politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The PB MidTerms Prize Competition – did you get closest to the

Oh and is that a provisional first, Vanilla permitting?

CarlottaVance said:

Looks like a photo-finish between:

bookseller: 48.35 and
YBarddCwsc: 48.28

With the former just nosing it.

Didn't do too badly on 48.52......

I agree I just checked that !

So thats three of us who agree¬!

FTPT

Nigelb said:

The AG has the legal authority to share details of Grand Jury investigations with the President:
https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/11/07/matt-whitaker-has-authority-to-share-proceedings-of-national-security-grand-jury-investigations-with-trump/

Without any paper trail.

Trump,just appointed an acting AG , who judging by his previous comments is a tool of the president, without the usual Senate oversight (which would have ben required had Sessions been formally sacked rather than bowing to pressure to resign.

I'm beginning to wonder if Sessions was on the indictment list and so by resigning he's effectively shutting down the investigation before he gets charged.

Having watched Sadiq Khan on TV this morning with his response to the crime ridden streets of the City that he his mayor of, I can't get over what a terrible mayor he is. I don't understand why he is so highly rated. He is awful. Boris was different class to him and that must be the ultimate affront to his ability.

not_on_fire said:

FiveThirtyEight forecasting a net GOP change of +2 Senate seats, implying they think the Dems will win Arizona.

Looks like the Republicans are worried too.

https://eu.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/07/arizona-senate-republicans-sue-county-recorders-election-martha-mcsally-kyrsten-sinema-adrian-fontes/1925719002/

Pulpstar said:

i) @Bookseller, 48.35
ii) @YBarddCwsc, 48.28

48.78. Close, but no cigar! Thought the Libertarian would get a lot more, too!
Congrats Mr Bookseller!!!

not_on_fire said:

FiveThirtyEight forecasting a net GOP change of +2 Senate seats, implying they think the Dems will win Arizona.

FiveThirtyEight was forecasting that the GOP would hold the House at 0130 yesterday

not_on_fire said:

FiveThirtyEight forecasting a net GOP change of +2 Senate seats, implying they think the Dems will win Arizona.

Is Arizona now a better prospect for the Democrats than Florida?

https://twitter.com/IanDunt/status/1060447446097190912

https://twitter.com/IanDunt/status/1060447791217102848

https://twitter.com/IanDunt/status/1060448231782539264

https://twitter.com/IanDunt/status/1060449500957999105

CarlottaVance said:

https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1060446653939961856
https://twitter.com/barristerbantz/status/1059919771016278016

You can both be a hero and an idiot, an intellectual titan and a bigot.

Those tweets are the kind of intellectual black and white box fitting exercise that I thought the 'free thinking' right despised.

Alistair said:

Multiple law type people are suggesting then new acting AG may not have been legally appointed

https://twitter.com/neal_katyal/status/1060277105810964487?s=19

That would probably upgrade Trump to obstruction of justice.

Constitutionally conscientious ? We’re talking about a wrecking ball.

If Mueller has evidence, then I suspect he’ll be trying to get it out in public (via indicting & requesting a judge unseal the evidence) asap.

currystar said:

Having watched Sadiq Khan on TV this morning with his response to the crime ridden streets of the City that he his mayor of, I can't get over what a terrible mayor he is. I don't understand why he is so highly rated. He is awful. Boris was different class to him and that must be the ultimate affront to his ability.

Crime ridden streets of the city (note lower case not upper case)?

Utter hyperbole.

kle4 said:

Dura_Ace said:

CarlottaVance said:

https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1060446653939961856
https://twitter.com/barristerbantz/status/1059919771016278016

Scruton is virulently pro fox hunting so he can go and fuck himself. Twice in all holes.

It is not possible that someone might be very wrong on some issues while being admirable in others And undeserving of complete condemnation?

