---

This page is graphically intense with long load times due to photos. However, the photos and narratives makes the wait well worthwhile. The opinions expressed are those of the author and in no way represents the opinions of others.

---

If you wish to listen to some golden oldies from 1940s-1990s, click on the selection on the list below. There are about 80 full-length songs to choose from. (NOTE: Song audio degraded due to space limitations, but adequate for computer listening.) Click For Music 1940s: Billie Holiday_As Time Goes By 1940s: Kate Smith_God Bless America 1940s: Mills Brothers_Glow Worm 1950s: Big Bopper_Chantilly Lace 1950s: Bill Haley Comets_Youre Never Too Old To Rock 1950s: Coasters_Yakety Yak 1950s: Danny And TheJuniors_At The Hop 1950s: Del Shannon_Handyman 1950s: Doris Day_By The Light Of The Silvery Moon 1950s: Fats Domino_I Hear You Knockin 1950s: Freddie Canon_Palisades Park 1950s: Nat King Cole_Ramblin Rose 1950s: Pat Boone_Love Letters In The Sand 1950s: Red Skelton_Pledge Of Allegiance 1950s: Ricky Nelson_Listen To The Rhythm Of The Falling Rain 1950s: Ritchie Valens_Boney Maronie 1950s: Ritchie Valens_Donna 1950s: Ritchie Valens_LaBamba 1960s: Beach Boys_Surfin USA 1960s: Beach Boys_Barbara Ann 1960s: Beatles_Strawberry Fields Forever 1960s: Bobby Vee_Go Away Little Girl 1960s: Chubby Checker_The Twist 1960s: Chuck Berry_Johnny Be Good 1960s: Crosby Stills Nash_Teach Your Children 1960s: Dean Martin_Make The World Go Away 1960s: Elvis Presley_Blue Suede Shoes 1960s: Elvis Presley_Love Me Tender 1960s: Harry Belafonte_Day O 1960s: James Darren_Goodbye Cruel World 1960s: Johnny Mathis_Chances Are 1960s: Kingsman_Louie Louie 1960s: Marcels_Blue Moon 1960s: Marvin Gaye_Lets Get It On 1960s: Paul Anka_Put Your Head On My Shoulder 1960s: Harry Belafonte_Day O 1960s: Righteous Brothers_Youve Lost That Loving Feeling 1960s: Johnny Mathis_Chances Are 1960s: Peter Paul Mary_The Marvelous Toy 1960s: Roy Orbison_Only The Lonely 1960s: Roy Orbison_Pretty Woman 1960s: Sam The Sham_Wooly Bully 1960s: Shirelles_Soldier Boy 1960s: Silhouettes_Get AJ ob 1960s: Simon And Garfunkel_Bridge Over Troubled Waters 1960s: Thunderbirds_Hippy Hippy Shake 1960s: Tony Bennett_San Francisco 1960s: Ventures_Apache 1970s: Bette Midler_The Rose 1970s: Cher_If I Could Turn Back Time 1970s: Commodores_Three Times A Lady 1970s: Crystal Gayle_Ill Do It All Over Again 1970s: Dione Warwick_Ill Never Love This Way Again 1970s: Engelbert Humperdink_Release Me 1950s: Fleetwoods_Mr Blue 1970s: Lovin Spoonful_Rain On The Roof 1970s: Mamas And Papas_Age Of Aquarius 1970s: Mamas And Papas_California Dreaming 1970s: Mamas And Papas_Monday Monday 1970s: Tina Turner_Whats Love Got To Do With It 1970s: Tony Orlando And Dawn_Tie A Yellow Ribbon 1970s: Troggs_Wild Thing 1980s: Aaron Neville Linda Ronstadt_All My Life 1980s: Bruce Springsteen_Born In The USA 1980s: Kenny Loggins_Footloose 1980s: Kim Carnes_Betty Davis Eyes 1980s: Kris Kristofferson_Loving Her Was Easier 1980s: Lee Greenwood_God Bless The USA 1980s: LindaRonstadt_Desperado 1980s: Linda Ronstadt_Thatll Be The Day 1980s: Marie Osmond Dan Seals_Meet Me In Montana 1980s: Michael Jackson_Billie Jean 1980s: Michael Jackson_You Are Not Alone 1980s: Michael Jackson And Friends_We Are The World 1980s: Michael Jackson_Ill Be There 1980s: Phil Collins_In The Air Tonight 1980s: Ricky Nelson_Garden Party 1980s: Ronnie Milsap_Lost In The 50s Tonight 1990s: Kenny G_Auld Lang Syne 1990s: Luther Vandross_Id Rather 1990s: Ricky Martin_Livin La Vida Loca Free JavaScripts provided by The JavaScript Source

---

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA: ELECTION 2008: ACCOUNT OF VICTORY 2008

---

RETURN TO MAIN TABLE OF CONTENTS

This is a work in progress. Graphic intensive with long load times because of photos.

---

ELECTION 2008 (OCT-NOV)

---

---

---

THE POLLS

Red and Blue States (Sep 2008) As the 2008 presidential campaign heads into the home stretch to Nov. 4, the electoral map is taking on familiar hues of red and blue, with a handful of tossup states that will decide the outcome. But to the Democrats' advantage, this time around, most of these battleground states are in "red" America, giving Democrat Barack Obama more opportunity to gain states.

"McCain basically needs every state that Bush got," said Dick Bennett, president of American Research Group, a polling firm based in New Hampshire, noting that Bush won 286 electoral votes in 2004, just 16 more than the 270 needed to win. For McCain, that means defending against serious Obama forays into red states from the Southeast to the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains. Conversely, with the exception of New Hampshire, "there are not that many (Kerry) states where you'd look and say McCain could go into that state and take it away," Bennett said. For McCain, Bennett said, the 2008 race is about holding red America 2004 intact, or folding.



VIDEO: Active X required. McCain-Obama: Final Debate "I'm Not Bush"

Meanwhile, Obama can play offense. "Right now, Colorado, Virginia, Iowa and New Mexico are four Bush states that Obama looks like he's ahead in, and he's ahead in all the Kerry states but New Hampshire, and he's on the verge of competing in Indiana and North Carolina and Florida," said Nate Silver, a Chicagoan who uses statistical techniques to examine and develop electoral projections at his blog, fivethirtyeight.com, a reference to the total number of electoral votes.

Silver rates two Bush states, Ohio and Nevada, as tossups, along with New Hampshire, a state Bush won in 2000 and Kerry in 2004 but where McCain has established a strong personal bond in his two campaigns for the presidency. "McCain is kind of playing for a tie," Silver said.
Sarah Palin

VIDEO: Require Active X. Sarah Palin Song

Electorate still polarized

For a while, the prospect of an Obama-McCain campaign promised to move America past the hard lines and fierce polarization of the past eight years, beyond the screaming matches of cable TV to a post-Karl-Rove-and-Michael-Moore era. The Obama campaign especially dreamed of scrambling the political map, promising a 50-state campaign that would defy the parochial boundaries of red and blue and compete on reliably Republican turf from Mississippi to Montana.


Obama and Biden

But that kind of campaign would be the luxury of a clear front-runner, and Obama has never broken away from McCain in what looks to be a solid Democratic year that, Bennett said, has even some Republican operatives scratching their heads about why McCain is doing as well as he is.

Any grand ambitions for politics out of the old groove got lost on the gritty road to 270. "In spite of early signs that we might be able to break away from the intense political polarization of the 2000 and 2004 elections, it now appears that we are about as polarized as ever," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. "This doesn't mean the results will be the same, but I've been predicting since the summer that at least 42 states will stay the same color, possibly as many as 45 or 46."

A new political climate will have to be the handiwork of a new administration, Sabato said. "It will be up to a new president to try to bring us together," he said. "Feelings about George Bush and other national leaders are running too strong for that change to occur now."


Obama Not Saluting the Flag

Historic turnout

Indeed, according to Bennett, the driving force behind what he expects to be an enormous national turnout in November, is neither Barack Obama or John McCain. It's George Bush. "People are motivated to vote," said Bennett. "People want a new president." According to the most recent ARG survey, a telephone sample of 1,100 voters conducted Sept. 16 to 19, Bush's approval rating has fallen below 20 percent. "It's not a ho-hum election," Bennett said. It is also a historic one that will result in either the election of the first woman as vice president or the first African-American president, a possibility that seems certain to generate a record turnout among black voters. This seems likely to be true, even in Louisiana, where Obama is not likely to win despite a large black population. In fact, most African-Americans live in states that went for Bush in 2000 and 2004.

While Obama holds only a narrow national lead, Silver said that in the wake of the financial crisis he, for the first time, sees at least the possibility of an Obama blowout, something that Silver thought cautious voter reaction to Obama as the first African-American candidate would have precluded. And, Silver said, "If Obama had a really good night, Louisiana is one of those states that he could win." But, he said, "if Obama wins Louisiana, it will be his 380th electoral vote, not his 270th."

Tossup states

Most of the attention in the remaining weeks will be focused on the 5 percent to 7 percent of the electorate still making up its mind in a handful of swing states.

