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[AniHawk]

Down by 700 votes

Pine is done. St. Louis and Hannepin are almost all in. I don't think it'll be enough to offset the lead + whatever Coleman has left in Cass though. Very narrow win for Coleman.

 

[Haunted]

Actually looks like he may be taking 365 thanks to Omaha, which still has yet to be officially called.

Omaha messing up my prediction!

Spoiler

more EVs are good.

And yet that is exactly what they did to try and keep the white house.

And that's one of the reasons why they lost in a landslide. Now if they react to that landslide by going even further to the right... obscurity and irrelevance await them.

 

[Plinko]

I just woke up to find that Alaska voted a man who was just convicted of a crime back into office.

High standards they must have up there. Seriously, Alaska. Come on.

Oh well. The Senate will kick him out regardless.

 

[grandjedi6]

I just woke up to find that Alaska voted a man who was just convicted of a crime back into office.

High standards they must have up there. Seriously, Alaska. Come on.

Oh well. The Senate will kick him out regardless.

Kick him out just in time for Palin to appoint herself Senator

 

[Red Scarlet]

:lol @ Joe insinuating that everyone else is now racist because they haven't had a black president / prime minister.

Australia goin' dowwwwwwwwwwwn.

Alright, I gotta sleep and I have a presentation to do tomorrow. :lol
I got yesterday's paper and am getting today's, and I have only 2 others (2000 election, 9/12), but you folks that can, try to get your paper and save it somewhere. Show it to your kids or grandkids. Today was historic. Be proud that you probably made a difference!

Guess most of us WERE bad enough to elect the president! GOBAMA

 

[Blackhead]

Kick him out just in time for Palin to appoint herself Senator

:lol is she seriously thinking about doing this?

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Well it look like Moxie didn't make it to Arizona. It's a hard loss indeed but, I'll take it. Moxie went to the states that needed it.

 

[Red Scarlet]

:lol is she seriously thinking about doing this?

 

[eznark]

I just woke up to find that Alaska voted a man who was just convicted of a crime back into office.

High standards they must have up there. Seriously, Alaska. Come on.

Oh well. The Senate will kick him out regardless.

Louisiana seems about ready to return Jefferson to the house as well. Corruption can't trump name recognition.

 

[Wes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuRUvz8may8

Thandie Newton and Ricky Gervais read the script to Nailin' Palin.

 

[Tr4nce]

Wow. Congratulations, America. I followed the news all night here in Holland, but I didn't know Obama was ahead so much of that douche McCain. This is a revolutionary day. A black man for president. Incredible, but so awesome.

 

[Amir0x]

i woke up in a fever pitch, and it's all real..

All actually, truly real.

CALL NORTH CAROLINA ALREADY GODDAMN

Not as boom-tactular for the Senate races, but still a very powerful night.

 

[HylianTom]

Louisiana seems about ready to return Jefferson to the house as well. Corruption can't trump name recognition.

And none of Jefferson's primary opponents endorsed his opponent, knowing that she would lose, that he'd probably be convicted, that he'd then be removed from office, and they would then get another chance to run for the seat.

Embarrassing.

 

[Slurpy]

What the hell- is this true??!

Something to look at in the next couple of days -- turnout sucked. Not all ballots are in, but we're currently at almost 119M for the night. We had 122M vote in 2004. So we may get to 2004 levels. A quick spot check confirmed numbers down in many states (e.g. CA, NY, OH, etc). Could it be Republicans staying home? A look at the exit polls will be on my agenda tomorrow.

How is this possible?

 

[syllogism]

What the hell- is this true??!



How is this possible?

AP is saying 136m

Politico says 130+m

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15306.html

 

[Wes]

It's PrimeMinisters Questions today. Huzzah!

Get ready for Brown and Cameron fighting it out to be the one to latch onto Obama's coattails.

 

[AniHawk]

One thing about McCain's concession speech, he seemed pretty sincere throughout. I think he was just tired. Not just physically and mentally, but probably tired of the people he had to court. When they started booing at the mention of Obama's name, he had a sort of "Oh just shut up already" look on his face. I kinda feel bad for the guy, because I think he could have ran a better campaign if it wasn't for Karl Rove Lite doing their best job of fear-mongering and other bullshit. But, then again, he probably didn't have the right judgment if he had to resort to those people in the first place.

Oh well. Hopefully the guy helps Obama's presidency go smoothly, and then he can retire in peace.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

AP is saying 136m

I would have loved it if he won this damn hard even with low turnout.

Anyone have youtube footage of Eugene Robinson last night? I was flipping around most of the night and missed it.

