Vote Fraud? Obama Receives More Than 99% of Vote in 13 Philadelphia Wards

/16 Comments/in , /by

photo credit: elvert barnesSome Philadelphia neighborhoods outdid themselves in Tuesday’s presidential election.

In a city where President Obama received more than 85 percent of the votes, in some places he received almost every one. In 13 Philadelphia wards, Obama received 99 percent of the vote or more.

Those wards, many with large African American populations, also swung heavily for Obama over John McCain in 2008. But the difficult economy seemed destined to dampen that enthusiasm four years later.

Not to worry. Ward leaders and voters said they were just as motivated this time.

“In this election, you had to point out to the people what was at stake. And in many cases, they felt that the Romney doctrine was not going to favor the working man,” said Edgar “Sonny” Campbell.

Campbell is leader of West Philadelphia’s Fourth Ward, where Obama received 9,955 votes. Romney? Just 55.

Read more from this story HERE.

Biden: Clear ‘Mandate’ to Raise Taxes

/10 Comments/in , /by

Vice President Joe Biden told reporters on Air Force Two today that last night’s election represented a clear “mandate” to raise taxes.

“Where specifically do you think Republicans will be willing to compromise on issues of debt/deficit?” a pool reported asked Biden.

“Well look, I think — You guys have probably looked at the internals of the vote more than I have so far,” said Biden. “But from what it appears is that, on the issue of the tax issue, there was a clear, a clear sort of mandate about people coming much closer to our view about how to deal with tax policy. I think we can move, I’d like to see us, I think we can do something on corporate taxes sooner than later. That would be positive, be a little confidence-building. And you know I just think it’s going to take time for the Republicans to sort of digest what the consequences for them internally. But i just think there’s too much, I’ve been saying to you all along and I know I may be the only guy – well, I think Clinton shares this view, President Clinton, we talked about it. But I think the fever will break. And you know, Barack’s re-elected so this sort of cause to keep a second term from happening’s done. He’s there for four years. So I think there’s going to be – I hope there’s going to be some real soul-searching about, on Republican Party, about what they’re willing to cooperate on.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Obama Re-Election “Riot” at University of Mississippi

/6 Comments/in , /by

JACKSON, Miss. — A protest at the University of Mississippi against the re-election of President Barack Obama grew into crowd of about 400 people with shouted racial slurs as rumors of a riot spread on social media. Two people were arrested on minor charges.

The university said in a statement Wednesday that the gathering at the student union began late Tuesday night with about 30 to 40 students, but grew within 20 minutes as word spread. Some students chanted political slogans while others used derogatory racial statements and profanity, the statement said.

The incident comes just after the 50th anniversary of violent rioting that greeted the forced integration of Ole Miss with the enrollment of its first black student, James Meredith.

Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones promised an investigation and said “all of us are ashamed of the few students who have negatively affected the reputations of each of us and of our university.”

On Wednesday night, about 700 people held up candles and called for racial harmony outside the administrative building at the university in Oxford, countering Tuesday’s protest over Obama’s re-election.

Read more from this story HERE.

Gun Stocks Surge After Obama Re-Election; Other Stocks Nosedive

/1 Comment/in , , /by

Gun maker stocks surged on early Wednesday morning as President Barack Obama’s re-election has stoked fears of tighter gun control measures in his second term.

Shares of the top two U.S. gun manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger exploded early Wednesday morning, reports Investor’s Business Daily.

“The re-election of President Obama should drive political firearm sales,” said Benchmark & Co analyst Mike Greene.

Obama has said he supports the right to bear arms in the past, but in the second presidential debate he said he would support an assault weapons ban if re-elected.

“The administration has not really lifted a finger in the last four years to tighten gun control legislation,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Rommel Dionisio. “There is a consumer fear that Obama will tighten gun control legislation, but whether or not they will do it this time I don’t know.”

Read more from this story HERE.

‘This Race Is Far From Decided’: Allen West Wants a Recount

/8 Comments/in , /by

Facing defeat, Florida Rep. Allen West on Wednesday demanded a recount in his bid for re-election against Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy.

With all precincts in the south Florida district reporting, Murphy has 160,328 votes, or 50.4 percent, to West’s 157,872 votes and 49.6 percent, according to the Associated Press, which has still not officially declared a winner.

In a statement Wednesday morning, the Republican congressman and Tea Party favorite’s campaign said the race was still far from over.

“This race is far from decided and there is no rush to declare an outcome,” the campaign said. “Ensuring a fair and accurate counting of all ballots is of the utmost importance. There are still tens of thousands of absentee ballots to be counted in Palm Beach County and potential provisional ballots across the district.”

The campaign went on to voice suspicions about the actions of one county election supervisor and called for a full hand recount.

Read more from this story HERE.

Marijuana Legalized in Several States, Colorado Governor Says “Hold On”

/2 Comments/in , , /by

Colorado voted to legalize smoking marijuana Tuesday, but the governor warned tokers not to “break out the Cheetos or Goldfish” just yet, since the federal government still takes a dim view of pot.

The Centennial State joined Washington in becoming the first states to legalize recreational use of marijuana Tuesday night, setting up a battle between the states and the federal government, which prohibits use of the drug. The historic votes were among a host of decisions on ballot initiatives that will shape state-level policy on everything from recreational drug use to same-sex marriage. But Gov. John Hickenlooper, who opposed the marijuana measure, said the federal government still considers marijuana taboo, so breaking out the bong could be premature.

