Carla, You did such a great job with Jeff's campaign. I am sorry I couldn't be at the convention center tonight, but I am sure Jeff will win.. All the best. I am anxiously awaiting the news that Jeff one...

Nitin

Just back from monitoring the Clack Cty vote. A tiny knot of diehard Dems clustered noisily at the end of the hall waiting for the early-result monitor to read out. Humorous veterans from the AP joshing and jostling amicably. Shea G. warm, wonderful, humorous and gentle. A hug from a dear friend of mine in passing who is an election worker. Did not want to leave with the Merkely/Smith vote so close.

On the way out, mistook a guy in blue for "one of us" and smiled. That was a mistake. He was looking for a urinal, and I would do just fine. He did not bother to find out who he was talking to, just began dumping his raging Republican spew on my Nakota/Lakota Sundancer friend and me.

We got treated, in mindblowingly short order, to the horrific swill of the Republican mind. I resisted saying this kind of stuff all these many months. Now I"m gonna say it: those people are sick. THey are so enraged by all of life that cannot be dominated and controlled... it's bad bad bad for the soul to be within earshot of their self-righteous, wall of sound venom.

This was quite the night to be anywhere within shot of this guy.... Some bastard loitering in a rage after all were leaving: I got to hear all of his vile sputum about 1. HOMOsexuals (very special inflection) complete with hate-filled stories about a woman he works with; that one story of course proves his every point of darkness 2. ilLEGAL aliens that OUR DHS makes sure are voting and the campaigns are all sick with it, the voting fraud is everywhere adn WE must do something about it (also trotted out his two nasty, evil-energy hatred stories on that - those two tales stand in for any scholarship he did never do on the process and checks and balances....}; 3. an extremely lengthy, satanically dialed-in thread detailing all of the oil industry sons of bitches who met with Merkely, five in all, and the fact that he was there for it, who are behind our backs lowering our gas points and infusing our supply with ethanol behind our back, thus stealing some 150K per day from Oregonians - the name "Merkely" was spoken over and over again with viciousness....

Yes, it was a real treat to be around the fucked up fundamentalist rage that is the Republican spirit. God help us, God love them.

Counterbalance that the the curly red haired boy from some H.S. who pushed in importantly, repeatedly used his cell phone despite GENTLE reminders not to by fellow Democrats, and then finally had a Repub sick an Election worker on him... it was wearisome to watch this little dork self-importantly miss the entire freaking experience! It's PART of it to go out in the cold to freeze your nuts off trying to call the studio while workers are carting huge buckets of ballots right past your nose! That's the glory and the story of the geek-job you are doing if you choose to Observe. It's the discomfort that makes it holy, you stupid kid! AND: if you cannot follow the basic rules, then you need to stay away from this part of it till you've grown up a bit. YOU are here to OBSERVE the rules, boy. That's what we are all doin' here instead of out getting drunk and glamorous!

Hahahahaahah.

And then the sacred moments - the developmentally disabled woman who voted at the counter. SHe'd heard lots of bits on the media about lost ballots. The clerks took a very long time with her and reassured her, explained the process repeatedly, so patiently. Then, with me, in the bathroom, we started again. And no doubt she talked it through with the monitor on the way out.... it is only her second time in her life to vote, she is my age or so, and for her it filled her entire being, her entire consciousness that this was her second time, and this was a very important time, and her vote MUST not get lost.

She was committed, doggedly committed to asking till she understood, and to calling if they would let her to make sure she was counted, and not lost.

This... this was the moment for me.

I figured you guys would be on top of this, but Hibbits called it for Merkley a couple hours ago based on the county numbers. If there's anyone I trust to call an Oregon race it's him.

http://twitter.com/fox12oregon

Rebecca, Yes, you nailed it, all us Repubs and conservatives are exactly as you describe. And what, 52/48 for Obama in Oregon is a mandate, right? You watch closely, because if these progressive (read socialist) economic policies further stifle a US economic comeback, we will drag down the rest of the free world and those folks will turn on Obama in a heartbeat. From listening to all the national and worldwide comment, it appears race is the real story. I am sure you folks will continue to vote for taking more of my money for your worthless programs, all in the name of big govt. and how they know best. You had a mandate in 1992 as well, correct? Perhaps we can have a ballot measure next election to have all male republicans balls cut off.

Rebecca, Yes, you nailed it, all us Repubs and conservatives are exactly as you describe. And what, 52/48 for Obama in Oregon is a mandate, right? You watch closely, because if these progressive (read socialist) economic policies further stifle a US economic comeback, we will drag down the rest of the free world and those folks will turn on Obama in a heartbeat. From listening to all the national and worldwide comment, it appears race is the real story. I am sure you folks will continue to vote for taking more of my money for your worthless programs, all in the name of big govt. and how they know best. You had a mandate in 1992 as well, correct? Perhaps we can have a ballot measure next election to have all male republicans balls cut off.

