Free Republic

The conservative candidates won in the mountains of Virginia by margins that qualify for the descriptor “landslide.” In contested races for the House of Delegates, an incumbent Republican won re-election by almost 2-to-1 and a newcomer unseated a Democratic incumbent by a 15-point margin. The Democratic apologists were quick to point out that Virginia usually elects a Governor from a different party than the Federal-election majority. True — but not by the stunning margin of 18 points rolled up by Bob McDonnell. If the liberal Democrats insist on believing that there is “no message here” . . . well, they...

A huge landslide has closed part of SR410 in the eastern Cascades in Washington state - see link for details and vid.

Quick background: I found this while searching for events that happened on September 9 (we just had 09/09/09). A Web site mistakenly lists this disaster as happening on September 9, 1963; actually it happened October 9, 1963. Hadn't heard of it before, but it's listed as one of the top engineering disasters in history. The Vajont (Vaiont) Landslide The site linked in the header provides small snapshots of the whole area. Two examples: Here's an annotated picture that helps put it in context. Here's a picture of the immediate aftermath: To really get this in perspective, though, use Google Maps....

More than 390 people are believed to have been buried alive in the village worst affected by a massive mudslide caused by Typhoon Morakot. A National Fire Agency disaster relief centre spokesman told the BBC's Cindy Sui of the fears for Hsiaolin Village. This is the first time the government has released a firm estimate on the number of people they believe might have been killed. Thousands of people are still stranded by the worst by mudslides and floods. The typhoon struck Taiwan at the weekend, causing the worst flooding in 50 years, and leaving at least 116 people confirmed...

Nouri al-Maliki coailition scores landslide victory in Iraq elections Deborah Haynes and Wail al-Obaidi in Baghdad Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq’s Prime Minister, savoured a stunning election victory last night, as improved security drew voters to his coalition and away from the sectarian division offered by hardline religious parties. The victory in provincial elections will encourage him to run for a second term in office in the approaching general election, less than a year after he was derided in the West for his ambitious military crackdown on militants. A coalition headed by Mr al-Maliki had landslide wins in Baghdad and Basra, the...

As Richard Nixon wrote, “history is written by liberals,” but the story of the 2008 campaign is too important to cede to them the analysis of what happened. A close analysis of the returns indicates several key realities: a) Sarah Palin made a vast difference in McCain’s favor. Compared to 2004, McCain lost 11 points among white men, according to the Fox News exit poll, but only four points among white women. Obama’s underperformance among white women, evident throughout the fall, may be chalked up, in large part, to the influence of Sarah Palin. She provided a rallying point for...

If I read about the "landslide" election once more I will be forced to hurl bile. The raw data...the true numbers speak what happened in this election. Obama won by: 204,577 in FL 206,770 in OH 202,110 in VA 13,993 in NC 25,836 in IN 119,896 in NV 140,732 in IA That comes out to 913,914 votes. So yes...people are claiming McCain was crushed by 7 million votes but in all reality it was 913,914 votes in total that Obama needed at the end of the day. Turn out was lower than 2004 for the GOP...about 20% less. We pretty...

Where was Obama's landslide? There is no doubt, the electoral votes went heavily in his favor, but he only won by about 7 million votes. There were still 56.5 million people that want nothing to do with his socialist agenda. Not only that, but his 7 million more votes cost him over 600 million dollars. A commanding win, sure, a landslide, hardly. It really doesn't say much to his credit, when he had to spend far, far more than anyone in history, and he still only one by this slim margin. Another interesting note, the media continually said this would...

Las Vegas—In what could only be interpreted as having cajones the size of basketballs, Senator John McCain has declared himself the winner in an Election Day landslide, practically giving Senator Barack Obama, D-IL, the finger. The announcement came in the evening, during his trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. McCain, not backing down from the erratic polls, made the declaration after an audience member, yelled, “What do you think, Senator McCain? Do we win?” McCain, feeling the vibe of the crowd, responded, “We’re not only gonna win. We’re gonna win in a landslide victory! I am gonna knock Senator Obama out....

Reagan's landslide challenges the pulse-taker profession For weeks before the presidential election, the gurus of public opinion polling were nearly unanimous in their findings. In survey after survey, they agreed that the coming choice between President Jimmy Carter and Challenger Ronald Reagan was "too close to call." A few points at most, they said, separated the two major contenders...

