THAT WON!!!

WOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!

WE. MADE. HISTORY.

Election News for the Obsessive Compulsive

Five Thirty Eight dot com: Electoral Projections Done Right. Nate Silver Rocks. Quoting @vmarinelli, who I follow on Twitter, "When Obama wins, I will stop compulsively refreshing http://fivethirtyeight.com."

Check the sidebar - the Daily KOS Electoral Map should update automatically as electoral results come in. Click the orange "enlarge" button at the top to open it full size in a new window! Here it is a little bigger:


Google has a mashup 2008 Elections Map, too. Oddly, since Blogger is owned by Google, I couldn't get it to scale properly for embedding, so you'll have to go there by clicking the link.


I found the last one from this article: Where to Get Election Day results from C|net with links to several good resources.

Okay, gotta go hit refresh on fivethirtyeight... and check the maps... OCD FTW!

Voting Stories

The start of a collection of inspirational stories from my favorite American experience - Democracy In Action in the voting booth:

A story connecting this election to the future:
I Didn't Vote for Obama Today
This one made me cry (in a good way)

And a story connecting it to the past:
109 year old daughter of a slave votes for Obama
Talk about "living history"! Truly amazing.

And some campaign stories:

Barack Obama is a Muslim
Wonderful story about truth overcoming fear fed by lies and misinformation on the campaign trail

We are perhaps better than we thought.

I hope to add more stories as I find them - send me yours, or others you found inspirational!

Life Imitates Art - or is it the other way around?

Update: Life Imitates "The West Wing"
If you notice some uncanny similarities between the 2008 presidential campaign and the final seasons of "The West Wing," there's a good reason. Torie Bosch explains.

Beautiful Obama Photos

Digital Journalist - Callie Shell's Obama photos

I really liked this image in particular, about which the photographer said,

"Senator Obama was doing press interviews by telephone in a holding room between events. Sometime later as he was getting ready to begin his event, he asked me if I was photographing his shoes. When I said yes, he told me that he had already had them resoled once since he entered the race a year earlier. Providence, R.I., 3/1/2008."

Be sure to click the "Show More Images" at the bottom each time - there are many wonderful, inspiring, beautiful photos that give insight into the kind of man our next president (barring a miracle or a crime) is.
Digital Journalist - Callie Shell's Obama photos

ROFLMAO-CGU*

I dedicate this song to YOU, my Liberal Friends!


Link: To Be A Liberal (in case embedded video doesn't work for you - issues reported)

I love Roy Zimmerman.

Don't bruise your nose hugging a tree on the way to the polls today, Liberal Friends!! :)


*rolling on the floor laughing my ass off - can't get up!

VOTING DAY!!! You can vote however you like...

Thank you to Helen for sending this out!! Fills my eyes with tears of joy - I LOVE DEMOCRACY!!

You Can Vote However You Like

The kids from the Ron Clark Academy performing live "You Can Vote However You Like," a parody to TI's "Whatever You Like". Atlanta Georgia Ron Clark Academy.


Lyrics:

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

(McCain supporters)
McCain is the man
Fought for us in Vietnam
You know if anyone can
Help our country he can
Taxes droppin low
Dont you know oils gonna flow
Drill it low
I'll show our economy will grow
McCain's the best candidate
With Palin as his running mate
They'll fight for gun rights, pro life,
The conservative right
Our future is bright
Better economy in site
And all the world will feel our military might

(Obama supporters)
But McCain and Bush are real close right
They vote alike and keep it tight
Obama's new, he's younger too
The Middle Class he will help you
He'll bring a change, he's got the brains
McCain and Bush are just the same
You are to blame, Iraq's a shame
Four more years would be insane

Lower your Taxes - you know Obama Won't
PROTECT THE LOWER CLASS - You know McCain won't!
Have enough experience - you know that they don't
STOP GLOBAL WARMING - you know that you won't

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA
Stick with McCain and you're going to have some drama
We need it
HE'LL BRING IT
He'll be it
YOU'LL SEE IT
We'll do it
GET TO IT
Let's move it
DO IT!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

I'm talking big pipe lines, and low gas prices
Below $2.00 that would be nice

But to do it right we gotta start today
Finding renewable ways that are here to stay

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA,
Stick wit McCain you gonna have some drama
MORE WAR IN IRAQ
Iran he will attack
CAN'T BRING OUR TROOPS BACK
We gotta vote Barack!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

Interview with the students - wow, what a GREAT bunch of kids!!