Rebecca, Yes, you nailed it, all us Repubs and conservatives are exactly as you describe. And what, 52/48 for Obama in Oregon is a mandate, right? You watch closely, because if these progressive (read socialist) economic policies further stifle a US economic comeback, we will drag down the rest of the free world and those folks will turn on Obama in a heartbeat. From listening to all the national and worldwide comment, it appears race is the real story. I am sure you folks will continue to vote for taking more of my money for your worthless programs, all in the name of big govt. and how they know best. You had a mandate in 1992 as well, correct? Perhaps we can have a ballot measure next election to have all male republicans balls cut off.

It would be nice if someone from SOS, OregonLive or Register Guard would explain why the returns are coming in so slowly. Did the optical scanners blow up? Are they counting all the ballots by hand?

After the Democratic primary, Lane County popped the results at 8 pm. Twelve hours after the close of the polls yesterday, Lane County has counted less than half. WTF?

dddAVE: I spent MANY years in Repub strongholds in the bible belt, being careful not to shock or piss off ANYBODY. And they were not giving one shit about where they might be standing in reference to me.

I've done my time, thank you. Tried to BUY into it, even.

Listening to the hard-hearted, stolid Repub talk this morning, it's like you all [and yes, I do mean you all] do not CARE about any reality but yours -- you are ready to simply strategize around this huge shift and stand up and speak that just happened. You are insistent upon denying that you need to expand your tightly shuttered little minds.

I have friends who are not wildly progressive who were once utterly conservative and they've been changed by looking at reality, not twisting it to fit belief systems. I have bled from the ears to communicate with these people. Years later they came back and told me I was a pivotal relationship in their journey of self education and to open their minds.

I.HAVE.BEEN.THERE. I married into it, I made friends with it, I committed from the heart to endure and also let myself be changed in authenticity.

Now you do the same. If you dare.

IF you and yours dare.

I experienced the dark swill I'd finally had to walk away from as no longer my job. Last night that man, whose job it was to shut the hell up, watch the count for the sake of ALL, not just for the sake of his chosen ones... it was terribly disappointing to observe Repub "monitors" engaging election workers, spewing rage and venom silent and spoken. These ones did not belong doing this particular job. I also was not thrilled to see Democratic watchers noisily gathered by a screen making jubilant noise. It does not belong here where we are watching over the process for the sake of all regardless of affiliation.

I'm absolutely a geek that way and I will NEVER change in this regard.

I know how angry and embittered he felt - he probably thinks HE was robbed as we felt it last time around. Even if the popular vote is not for McCAIN nor the electoral. The vote is not for him in any way, so you are not robbed.

Anyway, I've been holding other's feet to the fire all these months for their unwillingness to watch Obama for lies or mishaps. I've pushed at ppl for their characterizations, stereotyping and misattributions.

This once I am going to speak the the dark swill of rage I know too well. One of yours chose what is, to me, a very sacred space, to trot it out. It was sick-making. And for me, all too well known.

This is going to be such a hard process upon us. For the rage and entitlement that is coming from those who were not victorious... I do not see in any way how this will ever bend except through one on one learning where someone must bleed from the ears for the sake of that hating one.

"You seem to have managed to arrange your lobotomy all by your personally responsible self."

Chris: good gawd, that last line was finesse. I am jalouse! Sheesh.

You shred pretty well, my friend. Hats off to your invigorating spite.

... now I don't need that chocolate cheesecake mousse that came with my lunch.

Hehehehehehe..

Bex

dddave: and what if it is about race? Let me guess - you are not a man of colour? And so you are denying that you have any stance that is informed by your "race" [a faux term, by the way, there is no such thing, really, as "race" as a biologically/genetically salient hominid life form].

I am sure that there are many minority folks feeling disappointed that the simple-minded monologue relentlessly continues to be pretty much all about black, or black/white, and not much else. I got frustrated and tired asking anyone to think up anything substantive to say in this wise! And sick of my own blasted aneCdotes, I can tell ya...

So much more was possible, but so what... it's our job to MAKE it so NOW.

Now I am going to say something awful geeky: I really DO believe this man is going to do his level and deepest best to watch out for ALL of us. I am going to go ahead and say it: I have faith in him for my many, many relations of all complects.

All of them. And for me too.

Including those who hate him from an irrational ideological stance.

Damn it offends my science-minded self! But I believe Obama is even greater than the followers. I sure do hope his Self truly wins.

And yes, dddddddddd-AVE, as you rave: it is about race too. This is America. Of course it is also about race.

eh.