dusred votes for the first time.

[dusred]

It feels like I've finally been let out of my cage. My birthday is in January and voting time is in November so I didn't get to vote in the last presidential election because of my age. It feels good that I can now offset Helio's vote. So congrats, Helio, your votes are now worthless.

[IBCoupe]

'Cept for, y'know, State and local elections. Which is sorta all there is this election. No offset there.

[dusred]

Hey. I may be a young kid but I'm not an infant. I was referring to national elections.

[IBCoupe]

Hey, who knows... maybe come 2012 you guys will be on the same page. Might not be an offset then, either!

[dusred]

Maybe by then we'll all be united together. . . fighting zombies. That's about the only way I can see me and Helio fully being on the same page.

[IBCoupe]

I'm gonna make it my goal to get you two guys to agree by the next election.

[dusred]

I wish you good luck, Sir.

[96Qowner]

Congrats, dusred!

And the best part is that you're participating in the most remarkable election in a hundred years! No one alive has ever seen anything like this. This is a vote you'll never forget for a number of reasons.

[IBCoupe]

Q, what do you see as notable about this election?

[heliochrome85]

Congrats Dustin!

I lived in indiana most of my life and have voted there since i was 18. my vote was negated before i was even born.

[96Qowner]

Q, what do you see as notable about this election?

I'm pretty sure you'll see the biggest turnover in the House since 1932, and the largest win by Republicans since 1894. I'm on record with a prediction in my predictions thread.

I've never seen anything like it, and I've been following elections closely since 1976.

[IBCoupe]

What exactly leads you to make that prediction? I saw your predictions thread, and I think I voiced my skepticism there, too.

[96Qowner]

It has to do with which year you use to balance your poll of likely voters. The story for months has been the extraordinary enthusiasm of Republican voters this year. Most pollsters are using 2008 or 2006 as a model for turnout, but as we all know 2008 was an outlier with all the extra votes from blacks and youth. 2006 also showed no sign of increased Republican turnout. There is no year like this one to compare to. The data only go back to the 1940s and 1950s and there has never been a Republican bias this high. It was unusual to see a 4+ point advantage. This year, it appears to be 10 to 15 points.

I did some research last week, and most of the likely voter screens are using 2006 for a model, thereby showing a smaller bias towards Republicans than they should. I wanted to understand why the Gallup likely voter spread was so high at 15 points.

[audtatious]

Lots of Derangement Syndrome going on out there today....

Congrats for voting D

[AppleBonker]

Congrats Dustin!

I lived in indiana most of my life and have voted there since i was 18. my vote was negated before i was even born.

Probably adds to my reasons for not voting. Even if I put in the time to research all of the candidates to make a truly educated vote (by my standards) it likely wouldn't amount to much. I currently live in Indiana (where everybody loves the bible, guns and despises abortions so the state generally stays a nice red color. But I used to live in Illinois (where God is dead, guns are the devil and killing the unborn is goal) so that state was firmly in the grasp of democrats. The more important determination I have to make is which state has the bigger crazies...

[IBCoupe]

It has to do with which year you use to balance your poll of likely voters. The story for months has been the extraordinary enthusiasm of Republican voters this year. Most pollsters are using 2008 or 2006 as a model for turnout, but as we all know 2008 was an outlier with all the extra votes from blacks and youth. 2006 also showed no sign of increased Republican turnout. There is no year like this one to compare to. The data only go back to the 1940s and 1950s and there has never been a Republican bias this high. It was unusual to see a 4+ point advantage. This year, it appears to be 10 to 15 points.

I did some research last week, and most of the likely voter screens are using 2006 for a model, thereby showing a smaller bias towards Republicans than they should. I wanted to understand why the Gallup likely voter spread was so high at 15 points.

From where are you getting the pollster reliance dates? How is it that you're justifying the 10-15% advantage to Republicans? You seem rely on news coverage and hype. I'd say that at least we have 1994 to compare to.

[dusred]

Congrats Dustin!

Q, what do you see as notable about this election?

Seems like it's real obvious but here I go.

I've been following elections since 2000 (that would make me 10 years old) and this is by far the most charged election I've ever seen. I remember hearing the attack ads back then and thinking how strange it was that "grownups" were saying stuff like that. I've never seen, or heard of, so much mud slinging. To me politics are politics. I read books about Benjamin Franklin and others where they would argue and tear each others throats out but afterward go to each others houses and enjoy a nice meal and friendly conversation without a mention of the politics of the day. Why can't it be like that now? You have candidates literally calling each other whores and bishez. Why can't candidates put politics aside and still be friends? It's politics - nothing personal, right?

One of my favorite sayings is "Never give up your right to be wrong". I'll admit I've been wrong 1,000 times when, at the time, I was positive I was right. Maybe in a few years I'll realize my folly in being a Conservative and join the dark side, though I seriously doubt it.

[IBCoupe]

I have to point out that the founding fathers wrote and distributed pamphlets under false identities about their opponents, with wild accusations and charges that were patently false.

[dusred]

I have to point out that some of the founding fathers wrote and distributed pamphlets under false identities about their opponents, with wild accusations and charges that were patently false.

FTFY.

I assume you're talking about Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Yeah, that was a nasty election but NOTHING compared to now days.

[IBCoupe]

Pshaw, you didn't assume that anyways? Just kidding, Q.

I don't think it would have been any different had they had TV and Radio.