Evidently not. Moral absolutists have such a simple life, bereft of shades of grey. Man labours over many years behind the Iron Curtain at personal risk to himself, but his view on foxes puts him beyond the pale.

https://twitter.com/SebastianEPayne/status/1060447868107046912

https://twitter.com/frasernelson/status/1060424846272839680?s=21

CarlottaVance said:

kle4 said:

Dura_Ace said:

CarlottaVance said:

https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1060446653939961856
https://twitter.com/barristerbantz/status/1059919771016278016

Scruton is virulently pro fox hunting so he can go and fuck himself. Twice in all holes.

It is not possible that someone might be very wrong on some issues while being admirable in others And undeserving of complete condemnation?

Evidently not. Moral absolutists have such a simple life, bereft of shades of grey. Man labours over many years behind the Iron Curtain at personal risk to himself, but his view on foxes puts him beyond the pale.

not so much moral absolutism as moral pick and mix

CarlottaVance said:

kle4 said:

Dura_Ace said:

CarlottaVance said:

https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1060446653939961856
https://twitter.com/barristerbantz/status/1059919771016278016

Scruton is virulently pro fox hunting so he can go and fuck himself. Twice in all holes.

It is not possible that someone might be very wrong on some issues while being admirable in others And undeserving of complete condemnation?

Evidently not. Moral absolutists have such a simple life, bereft of shades of grey. Man labours over many years behind the Iron Curtain at personal risk to himself, but his view on foxes puts him beyond the pale.

Yes, believe it or not, the fact that is in favour of chasing terrified wild animals across fields, then setting on them with a pack of bloodthirsty dogs until their skin and limbs are torn from them while they are still alive, tends to colour some people's view of him.

Who knew?

CarlottaVance said:

Emmanuel Macron has announced that Marshal Philippe Pétain, the Nazi collaborator whose administration helped deport of tens of thousands of French Jews to death camps, will be honoured a centenary tribute because he “was a great soldier in World War One.”

France’s leading Jewish organisation, Crif, said it was “shocked” at the decision, which the French President announced on Wednesday.

“I consider it entirely legitimate that we pay homage to the marshals who led our army to victory,” Mr Macron said.

“Marshal Pétain was a great soldier in World War One.”...

After the war, Pétain was tried and convicted for treason. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to his age and First World War service. He died in 1951.

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/shock-emmanuel-macron-announces-french-nazi-marshal-pétain-honoured-first-world-war-service-1.472148

Man fights heroically for his country's freedom at great personal risk and then collaborates with the Nazi's just one time and suddenly he is beyond the pale. Moral absolutists have such a simple life.

Alistair said:

CarlottaVance said:

Emmanuel Macron has announced that Marshal Philippe Pétain, the Nazi collaborator whose administration helped deport of tens of thousands of French Jews to death camps, will be honoured a centenary tribute because he “was a great soldier in World War One.”

France’s leading Jewish organisation, Crif, said it was “shocked” at the decision, which the French President announced on Wednesday.

“I consider it entirely legitimate that we pay homage to the marshals who led our army to victory,” Mr Macron said.

“Marshal Pétain was a great soldier in World War One.”...

After the war, Pétain was tried and convicted for treason. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to his age and First World War service. He died in 1951.

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/shock-emmanuel-macron-announces-french-nazi-marshal-pétain-honoured-first-world-war-service-1.472148

Man fights heroically for his country's freedom at great personal risk and then collaborates with the Nazi's just one time and suddenly he is beyond the pale. Moral absolution its have it so easy.

yes but he didnt go fox hunting so must be a good guy

OldKingCole said:

Pulpstar said:

i) @Bookseller, 48.35
ii) @YBarddCwsc, 48.28

48.78. Close, but no cigar! Thought the Libertarian would get a lot more, too!
Congrats Mr Bookseller!!!

Blimey. I am now desperately trying to reverse engineer my thought processes at the time I entered so that I can claim anything other than blind luck. I believe I looked at two or three estimates from PB regulars I trust and then made my own adjustments.

