Some Election Night Observations

I was sitting at my computer watching the end of the election returns, and just decided to write the stuff that came to mind as I was watching.

-- Is it just me, or do Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann really not care for each other? They both seem damned uncomfortable.

-- Do Barack Obama's purple lips disturb anyone else? He's got a voice like a professional broadcaster, but he looks like he's wearing L'Oreal Purple Passion lipstick. He's cool, but it's just odd.

-- It was a treat to watch the sad-sack McPoopie-faces on Fox try and gingerly shine a positive light on the Republican blowout, and try to back-handedly insult the Democrats in the process.

-- The politician guests on the Colbert Report seemed to have no idea whatsoever what they were doing or why they were there.

-- Nice job by George Allen to plant the seeds for a recount in his "non-concession" speech about 11:30, saying things about "accuracy in voting" and thanking his people (meaning lawyers) who were going to to be watching like "eagles and hawks all through the night, to make sure the votes are counted correctly". Sounds like somebody is expecting to lose.

-- I'm so damn glad that Comedy Central decided to run the "Giant Turd vs. Douche Sandwich" episode about voting tonight. One of their best.

-- The way Bill Clinton applauds is just plain geeky. Most people clap their hands at a basically perpendicular angle, and he goes parallel. Like "prayer hands". When he applauds, he looks like a kid or a little old lady.

-- Is Pat Buchanan's tongue bleeding yet, from having to bite it for 5 hours? You can see him sitting there just steaming, trying not to explode from not calling the Democrats a bunch of commies. I've actually been impressed by his basic even-handedness (as far as Buchanan can be) in the last couple of years. I think if he sticks to analyzing the political game, and not speaking his mind on the issues, he's tolerable. But on the night of a big election like this, his politician juices are all amped up, and you can tell it's absolutely killing him not to holler insanities at the "damned liberals".

-- Damn, Harold Ford's good. It's a shame that Bob Corker wasn't slimier. While the racist vote tipped Corker over the top, he still would have lost if he was slimier. Tennesseeans usually vote Republican (even Gore lost TN, his home state), but in Tennessee even the racists hate slimy guys. But, Corker seems like he's generally a likeable, good natured feller, and his campaign used money-in-the-bank Tennessee catch phrases like "down-to-earth" and "good old Tennessee values". Anyway, Harold Ford's concession speech was great -- he didn't make an ass of himself, but he didn't seem happy either. He used a few more religious references than he usually does, because I think he realized a couple of weeks ago that he wasn't getting as much religion support as he wanted. But the speech was positive and smart, and he definitely didn't seem like a guy who was done yet. We'll see him again as a winner soon.

-- I REALLY don't like Nancy Pelosi. Not talking politics here, she just looks like a really annoying person. She's that lady from the "corporate office" at your job, who comes in from out of town for a week, then criticizes everybody and makes knee-jerk reactionary changes that are impossible to implement and stupid besides. Then she smiles that big cheesy smile, acts like everybody gives a rat's ass, and then jets back to "corporate". She seems like the kind of person that, when she is in a room, everybody can't wait for her to leave so they can relax.

-- Man, I wish (now former) Sen. Conrad Burns's middle name was "Montgomery". That'd be pretty awesome.

-- The Comedy Central Stewart/Colbert full-hour live "Midterm Mid-tacular" had some good moments, but was kind of a letdown. I was hoping they'd have Stewart and Colbert in the same studio, but they just pretty much did the two shows like normal, but live and with some occasional interjection by the other. They should have done it together, from either end of a giant desk. Hell, they could have done two hours, and people would have watched.

-- I hope George Allen has the good sense to save what little credibility he has left and concede the race to Webb. Well, I actually kind of hope that he doesn't, so everybody will see (even more) what an ass he is. Not that Webb is tons better. Hmmm, who's better.... the creepy, desperate racist or the creepy, bewildered traitor? Good luck with that, Virginia.

Roger