February 5, 2008 Super Tuesday

[corianderstem]

Especially in New Zealand, I feel very comfortable in airports, but in the US, I felt like I was under suspicion and that I was doing something wrong simply by being there.

That's a whole 'nother 100-page thread, my friend.

 

[Irvine511]

See, I didn't have that experience at all. I didn't find Americans to be any more friendly than Australians. I would say that in public, like at shops, Americans are more rude.

i've never been Down Under -- it is at the very top of my list, though -- so i can't speak to this. i was only comparing Europe and North America.

 

[yolland]

I believe that's what we call "Southern Charm." That is, they hide their contempt with smiles, which is also why they seem to take strongly to that whole "hate the sin, love the sinner" adage. At least Northerners are honest; if they hate you, you'll know soon enough.

As a born-and-raised Southerner who's now lived in the North more than half my life, I've had exactly the opposite experience. So have most of my black Southern friends who moved up north. I think what you're talking about is more a question of whether you're a Southerner or not--Southerners will let other Southerners know to their face if they've got problems with them. Perhaps it's also a question of what (if any) "minority" box you fit into, too.

These are all generalizations, of course...

 

[anitram]

To get back on topic - what on earth is going on with New Mexico?

 

[Irvine511]

These are all generalizations, of course...

they are, and we're now doing what i originally said not to do (and i'm totally doing it too, i know, it is fun to talk like this), which is use a glimpse into a country to confirm your prejudices.

anyway ... seems like McCain has done well, but should have done better?

 

[No spoken words]

My 26 years in NYC tell me that people in the Northeast are masters at letting you know, right to your face, how they feel about you. This does not even feel like a generalization.

 

[corianderstem]

Midwesterners are friendly, talk funny and have a good work ethic. Oh, and we're all farmers who love a good church pot luck.

That's my contribution to the generalizations.

 

[anitram]

Let's just say it wasn't my choice. Apparently this particular church I went to is only loosely affiliated with the SBC and is about as "liberal" as a Southern Baptist church comes. I hate to think what a normal one is like ...

I ran into a couple of their evangelical...people with my roommate. When we declined to talk to them they asked us why we didn't want to be saved?

 

[yolland]

The South. Georgia, South Carolina and Northern Florida. More than once.

Not sure why. Maybe I had my thick Bronx accent and it made me sound a lot more ridiculous that I really am? Maybe it was my Jewish Star that I used to wear on a necklace outside of my shirt? I do not know. I just know that I was made to feel worse than I've ever felt in my life without being directly insulted. Hard to explain.

Probably both, more the former (minus the alleged ridiculousness ). Yeah, Northern Florida is still very much "the South."

I had the experience of moving directly from a tiny town in rural Mississippi to Borough Park after my father died, and I got so much shit for my "redneck" accent. Not by any means all "good-natured" shit either. On the whole though there are definitely more places in the South where it's a bad thing to be a stickout sore thumb.

 

[U2Girl1978]

It really baffles me that Romney won in Massachusetts. People are so stupid. I guess they forgot that he pretty much ran out of here the last year in office.

 

[Dalton]

I got yelled at in the NYC once for smiling and nodding at a guy on the subway.

 

[anitram]

My 26 years in NYC tell me that people in the Northeast are masters at letting you know, right to your face, how they feel about you. This does not even feel like a generalization.

I love the northeast. To me, it feels a bit quasi-European (not as much as Toronto or especially Montreal), but enough to make me feel really at home.

I'd like to go to Chicago, never been to that part of the US.

 

[Axver]

these are large countries with small populations and there's only so many places to go and see.

I can agree with this about Australia, but I find that New Zealand, despite its diminutive size, has more places I want to visit than I feel I could ever have time to see.

 

[joyfulgirl]

To get back on topic - what on earth is going on with New Mexico?

Well

there was some difficulty with the alphabet when I went to vote

So I'm guessing there's some difficulty with numbers as well.

 

[No spoken words]

I love the northeast. To me, it feels a bit quasi-European (not as much as Toronto or especially Montreal), but enough to make me feel really at home.

I'd like to go to Chicago, never been to that part of the US.

After being in LA the last 10 years, I'm thrilled to be here in Chicago. I fit in fairly nicely here, the urban kid in my thrives in this sort of environment....but it does have a more Midwestern attitude, which is a good thing. The weather is brutal by US standards, but, the Spring here is amazing.

My heart will always belong to NYC, my home, and still the most incredible city I've ever been to, but it's been great traveling to other places, and living in other cities, even if they were here in the US.

 

[phanan]

Missouri is really tight on both sides.

 

[Axver]

Boo, SBS's coverage of Super Tuesday is over and their regular nightly news programme is three hours away. I was enjoying watching everything happening too.

Well, I'm sure you people will keep me well informed.

 

[Irvine511]

the story tonight, i think, is Huckabee.

how is he almost winning Missouri?

 

[yolland]

That's a state with one foot in the South and one in the Midwest, socially and culturally...right up his alley.

Are St. Louis' votes in yet though?

 

[anitram]

After being in LA the last 10 years, I'm thrilled to be here in Chicago. I fit in fairly nicely here, the urban kid in my thrives in this sort of environment....but it does have a more Midwestern attitude, which is a good thing. The weather is brutal by US standards, but, the Spring here is amazing.

My heart will always belong to NYC, my home, and still the most incredible city I've ever been to, but it's been great traveling to other places, and living in other cities, even if they were here in the US.

I am going to see about going to NYC for a month to work with at my firm's office. I'll find out about it in a month or two. I'd love to go because I've never been in the middle of summer.

 

[joyfulgirl]

My heart will always belong to NYC, my home, and still the most incredible city I've ever been to

My 15 years in NYC left me feeling much the same. I just couldn't live there anymore.

 

[U2DMfan]

MSNBC and CNN just switched to Obama. Fox didn't.

Shocking.

 

[yolland]

Current tally:

Clinton--Oklahoma, Tennessee*, Arkansas, New York*, New Jersey, Massachusetts*
Obama--Illinois*, Georgia*, Delaware, Alabama, North Dakota, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota*, Colorado, Idaho

McCain--Delaware, New Jersey**, Connecticut, Illinois**, New York**, Oklahoma, Arizona**
Romney--Massachusetts, Utah**, North Dakota, Minnesota
Huckabee--West Virginia, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia


(* = rather large delegate count + significant-looking victory margin)

(** = winner-take-all state with rather large delegate count, OR significant-looking victory margin in non-winner-take-all state with lots of delegates)

 

[No spoken words]

My 15 years in NYC left me feeling much the same. I just couldn't live there anymore.

I've been gone for 11 years now, and everyone expects me to one day return, but I feel like I need to experience at least 1-2 more cities before going back, if back I go.

So sorry to keep being off-topic people. I'm following this as close as any of you.

 

[U2DMfan]

I'm trying to figure out which States have not been called yet.

It's so hard to keep track of this shit.

 

[watergate]

I worked at my Democratic ward's poll in New Mexico and there were tons of people. It was non stop flow of people voting. We ran out of provisional ballots but we got them fast so everyone voted. The day went by fast.

 

[Dalton]

In honor of America, I just ordered Johnny Horton's Greatest Hits.

 

[anitram]

california, alaska, missouri, tennessee (reps), arizona (dems), new mexico (dems)

^

not called yet.

 

[phanan]

Arizona, New Mexico, Missouri, Alaska, and California haven't been called on the Democrat side yet.

Utah just went for Obama.

 

[Axver]

The one thing following the US electoral process has made me realise is just how much of a good thing Australia has in preferential voting. I'm aghast that some Republican primaries are winner-take-all.