And what are those states? Sabato lists seven tossup states: Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Hampshire. An Associated Press analysis gives Michigan to Obama but adds Florida and Wisconsin. Pollster.com lists 10 tossups: all the Sabato states, except Michigan, which, like the AP, it has leaning to Obama, plus Florida, North Carolina, Indiana and Minnesota. At fivethirtyeight.com, Silver lists only three states that are too close to call if the election were held now: Ohio, Nevada and New Hampshire, and paints the other battleground states in various shades of blue.

And, just as serviceable a list of critical states, there are those where former President Clinton has said he will campaign for the Obama-Biden ticket: Florida, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The political map of the past decade is the tightest since the 1880s, according to Peter Nardulli, a political scientist at the University of Illinois College of Law.

Don't count him out


Obama and Joe the Plumber. Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher became part of the national political lexicon Oct. 15 when Republican presidential candidate John McCain mentioned him frequently during his final debate with Democrat Barack Obama. The 34-year-old from the Toledo suburb of Holland is held out by McCain as an example of an American who would be harmed by Obama's tax proposals.

But perhaps for reasons of race, and because McCain has shown more than a dash of daring, the contours of a contest that would look to be a Democratic slam-dunk are not so easy to fathom. "He's been more wily than I might have thought," Nardulli said of McCain. His choice of Palin and his decision to suspend his campaign, albeit briefly, to involve himself in the Washington deliberations around crafting a rescue plan for Wall Street, have come as surprises. And especially with a large white working-class electorate in critical states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, William Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution in Washington, said it would be a mistake to write off the unpredictable McCain. "You never know what he's going to do," Frey said. (Source: The Times-Picayune Jonathan Tilove and Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Sep 27, 2008.)

(SITE NOTE: In the last weeks of the campaign, McCain has suffered some notable setbacks as Collin Powell, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his own advisor, Conservative legal scholar and Reagan Solicitor General, Charles Fried came out for Obama. All state that his choice of Palin was part of the reason for switching.)

---

US groups warn of moves to deny Obama victory (Oct 2008) Civil rights and trade union leaders in the United States are warning of last-minute efforts to deny victory to Democratic candidate Barack Obama by preventing thousands of likely pro-Obama voters from casting ballots on November 4. Known as "vote suppression," the tactic involves challenges to eligibility on a variety of grounds, including improper voter registration and insufficient proof of US citizenship or place of residence. "This year has brought of those states, the US television network found that charges of vote fraud or vote suppression "are far more rhetoric than reality."

Some voting-rights activists have also warned that the machines used to count ballots at thousands of polling places are vulnerable to "hacking." Computer experts could rig these machines to record inaccurate vote totals, these monitors say. Even if broadly conducted and highly effectively, vote suppression and hacking of voting machines would probably not alter the outcome of this year's presidential election. Nearly all reputable polls show Senator Obama with a substantial lead that may be impossible to erase through such tactics.

Still, the Obama campaign plans to deploy armies of attorneys at polling places around the country on November 4 to monitor voting procedures and to initiate urgent legal action in response to complaints of vote suppression. The McCain camp is preparing a similar, though smaller, effort. Millions of names are removed from voter rolls every year in the United States in response to deaths or changes in residency. But other factors may also be involved in some states. And that leads Wendy Weiser, an elections expert at New York University, to describe the culling process as "secret, prone to error and vulnerable to manipulation." "Lots and lots of eligible voters could get knocked off the voter rolls without any notice and, in many cases, without any opportunity to correct if before Election Day."

Conversely, Senator McCain's campaign has voiced fears about efforts to inflate voter rolls by adding invalid registrations in neighbourhoods likely to support Senator Obama by wide margins. Senator McCain has pointed in particular to a group that organises in low-income urban communities. It was recently revealed that 30 percent of 1.3 million voter registrations submitted by the group were faulty. (Source: Daily Nation (29 Oct 2008).)

---

Electoral Vote: Road to 270 -- It Ain't Over Till the Fat Lady Sings

---

(23 October):

RealClearPolitics.com shows polls having Obama clearly in lead by 7.8 points — increasing his lead since mid-September.

Rasmussen Reports 10/21 - 10/23 Obama +7
Gallup (Traditional)* 10/21 - 10/23 Obama +5
Gallup (Expanded)* 10/21 - 10/23 Obama +7
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby 10/21 - 10/23 Obama +10
Hotline/FD 10/21 - 10/23 Obama +7
GWU/Battleground 10/19 - 10/23 Obama +3
IBD/TIPP 10/19 - 10/23 Obama +4
CBS News/NY Times 10/19 - 10/22 Obama +13
ABC News/Wash Post 10/19 - 10/22 Obama +11
FOX News 10/20 - 10/21 Obama +9
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 10/17 - 10/20 Obama +10
Associated Press/GfK 10/16 - 10/20 Obama +1
Ipsos/McClatchy 10/16 - 10/20 Obama +8
CNN/Opinion Research 10/17 - 10/19 Obama +5
Pew Research 10/16 - 10/19 Obama +14

(Source: RealClearPolitics.com.)

---

A VERY Hostile Interview (23 Oct 2008) Biden so disliked West's line of questioning that the Obama campaign canceled a WFTV interview with Jill Biden, the candidate's wife. "This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election," wrote Laura K. McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign. McGinnis said the Biden cancellation was "a result of her husband's experience yesterday during the satellite interview with Barbara West." West asked some biting questions of whether Obama was a Socialist based upon his ideas of spreading the wealth around. She asked how Obama had benefitted from ACORN -- but Biden stated that their campaign had NOTHING to do with ACORN. The news director backed up West stating that they were asking hard-ball questions as reporters should. However, Democratic blogs claim that McCain was given "soft-ball" questions so the interview was unfair.

Orlando, FL WFTV-Channel 9's Barbara West conducted a satellite interview with Sen. Joe Biden on 23 Oct.
VERY Hostile TV Interview with Joe Bidden.

---

(24 October):

We have been hearing people proclaiming an Obama landslide — and many polls are also predicting this. But an AP article stated, "Polls are snapshots of highly fluid campaigns. In this case, there is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points; that means Obama could be ahead by as many as 8 points or down by as many as 6. There are many reasons why polls differ, including methods of estimating likely voters and the wording of questions."

Thirty-six percent (36%) of voters have already cast their ballots or plan to vote early this year. That figure includes 37% of Obama supporters and 35% of those for McCain. Forty-nine percent (49%) of African-American voters say they will be voting early. Voters not affiliated with either major party are far less likely to vote early than partisans.

Bottomline is that it's still anybody's race down to the wire. However, the odds-on favorite is Obama with an 86 percent likelihood of winning — that is if he doesn't trip over his tongue or some horrendous revelation doesn't comes about. Recent AP and CBS polls are giving rise to feelings amongst McCain supporters that the race is tightening up in the last weeks.

Berg has promised the release of the API tapes this weekend — but there is much skepticism. There is also the wait for a ruling for a Summary judgement in the Obama citizenship case — where McCain supporters logically expect a dismissal for lack of standing, but hope fervently for a positive ruling. Die-hard Republicans keep praying for the "October Surprise." Unfortunately, it hasn't happened yet.

---

AP poll: Candidates running nearly even — Neck-and-neck results are a departure from many recent national polls (23 Oct)

The presidential race tightened after the final debate, with John McCain gaining among whites and people earning less than $50,000, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll that shows McCain and Barack Obama essentially running even among likely voters in the election homestretch. (SITE NOTE: Differs from RealClearPolitics.com — ABC News/Wash Post 10/19 - 10/22 Obama +11)

The poll, which found Obama at 44 percent and McCain at 43 percent, supports what some Republicans and Democrats privately have said in recent days: that the race narrowed after the third debate as Republican-leaning voters drifted home to their party.

(Source: MSNBC/MSN.)

---

Bloomberg says the Obama lead shrinking in some polls

AP Poll at 44 to 43 percent — compared to 7 point lead for Obama in September.

George Washington University poll down to 2 point edge for Obama — down from 7 point lead in mid-October.

IDB/TIPP tracking survey has the margin for the Democrat narrowing to 1 point from 5 points at the start of the week.

New York Times-CBS News, Fox News, the Wall Street Journal/NBC, and Gallup show Obama either holding or expanding his lead over McCain. The average of 14 national polls taken between Oct. 16 and Oct. 22 is just over 7 percentage points, according to data compiled by Realclearpolitics.com. The gap has increased steadily since mid- September.

Obama leads McCain in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. The three states combined have 68 electoral votes and have played a central role in recent elections. Obama is ahead by 5 percentage points in Florida, 14 points in Ohio and 13 points in Pennsylvania, the surveys, conducted Oct. 16-21 found. The Florida and Pennsylvania polls have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points, while the Ohio poll has an error margin of plus or minus 2.7 points.

A New York Times-CBS News poll released today showed Obama leading McCain by 52 to 39 percent among probable voters.

The CNN polls found Obama ahead by 5 percentage points among likely voters in Nevada, 4 points in North Carolina and Ohio, and 10 points in Virginia. McCain leads in West Virginia. The CNN state polls have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for surveys in Nevada and Ohio and 4 percentage points in the other three states.

(Source: Bloomberg.com.)

---

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for 24 Oct shows Obama attracting 52% of the vote while John McCain earns 45%.

The 24 Oct's results mark the 29th straight day that Obama's support has stayed between 50% or above 52%. During that period, the number voting for McCain has stayed in the 44% to 46% range every day and the gap between the candidates has ranged from four to eight percentage points.

