AP: Obama becomes first black president in landslide
11:37: It happened here. In America.
11:00
BARACK
OBAMA
ELECTED
44TH
PRESIDENT
OF
THE
UNITED
STATES
10:44: Fox calls VA for Obama. YES. YES.
10:04: Chris Wallace calls Bob Schaffer and Tom Udall “two very attractive men”
10:00 Iowa goes Obama. WOOT.
9:39 Fred Barnes is pissy.
9:38 New Mexico baby. SO EXCITED
9:31 O-H-I-O
9:24: NBC calls OHIO.
9:20: Fox calling Ohio… we’ll see.
9:01 Minnesota comes home
8:53: NC called for Kay Hagan. Woot!
8:43: Me on Oct. 29 – “I don’t like making predictions, but I think this is one worth making. Sen. Obama will win Pennsylvania.”
8:30 CNN calls NH for Obama. Guess Mac ain’t back there.
8:25 Florida looking GOOOD
8:22 Sen pickup in NH, and looking good in NC…
8:05 PA CALLED FOR OBAMA per NBC
7:08: Vermont FTW.
7:03: Mark Warner wins. Shocker.
6:0pm: Exit polls are out, but they just don’t matter. Go freaking vote.
5:09pm: So, hows it going?
CoverItLive didn’t work out though.
For once, I have something to recommend from DailyKos.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/11/4/45158/9764/885/652031
Reading stories like that reminds me: No matter the outcome. We have won.
Still working but watching The Young Turks, and surfing roughly 800 political blogs.
Voted Obama at noon! My daughters 7th and 8th grade classes had a mock election and Obama won all votes! Here in VT you can expect Obama Blue.
Maher on Ellen this afternoon:
“The Republicans have gone from the party of Lincoln to the party of blinkin’.”
Not that it matters:
http://www.iftheworldcouldvote.com/results
I are watching the BBC. Jeremy Vine has a spinny holographic United States to play with that he can poke with his finger to zoom in on states or change to a statelite picture or zoom in on individual counties or give Nevada to Ron Paul or anything really.
David Dimbleby just grumbled at the USA for getting its colours backwards.
Obama takes Vermont, McCain takes Kentucky. Surprise.
Woo-hoo! PA stays blue!
“David Dimbleby just grumbled at the USA for getting its colours backwards”
And rightly so. Is it just the same contrarianism that makes them stick with Imperial measures and bizarre non-sequential dating, or is there some other reason why they do this?
It’s utterly dumb, is what it is.
And Exit Polls do matter a great deal. They pretty conclusively proved that the GOP stole the election in Ohio last time. When they try it this time, I hope people won’t just take it sitting down.
It’s ealy in the evening, but so far, here in NC, the Democratic Candidates running for major offices are all way ahead. This is good news for Obama.
BBC: Liddy Dole just lost her seat. Liddy Dole just lost her seat.
Not surprising based on the last few weeks, but still amazing. Keep in mind, that’s Jesse Helms’ old seat. Not so long ago, it looked like that seat was Republican for the foreseeable future. Dole = epic fail.
I’m so nervous I think I may puke.
BBC: So did John Sununununununuununununu.
One of my college buddies just sent me an IM about Obama taking PA…I think her head is gonna explode!
I can’t recall ever being so interested and passionate about a presidential election. We gotsta go blue. No doubt about it. The Right had its turn, and fucked it up royally.
Whoa. Hagan’s handing Dole her ass. When you consider how close that race was before Dole’s infamous ads started, I’m sure the politicians will draw the right conclusions:
Get better negative ads, next time.
Heh. Couldn’t resist, and you know it’s true. That said, goodbye Dole. Can’t say it’s soon enough she’s gone.
Let’s do this America. Let’s do this.
Next up, who will get the presidential pardons?
Will Cheney and Rummy ‘fess up now so they can get their pardons before January?
Could we be seeing the end of brutal, big-lie realpolitik tonight?
FOX (for God’s sake) calls OHIO for Obama. If that’s true then gooooooood-night.
Gawd I need to get out of Georgia…these people are effing idiots!!