Your first thought is that I am drunk on Kool-Aid when you see this title. I am going to show you why I am so sure about this prediction. Your next question is why should anyone pay any attention to me about such a ridiculous prediction. The answer is that in 45 years in politics, I have never been wrong about an election call even when I was called crazy. That includes get elected to office to prove I was right about winning an election. See my biography for details. I have to be very sure to risk a 45...

I keep telling you all that Republican candidate John Sidney McCain would win a much higher percentage of the votes of American citizens who live in Israel than any of the polls were showing. I was right. The exit polls show a very strong preference for John McCain over Barack Obama. The polls, carried out and analyzed by Keevoon, a Jerusalem-based research, strategy and communications firm, indicate that 76% of the polled voters in Israel said they voted for Republican candidate John McCain; 24% said they cast their ballot in favor the Democrat, Barack Obama. The information is based on...

At the risk of being seen as “not helping” John McCain and “giving up,” allow me to take you on a little tour of the electoral battlefield today. If there are any sharp objects within reach, I suggest you move them. Better yet, put them under lock and key. I am about to crack open the gates of hell and give you a peek at what’s inside. As “The Dead March from Saul” plays on my headphones, I am forced to report that John McCain is approaching “Dead Parrot” status in the race for the presidency. The campaign is trying...

Lyndon LaRouche -- the left-wing perennial candidate for president of the United States -– was the first candidate to broadcast a paid half-hour television address, which was pretty much was the only way the U.S. Labor Candidate could get attention on the airwaves back in the good old days of UHF. Now Barack Obama is resurrecting those half hour segments by buying up the air-waves a la LaRouche (and Ross Perot, remember those glorious charts?) all in an effort to make a last minute pitch to seal the deal with voters.

I'm series. :)

Their optimism, which is said to be shared by the Democratic candidate himself, is based on information from private polling and on faith in the powerful political organisation he has built in the key swing states. Insiders say that Mr Obama's apparent calm through an unusually turbulent election season is because he believes that his strength among first time voters in several key states has been underestimated, both by the media and by the Republican Party. ... But his aides are convinced that he has a strong chance of winning no fewer than nine states won by George W.Bush in...

US elections: Barack Obama's team believes he can win by a landslide Barack Obama's senior aides believe he is on course for a landslide election victory over John McCain and will comfortably exceed most current predictions in the race for the White House. By Tim Shipman in Washington Last Updated: 1:46PM BST 27 Sep 2008 Their optimism, which is said to be shared by the Democratic candidate himself, is based on information from private polling and on faith in the powerful political organisation he has built in the key swing states. Insiders say that Mr Obama's apparent calm through an...

One of the country's top pollsters was in Rochester on Thursday and suggested that the November presidential election will end in an electoral landslide, even though the candidates are running close. "Essentially the election is at equilibrium," said John Zogby, president of Zogby International. "This election will stay close until the end." Zogby said he thinks the race will turn in the last weekend before Election Day and though the popular vote will be tight, the successful candidate will win in a landslide. He likened this year's election to the contest in 1980, when Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter....

Maybe Zogby was just out giving a lunch speech to a bunch of numbers geeks and his mouth got ahead of him, but it looks like he thinks this thing may already be over. You be the judge. Forget the fickle presidential polls - it’s the Electoral College that’s going to produce a landslide victory Nov. 4, a noted pollster predicts. John Zogby, president of Zogby International, told a coffee and number-crunching crowd in Rochester, N.Y., that one of the presidential candidates will walk away with a mountain of votes. Which candidate is he talking about? Sounds like Obama, with...

BROCKPORT, NEW YORK--Pollster John Zogby hinted Thursday (September 25) that he sees a McCain landslide as a real possibility. According to the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle:(O) ne of the country’s top pollsters thinks the race will end in an electoral landslide. John Zogby, president of Zogby International, told a group of businesspeople today that it’s up to Democratic Sen. Barack Obama to convince voters to go with him. If he’s not successful, the country will likely vote for “a comfortable old shoe”, that being Republican Sen. John McCain. Despite the books Obama has written, Americans are still asking, “Who...

Googling Landslide victory for Obama you get practically nothing. Google Landslide victory for McCain and you get a few confident thinkers out there who believe strongly that McCain/Palin will have over 300 Electoral Votes. I for one do not fully believe the current national polls. I do believe that the internal polls of the candidates, that target specifically those battleground precincts, are showing a slow but steady surge for McCain. I don't have these polls, but I'm basing it on the actions of the candidates. Obama has returned to around where he was in June at roughly 48%, while McCain...