Why Vote for Barack Obama?

Election Eve... and I'm thinking I should post reasons why we are voting for Obama, following Obama's own example in the "Obamamercial" which focused on what he will do as president, on where we will go as a country, and in which there was no mention of McCain/Palin. It was refreshing and inspiring, and if you haven't seen it, definitely take the time to watch it.



One interesting thing about Obama's speeches in general, is that they are not easily reduced to sound bites and talking points, and, as this Newsweek article from way back in April points out, that is deliberate.

As much as the opposition tries to paint Obama as a radical, extremist, socialist, Marxist, and even terrorist sympathizer, he is winning because he is not any of those things, and in fact, he's a centrist. Of course, when you are looking into the middle from the extreme fringe, like many that try to paint him with those labels, it looks like the opposite extreme. It's all about your perspective.

People in the Middle recognize Obama for what he is, though: http://www.peopleinthemiddleforobama.org/
I think the real strength of his candidacy is that he does speak for the middle – which is to say, the bulk of Americans. Some of us are more left than he is, more green than he is, etc, but I think we feel he will listen to our side, AND he’ll listen to the other side, and he’ll likely make some compromise. I HATE the idea of “clean coal” for example. But I love the idea of investing for the future in clean tech, and really supporting moving in cleaner, greener, more energy independent directions. So there are going to be some things that I disagree with Obama on, but I still think he will make the best decisions as a leader for the whole country, not just the left or right, but all of us.

Not only is Obama the best choice for the bulk of Americans in the middle, he's also favored by the bulk of the rest of the world:
Why Obama is better for the US – and the World

Here is an excellent (and longer) Time article on why Obama is winning. The part about Obama's meeting with General Petraeus was especially telling. He is a leader, and a decision-maker, but also a respectful listener and one who not only knows strategy from tactics, but is a strategic, big picture thinker, which we sorely need in charge. Very good article, with excellent insights into Obama's character and leadership qualities:
Why Barack Obama Is Winning

I’m sure you’ve heard that along with most major newspapers in the nation, the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska’s largest newspaper, has endorsed Barack Obama!
http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/567867.html

And other reasons we are voting for Obama...

What Bill Clinton said:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/10/bill_clintons_speech_at_obamas.html

And... what Colin Powell said:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27266223/

And... what The Economist said:
http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12516666&source=features_box_main

And... what Ronald Reagan said (and a former Reagan ad maker):
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/are_you_better_off_rev_2.php

And... what Tim O'Reilly said:
http://radar.oreilly.com/2008/10/why-i-support-barack-obama.html

And... what Linus Torvalds said: (yeah, that Linus - the Linux guy)
http://torvalds-family.blogspot.com/2008/11/black-and-white.html

(the last two are examples of why techies favor Obama by a very large margin)

Lots of great, clearly spelled out, thoughtful reasons why people support Obama. If he's so extreme, why would so many moderate Conservatives endorse him? He has taken the high road, again and again, telling his crowds they don't need to boo McCain, they just need to vote, for example. Not rising to the various bait that McCain's campaign has dangled repeatedly in front of him, accusing him of first this, then that - he has remained respectful, thoughtful, intelligent, careful yet strong, cool and calm, unflappable, implacable, "no drama Obama" and that, "my friends," is presidential.

Now Get Out And VOTE!



(The nerdy guy in the shirt and tie is my hero, Roy Zimmerman, backing up Laura Love on her song, "Yes We Can.")