I am ludicrously excited about winning and receiving the book. Thanks to Mike and everyone for maintaining such an excellent site. In lieu of a victory speech, can I just say that my own political views and engagement has been significantly deepened by years of 'lurking' and (occasional) posting on this site, and that is to the credit of everyone who contributes. It's becoming increasingly important to have somewhere where - though some of us profoundly disagree with each other - we can engage in robust political debate and banter, in a world getting more partisan by the day, and yet - paraphrasing Ben Goldacre - "it’s a bit more complicated than that".

Thank you

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/PickardJE/status/1060456937526095873

odd that the two 2005 prospective Tory leaders both have massive screwups to their names

the two Daves could be the successors to the two Ronnies

tlg86 said:

Alistair said:

CarlottaVance said:

Emmanuel Macron has announced that Marshal Philippe Pétain, the Nazi collaborator whose administration helped deport of tens of thousands of French Jews to death camps, will be honoured a centenary tribute because he “was a great soldier in World War One.”

France’s leading Jewish organisation, Crif, said it was “shocked” at the decision, which the French President announced on Wednesday.

“I consider it entirely legitimate that we pay homage to the marshals who led our army to victory,” Mr Macron said.

“Marshal Pétain was a great soldier in World War One.”...

After the war, Pétain was tried and convicted for treason. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to his age and First World War service. He died in 1951.

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/shock-emmanuel-macron-announces-french-nazi-marshal-pétain-honoured-first-world-war-service-1.472148

Man fights heroically for his country's freedom at great personal risk and then collaborates with the Nazi's just one time and suddenly he is beyond the pale. Moral absolutists have such a simple life.

You're actually comparing sending thousands of people to their death with support for hunting foxes with dogs?

Ah, so there's a point where someone goes from a goody to a baddy then. Left of the line they are a universal goody and we ignore the animal cruelty and bigotry but to the right they are a baddy where everything good they did is forgotten.

No shades of gray, got it.

bookseller said:

OldKingCole said:

Pulpstar said:

i) @Bookseller, 48.35
ii) @YBarddCwsc, 48.28

48.78. Close, but no cigar! Thought the Libertarian would get a lot more, too!
Congrats Mr Bookseller!!!

Blimey. I am now desperately trying to reverse engineer my thought processes at the time I entered so that I can claim anything other than blind luck. I believe I looked at two or three estimates from PB regulars I trust and then made my own adjustments.

I am ludicrously excited about winning and receiving the book. Thanks to Mike and everyone for maintaining such an excellent site. In lieu of a victory speech, can I just say that my own political views and engagement has been significantly deepened by years of 'lurking' and (occasional) posting on this site, and that is to the credit of everyone who contributes. It's becoming increasingly important to have somewhere where - though some of us profoundly disagree with each other - we can engage in robust political debate and banter, in a world getting more partisan by the day, and yet - paraphrasing Ben Goldacre - "it’s a bit more complicated than that".

Thank you

Did you think O'Rourke would win with that score?

Alistair said:

tlg86 said:

Alistair said:

CarlottaVance said:

Emmanuel Macron has announced that Marshal Philippe Pétain, the Nazi collaborator whose administration helped deport of tens of thousands of French Jews to death camps, will be honoured a centenary tribute because he “was a great soldier in World War One.”

France’s leading Jewish organisation, Crif, said it was “shocked” at the decision, which the French President announced on Wednesday.

“I consider it entirely legitimate that we pay homage to the marshals who led our army to victory,” Mr Macron said.

“Marshal Pétain was a great soldier in World War One.”...

After the war, Pétain was tried and convicted for treason. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to his age and First World War service. He died in 1951.

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/shock-emmanuel-macron-announces-french-nazi-marshal-pétain-honoured-first-world-war-service-1.472148

Man fights heroically for his country's freedom at great personal risk and then collaborates with the Nazi's just one time and suddenly he is beyond the pale. Moral absolutists have such a simple life.

You're actually comparing sending thousands of people to their death with support for hunting foxes with dogs?

Ah, so there's a point where someone goes from a goody to a baddy then. Left of the line they are a universal goody and we ignore the animal cruelty and bigotry but to the right they are a baddy where everything good they did is forgotten.

