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October 28, 2008

The Obama Escape Clause

You know those folks who say they will leave the U.S. if McCain is elected? Now they can still proceed with their plans to buy a condo in the meantime, thanks to a clause some developers have been inserting to condo contracts:

Purchaser may have pursuant to the Offering Plan or at law, in the event that Barack Obama, Democratic candidate for President of the United States of America, fails to win the Presidential election to be held on Nov. 4, 2008, Purchaser shall have the right to cancel this Purchase Agreement upon ten (10) days written notice to Sponsor and upon cancellation will promptly be refunded the entire contract deposit with any interest earned thereon.

So far, the deal has only been offered in Queens and Manhattan. There's still time for Brooklyn developers to jump on the bandwagon though!
A Condo Escape Clause for New York Liberals [NY Times]

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oh, dear god.

Do bad the What isn't allowed on the front page, this should be a doozy of a thread.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 28, 2008 10:18 AM

This should rank up there as one of the top ten marketing gimmicks in history. These two projects probably had no visibility before this hit the NYT. Congratulations on whoever thought this up!!!

I think the vast majority of the people who say that they will leave the country in Mccain is elected have probably never been outside the country before anyway. Have they all said where they are going??? Iceland??

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 28, 2008 10:19 AM

I think they intend to migrate to "Alaska", wherever that is.

Posted by: dittoburg at October 28, 2008 10:22 AM

New Jersey!

Posted by: ou812 at October 28, 2008 10:27 AM

Migrating to New Jersy would in fact be the same as leaving the country.

Sorry Adam!!! :)

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 28, 2008 10:31 AM

I think the more useful Obama escape clause for those in New York is that if he IS elected, you can bail on the contract. I'd venture a majority of Brownstone owners are going to be coughing up much higher taxes under his tax plan. You might consider yourself middle class by New York standards, but Obama doesn't quite see it your way.

Posted by: RaginCajun at October 28, 2008 10:37 AM

DIBS is right; total gimmick. No significant movement of liberals north to Canada after 2000 or 2004. It was just talk. Any deals are safe. I'd be more impressed with a "what clause" -- you get to walk away from the deal if the market seriously melts down in a scary way before closing.

I think, given the polls, the better question is the one recently posed on Slate -- where do disgruntled conservatives go if McCain loses (after exhausting all legal remedies at the Florida and U.S. Supreme Courts, that is)? What country resides in the conservative imagination in the way that Canada does for liberals? I mean, besdies post-secession Alaska.

Posted by: slopefarm at October 28, 2008 10:38 AM

That would be Singapore slopefarm. No real separation of church & state (thet're all episcopalians actually), no right of assembly, etc, etc, etc.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 28, 2008 10:41 AM

Idiots!

Posted by: troll at October 28, 2008 10:45 AM

Brownstoner, you need to delete Prodigal Son's post immediately. If you don't the secret service will ask you to do so.

Posted by: lechacal at October 28, 2008 10:50 AM

I think Mr B should send his post and his account info to the FBI. Then we'll see PS's sorry mug on TV like those two absurd loser skinheads yesterday

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 28, 2008 10:59 AM

lechacal and DIBS,

Please...

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at October 28, 2008 11:03 AM

No offense taken. I've learned to turn the other cheek.

Posted by: Adam Dahill at October 28, 2008 11:07 AM

PS...you don't get a free pass these days for posting something like that on the web. That threat coupled with all the liberal crap that you post most of the time would most certainly open up an FBI file in your name

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 28, 2008 11:17 AM

DIBS,I give up. I can't win here. I'm hardly a liberal.

OK, Brownstoner and community: I hereby retract all previous comments regarding McCain.

Publicly and openly and absolutely.

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at October 28, 2008 11:23 AM

Up to you Prodigal Son. You just issued a direct threat against the life of a presidential candidate. At best you are just being painfully stupid. Those sorts of things are taken extremely seriously, and rightfully so. The last four words of your post are about the dumbest thing I have seen someone post in a long time. You are now officially below sebb and the What on the intellectual totem pole.

