What it means

I'm exhausted. That's the overall emotion I have right now. Utter exhaustion. With an undercurrent of relief. I've often lectured folks, when they get despondent, that politics truly is the art of the possible. You can always win, even after you've lost far too many times. Just think of where we were 3 years ago - the Republicans controlled the House, Senate and the White House. Far too many Democrats were wondering if we even recognized our country any more. Some people were talking about getting back-up passports, "just in case." Canada was starting to look awful pretty. And now we control the House, the Senate and the White House, and we actually elected an African-American president of the United States, something I'm not sure I was expecting to see in my lifetime.

A word about John McCain. The media will likely begin with two main themes about McCain: 1) He's such a nice man; and 2) He just couldn't overcome circumstance. Please. Joe and I have already written much about John McCain and the way he's run his campaign. McCain may have sold himself as a nice man, at least with his public political face (he's notoriously nasty, according to anyone who knows him). But he lost that claim months ago when he embraced his inner anger as virtue and chose to inspire hate and division as a path towards electoral victory. ("Terrorist!" and "kill him!" come to mind. And the crowd is booing President-elect Obama during McCain's concession speech - Rob and Joe say that this is not "normal" at all. It's boorish, it's nasty, and it's typical of the nasty campaign John McCain has run. Joe and I also wonder whether McCain took a veiled swipe at the Wm. Ayers controversy by talking about how proud he is of HIS association with America.) But let's discuss point 2. That John McCain was a victim of circumstance. What circumstance would that be? That McCain and the Republicans lost the faith of our country by running it into the ground? How is that the fault of some third party rather than John McCain and the Republicans themselves?

Again, after two years, it's hard to be anything but exhausted (well, it didn't help getting home last night at 230AM after seeing Obama in Virginia). But I am admittedly proud too. Of our country. And our people. Granted, it took the biggest economic meltdown since the Great Depression to convince the American public to ditch the Republicans after eight years of utter disaster (other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how'd you like the GOP?), but they finally did. Thank God.

The long national nightmare has come to an end. The dream lives on.

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OBAMA WINS. WILL BE SWORN IN AS 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ON JANUARY 20, 2009.

Washington, California, Oregon, Hawaii and Virginia go to Obama. NBC also called Colorado and Florida for Obama. 297 333 electoral votes. The light at the end of the tunnel has been turned back on.

Coverage from:
Politico
AP

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NY Post calling it for Obama

We're basically convinced it's inevitable, but we'd like it to be official before we pop the champagne for Obama's victory and Rob's birthday. (Okay, we're actually having Kir Royal - I mean, we are Democrats.)


(Hat tip, Ben) Read More......

Within the next hour, we can expect Obama to hit 270 electoral votes. We're on the brink of history.

We're waiting for several states to come in: North Carolina, Florida, Virginia and Colorado. All look really good for Obama. Those states comprise 64 electoral votes. Indiana is still out too.

At 11:00 PM, polls in California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii will close. Obama will win all four. Those states have 77 electoral votes.

Obama currently has 207 electoral votes. He needs 270 to win. Within the next hour, some combination of the above states will push over 270 electoral votes. At that point, the networks will declare that he has been elected president. It's coming. Soon.

John McCain will have to call Obama to concede. McCain will have the opportunity to make his concession speech. Then, we'll hear from Obama. He'll address the huge, and growing, crowd at Grant Park in Chicago.

This is an historic evening. I know it's happening, but I'm still in a little bit of shock. But, it's real.

Our guy is going to be the president.

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Obama wins Iowa

Obama picked up Iowa's seven electoral votes. Bush won Iowa in 2004. And, the McCain campaign claimed Iowa was a dead heat this past weekend.

Montana is too close to call. Nevada is too early to call.

McCain won Utah's five electoral votes. Read More......

Stephanopoulos: McCain's Path to 270 Hard to See

ABC's George Stephaopoulos:

ABC News has projected Barack Obama for Ohio.