No shades of gray, got it.

No, there are shades of gray, that's the point. But I'd have thought those two things are very much at different ends of the scale. I'm struggling to think of anything worse than collaborating with Nazis and sending people to their death.

Anazina said:

CarlottaVance said:

kle4 said:

Dura_Ace said:

CarlottaVance said:

https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1060446653939961856
https://twitter.com/barristerbantz/status/1059919771016278016

Scruton is virulently pro fox hunting so he can go and fuck himself. Twice in all holes.

It is not possible that someone might be very wrong on some issues while being admirable in others And undeserving of complete condemnation?

Evidently not. Moral absolutists have such a simple life, bereft of shades of grey. Man labours over many years behind the Iron Curtain at personal risk to himself, but his view on foxes puts him beyond the pale.

Yes, believe it or not, the fact that is in favour of chasing terrified wild animals across fields, then setting on them with a pack of bloodthirsty dogs until their skin and limbs are torn from them while they are still alive, tends to colour some people's view of him.

Who knew?

The assault on Scruton is interesting. Most of the screen grabs seem to end at very strange points halfway through sentences or paragraphs. They are certainly trying quite hard.

Fox hunting? Meh.

tlg86 said:

Alistair said:

tlg86 said:

Alistair said:

CarlottaVance said:

Emmanuel Macron has announced that Marshal Philippe Pétain, the Nazi collaborator whose administration helped deport of tens of thousands of French Jews to death camps, will be honoured a centenary tribute because he “was a great soldier in World War One.”

France’s leading Jewish organisation, Crif, said it was “shocked” at the decision, which the French President announced on Wednesday.

“I consider it entirely legitimate that we pay homage to the marshals who led our army to victory,” Mr Macron said.

“Marshal Pétain was a great soldier in World War One.”...

After the war, Pétain was tried and convicted for treason. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to his age and First World War service. He died in 1951.

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/shock-emmanuel-macron-announces-french-nazi-marshal-pétain-honoured-first-world-war-service-1.472148

Man fights heroically for his country's freedom at great personal risk and then collaborates with the Nazi's just one time and suddenly he is beyond the pale. Moral absolutists have such a simple life.

You're actually comparing sending thousands of people to their death with support for hunting foxes with dogs?

Ah, so there's a point where someone goes from a goody to a baddy then. Left of the line they are a universal goody and we ignore the animal cruelty and bigotry but to the right they are a baddy where everything good they did is forgotten.

No shades of gray, got it.

No, there are shades of gray, that's the point. But I'd have thought those two things are very much at different ends of the scale. I'm struggling to think of anything worse than collaborating with Nazis and sending people to their death.

Pineapple on pizza.

williamglenn said:

https://twitter.com/frasernelson/status/1060424846272839680?s=21

But the UK never produced a legal text setting out what it thought the joint report meant. The EU did, and in doing so set the terms for future negotiation.

Is this bit true? Was it DD busking it as usual?

bookseller said:

OldKingCole said:

Pulpstar said:

i) @Bookseller, 48.35
ii) @YBarddCwsc, 48.28

48.78. Close, but no cigar! Thought the Libertarian would get a lot more, too!
Congrats Mr Bookseller!!!

Blimey. I am now desperately trying to reverse engineer my thought processes at the time I entered so that I can claim anything other than blind luck. I believe I looked at two or three estimates from PB regulars I trust and then made my own adjustments.

I am ludicrously excited about winning and receiving the book. Thanks to Mike and everyone for maintaining such an excellent site. In lieu of a victory speech, can I just say that my own political views and engagement has been significantly deepened by years of 'lurking' and (occasional) posting on this site, and that is to the credit of everyone who contributes. It's becoming increasingly important to have somewhere where - though some of us profoundly disagree with each other - we can engage in robust political debate and banter, in a world getting more partisan by the day, and yet - paraphrasing Ben Goldacre - "it’s a bit more complicated than that".

