Hold on just one damn minute...

[MattZ]

The main reason I think the auto bailout is a bad idea is that the companies that would be getting the money have been perpetual failures for a long time. The only reason they had a strong stretch was the SUV boom, which seems like an aberration. It seems like more cash would just mean delaying the inevitable.

 

I hear you Norbs. My mini-rant was directed more at ZenLunatic since he's often complaining about the bailout. I understand your point about the auto industry -- you don't want to reward perpetual failures. At the same time, it's a similar argument that was made about the banks -- they got themselves into this mess by being shortsighted and risky. I agree. The problem is that we've now got a situation where this country is so dependent on the banks that we couldn't let them fail. I dont know much about the auto industry, but Edie's opinion strikes me as pretty much right on the money.

 

Like I said, I don't have any answers. But I am confident that Obama can approach the situation sensibly and carefully. There is a real moral hazard problem here (ie, you never want a business in a capitalism-based economy thinking/knowing its too big to fail -- that's when they take outsized risks), not to mention, Zen's fair point about inflation. I just think that the Ron Pauls of the world (and ZenLunatics of the world) can call for no more bailouts because it's the sexy thing to do. It's also just not based in reality.

 

Also, ZenLunatic, while I have (and continue to) grant your point about the problems this may cause for the dollar, I still think that, in the end, the dollar has no reasonable competitor. The dollar is the world's currency. China is not going to start investing in the yen or the euro. Can that change? Sure. That's why we need to be careful. But we are not near that event yet. And if the economy collapses because we don't "bailout" the banks, as you suggest, there ain't gonna be anyone interested in buying dollars then either.

[renic]

The dude even has a Flickr account:

 

Barack Obama's photostream

 

 

i was coming here to post that!!!!

[OOO]

I don't know if this has been discussed, but here's some trivia from the VC archives. The threads are fun to read, given our recent election.

 

First poster to mention (and incorrectly spell) Barack Obama on VC: LouieB

 

First poster to make fun of his name: uncle wilco

 

First poster to suggest that Barack Obama should run for President of the United States: Jorge

 

Also, a thread on November 4th, 2004 to discuss the Hillary/Obama ticket.

 

Anyway, major props to LouieB for defending Barack on the board since before his DNC2004 speech.

 

I also love the fact that everyone assumes (very rationally) that he doesn't have a shot until at least 2012 2016. I will forgive people for not being optimistic 4 years ago.

[stooka]

Sarah Palin's statement about recent comments from McCain's campaign staff -

"That's cruel. It's mean-spirited. It's immature. It's unprofessional, and those guys are jerks if they came away with it, taking things out of context, and then tried to spread something on national news. It's not fair and not right," Palin told CNN in an interview.

 

 

 

What comes around, goes around!

[MrRain422]

What's the proper context for not knowing that Africa is a continent?

[LouieB]

First poster to mention (and incorrectly spell) Barack Obama on VC: LouieB

Spelling was never one of my strong suits...long after that when he was already running for president myboyblue pointed out I spelled it incorrectly too....

 

LouieB

[Party @ the Moontower]

I don't know if this has been discussed, but here's some trivia from the VC archives. The threads are fun to read, given our recent election.

 

First poster to mention (and incorrectly spell) Barack Obama on VC: LouieB

 

First poster to make fun of his name: uncle wilco

 

First poster to suggest that Barack Obama should run for President of the United States: Jorge

 

Also, a thread on November 4th, 2004 to discuss the Hillary/Obama ticket.

 

Anyway, major props to LouieB for defending Barack on the board since before his DNC2004 speech.

 

I also love the fact that everyone assumes (very rationally) that he doesn't have a shot until at least 2012 2016. I will forgive people for not being optimistic 4 years ago.

 

Hey, I called Biden as VP back in June! Here on VC Louie B said it probabaly wouldn't happen. Does this mean I'm smarter than him?

 

[Analogman]

Obama Win Gives Baez Something To Sing About

 

The iconic folk singer Joan Baez opened her Wednesday night concert at the Birchmere with a civil rights anthem that suddenly sounded celebratory: "We Shall Overcome," the old protest song whose message of resolve and sweeping social change played like a valedictory in the wake of Barack Obama's election.

 

Forty-five years ago, at the Lincoln Memorial, Baez famously sang "We Shall Overcome" as she stood beside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington. Now, she was heralding the ascendancy of the country's first black president, and you didn't have to be a graying hippie to be nearly overwhelmed by the symbolism and symmetry.

[MrRain422]

I know that a lot of these people will vote Republican at some time in their lives, but I still thought this was pretty interesting where the electorate may be going:

 

[IATTBYB]

2008 population cartogram

2008 election results by county

2008 county results cartogram

source: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/2008/

[Moe_Syzlak]

I know that a lot of these people will vote Republican at some time in their lives, but I still thought this was pretty interesting where the electorate may be going:

 

I know CO was overwhelmingly Obama amongst young voters as well. I don't know why they don't have any data. I'd be interested to see how that compares to other Presidential election years. I think it is pretty common for young voters to vote Dem no matter who is running. You ever heard the old saying: if you're under 30 and don't vote Democrat, you've got no heart; if you're over 30 and don't vote Republican, you've got no brain.