This is a big development -- the McCain campaign didn't have a map to 270 that didn't include winning Ohio.

And with Pennsylvania projected for Obama, unless something staggering happens, it's hard to see how McCain gets to 270.

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Obama wins New Mexico

George Bush won New Mexico in 2004. McCain campaigned in his neighboring state yesterday and today.

NBC has called New Mexico for Obama. Read More......

OBAMA WINS OHIO

NBC just called Ohio for Obama.

This is HUGE.

We're on the path to victory...McCain needed to win Ohio's 20 electoral votes. McCain can't win without Ohio.

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Tom Udall (D) wins Senate seat in New Mexico

Tom Udall (D) defeated Congressman Steve Pearce (R). This is a Democratic pick-up as the seat was held by Pete Domenici (R).

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Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA): GOP a ‘white, rural, regional party’

The Republicans are going to try to spin lots of excuses for why they lost - excuses that exonerate them. Things like, "if it weren't for the economy," or "if it weren't for George Bush." Well, you know what, you can't "blame" the economy for your losses if the voters don't trust you on economic issues. It's your fault they don't trust you. As for Bush, the Republicans voted for him, twice, and lead GOP politicians like John McCain voted with him 90% of the time. Bush's problem wasn't that he strayed from conservatism. George Bush was the embodiment, the epitome, of conservatism. And look where it got us. Tonight, so far, has been a repudiation of Republicans and the extremism that has taken over their party. Good riddance,

Politico:

“We've become a regional party, basically become a white, rural, regional party, and not a national party. And we're going to have to retool ourselves,” he added.

Davis, a leading moderate who is retiring from Congress this year, said that Democrats have for now boxed the GOP mostly into the South, though he cautioned that the party’s gains may not hold for long.

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Obama wins Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Arizona "too close to call"

Obama: Michigan (17), New York (31), Minnesota (10), Rhode Island (4), Wisconsin (10)

McCain: Kansas (6), North Dakota (3), Wyoming (3). UPDATE: McCain gets Arkansas (6), too.

Arizona is "too close to call."

Too early to call: Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota. Read More......

Jay Nixon (D) wins Governor's race in Missouri

Nixon defeated from Congressman Hulshof. This is a Democratic pick-up. The incumbent, who retired, is Matt Blunt, son of GOP House leader Roy Blunt.

Delaware also has a new Democratic governor, Jack Markell, who succeeds Ruth Ann Minner, also a Democrat.

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McCain wins Georgia, Alabama

Alabama (9) and Georgia (15) called for McCain.

Sounds like Obama gave McCain a run for his money in the Peachtree State. Read More......

In North Carolina, Kay Hagan (D) defeats incumbent Liddy Dole (R)

There is a god.

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In NH, Shaheen (D) defeated Sununu (R)

Jeanne Shaheen (D) defeated incumbent John Sununu (R).

Collins (R) won in Maine (I'll have more on this one later in the week.)

Mississippi is too close to call between incumbent Republican Wicker against Democrat Musgrove.

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I don't want to jinx things, but...

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Obama wins Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. Those are the blue states McCain wanted.

A slew of states are called at 8 PM.

So much for that GOP spin about Pennsylvania and NH. And, both were called early, which means that the margins are wide enough for the networks to feel comfortable making the call.

Obama: Pennsylvania (21), New Jersey (15), Massachusetts (12), Connecticut (7), Maine (4), Delaware (3), DC (3)

McCain: Oklahoma (7), Tennessee (11)

Too close to call: Florida, Missouri.

Too early to call: Alabama, Mississippi.

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CNN is beaming in their correspondents as holograms

I'm not sure what to think of this. Click the photos to see the full-size version. It's very weird and Star Trek-y (and I say this as someone who likes Star Trek). Your thoughts?

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McCain wins South Carolina

No real surprise. 8 electoral votes.

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Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina polls are closed

Ohio and West Virginia are too early to call.

North Carolina is too close to call.