Posted by: lechacal at October 28, 2008 11:27 AM

Actually, prodigal, taking down the post may be to your benefit. You may have unwittingly broken federal law. You really don't want that post hanging out there. You might want to make the request to Mr. B yourself. (Wow, I've really turned into the stereotypically risk-averse lawyer on this post in the last two days. I'll have to stay off the home page and stick to sinks and thermostats for a while. And, I repeat, I am not Mr. B's lawyer and this post does not constitute legal advice.)

Posted by: slopefarm at October 28, 2008 11:28 AM

Yeah, I was actually thinking about Polemecist when I wrote the line about the liberal crap.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 28, 2008 11:30 AM

Unless there is more to it than the quoted language suggests, this escape clause would be very useful to any buyer looking to get out of the contract for any reason whatsoever if Obama happens to lose (even if completely unrelated to the fact that he lost).

Posted by: brooklynguy at October 28, 2008 11:34 AM

We deleted the comment and received a very contrite email from Prodigal Son. Obviously a super uncool move, but not the first time a commenter has said something stupid in haste that he/she regretted moments later. Let's move on.

Posted by: brownstoner at October 28, 2008 11:47 AM

For his benefit you might want to delete the rest of the comments on the same subject.

Posted by: lechacal at October 28, 2008 11:49 AM

For the record, I've never said anything stupid in haste that I've regretted moments later. :-)

Posted by: Biff Champion at October 28, 2008 11:59 AM

For the record, I pretty much regularly say stuff I'd like to at least modify moments later. : )

Posted by: cobblehiller at October 28, 2008 12:00 PM

That's a poorly drafted clause...

Posted by: 1842 at October 28, 2008 12:11 PM

I'm one of those considering leaving the country if McCain wins. I know it's probably impossible because I'd have 2 homes to sell in the middle of a recession, I'd have to schlepp 8 pets overseas and abandon the business I started only a year ago.

But...I left the country for Reagan's second term. Granted, I was younger and had a lot less responsibility back then. A lot less.

I stuck it out for Bush's first term. When he "won" re-election the second time around, I applied for my Irish citizenship (through my husband). That took so long, I figured I can wait around for 2008. Now here we are. I can go anywhere in the EU. But since the whole world is screwed right now.....like I said....it's only a consideration.

Anyway, I'm really freaking out this week!

Posted by: rh at October 28, 2008 12:22 PM

For the record, everything I've posted on here has been mulled over for hours prior to posting.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 28, 2008 12:24 PM

rh, there there dear, you won't be alone.

you can come over to Cobble Hill and talk with me, Better Half and friend of Better Half who also wants to leave the country if Obama doesn't win.

I think I may have to be sedated if Obama doesn't win.

1842, please try not to be such a kill joy

Posted by: cobblehiller at October 28, 2008 12:29 PM

rh, as much as I love Ireland too, please don't leave! In the tragic event that McCain wins, we'll need fun people like you and your better half around to keep our spirits up.

BRG, there's nothing quite like the horror one first feels when prematurely hitting "Post" and realizing they've said something they're about to regret. Fortunately it only happens to me 98.7% of the time.

Posted by: Biff Champion at October 28, 2008 12:32 PM

For the record, I'd like to modify my earlier statement to say that while I often find I would like to modify a recently posted statement, just as often I decide that I should just shut up and delete what I was going to say!

(Bet ya love that one, huh, 1842!)

Posted by: cobblehiller at October 28, 2008 12:32 PM

What's worse, is hitting 'post' or 'send' and then someone telling you, 'are you sure you wanted to say that' or 'was this meant for me'.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 28, 2008 12:44 PM

Hey, I just noticed I said "re-election second time" and nobody corrected me.

Biff, I would never live in Ireland! Blech! I've been married to my lesser half for 20 years now. The visits to the in-laws are hell! I'm looking into other EU countries.

Ok, so how about this CobHil, others? If the worst happens, perhaps we can get some advice from Todd Palin about the secessionist movement.

I.....I can't even fathom it. Oy, I need a drink. Did I mention that I'm freaking out this week?

Posted by: rh at October 28, 2008 1:29 PM

rh, oh let us not talk of sedition - lest we have to write nice contrite apologetic notes begging Mr. B to remove our posts!

you come right on over to my hill, we can sedate ourselves as needed.

