Cellar exit poll - Election 2006

[barefoot serpent]

see that little island of blue in Kansas?
Guess where I live?

[warch]

It took me about an hour to vote today, a healthy line. It happened that when I was up, I got to use the one new touchscreen (oooh!)- it took about 3 x as long, but then printed out the dark bubbled ballot that I put in the counter. Voted straight D, for instant runoff for city elections (to give those 3rd candidates a chance) and to restrict the use of transportation tax funds for transportation projects.

[Griff]

Very short ballot here. I voted Democratic against the two Republican enablers of Bushwar, Sen. Santorum/ Rep. Sherwood. Voted Republican for Swann for Guvnah and Pickett for State Rep to try to keep Philly in check. Voted no on the debt measure. No Libertarians available here so I sent cash out West.

[BigV]

Leaving now to execute my civic duty, with equal parts pride and trepidation.

Updates to follow.

[Pangloss62]

Since I live in the Peach State, even the Democrats are kinda Republican. I feel that, outside of Atlanta, it's kinda useless. But I did vote.

It's those Bench appointments you need to study up on. As you all know, they are non-partisan.

[wolf]

There were three people in line ahead of me to vote. This is unusual. Typically there are no people ahead of me in line. Since there were two voting machines, the line moved fairly quickly.

There were no positions lower than State House Rep on the ballot, and only one initiative (about funding for Gulf War I vets).

There were NO independent candidates for any of the seats, but you could still vote Straight Green or Straight Libertarian. I suppose that would be one of those "making a statement" kinds of votes.

[lookout123]

i voted for some dem, some rep in the races that mattered. i voted for libertarians or other third party candidates in the other races.

Colorado had a 9 page ballot, also. It took about 45 minutes to vote in my little town because they asked if I wanted to use touch screen or paper. I asked if Diebold had a part in either method, and they said "no," so I innocently said touch screen. Well, out of 12 voting machines, only one was touch screen, so there was an extra wait for that. I liked how it let you review your votes at the end and make sure you had put in the responses you really wanted to. I voted all democrat except for the candidate for local sheriff whom I am acquainted with. He made up his very own party for his campaign - not independent, not Libertarian, just something like the Joe Smith for Sheriff party (JSS).

I voted for a zillionth of a cent tax increase to help the schools around here. Lord knows, the schools in this part of the world need all the help they can get. And I voted for Colorado to join with some other states to sue for the money we have to spend enforcing Federal immigration laws.

[JayMcGee]

Excuse me! Why is this poll only for US? Given the influence (and arogance) of the US govt, I think it only fair that the whole world gets to vote not only on your polls but also in your elections..... you do believe in Democracy, don't you?

Originally Posted by JayMcGee

Excuse me! Why is this poll only for US? Given the influence (and arogance) of the US govt, I think it only fair that the whole world gets to vote not only on your polls but also in your elections..... you do believe in Democracy, don't you?

Like it or not, the biggest dog on the block gets to call the shots. You Brits should have hung onto to your empire. Then YOUR policies might be influencing us, instead of the other way around.

[Aliantha]

GEORGE W. BUSH - RESUME'

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20520.


I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pleaded guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's
license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been "lost"
and is not available.

MILITARY

I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take
a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the
Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam

COLLEGE

I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE

I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career in the oil business in Midland, Texas, in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any
oil in Texas. The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.

I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that
took land using taxpayer money. With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry, including Enron CEO Ken Lay, I was elected governor
of Texas.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS


I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies,
making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America

I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions
in borrowed money.


I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American
history.

With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father's
appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes.



ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT


I am the first President in U.S. History to enter office with a criminal record.

I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one
billion dollars per week.

I spent the U.S. Surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.

I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. History.

I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any
12-month period.

I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.

I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the
U.S. Stock market.

In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.

I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any
administration in U.S. History. My "poorest millionaire, " Condoleeza
Rice, had a Chevron oil tanker named after her.

I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President. I am the all-time U.S. And world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.

My largest lifetime campaign contributor and one of my best friends,
Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in
U.S. History, Enron.

My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to
assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election
decision.

I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution.

More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair
than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history.

I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. History and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.

I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. History.

I changed the U.S. Policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded
government contracts.

I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. History.

I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy
in the history of the United States government.

I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. History.

I am the first President in U.S. History to have the United Nations remove the U.S. From the Human Rights Commission.

I withdrew the U.S. From the World Court of Law. I refused to allow inspectors access to U.S . "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby
have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.

I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. Election).

I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.

I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. History.


I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. After the World Trade Center
attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.

I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.

I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.

I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families-in-wartime.

In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.

I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.

I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD. I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden [sic] to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES

All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's
library, sealed and unavailable for public view.

All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.

All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review. I am a member of the Republican Party.

IF YOU ARE A U.S. CITIZEN, PLEASE CONSIDER MY
EXPERIENCE WHEN VOTING IN THE 2006 MIDTERM
ELECTIONS!

[JayMcGee]

ah..... thanks for the explanation, marieschick. Now I understand American Democracy.

[wolf]

Welcome to voting in Philadelphia.

[Aliantha]

In one sense, I agree with Jay (as much as it pains me to say) however, we as citizens of the world must put our faith in our American friends and hope that they will do the best thing by us in the end. After all, how would you feel if American's has a say in who was voted into power in your country?

I'd also like to add that, if it weren't for the French, the US would in all possibility still be under the influence of the British government, so nothing is really as black and white as telling someone their country should have held onto their power over other nations.

[JayMcGee]

why, thank you, Alia...... and yes, you are right, we should have faith in our friends.... but our perception is perhaps clouded...do they really vote on the sexual predilections of the candidates, swayed bythe advertising budget of the parties? Perhaps, you might say, that is their affair....

... and yet.....

what happens in the USA elections affects the rest of the world profoundly.

Perhaps the best way forward would be to put the USA under UN control.