Historic Moments
6:24 p.m.
I’m sitting on a friend’s living room floor watching PBS on the TV and looking over CNN’s coverage online. I’m beginning the blog here, a full 30 minutes before the first full state closes its polls-parts of KY and IN have already closed-simply to get the ball rolling. People keep walking in. This was supposed to be my party, but someone hijacked it. Oh well. Mmmm….I think the chili is getting ready.
6:42 p.m.
So when you put a group of teachers together there are guaranteed to be maps or manipulative. We have a giant map of the USA with all the states, their names written red, blue, or black-depending on whether they were blue or red before today according to polls or undecided-and now we are going through and guessing what the electoral counts will be. This is the fun we have before actual polls close. T-minus 15 minutes until Virginia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, and Indiana close.
7:00 p.m.
So the first polls have closed…and CNN says………………..of course. They’ve already called Kentucky for McCain. Big thanks Kentucky.
7:15 p.m.
Why is Jessica Yellin a hologram on CNN? Is that a better form of communication than a tv screen? “Help me, Wolf Blitzer, you’re my only hope.” And how do they have Vermont called already? Did we learn our lesson about calling based on exit polls? Nope. Not that I think Vermont will have a change of opinion and swing red, but whatever.
7:24 p.m.
Oh, Virginia….but they haven’t started to count NoVA yet. Crossing fingers.
7:30 p.m.
North Carolina polls close. Currently, Florida is leaning Obama. We’ll see. McCain is still leading in Indiana and Virginia, but the cities are still not coming in.
7:45 p.m.
I think that Anderson Cooper is more concerned about whether or not they can get the hologram to beam into the studio through the crowds in Phoenix or wherever. Did Wolf Blitzer morph into Anderson? I didn’t see this happen. Also: teachers surrounding TV, all with computers out writing lesson plans. Seriously? And then comes in the Bradley effect. If this fucks up this election I’m going to start shooting white people. My dad called and said: “I voted for a Democrat for the first time in my life. I hope you’re happy.” And then he hung up. Is this funny? Yes.
7:54 p.m.
Looking through the ballot measures currently being voted on, I find the most disturbing to be Washington’s: Allow Doctor-Assisted Suicide. Seriously? Is this a McCain-Feingold-Kavorkian Bill? On a more serious note, several states are voting to limit 7:56: South Carolina goes to McCain.
8:00 p.m.
All of these polls closed and these all go to Obama according to CNN. Of course, this is with 0% of precincts reporting. Illinois, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine. The conversations going around are very interesting. Talking about coming to North Carolina for the first time, people talking about their predictions for states winning electoral votes similar to NCAA brackets, lesson planning, etc. et. al.
8:08 p.m.
We are having a discussion about how the iMac camera can see infrared (proving this with the cable remote control) and Jessica wants to make sure that she too can’t see infrared. “Jessica…you can’t see infrared.” Awww
8:26 p.m.
We totally lost focus on the election. Good thing some more polls are closing in a few minutes, to return our focus. Silly school talk.
8:30 p.m.
Polls closing. Currently: Obama-81 votes. McCain-34.
8:38 p.m.
PENNSYLVANIA PROJECTED TO OBAMA!! This is the death knell of McCain’s presidential hopes.
8:42 p.m.
I love Dana Bash…but she has giant eyes. Also: the Whale Wars premiers are a little ridiculous. What, are we declaring ecological war on all of the Japanese fishing fleet? I think this is the move that Bush is making after he leaves the White House.
9:03 p.m.
Comparing the 2004 map to the 2008 map is not revealing much. It’s pretty much exactly the same so far. Hmm. I’m also mostly convinced that this electoral watch of mine will not be as interesting as the one in 2004, even though it was only me writing then. This is what happens I guess. More people = less thought and writing. And honestly, this could very easily just turn into me making fun of CNN’s pundits.
9:14 p.m.
Maybe we’re going insane. Quote’s so far: “I love filibusters!”
9:25 p.m.
After this commercial break, there will be a “MAJOR” projection coming out. So, my bet is that they are about to project Ohio goes to Obama. Of course, the other option is Indiana goes to McCain (which isn’t that big). If OH goes to Obama it’ll be the first state that broke differently than the 2004 election.
9:34 p.m.
OHIO!
9:40 p.m.
Someone switched over to Fox News, and I’m pretty sure they have nothing but blonde white people as anchors on there. Hmmm….
Why are we watching Fox News?
Good, back to CNN. If I had one of those magic boards, I’d play on it CONSTANTLY. I would use it for every single class.
9:51 p.m.
I feel as if I can call the election at this point. McCain loses Ohio and New Mexico. There is no way that he can win unless he miraculously wins California or something.
Not nearly as exciting as the last election, but much more historic. Maybe it knew that I needed to legitimately be in bed at a decent hour tonight?
Barker enters: “So, Anderson Cooper’s sexuality has dominated conversation since 2:00 this afternoon.”
10:02 p.m.
Oh, god bless. We turned to Indecision 2008, which makes everything so much better. “Cockatoo? Can you even say that on TV?” Colbert.
10:37 p.m.
Back to CNN to see the hologram of the Congress make-up. I’m half convinced that Campbell Brown is pretending to see something that doesn’t exist, because holograms just fuck me up.
WHAT?! Will.I.Am hologram? WHAT?! This shit is ridiculous.
10:53 p.m.
Okay, so if McCain wins everything left and Obama wins California, McCain wins. That’s the only way. Congrats Obama.
Also, CNN is projecting everything. There are check marks all over the place on their website. Their projecting pop ups. Come now.
VIRGINIA OBAMA!!!!!
10:59 p.m.
Obama is the next president of the United States!