The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

If you haven't been to the polls yet, you might be surprised to see Santa Claus on your ballot. 

LJ user darkwaver found this on Maryland's practice ballot:



However, it's all true.  Santa Claus is running for President  in 15 states.

Santa (nee Thomas O'Connor) is facing his second election, in which he is campaigning largely through social media, and unsurprisingly, has a children first platform.



Santa says he visited every governor's office from 2005 to 2007 and always got a good reception (except when he visited Mike Huckabee).

For reasons I am unsure of, folk singer Tracy Chapman is his running mate.

Santa has a website, of course, but sadly, it looks like he has withdrawn and is endorsing Jill Stein.

Of course, I am not surprised, here's a list of reasons I would not vote for Mr. Claus.

-Santa lives a whole year on one night's work.  How does he pull that off?  I demand to see his W2.

-Although he can surely see Russia from his house, Santa's residence isn't located in the US (Greenland owns the North Pole, don't they?).  Worse, I always heard the first appearances of Santa came from Holland and Germany.  The birthers would have a field day.

-Reindeer pull the sleigh?  Animal right activists aren't going to vote for him.

-When's the last time someone with white hair was in the Oval Office.  Santa needs some Just for Men, or he's likely to have the same fate as John McCain and Walter Mondale.

-When I grew up, kids got solid handcrafted (by elves presumably) toys.  Now every child I know gets toys that were made in China under the tree.  How can we trsut a businessman who outsources jobs like that.

-Santa gives presents to all the good little girls and boys.  Sounds a bit like socialism to me. 

-He knows when you are sleeping?  The Patriot Act-fearing libertarians are going to have some trouble with that.

It's a shame of course, that such a successful entrepreneur and outsider might have some good ideas, but it was obvious that Claus in 2012 was doomed from the start.

Adventures of a Swing-State Voter - "Columbian Prostitutes" edition

Barack Obama spoke in Des Moines last night.  he spoke in the East Village- arguably Iowa's hippest area.  Home to Zombie Burger, gay bars, boutiques, ZZZ Records, and more.

Iowa's hippest and hottest t-shirt store is also relocated there, and they were not amused.



Obviously, the Secret Service had to comb over everything, and raygun's owner didn't like it.

Surprisingly, this news story hit the internet hard, getting posted on Free Republic and similarright-wing blogs as proof that small business owners hate Obama.

Freepers ran this as it was a repeat of the story of the State Fair beer tent that lost $25,000 when Barry Hussein showed up.

Of course, they would.

Not knowing Raygun, maybe you would jump to that same conclusion.  However, it helps to know more about raygun- maker of hip t-shirts (like 'Rock out with your caucus out') that usually contain Iowa in-jokes (like 'No sleep til Brooklyn (Iowa)').

However, you better stop before you make the jump in logic.  I wouldn't doubt that half the Raygun staff might not be voting for Obama; but it's only because they are voting for Jill Stein.

Raygun gave us Corporations are people too t-shirts, as well as pro gay marriage t-shirts which people wore to Michele Bachmann rallies ironically.

So, if you see this story, don't bite.  I am sure they don't appreciate the uproar caused by a Presidential visit, but there's no chance in hell those small businesspeople are voting Willard.

Adventures of a Swing-State Voter - "Cut the Fat" edition

There were plenty of political ads this year and they were all pretty typical-  the tea party slogan- "You've been taxed enough already, and I am going to stop it."

My favorite local race was a tea Partier attacking his opponent for having spent money on buying decorative flower pots to put in downtown Des Moines.

Hmmm.. I thought.   I think that sounds reasonable.  You want to get people to come downtown to spend money on local business.  I am pro-flower pot.

Still, I get it.  You have to start cutting somewhere in this era of TEA Parties and vocal Libertarians.

Which means, "I Voted" stickers got nixed in Polk County, Iowa.

Nobody gives a thought to those stickers until they are gone, and they were a big deal on the local Facebooks.



In any case, the county auditor says it wasn't in the budget, and so, no stickers for Polk County voters.  Ubiquitous as lollipops from the doctor's office, suddenly they were no more.

Jamie Fitzgerald (the aforementioned Polk County Auditor) did make a point that it was illegal for companies to discriminate against the non-sticker wearers (It is popular here for coffee shops to offer a free latte for people wearing a 'I vote' sticker or something similar).  

Fitzgerald says he received an email from the secretary of state's office about the stickers. It says federal law dictates that if a business offers such an incentive they have to offer it everyone — sticker or no sticker.

Final Post of the Night: "Good as I Been To You" Edition

I am getting close to going to bed.  It's going to be called before 10PM, I think, or at least 10:30 as Math becomes Romney's enemy. 

Iowa was one of nine states that were supposed to decide the election.  Interestingly, it looks like most of those 9 will end up Blue as Ohio, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and here in Iowa seem to be solid in Obama's column, and Florida, Nevada and Colorado likely will follow suit.

As I go to bed, Obama leads Iowa with a sizable lead  57-42, much wider than the 5 percentage points the Register had this weekend.

Which means it might be a good time to reflect on my poll.  you remember the yard sign poll which gave a preference to Obama.

There were 10 Obama signs and 8 Romney signs with one errant Ron Paul sign thrown in.

Let's do some math:

We throw out the Paul sign (Paul is not even on the ballot) and we get 10 of 18 total signs in support of Obama.  10 over 18 equals 55.55.  Rounded up is 56%

Call that 56% in support  for Obama and you will see I predicted the election in Iowa to 1 percentage point.

The Register as famous as it is, put Obama's support at 47% and gave him a 5 point lead. 

I gave you 56-44.  Remember that.

Don't worry.  My first 2016 commentary starts tomorrow, so be sure that you tune in so you have all the answers first,