Yeah, Georgia didn’t bring it. Apparently the Fox call was too early, but hopefully they get to make it again.
It’s over with Ohio. Congratulations to President-Elect Obama and the Democrats. Let’s hope they can do what they say.
Ohio is blue. Florida looks to be going that way too.
Yes, we have.
BOOYAH!
Suck on that Republicans!
Can we keep a tally of right-wingers losing with grace?
1 – Hedley
My wife and I are listening to the CBC, eating my some homemade Italian Ragu, drinking a gallon of wine and crying at what may occur this evening. Next … we’re moving into the homemade plum brandy, made specifically for this night. The whole world is watching. Fuck!!
Obama picked up New Mexico
All he needs now is to sweep the west coast (CA, OR, and WA) and it’s OVER
President Obama. Love it.
Do I smell a landslide?
LOL…they turned off the election results at the McCain headquarters
How’s Sean Hannibal doing over at FOX. Wish I had cable, just tonight.
My friend in London just sent this email:
“As I head for bed (OK, I may watch TV for one more beer) I’m delighted to concede I may have underestimated the American Voter. Looks like you’ve got an enjoyable evening of telly ahead.”
Lost Texas…oh well
Dem 4 in the Senate, just in case anyone’s not keeping up
That should read as “plus 4″
Iowa goes to O (another plus 7)
Utah goes to M (bleh)
Montana too close
Nevada too early
Can we unplug Dick Cheney now?
This is gonna take a little while to sink in.
Why are the votes cast so close??
Oliver, you backed President-Elect Obama from the beginning.
Must feel good. Congratulations. Congratulations to America.
Nimrod:
FOX (for God’s sake) calls OHIO for Obama. If that’s true then gooooooood-night.
The NY Post website home page is calling the whole darn show for Obama.
I’m gonna hook up a radio to a VCR and tape Limbaugh tomorrow, just to hear the fat fuck squeal like the pig he is. Get Hannity while I’m at it.
iAM DRUNK AND HAPPY AT a pary in NYC.
South Dakota to M
Only about 22 minutes until Johnny’s life support gets the plug pulled
I toured some bitter comments over at ace of spades for a look at the other side. Clueless losers. Every excuse imaginable, with no one stumbling on to the real culprit, conservative policy.
I’m doing the same thing, Buma, on my lunch break at work.
LittleGreenFootballs won’t even load. Charles probably shed too many tears into his computer.
Tick tick tick tick
6 minutes left…
Oh, it’s s locked up for Obama, has been, for a while. He’s got Florida and Virginia, then California and Colorado will fall to him. That’s easily over the top. Oregon, Washington and Hawaii are icing on the cake.
Where it really matters at this point is in Congress. We need progressives there. Unfortunately, there are some races where neither candidate is worth crap, but there are some good pick ups being made. We’ll just have to see how it pans out, and more importantly, how the new Congress sorts itself for leadership when they take their seats. Will Reid get kicked to the curb? Will Rahm insist that the Dems must lead from the right? That’s where the real battleground lies.
No more Mccain.
IT’S OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WEST COAST SWEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CNN has just projected it: Barack Obama Elected President of the United States!!!!!!!!
Any bets on whether bush is sober right now?
He did it. Congrats to you all that helped him in that long and virtuous battle.
Yes. YES.
Any bets on whether McCain or Caribou Barbie are sober right now?
“Any bets on whether bush is sober right now?”
Bush could care less. He’s just pushing through everything he can in his last days to make things as bad as possible.
The conservative Republicans should have known that they were dealing with the devil when they hitched their wagon to the neo-con radicals. Now they’re associated with Bush and his lot, and I think it will be a while before they scrub the stink off themselves. Even with the help of a corporate-bought media.
Let’s hope we can bring the Fairness Doctrine back. Oh, would that ever set things to right.
They are talking about the Fairness Doctrine at ace of spades too — along with the 2010 midterms. This is just tew goood.
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to be wrong more than I do right now. I am almost praying that my concerns and worries and predictions for what an Obama administration would be like will be disproven. And as a born-again agnostic, that’s a hell of a big thing.
