Weekly Open Thread: What Contentious Ridings Are You Interested In?

Although you wouldn’t know it from Swing State Project (it’s a little outside both our coverage area and our expertise), Canada is poised for a national election on Monday night. The last round of polls has hinted at the real possibility of a late surge by the leftish New Democratic Party. Would that actually translate into a plurality in seats in Parliament for the perpetual third wheels? Given the vagaries of the parliamentary system, non-binary parties, and strategic voting, we have no idea, which isn’t to say that Canadian prognosticators have much more of an idea either.

When faced with parliamentary elections, SSP’s fancies inevitably turn to a slightly different question, though… the system of naming ridings for their cities and/or neighborhoods, rather than just numbering them like we do here. (Case in point: one of the big ridings to watch this cycle is the remarkably cumbersomely-named West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country.) So here’s a rainy day activity, one that we also explored a bit during last year’s UK elections: suppose we had delightful names for our House constituencies, instead of giving them unimaginative appellations like NY-26. What would they be? You can play the question straight (calling AL-01 Mobile–Prichard, for example), or opt for the silly if you choose. To wit:

AR-01: Oil Trough–Possum Grape

OR-05: Boring–Wankers Corner

PA-16: Blue Ball–Intercourse

WA-06: Sappho–Humptulips

WV-03: Odd–Cucumber–Pie–War

Of course, feel free to discuss actual ongoing U.S. races too, as always.

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518 thoughts on “Weekly Open Thread: What Contentious Ridings Are You Interested In?”

  1. It probably would be called something like “Bloomington-New Albany.”  However, I propose it be named after two of its lesser known cities — “French Lick-Santa Claus.”

  2. A little beyond the humor, I think it would be great to celebrate the heritage associated with each district.

    OR-01: Astorian Nike

    OR-02: The Pendleton Bend Roundup

    OR-03: Portlandia (what else would it be, now that IFC has done that mini-series)

    OR-04: Wine, Woods, and Free Willy

    OR-05: Boring Haystack Tillamook Cheese

    WA-01: Ferries to Microsoft

    WA-02: Cascadia to the Coast

    WA-03: D.B. Cooper’s Oysters

    WA-04: Fruit, Wine, and Plutonium

    WA-05: The Inland Empire

    WA-06: The Olympic Twilight

    WA-07: Sleepless in Seattle

    WA-08: Twin Peaks (remember the TV show?)

    WA-09: In the shadow of Rainier

  3. It’s Boring, Oregon! Huzzah!

    I guess you’d say I’m from the Tillamook–Beaverton–Willamina riding, and I live in the College Park–St. Charles–Mechanicsville riding.

  4. As long as Harper is denied a majority government, I’ll be content.

    I’m also wondering if the NDP surge in Quebec will translate into losses for the Bloc as the polls show.

    I’m also watching the elections in the UK on May 5: AV vote, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and local council and mayoral elections.

  5. WI-01: Kenoska-Racine-Janesville

    WI-02: Madison and More

    WI-03: Mississippi River District

    WI-04: Milwaukee

    WI-05: Waukesha-West Bend

    WI-06: Oshkosh-Neenah-Fon du Lac-Sheboygan-Manitowoc

    WI-07: Superior-Wausau-Stevens Point

    WI-08: Green Bay-Appleton  

  6. Good news from the LV Sun: “Sharron Angle to run in special U.S. House election”

    Of course, it still depends on whether or not this will be a free for all, but can you say Congresswoman Marshall?

  7. MO-4: Tightwad-Climax

    MO-7: Purdy-Jane (I can literally hear Billy Long using this in a totally sexist way with his overdone southern drawl)

  8. 1-Cross Bay-Eastern Shore

    2-Aberdeen-Dundalk-Timonium

    3-Baltimore Northwest & South-Annapolis-Towson

    4-Silver Spring-Mitchellville-Oxon Hill

    5-College Park-Bowie-Patuxent

    6-Panhandle-Frederick-Carroll

    7-Baltimore Central-West Columbia-Ellicott City

    8-Bethesda-Rockville-Gaithersburg

  9. MA-01: Pittsfield-Amherst-Greenfield-Leominster

    MA-02: Springfield-Northampton-Blackstone Valley

    MA-03: Worcester-Fall River

    MA-04: Newton-Brookline-New Bedford

    MA-05: Lowell-Lawrence

    MA-06: North Shore

    MA-07: Framingham-Malden

    MA-08: Boston North

    MA-09: Boston South-Brockton

    MA-10: South Shore-Cape Cod-Islands

    We don’t really have good town names to work with. MA-01 could be Blandford-Plainfield (it’s slightly more exciting than that name would suggest) and MA-10 could have the suggestive Gay Head-Provincetown moniker.

