February 6, 2008
How'd We Vote, San Francisco?
Well, you'll probably all be as relieved as we were that the proposal to adopt an SF policy to buy back Alcatraz Island from the feds for a billion dollars in order to build a peace center was thoroughly trounced in the polls, losing at a rate of almost 3:1 (72% no). You can continue telling your friends back home that you'll take them on the ferry ride to the prison if they'd ever come out and visit you out here!
We had about 50% turnout (though we can't tell if the Board of Elections is still counting or not), with 75% turnout for registered Democrats (which we think includes all the Decline To States).
On the presidential side, Barack Obama won SF -- but with only 52% of the vote. We really did think that would be much higher! (There's a big however here, though, which is that this count does not include provisionals or absentee ballots turned in on the day of the election.)
More musings on numbers, the SF Republican vote, and the rest of the propositions after the jump.
Statewide, it looks like Obama won SF, Alameda, Marin and a bunch of college counties (including Davis) -- while Clinton took a lot of the other ones, including Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and LA County (though LA did have all those Decline to State problems on the ballot). We're still leafing through the links (Obama won Sonoma and Sacramento?), but here's the general list if you want to poke around it yourself.
On the Republican side, the SF elephants pulled the lever for McCain at 54%, with Romney in second at 22% and Ron Paul in third with 8%. We knew that Ron Paul poster we saw on the 101/80 onramp at South Van Ness was going to make a difference!
And were you even paying attention to the other propositions? We certainly weren't! We got more money for the city parks; our part of the state voted down Indian gaming casinos but it doesn't matter anyways because everyone else wants more slot machines. And, despite our best efforts in Sodom and Gomorrah over here, there's not going to be any bonds for community colleges, and term limits will not be extended for the folks currently in office.
Okay, we gotta run to work now, but some other interesting tidbits we saw in the SF results.
--Cynthia McKinney just edged out Ralph Nader for the SF Green Party presidential pick.
--A guy named Mad Max is running for president on the Independent ticket.
--Only 36 more people voted for Ron Paul than voted for Rudy Giuliani in SF, and Tom Tancredo got 31 votes.
--and... who's the 50,000 people who voted FOR the peace center on Alcatraz? We're dying to know!
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My bet is the 50,000 people voting for the Peace Center had no idea what the hell it actually was; if you don't know the details, you could interpret "Peace Center" pretty much any way you want. If the proposition was more accurately phrased as a voting for a new agey neo-hippie light show, they might have voted otherwise.
I voted yes because I am in denial about my alcoholism. If the measure passed and we actually ended up with a peace center, I would never again have to explain my drinking.
The "Vote for Bolinas to be a socially acknowledged nature-loving town" proposition passed back in 2003. I am not in the least bit surprised that 50,000 San Franciscans voted for a $1B peace center.
I voted yes. I can think of nothing more entertaining than Blue Angels flying over our Peace Center.
I wonder if the Peace Center would have an ROTC program?
No trips to Alcatraz, please, unless you row yourself! The boats are being run by scab crews from Hornblower, not Inland Boatmen's Union. Boycott is still on.
Word around the campfire is that Gavin was going to divert the funds anyway to create a private island palace for his holiness and Princess Siebel - complete with turrets, moats and a fire breathing dragon. Of course, I heard this from Peskin while enjoying some fine imported absinthe.
Anyone who voted in favor of the hippie park on Alcatraz needs to be rounded up. That proposition is a perfect example of why we should abolish the initiative process.
Anyone who voted in favor of the hippie park on Alcatraz needs to be rounded up. That proposition is a perfect example of why we should abolish the initiative process.
Turn it into a giant casino/showroom.
Legalize drugs and prostitution on it, high end of course.
Give piece a chance.
Ah, once again, not a day goes by that RobinSF has to say yet another derogatory, childish and petty thing about Gavin Newsom.
Attempted humour cannot mask an inability to grow up.
Suck it MDW. The only derogatory, childish and petty thing going on is the way His Lordship Newsom prances around town acting like he owns the place. I expect the politicians I vote for to represent the best interests of their City and constituents, not out chasing the next centerfold from Barely Legal or banging the best friend's wife. This man is beyond mere character flaws, he is a walking disaster. Go ahead and defend his record on anything, I'd like to see which type of Newsom defender you are, gay male who thinks that Gavin is just dreamy, or female who thinks that Gavin in just dreamy. Face it, without Getty money and the SF political machine backing him, he would be the weekday matinée feature at the Nob Hill Theater. Nothing more. Maybe he missed his true calling.
Suck it MDW. The only derogatory, childish and petty thing going on is the way His Lordship Newsom prances around town acting like he owns the place. I expect the politicians I vote for to represent the best interests of their City and constituents, not out chasing the next centerfold from Barely Legal or banging the best friend's wife. This man is beyond mere character flaws, he is a walking disaster. Go ahead and defend his record on anything, I'd like to see which type of Newsom defender you are, gay male who thinks that Gavin is just dreamy, or female who thinks that Gavin in just dreamy. Face it, without Getty money and the SF political machine backing him, he would be the weekday matinée feature at the Nob Hill Theater. Nothing more. Maybe he missed his true calling.
Jeez, mdw0526, I think it was a joke. Ever heard of those?
Besides, has RobinSF ever said anything untrue? Did Gavin not, in fact, bang his best friend's wife and accomplish zilch?
I actually voted for Proposition C just because I want holographic images projected over the Golden Gate bridge while giant incense candles blow patchouli out over the Bay as the sounds of Zamfir waft through the air.
Who wouldn't want that?
*sorry for the double post* In Providence RI they are investigating some government official for hiring people behind the scenes without first publishing the job openings via the standard legal means, you know, via the city website and all that open forum type stuff Gavin is so behind (against). Why didn't I get a shot at one of those honey pot deals that Gavin handed out? I can parrot Gavin's press secretary releases as good as Ari Fleischer ever did for Bush - nah, my conscience would get in the way and I would eventually call him a lying prick and quit. haha! As Dave Chappelle once said, "All this truth is KILLING ME!!!"
mdw0526 is a Gavin political operative. Ignore everything it says. It is abrasive, arrogant, prejudiced and foul mouthed. Those with valid opinions can make fun of the opposition without getting nasty. MDW0526 is one of Gavin's many message board trolls - just go back and read all of it's curse filled missives with no clear point. We're all well aware of what President Newsom does to control to news and the reality of what little he does. Counter attack from the missive?