You have to create a sign on to cast your ballot. But the results are interesting even though it's only just over 1,000 votes cast.

Presidential Race in New Jersey • Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama Leads Republican Opponent John McCain by 7 Percentage Points in New Jersey: With 15 electoral votes up for grabs in New Jersey, 47% of registered voters in the state say they support Senator Barack Obama for president while 40% say they back Senator John McCain. That’s the same margin in New Jersey with which former Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry beat President George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. However, Obama’s lead shrinks when looking at likely voters, including those who are leaning toward a specific candidate. 48%...

Democratic jitters about the US presidential race have spread to Capitol Hill, where some members of Congress are worried that Barack Obama’s faltering campaign could hurt their chances of re-election. Party leaders have been hoping to strengthen Democratic control of the House and Senate in November, but John McCain’s jump in the polls has stoked fears of a Republican resurgence. A Democratic fundraiser for Congressional candidates said some planned to distance themselves from Mr Obama and not attack Mr McCain. “If people are voting for McCain it could help Republicans all the way down the ticket, even in a year...

Monday was one of the most unusual days I have experienced on the campaign trail to date. The looming hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico turned months of planning for the GOP Convention upside down and last minute changes were being made due to the storm. We were all very concerned for the entire region. I love New Orleans and I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been for those residents to once again be displaced by the evacuations. What made this day bearable for me was having my entire family together - something that rarely happens with...

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama’s shelf life is quickening. When I watched Obama in Berlin, I thought he’s full of it and in fact-checking his speech, I realized he will pander to anyone anywhere. Then, once he gets their support, under the bus they go. Ah, the long-term commitments of a son abandoned by a father in infancy. More sage voices than mine now are wondering if Obama and the Democrats are through. Georgia showed weakness on foreign policy at a time when strength is needed. Insisting that drilling won’t help make America energy independent (but tire gauges will). And then...

From the fever swamps of the blogosphere to the halls of academia, there is a chorus of voices coming to the same conclusion about the presidential election: Barack Obama is going to win in November, by something resembling a landslide. Yet for all the breathless analysis and number-crunching that has convinced observers Obama is en route to an epic victory, there is one key historic fact that is often overlooked—most popular vote landslides were clearly visible by the end of summer. And by that indicator, 2008 doesn't measure up. In five of the six post-war landslides (defined as a victory...

From the fever swamps of the blogosphere to the halls of academia, there is a chorus of voices who have come to the same conclusion about the presidential election: Barack Obama is going to win in November, by something resembling a landslide. Yet for all the breathless analysis and number-crunching that has convinced observers Obama is en route to an epic victory, there is one key historic fact that is often overlooked—most popular vote landslides were clearly visible by the end of summer. And by that indicator, 2008 doesn’t measure up. In five of the six post-war landslides (defined as...

"Too close to call." "Within the margin of error." "A statistical dead heat." If you've been following news coverage of the 2008 presidential election, you're probably familiar with these phrases. Media commentary on the presidential horserace, reflecting the results of a series of new national polls, has strained to make a case for a hotly contested election that is essentially up for grabs. Signs of Barack Obama's weaknesses allegedly abound. The huge generic Democratic Party advantage is not reflected in the McCain-Obama pairings in national polls. Why, according to the constant refrain, hasn't Obama put this election away? A large...

John McCain is surely the dullest candidate for president we've had in years and all signs point to his defeat come November. Barack Obama appears to be a shoo-in and it's all over but the voting. I say - not so fast. There's no question that Obama has positioned himself as the second coming of John F. Kennedy, especially with this trip overseas where he's being adored, namely in Europe, just as he's adored here in the USA. In fact, all the trappings are there for a repeat performance. He's doing the JFK rag. But wait a minute. With all...

Article published June 21, 2008 McCain in a landslide? Could be Jack Kelly SEN. Barack Obama has the lead for the time being. But three signposts point the way to a McCain landslide in November, in the unlikely event the Arizona senator has the wit to heed them. What figures to be by far the most important issue this fall is the skyrocketing price of energy and its deleterious effect on the broader economy and national security. Now that Sen. John McCain has flip-flopped on drilling off our coasts, there is a substantial difference between him and Mr. Obama on...

