HolyCoast.com Election Command Center

This post will remain at the top until we have a winner. Be sure to refresh frequently for the latest information. Comments are open - feel free to chime in. Note: you may have to do a forced refresh (CTR+SHIFT+REFRESH) to get the updated map, depending on your web browser.

ELECTION TICKER (all times PST):

• 8:45 - And with that, I'm calling it a night. It's still early here, but I'm going to fire up the TiVO and drown my sorrows in some mindless TV. At least we won't have campaign ads infesting TV and radio anymore. My thanks to all of you who have been dropping in all evening and adding your comments. I appreciate it and hope you'll make HolyCoast.com a regular stopping place. With the liberals fully in charge in Washington there's going to be plenty to write about. For those interested in the outcome of the California ballot propositions, I'll do a separate post on those once the numbers come in. Thanks!
• 8:39 - CO, FL, NV-Obama, AZ-McCain
• 8:20 - McCain concedes. He wonders what he could have done to make the campaign better. Could I suggest that perhaps being a conservative might have helped? It didn't hurt Reagan.
• 8:00 - CA, OR, WA, HI-Obama, SD, ID-McCain. Now it's officially over. Let the riots begin.
• 7:55 - Wanna see something spooky? I did a revised prediction for today's election after a series of boneheaded moves by McCain. Look at the revised map. It looks a lot like what's happening tonight.
• 7:47 - The racists and rednecks have reelected John Murtha in PA.
• 7:42 - VA-Obama The networks will declare him the president-elect at 8pm.
• 7:24 - NE-McCain
• 7:22 - Liberal GOP Congressman Chris Shays loses his seat - the last GOP House member in New England.
• 7:15 - MS-McCain
• 7:14 - Bill Clinton hadn't even been inaugurated yet when he told the voters he couldn't give them the middle class tax cut he promised. What's the over/under for Obama? January 15th like Clinton, or maybe February 1st? He can't possibly pay for everything he's promised - something's gonna have to give.
• 7:04 - I have to admit there's part of me that's secretly happy that McCain didn't win because of the way he treated conservatives and his fellow Republicans as a Senator. McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy Immigration Bill, Gang of 14, not supporting Bush's tax cuts, etc. I was not a fan of McCain, but agreed to support the ticket when he chose Palin and the Dems chose Obama.
• 7:02 - Both MS Senate seats stay GOP. Dems won't get to 60 Senate seats.
• 7:00 - TX, UT-McCain, IA-Obama
• 6:57 - As bad as it is to have Obama as president, how bad is it going to be to have Biden as VP?
• 6:40 - If somebody out there is still holding out hope for McCain, at 8pm CA, OR, HI and WA all close and those 77 electoral votes will go to Obama, probably immediately. Do the math.
• 6:40 - Internet Explorer blew up and I had to competely rebuild the map. Somehow seems fitting.
• 6:33 - LA-McCain
• 6:30 - Back in March I did a BlogTalkRadio interview with a friend of mine in Ohio, and he reminded me that wherever Ohio goes, so goes the country. That still holds true.
• 6:23 - OH-Obama The fat lady is singing.
• 6:10 - You can tell Brit Hume is just about to retire - he's really having a ball on his broadcast, even though he's no fan of Obama. He's really fun to watch.
• 6:08 - GOP loses NM Senate seat, retains AL, MS Senate seat.
• 6:00 - WI, NM, MN, NY, RI, MI-Obama, ND, KS, WY-McCain NM is a flip.
• 5:57 - So far no 2004 red states have flipped, but that could come anytime and seal the deal.
• 5:42 - GA, AL-McCain. Chambliss keeps his Senate seat.
• 5:33 - I'll keep going, but it's academic now. Without PA, McCain can't win. It looks like he's also going to lose NC.
• 5:30 - PA-Obama. It's over. AR-McCain.
• 5:25 - John Sununu loses his Senate seat in NH. Another Dem pickup.
• 5:23 - Michael Barone says Fox won't call PA because there has been no raw vote totals collected from PA yet. Other networks are calling based on exit polls. Barone says they've seen large variations between the exits and actual vote totals. Could the other networks be setting up another Florida 2000?
