Dead Heat

In looking over the electoral choices from the view of a copy editor and headline writer, I predict this election will be even closer and more divisive than the 2000 race between Bush and Gore.

In a six over six, 1 column, in Walbaum Condensed Bold, I can get "Obama" and "Clinton" at identical 44 points. "McCain" comes in no bigger than 42 points at that column width, but the difference is meaningless, since a purist would not deviate from the rule of six, and therefore it's either a 42 point, at which all three fit, or a 48 point, at which none of them does.

"Huckabee" is hopeless; you can't get him bigger than 32 points, which means 30 point to a purist. "Hillary" is a tempting 46 points, especially because there seems to be air between the L and the A in WCB, which may be a defect in the type design. You might be able to pass that for a 48.

So, advantage Hillary, if headline-writers rule the world, as some insist we do.

However, if I go to a 5-over-6 grid, the kind many contemporary newspapers use for their front pages, I can get "Obama" into a whomping 54-point bold! "Clinton" (and "McCain") top out at 48 point (on the six scale). The little fractions of difference in letter width and kerning that didn't show up on a six grid make all the difference when you bump it up. Which often is the case.

Little differences, magnified by front-page exposure, give Obama the edge.

Logo Rhythms

[Posted by reader_iam]

What were you all thinking?



Perhaps you were to meaning to evoke the warm fuzzy of another song from that movie?



Better to have thought again, in keeping with the fundamentals your mothers no doubt tried to teach you:



(Hat tip to Blue Crab Boulevard for the last, though I sorta think Gaius won't thank me, in context. But what can I say? Sometimes in life things just get piled together in a heap and you work with what you have to sort it out--just like mama said.)

Go Right Ahead

[Posted by reader_iam]

Launch away, I say; how about sooner rather than later? Salutary effects could be had all the way around, intended and unintended.

Not to mention that it sure beats hijacking and blackmail.

Oh, Great, Just What We Need!

[Posted by reader_iam]

Alan Keyes announces his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. Does this mean I'm going to have to take that quiz again?

Er, no.

(I will say that the man is possessed of fine verbal skills. He's going to participate in Monday's Republican debate, reportedly. I'd definitely rather listen to--if not vote for--him over some others I won't mention.)

Via Memeorandum.

I Should Vote For Barack Obama!

[Posted by reader_iam]

At least according this quiz. Who knew? My fall-backs, apparently, are Ron Paul, 61.96% (gulp); Joe Biden, 57.61% (oh, man, what is this, destiny's smile?--longer term readers will get the implied chuckle); and Christopher Dodd, 56.52% (what the--?).

Well, maybe it's not all THAT clear-cut (rats, I can't just link to the results, and now I'm going to have go back and append percentages to the guys already mentioned, too, and change the punctuation of my series; huff, huff):

Middle of the Pack:
If your top choices aren't in the running, keep an eye on these candidates in 2008.
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (D) - 56.52%
Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel (D) - 54.35%
Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich (D) - 54.35%
Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo (R) - 53.26%
Businessman John Cox (R) - 51.09%
Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson (R) - 51.09%
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) - 48.91%
New York Senator Hillary Clinton (D) - 47.83%
Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards (D) - 47.83%
Arizona Senator John McCain (R) - 36.96%

Bottom of the Barrel:
You won't be getting on the campaign trail with these candidates anytime soon.
View/Hide Bottom of the Barrel
Former Tennessee Senator Thompson (R) - 36.96%
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R) - 33.70%
Kansas Senator Sam Brownback (R) - 32.61%
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R) - 31.52%

Well, the bottom-of the-barrel list is mostly right, at least, though I confess to suprise over where Huckabee fell, and I haven't seriously thought about Fred Thompson yet (because, well, it's a bit hard to do so, and he just got around to declaring, after all.)

But overall? Sigh. I guess this means I'll just have to keep struggling through this election process the old-fashioned way. No shortcuts for me!

Hat tip, QC Examiner.

Update: Not sure how this ended up back in draft. It wasn't intentional.

Speaking Of Wanting To Party All The Time

[Posted by reader_iam]

What's gonna happen when the White House changes hands in 2008 and members of the press (literally and figuratively) still have a job to do?

And what about that (this) blogosphere, folks?

Affiliation Switch + Half a Bil O' Ambition

[Posted by reader_iam]

And this officially registered "no party," committed voter still ain't all that impressed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. But time will tell.

(I heard the half-billion--expressed as up to $500 million--allusion to how much personal money Bloomberg would be willing to stake his own candidacy while flipping through news channels tonight. Here's a place where that figure was mentioned on line.)