Via CNN's You Call The Race flash tool. I have the electoral college as 374 Obama and 164 McCain. Like the 2007 Australian national elections where John Howard lost his seat over bad governance I think this will be a bloodbath with the Democrats getting comfortable, filibuster proof, majorities in the Senate and House. We will know by the end of the day.

5:09 PM MT [Mountain Time]: Polls are starting to close across the US.

5:38 PM MT: The New York Times has the best interactive map. It is showing county level data. Bit pointless watching it this early though as Indiana has 15% reporting while Virginia has 3%.

5:48 PM MT: The poll map early on.

6:22 PM MT: Lots of calling of states based on exit polls (presumably around the 3K-4K mark). The media such as CNN should just shut it and let the election develop rather than being first to call states. They have screwed up before, like in 2000, and the exit polls have been wrong, as in 2004, so seriously, enough. There is also the democratic implication in that many of the west coast states have not closed their polls yet and blindly calling states so early is bad procedure.

6:52 PM MT: The poll map as more and more results come in. Virginia is looking reddish, but it will be interesting to see if the more populous counties of Northern Virginia make the state purple or blue.

9:15 PM MT: Virginia has blued, as has Ohio, Pennsylvania is deep blue and Florida is slightly. North Carolina and Indiana are now neck-a-neck. I think it is safe to say America is looking at an Obama presidency.

4:15 AM MT: Virginia is blue with a 4% lead to Obama. North Carolina and Indiana are close races and barely blue. Arizona is strongly red while Nevada is strongly blue.

From the map above I got Arizona wrong, that appears to be the only one I missed on. Not bad.

The Congressional races are all Democratic pickups as well. This was expected. The 2008 elections have been a referendum on Bush's governance in the same way that the 2006 elections were a referendum on Bush/Hastert/Delay's governance. The Republican Party brand in America is now effectively broken as a democratic force and will probably remain so for the next ten years.

The main interest is now if the Democrats will get a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. This requires 60 Senators. There are still four toss up Senate races (at 4:00 am) with seats in Alaska, Minnesota, Oregan and Georgia so it is possible. But it appears the Republicans might win the Georgian Senate seat and leave the Democrats without a filibuster proof majority.
Cam Riley: South Sea Republic. Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic.

Comments
  • adam . # . 1/1
    Onya Baz.
    Give me utilitiy or give me something slightly better!
    • cam . # . 1/1
      heh. Next time I should be able to vote and bend AZ to my will.
      'Sworn to no party, and of no sect am I.' Frederick Vosper's republican motto.