Anti-Intellectualism and Anti-Science in America

Anti-Intellectualism

We have seen ample evidence of the McCain/Palin campaign being "anti-science" and I am going to share just a few here.  But first, the idea of anti-intellectualism. It's apparent in the language used by conservatives - Obama isn't well-educated and smart, he's "elite" which translates in people's minds as "elitist." I've never understood why you'd want your drinking buddy instead of the smartest guy in school to be leader of the free world, and apparently, neither does the rest of the world: 
How these gibbering numbskulls came to dominate Washington
The degradation of intelligence and learning in American politics results from a series of interlocking tragedies

Way back in August, before I started blogging about this, I read a great op-ed by Charles Krugman, Know Nothing Politics Recall, this is before Palin. Also before Krugman won a Nobel Prize in Economics. Yeah, take that you anti-intellectuals! My favorite Op-Ed writer for the New York Times is also a Nobel Prize winner. In Economics. Yeah, that thing that nobody else seems to understand these days. AND he's a liberal! Touche! Okay, enough gloating (for the moment). Here's a quote from the article, and since adding Palin to the ticket, it's only gotten worse, as you may have noticed!

"...know-nothingism — the insistence that there are simple, brute-force, instant-gratification answers to every problem, and that there’s something effeminate and weak about anyone who suggests otherwise — has become the core of Republican policy and political strategy. The party’s de facto slogan has become: “Real men don’t think things through.”

Or, in other words, it can all be boiled down into talking points and slogans.

When searching for that article, I came across two others on the same topic with slightly different perspectives, but both compare the current state of the G.O.P. to the Know-Nothing Party:
How the Republicans went from a party of dissident intellectuals to a party that disdains the educated class as a whole: The Class War Before Palin

And this one with a historical perspective from the Daily KOS, comparing modern-day Republicans to the "Know-Nothings" of Lincoln's era: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/11/152556/66/710/622713

I think, I hope, that people are starting to wake up to this. Intelligent and decent Republicans have been crossing party lines quite publicly to endorse Obama, from Christopher Buckley, son of William F. Buckley and (former) editor of the National Review, to Colin Powell, to one of McCain's campaign advisors.

Anti-Science

The Anti-Science crowd are a sub-group of the anti-intellectual crowd. As a science educator, I am embarrassed by them, and the failure in science education that they represent. They don't understand the process of science, the very basics of testable hypotheses, and complain that "scientists are always 'changing their minds'" anyway. That's because science is NOT dogma, people! Science is constantly examining itself - peer review, reproducible results, and testing with new and better tools all the time. Here are a few examples of the anti-science sentiments from McCain and Palin:

Famous "Overhead Projector":

This:

Not This:
 

McCain and his earmarks obsession: we've gone over this before, but all of the examples of bad spending bills that McCain has brought up have been science-related!

Planetaria as "foolishness"


Before this one, McCain criticized another earmark that was studying Grizzly Bear DNA. Okay, just about ANY DNA study can provide benefit - we share a lot of the same genes, even with bears. And this is to help wildlife managers study the habits and ranges of grizzlies they have to manage in National Parks and other areas like Yellowstone, where understanding behavior and territory of these magnificent beasts is essential to people's health and welfare who visit, live, work and ranch in the areas where they live.

And Palin... oh wow. There is just TOO much material here!

Most recently, though, is her failure to understand High School Biology. Memo To Palin: Fruit Fly Research Has Led To Advances In Understanding Autism
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/24/palin-fruit-flies/

And a whole lot more about that same thing:

In Case You Weren't Scared Enough: Palin on "Fruit Fly Research"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/todd-palmer-and-rob-pringle/in-case-you-werent-scared_b_138089.html

Beyond the Palin:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/25/beyond-the-palin/

Sarah Palin: Ignorant and anti-science
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/10/sarah_palin_ignorant_and_antis.php

Of course, her belief that The Flintstones is based on fact (seriously - she thinks dinosaurs and humans walked the earth together - is a young earth creationist), her opposition to scientists' findings on listing polar bears and beluga whales as endangered, and her denial of the huge amount of scientific evidence for human-caused global warming all add to this picture.

I can't help but feel that if we elected McCain/Palin, we would be starting (or continuing what the Bush administration started) down the path of a new dark age of scientific reason.

