7:01 P.M.: And we are coming to you live from Battling the Current Election Headquarters. Join me, my giant multicolored map and….damn, I couldn’t even get Nader to show up for this one. Just me at the moment.
7:02 P.M.: So here is the gameplan. I’m going to watch all of the coverage tonight and make my comments as things progress. Part of this will be my analysis of the results and the other part will be my analysis of the analysis. I’m starting off on ABC just because I believe that the evening should begin with George Snuffalupagus.
7:04 P.M.: We already have two states called. McCain has an early 8-3 lead based on his victory in Kentucky versus Obama’s carrying both Ben and Jerry’s vote in Vermont. I’m surprised about Vermont. I assumed that the entire state was in line for the next Phish concert.
7:12 P.M.: My voting story from this morning. I was there at 7:15 in the morning with the polls having opened at seven. Waited in line for about 45 minutes with the bottleneck being the registration desk. Once I picked up my registration card (with no issues related to my move out there) I went to the electronic machine where, for some reason, the election official had to announce that “[Insert name here] is now voting.” It made the whole event have this strange debutante’s ball feel to it.
No problems with the machine and sadly there were no judicial races or ballot amendments that I could have fun with. Every election I look forward to voting against judges just because I don’t like their name. I was tempted to vote Socialist Worker once again as it allows me to a) say I voted and b) feel no guilt about it.
I will say this. There was a very interesting vibe to the entire event. I live in a predominantly African-American precinct and the sense of pride in the room was palatable. Everyone stood in line without complaining just happy to have the opportunity to voice our opinion. No issues, just a lot of people calmly making their way with a sense of history in the air. Very cool.
7:36 P.M.: Given that we don’t actually have results yet we are forced to have the classic election shots of a) people standing in line to vote, b) people setting up victory parties and c) random crowd shots of Times Square for no reason other than it is across the street from the studio. Ten points to the guy who weaseled his way next to the ABC reporter just to unfold an “Investigate 9/11” banner.
7:48 P.M.: George Will has broken out his bow tie for tonight’s event. Always remember the rule surrounding bow tie wearing. Old men wearing bow ties: liberal. Young men wearing bow ties: Incredibly conservative. True, George Will breaks this rule but for the most part it is true.
7:51 P.M.: South Carolina goes for McCain. Or, to put it another way, the Cocks go for McCain. Yes, expect numerous Beavis and Butthead jokes tonight.
7:58 P.M.: Obama picks up a whole bunch of states. Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey , New Hampshire…and others. Sorry if this has gotten a little disjointed as I am on the phone with a slightly distraught McCain supporter at the moment.
8:22 P.M.: It is rather difficult to be on the phone, write and watch tv at the same time.
9:34 P.M.: And I’m back. Did I miss anything?
9:35 P.M.: Ok, I should explain things. As I said last night I was going to watch the results alone but was more than willing to talk to anyone who wanted to share this moment with me. I had a taker and as a result I’ve only had the television on mute as we’ve discussed the results and life in general. I’ll try to catch up in about five minutes.
Delaware goes for Obama: This marks the fourth time in five elections that the candidate that I have voted for has won the state I am in. (For the record, this is also my third state in three presidential elections.)
Illinois goes for Obama without even needing Mayor Daley to raise the dead to vote this year.
West Virginia goes to McCain after a surprising wait. McCain’s strong support of the coonskin cap industry puts him over the top here.
South Dakota also goes to McCain thus answering the question, “Do people in South Dakota actually vote?”
Kansas goes for McCain, thus explaining why I was forced to move halfway across the country.
John Kerry has won his senate race. Good for him. It would be nice for him to win a race for once.
Pennsylvania was given to Obama as soon as the polls closed. This is the first sign that Obama is in command as without this state McCain has to really win out. The fact that it was called so early means that it wasn’t very close.
Ohio also goes to Obama and that might clinch it. With Ohio all Obama would need to win are the states Kerry won and he would win the election.
I also apparently will now owe someone drinks if Obama wins. This will be the first step in the “sharing the wealth” strategy employed by Obama.
9:46 P.M.: Gov. Polenszy from Minnesota is now talking on ABC. If he was the republican veep campaign I think it would have been a much tougher race. That would have had people like me rethinking their votes. The scenes from the McCain victory party is looking less than joyful right now.
9:54 P.M.: For those wondering, my favorite news story of the day has been that they wouldn’t allow voters to cast their ballot in the nude in Florida. Apparently they are residents of a nudist colony in a district and were longing to cast the vote wearing what the good lord gave them. If there is one thing this country stands for, it is the right to have your bits flapping around as you decide the future of the nation.
9:56 P.M.: I’m switching to the Daily Show to get their take.
9:57 P.M.: Iowa goes to Obama. That goes with New Mexico and New Hampshire as states that have turned blue this cycle. Now if only the democrats could win New Texas and New Florida and I could call it an early night.
10:05 P.M.: Daily Show was surprisingly not very funny for the first statement so I’ve switched to CNN only to be confronted by James Carville who always looks as though he is about to devour my soul. Or beam me back to his home planet, one of the two.
10:15 P.M.: NBC has just started their election coverage after having spent the past two hours showing The Biggest Loser.
10:16 P.M.: Best name of the election: Winner of the Georgia senate race Saxby Chambliss. I admire anyone who can go through life with a name like Saxby and not decide to change it.
10:25 P.M.: On the plus side, McCain has already outperformed Mondale and McGovern in terms of performance. That said, so did I in this election but it is definitely something to be proud of.
10:39 P.M.: I’ve switched over to PBS so I have less pithy comments about the coverage as I am actually intent on following what is going on. Virginia was just called for Obama and that would really cinch it. We could get a victory speech in the next hour or so once California closes.
10:41 P.M.: I also would like to say hi to a number of my friends who are at the Obama rally in Grant Park right now. I really wish I was there at the moment. Must be one hell of a night on the lakefront.
11:00 P.M.: And that is ballgame. California and the rest of the west is declared for Obama and we have something even I never thought I would get to see. I had always thought that sometime in my lifetime I would get to see an African American president but it was always in more of a theoretical sense. I never really anticipated it to happen and certainly not this soon, just forty years removed from the civil rights movement. It is an amazing moment.
11:02 P.M.: It also means that we can reclaim our country and our constitution. That is the most important factor for me. I yearn for a country ruled by justice again. It does give you a sense of wonder at the nature of this place where we can do this peacefully. No tanks in the streets required.
11:11 P.M.: I’m going to call it a night from a writing perspective. Sorry for the lack of updates but life occasionally gets in the way. More analysis tomorrow as I stay up to watch the speeches and put together all of my thoughts.
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