It’s all in the Democrats’ hands now. They have both Houses and the White House.
J.
One more victory for Martin Luther King’s legacy. Hail to the King.
“It’s all in the Democrats’ hands now”
Ah, our first line of partisan horse-shit from a Republican dead-ender.
Yes, the party of optimism and adults decision making is now in charge, but the “all” is very much a Republican Party creation. The financial mess? Iraq? Afghanistan?
The first thing Dems need to do in getting to work is putting blame where it’s due — on the failed ideology called Conservatism. Next, we clean up the shit stains you and your party have left all over the White house.
Unlike Pottery Barn, you indeed broke my country. Thank god people like you are no longer in a position to try and fix any of it.
Say g’night Jay.
Just to add some more salt to the wound,
Colorado to O — over 300 now (306)
“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to be wrong more than I do right now. I am almost praying that my concerns and worries and predictions for what an Obama administration would be like will be disproven. And as a born-again agnostic, that’s a hell of a big thing.”
Then you should be happy right now, because your track record for being wrong is legendary.
God Bless America.
Just saw this:
“VA-05: With 98% of the vote in, Dem Tom Perriello leads Repub Virgil Goode by 500 votes.”
Ooooo, hoooo hooooo. I love this. Goode has been one of the worst lowbrow thugs around, claiming that Muslims were trying to take over the US, etc. Do a Google on him. You’ll be surprised at all the inanities. He spouted. Or, maybe, not surprised.
Anyway, it looks like he can go back to shoveling his crap with the bigots in the back office, rather than in the US Capitol.
Well done, Oliver. You helped make this happen. Kudos to you.
Jay Tea, Kudos to you too. You have shown a graciousness in the face of defeat that does you proud. Remember a healthy opposition is the keystone of a sound democracy.
Now it’s about time you worked together a bit more!
McCain concession on now.
Supporters booing…staying classy as usual
Finally, an America we can be proud of.
I’ll sleep very well tonight.
Oliver, thank YOU for letting us share this journey with you.
Congratulations!
Celebrate now, because tomorrow we start the campaign for 2010 and the hunt for 60 Senate seats.
I just had to cry for a few minutes. Especially for my mother, who missed this moment by less than a year.
To paraphrase Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan:
EARN THIS, MR. OBAMA.
EARN IT.
McCain’s concession speech was the best speech of his life.
“They are talking about the Fairness Doctrine at ace of spades too — along with the 2010 midterms. This is just tew goood.”
Wouldn’t that be great, Buma? But sooner, I think, would be better. 2009. Because, you and I both know the anti-Obama, anti-Dem machine is going to go into high gear in the next month or two, spinning as fast as it can. The sooner they’re put out of business, the better.
And while we’re at it, let’s have back the anti-monopoly FCC rulings that used to operate in the media until they were struck down during the Reagan years. There’s no reason Ailes, Murdoch and the other land sharks should control everything everybody hears.
“The first thing Dems need to do in getting to work is putting blame where it’s due — on the failed ideology called Conservatism. Next, we clean up the shit stains you and your party have left all over the White house.”
I’ve always thought that the FIRST thing to do when dealing with a disaster like you describe is to fix it, THEN fix the blame.
If things are as fucked up as you say they are, why on earth would you let them continue an instant longer just so you can exact your pound of flesh?
Right now, it looks like Obama’s going to get about 53% or so of the popular vote, while McCain will get abour 47%. You really think that the first step in “fixing” things is in telling that 47% that everything is their fault?
I can only trust that Obama is more sensible and gracious than some of his supporters here.
J.
Great speech by McCain.
Greta Van Susteren will have another facelift to cope with this
McCain is praising Palin. I really hope she runs in 2012. That would be awesome.
This is what change feels like.
Fix the situation, and put a revitalized DoJ looking into fixing blame and starting such criminal investigations as needed. Why can’t they be done simultaneously? Part of the credibility of the new administration will rest on bringing war profiteers to justice, determining if anything illegal occurred. If this is allowed to slip, it will give the appearance of Obama tacitly playing the Old Boy game, supporting the DC in-crowd and the wealthiest powermongers around.