UPDATE: an even better article about the anti-science positions of the McCain/Palin ticket - this article goes into more detail about the Grizzly DNA study as well:
The GOP ticket's appalling contempt for science and learning. - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine

Accusations, Smears, Misinformation, and the Politics of Language

The McCain campaign and the right wing have been engaging in a lot of loose talk lately, as you may have noticed. Accusations of socialism, Marxism, communism, voter fraud that "threatens democracy," terrorist pals, are over the top and ridiculous, but the sad thing is, people believe this crap.  Critical thinking is our most precious endangered species in this nation, though reason seems to be winning out this time - barely.

Here is a very insightful look at the language used in the campaign, specifically by Palin, while throwing out these outrageous accusations and smears: What Sarah Palin is Saying. He makes thought-provoking points about Palin’s choice of language and its danger. The “code-switching” argument makes SO much sense, and it has made me start to think that Palin isn't as dumb as she sometimes acts, but far more dangerous. Excellent post!!

On "Socialism"

Conservatives have been raising the specter of socialism for many decades - any time anyone comes up with a good health insurance plan, for example, it's "Socialized Medicine" - oooooh. Scary. And why is it scary? Hard to say, actually. Especially since most plans have been a pretty far cry from actual socialism.  But people are not very bright, and they equate socialism, a type of economy, with communism, a type of government. They forget there are lots of very successful social democracies, and that socialism doesn't threaten democracy. And they forget there are many gradations of hybrid systems between pure free market capitalism and socialism, and our current brand of capitalism is one.  Here are some more thoughts on this...

THIS is rich:

"We're set up, unlike other states in the union, where it's collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs."

- Gov. Sarah Palin, quoted by the New Yorker, a few weeks before she was nominated for vice president.

Wow. Just wow. That sounds a LOT more like “socialism” than any mundane progressive tax plan by a democrat. The Collective owns the resources and shares the wealth. Yeah....

(and, I’m not sayin’ I think that’s a BAD thing, I'd like it if I lived in Alaska, I’m just sayin’, you know, Palin is pretty ballsy to talk about Obama wanting to “share the wealth” and “sounds like socialism” for his TAX plan – sheesh.)

And, comparing tax plans, there’s not a whole lot of difference, except McCain’s HUGE tax breaks for the wealthy, and Obama’s bigger (yet still moderate) tax breaks for the middle and lower income folks:
http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/11/news/economy/candidates_taxproposals_tpc/index.htm

And even Alan Greenspan has lost faith in pure free market economics (and also realized Ayn Rand is dead... and a novelist):
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/24/BUI513N8QM.DTL

On "Voter Fraud"

Everyone heard John McCain say in the last debate that ACORN "is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy." This is a pretty ridiculous statement, considering all ACORN is doing is registering people to vote. There are much greater threats to the "fabric of democracy" which result in actual votes being uncounted, such as voter suppression, faulty machines, not to mention the dreaded "hanging chads" type of issue. Thousands of registrations that don't quite match up to identity information may be discarded - because of things like one using a middle initial, and the other not, or transpositions, etc. Disenfranchisement, to my mind, is a much greater threat to democracy that some poor schmuck who wanted to make a few extra bucks off of registering voters turning in registrations for entire football teams and the like. ACORN itself flags suspicious registrations, but is required to turn them in. Because it is helping by turning in large numbers of flagged registrations, it is now a threat to democracy?  I think not.

On the other hand, anonymous fliers posted in poor neighborhoods, warning people not to vote "for their own protection" (because they might be arrested for unpaid parking tickets, etc), constitutes voter suppression, and that IS a threat to democracy. Using foreclosure lists to deny those with a foreclosed home listed as their address the right to vote is also voter suppression, and was rightly discarded as a tactic recently.  Who do you think those foreclosed upon homeowners and poor people in blighted neighborhoods are likely to vote for? The guy who wants to give huge tax breaks to the wealthy?  I think not.  None of them ever saw any good from "trickle down" economics before, and they don't expect to this time, either.

Donna Brazile again, on ACORN:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/27/brazile-acorn-issue-a-republican-hype/

Speaking of language used, McCain calling ACORN a "threat to democracy" is so over the top and ridiculous - a cynical tactic to enflame right wing fear, in my opinion. See my previous post on ACORN and how they, themselves, flag all suspicious registrations but are required to submit them.  These so-called "fraudulent" registrations do not represent actual voters that will turn up at the polls - who's going to risk a 10 year jail sentence for a vote? Most are mistakes (people not sure they are registered, so they registered more than once), many are from over-zealous people registering voters - some just encouraging multiple registration (to be sure), and some trying to make extra money by turning in more registrations. 