Things don't look good for Republican Senator Liddy Dole:

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Mark Warner (D) wins Senate seat in Virginia. Georgia and Kentucky too close to call

Per CNN and NBC not a surprise, but a good start: Mark Warner wins.

NBC also reports Senate races in Georgia [incumbent Chambiss (R) v. Martin (D)] and Kentucky [incumbent McConnell (R) v. Lundsford (D)] are too close to call right now.

Lindsey Graham (R) won in South Carolina.

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McCain wins Kentucky, Obama wins Vermont

From NBC:

Too close to call: Indiana

Too early to call: Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina

McCain wins Kentucky with 8 electoral votes. Obama wins Vermont with 3 electoral votes.

Game on...

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Republican Senator Mitch McConnell doesn't sound very confident. He's worried about the coverage tonight.

Kentucky votes will start rolling in soon. The GOP's Senate Leader, Mitch McConnell, doesn't want us to read anything into the numbers. This doesn't make McConnell sound very confident:

Mitch McConnell's campaign is advising the media not to prematurely call the tight race between the Senate Minority Leader and millionaire Democrat Bruce Lunsford. Political forecasters show the race as leaning Republican but some have already written off the Kentucky senator.

McConnell, a four-term senator, has seen his popularity slip due in part to a weakened economy which has taken a hard toll on a state that is already one of the country's poorest. Lunsford has tried to capitalize on this by promising change that only Democratic leadership can bring.

"Because of the high profile of this race and the early poll closings in Kentucky, there will undoubtedly be a rush to assess the Senate race," McConnell's campaign said in missive titled "What to expect in the Kentucky Senate race."

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Poll closing times and what to look for as the night rolls on

We're approaching 6 P.M. EST That's when the polls close in most of Kentucky, where we're watching the McConnell-Lunsford race, and also close in parts of Indiana. We probably won't get anything more definitive than McCain winning Kentucky.

The night will unfold as the polls close across the country. The networks will have the exit polling info. and will be giving clues. They'll give breakdowns of different demographic groups like young voters, white men and African-Americans -- and what percent of voters chose the economy and change as their tops issues. But, there are also some important things to watch for in terms of results -- what's called and what isn't.

I put together a breakdown of the times the rest of the states close...keep in mind, polls will stay open past the scheduled closing times if people are in line.

Things should get interesting after 7:00 P.M. EST. That's when Indiana shuts down statewide -- and also Vermont, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia polls close. Most of Florida close at 7:00, too, but the western parts of the Panhandle are in another time zone. Based on some quick research, it looked like the networks called Indiana and Georgia within minutes of the polls closing back on November 2, 2004. If no early calls tonight, it could be a long night for McCain. That'll be one of the early indicators. In past years, the Republican candidate had those electoral votes nailed down very early in the night.

At 7:30 P.M. EST North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia close. Don't expect anything early from Ohio. North Carolina is key for Obama and the Senate race.

Then, at 8:00 P.M. EST, a slew of states close including Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. All of Florida closes by 8:00 P.M. Missouri will be the nail biter. Don't expect results until close to midnight when St. Louis County and the city come in. Remember McCain thinks he's going to win PA and NH.

At 8:30 P.M. EST, Arkansas closes.

Then, at 9:00 P.M. EST another wave of states close: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. Watch for Colorado and North Dakota in this batch.

At 10:00 P.M. EST, Iowa, Montana, Nevada and Utah close. At 11:00 P.M. EST, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon and Washington shut down.

Alaska will have all of its polls closed by 1:00 A.M. EST. We'll find out very late if Ted Stevens is going down.

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Rick Sanchez pwns Joe the Whiner

Tax cheat Joe the Plumber lectures CNN's Rich Sanchez about how his "principles" teach him that rich people shouldn't pay more taxes, but poor people should. Sanchez will have none of it. Which then forces Joe to start whining that he's a private citizen and all these questions are mean. Yeah, Mr. Private Citizen hired an agent and went on Larry King last night. Joe is starting to sound like a bit of a prissy pretty-boy celebrity, to me. Oh, and we learn that apparently, in addition to owing over a thousand bucks in back taxes, a hospital is coming after Joe for $1100 they say he owes them too. Some principles, deadbeat. It's about time someone exposed the little beeyatch.