  10. Basically the entire province of Quebec is interesting. There is a good chance the NDP will take ridings that the Liberals held for 120 years (Hull-Aylmer, for instance). They are also poised to make gains across Montreal, Outaouais (a region on the border of Ontario, parts of which are metropolitan Ottawa; includes Gatineau and Hull), and Quebec City (which oddly enough had been the epicenter of Quebec Conservative support starting in 2006).

    As for the rest of Canada, the Conservatives should expand further into the suburban Toronto “905 Belt”, especially in the city of Brampton. The NDP should hold their own, and may pick off a seat or two in downtown Toronto (most likely Parkdale-High Park, in my opinion).

    Atlantic Canada is very much in flux as well, with several pickup opportunities for the NDP in Nova Scotia.

    As for the prairies and BC, the Conservatives have kept a high vote there. I imagine that the NDP may be able to take a seat or two in Vancouver, and retain their lone holdout in Edmonton. It will be interesting to see if they can break into Saskatchewan; their best chances to do so (in rough order of likelihood) would be Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River (the northern half of the province, and heavily aboriginal) and Palliser (southwestern Regina and Moose Jaw).

    But yeah, I’ve lurked here for ages, and I’m glad to be a posting member now.

  11. CT-05 could be South Britain-Northwest Harwinton-Terryville-Berkshire Estates-Gaylordsville.  Ok, the last part is neither English-sounding nor a town (it’s a village in New Milford, which is bad enough), but I had to throw it in there.

  12. LA-01: The Other Tammany Hall

    LA-02: Little France

    LA-03: Napoleonville-Houma

    LA-04: Nachidotches-Beauregard

    LA-05: Olla and Lake Providence

    LA-06: Iberville-Feliciana

    LA-07: Atchafalaya-Lake Charles

    Not very good 🙁  

  13. straight up:

    1: Flagstaff-Prescott-Window Rock-Safford

    2: Glendale-Peoria-Sun City

    3: North Phoenix

    4: Phoenix

    5: Scottsdale-Tempe-Ahwatukee

    6: Mesa-Gilbert

    7: West Tucson-Yuma

    8: East Tucson-Sierra Vista

    silly:

    1: Show Low-Lukachukai-Teec Nos Pos

    2: Surprise-Nothing-Kykotsmovi

    3: Carefree-Paradise Valley

    4: Sheriff Joe’s Theater of the Absurd

    5: Tortilla Flat-Sunflower

    6: Apache Junction-Superstition-Higley

    7: Quartzsite-Why-Three Points-Tumacacori

    8: Tombstone-Fry-Pirtleville

    The rural districts are much more fun than the urban ones.

  14. IL-01: Bronzeville-Hyde Park-Evergreen Park-Blue Island

    IL-02: Jackson Park-East Side-Flossmoor-Chicago Heights

    IL-03: Bridgeport-Midway-Riverside-Burbank

    IL-04: Wicker Park-Logan Square-Cicero-Pilsen

    IL-05: Lincoln Park-Lakeview-Albany Park-Schiller Park

    IL-06: Elk Grove-O’Hare-Carol Stream-Wheaton

    IL-07: Chinatown-Loop-Humboldt Park-Oak Park

    IL-08: Zion-McHenry-Barrington-Schaumburg

    IL-09: Rogers Park-Evanston-Des Plaines-Norridge

    IL-10: Waukegan-Lake Forest-Arlington Heights-Buffalo Grove

    IL-11: Kankakee-Joliet-Bloomington-Normal

    IL-12: Cairo-Carbondale-Belleville-Alton

    IL-13: Lemont-Orland Park-Bolingbrook-Naperville

    IL-14: Aurora-Elgin-Oswego-DeKalb

    IL-15: Danville-Champaign-Urbana-Charleston

    IL-16: Crystal Lake-Rockford-Freeport-Galena

    IL-17: Rock Island-Galesburg-Macomb-Quincy

    IL-18: Peoria-Pekin-Jacksonville-Springfield

    IL-19: Mount Vernon-Centralia-Collinsville_Edwardsville

  15. MD-01–Eastern Shore–Mid Anne Arundel

    MD-02–Baltimore East–Randallstown

    MD-03–Baltimore West–Towson–Annapolis

    MD-04–Inner Prince Georges–Olney–Northern Germantown

    MD-05–Maryland South–College Park

    MD-06–Potomac River

    MD-07–Baltimore City–Columbia–Cantonsville

    MD-08–Montgomery

  16. CA-01 Redwoods to Sacramento

    CA-02 Shasta and Yuba

    CA-03 Sacramento suburbs

    CA-04 Mother Lode

    CA-05 Sacramento

    CA-06 North of SF (and my home!)