Slate has a great article from 2 weeks ago about this: Nuts About ACORN. They get to the heart of the matter in the second paragraph when they say,

"Evidence of voter-registration wrongdoing is no more a sign of widespread, Obama-sanctioned vote fraud than evidence of minorities being misled and intimidated on Election Day is a sign of official, McCain-sanctioned vote suppression. What's the real point of turning voter-registration shenanigans into "one of the greatest frauds in voter history"? The object here is not criminal indictments. It's to undermine voter confidence in the elections system as a whole. John McCain wants to build a better bogeyman, and he needs your help to do it."

I heard Jonah Goldman, of the non-partisan voting group National Campaign for Fair Elections, talking about this on NPR/Fresh Air yesterday – it was great to hear it being discussed rationally. There have been accusations of voter fraud on both sides, with the right wing targeting ACORN, a community activist voter registration organization, and the left shouting about voting machine conspiracies and voter suppression. Being on the left, I'm more worried about the latter, but they do have a voter hotline set up to help secure voters' rights on Nov. 4: 866 Our Vote.

And TerroristS

If you haven't read it yet, READ the article on Palin's language mentioned above, What Sarah Palin is Saying - it is very good.  Notice she always says "terroristS," plural, when they are only talking about one guy, William Ayers (college professor, education reformer, on charitable boards funded by the conservative Annenberg with conservatives on the board, but Obama's "pallin' around" with him is equivalent to consorting with terrorists).  And she also doesn't use the word "domestic" with terrorist - which heightens that sense of "other" and risk she wants to promulgate among her supporters.  Her language is treachery, and I can only hope it does not lead people to take what they see as the law into their own hands at our country's great expense.

So, we know about Ayers, and we know about Palin and the Alaskan Secessionist party, and McCain and G. Gordon Liddy, who he is proud to call a friend, but what about those domestic terrorists near and dear to Ms. Palin's conservative fundamentalist anti-choice heart? Yes, I'm talking about those who bomb medical establishments where, among other things, abortions are performed, and kill or maim doctors, nurses, patients and bystanders in the process. What does Ms "Pallin' Around With Terrorists" think of them? Well, she sure couldn't bring herself to call them domestic terrorists:
Is an abortion clinic bomber a terrorist under this definition?
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-dont-even-know-what-to-say-anymore.html 

There are good comments on this post as well! Two of my favorites:

A couple of things immediately come to mind...mainly from bumper stickers..."How can you be Pro-Life and Pro-War?" and "Against Abortion? Don't have one!" I still don't understand how the Republican party consistently, not only blends but, flaunts the overlap of church and state in everything they do. I think that it should be mandatory to read and understand the constitution and the bill of rights before being allowed to cast any votes for anyone on any issue or to run for office.

and, on another topic:

RE: mouse's comment about the media asking Palin tough questions about conservative issues...etc

1. She's totally unknown, so more questions are asked. And she's been in hiding from the media, so every interview is highly scrutinized.

2. The questions are asked because SHE goes there, and the natural follow up is "More information please?" I.e. "Oh, I get my world view from books and other media" the natural follow up would be "well, what specifically,"....It's her problem if she can't answer with ONE name of a newspaper. When SHE makes the claim that Obama is palling around with terrorists, it makes sense for a reporter to say "well, let's revisit the definition of a terrorist when you're talking about domestic bombings."

3. She's way more conservative than McCain, and she's unapologetically vocal about it, so the questions go there. Especially roe v. wade questions, something people want to know in light of the stats that a large majority of American do NOT want roe overturned.

Which brings me to another "-ism": Sexism

Conservatives are crying foul and sexism when the media asks Palin "tough questions" (like what magazines do you read - huh?). I think this is the opposite of sexism - a good candidate, male or female, should be able to answer tough questions, should be able to state their position clearly, should be able to back up their claims, and should be informed on the issues.  That is the least we should expect! Palin is asked questions about ridiculous claims she's made, like she has foreign policy experience because Alaska is across the Bering Strait from Russia (huh?), and that she has stronger experience than Obama as mayor of a tiny town and governor for less than 2 years., and that Obama "pals around with terrorists," among others.  

