Dems take control of NY State for the first time since 1935

With the Governorship and Assembly already in Democratic hands, the State Senate has gone to the Democrats for the first time in 40 years, and the Democrats now control both houses, and the Governorship for the first time since 1935!

Last year, Patterson became the first African American Governor of New York when Spitzer resigned (and the first blind Governor in the US).  Now, the young Malcolm Smith from Queens is poised to become the first African American State Senate majority leader, replacing the obstreprous Republican Joe Bruno, who (finally) retired.

Per the WSJ:

After taking over the Delaware House of Representatives, Democrats now control every legislative chamber in the northeast, with the exception of the Pennsylvania senate.

Third Party Candidates

I'll let other people write about the historic and uplifting nature of the Obama victory.

I just want to make a small point on Third Party Candidates.  Bob Barr (L) and Ralph Nader (I) were on ballots in several states, and in a few of them, they made the difference in swinging states one way or the other, although not enough to swing the election in either way.

MONTANA (3 electoral vote)

McCain 230,410

Obama 214, 481

Ron Paul     9, 932

Nader     3,499

This was outside the margin of influence, but it's remarkable how close it was.  Between Ron Paul and Ralph Nader, McCain could have an additional net 6K votes.

NORTH CAROLINA (15 electoral votes)

Obama   2,101,986

McCain   2,089,826

Barr         25,181

Here it is pretty clear that Bob Barr cost McCain the state.

INDIANA (11 electoral votes)

Obama 1,352,356

McCain 1,329,370

Barr     28,980

Again, pretty clear that Barr cost McCain the state.

MISSOURI (11 electoral votes)

McCain is leading Obama by 5,853 votes.

Nader won 17,767 votes, and Barr won 11,355 votes.

Here, it looks like Nader cost Obama the state.

What's remarkable however, is how many states were won decisively, outside of the margin of influence of 3rd party candidates, ie Florida, Virginia, Iowa, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada, all states in which Obama won over 50% of the vote.

International Cognitive Dissonance

From Nicholas Kristof's column in the NYT this morning:

Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes, which conducted the BBC poll, said that at a recent international conference he attended in Malaysia, many Muslims voiced astonishment at Mr. Obama’s rise because it was so much at odds with their assumptions about the United States. Remember that the one thing countless millions of people around the world “know” about the United States is that it is controlled by a cabal of white bankers and Jews who use police with fire hoses to repress blacks. To them, Mr. Obama’s rise triggers severe cognitive dissonance.

“It’s an anomaly, so contrary to their expectation that it makes them receptive to a new paradigm for the U.S.,” Mr. Kull said.

Again, as someone who sells American products abroad for a living, I cannot stress enough how important it is to achieve a paradigm shift in international perceptions of the US.  With the US$ on the rise, our exports are going to suffer.  We need to counter that by increasing demand overseas for our crap.

Alabama will not go blue this year

Adam Nossiter writes about the "uncertainty" surrounding Obama's biracial heritage.  In New York, we don't call it uncertainty; we call it racism.

“I’ve always been against the blacks,” said Mr. Rowell, who is in his 70s, recalling how he was arrested for throwing firecrackers in the black section of town. But now that he has three biracial grandchildren — “it was really rough on me” — he said he had “found out they were human beings, too.”

Alabama won't be turning blue this election, that's for sure.  You have to wonder why the NY Times would even run this article about racism in Alabama.  Isn't that a given?  I'm far more interested in racism in New England, or the Upper Mid-West.

Obama Primetime Special

The Obama campaign has just purchased a primetime, half hour blockon CBS for Wed, Oct 29th at 8pm.  The aim is to air a special of some kind.

I cannot even begin to calculate how expensive this must have been.  They will  be pre-empting The New Adventures of Old Christine.  And I am further blown away by the sheer brilliance of it.  It is such a bold, daring move, and one that has never been done before.

I cannot wait.

SNL Oct 4th

Everyone is talking about the VP debate skit, but this one had me doubled over.

"Palin" as verb: submit your suggestions

PALIN: to throw up in a pale, as a result of being a pregnant teenager

Why is she throwing up?

She's Palin!

OMFG! Who's the Dad?

Most Viewed Daily Show Clip Ever

Rove, O'Reilly and Palin

Harder and Harder to Watch

More of the Palin interview with Katie Couric.