• 5:22 - Poll closings at 5:30 - NC & AR
• 5:13 - NH-Obama.
• 5:09 - Liddy Dole loses her seat in NC. Bummer.
• 5:08 - McConnell keeps his seat in KY. Whew.
• 5:05 - NBC is calling PA and NH for Obama, but not Fox. If that's true, it's probably over.
• 5:00 - MA, MD, IL, DC, CT, ME, NJ, DE-Obama, OK, TN-McCain
• 4:50 - SC-McCain
• 4:45 - Poll closings at 5pm: CT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, PA, AL, FL, IL, MS, MO, OK, TN. There will be a number of calls in the Northeast for Obama, and a couple in the South for McCain.
• 4:41 - Delayed calls in red states are not necessarily worrisome. The same thing happened in 2000 and 2004 when exit polls suggested that Bush was doing worse than the raw vote actually showed. I'm sure the experts are going to want to see more raw votes before they commit.
• 4:30 - WV-McCain, Dems hold WV Senate.
• 4:12 - Coming up at 4:30 - OH and WV. Don't expect an early call on OH.
• 4:09 - Dems pick up VA Senate, GOP holds SC Senate
• 4:05 - According to exits, black voters 13% of all voters, only slightly more than 2004. New voters 10%, less than the 11% in 2004.
• 4:01 - VT-Obama, KY-McCain, GA-Too close, SC-Too close
• 4:00 - First polls now closed - waiting for calls to begin.
• 3:40 - What to look for in the 4 pm poll closings - an early call of IN for McCain would be very good news. Early call for Obama, a bad night is coming. I expect GA, SC and KY to go for McCain fairly early. VT for Obama. VA may take awhile though it's looking promising for McCain. Also, KY Senate race is important. Don't want to lose Mitch McConnell.
• 3:36 - MCCAIN WINS! (but not yet, I just wanted to type that in case I don't get to do it later)
• 3:26 - Just a reminder, it was about at this point in 2004 that Bob Shrum was the first to address John Kerry as "Mr. President", based on the exit polls.
• 3:20 - Democratic National Committee and Barack Obama Go E-Mail Silent - not sure if that means they think they've won, or they're resigned to a loss.
• 2:46 - Just a reminder - whatever you hear in the media about exit polls, don't let it affect your decision to vote. Exit polling is not an exact science and to base a voting decision on them would be foolish.
• 2:38 - With a lull in the action, I'll tell you what I'm looking at. I have AOL running for my email and also use it to keep up with Fox News and The Corner. I've got 6 windows open in Internet Explore, including Google Reader where I'm monitoring 80 blogs and news sites, Blogger where this is being posted, RealClearPolitics where I'll be updating the map through the evening, Facebook, Twitter and the Drudge Report. I've got an Excel spreadsheet open with all the poll closing times, and another program I'll use to upload the latest maps. I think they call that "multi-tasking".
• 2:30 - Exit poll data starting to come in - after 2004 I'm suspicious of whatever they say.
• 2:13 - VA judge rules overseas military ballots must be preserved until a hearing on Nov. 10th. A close election in VA could delay the final result until then.
• 2:04 - Man Parks Manure Near Dem Office to Protest Obama - and makes the whole area smell better.
• 1:58 - Elections Official Sleeps With Ballots. I think he's just a little bit too "in" to the whole thing.
• 1:56 - Dow closed up 305 points. Is Wall Street anticipating a McCain win (and lower capital gains taxes)?
• 1:51 - No exit poll info has gotten out (and I wouldn't believe it if I saw it). Curious, though. Could it be the exit poll data is not as favorable to Obama as they were hoping?
• 1:46 - Word in Chicago is spreading: Obama loss is expected. (wouldn't that be nice).
• 1:38 - McCain/Palin Sign Stealing Professor Resigns
• 1:20 - Exit Pollsters Interviewing 4:1 Ratio of Minorities to Whites... In Republican District
• 1:16 - Video of a voter telling CNN he's "already voted a couple of times"
• 1PM - Republican Poll Watchers Being Kept Illegally Away From Observing New Registrants' Tables
• 1 PM - Voters in McCain-Friendly Lancaster, PA County Recieving Calls Dishonestly Stating Their Voting Places Have Been Moved
• 1PM - The latest political headlines will be posted at the top of this list.