The New York Times
NYT The Front Page 11/19

Slate's Culture Gabfest
In this week's Culture Gabfest, critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner discuss the Malcolm Gladwell phenomenon, Michelle Obama's role as First Lady and Mom-in-Chief, and the post-Obama buzz kill of Prop 8.

NPR
Tell Me More
Stories: 1) Big Three Automakers Take Their Case To Capitol Hill 2) Mom-In-Chief: Moms Closely Watch Michelle Obama

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Wake Up With These!

Meet The Press 11/16

The New York Times
NYT The Front Page (4:59)

Slate
Obama's New Toy: Snazzy new technology isn't enough to bring transparency to the White House, by John Dickerson

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Wake Up With These!

Meet the Press 11/09
A look ahead at the Obama presidency with Valerie Jarrett, the newly appointed co-chair of the president-elect’s transition team. Plus, former RNC Chair Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) & House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) on governing in the new administration. In addition, a political roundtable on the Obama agenda & challenges facing the U.S. with Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jon Meacham & Mary Mitchell. (download mp3)

The New York Times
The Front Page 11/10
(download mp3)

Slate
Slate's Daily Podcast
Goode Riddance: A Darfur-supporting, time-tithing, self-deprecating newcomer becomes Virginia's big electoral surprise, by Dahlia Lithwick (download mp3)

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Wake Up To These:

The Rachel Maddow Show 11/06 PM
1) Has the GOP hit rock bottom? 2) Voters say, "Smoking weed is okay, gay marriage is not" 3) Are Obama appointments reflecting change? 4) Late election results from Maddow as "Chuck Todd"

The New York Times:
NYT The Ethicist 11/07 (4:24)
NYT The Front Page 11/07 (4:53)

NPR:
Tell Me More
Stories: 1) Kenyans Find Glory in Obama 2) Obama Win Changes Perceptions Abroad 3) Civil Rights Elder Sees Dream Come True 4) A Taste Of Success

The Slate Explainer:
The Presidential Transition FAQ
Does the president-elect get to ride around in Air Force One-elect? And other questions . . . .

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Wake Up With These:

The Rachel Maddow Show:
1) New Era 2) Lame-duck appointment 3) Building a team 4) Mandate to govern

The New York Times:
NYT The Front Page, 11/06 (4:31)

NPR:
Tell Me More
Stories: 1) Obama Surges To Emotional Win In Historic Election Victory 2) GOP Supporters React To Results 3) America's First Black President: What If, What Now? 4) Sound Bite: Rev. Jesse Jackson's DNC Comments 5) In Our Lifetime: Jesse Jackson, Myrlie Evers-Williams On Obama 6) Atlanta Reacts To Election Results

Slate:
The Culture Gabfest 11/06
In this week’s Culture Gabfest, our critics discuss Obama, Obama, and Obama. What happened with the election, how the media covered it, and what lies ahead for culture under future President Barack Obama.

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Slate is pulling together an amazing political explanation hub. From
Slate, here are a few things to look out for tonight as the election day progresses and the results start to come in.(All Times are Eastern)

Sunrise to 6 p.m.: Look for reports of voter turnout. Throughout the day, watch the crowds in any of the battleground states. Analysts generally agree that a big turnout helps Obama. For McCain, who has to make up deficits in early voting, watch to see if turnout equals or exceeds the turnout President Bush got in 2004. To win, McCain needs more than just his base, of course—but he really needs his base. Some places to keep an eye on:

In Florida, there is the I-4 corridor from Tampa to Daytona Beach as well as the counties in the panhandle.

In Ohio, look to turnout in Franklin County (home to Columbus) for McCain. For Obama, look at Hamilton County (home to Cincinnati) and other big, urban counties such as Cuyahoga (Cleveland), where new registrations and black voters should boost Obama's numbers. Watch northwestern Ohio, a solidly Republican corner of the state where Obama led in two October polls.

In Pennsylvania, look to Allegheny, Butler, and Westmoreland counties (Pittsburgh and its suburbs) for McCain, and the inner suburbs around Philadelphia (Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks, and Chester) for Obama.

Continued after the jump

6 p.m.: Polls start to close in Indiana. This traditionally Republican state is at the outer edge of Obama's raids into McCain's territory. If Obama wins, it might very well mean he's won the whole election, because it will ratify the Obama strategy that has been employed throughout the battleground states. If McCain wins, we'll get a feeling for the contours of his defensive line. A McCain win in Indiana may mean that states like Missouri and North Carolina might not flip into the Obama category.

The polls in Kentucky also start to close at 6. (The Western part of the state closes at 7:00). For those watching to see whether Democrats will have 60 votes in the Senate, a win by Democrat Bruce Lunsford against Mitch McConnell will suggest it's possible.

7 p.m.: Polls close in Virginia and start to close in Florida (the Western part of the state closes at 8:00). If Obama wins Florida's 27 electoral votes, he'll have a big night. Watch the I-4 corridor, the area between Tampa and Orlando where both campaigns have been working hard in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, and Osceola counties. In early voting in the state, Democrats have an edge of more than 300,000 votes. Upon seeing this, some Republicans may head into the root cellar. That's a big margin for McCain to make up on Election Day. His team has to hope that the early voting came from reliable Democratic base voters, which would mean they've just gotten their usual Election Day support—just earlier than usual. Obama aides say lots of their early vote comes from new and sporadic voters. If they're right—and evidence suggests they may be—then Florida could go blue.

