Wednesday
Nov052008
Live Blog: Waiting for the Official President-Elect Moment
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 3:24
3:37 a.m. For the love of Ted Turner --- instead of the projection, CNN pulls out another party trick with a hologram Capitol. It's basically a 21st-century version of the BBC's long-established, long-loved not-hologram reproduction of the House of Commons. But John King is no Peter Snow.
King is competent enough to say the Democrats may get to 58 (7 gains) but difficult to get to 60 (9 gains). That repeats what we've projected. The stinger, which we like, is whether the Democrats --- with the comfort of their majority --- will boot Joe Lieberman out of their caucus.
3:35 a.m. Wolf is talking about the Senate races, which we've already summarised.
Where's that projection you promised? I'm hoping Jennifer Yellin/Princess Leia returns and kicks your backside.
3:30 a.m. Narrow lead for McCain in North Carolina and he looks safe in Indiana. Obama up by 50,000 votes in Virginia and solid 51-49 lead in Florida.
It looks like North Carolina will make the difference between a 353-185/338-200 victory for Obama.
3:24 a.m. CNN gives Mississippi to McCain. Guys, I'm telling you --- I need Virginia and Florida.
On cue, Wolf says, "Stay tuned. We'll be back with some big projections."
You loser.
3:21 a.m. Wolf gives us that promised projection: McCain takes Texas. Wow. If you're going to big this up, it better be Florida or Virginia.
"Two senior McCain aides" are admitting to CNN that "no way back" in the race. Apparently Sarah Palin is also backstage in Arizona --- might be worth staying awake to see if she glams up for the concession speech.
3:20 a.m. We missed this but, in a highly symbolic race, Republican Chris Shays has lost in the House race in Connecticut. For those opposed to the war in Iraq, that's a big win given Shays' ardent support for the US intervention; it also removes the last Republican Representative in New England.
3:18 a.m. CNN wizard Bill Schaeffer is finally overcoming his charts and being a bit useful. He's noting that McCain has performed less well than Bush with the Hispanic-American vote (30 percent vs. 40 percent in 2004). We had suspected that was the case, clinching states like New Mexico for the Democrats and putting Republicans in trouble in other places (even McCain's Arizona).
King is competent enough to say the Democrats may get to 58 (7 gains) but difficult to get to 60 (9 gains). That repeats what we've projected. The stinger, which we like, is whether the Democrats --- with the comfort of their majority --- will boot Joe Lieberman out of their caucus.
3:35 a.m. Wolf is talking about the Senate races, which we've already summarised.
Where's that projection you promised? I'm hoping Jennifer Yellin/Princess Leia returns and kicks your backside.
3:30 a.m. Narrow lead for McCain in North Carolina and he looks safe in Indiana. Obama up by 50,000 votes in Virginia and solid 51-49 lead in Florida.
It looks like North Carolina will make the difference between a 353-185/338-200 victory for Obama.
3:24 a.m. CNN gives Mississippi to McCain. Guys, I'm telling you --- I need Virginia and Florida.
On cue, Wolf says, "Stay tuned. We'll be back with some big projections."
You loser.
3:21 a.m. Wolf gives us that promised projection: McCain takes Texas. Wow. If you're going to big this up, it better be Florida or Virginia.
"Two senior McCain aides" are admitting to CNN that "no way back" in the race. Apparently Sarah Palin is also backstage in Arizona --- might be worth staying awake to see if she glams up for the concession speech.
3:20 a.m. We missed this but, in a highly symbolic race, Republican Chris Shays has lost in the House race in Connecticut. For those opposed to the war in Iraq, that's a big win given Shays' ardent support for the US intervention; it also removes the last Republican Representative in New England.
3:18 a.m. CNN wizard Bill Schaeffer is finally overcoming his charts and being a bit useful. He's noting that McCain has performed less well than Bush with the Hispanic-American vote (30 percent vs. 40 percent in 2004). We had suspected that was the case, clinching states like New Mexico for the Democrats and putting Republicans in trouble in other places (even McCain's Arizona).
Reader Comments (4)
Hi Scott et al
Just borrowed a laptop and checked in with Enduring America. We're keeping track of the electoral college with a home-made poll that involved two vases with red sweets in one and blue in the other...
Liz asks me to add that the red sweets are Swedish fish. Does that make our poll un-American?
Latest from AP shows Obama leading in Florida with about 160,000 votes (or ~3%) with 67% in.
Virginia only 30,000 votes (~1%) with 86% in.
Karen Hughes just made a statement on the BBC about Bush sending in "a surge to Iraq that now makes that war winnable".
/facepalm