 

[hc2]

Wow. Congratulations, America. I followed the news all night here in Holland, but I didn't know Obama was ahead so much of that douche McCain. This is a revolutionary day. A black man for president. Incredible, but so awesome.

I thought McCain showed a lot of class in his concession speech. I didn't vote for him, but he is a good person. He showed me a lot of spirit and the high moral ground in this election. A lot of cheap tactics he could have used to wage fear but his campaign was above board.

 

[MetatronM]

What the hell- is this true??!



How is this possible?

Yeah, we'll probably finish right around the 2004 totals when it's all done.

And yeah, it is probably more evangelicals not coming out. Remember they came out in MASSIVE numbers in 2004, yet we've heard basically nothing about them in the past 24 hours.

There were turnout gains among youth and African Americans, but that was balanced out by a reduction in turnout from the far right.

At least that's how it looks at first glance.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

ALIEN WEEPS FOR MCCAIN LOSS

PHOENIX, AZ - The Alien is in remorse over his first ever incorrect presidential endorsement.

The Alien, well known for correctly endorsing every presidential winner since 1980, is in shock over his first losing endorsement.

The Alien was not available for comment, but issued a statement that sent his condolences to both the American public and Senator John McCain for getting it wrong.

Insiders believe the Alien will beam himself this evening to McCain’s home to offer the Senator a shoulder to cry on.

 

[User 10639]

It's PrimeMinisters Questions today. Huzzah!

Get ready for Brown and Cameron fighting it out to be the one to latch onto Obama's coattails.

Didn't Brown already endorse Obama in print? I think he's got that one down.

 

[tHoMNZ]

i think McCain is a good man, backed by bad people and supporters.

 

[bengraven]

*I have a dream speech*

Agh, reading up on the moment Poligaf learned McCain cedes and trying to keep my cool and you mother fuckers start posting "I Have a Dream". :lol :lol :lol

Tearing up here.

 

[Dan]

A lot's being thrown around about Palin appointing someone to Stevens's seat if he leaves. She could possibly appoint someone, although there appears to be a state constitutional issue over it, but it'd only be for 90 days until a special election.

 

[smurfx]

 

[HylianTom]

Yeah, we'll probably finish right around the 2004 totals when it's all done.

And yeah, it is probably more evangelicals not coming out. Remember they came out in MASSIVE numbers in 2004, yet we've heard basically nothing about them in the past 24 hours.

There were turnout gains among youth and African Americans, but that was balanced out by a reduction in turnout from the far right.

At least that's how it looks at first glance.

That's kinda scary, when you think about it. More evangelical turnout could've swung North Carolina, Indiana, Florida, and maybe Ohio & Virginia.

Still, we would've won in such a scenario with Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, and New Mexico. I'm thoroughly, thoroughly impressed with our margins in these 2004 red states.

 

[Darkman M]

Biden seems to be a cool dude :lol

 

[Wes]

Didn't Brown already endorse Obama in print? I think he's got that one down.

As has Cameron and Clegg (leader of the LibDems, the third major party here).

Both endorsements by Brown and Cameron will be shown o nthe late night news broadcasts, but PMQ's is always a good way for one side to get the upper hand over another. I imagine the first couple of minutes will be about Britain's new expected relationship with America.

 

[Slurpy]

I thought McCain showed a lot of class in his concession speech. I didn't vote for him, but he is a good person. He showed me a lot of spirit and the high moral ground in this election. A lot of cheap tactics he could have used to wage fear but his campaign was above board.

Uhh...No.. it really wasn't above board. At all. Let's not rewrite history here, so soon. It was very much a dirty campaign, which contributed to his loss.

But I admit it was a good concession speech.

 

[HylianTom]

Franken is still less than 600 votes down. Damn.

And here we are, hours later, still at 99%.

 

[reilo]

How sad that both Florida's and California's Gay Marriage bans will pass.

Sorry Gaborn, but it's obvious this shit ain't gonna get done on the state level.

 

[Bernbaum]

Awesome! Did you make this >?

 

[Iksenpets]

:lol

 

[GaimeGuy]

holy fuck @ Franken / Coleman.

 

[MetatronM]

Franken is still less than 600 votes down. Damn.

And here we are, hours later, still at 99%.

Gap is now just under 760.

I don't think this is happening for Franken. I think there just aren't enough votes left.

 

[Hootie]

Barackafeller Center :lol

 

[chase]

Alolska is ridiculous. Palin and a felon. Sorry, two felons. I endorse Alolska as the new Florida.

 

[HylianTom]

How sad that both Florida's and California's Gay Marriage bans will pass.

Sorry Gaborn, but it's obvious this shit ain't gonna get done on the state level.

Concur here. The job will be done via the courts.