Virginia may be the Bush state where Obama has put in the most effort. If he wins the commonwealth and holds the states John Kerry won (as expected), then he'll need only five more electoral votes to get to 270. Virginia also matters because it will give us the first hints about which campaign is winning the turnout battle. The big question is whether those new and young voters turn out for Obama the way his aides say they will.

For those looking for 60 Democrats in the Senate, Georgia and Mississippi polls also close at this hour. To hit the magic number, Democrats will need a win in one of those states to add to the races they're more likely to win.

7:30 p.m.: Polls close in Ohio. Perhaps you've heard of this state, with 20 electoral votes. Like Florida, it has been a part of the drama of recent close presidential races. In 2004, Democrats won the big population centers, but Bush won the state by picking up lots of rural districts. Look to western counties like Auglaize, Darke, Mercer, Putnam, and Shelby to see if McCain is matching Bush's turnout. Watch enormous Hamilton County, a swing county Republicans think Obama might win. Bush won it last time. On the southeastern edge of West Virginia, look to Jefferson, Belmont, and Monroe to see how Obama performs with white working-class voters.

Polls also close in North Carolina at 7:30. Like Indiana, an Obama victory here will suggest a rout. Look for Mecklenburg County around Charlotte, where Obama stopped before Election Day and where he needs to run up a big margin. He'll also need to swing Wake (Raleigh), Cumberland, or Buncombecounties, which went for Bush in '04.

8 p.m.: Polls close in Pennsylvania. McCain rolled all his dice here. If he can hold Florida, Ohio, and Virginia, then Pennsylvania may not mean as much. If he's lost any of those states, then Pennsylvania is a must-win.

Missouri also closes at 8. Watch Greene County, where Obama spent an evening late in the campaign. Bush won the county by 16 percentage points. Obama's aim is not to sweep places like that but to narrow the loss in Republican strongholds and run up large margins in urban areas.

Polls close in New Mexico and Colorado. If the eastern red states of Virginia, Ohio, and Florida hold for McCain, Obama will have to rely on New Mexico's five electoral votes and Colorado's nine. In Colorado, look to see if Obama can hold down McCain's margins in rural districts and appeal to female swing voters in Larimer County and the Denver suburbs.

10 p.m.: Polls close in Iowa and Nevada. In the unlikely event that Obama loses in the red states where he was ahead in the polls, these are his two last best chances. Look to Elko, Nev., a small, heavily Republican district Obama visited three times in an attempt to drive up the Democratic vote in GOP areas.

Later: Democratic dreams of reaching 60 votes in the Senate might come down to the outcome of convicted Sen. Ted Stevens' re-election race in Alaska.

With the eleventh hour of the election striking, I started thinking about what happens next? Specifically, what happens to all the extra money raised by the candidates during the campaign. Well, by Obama anyway. McCain's stint on SNL had him hawking wares on QVC, which might not be too far from the truth. So, what happens to all of Obama's extra money? He has, after, raised a combined $600 million dollars in the primaries and the general election.

I poked around quite a bit and found that Slate had the best breakdown of post-campaign finances. I've used the information there as a template for my breakdown below.

Here goes:

Because he did not accept public financing, Obama does not have to submit his books to the Federal Election Committee. The private money means that he does not have to refund any money back to the Treasury because he didn't take any.

He will, of course, have to pay off creditors, but he has more than enough money to do that. He is allowed to save the money for his reelection campaign. He is also allowed to give the money to the Democratic National Committee or a Democratic state party, which can then be disbursed by them.
Continued after the jump.
He can give the money to charity provided he will not receive compensation from that charity with the money provided. And, he can refund the money to each of the individual donors.

The campaign funds can't be used for personal reasons, but leftover campaign funds "may be used to defray any ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with the recipient's duties as a holder of Federal office, if applicable." If Obama loses he is also permitted to use the excess cash to defray "the costs of winding down" his presidential bid, although he's only permitted 6 months to use the money to close up shop.

Obama cannot simply transfer his remaining money to another candidate, bu he can make donations to other candidates according to the rules that govern individual contributions—a maximum of $2,000.

And, if Obama gets into any legal trouble, the FEC might allow him to use some of the left-over in his defense.

Wake Up With These:

The New York Times:
The Front Page, Tuesday 10/28

The Science Times:
David Corcoran, a science editor, explores the topics addressed in this week's Science Times.

Slate:
Registering Doubt: If we can nationalize banks, why not our election process? By Richard L. Hasen

NPR:
Tell Me More:
Stories: 1) Congressional Races Heat Up As Election Draws Near 2) Obama Presidency Could Change Psychology Of Race 3) Hudson's Tragedy Stirs Focus on Missing Children 4) Scrunity of Palin's 'Shopping Spree' Unfair?