I also don't think it's sexist to talk about the $150,000 wardrobe budget, even though I do agree there IS a double standard when it comes to what is considered acceptable for men's and women's clothing.  I don't care too much about it, but it's just a little inconsistent with the "Hockey Mom" and "Joe Six Pack" image she promotes, besides being 3 years' salary for many middle class voters.  I mean, they could have found better deals, ya know? But, dang, she looks good, doesn't she?  Yeah... um, conservatives with "I'm voting for the hot chick" buttons aren't sexist, though.  

You know what I think is sexism? The cynical way the McCain campaign picked her for VP - it did a disservice to much better qualified women everywhere and smacks of tokenism and mere political strategy, hardly the "country first" rhetoric of the campaign. But don't take my word for it - I have links in previous posts from Gloria Steinem, NOW, and many other feminists who feel the same, some of them conservatives.

Satire: Great Moments in Election Year Blogging

I'd like to end with another kind of language: satire.

Warning: Satire worthy of his namesake!!
http://jonswift.blogspot.com/2008/10/great-moments-in-election-year-blogging.html
(for those who may not know, Jonathan Swift was a great satirist, wrote Gulliver’s Travels as political satire, and also “A Modest Proposal” about how the solution to the Irish problem is to have them eat their young... He was the Stephen Colbert of his day. Jon Swift, the author of this blog, follows closely in those footsteps. As an example, I give you the author's first paragraph:

No matter what happens in this year’s election, the conservative blogosphere deserves to win a collective Pulitzer Prize for its election-year coverage. While the mainstream media has given Americans a very distorted picture of Barack Obama, portraying him as a thoughtful, intelligent, unflappable, decent family man who has the temperament and judgment to be President, the conservative blogosphere has been the only place where you can get the real story. Hampered by quaint, old-fashioned rules of journalism that require citing evidence and reputable sources, the mainstream media has failed to report a number of important stories about Obama and the conservative blogosphere has had to step up and do the media’s job for them. As a public service I have collected some of the most important of these stories in one place. Pulitzer Prize judges, take note!

Guffaw! But really, reading this is not for the faint of heart, or the high of blood pressure, or the easily outraged. In fact, I didn't read it all myself. I couldn't stand it. See if you can do better!

Race and Politics Redux

In spite of recent disturbing events, there have been a number of wonderful articles lately examining current issues with cool heads and thoughtful perspectives, and I'd like to share a few today.  

First, the sad case of Ashley Todd, the McCain campaign volunteer who is so afraid of an Obama presidency that she faked a mugging and scratched a backwards "B" into her own face.  Lots has been said about her, but I don't think I've seen anything as thoughtful and constructive in terms of perspective on the event as this post from The Kitchen Table. This is an excellent article, and ends with a positive note. Two Princeton professors who are African American women started this blog as a conversation with each other about race, politics, religion, popular culture – not surprisingly, they have some great insights:
http://princetonprofs.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccain-supporter-lies-about-attack.html

Next, a different perspective, from a former southerner, who examines the racism with which he grew up in light of some recent events surrounding Obama's candidacy. It is a wonderful, thoughtful article on racial attitudes in this country, from a personal point of view:
http://beyond-school.org/2008/10/28/race-and-voting/

Wonkette, on the other hand, wasn't so gentle! Here's her post, "A Children’s Treasury of Wingnut Reactions to Cut-Nut Ashley Todd Confessing Her Racist Fantasy" making fun of the right wing reaction to the story. If you're tired of all the thoughtfulness of the previous two posts, enjoy! http://wonkette.com/403804/a-childrens-treasury-of-wingnut-reactions-to-cut-nut-ashley-todd-confessing-her-racist-fantasy

And of course, the Twitterati, Twitterverse, Tweeple, whatever - folks on Twitter, were merciless.  That's why I love them.  Tweets Give Race-Baiting Hoaxster a 'B' for Effort