    CA-07 Richmond to Fairfield

    CA-08 San Francisco without Sunset

    CA-09 Democrats!!!

    CA-10 Between the Bay and the Valley

  17. NY-19: Orange-Putnam

    NY-20: Hudson Valley

    NY-21: Albany-Schenectady-Troy

    NY-22: Ithaca-Binghamton-Catskills

    NY-23: North Country-Oswego

    NY-24: Utica-Rome-Auburn

    NY-25: Syracuse

    NY-26: Orleans-Genesee-Wyoming-Livingston

    NY-27: Buffalo-Jamestown

    NY-28: Buffalo-Rochester

    NY-29: Southern Tier

  18. Then Austin would have the weird designations Canadian, British, and Australian constituencies have: Austin East, Austin West, Austin North, Austin Central, etc. I’m sure New York would have something similar as London has, where constituencies take the names of neighborhoods.

    But back to my beloved CT, and what would be it’s pretty boring names:

    CT-01: Hartford

    CT-02: Thames-Windham

    CT-03: New Haven

    CT-04: Fairfield

    CT-05: Danbury-Litchfield

    While named constituencies are interesting, I always figured we numbered our districts so to achieve some democratic ideal and remove the stench of royal influence. Sort of like how imperial Germany named its war plans (i.e. Schlieffen Plan) while democratic France numbered it’s plans (as in the woefully inadequate Plan XVII).

  19. 1-From the Northern Neck to the Colonial Capital

    2-Sailors, Sunbathers, and Surfers

    3-Richmond-Norfolk Line Cruises

    4-Salt Peanuts, Salt Hams, and Salt Marshes

    5-Thomas Jefferson and his Yeoman Farmers

    6-Roanoke, Shenandoah, and a Natural Bridge in between

    7-Pride in the Past and the Piedmont

    8-Welcome to Northern Virginia–or is this Southern DC?

    9-Coal, Colleges, and the Cumberlands

    10-Apples, Airports, and Apps in development

    11-George Washington Slept Here.  Millions Shopped Here.

  20. These are named like constituencies would be named in the UK (and ridings in Canada).  Of course, both countries have non-partisan boundary commissions, so they would not the crazy gerrymandering that we have (both racial and political).