Fifty-seven percent (57%) of voters have a favorable opinion of Barack Obama while 53% say the same about John McCain. Those figures include 41% with a Very Favorable opinion of Obama and 26% who are that enthusiastic about McCain (see trends). Seventy-six percent (76%) of Democrats have a Very Favorable opinion of Obama. Just 54% of Republicans have a Very Favorable opinion of McCain.

(Source: Rasmussen Reports.)

Election-Vote.com shows Obama -- 375 / McCaim -- 157 / Ties -- 6 in Electoral College race.

Safe Obama California, Delaware, D.C., Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
Obama Favored Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin
Leans Obama Colorado, Maine, New Mexico, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia

Tossup Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota (NOTE: Rasmussen Reports show Florida, Nevada, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio as tossup. Montana and North Dakota as Red. )

Leans McCain Arkansas, West Virginia
McCain Favored Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee
Safe McCain Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming

(Source: Electoral-vote.com.)

AP Poll: Obama leads or tied in 8 crucial states

Barack Obama now leads in four states won by President Bush in 2004 and is essentially tied with John McCain in two other Republican red states, according to new AP-GfK battleground polling. The results help explain why the Democrat is pressing his money and manpower advantages in a slew of traditionally GOP states, hoping not just for a win but a transcendent victory that remakes the nation's political map. McCain is scrambling to defend states where he wouldn't even be campaigning if the race were closer.

Less than a week before Election Day, the AP-GfK polls show Obama winning among early voters, favored on almost every issue, benefiting from the country's sour mood and widely viewed as the winning candidate by voters in eight crucial states — Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. "If you believe in miracles," said GOP consultant Joe Gaylord of Arlington, Va., "you still believe in McCain." Despite a mounting chorus of Republicans predicting their nominee's demise, McCain aides insist their internal surveys show victory is still within reach.

Indeed, polls are mere snapshots of highly fluid campaigns, and this race has been unusually volatile. McCain was written off prematurely last year, and Obama seemed poised for victory in New Hampshire's Democratic primary just before Hillary Rodham Clinton thumped him.

Even this close to Election Day, racial tensions and the numbers of late-deciding voters identified by the AP-GfK polling leave room for doubt. But the surveys confirm what McCain aides acknowledge privately — their chances of winning are low.

The polling shows Obama holding solid leads in Ohio (7 percentage points), Nevada (12 points), Colorado (9) and Virginia (7), all red states won by Bush that collectively offer 47 electoral votes. Sweeping those four — or putting together the right combination of two or three — would almost certainly make Obama president.

It takes 270 electoral votes to win the White House. Obama can earn 252 by merely reclaiming states won by John Kerry in 2004. There are only two Kerry states still in contention — Pennsylvania with 21 votes and New Hampshire with four — and AP-GfK polls show Obama leading both by double digits.

Ohio alone has 20 electoral votes. Nevada has 5, Colorado 9 and Virginia 13.

In addition, Obama is tied with McCain in North Carolina and Florida, according to the AP-GfK polling, two vote-rich states Bush carried in 2004. Obama is throwing his time and money into the Sunshine State, which has 27 votes, part of a strategy to create many routes to victory and push toward a landslide of 300 or more electoral votes. North Carolina has 15 votes.

Independent polling suggests that New Mexico and Iowa, two traditionally GOP states, are out of reach for McCain. Other red states may be creeping away from him and into contention, including Montana.

The bottom line: McCain must overtake Obama in the many red states where he is trailing or tied — a tall order. Or he needs to gain some breathing room by winning Pennsylvania, where he trails by 12 percentage points, according to the AP-GfK poll.

Many of his own supporters say the race is all but over. "I get the sense it's shutting down," said Tom Rath, a GOP consultant in New Hampshire where McCain trails by 18 points. He added, "Where there's a week, there's hope."

A couple of factors might cut McCain's way.

First, there are still a good number of voters are open to changing their minds — from as low as 4 percent in Nevada to 14 percent in New Hampshire. Second, the impact of race is a hard-to-measure factor as Obama seeks to become the nation's first black president.

In three states — North Carolina, Florida and Pennsylvania — the number of white Democrats who said the word "violent" described most blacks hit double digits in the polling. In those same states, Obama was having trouble winning over white Democrats — 20 percent of them in North Carolina said they were voting for McCain; 12 percent in Florida and 8 percent in Pennsylvania.

A senior GOP aide in Congress, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid angering his presidential nominee, said McCain's advisers are being asked by some Republican leaders to focus the candidate's travel on states with close Senate races — essentially abandoning his White House ambitions to help re-elect GOP senators.

But it's Obama who may have coattails. Democrats lead the Senate races in Colorado, New Hampshire and Virginia, according to AP-GfK polls. In North Carolina, GOP Sen. Elizabeth Dole is essentially tied with state Sen. Kay Hagan.

In all four of those Senate races, the Democratic candidate leads among early voters, a sign of a strong ground game driven by the top of the ticket. Obama easily outpaces McCain among early voters, holding about a 2-1 advantage in six of the states.

Obama is favored on almost every issue in every state, the polling says:

• _Voters in all eight states gave him the highest marks on whom they trust to fix the economy and improve health care.
• _Even on the question of "who would make the right decision about national security," typically a strong suit for McCain, Obama holds a slight lead in Nevada and is running even against his GOP rival in Colorado, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
• _By large margins, voters in each of the eight states consider Obama the likely winner Tuesday.
• _Voters in each state believe McCain has run a far more negative campaign.

The political landscape tilts against McCain. Just 8 percent of voters in New Hampshire think the country is headed in the right direction. Three-quarters of voters in Pennsylvania disapprove of Bush's job performance. Nine in 10 voters in North Carolina are worried about the economy. "People will vote for change, and Barack Obama represents that change," said Gaylord, the GOP consultant in Virginia. Speaking of McCain, he said: "And try as he will — and he has — to be the candidate of change, he could not. He could not overcome the weight of George Bush's failed policies."

The AP-GfK Battleground State Poll was conducted from Oct. 22-26 in eight states. It involved interviews by landline telephone with likely voters in each state, ranging from 600 in Florida and New Hampshire to 628 in Nevada. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.9 percentage points in Colorado and Nevada, and 4 points in the other states. (Source: AP: Ron Fournier, Associated Press Writers.)

---

(30 October):: Obama sank $3 million in a 30-minute infomercial that was well-constructed to appeal to the undecided voters on 30 Oct. Critics felt it was money well spent. Obama infomercial was about comforting white Americans - especially middle and working class white Americans. It played to every point that had registered positive reactions during the campaign/debates. It was a fine-tuned psychological profiling of the voting populace. However, the pool of undecided voters remains as large as one in 10. According to past election results, those voters who decided in the last week of a campaign are unlikely to break decisively for either candidate and dramatically alter the 4 Nov race. As expected, pro-Obama supporters raved about it, while McCain supporters panned it. The success of the infomercial was expected by the Democrats/mainstream media to be seen in the polls within two days.

Nielsen reported that more than 33.5 million people watched Democrat Barack Obama's half-hour "infomercial" last night. That's a better audience than the 22.7 million Ross Perot drew for his half-hour ad on ABC, CBS and NBC in 1996, the last time a politician tried this. It's also better than the usual viewership for the networks that ran the Obama ad. Obama's ad aired on CBS, FOX, NBC, Univision, BET, MSNBC, and TV One between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET. On an average Wednesday night, Nielsen says, the seven networks draw a combined average of 30.3 million viewers during that half-hour

RealClearPolitics.com poll average is Obama up to 6.5 -- up .6 points from 5.9 on 29 Oct. The slow tightening of the race for McCain widened again but not as dramatically after the Obama infomercial as predicted by the pundits.

Rasmussen Reports 10/28 - 10/30 Obama +4 (Down 1 point)
Gallup (Traditional)* 10/28 - 10/30 Obama +8 (Up 3 points)
Gallup (Expanded)* 10/28 - 10/30 Obama +9 (Up 2 points)
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby 10/28 - 10/30 Obama +7 (Same)
Diageo/Hotline 10/28 - 10/30 Obama +7 (Up 1 point)
Marist 10/29 - 10/29 Obama +7 (---)
GWU/Battleground 10/27 - 10/30 Obama +4 (Up 1 point)
ABC News/Wash Post 10/27 - 10/30 Obama +9 (Up 1 point)
FOX News 10/28 - 10/29 Obama +3 (Same)
IBD/TIPP 10/26 - 10/30 Obama +4 (Same)
CBS News/NY Times 10/25 - 10/29 Obama +11 (Same)

(Source: RealClearPolitics.com.)

However, despite the increase in the point spread between Obama and McCain in the polls, Electorate.com showed the Electoral College totals at Obama 364 McCain 171 Ties 3. This was a DOWNWARD trend for BOTH Obama and McCain along with a decrease in tied states. On 29 Oct it was Obama 375 -- McCain 157 -- Ties 6. This shows how volatile this race is. In Arizona, John McCain is only 4 points ahead here, but since it is his home state, he will presumably win it. Barack Obama has small leads in Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia, although the race is definitely tightening as the undecideds finally start paying attention. In the other states, not much has changed. (Source: Electoral-vote.com.)