It’s worth noting that Obama’s chief legal council argued strenuously in print on Huffington Post that Libby be pardoned, because it was ever so hurt by being convicted, and that was enough punishment. This is not the kind of signal Dems need to send to the US. Not after the last 8 years.
I wonder if Rudy Guiliani is wearing a new dress.
Years from now, everyone will claim to have voted for President elect Obama.
Years from now, just as no one voted for Nixon, no one will admit to having voted for Bush 43.
“I’ve always thought that the FIRST thing to do when dealing with a disaster like you describe is to fix it, THEN fix the blame. ”
No J, the first thing you do is arrest their ass so they cannot keep destroying this country.
Nevada goes to O
350 looks almost certain…
Very classy concession speech by McCain.
McCain is praising Palin. I really hope she runs in 2012. That would be awesome.</I.
We just raised the standard, bitches!
WWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What’d I tell ya, Oliver?
If the final tally is O53 M47, then by the logic of Dick Cheney in 2004, Obama has a clear mandate. Actually, I just blogged about this Jay. Feel free to send some traffic to my site! (Bush beat Kerry in 2004 51-48).
My point isn’t that the winners needs to affix blame (they certainly should, but most Americans have realized that Bush and the Republican Party were a disaster, hence tonight’s election results) as much as they need to avoid the many calls we’re about to hear for “bipartisanship.” Bullshit. Republicans broke our country, and they’re deluded ideology is incapable of ever fixing it. Maybe a few of them can prove themselves worthy, eventually (Hagel, for starters). But for the first 100 days, Obama needs to run hard with his ideas and his plan for America. And thank god, he certainly will, even as you whine and moan about impeachment.
You know who also was #44?
John freakin’ Riggins!
Congratulations, Oliver!
A great election and a big step forward for the USA!
Despite the nice concession speech by McCain, Obama doesn’t have to kiss asses of Republicans like Clinton did in ‘93. Be agressive and secure that the majority supports Obama!
God Bless America!
Oliver, you backed President-Elect Obama from the beginning.
That’s not quite correct. Oliver was an Edwards guy and then a Clintonite.
But I knew he’d come around.
You really think that the first step in “fixing” things is in telling that 47% that everything is their fault?
Of course it’s not their fault, Jay. They were just following along.
The fish stinks from the head.
Barack might get lucky tonight.
Optimism is a scary state of mind. It’s easier to be hateful and xenophobic but far less rewarding. Optimism is scary because it creates so much space for potential that must then be fulfilled, and because we are only human, we can fail and often do. Even though I’m not an American and the election of Obama is a uniquely American accomplishment, I feel hopeful that the space created by his optimism will brush up against the limits of our small minds and grow us in ways we could never have imagined.
Thank you OW for this great board.
I’ve always thought that the FIRST thing to do when dealing with a disaster like you describe is to fix it, THEN fix the blame.
Oh, well, that’s just fucking great. You shit the bed and I have to change the sheets.
A nation thanks you.
Barack might get lucky tonight.
I know I am. My wife just announced we’re having sex tonight. =D
McCain has us right where he wants us now.
Duros, as I recall, Obama said several months ago he would look into any criminal wrongdoing committed in the previous administration. I just hope it wasn’t meant as a soundbite to get progressives abroad the train. There’s a ton of people waiting to be looked at.
And I’d love to be fly on the wall of Halliburton’s meeting room the next time it’s used.
Well, no. I’d settle for being Godzilla bringing down a foot on their building. But the sentiment’s right, at least.
The Good Guys won.
The Smart Guy won.
Huzzah.
If you need me, I’ll be the guy doing the Billy “White Shoes” Johnson touchdown dance.
Huzzah.
I’m so happy I started to cry. It really happened!
There is hope for my daughter to grow up in a kinder, more sane world. Beginning now.
So, let’s get to work. Whatever MY new president asks – I’ll do it. Twice!
