pmukh's Blog

pmukh Commented on Tell Us Your Voting Stories by Greg Sargent

2008-11-04T17:25:08Z

Madison, WI, took a walk this morning, left my apartment at about 6:30, wearing shorts, in November, in Wisconsin. Arrived 6:40ish at my polling station, to find myself halfway up the stairs, estimating I was 50th in line. Polls opened at 7, line moved pretty quickly, what with the unregistered types getting their own line (gotta love same day registration!). I reached the check in table as the 91st voter of the day, and was done by 7:30 AM. The line at that time was 3 to 4 times as long as when I'd arrived nearly an hour previously, so I'm thinking they'll have a busy busy morning at that location.

UW law prof and blogger Anne Althouse votes at the same location, as I discovered a few years ago, and she says it took her 43 minutes to get through the line at 9:15 AM. So I guess I saved myself about 15 minutes by showing up 2.5 hours earlier.

pmukh Commented on Top Concern Voters Have About McCain]]> by Greg Sargent

2008-10-21T23:32:02Z

Why is any poll, two weeks out, still reporting REGISTERED VOTERS as the top line number?

registration is over (except in places with same day reg, of course), now it's all about who will actually show up

pmukh Commented on GOP Senator's Ad: Gay Guys In Village People Garb Support My Opponent by Eric Kleefeld

2008-10-15T07:45:24Z

actually, I had the complete opposite reaction from what you predict.

I look at those two options, and answer, to "should they be allowed" as "sure, why not?" versus, "should they have the RIGHT to," with a mental question of my own as to what exactly this RIGHT entails.

Never really thought of it that way, but it seems like in this case, the assertion of the RIGHT is in and of itself more threatening because it makes me wonder what the questioner has in mind by it, whereas the more casual approach might succeed by being less mentally demanding.

I'm sure there have been psychological studies done on this sort of question....I wonder if I'm in the minority or majority on this one....