---

(31 Oct) With just days to go before Election Day, Sen. Barack Obama is warning his supporters that things are going to get unpleasant fast -- and that the race will come down to every last vote. "Don't believe for a second this election is over. Don't think for a minute that power concedes anything. It's gonna get nasty, I'm sure, in the next four days," Obama told a crowd in Columbia, Missouri, on Thursday night. "They will throw everything at us like they've been doing, and we're gonna have to work like our future depends on it in this last week. You know what? Because it does, and every single young person here tonight -- I've gotta have every single one of you voting, and you've gotta grab five more, all of you, have gotta vote," he said.

The warning comes after the Illinois senator said in an interview Thursday night that his campaign was winning -- some of the most confident language from Obama since he won the Democratic nomination. "I think we're winning right now," he told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. "Maybe I'm doing something right." And that confidence from Obama may be expanding, despite assurances that the race is going to narrow.

On Friday, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe told reporters in a conference call that the campaign is encouraged by results of massive get-out-the-vote efforts in early voting states. Plouffe said the campaign is pleased that a large part of the early vote so far is coming from sporadic and new voters "The dye is being cast even as we speak," he said.

Early voting in Colorado, Nevada and Texas ends Friday. North Carolina's early voting ends Saturday, and Florida's ends Sunday. Early voting in Ohio and Indiana -- states where polls show a neck-and-neck race -- ends Monday.

The Obama campaign is also looking to expand its electoral map strategy. On Friday, the campaign announced that it was going on the air in Sen. John McCain's home state of Arizona for the first time this cycle. The news comes as a new CNN poll of polls, released Friday morning, finds the Republican nominee leading Obama there by just 4 percentage points, 49 to 45 percent. Six percent of the state's voters said they were unsure about their presidential pick.

Plouffe told reporters that the Obama campaign's positive spot, "Something," will hit the airwaves in Arizona. He also said the campaign was going back on the airwaves in Georgia and North Dakota with its negative spot, "Rearview Mirror," which ties McCain to President Bush. Obama plans to campaign this weekend in Colorado, Nevada and Missouri. His running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, plans rallies in Indiana and Ohio.

Earlier this week, the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee launched negative robo-calls in Arizona telling voters that Obama was unready to handle an international crisis. On Thursday, MoveOn.org announced that it was targeting McCain with ad buys in each of the state's major media markets. The Obama campaign also issued a call for volunteers there, citing tightening polls in the state. McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds dismissed the new Obama push Friday morning, calling it a "waste of his resources."

McCain, meanwhile, continues to hammer his opponent for exuding confidence in the final days of the campaign. He has been repeating a standard campaign line recently, saying Obama is "measuring the drapes" for the White House. At a campaign rally Friday morning, McCain expressed confidence that the tide was turning in his favor. "I want to tell you the enthusiasm and the momentum that I feel here in Ohio is going to carry us to victory here in Ohio and throughout this country," McCain told supporters in Hanoverton, Ohio. A CNN poll of polls in Ohio calculated Wednesday indicates that Obama has an 8-point lead in the state, with the Illinois senator ahead of McCain 50 percent to 42 percent, with 8 percent unsure. No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio.

And the Republican ticket is wasting no time in reaching out to other battleground state voters. Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin plans on holding five rallies Saturday in Florida, North Carolina and Virginia -- states where the two campaigns are locked in a close race. On Sunday the Alaska governor will campaign in Ohio, then travel to Iowa. McCain will hold rallies this weekend in Virginia and Pennsylvania -- both states where Obama is leading, according to several recent polls. And just two weeks after his running mate made an appearance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," a McCain campaign aide tells CNN that the Republican presidential nominee will appear on the the late-night comedy show Saturday. (Source: CNN.)

Early Voting Data Are Starting to Come in

Several organizations are collecting data on early voting, which is possible in about 30 states this year. One of them is EVIC at Reed College in Oregon. In North Carolina, almost 1 million Democrats have already voted, but only half a million Republicans. In Georgia, 1.4 million people (25% of the electorate) have already voted, with black turnout especially high (33% have already voted). Data for other states are available on the EVIC Website.

George Mason University also has a Website with early voting data. It reports that 20 million people have already voted nationwide. Supposedly one in five voters voted early and Obama leads among early voters 57 percent to 38 percent, a nineteen point advantage.

CNN has an interactive map showing the number of early votes and absentee votes already cast. In New Mexico, for example, 194,000 Democrats and 110,000 Republicans have already voted. In another swing state, Nevada, the data are available for only two counties, Clark (Las Vegas) and Washoe (Reno). In these two combined, 202,000 Democrats and 119,00 Republicans have already voted.

In Florida, blacks and elderly voters are turning out in droves, but younger voters weren't showing up yet. In the first nine days of voting, 1.4 million votes have been cast in the Sunshine state. About 54% were Democrats and 30% were Republicans even though Democrats comprise 42% of the registered voters and 36% of the registered voters are Republicans. The high Democratic turnout in Florida is not surprising. Obama has been pouring money into the state, with the weekly bill for TV ads running $5 million and 400 paid staff on the ground. (Source: Electoral-vote.com.)

President Bush has not campaigned for McCain in this election by joint agreement. White House aides say the administration and the McCain camp jointly decided months ago that the Arizona senator would do his own politicking and that the president's time was best spent helping the Republican Party and House and Senate candidates. According to GOP officials, Bush has appeared at 84 events during the 2008 election cycle, raising more than $147 million.

RealClearPolitics.com poll average is Obama up to 6.8 -- up .3 points from 6.5 on 30 Oct. The Obama margins are widening a little, we also see that many of the states are becoming "statistical tossups" -- meaning that the race is becoming more volatile.

Rasmussen Reports 10/29 - 10/31 Obama +5 (Up 1 point)
Gallup (Traditional)* 10/29 - 10/31 Obama +10 (Up 2 points)
Gallup (Expanded)* 10/29 - 10/31 Obama +10 (Up 1 point)
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby 10/29 - 10/31 Obama +5 (Down 2 points)
Diageo/Hotline 10/29 - 10/31 Obama +7 (Same)
CBS News 10/28 - 10/31 Obama +13 (Up 2 point)
ABC News/Wash Post 10/28 - 10/31 Obama +9 (Same)
IBD/TIPP 10/27 - 10/31 Obama +5 (Up 1 point)
GWU/Battleground 10/27 - 10/30 Obama +4 (Same)
Marist 10/29 - 10/29 Obama +7 (Same)
FOX News 10/28 - 10/29 Obama +3 (Same)

(Source: RealClearPolitics.com.)

The Democrats are still predicting a win, but the polls below look very significant. I have used color "red"=McCain and "blue"=Obama. Electorate.com showed the Electoral College totals at Obama 364 McCain 171 Ties 3. However, on the following chart, I used "yellow" if states within 1-2 points difference = a toss up. I used "white" if the difference is within 3-4 points meaning that they are "statistically a toss-up" if considering a 3.5 percent margin of error. THERE IS ONLY ONE YELLOW ON THE POLLS!!! The shift I see is that there are more states that have moved into the "statistically a toss-up" category meaning that the race is tightening. It is still leans significantly towards Obama, but McCain cannot be counted out. The youth vote that Obama had envisioned sweeping the early vote lines did not pan out. Though McCain keeps saying race will not play a role, it is apparent that the massive African-American turnout speaks for itself.

State Obama McCain Start End Pollster
Arizona 44% 48% Oct 27 Oct 28 Mason-Dixon
California 55% 33% Oct 18 Oct 28 Field Poll
Colorado 48% 44% Oct 23 Oct 27 Financial Dynamics
Colorado 51% 45% Oct 27 Oct 28 Marist Coll.
Florida 45% 44% Oct 23 Oct 27 Financial Dynamics
Iowa 53% 39% Oct 27 Oct 29 Research 2000
Iowa 55% 40% Oct 28 Oct 29 SurveyUSA
Indiana 46% 49% Oct 28 Oct 29 Rasmussen
Kentucky 43% 55% Oct 29 Oct 29 Rasmussen
Louisiana 40% 43% Oct 24 Oct 26 Loyola U.
Michigan 50% 38% Oct 26 Oct 28 EPIC-MRA
Minnesota 48% 40% Oct 27 Oct 28 Mason-Dixon
Montana 46% 50% Oct 29 Oct 29 Rasmussen
North Carolina 47% 43% Oct 23 Oct 27 Financial Dynamics
North Carolina 50% 48% Oct 29 Oct 29 Rasmussen
New Hampshire 53% 40% Oct 27 Oct 29 Suffolk U.
New Jersey 53% 35% Oct 23 Oct 29 Fairleigh Dickinson U.
Ohio 48% 41% Oct 23 Oct 27 Financial Dynamics
Oklahoma 34% 63% Oct 28 Oct 29 SurveyUSA
Pennsylvania 47% 43% Oct 27 Oct 28 Mason-Dixon
South Carolina 42% 53% Oct 25 Oct 28 Princeton Survey
South Carolina 44% 52% Oct 28 Oct 29 SurveyUSA
Texas 40% 51% Oct 15 Oct 22 U. of Texas
Virginia 48% 44% Oct 23 Oct 27 Financial Dynamics
Virginia 51% 47% Oct 26 Oct 27 Marist Coll.
Wisconsin 55% 39% Oct 28 Oct 29 SurveyUSA

(Source: Electoral-vote.com.)

