: 7 minutes ago.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17598388/
A U.S. judge ruled Wednesday that Sudan is responsible for the terrorist bombing of the USS Cole that killed 17 sailors in 2000.
Now, what will Bush do?
If he doesn’t attack Sudan, then clearly he’s losing the War on Terror.
“Personally, I just couldn’t completely give up election day, and dropped my ballot off at the Rainer Community Center. (Saved a stamp, too.)”
Did you walk to the Rainier Community Center, so that you could save gasoline, which would save you money and contribute less to global warming?
I’ll say what I’ve said elsewhere:
45% for a rebuild, 30% for a Tunnel, and “x” for one or more of the following: Surface/Transit/Job-Killer, Retrofit, “Prepare and Repair”, and “The Choices Suck”.
No one knows what x is, or how is is split between the four (or more) options above that were not on the ballot. All four are likely under 45%, and even 30%. But there is no way to measure that.
The spin from all sides, especially the progressive one, really is disheartening.
Oh, and King county says only 28% participated:
http://www.metrokc.gov/elections/200703/res.htm
Seattle and the state should just make a decision on the issue and get on with it. The rest of Washington doesn’t care that much what they do.
Now, what will Bush do?
OH HE’S “JUST NOT THAT CONCERNED” ABOUT SUDAN.
Well let’s see the retarded rabbit explain away the 400 point market crash followed by yesterday’s 200 point drop under our new Democrat Congress. I think the results of the “first 100 days” are setting in.
http://www.inthesetimes.org/ar.....evolution/
PREACHING REVOLUTION
A NEW EVANGELICAL MOVEMENT OFFERS LESSONS FOR THE LEFT
By Zack Exley
re 7: …under the Bush Administration, you mean.
pbj,
Any impact on the market from policitians and politics is short-lived. The single most significant thing affecting the market is the Federal Reserve. That is the only remotely governmental body that means anything of signifigance to the stock market.
PBJ SHILL: YOU’RE A LOSER. THE COMING RECESSION WILL HAPPEN ON BUSH’S WATCH AND WILL BE CAUSED BY BUSH POLICIES. IN 2008 BUSH WILL BE BLAMED BY THE PEOPLE.
Read about and see a photo of a Canadian soldier attacked by rabid Leftists…for going to Afghanistan to fight terrorists. michellemalkin.com
Hope nobody here would do such a horrible thing.
goldy,
you’d hardly know if you had fraud when its a debate between 2 parties largely in agreement. Call it a scrimmage; no party injured so nobody like Stefan to poke and probe.
The fix comes when Dems have something to lose…
Goldy, now that you are bringing up the matter, vote-by-mail is a blessing from above.
With vote by mail, the ballots are processed and counted during normal working hours — which can be 8AM to 8PM during the ballot counting period. When all the ballots for the day have been fed through the computer, a program routine is run, and the numbers are generated — let’s say at 8:15 p.m. on election night in most counties for the first numbers.
Each subsequent day, a similar program routine is run after the new ballots are fed through — at 6:30 p.m., 7:08 p.m., 5:20 p.m., or whatever time. Just one update per day per county.
The incremental reporting of poll ballots from the various precincts and counties — which can take until after midnight on election night — is eliminated.
This means SHORTER ELECTION NIGHT PARTIES. And since people tend to drink a lot of ALCOHOL at election night parties, this means LESS ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION in a party-type environment (double entendre even).
Alcohol causes numerous social, moral and health problems. So vote-by-mail is a blessing from above, especially since alcohol can cause the most damage to society when it is consumed to excess by the people who are elected to lead our society (and those folks who are closest and most influential with our elected leaders).
Since vote by mail was forced on me several elections ago (circa 2004), I’ve always hand delivered my ballot. I sign it in the presence of an election offical so that I’ll have a witness if the signature is challenged.
It seems like just yesterday that I was predicting that the neo-cons would be looking for a way to blame the faltering economy on the Democrats, even though we’ve barely been in office long enough to get the chairs warm.
Oh, wait. It was yesterday.
http://www.horsesass.org/?p=2674#comment-649332
PBJ You’re such an asshole, jerk-off — Really.
Sorry to be so blunt (not really), but perhaps a little dose of reality will help you to understand the world around you.
Your comments prove you have no FUCKING idea of why the market is pulling back. Primarily, it has to do with the sub prime lending market and how many of those people are have missed making their payments on time and how many are filing for bankruptcy DURING the previous quarter (i.e. before the Democrats controlled congress). The trend demonstrates that the Bush/Republican economy is now and has been WEAK. Investors are reading the tea leaves and realizing that all the gluttony, spending and borrowing of the Bush administration has taken a heavy toll on the middle class over the last 6 years.
I’m suuuuurrre, you’ll say how great the economy is for you under Bush. Great. Keep thinking that way. However, the majority of America is not with you.