    NY 1: Suffolk East

    NY 2: Suffolk West-Plainview

    NY 3: Nassau East

    NY 4:Hempstead-Rockville Centre

    NY 5: Flushing-Gold Coast

    NY 6: Jamaica

    NY 7: Woodside, Elmhurst & the East Bronx

    NY 8: Manhattan West, Borough Park & Coney Island

    NY 9: Sheephead’s Bay, Forest Hills, & Kew Gardens

    NY 10: Bedford-Styvesant, East New York, & Canarsie

    NY 11: Crown Heights-Flatbush

    NY 12: Ridgewood, Williamsburg & Sunset Park

    NY 13: Staten Island-Bay Ridge

    NY 14: Astoria-Manhattan East

    NY 15: Harlem

    NY 16: South Bronx

    NY 17: Hudson Valley-South

    NY 18: Westchester

    NY 19: Hudson Valley-Mid

    NY 20: Hudson Valley-North

    NY 21: Capital District

    NY 22: Ithaca-Catskills

    NY 23: Adirondacks

    NY 24: Leatherstocking-Finger Lakes

    NY 25: Syracuse-Rochester East

    NY 26: Genessee Valley

    NY 27: Buffalo South-Jamestown

    NY 28: Rochester-Buffalo North

    NY 29: Rochester South-Southern Tier

  21. New York’s

    NY-01- Smithtown-East End

    NY-02- Islip-Huntington

    NY-03- Babylon-Oyster Bay

    NY-04- Hempstead

    NY-05- Flushing-Great Neck

    NY-06- Jamaica

    NY-07- Jackson Heights, East Bronx

    NY-08- Lower Manhattan-Borough Park

    NY-09- South Brooklyn-Rockaway-Forest Hills

    NY-10- East Brooklyn

    NY-11- Flatbush

    NY-12-Sunset Park-Williamsburg

    NY-13- Staten Island-Bay Ridge

    NY-14- Midtown, Astoria

    NY-15- Harlem

    NY-16- South Bronx

    NY-17- Riverdale, Dobbs Ferry, Nyack

    NY-18- New Rochelle-White Plains

    NY-19- Mid Hudson Valley

    NY-20- Glens Falls, Catskills

    NY-21- Capital District

    NY-22- Ithaca-Binghampton-Poughkepsie

    NY-23- North Country

    NY-24- Utica, Cortland

    NY-25- Syracuse, East Rochester

    NY-26- Clarence, Greece

    NY-27- Buffalo, Jamestown

    NY-28- Niagara Falls-Rochester

    NY-29- Canandiagua- Southern Tier  

  22. At this point, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the GOP are going to clobber Democrats in the House, Senate, Governorships, and Presidency. GOP +70(The defeats of Buerkle and Farenthold bring that number down to  a net of 68)in the House, +12(A net of 11 with Brown’s defeat) in the Senate, +4 in Governors races, and 389-149(54%-43%) Donald Trump/Rick Santorum over Barack Obama/John Kerry. Democrats would be better to nominate a Dan Boren/Gene Taylor ticket as it would do well in the South and hold predominantly Democratic regions.

  23. For real: Boone–Winston-Salen

    Not for real:

    Tobaccoville–Devotion

    Cooleemee–Harmony (it rhymes!)

    Meat Camp–Cricket–Toast

  24. I live in Michigan’s 8th (Lansing – Livingston – North Oakland).  It’s one the Republicans stretched from the solidly Democratic and blue Ingham County (Lansing-East Lansing), all threw the exploding western and northern exurbs of Metro Detroit.  It includes Michigan’s historic Klan county (Livingston County).

    Anyway…MI-08: Hell

    That’s it.  Hell, Michigan.  Look it up.

  25. Just a heads up, but the language for a recall of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder was approved, yesterday.  I believe wording was also approved for a state rep or senator, can’t remember which.

    Anyway, the governor recall won’t ultimately go through, but it should help organize Democrats for other races coming up.  You know, build up a few email lists, train new workers, etc…

  26. Courtesy of a paper that IIRC has a rep somewhere between the New York Post and the National Enquirer

    http://www.torontosun.com/2011

    Seems like the Toronto and Montreal papers, as well as CTV’s Web site are reporting more fairly on the subject. I see nothing on the front page of the CBC.

    Still the question is whether this will slow or even reverse NDP momentum, functionally equivalent to our sort of “November surprise”.

  27. I always find Canadian Ridings so cumbersome, compared to British constituencies, where the Boundary Commission name much pithier seats.

    From my own constituency, Kingston & Surbiton, the next door seat is Richmond Park, named because all of the communities have in common that they border the biggest open space in London.

    The sortest constituency name that I can think of is no longer a seat, but was Ince – the shortest now is probably Leigh or something.

    Most evocative current constituency is South Holland & the Deepings up in Lincolnshire, but probably my favourite until its boundaries and name changed in 2005 was Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley – sounds beautiful, and demonstatrates that the Scottish Boundary Commission has always been keener on longer seat names!

    I meant to include links to those excellent seats’ wikipedia pages, but I simply do not have the HTML skills, sorry!

  28. I’ve set up a separate diary on the subject, ref http://www.swingstateproject.c

    I’ll update it if the weather doesn’t keep me outside. If James L starts his own diary on the upcoming election, I’ll encourage everyone to move the discussion there.

  29. Any Wisconsin folks familiar with the dynamics of the 94th Assembly District?  It’s the one that was held by Mike Huebsch, now dead of the Wisconsin DOA under Walker, and a long-time Republican seat, but in a somewhat swingy area.  All I know is that there was a set of mailings sent out by the “Jobs First Coalition” (based in Brookfield in good old Waukesha County and linked to former GOP Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen) claiming the Democratic nominee, Steve Doyle, paid his property taxes late, apparently a false accusation;  as well as a TV ad I saw yesterday by the RSLC going after Doyle on what seemed to be the same issue (the TV was muted so I can’t saw for sure, but the imagery in the ad seemed to match the subject of the mailings).  The election is this Tuesday.