The same folks who whine about judges "writing law from the bench" are going to wet their pants when the court refuses to write "equal protection of the law - except for marriage law, and except for the homos" into the Equal Protection Clause.

 

[Slurpy]

Man, I'm gonna have a shit load of right wing blog reading today.

From what I've seen, they haven't given him an ounce of credit for his victory. Not an ounce.

And I hope the GOP follows the general sentiment of these blogs, which is not wanting to learn a damn thing about this election. Apparently McCain wasn't enough to the right. Yeah, looking forward to this party finally going down the shitter.

For an example..

http://michellemalkin.com/

 

[Haunted]

:lol

I love this meme.

 

[lastendconductor]

FUCK YEAH!

 

[Big Chief Crazy Cone]

Biden's smile... :lol :lol Perfect.

 

[Crisco]

Seriously, Ted Stevens won? I guess I can't be surprised over the state that brought Sarah Palin to prominence.

 

[KRS7]

I guess the republican talking point for the day is that the press elected Obama. I guess that is one way to help soothe the pain.

 

[GaimeGuy]

<Me> So, uh... Ted Stevens has been convicted of seven felones


<Alaska> Durrrrr.......... I think I'll vote for Stevens!

 

[Blackhead]

Morning Joe is such bullshit. The NYT "deified" Obama. What nonsense. He keeps inserting little bits about how he supports Obama then just knifing him with every other sentence. Ugh.

 

[hc2]

Good article:

The Challenge
For Obama, No Time for Laurels; Now the Hard Part

By PETER BAKER
Published: November 4, 2008
WASHINGTON — No president since before Barack Obama was born has ascended to the Oval Office confronted by the accumulation of seismic challenges awaiting him. Historians grasping for parallels point to Abraham Lincoln taking office as the nation was collapsing into Civil War, or Franklin D. Roosevelt arriving in Washington in the throes of the Great Depression.
The task facing Mr. Obama does not rise to those levels, but that these are the comparisons most often cited sobers even Democrats rejoicing at their return to power. On the shoulders of a 47-year-old first-term senator, with the power of inspiration yet no real executive experience, now falls the responsibility of prosecuting two wars, protecting the nation from terrorist threat and stitching back together a shredded economy.
Given the depth of these issues, Mr. Obama has little choice but to “put your arm around chaos,” in the words of Leon E. Panetta, the former White House chief of staff who has been advising his transition team.

“You better damn well do the tough stuff up front, because if you think you can delay the tough decisions and tiptoe past the graveyard, you’re in for a lot of trouble,” Mr. Panetta said. “Make the decisions that involve pain and sacrifice up front.”

What kind of decision maker and leader Mr. Obama will be remains unclear even to many of his supporters. Will he be willing to use his political capital and act boldly, or will he move cautiously and risk being paralyzed by competing demands from within his own party? His performance under the harsh lights of the campaign trail suggests a figure with remarkable coolness and confidence under enormous pressure, yet also one who rarely veers off the methodical path he lays out.

“It leads you to wonder whether passivity is the way he approaches most things,” said John R. Bolton, President Bush’s former ambassador to the United Nations. “It does indicate a style of governance that is extremely laid back. For all the talk about Bush and cowboy diplomacy, a passive America is not really what they want either.”

Mr. Obama’s advisers said he would not be passive and would move quickly to demonstrate leadership without waiting for the transfer of authority on Jan. 20. He intends to start by naming three co-leaders of his transition team on Wednesday, including John D. Podesta, the former Clinton chief of staff; Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama adviser; and Pete Rouse, Mr. Obama’s Senate chief of staff.

Mr. Obama may also have a news conference and announce top White House appointees by the end of the week, advisers said. Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, a former Clinton aide and close friend of Mr. Obama, may become White House chief of staff, well-connected Democrats said. Mr. Obama’s advisers say they anticipate the nomination of secretaries of state and treasury by Thanksgiving.

While Roosevelt refused to get involved in prescribing economic medicine between his election in 1932 and his inauguration, advisers said Mr. Obama had concluded that he could not follow that example and remain silent until he was sworn in. At the same time, they said, Mr. Obama understands he should not overstep his bounds and wants his inauguration to mark a clean break from the past.

“Those who say wait and let the process unfold for two months before the inauguration are sorely mistaken,” said Jack Quinn, a former top official in the Clinton administration. “We are in such turmoil that his clearly and firmly putting his hand on the tiller is absolutely critical. He needs to do this. He needs to be in the middle of this.”