Thank you

Well done. I have forwarded your details to the publisher who should send you the prize.

Dura_Ace said:

CarlottaVance said:

https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1060446653939961856
https://twitter.com/barristerbantz/status/1059919771016278016

Scruton is virulently pro fox hunting so he can go and fuck himself. Twice in all holes.

Tally ho away.

Helluva chip there, flyboy.

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/SebastianEPayne/status/1060447868107046912

Leavers are going to get pistol whipped by the voters for selling them a pup.

https://twitter.com/propertyspot/status/1022422994222809088?s=21
https://twitter.com/propertyspot/status/1022423314717966337?s=21

Congratulations Bookseller.

tlg86 said:

Alistair said:

tlg86 said:

Alistair said:

CarlottaVance said:

Emmanuel Macron has announced that Marshal Philippe Pétain, the Nazi collaborator whose administration helped deport of tens of thousands of French Jews to death camps, will be honoured a centenary tribute because he “was a great soldier in World War One.”

France’s leading Jewish organisation, Crif, said it was “shocked” at the decision, which the French President announced on Wednesday.

“I consider it entirely legitimate that we pay homage to the marshals who led our army to victory,” Mr Macron said.

“Marshal Pétain was a great soldier in World War One.”...

After the war, Pétain was tried and convicted for treason. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to his age and First World War service. He died in 1951.

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/shock-emmanuel-macron-announces-french-nazi-marshal-pétain-honoured-first-world-war-service-1.472148

Man fights heroically for his country's freedom at great personal risk and then collaborates with the Nazi's just one time and suddenly he is beyond the pale. Moral absolutists have such a simple life.

You're actually comparing sending thousands of people to their death with support for hunting foxes with dogs?

Ah, so there's a point where someone goes from a goody to a baddy then. Left of the line they are a universal goody and we ignore the animal cruelty and bigotry but to the right they are a baddy where everything good they did is forgotten.

No shades of gray, got it.

No, there are shades of gray, that's the point. But I'd have thought those two things are very much at different ends of the scale. I'm struggling to think of anything worse than collaborating with Nazis and sending people to their death.

Collaborating with Stalin and sending people to their death? Or 'bout the same?

Alistair said:

As it happens I think honoring the memory of a Nazi collaborator is a bad thing but I was highly amused by the proximity of Carlotta's posts.

'You're a wretchedly selective moral relativist, I'm a wise perceiver of nuance.'

Alistair said:

As it happens I think honoring the memory of a Nazi collaborator is a bad thing but I was highly amused by the proximity of Carlotta's posts.

Sorry, I did guess that. I'm intrigued to know why Macron is doing this. Is there a campaign for him to be honoured?

CarlottaVance said:

MattW said:

Anazina said:

CarlottaVance said:

kle4 said:

Dura_Ace said:

CarlottaVance said:

https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1060446653939961856
https://twitter.com/barristerbantz/status/1059919771016278016

The assault on Scruton is interesting. Most of the screen grabs seem to end at very strange points halfway through sentences or paragraphs. They are certainly trying quite hard.

Fox hunting? Meh.

Statement from Professor Sir Roger Scruton:

“Following my appointment as the unpaid chairman of the Government’s advisory committee on Building Better, Building Beautiful, I have been offended and hurt by suggestions I am anti-Semitic or in any way ‘Islamophobic’.

“Nothing could be further from the truth, and I wish to rebut these incorrect assertions.

“If people actually read my comments regarding the interplay between George Soros and Hungary they will realise they are not in any way anti-Semitic, indeed quite the opposite.

“Only two years ago I supported George Soros by making representations to Prime Minister Orban’s regime to keep open the Central European University so that intellectual freedom could continue to flourish in Hungary.

“My statements on Islamic states points only to the failure of these states, which is a fact. My views on Islam are well known and can be found in my book The West And The Rest.”

https://www.roger-scruton.com/articles/20-latest/550-statement-from-professor-sir-roger-scruton

The next assault on him will be his views on date rape.