---

(1 Nov) The story of Obama's step-Aunt Zeituni living in the tenements of Boston Housing Authority broke -- in contrast to Obama living in a $1.6 million home. It was broken by the London Times -- and initially, the mainstream media (i.e., Washington Post) used words like "living quietly" in the BHA to try to downplay the story. The story broke that she was an illegal alien -- who had also illegally contributed $260 to his campaign. This has been a complaint from the beginning that Obama's fund raising was so loose that it allowed foreign entities to donate small sums -- but in enormous quantity. Then the Obama campaign unable to fight the facts started charging that it was "fishy" on the timing. Other Democrats immediately made allegations of a "leak" that surfaced this at this late date.

Electorate.com showed the Electoral College totals at Obama 353 McCain 185. No tie states. This indicated that I was right that the race was tightening by the move of many states into the "statistically tossup" category. We see a trend where the polls are starting to shift towards McCain, but Obama still has the lead. Economic concerns are boosting Obama in some usually more-Republican groups; in vote preference he runs evenly with McCain, for example, among white men who cite the economy as the single most important issue in their choice. As a result Obama trails among white men overall by 9 points -- a group John Kerry lost by 25. Even with these advantages for Obama the two are running closely in some customary swing voter groups: among independents, 50-46 percent Obama-McCain; among white Catholics, 48-49 percent; among married women, 48-49 percent. (Source: ABC News.) But the polls are digging up all kinds of miscellaneous facts that mean really nothing to laymen -- who only understand the economy and national security are two key issues.

State Obama McCain Start End Pollster
Alaska 39% 58% Oct 28 Oct 30 Research 2000
Arizona 46% 50% Oct 28 Oct 30 ARG
Arizona 47% 48% Oct 28 Oct 30 Research 2000
Colorado 52% 45% Oct 28 Oct 30 ARG
Georgia 44% 47% Oct 28 Oct 30 Research 2000
Georgia 47% 52% Oct 30 Oct 30 Rasmussen
Indiana 47% 47% Oct 27 Oct 30 SurveyUSA
Kentucky 39% 56% Oct 27 Oct 29 Research 2000
Kentucky 42% 51% Oct 27 Oct 29 Mason-Dixon
Minnesota 53% 38% Oct 27 Oct 29 Research 2000
Missouri 47% 50% Oct 29 Oct 29 Insider Advantage
Missouri 48% 48% Oct 28 Oct 30 ARG
Mississippi 40% 53% Oct 27 Oct 29 Research 2000
Montana 44% 48% Oct 28 Oct 30 Research 2000
Montana 46% 49% Oct 28 Oct 30 ARG
North Carolina 45% 38% Oct 27 Oct 30 Elon U.
North Carolina 47% 45% Oct 28 Oct 30 Research 2000
North Carolina 48% 48% Oct 29 Oct 29 Insider Advantage
North Dakota 46% 47% Oct 28 Oct 29 Research 2000
New Hampshire 50% 46% Oct 30 Oct 30 Rasmussen
New Hampshire 51% 44% Oct 28 Oct 30 Research 2000
New Hampshire 53% 39% Oct 28 Oct 30 U. of New Hampshire
New Hampshire 53% 42% Oct 29 Oct 30 SurveyUSA
New Hampshire 56% 41% Oct 28 Oct 30 ARG
New Jersey 52% 42% Oct 29 Oct 30 SurveyUSA
Oregon 55% 39% Oct 27 Oct 29 Research 2000
Oregon 57% 38% Oct 29 Oct 30 SurveyUSA
Pennsylvania 55% 43% Oct 23 Oct 28 Opinion Research
Wisconsin 54% 38% Oct 21 Oct 28 U. of Wisconsin
Wyoming 36% 61% Oct 27 Oct 29 Research 2000


(Source: Electoral-vote.com.)

---

(2 Nov) -- RealClearPolitics.com poll average is Obama down to 6.4 -- down .4 points from 6.8 on 31 Oct. Again we're seeing a downward trend for Obama -- but is it too late for McCain? The illegal alien aunt Zeituni does not appear to be the bombshell that the Republicans had wanted. Though ABC News calls Obama rising to the "highest ever," it is apparent to us that the Obama lead is slipping despite his massive infusion of funds in the last days of the race.

CNN/Opinion Research 10/30 - 11/01 Obama +7 ( --- )
Rasmussen Reports 10/30 - 11/01 Obama +5 (Same)
Gallup (Traditional)* 10/30 - 11/01 Obama +8 (Down 2 points)
Gallup (Expanded)* 10/30 - 11/01 Obama +9 (Down 1 point)
Diageo/Hotline 10/30 - 11/01 Obama +5 (Down 2 point)
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby 10/30 - 11/01 Obama +6 (Up 1 point)
Pew Research 10/29 - 11/01 Obama +6 (Down 9 points from 26 Oct)
IBD/TIPP 10/29 - 11/01 Obama +2 (Down 3 points)
ABC News/Wash Post 10/29 - 11/01 Obama +11 (Up 2 points)
CBS News 10/28 - 10/31 Obama +13 (Same)
GWU/Battleground 10/27 - 10/30 Obama +4 (Same)
Marist 10/29 - 10/29 Obama +7 (Same)
FOX News 10/28 - 10/29 Obama +3 (Same)


(Source: RealClearPolitics.com.)

---

(3 Nov) Early Voting Soars --One problem with all this campaigning is that for many voters it is too late. According to the Early Voting Information Center early voting is going to break all records. For example, in North Carolina, 42% of all Democrats, 35% of all Republicans, and 30% of all independents have already voted. In Florida the numbers are 22%, 15%, and 20%, respectively. Here is a summary of early voting at Daily Kos. CNN also has a story on early voting.

The latest national polls put Obama ahead by 7.8 points nationally. The Washington Post notes that in the most recent 159 national polls, Obama has led them all.

Rasmussen Adjusts Partisan Targets -- As he has been doing every week for several months, Rasmussen adjusted the partisan breakdown for the final week of polling. According to the most recent six weeks of his polling, Rasmussen believes that 39.9% of the voters are Democrats and 33.4% of the voters are Republicans, with 26.7% independent. These numbers are important not only for Rasmussen's polling, but for the election itself as about 80% of the people vote for their party's candidate. This partisan breakdown means that even if the independents split 50-50, Obama has an edge in the popular vote of roughly 3-4%. The last few days, both parties are fighting for the independents, who will decide the election. (Source: Electoral-vote.com.)

The Center for the Study of the American Electorate today released its voter registration figures for this election. The increase was moderate -- 2.5% -- but the result is a record. The center, part of American University, projects that 153.1 million of the country's eligible citizens are now registered to vote. That's 73.5% -- better than the previous high of 72.1% in 1964 and the highest since at least 1920, when women were given the right to vote. Center director Curtis Gans says this is the second straight election with a significant registration increase, coming after a 3% boost in 2004. He says as many as 135 million people -- nearly 65% of those eligible -- could turn out to vote. That would be the highest turnout since 1960. Gans projects Democratic registration will be up 1.4% or 2.9 million this year, while GOP registration will be down 1.5 million. The center said that's a small drop but that it declined at all "in this year of intense citizen interest in the election is significant." Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have partisan registration. Based on information so far, the center said, Democratic registration went up significantly in Nevada, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arizona, New Jersey and Maryland. GOP registration declined in Colorado, Florida and Pennsylvania, but rose in Nevada. (Source: USA Today.)

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Sen. Barack Obama enters Election Day with a solid, though narrowing, lead over Sen. John McCain as both men sprint to the finish line of their long presidential race. A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds the Democrat with an eight-percentage-point advantage, down from the 10-point edge he held last week. The Republican was still hoping he could gain further traction in the campaign's closing hours with now-familiar charges that Obama is too liberal and not ready for the job."

RealClearPolitics.com poll average is Obama up to 7.3 percent -- up .9 points from 6.4 on 2 Nov. However, some polls grudgingly admit that McCain is gaining ground, though Obama has maintained his lead.

Marist 11/02 - 11/02 Obama +9 (Up 2 points)
FOX News 11/01 - 11/02 Obama +7 (Up 4 points)
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 11/01 - 11/02 Obama +8 (---)
Rasmussen Reports 10/31 - 11/02 Obama +6 (Up 1 point)
Gallup 10/31 - 11/02 Obama +11 (Up 3 points)
Diageo/Hotline 10/31 - 11/02 Obama +5 (Same)
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby 10/31 - 11/02 Obama +7 (Up 1 point)
CBS News 10/31 - 11/02 Obama +9 (Down 4 points)
ABC News/Wash Post 10/30 - 11/02 Obama +9 (Down 2 points)
IBD/TIPP 10/30 - 11/02 Obama +5 (Up 3 points)
Ipsos/McClatchy 10/30 - 11/02 Obama +7 (---)
CNN/Opinion Research 10/30 - 11/01 Obama +7 (Same)
GWU/Battleground 10/29 - 11/02 Obama +6 (Up 2 points)
Pew Research 10/29 - 11/01 Obama +6 (Same)


(Source: RealClearPolitics.com.)

