Election Night Recap for me

Before this blog becomes too depressing with a discussion of the difficulties of the homosexual civil rights movement, I would like to write about my personal election night timetable. Some of my times might be a bit wrong, but they are the best I can remember.

6:15 I got home from school, nervously turned on the TV and saw some early returns from Indiana. Didn't look so bad for Obama. I figure if it takes until 7:30 to call Indiana for McCain then Obama wins the election.

7:00 Kentucky and Vermont are called for McCain and Vermont, respectively. No surprise there at all. I was hoping that they would call Virginia immediately for Obama and I could celebrate right then and there, but that didn't happen.

7:30 I'm very nervously looking at the preliminary returns from Virginia. Much of Northern Virginia hasn't been reported yet, but still, Obama is down quite a lot.

8:00 Polls close in Pennsylvania and MSNBC immediately calls it in favor of Obama. I had the pleasure of informing my parents, who were watching on a different channel, that he had won PA. This was the first really key moment of the night and I let out a huge sigh of relief. Additionally New Hampshire was called for Obama.

8:30 Rachel Maddow had pointed out that so far, no state had flipped. Obama was only doing the same thing that Kerry did. Flashing back to 2004, I remember being excited at how quickly Kerry won Pennsylvania. At this point, I'm getting very worried about Virginia as Obama is still down about 100,000 votes. Ohio and Florida look very good, but we've heard that story before. Indiana and North Carolina both look very good as well. The only bad news so far is out of Virginia. Cait comes home around now, and I'm a bit of a nervous wreck. I had hoped it would be over by now.

9:00 Polls close in, among other places, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The networks immediately call these states for Obama. These were the last Kerry states that McCain had ever talked about winning. Although he hadn't talked much lately, and had apparently "pulled out of Michigan," it was good to get confirmation of it. Obama is almost assured of winning Iowa and New Mexico, so if he wins any of the other states, he'll win. Nevada and Colorado are great chances. Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina all look good. Virginia and Indiana are tightening. However, so far, this is still the same as 2004. I'll feel better once a Bush state flips.

9:30 MSNBC has an important anouncement: Barack Obama has won Ohio! That's it. Barring a stunning development on the West Coast, Obama has it. He now doesn't even need Iowa, New Mexico, and Colorado. Now just waiting on the West Coast and it will be "official."

10:15 New Mexico and Iowa are called for Obama. He is pulling very close in Virginia now.

10:45 Obama is now leading in Virginia. The precincts yet to be counted are in northern Virginia. aka "fake Virginia" Keith Olbermann mumbles something about what if Obama loses California? The networks keep referring to the top of the hour. Basically they are saying "you don't want to miss the top of the hour." I wonder why......

10:58 John Stewart announces that Obama has won Virginia. This wasn't even an "exciting" announcment as at this point, it is just a formality.

11:00 Barack Obama is projected as the winner of the election, winning (not surprisingly) California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii.

11:30-ish McCain makes a concession speech. Really big of him to repudiate the negativeness of his supporters after he has already lost.

12:00 Obama makes a wonderful acceptance speech, talking about how he will represent both those who voted for him and those who didn't. He talks about how we all have a responsibility to help our country. This guy is just a bit better than our current president at speaking. Some time in the interim, networks project that Obama has won Florida as well.

2:00 I head to bed. The bad news of the night is that Proposition 8 in California looks like it will pass. Also in the Senate, there are a few tight races in Alaska, Minnesota, and Oregon. Obama has now been declared as winning Indiana on MSNBC. Missouri is really close, looks like it is headed for a recount. North Carolina still looks promising.

9:00 Waking up in the morning, some of the news is a bit bad. Proposition 8 looks in better shape to pass and the Alaskans look like they may have elected a convicted felon. Is there an effect similar to the "Bradley effect" going on here? People are ashamed to tell the pollster that they will vote for a felon, but will then vote for him anyway?

Al Franken is in a neck-and-neck race and a recount will be necessary. Counting things like provisional ballots may end up favoring the Democrat. It seems like much of the Portland area hasn't been counted yet, so I remain optimistic that Merkely will unseat Smith in Oregon.