Live Blogging – Election Night
Exciting night! Results are starting to pour in, so let’s get to it…
8:30pm — MSNBC is showing 103 – 34 with a lot of pre-9pm states still not called. My projections are showing 66 safe electoral votes are pretty safe to call for McCain (WV, AL, KS, MS, TX, AR), so that would put McCain at 100 even. Obama only has 17 outstanding from the ’safe’ category, so put him at 120. Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia and Missouri are still the big ones that could be called soon.
8:35pm — Looking ahead to the 9pm closing states, Obama has 55 ’safe’ electoral votes waiting for him with Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. And Georgia was just called for McCain, so that knocks off Obama’s late push in that state.
8:40pm — Looking ahead, again, the 55 would put Obama at 158. Add Georgia into McCain and I’ll put him at 115. Add in the ’safe’ 9pm McCain states (Louisiana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming), which will give him 20 more electoral votes to bring his total to 135. So at this point, called states plus outstanding ’safe’ states (through 9pm close) put it at 158 – 135.
8:48pm — Looking ahead to the few 10pm and later states, Obama has a big group in his ’safe’ category (Iowa, California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii) which will net him 84 electoral votes. That would put him at 242 when you look at called, plus ’safe’ states. 28 electoral votes to win, with Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, Nevada left out there… Florida would clinch it, Virginia/Nevada/Colorado would do it, Ohio plus Colorado too. Anyway, lots of options for Obama. McCain, on the other hand, has 12 electoral votes in the after 10pm group, so that would put him at 147 in the called/’safe’ category.
9:02pm — NY, MN, WI and MI called for Obama. MSNBC has Obama at 175 to McCain’s 70.
9:09pm — Add in the safe 10pm states and you have 259 Obama. 11 EVs for a win!
9:12pm — And everyone on the West coast, please still keep voting! I want to see a staggering, no doubt win for Obama!
9:21pm — North Dakota and Arkansas for McCain. No surprises, there.
9:23pm — Seeing tweets over on Twitter than Fox News is calling Ohio for Obama. That’s the clincher folks. 259 + Ohio’s 20 = 279. Congrats to President-elect Obama!
9:30pm — All we need is CA, WA, OR, IA and HI to deliver their 84 electoral votes. Add to MSNBC’s 195 and you got the win. It’s over folks. No VA or FL. Plus MSNBC just called New Mexico to give him 200 even. It’s over folks. Call it!
9:44pm — read on Twitter, CNN called it for Obama citing it’s impossible for McCain to win. Only 21 or so minutes from the clinching Ohio win. Not too bad…
11pm — NBC/MSNBC called it for Obama. I’m packing it up and heading to bed. Too exciting, too much for words. A truly historic moment for Americans that I’m proud to have witnessed and supported. Go Obama!