  30. NC-01: Grabtown-Sunnyside

    NC-02: Micro-Colon

    NC-03: Mamie-Lola

    NC-04: Bahama-Efland

    NC-05: Bottom-Boomer

    NC-06: Climax-High Point

    NC-07: Tobermory-Watha

    NC-08: Pee Dee-Cognac

    NC-09: Waxhaw-Marvin

    NC-10: Cranberry-Baton

    NC-11: Scaly-Joe

    NC-12: Churchland-Mount Ulla

    NC-13: Lizard Lick-Frogsboro

  31. NJ-01: Camden

    NJ-02: Atlantic City-Cape May-Pine Barrens

    NJ-03: Burlington-Ocean

    NJ-04: Hamilton-Monmouth

    NJ-05: Bergen-Sussex-Warren

    NJ-06: Edison-New Brunswick-Long Branch

    NJ-07: Scotch Plains-Central

    NJ-08: Passaic-Paterson

    NJ-09: Hudson-Bergen

    NJ-10: Newark-Elizabeth

    NJ-11: Morristown-North Jersey

    NJ-12: Trenton-Princeton

    NJ-13: West New York-Jersey City-Rahway

  32. This is what I think it would look like if the Dems were, in some fantasy world, to draw two districts for themselves. I realize it’s probably retrogression, but if nothing else as a hail mary. Green district is 48.2 white and 48.0 black total, 51.1 white and 45.4 black VAP. Purple is 46.4 white and 49.0 black total, 49.8 white and 46.1 black VAP. Both districts would definitely be dominated by blacks in the Dem primary. The biggest problem I see is that a Republican might win in the general, especially in a bad year. In a presidential year, though, if the Dem got 10% of the white vote and 97% of the black vote (basically what Obama got), they should get around 53% of the vote, since Obama got 43% and these districts are about 10% more black than MS as a whole.

  33. http://www.swingstateproject.c

    01 – North Coast

    02 – Northern Sacramento Valley

    03 – Sacramento suburbs

    04 – Northern Mountain

    05 – Sacramento

    06 – Marin-Sonoma

    07 – Richmond-Concord-Vallejo

    08 – San Francisco

    09 – Berkeley-Oakland

    10 – Fairfield-Walnut Creek-Livermore

    11 – Lodi-San Ramon-Pleasanton

    12 – San Mateo-South San Francisco

    13 – Fremont

    14 – Redwood City-Palo Alto

    15 – Silicon Valley

    16 – San Jose

    17 – Santa Cruz-Monterey

    18 – Stockton-Modesto-Merced

    19 – Yosemite

    20 – Fresno

    21 – Tulare

    22 – Bakersfield

    23 – Southern Central Coast

    24 – Inland Southern Central Coast

    25 – High Desert

    26 – Arcadia-Glendora-Rancho Cucamonga

    27 – West San Fernando Valley

    28 – East San Fernando Valley

    29 – Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena

    30 – West Side L.A.

    31 – Hollywood

    32 – Baldwin Park-Covina

    33 – Culver City

    34 – Downtown L.A.

    35 – South Central L.A.

    36 – Beach Cities

    37 – Carson-Long Beach

    38 – Pomona-East L.A.

    39 – South Gate-Cerritos

    40 – Cypress-Fullerton-Orange

    41 – Northern Inland Empire

    42 – Western Inland Empire

    43 – Fontana-San Bernardino

    44 – Corona-Riverside

    45 – Most of Riverside County

    46 – Palos Verdes-Huntington Beach-Costa Mesa

    47 – Anaheim-Garden Grove-Santa Ana

    48 – Newport Beach-Irvine-Laguna Beach

    49 – Temecula-Oceanside

    50 – San Diego North Coast

    51 – Imperial County-Chula Vista

    52 – Poway-Santee-El Cajon

    53 – San Diego

  34. LA-01: Pontchartrain

    LA-02: Bienville

    LA-03: Atchafalaya

    LA-04: Natchitoches

    LA-05: Tallulah (Just because its fun to say)

    LA-06: Florida or Feliciana

    LA-07: Acadiana

  35. The Republican Legislative redistricting plan is expected to be unveiled Tue afternoon. Of course this is just the first act of a process that will likely end up in the courts but it will be good to get it underway. Interested to see how greedy the Republicans will be in drawing their maps.

     

  36. Gallup has Obama at a break-even 46-46, and Rasmussen has Obama at a positive 50-49.  The latter is striking, they haven’t had Obama positive since early March or so.

    Both have had an Obama “surge” the past few days.