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! We crashed cymbals in our front yard. Not as cool as fireworks, but cooler than kids’ pots ‘n pans.
Why is Michelle dressed like a spider woman? Tho’ a cute family mom spider woman.
when is Rove going to shut up? I’m just learning about him and he a complete idiot.
“McCain has us right where he wants us now.”
LOL.
Barack Obama’s election is obviously good news for John McCain, according to the press.
A huge hug for you, Oliver. People are dancing and cheering in the streets of NYC. No shit. It’s a wonderful moment.
Powerful mandate for the right man for his time. That he is African-American is, of course, icing, but it’s a particularly sweet icing.
Powerful mandate for the right man for his time.
That’s exactly what I thought during his speech. For the first time in my life I think we got it exactly right. Truly, the best man for the times and the country, won.
So happy.
@Oliver,
Thanks for introducing me to the blog-0-tubes and showing me what freedom of speech is really all about. I’ve had a blast hanging in your neighborhood.
Hey, when you see Obama at the innaguration, tell him I said
WHAAAAAZZZZZAAAAAAAAPPPPP????
It’s not over yet! The polls continue to tighten! McCain’s concession speech was just a head-fake, he’s still gonna pull this thing out!
I’m not cryey but I cry. It’s just hitting me now.
Congratulations!
The best candidate won.
We made our choice and we have a President …
I didn’t vote for him, but he’s the President…
Can we stop insulting each other now?
Can we stop treating each other badly simply because we disagree politically?
Let’s try and get it together , OK?
This is OUR country ..
“Can we stop insulting each other now?
Can we stop treating each other badly simply because we disagree politically?”
Could’ve used you back in 2004. Or 2000. With straight faces there are people who have questioned my patriotism and my personal honor since 9/11: “Why do you hate America?” This was not a rhetorical question on their part.
So now the burden is on _me_ to be nice to Republcans all of a sudden?
Sorry, but I’m not a sucker. You guys like to dish it out, you better be prepared to take it in kind. I’ll try to avoid outright rudeness, but our country _did come together_ last night, and guess what? They elected President Obama. With a staggering mandate for change (if Karl Rove’s words in 2004 re: Bush’s 51-48 win are to be believed).
I mean, Karl Rove would never lie to us, would he?
Thankyjeezus!
And I agree with previous posters…let’s stop the insults and move on.
Dang it. I’d LIKE to help unite our nation, give President Obama a chance to unite us all in a post-racial, post-partisan new way, but it looks like I’ll be too busy watching people get criminally prosecuted, hounded out of business, and harassed in a thousand ways for the offense of disagreeing with the next administration.
Oliver had lots of fun with his Nazi analogies over the last few days, so that vein’s tapped out. I guess I’ll have to make comparisons to the Stalinist purges and Mao’s Cultural Revolution.
Oh, and for the record: I’ll go to my grave stating that I voted for Bush twice and did NOT vote for Obama this year. Right or wrong, those were my decisions and I will not deny them.
J.
Thank you, Jaim, for that preview of the next four years…
Obama will govern from the center and be a successful president. The right will still attack him at every turn for being some kind of pinkosocialistislamocommie.
And, when he is RE-elected by HUGE margins in 2012, the right will be revealed, finally, as the cowardly idiots they have always been.
What the fuck. Did you miss the last eight years or what?
Don’t mind jt. He’s upset because his ilk has been swept into the dustbin of history, once and for all.
Did you miss the last eight years or what?
No, I’ve been watching your ilk howl about all the fantasized “persecutions” that you’re now promising to carry out.
Don’t mind jt. He’s upset because his ilk has been swept into the dustbin of history, once and for all.
“once and for all?” Bit shortsighted there. Maybe you ought to change your name to “Magoo.” Unless Obama declares an end to all future elections or rounds up and ships 47% of the American populace who voted for McCain off to re-education camps, there will be another vote in two years. And anyone who tells you how that will turn out is seriously deranged.
Oh, my bad. I forgot who I was speaking to.
J.
My congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama. This is a historic day. My candidate did not win, but it’s a great day nonetheless.