Electorate.com showed the Electoral College totals still at Obama 353 McCain 185. No tie states. In the national polls, Obama's average lead is now 7.8%, a bit more than yesterday, but not significantly more.

State Obama McCain Start End Pollster
Arkansas 44% 51% Oct 28 Oct 31 ARG
California 60% 36% Oct 29 Oct 31 SurveyUSA
Florida 47% 45% Oct 29 Oct 30 Mason-Dixon
Florida 47% 47% Oct 29 Oct 30 Datamar
Florida 50% 46% Oct 29 Oct 31 ARG
Iowa 54% 37% Oct 28 Oct 31 Selzer
Indiana 48% 48% Oct 28 Oct 31 ARG
Michigan 53% 37% Oct 28 Oct 28 Selzer
New Jersey 55% 34% Oct 24 Oct 30 Monmouth U
. New Mexico 52% 45% Oct 29 Oct 31 SurveyUSA
Ohio 57% 41% Oct 12 Oct 23 Ohio U.
Oregon 54% 42% Oct 30 Oct 30 Rasmussen
Pennsylvania 51% 45% Oct 29 Oct 31 ARG
Pennsylvania 51% 47% Oct 30 Oct 30 Rasmussen
Pennsylvania 52% 45% Oct 28 Nov 01 Muhlenberg Coll.
South Dakota 44% 53% Oct 30 Oct 30 Rasmussen
Utah 32% 57% Oct 24 Oct 30 Dan Jones
Virginia 47% 44% Oct 29 Oct 30 Mason-Dixon
Washington 51% 39% Oct 27 Oct 31 U. of Washington
Wisconsin 52% 42% Oct 21 Oct 28 U. of Wisconsin



(Source: Electoral-vote.com.)

Side Issues Hidden in the Smoke: An earlier investigation launched by the state Legislature concluded Palin violated state ethics law by trying to get Wooten fired. The law bars public officials from pursuing personal interest through official action. Alaska's Personnel Board concluded Monday that Gov. Sarah Palin did not violate ethics law by trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the state police, contradicting an earlier investigation's findings. "There is no probable cause to believe that the governor, or any other state official, violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act in connection with these matters," Timothy Petumenos, the Anchorage lawyer hired to conduct the investigation, wrote in his final report. However, the Democratic attacks over "Troopergate" had already done its damage. Democrats continued on with her lack of experience when coupled with McCain's age. Palin is either one you hate or you love.

Palin finally released her health records from her family doctor of her home town -- who gave her a clean bill of health. Her last checkup was during the birth of her last child Trig. Democrats chided her, but no one mentioned that Obama had a checkup in Jan 2007, but he has never produced his medical records.

The unexpected wave of millions of early voters casting ballots for Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama may prompt Congress to mandate some form of early voting nationwide for future elections, experts say. So far, more than 24.4 million voters have cast ballots in states where early voting is allowed, providing convenience for voters and, in theory, rescuing poll workers from an overwhelming turnout on Tuesday. This historic election is expected to fuel congressional support for a law that allows voters to cast early ballots without providing an excuse, said the director of the nonpartisan Early Voting Institute, professor Paul Gronke. As of Monday, more registered Democrats than Republicans had cast ballots in the 26 early voting states where election statistics are available. Of 7.5 million voters who are registered by party in nine reporting states, Democratic voters outnumber GOP voters 57.3 percent to 42.7 percent. Because these are statistics and not results, it's unknown which candidates the voters supported. Voters who register with political parties don't always vote for their party's candidates. The popularity of early voting has increased consistently since 2000, when early votes represented 16 percent of the ballots cast. The percentage increased to 22 percent in 2004. This year, experts predict as much as 33 percent of the nation's electorate will have voted early. But massive turnout has also put a strain on election officials -- forcing some counties to extend voting hours to make up for voting machine glitches or to accommodate thousands of unexpected voters, some of whom were forced to wait in line for three or more hours before they could cast their votes.

The death of Obama's grandmother on 3 Nov may soften people's feelings towards Obama, but it is doubtful that the fact of the death will impact the election. People's minds are generally made up by this point and this fact is a distraction -- though a personal loss to Obama. McCain handled the death "graciously" with his comments so there was no political fallout.

A judge in Virginia refused on 3 Nov to extend poll hours or add voting machines to black precincts in some areas. The NAACP, in a federal lawsuit, demanded those changes, saying minority neighborhoods would experience overwhelming turnout and there weren't enough electronic machines. However, the judge did say that anyone who is standing in line at 7 p.m., when the polls are scheduled to close, can vote, regardless of how long the lines are. The request by John McCain group (and supported by the Obama side) seeks to allow absentee ballots from military members an extra ten days to arrive (14 Nov) because some localities did not send out the ballots on time. It has been taken under advisement.

---

(4 Nov: Election Day) : The campaign is over. McCain would do some campaigning to the last ending up in Florida on 3 Nov -- and will forgo his tradition of going to a movie on election day. Obama finished up in Virginia on 3 Nov and will be shooting hoops on election day.

We believe -- well...more like hope -- that there are a big chunk of missing Republican voters in the polls. They did not show up in the early voting. We suspect that there will be a mass showing of Republicans especially amongst the elderly who don't trust Obama's share the wealth (meaning their fixed annuities). The Democrats are counting on a poor showing, however, following the traditional voting patterns of registered Republicans in the past. What we believe is that this is a historic election -- with a lot of heated emotions involved. For this reason, many will vote that have not paid much attention in the past.

What this means is that old registered Republican voters -- the missing numbers -- will turn out this time. However, we have to be realistic. Voter registration numbers are up 7.3 percent from the last presidential election. Democrats saw their registration numbers increase by 12.2 percent, while Republicans saw their ranks grow by only 1.7 percent, according to a recent analysis by The Associated Press. Republicans are being handicapped.

MUSIC VIDEO: Hank Williams, Jr.: McCain-Palin Tradition
Promotes the "fear" factor over Obama association with terrorists and blaming Democrats for Economy failure

The reason we believe that Republicans will show up is that the "fear factor" of Obama will have convinced many of the highly conservative elderly who normally miss the polls to turn out in force. If such a thing happens, the polls would all be proven wrong. The Democrats are so vocal of their "ground game" but the Republicans are not talking at all. However, the Republicans 72-hour program to get out and vote are not so vocal -- but the Republicans are self-assured that they will succeed in their "ground game."

We have watched the swing states moving closer to McCain -- though the mainstream media has not mentioned this fact. We have watched in the past week the tightening of the race as undecideds have made up their minds. Though the polls state that Obama has an equal advantage at the polls, we believe that many will switch and vote for the PARTY instead of John McCain -- much as we did. The reason is that the fears of a "runaway train" Democratic President and House/Senate may be more of a danger than anything else. Many people are voting for McCain simply to prevent such a dangerous condition. It is still within the realm of possibility for John McCain to pull off an upset. McCain in the swing states is within winning distance -- and he's not giving up.

The election campaigns continued until the last day. The emotions are running high as electorates claim they are "scared" of McCain and Obama -- along ideological lines. Race is playing a role among blacks, but not considered a role in non-whites. African-Americans are reported to be anxiously optimistic of Obama's win. "Mr. Obama, the first black major party presidential nominee, trails among whites by less than Democratic nominees normally do," John Harwood writes in The New York Times. "Whatever the cause, when combined with his two-to-one edge among Hispanics and his 10-to-1 edge among blacks, it has given him a national election-eve lead."

Given the stats, it was really this simple: If McCain stood a realistic chance, all the numbers and the smart folks have to be systematically and completely wrong -- or needed to be made wrong inside of 24 hours. The polls gave Obama a staggering lead even though McCain showed a slight edging up in the final weeks. Though independents looked to be the key in this election, the polls seemed to indicate that about 30 percent of them were voting equally for McCain and Obama thus cancelling out any advantage. In the final stretch, Obama was playing up McCain's age and Palin's inexperience -- while McCain was playing up Obama's inexperience in foreign policy and economic issues. Along ideological lines, you either hate Palin or love her. To Republicans, "She has star power. . . . The base identifies with her. That's the harmony. The melody is that she has a gift -- star power."

The turnout is expected to reach record numbers -- with many forgoing work to vote. Some state that McCain may receive more votes than Bush in 2004 and still lose this election. There were concerns that the expected Democratic blowout may push Democrats in the Senate to the critical 60 seat (filibuster-proof) level and create a "runaway train" situation where a Democratic President and Congress can literally do as they please. Democrats have the opportunity to do something no party has done since the Great Depression: Pick up more than 25 House seats in back-to-back elections. Democrats gained thirty seats in the last cycle. This time Democrats are predicting they'll pick up 20 to 25 seats. The Cook Political Report lists 58 House races as competitive, of those 47 are vulnerable Republican seats; only 11 are now held by Democrats.

Election officials are expecting an unprecedented, record turnout, but worry is building over all the possible problems that could erupt on voting day. Accounts of long lines, complaints of poorly managed polling places and scattered reports of malfunctioning voting machines could all create problems on Super Tuesday.

According to Electorate.com, "despite millions of people voting early, problems are still expected at polling places around the country according to voting experts. Many voters and poll workers will be using equipment they are not familiar with, lines will be long, ballots may be in short supply, and many people will have short fuses due to the expected difficulties. Thousands of lawyers are ready to sue at the drop of a ballot. Somehow, it would seem that the richest country in the history of the world could do better than this."

