Election 2012

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Sunday Link-Off: Election Fallout

We’re almost done with the political links. There are just a few stories to clean up after the election and then we can resume normal service. For now, let’s start with Canadian model Rachelle Goulding. How is she not a superstar yet?

As a Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney was given Secret Service protection. When he lost the election, his detail almost instantly vanished. (GQ)

One theory inside the Republican Party for why they lost was that their new voter tracking system was an unmitigated failure. They were supposed to use a mobile website to track who voted and who they needed to get to the polls. The GOP were so prepared that the system was broken before the first vote was cast. (Ace of Spades)

Let’s do a little bit of Canadian politics. For Toronto mayor Rob Ford, all those unfulfilled promises from the campaign are coming back to haunt him. (The Grid)

After the jump, crazed election reactions, the best of Deep Space Nine and a cool NHL lockout parody song. Continue reading →

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Thursday Link-Off: Four More Years!

We’ve come in a day late with the mid-week links so we could bring you election coverage. Wednesday was a great morning for America. Republican supporters can complain about the outcome but they only have the Tea Party to blame. They force Romney off his moderate base to the neoconservative fringe. If he stuck to what was his core as the governor of Massachusetts  he’s have been in with a shot. Anyway, since America did the right thing on Tuesday, here’s Obama supporter Katy Perry. This campaign pretty much made her any sane man’s dream woman.

The results of the election aren’t indicative of a divide by race or gender or even political beliefs. It’s really illustrative of a divide along age. (Globe & Mail)

Over the course of the day, one of the more intriguing subplots was the embarrassing state of the actual voting process. If there’s one reason the world laughed at America, it’s because the country that invaded Iraq to impose democracy doesn’t have it right itself. (CNN)

Now that President Obama has been reelected, people are going to talk about his place in history. Perhaps, though, his place has already been cemented even without a cornerstone piece of legislation to be his legacy piece. (Esquire)

After the jump, more election coverage including Nate Silver winning election night, where the GOP went wrong, a media round-up from the big day and more. Continue reading →

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Sunday Link-Off: It All Comes Down To Tuesday

Before we get to the links, I have a quick programming note. The Wednesday Link-Off will be pushed back to Thursday so we can link to election analysis that isn’t written at 2 AM on November 7. Today, though, the show goes on as usual. So lets kick this off with Canadian model Danielle Knudson.

Rather than look at the usual polls or Nate Silver’s 538 summary, let’s look at a useful poll. Here’s a poll about polls and what voters think about other people’s votes. (Upworthy)

Can you make Mitt Romney’s tax plan add up? All you have to do is solve the $480 billion gap to make is all balance. (Washington Post)

Are you up to date on all the Obama conspiracy theories? Read through them, have a laugh and remember that voting Republican is a vote for people who think that these theories are true. (Mother Jones)

After the jump, election endorsements, a food critic’s take on Guy Fieri’s new restaurant and what Republican leaders really think about Mitt Romney. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: Happy Halloween

It’s the middle of the week and we’re less than a week from the Presidential Election. But today’s Halloween so we’ll get through that first. Let’s kick off with Candice Swanepoel dressed as a stewardess. If only all airline stewardesses looked like that… I mean, apart from the ones on Virgin Airlines.

The New York Times editorial board has endorsed Barack Obama as the best choice for President of the United States. If the biggest newspaper in America endorses him, that should tell you something. (New York Times)

Mitt Romney says he cancelled his campaign rallies to hold Hurricane Sandy fundraisers. It sure seems as though they’re treating them as campaign rallies. (Daily Kos)

The Romney campaign team is dispatching a team of poll watchers to Wisconsin. However, the voting info they gave them for Wisconsin is largely false and written to suppress voting. (Think Progress)

After the jump, Romney and Sandy, some special Halloween polling and the greatest horror movie quotes. Continue reading →

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The Politics of Failure: Of Memes, Misinformation and Mudslinging

This year’s US Presidential election has seldom been about what has been best for America and its people. This election isn’t about whether President Barack Obama or challenger Mitt Romney’s vision for America will be better for the country going forward. It’s largely been a referendum on whether people like President Obama or if they want any alternative that is provided.

As a result, very little of this election has been about the issues. The majority of campaigning is about why the opposing candidate is worse for the Presidency and America. Discourse in this election has come to a virtual standstill as neither side attempts to engage the other over issues. It’s all parroting talking points and slinging mud at anyone who does not agree with you. Continue reading →

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Sunday Link-Off: For Science!

It’s a politics light edition of the links this Sunday. The candidates’ positions are set and no big events happened over the last week that seem to have changed the balance (despite another boneheaded rape comments by a Republican candidate) so now it’s down to getting people out to vote. Anyway, this week’s linkdumps will lead off with a woman in costume since Halloween is on Wednesday. Today, it’s Sara Jean Underwood.

While this election seems to be a war between the Democrats and Tea Party, there’s another war breaking out between voters and candidates who believe in science and those who take positions with no basis in science. (Scientific American)

While the national polls say that the race is close, if you break it down state by state, President Obama still has a good shot at re-election. (FiveThirtyEight)

You’d think that Canada is a pretty advanced nation when it comes to technology but that isn’t entirely accurate. Canada is behind most of the rest of the world when it comes to cloud computing and internet bandwidth. (Forbes)

After the jump, David Stern’s retirement victory tour, music videos that justify the existence of the internet and Portal 2 meets Halo. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: The Home Stretch

All three US Presidential debates are done and now we wait for people to vote. With any luck, they won’t all vote for tax cuts for the 1% and tax hikes for the middle class (i.e. voting Romney). Anyway, let’s kick off with Canadian actress Emily VanCamp.

The third Presidential election debate was on Monday. The pundits are in agreement that President Obama took home a solid win. (Daily Kos)

Now that the debates are behind us, what did we learn from them? (Washington Post)

Some reporters make their names during elections. Here’s a look at some of the young journalists who have come to prominence during this election cycle. (iPolitics)

After the jump, debate fact checking, Chevy Chase blows up again on the set of Community and the James Bond mega mix. Continue reading →