Duncan D. Hunter scored an overwhelming victory Tuesday in the Republican primary election to replace his father, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, beating a field of candidates by the kind of margin more often won by incumbents than first-time candidates. With nearly 90 percent of precincts reporting, Hunter, 31, a Marine Corps Reserve Captain, led with 73 percent of the vote. His nearest Republican opponent, Brian Jones, a Santee Councilman and former minister, trailed with just 16 percent. The win propels Hunter into a fall showdown against Democrat Mike Lumpkin, 43, a retired Navy SEAL Commander, whose willingness to stray from...

The man portrayed by the left as evil incarnate is saying Barack Obama will win by a landslide in November. This isn't supported by the polls at this time, but with more than five months to go, anything can happen. We already know one Murdoch who's hosting overseas fundraisers for Obama, so it wouldn't be a shock if her father jumped on board.AUSTRALIAN expatriate Rupert Murdoch today predicted a Democratic landslide in the US presidential election against a gloomy economic backdrop over the next 18 months. Mr Murdoch has yet to endorse a US presidential candidate but considers Barack Obama...

The case they make for a comfortable McCain win is not beyond reason. Begin with the 2004 electoral map. Add Iowa and Colorado to Obama’s side, since both are considered states Obama could pick off. Then count McCain victories in New Hampshire and Michigan, two states where McCain is competitive. In this scenario, McCain wins the Electoral College 291-246, a larger margin than Bush four years ago. If Obama managed only to win Iowa from Republicans and McCain managed only to win Pennsylvania, McCain would still win by a much greater margin than Bush — 300-237. “McCain is in a...

Biggest landslip in 100 years hits Jurassic coast Last Updated: 1:18PM BST 07/05/2008 Fossil-hunters were warned to keep away today after a landslide described as the "biggest in 100 years" destroyed 400 metres of a World Heritage coastline. Experts were assessing the damage along the Jurassic Coast between Lyme Regis and Charmouth in Dorset after the rock fall yesterday evening. The Lyme Regis Harbour Master's wife and several nearby residents alerted the Coastguard to the slide at around 8pm. Simon Palmer, Portland Coastguard watch assistant, said the cliff was still "rumbling" when rescuers left last night and there was more...

CBS Election Night 1984 http://youtube.com/watch?v=1e4t1qKGFao&feature=related A great night. Sure to lift your spirits.

Bob Herbert: voice of reason? On economics and the role of government, no. On the dynamics of the Dem nomination race? Actually, yes. In both his TV appearances and columns, Herbert, an Army veteran who grew up largely in a comfortable New Jersey suburb, comes across as more clear-eyed and down-to-earth, less angry and ideological, than his NY Times confreres like Paul Krugman or Frank Rich. Take Herbert's column of this morning, Heading Toward the Danger Zone. My sense is that, at heart, Herbert backs Obama. But that doesn't deter the columnist from offering an unblinking assessment of the very...

Huge, perhaps historic, victory for Berlusconi's "Popolo della liberta' " (which translates a bit awkwardly as "the people of liberty;" maybe it's better to call it "the freedom folks"). It's considerably worse than AP lets on. Berlusconi defeated Walter Veltroni's "Democratic Party" by a full 9 points in both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. And since the Italian electoral system gives a bonus to the winning side, the margins are very big and stable: 340 to 241 in the Chamber (with another 36 for a couple of small parties), and 167 to 137 in the Senate (with 5...

British scientists have deciphered a mysterious ancient clay tablet and believe they have solved a riddle over a giant asteroid impact more than 5,000 years ago. Geologists have long puzzled over the shape of the land close to the town of Köfels in the Austrian Alps, but were unable to prove it had been caused by an asteroid. Now researchers say their translation of symbols on a star map from an ancient civilisation includes notes on a mile-wide asteroid that later hit Earth - which could have caused tens of thousands of deaths. The circular clay tablet was discovered 150...

A cuneiform clay tablet that has puzzled scholars for over 150 years has been translated for the first time. The tablet is now known to be a contemporary Sumerian observation of an asteroid impact at Köfels, Austria and is published in a new book, 'A Sumerian Observation of the Köfels' Impact Event.' The giant landslide centred at Köfels in Austria is 500m thick and five kilometres in diameter and has long been a mystery since geologists first looked at it in the 19th century. The conclusion drawn by research in the middle 20th century was that it must be...