What To Watch For On Election Night: Jeff Greenfield provides An Hour-By-Hour Guide to the Key Election Results. We are posting this prediction of the 4 Nov race by Jeff Greenfield of CBS News here to give some comparison of what is expected and what really unfolds. (Conversion: NY 7 p.m /4 Nov = Seoul is 9 a.m./ 5 Nov.)

During Election Night refer to FOX News Interactive Election Tracking Map for electoral vote count. Refer to FOX News election tracker for state vote counts.

• 7 a.m. ET/4 Nov (Seoul: 9 p.m./4 Nov): Polls open on east coast. Barack Obama came up a big winner in the presidential race in Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, N.H., where tradition of having the first Election Day ballots tallied lives on. Both towns open their polls at 12 am. Democrat Obama defeated Republican John McCain by a count of 15 to 6 in Dixville Notch, where a loud whoop accompanied the announcement in Tuesday's first minutes. The town of Hart's Location reported 17 votes for Obama, 10 for McCain and two for write-in Ron Paul. Independent Ralph Nader was on both towns' ballots but got no votes.
  
  There are reports of long lines, voting machine malfunctions with recalibration problems, along with voting places with problems NOT having provisional ballots -- paper ballots that are held in reserve for counting later. Rain showers were in the Northwest and the mid-Atlantic states with rain -- but it didn't deter voters.
  
  Ohio reports show that the absentee ballots mailed out have 80 percent returned. When polls opened, there were long lines, but returned to normal because of large numbers of early voters and absentee ballots. Ohio using optical scanners for first time and no glitches.
  
  Colorado had no long lines because of the early voting and 200,000 mail-in ballots turned in. Virginia had long lines with people waiting in the drizzles with comments of a lot of "energy" by both parties.
  
  Pennsylvania had a steady stream of people in line but the voting not a problem.
  
  The state of Virginia did NOT have early voting so the lines were long -- and there was a large amount of young first-time voters. The numbers are overwhelming. The Undecideds were down to 3-4 percent and likely would not have a major impact at this point.
  
  
• 11 a.m. ET/4 Nov (Seoul: 11 p.m./4 Nov): At 11 am ET, Obama (Chicago, IL), Biden (Wilmington, DEL) had voted and Palin was voting in her home in Wassila, AL where the polls had just opened. Palin was to go to Phoenix to meet McCain for the election night party. McCain was getting ready to vote in Phoenix, AZ before he hits the trail for rallies in New Mexico and then returns to Phoenix. Obama also make one campaign stop as well. (SITE NOTE: Watching CNN Live on my WTV program on my computer is great to keep up on the news. Though the news keeps repeating its articles over and over.)
  
  
• 1 p.m. ET/4 Nov (Seoul: 2 a.m./5 Nov): Georgia had early voting with 40 percent of the registered -- after 4.4 million. There appeared to be no problems with the voting -- no long lines or any machinery problems. It was reported that the black vote may be a significant factor with 20 percent voting in the early voting. The youth vote did not materialize in Georgia.
  
  Nevada expect an 80 percent turn-out. 46 percent have cast early votes. Nevada voting was no problems with short lines and in-and-out in fifteen minutes. This was mostly due to the early voting, but the numbers are expected to shatter old records because it is a pivotal swing state and advertising by both sides have been high. Record voting of 1.4 million Nevada voters expected.
  
  All the polls nationwide are open. Chicago, IL weather was good and no problems reported. New York City, NY had no problems. Florida had long lines, but no problems. Oklahoma City, OK had long lines, but no problems. The number one problem nationwide is registration and the next problem was the long lines that affect voter access.
  
  Voting nationwide had some freebies: Starbucks free coffee; Crispy Creamy star-shaped donuts and another with an ice cream scoop.
  
  
• 7:30 p.m. ET/4 Nov (Seoul: 8:30 a.m./5 Nov): The record numbers continued to turn out to vote with some locations having problems with long lines, but most locations were running smoothly. Polls were getting ready to close in some of the east coast states. The race is very close. Preliminary counts showed Kentucky with 50 % McCain - 49 % Obama with 9% of the vote counted. Indiana showed 49% McCain - 50 % Obama with 3 % of the votes in. The seven swing states have become very important. Both candidates continue to campaign in the local areas. Pennsylvania and Florida remain key states. 7 percent of voters undecided -- and many of them were Hillary Clinton supporters. Right up to election day these undecideds were still mulling over how they would vote.
  
  The Republican campaign has released a Spanish-language "robo-call" that says that Fidel Castro supports Obama. The hope is to turn the older generation Cuban community in Florida to turn out to vote McCain. The number one issue remained to be the economy. Unemployment and jobs being shipped overseas concerns of the voters. Republicans blame Clinton for starting the recession, but Democrats say that Bush could have stopped the recession.
  
  
• 7 p.m. ET/4 Nov (Seoul: 9 a.m./5 Nov): Polls close in the first six states. We're pretty sure that South Carolina and Kentucky will go to McCain and Vermont to Obama, but three of the states bear close watching. Obama has been leading in Virginia and he's even in Indiana -- both states have gone Republican since 1964. If McCain wins both, he's still in the game. If either of them goes for Obama, his campaign is on life support. (Jeff Greenfield)
  
  Projections for McCain: Kentucky to McCain (8).
  
  Projections for Obama: Vermont for Obama (3).
  
  Indiana, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia are too close to call at polls close. Florida still open with lines at 3 hour waits in some area. Heavy voting early on. 4.2 million (37 percent) led to slackening voters at the end.
  
  
• 7:30 p.m. ET/4 Nov (Seoul: 9:30 a.m./5 Nov) : There's more potential drama here. Ohio was always destined to be a key battleground just as it was in 2004. This is a state McCain must win. North Carolina has seen a massive infusion of Obama's money and volunteers, so a McCain victory is a hint of real late movement toward the Republican. (Jeff Greenfield)
  
  Voter turnout up 135 percent with massive turnouts -- between 136-140 million voters. The youth vote that was seen in the early voting as a disappointing small element has turned out to be a potent force -- 25 million voters. Obama has energized this element while McCain seems to have energized the hard core conservatives.
  
  Virginia closing but still too close to call -- McCain 57% - Obama 43% with 9% of vote. Indiana with McCain 51% and 48% with 23% of vote counted. North Carolina with McCain 35% and Obama 65% with 1% of vote. Georgia with Mcain 70% and Obama 29% with 1% vote. Florida at McCain 45% and Obama 55% with 15% of vote. Other results have not been broadcast.
  
  South Carolina at McCain 44% and Obama 55% with 1% of vote. However, CNN News gave state to McCain (8),
  
  
• 8 p.m. ET/4 Nov (Seoul: 10 a.m./5 Nov) : A floodtide of polls close at 8 -- fifteen states and the District of Columbia. We know where most of those states will go -- at least we think we do. But there are three to keep an eye on: Florida is another one of those contests McCain must win; it's where Obama's money advantage has been overwhelming. Missouri, a state that mirrors national results usually, became more Republican in 2000 and 2004. This year, it's a dead heat. And Pennsylvania -- Democratic for the last five elections -- is the 'blue" state McCain has to win to make his road to the White House plausible. Keep this one in mind, if McCain cannot win Pennsylvania, he almost certainly cannot win the election. (Jeff Greenfield)
  
  Projections for Obama: Illinois (21), Massachusetts (12), Maryland (10), New Jersey (15), Connecticutt (7), District of Columbia (3), Delaware (3).
  
  Projection for McCain: Oklahoma (7), Tennessee (11)
  
  Ohio McCain 34% and Obama 65%. Virginia McCain 56% and Obama 43%. Florida McCain 54% and Obama 45% with 29% vote. New Hampshire McCain 42% and 57% with 5% of vote.
  
  
• 9 p.m. ET/4 Nov (Seoul: 11 a.m./5 Nov) : Fifteen more states close at 9 -- we've assigned most of them, by the map, to where we think they're going to wind up. If you're looking for what may be the story of the night, though, go West. Obama has been leading in Colorado and New Mexico; both went for Bush last time. But remember, the real drama of this may be taking place to the East, where votes in the early closing states are still being counted. By 9 o'clock, we should know if we've got a clear-cut winner, or if we'll be up into the morning. (Jeff Greenfield)
  
  Republican strategists look at the numbers and are certain that Obama will be elected. African-Americans start to congregate for the Obama Watch -- with key black leaders in presence. Chicago, Illinois is getting ready to celebrate with 70,000 people estimated at Grant Park. However, the Obama staff are being cautious in announcing a victory.
  
  Technology is being demonstrated in this campaign. YouTube has played a major role in the campaigns -- but the McCain group started late. Obama led in using the text messaging to get the word out. Obama used it in fund raising and getting his messages out -- and supporters spread his message. During the election, problems were reported real time -- and action was immediate. Irregularities were not seen in a major way.
  
  Projection for Obama: Maine (4), Rhode Island (4), Pennsylvania (21), New York (31), Wisconsin (10), Michigan (17)
  
  Projection for McCain: West Virginia (5), South Carolina (8), Arizona (6), Alabama (9), North Dakota (3), Kansas (6), Wyoming (3), Georgia (15), Mississippi (8)
  
  Missouri McCain 58% and Obama 40%. Ohio McCain 34% and Obama 65%. Virginia McCain 45% and Obama 54%.
  