    Sympathy bounce from anti-birther backlash?  Or just noise?  It’s worth noting that Gallup and Rasmussen don’t move in such close tandem like this very often.

    Anyway, it’s improved my mood tonight.  Not that I thought Obama was hurting for reelection from the past month’s doldrums, but breathing politics day in and day out like I do, it’s hard not to let the oscillations affect my mood.

    Now a special election win in Wisconsin on Tuesday would make me very happy!

  37. Of course, I’m just kidding, please don’t take that as anything but a light-hearted joke.

    GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES!

    I’m so glad that Osama is dead, and I hope that this moment can bring the American people together.

  38. But this is one of the few exceptions. Regardless of the political implications (and there will be many) this is truly a great day for America and the world.

  39. Gaddafi’s son gets killed and now Bin Laden. Someone must be smiling down on us right now. Hopefully NATO kills Gaddafi in the next few days.

  40. i’m getting antsy.  i have some jokes about why it’s taking so long, but it might be in poor taste.

  41. this is probably the zenith of his presidency.  even if he passes a great new law and unemployment goes to 2.0% this is what people will remember about what he did.  also, i think he earned his peace prize now.

  42. but what does this mean for the Canadian election?  it must mean something, right?

  43. the White House chanting “USA USA” makes me think this is going to result in a massive boost in Obama’s approval.  

    Andy Card (ex-Bush staffer) is desperately trying to spin that this is a non-partisan event and all that matters is that Osama was killed.  Nice try.  At least W was classy enough to congratulate Obama on getting OBL.  

    This is a major accomplishment for Obama and leaves the GOP with one less thing to try to attack Obama on.  

  44. He is truly an evil, sadistic person and certainly deserved death; however, the throngs of people shouting and cheering in DC and NYC are a little disturbing.

    I definitely see the solemnity of this moment, but that there are celebratory rallies taking place, and composed mostly of young people, is a very unsettling sight.

    To get back to the politics of this, I think President Obama just sealed his reelection. The goodwill this generates among Americans could be a huge boost for his reelection.

    Two years from now, if gas is still at $4 a gallon and unemployment is over 8%, then I see a rough slog for the President. However, if the economy is creating 200,000+ jobs a month and gas is at $3 instead of $4, I don’t see a scenario where President Obama fails to win reelection.

  45. as arguably the only candidates with foreign policy experience?  santorum’s argument is weak, but he can argue his two senate terms prepared him more than pawlenty’s 20 years in minnesota politics or romney’s 4 years as governor.    

  46. I’ve spoken with two people who are “meh” or “oh okay” when i told them about it.  

  47. This thing is bigger than I originally imagined.  People are massing all over the country to celebrate.  Fireworks are going off and major partying in the streets.  This is probably not as big as V-J day, but it might be in the category of V-E day, which is huge.  I’m guessing that it will be very hard to paint Obama as “unamerican” now or in the future.  This could be a bigger fucking deal than I originally thought!

    Fantastic!  It couldn’t have come at a better time!  Thank you providence and Dame Fortune for smiling upon us today!

  48. mypalfish

    05/01/11 23:03

    “I’d rather have Bin Laden hiding for many more years than have Obama get the credit…and guaranteed re-election. How could Bush fail for 8 years and Obama gets him in just a few? Ugh.

    Now at the Phillies/Mets game, the fans are chanting USA and OBAMA. This is the worst possible news.”

  49. LarrySabato Larry Sabato

    Most tweeps happy. A few are so bitterly anti-Obama they can’t even celebrate this triumph (4 POTUS & military). Grow up.

    4 hours ago

    LarrySabato Larry Sabato

    Wonder when Obama first heard? Maybe this was why he was smiling even during his birther press conference.

    4 hours ago

    LarrySabato Larry Sabato

    Almost 100% of Obama’s political enemies will praise him for this one. Imagine the 2012 TV ad.

    4 hours ago

    LarrySabato Larry Sabato

    This is a giant political plus for Barack Obama.

    4 hours ago

  50. When I heard the Twin Towers had been hit, I was at school in Portland, Oregon, just before class started.

    When I heard Osama bin Laden had been located and killed, I was in my apartment in Auckland, New Zealand, just after class ended.

    1. Two of the more interesting municipal names in Michigan.

      “I wish I was in Ypsi, Hooray! Hooray!

      In Ypsi Land I’ll take my stand

      to live and die in Ypsi.

      Away, away, away down in Ypsi.

      Away, away, away down in Ypsi”  

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