Posted by: cobblehiller at October 28, 2008 1:44 PM

Ok, let's talk about sedation instead of sedition. What time on what's your address? Just post it here. FYI, I'm upstate right now so it will take me awhile to get there.

Posted by: rh at October 28, 2008 2:15 PM

Just post it here? Ok, I may need to be sedated, but I'm not crazy!

Posted by: cobblehiller at October 28, 2008 2:25 PM

All this talk about leaving the country if X is elected is for losers, wimps, and cowards. The country has survived bad Presidents and will continue to do so - and even now, thousands of people around the world would like to move here. Furthermore it usually seems to be cosmopolitan, multiple-passport owning types who threaten to leave. Guess it shows how much the coastal elites care about the poor and minorities they plan to leave behind!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at October 28, 2008 4:22 PM

sixyearsandcounting, for many, it means leaving for the sake of their families to go somewhere they believe will give them all a better life. To me, if McCain and Palin are elected, it means a majority of the American voters themselves have chosen to leave the poor and minorities behind.

Posted by: Biff Champion at October 28, 2008 4:35 PM

If McCain and Palin are elected, it means comedy gold. We will all suffer for a punch line.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 28, 2008 4:38 PM

Ok, Cobble, call me then. My # is 718-555-5555.

6 Years, How do you know I'm not a poor minority? I was able to obtain my multiple passports through my once illegal immigrant husband. Minority? No. Poor? Well, I'm certainly not rich!

I have to believe that Bush stole the election twice. You know why? Because if he's not the scapegoat, then I really, really have a problem with the majority of Americans. If they choose to elect McCain over our Messiah, that would really put me over the top. I can love this country just so much. At some point, it's like an bad relationship one needs to get out of.

Posted by: rh at October 28, 2008 6:12 PM

I hear you rh. I have said I'm leaving myself if McCain wins, and I am honestly not sure how serious I am. I love this country but I hate what it became under Bush. I think McCain used to be a stand up guy and at one time I firmly believed if he won, this country would still be ok. If nothing else, I could still handle him winning - not happily- but Palin? Omigod- never. what a right wing religious whacko. even one of McCain's advisors said tha today. I'm amazed she doesn't think the world is flat considering she is the daughter of a science teacher and still has no clue as to why scientists use fruit flies. She thinks funding for fruit fly research should be cut- Shout out to Sarah: No, they are not having them fill out tiny surveys saying if they prefer mangoes over apples.

I know 2000 was stolen, and I know that many votes were lost because of the voting machines and other political games. Bush won by 3 million votes in 2004- hardly a mandate as his subsequent slide proves. But what worries me more is not so much the policies of the republicans, but the way they play politics. This is a meaner, more divided, more fearful country now than it was 8 years ago. 9-11 just gave them the means to infest government with neocons and fundamentalists.

Amen to the sedation! I haven't been able to stop reading the political news for more than 30 minutes at a stretch and I intend to spend election night curled in a fetal position in front of the tv. Maybe we'll have a post-election drink fest- we'll be crying or cheering.

Posted by: bxgrl at October 28, 2008 6:53 PM

rh, then get the h*ll out... we dont want you. The country did elect bush twice (or one and a half times if the florida thing gets you bothered)... depending on your stance, it's the beuty or the flaw of a republic and a democracy.

I despise bush, bush senior, and reagan as much as the next liberal dem... but we have a country with a lot of people who feel differently (expecially when it comes to reagan), the overwhelming bias underlying partisan liberals is revolting sometimes (like neo-cons are all the time)... Just because the other guy one doesnt mean the country is on a one way trip to babylon... it just means either A: your guy sucked as bad or almost as bad (kerry!!) in the public eye, or B: you havent done eneough to properly educate people as to why you and your candidates POV is supirior.

BTW, it takes a lot more than a single man to cause a problem, we may make bush our kicking boy scape-goat (as he well deserves) for every problem under the moon, but the truth is he didnt make the mess... we got there collectively, democrats, liberals, conservatives, republicans, green partiers, and libertarians alike. People are so quick to forget how the whole country got up in arms just after 9/11 and decided to do some world wide ass-kicking, hello iraq & afghanistan... forgot how weve been de-regulating the market (including bill clintons term) slowly but surely for over 30 years... in addition to loosing credit restrictions... hello credit crisis. and the list goes on.