One funny thing about the “TRUTH.” And that is, it’s an undeniable principle of the universe and no one person or political party owns it.
So while you might believe that the shitty economy is because the Democrats have controlled congress for a few weeks, but the reality based crowd knows better and the others will come to figure it out no matter what.
Just like Global Warming. You and the other yum-yums like Mark The “Chi Squared analysis” Redneck will continue to believe your RNC talking points, but the science is in and it’s the truth. Do you really want to know what’s going to happen?
The Earth is going to continue to change as predicted by the scientific evidence (i.e. the truth) that Al Gore has been shouting for years and portrayed in his movie: An Inconvenient Truth.”
Then, when it becomes plainly and painfully obvious that Al Gore, the scientist and the reality based community was right we’ll take the necessary steps to correct our CO2 output.
And you know what? Al Gore and the Liberals will go down in history as the people who alerted the world of the impending disaster and took action to save the planet.
Assholes like you and Bush and Hannity and MTR stuck your collective heads in the sand because to believe this truth runs counter intuitive to your ideological political brainwashing.
You know what your side will be remembered for?
Corruption, denial, lying about going to war, deficits, debt, trampling of our civil liberties, and in general nothing admiral. In that future no schools, buildings, highways, national monuments or parks will be named after George W. Bush.
Go ahead and continue to fool yourself. What I’ve come to realize is that us Liberals have the truth and time on our side.
You have nothing but lies, corruption and investigations and about 22 months in front of you, then you won’t have the White House either.
In 2008 Republicans have to defend 21 of the 33 seats up for grabs in the Senate. With you party’s track record coming to light between now and the next 22 months we just might pick up 10 seats and have a filibuster proof majority.
The White House is a given for the Democrats and to have a complete sea change in the House is highly unlikely. We’ll pack the courts with liberal minded, but fair judges and return democracy to our republican form of government.
On the other hand, folks like you could try something novel like believing the truth and take back your Republican party from the criminals who’ve infiltrated it and restore it’s former dignity.
Baaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa
haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa
My money is on enough people like you continuing be being a Dumb Ass so I can take my country back!
@1 Wouldn’t it have been cheaper to sue Saddam?
@5 If you leave it up to the voters, the most popular option is “free highway.” Meaning, it gets built “somewhere” but not on the waterfront; it solves all of Seattle’s traffic congestion; and it costs nothing.
PBJ:
Sorry, I just looked on Faux News, the whole decline of the stock market is “Clinton’s fault. ”
My bad at 17. I believed the liberal biased MSM who were reporting the so called facts.
“Clinton did it, Clinton did it. ”
Shit, is that what it’s like to have a bad trip on the RNC Kool-aid?
@7 The stock market is up 57 points today as investors trust the Democratic Congress to enable the economy to recover from the subprime lending meltdown caused by irresponsible banking practices on Bush’s watch.
@12 Is this more fiction from the rightwing Comic Book fantasy factory?
@12 I mean, why would “leftists” even bother to attack a CANADIAN soldier, for chrissakes?
@13 Two million dollars spent on the best lawyers money can buy, and all you guys proved to a handpicked Republican judge in a handpicked Republican county is that Dino Loser received 4 fraudulent votes!
Looks to me like maybe 70% of the people wanted some kind of replacement for the viaduct. Has nobody read that into the data?
@13 (continued) No wonder they want to rig the prosecutions by firing honest prosecutors.
@14 “Alcohol causes numerous social, moral and health problems.”
No kidding! The drunker Joe Sixpack gets, the more likely he will vote Republican.
30% for the tunnel.
44.5% for the elevated.
I doubt many people voted YES, YES (more like no, no, or yes, no or no, yes) so that means the majority wanted SOMETHING there.
“A U.S. judge ruled Wednesday that Sudan is responsible for the terrorist bombing of the USS Cole that killed 17 sailors in 2000.
Now, what will Bush do?”
Bomb Iran?
@25 Replace it with what? Ah. That’s the pregnant question. See #19.
GBS. NICE SMACKDOWN. THAT COWARD PBJ WON’T COME BACK EXCEPT TO SQUEEZE OUT ANOTHER BRAINDEAD TALKING POINT AND RUN AWAY LIKE A SCARED WEASEL.
INTERESTING LITTLE QUOTE:
“I said ‘You know, John, we’re getting a lot of complaints from activists about this,’ ” Vance said.
“[McKay] said, ‘Stop right there, I can’t talk about this. If we are doing any kind of investigation or not, I can’t comment,’ ” Vance recalled, “so I dropped it.”
YEAH, “ACTIVISTS” LIKE FROTHING-AT-THE-MOUTH LUNATICS SHARANKSY, MR. IRRELEVANT AND TOM MCCABE.