It is all very depressing. All of us are a mixture of good and bad. The very same people who refuse to accept any fault at all in Corbyn over his attitudes to Jews and anti-semitism are all too willing to lob accusations of fascism and anti-semitism at people for not sharing a "received opinion". Most of the people who make these sorts of accusations are almost certainly guilty of the same sort of behaviour they condemn. Look at the vegan lady who received those stupid emails from the Waitrose editor. It turned out that she said "Good!" when seven people died in a Spanish bull run. Celebrating the death of people is, IMO, far more worthy of condemnation than an utterly bad taste joke. Why is it any less worthy of condemnation, for instance, than those idiots burning a model Grenfell Tower last week?

This sort of behaviour is utterly infantile, quite frightening in its implications and far too similar to the sort of behaviour exhibited like Trump for comfort.

tlg86 said:

Alistair said:

As it happens I think honoring the memory of a Nazi collaborator is a bad thing but I was highly amused by the proximity of Carlotta's posts.

Sorry, I did guess that. I'm intrigued to know why Macron is doing this. Is there a campaign for him to be honoured?

Other French Presidents have honoured The Lion of Verdun, notably de Gaulle and Mitterrand.

tlg86 said:

Alistair said:

As it happens I think honoring the memory of a Nazi collaborator is a bad thing but I was highly amused by the proximity of Carlotta's posts.

Sorry, I did guess that. I'm intrigued to know why Macron is doing this. Is there a campaign for him to be honoured?

French Presidents have always had a somewhat "blind eye" approach to the reality of what France actually did between 1939 - 1945. Only Chirac was willing to come close to confronting it and apologising for it.

Mitterand refused to and it is perhaps worth remembering that Macron started out in the Socialists as a protege of Hollande. But this ambiguous view of its own past is something which cuts across the whole political spectrum in France.

See this "Even her recent statement that it was not France which rounded up Jews during the war but the Vichy regime, as if the latter had nothing to do with France, was no different to the justification given by President Mitterand (whose activities during the pre-war and early Vichy period did him no credit) for refusing to give an official apology to French Jews for what France did to them. “I will not apologise in the name of France,” he said in 1994. “The Republic had nothing to do with this. I do not believe France is responsible.” A sentiment echoed almost word for word by Le Pen in recent days. Still, given that President Chirac apologised on behalf of France in 1995, it is troubling – and disgraceful – that over two decades later Le Pen still uses the same sophistry used decades earlier by post-war politicians who, to be generous, needed a polite fiction to help heal a wounded nation."

in this - http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2017/04/30/the-death-of-populism/

It is the 100th anniversary of the ending of WWI, you cannot remember it without making reference to Pétain and his influence.

bookseller said:

OldKingCole said:

Pulpstar said:

i) @Bookseller, 48.35
ii) @YBarddCwsc, 48.28

48.78. Close, but no cigar! Thought the Libertarian would get a lot more, too!
Congrats Mr Bookseller!!!

Blimey. I am now desperately trying to reverse engineer my thought processes at the time I entered so that I can claim anything other than blind luck. I believe I looked at two or three estimates from PB regulars I trust and then made my own adjustments.

I am ludicrously excited about winning and receiving the book. Thanks to Mike and everyone for maintaining such an excellent site. In lieu of a victory speech, can I just say that my own political views and engagement has been significantly deepened by years of 'lurking' and (occasional) posting on this site, and that is to the credit of everyone who contributes. It's becoming increasingly important to have somewhere where - though some of us profoundly disagree with each other - we can engage in robust political debate and banter, in a world getting more partisan by the day, and yet - paraphrasing Ben Goldacre - "it’s a bit more complicated than that".

Thank you

Well said Sir, and congratulations. No shame in taking the wisdom of others and improving on it.

TheScreamingEagles said:

To use a British example we’re not honouring Roald Dahl because ot his anti Semitism.

There would be an interesting Venn diagram to be drawn of those who say that Roald Dahl should not be honoured because of his anti-semitism and those voting Labour despite (or perhaps because of) its problems with anti-semitism.