So yea, if you want out... please go. You'll find politics even in our most open and liberalized economies of france, UK, ireland (sorta), the lowlands, japan, and others to be WORSE. Sure theyve got better social protections (health care, Social security)... but theyve also got a whole lot less freedom when it comes to free speech, free association, free trade and the like. People think the expectation to privacy in the US is bad, i DARE YOU to compare it with the lack of privacy and diminshed personal freedoms anywhere in europe or even canada.

Dont run away, stay... and help fix it.

Support net neutrality, fight the DMCA, fight the patriot act, support reducing the "acceptability" of public surveliance (NYC becoming like london?), Fight the allowance of "free speech zones", fight Electronic voting machines without verifiable paper trails, wright a goddamn letter and stop whining about how your gonna leave if the other guy gets elected.

--LionBalls

Posted by: lionballs at October 28, 2008 6:58 PM

Also, please forgive my grevious lack of a spell checker!! :)

--LionBalls

Posted by: lionballs at October 28, 2008 7:03 PM

lionballs- you're being way too hard on rh. There's nothing wrong with asking yourself these questions- if McCain gets elected, after the disastrous last 8 years,and with every indication there would be a continuation of the Bush policies, what's so wrong about wondering if this is becoming a country that some of us don't feel we are welcome to be part of any longer?

there are some frightening trends here, and I don't mean to invoke godwin, except to draw a historical parallel. Jews who saw what was happening got out. My feeling is if McCain/Palin win there is nothing that can be fixed. We as a country may have hit a tipping point into a morass which will define us for years to come. Sometimes you just get tired of being told you aren't patriotic enough, you aren't rich enough, you aren't religious enough, you aren't moral enough to live here. I've been feeling that for the last 8 years.

Your're right- we have met the enemy and he is us, but there may be a time when those of us who love this country truly- and I do- can't bear to see what she has been turned into. And I'm a goddam stubborn b***h when I need to be (there are several folk on b'stoner who can attest to that). Yet I have to wonder do I have the heart (or the lionballs) tolive through another GOP go round. I honestly don't know. Nor do I know where I could possibly go.

Posted by: bxgrl at October 28, 2008 7:31 PM

The spell check isn't the only problem, LionBalls, you seem to suffer from a multiple personality disorder. Do you want me to "Get the hell out" or "Stay and help fix it"? I'm confused.

Agreed, Bxgrl, it's Palin I'm scared of more than McCain. I was kind of glad that he won the primaries because I said "If he wins the White House, he's someone I can live with." Well, not anymore! I'm not too happy with him at the moment, but I'm terrified of her.

Anyway, why are we even talking about this? Obama is going to win and we're all going to live happily ever after. In the United States.

Posted by: rh at October 29, 2008 7:36 AM

I can't imagine the use of this clause anyway. Didn't all those disgruntled leftists leave the country after Bush got reelected in 2004? That's what they said they were going to do.

Posted by: pjsubway at October 29, 2008 8:11 AM

No- we stayed and on Nov. 4 we're voting you guys out of office. And we got all your friends to vote with us too :-)

Posted by: bxgrl at October 29, 2008 10:14 AM

Dont get me wrong, i can also go to europe through my spouse, and have considered it simply as a fun thing to do. But in so far as politics go, leaving the country should be the dead last thing a person feels compelled to do.

To even compare our situation through the last crappy 8 years with the geniuine strife of hitlers rise in germany (godwin) or stalins, lenin, mousilinis, the shah, etc... is a huge dis-service to this country.

Things have not gone anywhere near great, but we are so far from the sort of descent implied by such a comparison its entirely disegeniuous.

If you cant stomach a multi-party system where the other guys get to run things for a while and democracy occasionaly means things dont go your way, then feel free to move to china... where there is only one way all the time.

Were likely headed into a democratic majority in huse senate, and executive... but hey right... if obama isnt elected lets leave!!

its just ridiculous... the type of divisive polarization thats helping to make it even harder to fix things in our country... so yea... if your part of the problem AND you dont want to help fix it... by all means... leave.

enjoy russia.

--LionBalls

Posted by: lionballs at October 29, 2008 2:49 PM

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October 28, 2008

The Obama Escape Clause

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