Mr. Obama has been conferring with Congressional leaders about a possible package of $100 billion for public works, unemployment benefits, winter heating assistance, food stamps and aid to cities and states that could be passed during a lame-duck session the week of Nov. 17. He has also been talking regularly with Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. about the economic environment and hopes to work closely with him during this interim period as Mr. Paulson makes decisions about how to invest the $700 billion given him by Congress to shore up the financial system.

But there are limits to Mr. Obama’s capacity to act in the short term. The politics of assembling a stimulus package in this netherworld between administrations could be difficult to overcome as he tries to balance pent-up demand from now-victorious Democrats eager to use their power of the purse with the reality that Mr. Bush still holds the veto pen for 77 more days. In the end, Democrats said, Mr. Obama and Congressional leaders would pare their spending plans if they could not get Mr. Bush and Senate Republicans to agree, then come back in January when they have unfettered control.

“If he gets out there too much and gets too enmeshed in policy disputes before he’s inaugurated, when he doesn’t have control of the federal bureaucracy, that could really backfire on him,” said Elaine C. Kamarck, who was Vice President Al Gore’s domestic policy adviser in the 1990s. “It’s a really delicate balance he has to strike.”

Whatever collaboration there may be in the short term, Mr. Obama represents the end of the Bush era in the long term. Yet he will find himself dealing with the Bush legacy for years to come. He promised on the campaign trail to close the detention facility at the United States naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, but analysts in both parties expect that to be more difficult than he imagines. He will inherit a deficit that could approach $1 trillion next year, which could curtail his ambitions, like expanding health care coverage.

As a result, the shift from campaign trail rhetoric to halls-of-governance reality could prove turbulent. And Mr. Obama’s soaring speeches have created such a well of anticipation that there is a deep danger of letdown. He talked during the campaign of a “new politics” bringing Republicans and Democrats together. But if he really works with Republicans to find common ground on issues like Iraq, terrorism and climate change, he risks alienating his liberal base.

“You tend to campaign in black and white. You tend to govern in gray,” said Richard N. Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, who has worked for four presidents, most recently Mr. Bush.

Even as Mr. Obama focuses initially on the economy, he faces a perilous moment abroad. Terrorists have exploited transitional moments in the West to launch attacks in Britain, Spain and even the United States, where Al Qaeda first tried to blow up the World Trade Center just weeks after Bill Clinton took office in 1993. “The range of problems and intensity of the risks has grown enormously in recent years,” said James B. Steinberg, who was Mr. Clinton’s deputy national security adviser.

And the beginning, as a new administration takes shape, is when the ranks of government are at their thinnest

The concern over potential vulnerability has grown all the more acute for this first handover of power since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the Obama transition team has made more extensive pre-election preparations than any other previous president-elect. Thanks to a new law signed by Mr. Bush, some of Mr. Obama’s transition advisers should have interim security clearances starting on Wednesday.

All the preparation in the world, however, can fall apart in an unexpected crisis.

“There’s always some surprise that you can’t plan for,” said Nancy E. Soderberg, a top national security aide under Mr. Clinton. She recalled the first President George Bush’s decision to send troops into Somalia just before handing over the Oval Office to Mr. Clinton. This time, Ms. Soderberg said, “my guess is it will be something in Pakistan.”

Mr. Obama starts with powerful advantages at home and abroad. His election will be welcomed by many around the world disaffected with the Bush administration. And Mr. Obama will have a Congress even more decisively controlled by Democrats after the sweep on Tuesday night. “He’s not going to be held up by difficult confirmation fights,” said Craig Fuller, who was a top aide to President Ronald Reagan and President George Bush.

But the task awaiting Mr. Obama arguably transcends this economic program or that foreign crisis. He takes over a nation weary of the past and wary of the future, gloomy about its place in the world, cynical about its government and desperate for some sense of deliverance. Nearly nine of every 10 Americans think the country is on the wrong track, the deepest expression of national pessimism in the polling history.

“Obama this year recognizes the country needs to be healed,” said the presidential historian Michael Beschloss. “It’s been a very rough 10 years, beginning with a very controversial impeachment, the recount, 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Katrina and now the financial crisis.

“If you think of the shock to the system these things have had over a 10-year period, I think Obama recognizes he needs to really settle our nerves.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/us/politics/05ahead.html

 

[AniHawk]

Franken lost. St. Louis and Cass are at 99%. And while Cass is considerably smaller than St. Louis, he'd need about 1,000 votes more to overturn what Coleman has. It's not gonna happen.

 

[KRS7]

Morning Joe is such bullshit. The NYT "deified" Obama. What nonsense. He keeps inserting little bits about how he supports Obama then just knifing him with every other sentence. Ugh.

I know...

I love the guy, but he completely unqualified. America made a momentous step forward last night, and it was all the media's fault. etc...