 

(I've got no brain)

[Gobias Industries]

I like how all the Ohio counties except for the Erie border ones and Franklin are red.

[uncool2pillow]

Thanks for all those great maps. I hope they're all accurate. I'm going to check around. I've popped them in a .ppt to show my students.

[tugmoose]

What's a .ppt? power point something?

 

Show 'em this, too.

[austrya]

Obama's new website

[Analogman]

It's good to hear that something is going to be done:

 

Obama planning US trials for Guantanamo prisoners

 

and

 

Stem cells, oil, auto industry on Barack Obama's agenda

Stefanie Balogh

 

November 11, 2008 12:00am

 

PRESIDENT-elect Barack Obama is looking to immediately reverse some of George Bush's signature policies once he takes office.

 

He will overturn a ban on embryonic stem cell research and prevent oil drilling in sensitive areas.

 

Also high on his to-do list is a possible bailout for the sinking car manufacturing industry.

 

He will sit down today with Mr Bush at the White House to discuss the handover of power on January 20, as his advisers continue formulating a plan to allow the new team to hit the ground running from day one.

 

John Podesta, the head of his transition team, said once in office Mr Obama was considering reversing Mr Bush's executive orders that ban embryonic stem cell research and allow oil drilling in environmentally sensitive areas of Utah.

 

"I think across the board, on stem cell research, on a number of areas, you see the Bush Administration even today moving aggressively to do things that I think are probably not in the interest of the country," Mr Podesta said. "There's a lot that the President can do using his executive authority without waiting for Congressional action, and I think we'll see the President do that," he said.

 

He also said Mr Obama's core election promises to extend health insurance and overhaul public education would go ahead despite the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

 

"These are all core, if you will, economic questions and they need to be tackled together, and I think you'll have a program, and a strategy to move aggressively across all those fronts," Mr Podesta said.

 

Incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel called for urgent action for the car industry.

 

Carmakers are pleading for $US25 billion in government-funded loan guarantees as they teeter on the brink of collapse.

 

General Motors warned last week it would run out of cash early next year without a massive cash injection.

 

Motor city Detroit and supporters in Congress essentially argue GM, Ford and Chrysler are too big to fail. They employ 250,000 people in the United States and support more than four million additional jobs in other areas of the economy.

 

Mr Emanuel, however, did not reveal whether President-elect Obama supports a plan by top Democrats to allow carmakers to access the $US700 billion bailout package for financial institutions a measure opposed by the Bush administration.

 

With the economy the number one priority for the incoming administration, Mr Obama last week said he wanted the proposed $US60 billion package passed "sooner rather than later".

 

Mr Emanuel said Mr Obama also wanted to push for another stimulus package with middle class tax cuts and job creating construction projects in January.

 

Valerie Jarrett, the co-chair of the Obama transition team, also confirmed that the new Cabinet would have a mix of Republican appointments.

 

There is no word yet on where Hillary Clinton will fit into her former rival's team.

[Sir Stewart]

I like this guy.

[quarter23cd]

I like how all the Ohio counties except for the Erie border ones and Franklin are red.

...and Cinci and Dayton and Athens and a handful of them over on the eastern border.

 

For my part, I voted for Obama in Delaware County...but evidently I was overruled. (McC 59%, O 40%)

[MrRain422]

Nah, your vote counted just fine, since it's winner take all for the state, not by county.

[Dude]

Just when it couldn't get any lower, Bush's approval ratings have sunk below Nixon's ratings prior to him resigning:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/10/bush.transition.poll/

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

That seems random. What has the dude done recently to further disgrace himself? The lame duck President thing seems like a pretty easy gig--he just makes nice and figures out who he's going to pardon. It's also funny that congress has a historically low approval rating and yet voters seem eager to elect more Democrats. Kinda puts the whole approval rating thing into question.

[Sir Stewart]

That seems random. What has the dude done recently to further disgrace himself? The lame duck President thing seems like a pretty easy gig--he just makes nice and figures out who he's going to pardon. It's also funny that congress has a historically low approval rating and yet voters seem eager to elect more Democrats. Kinda puts the whole approval rating thing into question.

 

No one likes anyone except some people like Obama.

[Moe_Syzlak]

Sidenote: I forget who it was but someone made the joke about the First Pooch "pals around with terriers." FWIW, Bill Maher stole your joke (unless you stole it from him) on Real Time.

[MrRain422]

Congress always has a low approval rating though (though not as low as it is currently). Generally, people have a much higher opinion of their own representatives than they do of Congress generally. Basically everyone wishes that the other districts would elect more people like their guy. No matter how low Congressional approval ratings go, approval ratings of individual members tend to stay high and incumbents nearly always win.

 

I'm just speculating but I think it's possible that the new dip in Bush's numbers could be because, before the election, some Republicans may have been staying behind him as a matter of trying to not let the party look bad, but now that it's over there's no reason to stand behind him any longer. Just a guess.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

Congress always has a low approval rating though (though not as low as it is currently). Generally, people have a much higher opinion of their own representatives than they do of Congress generally. Basically everyone wishes that the other districts would elect more people like their guy. No matter how low Congressional approval ratings go, approval ratings of individual members tend to stay high and incumbents nearly always win.

Kind of like how pork is great for your district, but is terrible, wasteful spending if it's for some place across the country.