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Traitor Joe shows up at McCain's final rally

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Tomorrow begins the reckoning. Read More......

Barack Obama is IRISH!

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More Tuesday Turnout stories

From Pete in San Diego: "Waited in line for approx 1 hour it a light drizzle—most people were in good spirits and taking the weather in stride (note, it’s the first time it’s rained since moving here in late august). Monica waited for about 45min last week to cast her ballot early at the registrar’s office, early voting apparently has had a high turnout in SD county."

From Mary in Portland Maine: "Okay, I got weepy just driving past Reiche school this morning 15 minutes after the polls open at 7:15 and seeing the line out to curb…" Reiche School is one end of Portland. My mother reports from the other end of town that she's never seen so many people at the polls. "It was a mob scene."

From MM in NJ: "Just got back from voting and WOW! I live in a safe Democratic congressional district and my polling place is in a very blue town, yet the lines were very long. Longer than I've ever seen. I waited more than 75 minutes to vote, compared to about 15 minutes in 2004, and about 10 minutes in 2006, 2002 and 2000. In the 1990s, I maybe had to wait 5 minutes tops in NJ. In the 1980s (NY, DC), I don't remember every having to wait. The turn out is just incredible. The commitment to America inspiring. I haven't felt this good about voting since I cast my first vote many decades ago. If this many people turn out in a safe district, I only hope even more people are turning out in contested districts. I would love to see NJ-7 and NJ-5 switch to Democrats!"

Got this one at noon Eastern from CA: "One coworker in Pasadena is still waiting - been there since 7:30...Another coworker from West Hollywood, is enduring a 3 block long wait. It took me an hour and five minutes this morning. 2004 it took about 8 minutes."

And, this from Nicole in suburb of St. Louis: "I am in Maplewood right outside the city limits. We are a small town that never gets much attention. I was involved in a tax levy a few years back that was hotly contested and the final turnout on that day was around 1,200. I just went to our polling place with my husband and kids and the line is two hours long! They said it was worse earlier. An older gentleman behind us quipped,"I didn't think there were this many people left in Maplewood." The Obama people are there handing out donuts ,papers, and chairs to sit in while you wait. I have always voted at this location and I am just stunned by the turnout and also by the fact that we actually have Volunteers! I am heading back up now and I will try to get a picture. This is nothing but great news for Obama. Not only are we St. louis county but we already lean heavily democrat. Yes we can!" Read More......

Obama: "Fired Up? Ready to Go!"

Great video from last night.

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Sarah Palin sounds like she knows she lost. She also refuses to say if she voted for Stevens.

Can't get rid of "that one" fast enough. Watch the video, she and her husband both sound like they know they lost. And it's simply amazing that she may have voted for a convicted felon for Senator.

The woman did next to no real interviews, never held a press conference, and McCain hasn't held one in two and a half months. And the media did nothing about it. On that account, they let us down. Yes, there is something they could have done. How about not letting Palin and McCain go on SNL and Letterman and every other goofy fluffy show until they hold a real press conference? How about pulling your reporters off their bus and their plane? Our media allowed McCain to set a precedent where presidential candidates are no longer required to be publicly accountable. Yet another way in which the Republicans are continually watering down our democracy, and the media, the supposed watchdogs of that democracy, yet again are complicit.

Here's the blithering idiot - she says she thinks America is "cool." And it is. But at some point, if you want to work in the White House and run the country, you need to learn to talk and act like an adult.

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This is what democracy looks like

UPDATE: I just got the video done. It's from last night, and includes Obama's entrance, some chants of "Obama, Obama!" and "Fired Up? Ready to Go", and then Obama's close. It's actually pretty cool, now that I look at it again. The quality of the video is nothing to write home about, but just watch and tell me you don't feel something.