Vladimir Putin's chosen successor Dmitry Medvedev is set for a landslide victory in Russia's presidential election, according to an exit poll and early results. First official results from the Central Election Commission showed Mr Medvedev was leading with more than 64% of the votes after ballots from 16% of polling stations had been counted. Sky's Moscow correspondent Alex Rossi said: "As election dramas go, this was never going to be nail-biting - it was not going to be a cliff-hanger. "We all knew Dmitry Medvedev would romp home to victory against the three non-competitors he's been lined up against. Essentially...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A mud slide slammed into three homes and blocked a highway to the coast on Tuesday in a region that was hit hard by last week's storms. The slide of mud, trees and debris covered five acres. To view a static map of the area, click here. For an animated map of the slide area, click here. It hit at least three homes, moving one onto U.S. Highway 30, said Chris Friend of the Oregon Department of Forestry. Another home showed signs of giving way on its foundation and a third had mud up to its...

Deadly landslide raises more concerns about China's Three Gorges Dam Aileen McCabe , CanWest Asia Correspondent Published: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 SHANGHAI - A deadly landslide near China's controversial Three Gorges Dam has killed one construction worker and left two missing in central Hubei Province, near the dam's massive reservoir. The official news agency Xinhua said the tragedy occurred on Tuesday, the same day Chinese government officials pledged to step up measures to deal with environmental problems caused by the dam. Xinhua did not say what caused the fatal landslide, but in a story about the new environmental plan, Xinhua...

An enormous underwater landslide 60,000 years ago produced the longest flow of sand and mud yet found on Earth. The landslide off the coast of north-west Africa dumped 225 billion metric tonnes of sediment into the ocean in a matter of hours or days. The flow travelled 1,500km (932 miles) - the distance from London to Rome - before depositing its sediment. The work, by a British team of researchers has been published in the academic journal Nature. The massive surge put down the same amount of sediment that comes out of all the world's rivers combined over a period...

FRENCH SOCIALISTS HIT BY NEW ELECTION DRUBBING Received Sunday, 10 June 2007 19:05:00 GMT PARIS, June 10, 2007 (AFP) - France's Socialists faced a new humiliation after a dismal showing in round one of a parliamentary election Sunday set to deliver a huge majority to President Nicolas Sarkozy. Reeling from the defeat of their presidential candidate Segolene Royal last month, the Socialists, already in a minority in the National Assembly, look set to lose up to half their 149 seats, projections said. Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party and its allies were on course to secure between 383 and 501 of the...

Seriously. A resurgent, fired-up GOP would win in a LANDSLIDE! Reagan democrats would support a Norris ticket, just on his gung-ho image alone. And Chuck Norris is no RINO. Norris is certainly more qualified than (any) of the three current Democrat candidates -- and arguably one or two of the leading Republican contenders. What could be more obvious? Could he be convinced to run? Draft Chuck!! :)

SAN FRANCISCO - A landslide of rocks and boulders tumbled down onto an apartment building early Tuesday, sending 150 residents of San Francisco's North Beach district into the streets. No injuries were reported, but at least four buildings were evacuated after the 3 a.m. slide, and officials shut off water and electricity to the structures. City engineers were assessing possible damage as boulders and mud piled several stories high against an apartment building and the club. "Fortunately, everyone had just left," said Gary Marlin, whose management company oversees the Broadway Showgirls Cabaret at the bottom of the hill. The slide...

Democrats pledge array of investigations By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer 12 minutes ago The incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is promising an array of oversight investigations that could provoke sharp disagreement with Republicans and the White House. Rep. John Dingell (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich., pledged that Democrats, swept to power in the Nov. 7 elections, would govern "in the middle" next year. But the veteran lawmaker has a reputation as one who has never avoided a fight and he did not back away from that reputation on Sunday. Among the investigations he said he...

Earlier in the summer, after Phil Angelides had won the Democratic nomination for governor, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's political advisers publicly declared that it would be a close, hard-fought battle for a second term. Privately, however, those professional campaign strategists considered it possible, if they did their jobs well and the intangible factors broke Schwarzenegger's way, to run up a double-digit victory over Angelides. With seven weeks -- just 49 days -- remaining before the Nov. 7 election, the possibility of a landslide Schwarzenegger victory is growing stronger. Given what's happened, and not happened, in the 3 1/2 months since the...

S.Korean conservatives win big in local polls By Jon Herskovitz 1 hour, 21 minutes ago South Korea's main conservative party scored a landslide victory in local elections, official results showed on Thursday, dealing a blow to President Roh Moo-hyun and a key aide tipped as a possible successor. The drubbing for Roh's liberal Uri Party means Roh will likely will have little power to push forward his agenda to implement new tax policy, corporate reform and rules on foreign investment for the little under two years he has left in his term, analysts said. It also puts the main opposition...