“The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will,” Hickenlooper said. “This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly.”

The Colorado measure has sparked a national debate about marijuana policy, with supporters pushing for the federal government to end marijuana prohibition nationwide. The Colorado measure states adults over 21 can possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, or six marijuana plants, for personal use. Opponents have said it will make the state a haven for drug tourists.

The measure in Washington State, Initiative 502, will legalize and regulate the production, possession and distribution of marijuana for residents age 21 and older.

Read more from this story HERE.

GOP Civil War: Herman Cain, Others Call For Third Party

/34 Comments/in , /by

Right-leaning pundits have been taking turns beating up on Mitt Romney and blaming him for the loss last night. Donald Trump just tweeted, “Congrats to @KarlRove on blowing $400 million this cycle. Every race @CrossroadsGPS ran ads in, the Republicans lost. What a waste of money.” And GOP leaders are already taking to the barricades on either side of the divide, which basically comes down to this question: Were Romney and the GOP too conservative or not conservative enough?

Steve Schmidt, a top Republican strategist who ran John McCain’s 2008 campaign, invoked the term on MSNBC this morning. “When I talk about a civil war in the Republican Party, what I mean is, it’s time for Republican elected leaders to stand up and to repudiate this nonsense [of the extreme right wing], and to repudiate it directly,” he said.

But on the other side of the fight, Herman Cain, the former presidential candidate who still has a robust following via his popular talk radio program and speaking tours, today suggested the most clear step to open civil war: secession. Appearing on Bryan Fischer’s radio program this afternoon, Cain called for a large faction of Republican Party leaders to desert the party and form a third, more conservative party.

“I never thought that I would say this, and this is the first time publicly that I’ve said it: We need a third party to save this country. Not Ron Paul and the Ron Paulites. No. We need a legitimate third party to challenge the current system that we have, because I don’t believe that the Republican Party … has the ability to rebrand itself,” Cain said.

Read more from this story HERE.

Reid Moves to Limit GOP Filibusters

/1 Comment/in , /by

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday that he will try to push through a change to Senate rules that would limit the GOP’s ability to filibuster bills.

Speaking in the wake of Tuesday’s election, which boosted Senate Democrats’ numbers slightly, Mr. Reid said he won’t end filibusters altogether but that the rules need to change so that the minority party cannot use the legislative blocking tool as often.

“I think that the rules have been abused and that we’re going to work to change them,” he told reporters. “We’re not going to do away with the filibuster but we’re going to make the Senate a more meaningful place.”

Republicans, who have 47 of the chamber’s 100 seats in the current Congress, have repeatedly used that strong minority to block parts of President Obama’s agenda on everything from added stimulus spending to his judicial picks. A filibuster takes 60 senators to overcome it.

Leaders of both parties have been reluctant to change the rules because they value it as a tool when they are in the minority.

Read more from this story HERE.

Romney Blasted After Loss for Not Campaigning as Conservative

/1 Comment/in , /by

WASHINGTON – Conservative leaders are steaming that Republicans failed to make President Obama a one-term president and are criticizing Mitt Romney for not pursuing a conservative enough agenda in the presidential race.

At a news conference at the National Press Club the day after the election, Richard A. Viguerie, the chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, even called for the removal of Republican leaders like RNC chairman Reince Priebus, National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman John Cornyn, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner.

“Republican leaders behind the epic election failure of 2012 should be replaced with leaders more in tune to the conservative base of the Republican party,” he said.

Viguerie also argued that Romney aides including Ed Gillespie, Stuart Stevens, Neil Newhouse and even unaffiliated Republican strategist Karl Rove “should never be hired to run or consult on a national campaign again.”

As for Romney not campaigning conservatively enough, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, says the Republican nominee should not have shied away from a debate on social issues.

Read more from this story HERE.

2012 Turnout Dramatically Lower than 2008

/5 Comments/in , /by

photo credit: KAZVorpalDespite all the talk about voter intensity surrounding the presidential election, 13 million fewer people voted in 2012 than in 2008.

131 million voters cast their ballots in the 2008 election in which Barack Obama defeated John McCain by a 53% to 46% margin. Obama received 69.4 million votes, while McCain received 59.9 million.

In 2012, Obama defeated Romney by a 50% to 48% margin. Obama received 59.8 million votes, and Romney received 57.1 million votes — 2.7 million fewer than Obama in 2012, but also 2.8 million fewer than McCain in 2008.

Surprisingly, President Obama’s 2012 vote total — 59.8 million — was 100,000 less than the 59.9 million John McCain received in 2008.

Even though President Obama received 10 million fewer votes in 2012 than he did in 2008, the Democrats were able to win where it mattered. Once again, they mounted a better ground game to turn out the vote on election day than Republicans managed to, especially in a dozen key swing states. A look at the final 2012 electoral college map shows that very little changed between 2008 and 2012. Only two states “switched” from one candidate to another: traditionally Republican Indiana, which Obama won in 2008, went for Romney in 2012, and North Carolina, a surprise win for Obama in 2008, also went to Romney in 2012. All the other key swing states — Virginia, Ohio, New Hampshire, Florida, Colorado, Nevada — went to Obama by narrow margins in 2012.

Read more from this story HERE.