Rachel Maddow to Moderate New Hampshire Democratic Debate

Image from Frontiers Media

Well, good on you, Ms. Maddow! Though unfortunately, Chuck Todd will also be moderating. Of course, Todd's non-substantive style, lack of follow-up questions, and softball lobs are generally confined to Republican guests on Meet the Press anyway. But with Rachel on board, we're ready to see some real, issue-oriented, meaty questioning. She's been prepping for this for her whole life, practically, so this should be good.

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MSNBC to host New Hampshire Democratic debate

 . . .The debate will take place at the University of New Hampshire in Durham at 9 p.m. Eastern and be moderated by Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow. All three Democratic presidential candidates, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley are expected to attend.. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

World's Dumbest Focus Group Says Trump "Classy," "One of Us"

Herp derp. Image from Talking Points Memo

Wow. The Donald--current GOP 2016 presidential primary leader, and bombastic BS artist--sure has these people snowed. What's more, the man who speaks in vagueries, likewise seems to inspire vague reasoning in his supporters. Basically, they don't know why they support him they just do. It's a cult of personality. That couldn't be clearer, when you have this group thinking Trump is "one of us." Or confusing an unfiltered, stream-of-consciousness crassness for either "truth telling" or "classiness." It's just baffling.

It will be interesting to see how this recalibrate after the first FOX "News" debate next week. Undoubtedly, Donald Trump will be the main focus of the event. The lion's share of reporting will be about how Trump responds to debate questions, how he interacts with the other candidates, how well he bats down what they lob at him, how they try to "out-Trump Trump." He'll also undoubtedly crack a few zingers--I really hope he curses--that become the crystalizing and memorable "moment" of the first debate. But will he have a single concrete policy idea? Will there be any substance to what he has to say beyond insults, platitudes and vagaries? I rather doubt it. And given his extraordinarily undeveloped and shallow pool of extemporaneous vocabulary words, I'm hoping he comes through as the boob that he is.

He may not shed the 20-25% of the GOP nutbars who have fallen under his allure. But at least maybe the media will begin to treat him as he should be treated: as an egotistical curiosity.

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New Hampshire Focus Group Fawns Over Trump: 'He's Like One Of Us'

At least 12 voters in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire are absolutely gaga over real estate mogul Donald Trump. Bloomberg Politics' John Heilemann sat down Wednesday night with a focus group of 12 Trump supporters in the Granite State who riffed on why they thought the billionaire was the best candidate in a crowded GOP presidential field. . . 

Read more at: TPM

New Hampshire GOP Lawmaker: Boston Marathon Bombing an Inside Job

The face of crazy, from Gawker

GOP Laot much I can add to the Gawker write-up on this batshit crazy New Hampshire House Rep, they cover it pretty well. But, I think a good litmus test for if a person ought to be bounced from office? That they look to Glenn Beck or Alex Jones as a "news" source. That ought to be enough to get you a stay in a padded room.

[Excerpt]

GOP Lawmaker Suggests the Boston Marathon Bombing Was an Inside Job

Tremblay posted on Glenn Beck's Facebook wall last week, saying that the search for the suspects was going exactly as he'd suggested it would. She then goes on to suggest that the U.S. government planned to whole thing, but for what reason she does not specify. The message was posted Friday morning, before Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was arrested, for some context. . .

Read more at: Gawker

Obama and Romney Tied in First Vote

Well, that was helpful! Thanks, Dixville Notch!

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A tie for Obama and Romney in nation's first results



The first presidential election results are in - and it's a tie.
President Barack Obama and his Republican rival, Mitt Romney, each received five votes in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.

The town in the state's northeast corner has opened its polls shortly after midnight each election day since 1960 - but today's tie was the first in its history. . .

Read more at: CNN

Breaking News: Sarah Palin Speaking Live from New Hampshire

With apologies to Tim Burton, and
all associated with the underratedMars Attacks!

And I quote,


"Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack! Ack!"

Crazy Political Ad of the Day: Jim Bender (New Hampshire)

The dumb! It burns!

New Hampshire 6th State to Allow Gay Marriage

All right, Rhode Island, what's your excuse?

[Excerpt]

New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

The New Hampshire legislature approved revisions to a same-sex marriage bill on Wednesday, and Gov. John Lynch promptly signed the legislation, making the state the sixth to let gay couples wed. . .

Read more at: The New York Times

Gay Marriage Snowballing

This is all so weird. Last year, when the right to same-sex marriage was granted by the California Supreme Court, it was something of an anomaly. The only state to that point to legalize such marriages was Massachusetts. The Other Half and I decided to strike while the iron was hot, and got married in Palm Springs in June. We figured, better do it before they took the chance away.

Since then, California voted to overturn the decision, throwing the validity of our marriage into dispute. A decision by the California Supremes is still forthcoming. But in the mean time, same-sex marriage has become legal in Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont. Progress has been made in New Hampshire, Maine and New York. Washington D.C. has decided to allow marriages performed in states where it has been made legal. Hate crimes legislation is on its way to being expanded to cover gay people. There is a virtual tidal wave of change as it pertains to gay rights. It's all a little overwhelming. And California has still not come to a decision.

After all that has happened since, California's outcome may come as a bit of an anti-climax. Here's just a few of the most current developments. . .

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Strange Bedfellows

. . .The cause of same-sex marriage has made big strides in recent weeks.

The Iowa Supreme Court has legalized gay marriage in the Hawkeye State. The Vermont Legislature not only approved same-sex marriage, but overrode a gubernatorial veto.
The New Hampshire Legislature has just voted to legalize same-sex marriage.

In 2004, by contrast, 21 states passed initiative or referendum measures defining marriage as between a man and a woman. . .

Read more at: Seattlepi.com

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Maine Senate Backs Gay-Marriage Bill

The Maine Senate gave two nods of approval to a bill to legalize gay marriage after extended and emotional debate Thursday.

The measure now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration next week, and then back to the Senate for a third, and perhaps final, vote. . .

Read more at: Wall Street Journal

[Excerpt]

Gay marriage bill passes in N.H. Senate

The New Hampshire Senate voted yesterday to allow same-sex couples to marry, setting the state in motion to become the fifth in the country to legalize same-sex marriage. . .

Read more at: Boston.com

First Votes in USA go to Obama

It's much too early (in fact wee hours early) to be counting our chickens. But it is still encouraging to see that the first votes in the nation, in Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, New Hampshire, have cast their votes for Barack Obama.

I'm still crossing my fingers and all other crossable appendages, and sitting on pins and needles here. As you can imagine, I'll be uncomfortable for most of the day. . .

So please, for my sake, don't take anything for granted! VOTE!

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Barack Obama the Big Winner in Presidential Race in Dixville Notch, N.H

DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. -- Barack Obama came up a big winner in the presidential race in Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, N.H., where tradition of having the first Election Day ballots tallied lives on.

Democrat Obama defeated Republican John McCain by a count of 15 to 6 in Dixville Notch, where a loud whoop accompanied the announcement in Tuesday's first minutes. The town of Hart's Location reported 17 votes for Obama, 10 for McCain and two for write-in Ron Paul. Independent Ralph Nader was on both towns' ballots but got no votes. . .

Read more at (believe it or not): FOX "News"