AND VANCE WAS NUTS TO TO GO INTO (UN)SP’S COMMENT THREADS AND SUCK UP TO THAT CHARLATAN SHARANSKY.
I would offer a compromise. (My first choice is surface with dedicated mass transit lanes but I fear we don’t have the space to do that.)
What about a rebuild but lid it a la the Brooklyn Promenade? It would make the lid level with the Pike Place Market and downtown (good for both residents and tourists) as well as allow stunning views for all. The Brooklyn Promenade is hugely popular (despite being above a major road); for lazing, gazing, bike riding – they even have walking tours. If we have to have a rebuild (and I think that’s what the Governor and Chopp are going for), why not do the most with it that we can?
@ 4
28 percent of King County voters is 55 percent of Seattle voters.
Same thing.
PBJ is an absolute dimwit. Don’t try to explain anything to the poor boy. It’s like explaining macroeconomics to your dog. It may wag, but . . . .
@ 34 & 4
Yes, King County was the ‘agency’ handling the voting mechanism. The way I read it, King County was saying only 28 percent of the “Ballots Cast/Registered Voters” were returned at that point, when they had been expecting about 50% as I recall.
Hardly a mandate. But at least those few people made it clear they DID NOT want a tunnel, for sure. I wonder when the Mayor will begin hawking his new and improved: Ultra Super Tunnel-lite
Queen Christine said the state would pony up for a viaduct.
No viaduct?
Fine. Seattle can pay for whatever it is they end up with.
Wanna bet it has a bike lane?
@ 3 Thanks Georgetown Stew for laying out my own thoughts more succinctly!
“45% for a rebuild, 30% for a Tunnel, and “x” for one or more of the following: Surface/Transit/Job-Killer, Retrofit, “Prepare and Repair”, and “The Choices Suck”.
No one knows what x is, or how is is split between the four (or more) options above that were not on the ballot. All four are likely under 45%, and even 30%. But there is no way to measure that. ”
– – –
Ever heard that expression “What is it about the word NO that you don’t understand?” This time, though, there’s a LOT to understand about what the word NO really means. I’m scratching my head here. If this was an “advisory” ballot, what advise could they comfortably interpret from No & No?
The Republicans are just “RUNNING” away from their failed president!
“WASHINGTON – Sen. John Sununu of New Hampshire on Wednesday became the first Republican in Congress to call for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ dismissal, hours after President Bush expressed confidence in his embattled Cabinet officer”
I just can’t but to help to whistle “The end” by the Doors.
“In last year’s November election, 7,677 absentee ballots were rejected in King County because of problems with the signature. A little more than half of those were resolved in time to make the votes count.”
http://www.seattleweekly.com/2.....thered.php
Now I don’t know, but that’s about 3500 votes that the Seattle Weekly is talking about that were disenfranchised, last year, in King County. On signature alone.
Information about problems doesn’t come out on election day, it comes out days, weeks, or years later. So it is no suprise that you will call it a “victory” for “Vote-By Mail”. By the time King County fills any public records requests the news cycle will have moved on.
Here’s what Bev Harris of Blackboxvoting.org sent me today about that vote in King County:
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-b.....46902.html
Sen. John Sununu of New Hampshire on Wednesday became the first Republican in Congress
Wow, he is a household name in the republican party. heheehehehehehehe
Keep trying.
U.S. judge ruled Wednesday that Sudan is responsible for the terrorist bombing of the USS Cole that killed 17 sailors in 2000.
Now, what will Bush do?
Who was president in 2000? Oh no wonder nothing was done.
Roger Rabbit says:
@14 “Alcohol causes numerous social, moral and health problems.”
No kidding! The drunker Joe Sixpack gets, the more likely he will vote Republican.
I dont know about beer and republicans votes. I do know a baggie full of crack sure buys a lot of dem votes.
Since vote by mail was forced on me several elections ago (circa 2004), I’ve always hand delivered my ballot. I sign it in the presence of an election offical so that I’ll have a witness if the signature is challenged.
So whats that accomplish. It’s who counts the votes that matters.
It seems like just yesterday that I was predicting that the neo-cons would be looking for a way to blame the faltering economy on the Democrats, even though we’ve barely been in office long enough to get the chairs warm.
Why not. You dems blamed the recession on Bush which started months before he got in office. Man you libs are pussies. You can dish it out but you cant take it.
Re: 1. I am thinking that Bush will attack Sudan. You liberals should be breaking out your “out of sudan” now signs, oh and get gask masks the next time you try and block a public street.
If by “winner” and “success” you mean the loss of our constitutionally guaranteed secret ballot, then yea, woohoo! Lucky us.
How many provisional ballots were issued? How many are typically issued for an election this size? The difference is the number of people disenfranchised by forced mail voting.