Rob and I drove out to Manassas, Virginia last night to see Obama's final rally. It's a 30 to 40 minute drive that took 2.5 hours. There were so many people. The way home was even worse - rally ended at 1030 (maybe 11), got home at 230 (the Manassas police chose to sit this one out and, literally, lean against their cars and watch the traffic grind to a halt for an hour at various intersections). Anyway.... we're glad we went. Saw a number of other bloggy folk, including Tracy Russo (who was John Edwards blogger outreach person), Ezra Klein, and David Corn. Here are a few of my photos - video coming later. Oh, and for many of the photos, if you click the image it will open a larger version.



A little freeway blogging on the highway out to suburban Virginia.



No need to play Where's Waldo with diversity in this crowd. Finally a political rally that looks like America. Oh yeah, and nobody shouting anything about assassinations or terrorists either. It's amazing what a little civilization does for a crowd.



The press area, which we were in, was really wonderfully located. We were a good, maybe 50 or 60 feet from Obama (I'm bad at distances). As Obama was speaking, I kept hearing this voice in the back of my head (seriously), saying "My friends...." The contrast could not have been starker between McCain's whine and Obama's eloquence. Obama is presidential. McCain is simply angry.



I got several nice panorama shots (click the photo to see a larger version). Hopefully Blogger won't water the photo down too much. I especially like the tshirt on the kid in front to the right.

Okay, folks wanted more photos, here are a few more.





This one isn't a panorama, but you really get a sense of the crowd. Rob tells me the crowd looped around to the left, way beyond the press risers.



Sea of Change.

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Tuesday Turnout stories

A lot of what we're hearing right now is anecdotal. ABC and AP have taken their first cracks at the turnout articles. Virginia reported some sporadic problems with voting machines.

Philadephia Daily News blog, City Hall, is reporting on long lines in that city. Pennsylvania doesn't have early voting.

Reading similar reports from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri is another state that didn't have early voting.

Ari posted pictures of the line this morning in our neighborhood. This is the precinct where John and I both vote, too.

My friend, Aaron, who votes in Northern Virginia, sent a text he saw a lot of young and new voters at his precinct. He got there at what he thought would be the end of the morning rush and still had to wait 40 minutes.

Bruce Elfant in Austin told me last night that 50% of voters in Travis County had already voted -- and the county expected 80% turnout.

Ben Smith has been getting emails from his readers around the country.

One last thing: Nate Silver says ignore the exit polls. I'm going to take Nate's advice. He hasn't steered me wrong yet.

UPDATE: Got two calls from New York. My friend, Joe, who is working on the Alice Kryzan campaign reports heavy turnout in that upstate district. And, Danny O'Donnell just told me he's never seen anything like it in NYC. There was a line of 600 people in one precinct. Danny also reported that it's a beautiful day in NYC and the voters in line are in a very good mood.

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Voting is "an act of faith in America"

My friend, Mark, sent along a link to his brother's NPR essay on voting. The brother is a Catholic priest serving in Cameron Park, Texas -- on the border with Mexico. According to the 2000 census, it is "the poorest place in the United States." I just listened and found it pretty moving.

Voting matters...and there are still priests who believe in social justice. Thanks, Father Mike. Read More......

Vindication for Howard Dean's 50-state strategy and he tells us: Don't blow it

First, a message from the Chair of the Democratic Party:



Then this: The Hill profiles DNC Chair Howard Dean in an article titled, "Last laugh may replace the scream." Howard Dean is getting the last laugh. But even better, Dean's Democratic Party is winning. Big. He had the vision for the 50-state strategy -- and that strategy will pay off today as Democrats make gains in what had long been considered GOP strongholds:

Howard Dean doesn’t believe in luck, nor does he leave matters to chance.

“My favorite quote is from Louis Pasteur: Chance favors the prepared mind,” Dean said in an interview Monday while campaigning in John McCain’s home state of Arizona.