Cheers.
See JT, you could learn a lesson from J. And may I remind you jt, Obama won a mandate over your failed ideology. America doesn’t care what you think anymore.
Forget Obama did Franken win?
Franken – looks like no, but close enough for the state’s automatic recount to kick in. Franken got reports of voting irregularities.
Nobody will read this, but I need to exteriorize.
Living in this country is like being married to a schizophrenic wife or enduring a deeply dysfunctional family. After allowing the WORST president in history to within cheating distance of re-election, it turns around and arguably does the BEST thing it’s ever done.
Self-congratulation is not in order on this latter, IMHO: we were handed a genius of a candidate who worked his tail off convincing us that he wasn’t “dangerous.” Even morons should have been able to make the right choice.
The next months are going to be so intensely interesting and satisfying, though. The image of a black family (and a beautiful one, at that) occupying the White House. One of the best political minds and temperaments around grappling with the worst problems we’ve ever had. Someone I KNOW is going to tell the truth to us as solutions unfold.
Meanwhile I’ll be interested if Obama REALLY believes in warrantless wiretaps. Or cares one way or the other whether gays can have marriages vs. just civil unions. I.e., to what extent he felt he had to take some compromised positions because smart politics means you can’t be TOO idealistic. Anyway as a political naif I’ve been forceably engaged by the Bush disasters and now, for opposite reasons, will remain involved. Thanks, Barack.
Can we get back to cheese and hot boobs now?
anotherbozo, I suspect a lot of votes were “bought” with Obama’s speaking against gay marriage, his vote in favor of telecom immunity, and other gestures towards moderation. Those voters will NOT be pleased to discover that he had endorsed “compromised” positions that he didn’t really mean.
J.
No, I’ve been watching your ilk howl about all the fantasized “persecutions” that you’re now promising to carry out.
JT doesn’t think criminal activity should be investigated. Move along, nothing to see here.
I’ve got Hedley, Jay and even Frank losing with dignity here.
“Unless Obama declares an end to all future elections or rounds up and ships 47% of the American populace who voted for McCain off to re-education camps, there will be another vote in two years.”
Why would he need to resort to that? The Republican Party failed. The Republican party is dead. 2010 means we finally get over the 60-Senator mark. Americans will do this because they tend to act out of self-interest, and self-interest dictates that they continue to vote Democrat.
Again, thanks for playing. Seriously, I mean that. Every time you post a comment, somebody out there realizes what a crock of shit the Republican Party has become.
Have fun with your little civil war between the fiscal conservatives and the Jesusland fundies. Ain’t gonna be pretty.
Meanwhile, my great country will be moving on, with or without you, into the future.
All that warrantless wiretapping, habeus corpus suspending, enhanced interrogation techniques, and Halliburton-built “camps” don’t seem like such great ideas NOW, do they, Jay Tea? Neither does turning the DoJ into a political tool of the White House, huh?
I wouldn’t worry if I were you, though. This President will HONOR his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. Unlike the previous one.
“Unless Obama declares an end to all future elections or rounds up and ships 47% of the American populace who voted for McCain off to re-education camps, there will be another vote in two years.”
Here’s hoping a large majority will move to Alaska and join the AIP.
All that warrantless wiretapping, …and Halliburton-built “camps” don’t seem like such great ideas NOW, do they, Jay Tea? Neither does turning the DoJ into a political tool of the White House, huh?
Ruh-roh.
Jay Tea: “Those voters will NOT be pleased to discover that he had endorsed “compromised” positions that he didn’t really mean.”
I don’t know that he compromised anything. But even if so, no politician was EVER free of compromise, least of all one who might have been discounted because of an inopportune middle name, a childhood year or two in Indonesia, or any other silly, superficial xenophobic excuse.
No, he might have been perfectly straight about supporting warrantless wiretaps. We shall see.
To all the whiney-titty-babies crying for us to play nice:
.
.
.
The moment is gone. Now I’m done playing nice. Read very carefully.
FYYFF!!! *
*= http://ashleymorris.typepad.com/ashley_morris_the_blog/