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Slate has an interactive calculator to help you figure out just how important you really are:

With the election just a week away, both campaigns are making their final arguments to voters. The details differ, but the basic message is the same: This election is all about you. Far be it from us to shatter anyone's illusions.

In reality, this election is not about just any old average voter anymore—if it ever was in the first place. As the clock ticks down, both the Obama and McCain campaigns are making a final push to win over a very small slice of remaining swing voters.

Which raises the question: Are you a swing voter? Being undecided is not enough, in itself, for membership. In fact, very few Americans, at this late hour, still qualify for the club. Think you have what it takes? Slate's handy Swing Voter Calculator can help you figure out whether you make the cut.

So, head on over and see what kind of voter you really are.

Wake Up With These:

Meet The Press 10/26/08:
John McCain, insight and analysis from Charlie Cook, Kelly O'Donnell, and Chuck Todd.

The New York Times:
NYT The Front Page, Monday 10-27-08

Slate "Wingtip Warriors:"
Wingtip Warriors: Why those "armies" of lawyers are our last, best hope for an honest Election Day, by Dahlia Lithwick

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Click below to jump the the full size players, or click here to launch them in a new window. Or just pull up a chair, hang out, and watch them in The Media Bar.

Today's Buffet:

Daily Song:
T.I Whatever You Like (#1 Song)



Television:
Will Ferrell returns to SNL with with Tina Fey. Did anyone else think of Josh Brolin or Oliver Stone? (5:16)


Movies:
With all the political piling going on right now (motivated at least in part by sexism), I've been thinking of Blade Runner, Harrison Ford's Deckard, and Sean Young's Rachael. (7:57)

Politics:
From the First to the Last Debate in Four Minutes, Slate V recaps everything you need to know about the presidential race between the first and last debates. (3:51)

Music Video:
In honor of my blog's new name, kd lang's "Hallelujah" (5:15)

The players after the jump. Or click here to launch them in a new window. Or just pull up a chair, hang out, and watch them in The Media Bar.


Daily Song:
T.I Whatever You Like (#1 Song)

Television:

Will Ferrell returns to SNL with with Tina Fey. Did anyone else think of Josh Brolin or Oliver Stone? (5:16)


Movies:

With all the political piling going on right now (motivated at least in part by sexism), I've been thinking of
Blade Runner, Harrison Ford's Deckard, and Sean Young's Rachael.

Politics:

From the First to the Last Debate in Four Minutes
Slate V recaps everything you need to know about the presidential race between the first and last debates. (3:51)

Music Video:

In honor of my blog's new name, kd lang's "Hallelujah" (5:15)

Wake Up With These:

The New York Times:
The Front Page
Summary of the NYT front page, Friday October 24, 2008.

NPR
Tell Me More:
Stories: 1) UNCH Pillay Set To Observe U.N. Day 2) Businessman Bob Johnson Invests In Liberia 3) Darfur Women Scarred By Fighting 4) Cultural Workouts, A New Fitness Trend

Fresh Air:
Stories: 1) Charlie Kaufman On Being — And Directing 2) The Many Facets Of 'Changeling' Eastwood

Slate:
Culture Gabfest
In this week's Culture Gabfest, our critics discuss the unexpected catharsis they felt watching Oliver Stone's W. Then, in a special lightning round, they revisit past Gabfest topics, including the ongoing Fey/Palin tragicomedy, Rachel Maddow, and the future of the current environmental movement.

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Slate has a great article discussing how Obama's African ancestry might not, in fact, be hurting him among racists:

The implications of this are stunning: Far from costing Obama the election, as some have argued, race may not be much of a factor in people's decisions—even those with negative attitudes toward blacks. It then follows, however, that his election may not represent the victory over racism many of his supporters hoped it would.

On the face of it, it seems at best absurd, and at worst offensive, to argue against the relevance of race in the first general election in U.S. history featuring an African-American candidate for president. But recent polls, as well as anecdotal evidence, suggest that other issues may trump race.

And something for all of us good liberals to keep in mind is that not all the badness in the world comes from Republicans:

Ironically, though, racism becomes a greater factor among voters on the left than on the right. Republicans have plenty of reasons to vote against Obama that have nothing to do with race—they might disagree with his health-care plan or think withdrawal from Iraq is a terrible idea. Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely to agree with him on policy. When they oppose him, therefore, it's more likely to be due to race. So when people say that Obama might lose because of racists, they're not talking about racist Republicans. They mean Dems and independents. Some Democrats chafe at this idea, arguing that there are perfectly good reasons to dislike Obama. Fair enough. The point is that race becomes a larger factor in voters' decision-making when they agree with him on just about everything else.

Click here to read the full Slate article.

From Slate:

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it would not hear the case of a 13-year-old Oregon boy whose parents disagree over whether he should be circumcised. The father claims the boy wants to have the operation, but the mother contends that he is merely bending to his father's will. Now a trial judge will attempt to ascertain the boy's wishes. How can the court determine what the boy really wants?

The case is complicated by the teenager's recent conversion to Judaism. I'm betting Andrew Sullivan is going to step in if he needs to.