Great quote in the header.

Have the Dems found the new RFK?

volcanopete said:

HYUFD said:

not_on_fire said:

FiveThirtyEight forecasting a net GOP change of +2 Senate seats, implying they think the Dems will win Arizona.

Is Arizona now a better prospect for the Democrats than Florida?

Anyone know the confirmed Arizona result?

It's not confirmed. Sinema has a real chance still, see my posts throughout the thread.

From NYTimes.Arizona.
Martha McSally
Republican
856,848 49.4%
Kyrsten Sinema
Democrat
839,775 48.4
Angela Green
Green
38,978 2.2

Blast,damn and bollocks.

Pulpstar said:

TheWhiteRabbit said:

Pulpstar said:

MarqueeMark said:

OllyT said:

Apologies if discussed already but I believe the generic Dem lead is around 7% so the notion that some subscribed to that Rasmussen had got their polling right when everyone else was wrong can be filed in the bin. Back to being the joke Republican-ramping pollster for them I'm afraid

File under "why do they bother?"

It is currently 4.1% in the house ?!

The NYT's projection is still 7% though

Late late ballots on the west coast

how does it handle uncontested seats - most of which would have been 80/20 Dem/Rep?

volcanopete said:

From NYTimes.Arizona.
Martha McSally
Republican
856,848 49.4%
Kyrsten Sinema
Democrat
839,775 48.4
Angela Green
Green
38,978 2.2

Blast,damn and bollocks.

Those aren't the final totals. Plenty of ballots to come.

"The Democrats won the popular vote by 7pc at the absolute apogee of a Republican fiscal boom."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/11/07/trumps-reckless-economic-gamble-has-failed-political-noose-tightening/

SouthamObserver said:

Has this been posted? These quotes from Raab surely can’t be genuine.

https://twitter.com/ProfBrianCox/status/1060474762936442882

Cyclefree said:

CarlottaVance said:

MattW said:

The assault on Scruton is interesting. Most of the screen grabs seem to end at very strange points halfway through sentences or paragraphs. They are certainly trying quite hard.

Fox hunting? Meh.

Statement from Professor Sir Roger Scruton:

“Following my appointment as the unpaid chairman of the Government’s advisory committee on Building Better, Building Beautiful, I have been offended and hurt by suggestions I am anti-Semitic or in any way ‘Islamophobic’.

“Nothing could be further from the truth, and I wish to rebut these incorrect assertions...”

https://www.roger-scruton.com/articles/20-latest/550-statement-from-professor-sir-roger-scruton

The next assault on him will be his views on date rape.

It is all very depressing. All of us are a mixture of good and bad. The very same people who refuse to accept any fault at all in Corbyn over his attitudes to Jews and anti-semitism are all too willing to lob accusations of fascism and anti-semitism at people for not sharing a "received opinion". Most of the people who make these sorts of accusations are almost certainly guilty of the same sort of behaviour they condemn. Look at the vegan lady who received those stupid emails from the Waitrose editor. It turned out that she said "Good!" when seven people died in a Spanish bull run. Celebrating the death of people is, IMO, far more worthy of condemnation than an utterly bad taste joke. Why is it any less worthy of condemnation, for instance, than those idiots burning a model Grenfell Tower last week?

This sort of behaviour is utterly infantile, quite frightening in its implications and far too similar to the sort of behaviour exhibited like Trump for comfort.

I tend to agree.
If the post to which he was being appointed had anything to do with social policy, I could entirely understand why he might be thought a totally unsuitable choice. His is, to put it politely, a bit of a plonker, with decidedly eccentric, and erratically argued philosophical views.
But the built environment ?
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/753671/Building_Better_Commission_Submission_-_ToR.pdf
I'm not sure how much of an expert he is on this, but he has at least published on the subject, albeit quite some time ago.
Set against that, surely the chair of anything has to be some sort of consensus figure, and I can see the argument for his not being a great choice to lead something like this, as opposed to contribute to it.