Dean envisioned the Democratic Party building a new base in solidly Republican strongholds, and should Barack Obama win the presidency and Democrats expand their margins in Congress on Tuesday, as most polls predict, Dean will walk away from this election as one of the unsung heroes.

“Quiet” is not a word most people would have used for Dean four years ago, when he bowed out of the 2004 presidential race with a now-infamous scream.

But Dean, the former Vermont governor, took control of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2005 amid cries that he would embarrass the party — and from there, built the party’s political machine.

Dean relied on his own brand of grassroots organization, ventured into rural districts that typically vote Republican and recycled the language of empowerment from his failed presidential campaign, which has become the template for Obama’s historic run for the White House.

There's so much in those few paragraphs about how Dean changed the game -- and was right. But, I love the tidbit that Dean was interviewed from the home state of John McCain on the day before the election. Read More......

An election day poem

Jean Carnahan was an early supporter of Barack Obama. She's been stumping around the country for the Democratic ticket. This morning, she sent me a poem she wrote for Election Day, which she posted at Fired Up Missouri:

Will You Come and Stand With Me

An Election Day shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered--
We voters, we happy voters, we band of brothers;
For he today that stands with me
Shall be my brother . . .
And those who remain this day a-bed
Shall think themselves the worst they were not here,
And hold their freedoms cheap who did not rise
And stand with me in St. Louis on Election Day.

(Apologies to Will Shakespeare and Henry V.)

Jean Carnahan

I'd stand with Jean Carnahan anywhere.

Missouri is a pure toss-up. I'm told the Obama ground game is unlike anything the state has ever seen.

Jean's daughter, Robin, is the Secretary of State who will make sure the process runs smoothly. It's really good to have Democrats serving as Secretaries of State.

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The Obamas cast their votes

The Obama family headed to the polls this morning. Okay, I'll admit it, I got goosebumps watching....

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In Manassas with 90,000 supporters of Obama

Rob and John got back very, very late from Manassas, but Rob uploaded some of his pics. It was a stunning crowd and a great way to end this historic campaign.

These people were fired up and ready to go -- as was Obama -- in Virginia, a state that hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964:

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Tuesday Morning, Election Day, Open Thread

Finally. It's here. Election Day. I love Election Day. It's like Christmas for political junkies.

We've waited for a long time to get to this day. Now, we all need to turn out every remaining vote. It's worth a wait in line to change the world -- and many, many, many Americans have already shown that in early voting states.

By the end of this day, we should know who our next president is. Our long, long national nightmare is coming to an end.

Important note that we'll repeat throughout the day: If you have any problems with voting or know anyone who does, contact Voter Protection immediately:by phone at 1-877-US-4-OBAMA (1-877-874-6226) or via the Obama campaign website

And, happy birthday to my sister, Maureen, who often gets short shrift on her birthday because it falls on Election Day or close to it.

Let's get it started....

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Election day greetings from Barcelona

Joelle and I can hardly even sleep, but we still have to wait until tomorrow morning to get the news. Here in Barcelona, we've also been chatting politics with fellow Americans as well as Europeans and we're all on edge. The signs are all there for a big day but until the voters vote and the votes are all counted there's nothing more to do other than wait. It is not an overstatement to say that the world is watching. Europeans are keen to see the America that they once knew before 2000, before the cowboy politics and before the alienating policies on every last issue. Partnering with allies and finding global solutions to global challenges is what makes a great nation great.

Get out there and vote today. Vote for America and vote for the world. Let's get back to being the country that we all love and used to know. Read More......

Late night with Bruce and Barack

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It's Election Day on the East Coast and Dixville Notch, NH voted for Obama

It's November 4th here in the East. Dixville Notch, New Hampshire has a history of being the first locale to vote, both in the primary and general election. Dixville Notch is way up in the northern reaches of the Granite State -- and hasn't voted for a Democrat since 1968.

Tonight, according to CNN, Obama won Dixville Notch by a vote of 15 - 6. Larry King called it "an upset."

We're on a roll.

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