News Roundup for 1/4/11

Probably too soon to for this, but what the hell...

-Headline of the Day-
"Democrats rebounding with independents."

That didn't take long. The GOP hasn't even had a chance to do anything yet. But there ya go; Republicans are already beginning their inevitable slide toward failure. According to a new poll by Public Policy Polling, "early 2012 cycle polling suggests the strong GOP lean of independent voters this year was more of a blip on the radar screen than a sign of things to come."

"Since the election we've polled 51 different possible Senate/Governor contests for 2012 and across all those different permutations Democrats are leading by an average of 6 points," the pollster tells us. "And when you look at the 48 prospective Presidential match ups we've tested that spread expands even further to an average lead of 11 points for Barack Obama with independents."

How do you explain this? PPP points out that "it's yet another reminder that the folks who turned out this year bear little resemblance to a Presidential year electorate. Conservative leaning independents who tend to vote Republican were much more inspired to vote this year than more centrist independents who usually support Democrats." Give them two years of GOP fucknuttery and that might just inspire the less conservative indies to get to the polls.

It's way too early to say yet, but it's already looking like things are moving in the right direction. (Public Policy Polling, via Political Carnival)


-We live in a fantasy world, example 4,271-
You know how to tell if something's bullshit? If it shows up on Fox News' morning children's program Fox & Friends, that's a pretty good sign. And if stand-in for Mr. Belvedere, Stuart Varney, picks up on it, then that's solid proof. Observe:

Ooh, the gummint oppression of making you buy screwy lightbulbs!

A couple of points here. First, if your bulbs throw off bad light, you're buying bad bulbs. Just stop doing that. I buy bulbs that put out the same color temperature as incandescents and they're fine, even for photos.

Second, there is no ban on incandescent bulbs! You can buy them if you want. Someone needs to pay attention at the grocery store. What the law does -- and this is in the future, by the way -- is set minimum efficiency standards for all bulbs. Incandescents will have to meet standards set for incandescents.

But this is Fox News we're talking about here, so they don't give a crap about the truth. All they care about is showing you that liberals are always wrong and often evil. If that takes a deliberate lie, then it's lies away. And, if it means you'll spend more on your energy bills, then that the price you pay for being a gullible chump who watches Fox News.

Fox News, solving problems that don't actually exist. (Media Matters)


-Bonus HotD-
"Sharia is the New Fluoridation."

Nice analogy. (Booman Tribune, with Dr. Strangelove video)