  Electoral Vote Projections: ABC: Obama: 175 votes / McCain: 76 votes. CNN: Obama 174 -- McCain 100
  
  
• 10 p.m. ET/4 Nov (Seoul: 12 a.m./5 Nov): At 10, four states close. I'll be watching Nevada, usually an easy win for Republicans. It's another state where Obama has thrown a lot of money and manpower, and has worked the rural areas very hard. (Jeff Greenfield)
  
  Interview on CNN with Huffington Press with an internet reporter on the Obama campaign. Unlike the mainstream media, she worked on a shoestring budget and relegated to the bottom of the barrel. However, because of the success of the articles, the future can expect more coverage from the internet.
  
  The Congressional races have turned Democratic -- Dems took 4 seats in the states. There is concern that the "runaway train" like in 1994 when there was Bill Clinton and a Democratic Congress. The next election, the Democrats were voted out when populace thought the Democrats had swung too far left. Hopefully, the Democrat leadership has learned -- and Obama will want to vote from the center.
  
  Electoral Vote Projections: CNN: Obama 200 -- McCain 130 / CBS: Obama 206 -- McCain 135
  
  Popular vote: Obama (with 22% of vote): 50% (18, 934,553 to- 21,807,009 to 24,426,257) -- McCain: 49% (18,689,116 to 20,873,280 to 23,741,943)
  
  Projection for Obama: New Mexico (5), Wyoming (3), Iowa (7), Minnesota (10), Wisconsin (10), Michigan (17), Nevada (5)
  
  Projection for McCain: Arkansas (6), Louisiana (9), Mississippi (6), Utah (3), Kansas (6), Texas (34), Arkansas (6),
  
  
• 11 p.m. ET/4 Nov: (Seoul: 1 p.m./5 Nov) Take this to the bank - I promise 11 p.m. will bring 77 electoral votes from California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii into Obama's pocket. You need to remember this throughout the evening. Because if Obama has won Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Mexico and Colorado by 11 o'clock, he will be declared the winner of the presidency as soon as votes from California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii are tabulated for him. Of course, there's always a chance that this will come down to a handful of votes in a state or two, and we'll have days or weeks of court challenges and recounts... Well, good luck. I will have fled to an out-island in the Bahamas, but I'll be back in time for the inauguration. (Jeff Greenfield)
  
  Electoral Vote Projections: CBS: Obama 285 -- McCain 145 (PROJECTED WINNER: OBAMA)
  
  Popular vote: Obama (with 22% of vote): 51% (36,314,030 to 43,237,816) -- McCain: 49% (34,451,321 to 40,394,848)
  
  Projection for Obama: New Mexico (5), California (55), Oregon(7), Washington (11), Hawaii (4)
  
  Projection for McCain: Idaho (4)
  
  There seems to have been the Hispanic vote has been for Obama in Nevada. It was thought that it might be a pivotal state, but the outcome towards Obama made it that it a minor state. It looks like the race is over. Even McCain strategists did not see how McCain could win at this point. Even though the popular vote is close, the electoral race is about over. (SITE NOTE: There is an outside chance that absentee ballots may become an issue, but this is slim because of the cautions from the 2000 Florida voting fiasco. The major point is the Mainstream Media and Democrats are not being very gracious in victory -- ridiculing the Republican strategy.)
  
  Electoral Vote: CBS: Obama 324 -- McCain 155
  
  McCain concedes in Phoenix, AZ. OBAMA IS PRESIDENT!!! -- When McCain gave his address to his supporters in Phoenix, AZ there were a smattering of boos when McCain gave his gracious concession -- stating that Obama loves the country as much as anyone -- and that he was proud to have been given the opportunity to serve his country. He vowed to work with Obama to solve the problems of the country.
  
  When the news was given to troops in Iraq, there was mixed feelings. Some felt that the torch had been passed to their generation. They commented that they would be watching him closely to see if he can deliver on his promises for change.

Final Electoral Vote: Obama 349 -- McCain 163
(538 total electoral votes: Missouri (11) (McCain) and North Carolina (15) (Obama) not final)

Popular vote: Obama: 52% (62,450,831) -- McCain: 47% (55,393,549)


Candidates (3 Nov 2008)

MUSIC VIDEO: Hank Williams, Jr.: McCain-Palin Tradition
Promotes the "fear" factor over Obama association with terrorists and blaming Democrats for Economy failure

---

"Yes We Did": Black Americans Rejoice
Barack Obama's Landmark Presidential Win Inspires Optimism Across Generational Lines

(CBS/ AP) People danced in the streets, wept, lifted their voices in prayer and brought traffic to a standstill. From the nation's capital to Los Angeles, Americans celebrated Barack Obama's victory and marveled that they lived to see the day that a black man was elected president. "I was born in the civil rights time. To see this happening is unbelievable. We've got the first black president. A black president!" said Mike Louis, a 53-year-old black man who got teary-eyed as he watched the election results on a giant video board in Cincinnati's Fountain Square. "It's not cured now, but this is a step to curing this country of racism. This is a big, giant step toward getting this country together."

In Atlanta, Andrew Young, a prominent civil rights activist and former U.S. Congressman and Ambassador to the United Nations, was visibly moved as he described Obama's win to CBS News' Russ Mitchell. "It's a victory of faith over fear, grace over greed and vision over violence. And I thank Barack Obama and his entire team for leading us in that direction." In Washington, hundreds of residents spilled into the streets near the White House, carrying balloons, banging on drums and chanting, "Bush is gone!" Along U Street, once known as America's Black Broadway for its many thriving black-owned shops and theaters, men stood on car roofs, waving American flags and Obama posters. Nearby, at historically black Howard University, hundreds of students erupted in cheers, broke into song and chanted, "Yes, we did!" In Philadelphia, thousands of blacks and whites converged at City Hall shortly after Obama was declared the winner. Under a light rain, they danced to the music blaring from car radios. Drivers stopped in the middle of the street, opened their car doors and broadcast Obama's acceptance speech. "Barack is in the house!" shouted Pamela Williams, 46. "This is very important to me. Change is about to happen." At Sadiki's restaurant in Philadelphia, the celebration poured out onto the sidewalk. "Our parents left this planet thinking that we would never, ever see this day, when an African-American could be elected by all the people to the highest seat in the land," said Bernard Smalley Sr. His wife, Jacquelyn, wept.

The celebrations were both large big and small, but the sentiment was the same - pure joy over how far the country has come. People honked horns, high-fived each other and embraced. In Harlem, the roar of thousands of people gathered in a plaza near the legendary Apollo Theater could be heard blocks away. In Cleveland, supporters gathered at a house party and held champagne flutes above their heads for a toast. "To the first African-American president in the history of the United States!" they shouted. In Chicago, Obama's hometown, an estimated 125,000 people gathered on an unusually warm November night to greet the senator at a delirious victory rally at Grant Park. "It's fantastic," said Hulon Johnson, 71, a retired Chicago public school principal. "I've always told my kids this was possible; now they'll have to believe me."

LaKeisha Williams, a 27-year-old laid-off school nurse, who watched Obama's victory on a TV in a downtown Kansas City concert hall, said: "People actually have finally come together and realized that no matter what his race is, he was the right person for the job. I think it was destiny for him to win. But now we still have to come together to make sure things work." In Miami's predominantly black Liberty City neighborhood, Otoria Pitts, 30, suggested the significance of Obama's victory goes beyond race. "His election speaks volumes for a bunch of people," she said. "Children of single mothers, people who put themselves through college. It says, you can do it, you can do it." Joined by her sister, Susan, and niece, Akira, the three women bought a few rockets from a fireworks stand and lit up the night sky with color.

On the other side of the country, others were thinking how Obama's election could change their lives. "I'm ecstatic," said Jason Samm, a 33-year-old business owner who was celebrating in South Los Angeles. "I have three kids, which means a lot of doors opening up for them." Obama's victory also brought back memories of hard-fought battles of generations past. At Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights hero, said he was hardly able to believe that 40 years after he was left beaten and bloody on an Alabama bridge as he marched for the right for blacks to vote, he had cast a ballot for Obama. "This is a great night," he said. "It is an unbelievable night. It is a night of thanksgiving." As the news of a projected Obama victory flashed across a TV screen, men in the nearly all-black crowd pumped their fists and bowed their heads. Women wept and embraced their children. Screams of "Thank you, Lord!" were heard throughout the sanctuary. Surveying the scene, Mattie Bridgewater whispered from her seat, "I just can't believe it. Not in my lifetime." Bridgewater said she went to the same elementary school as Emmett Till, the boy from Chicago whose murder in Mississippi was one of the catalysts of the civil rights movement. Both she and her 92-year-old mother voted for Obama. "I'm sitting here in awe," she said. "This is a moment in history that I just thank my God I was allowed to live long enough to see. Now, when I tell my students they can be anything they want to be, that includes president of the United States." (Source: CBS News.)

---

Election Day Voting On Election Day we tracked the election on CNN -- hoping for a miracle that never developed. Go to Barack Obama for Polls and hourly breakdown of the vote -- along with other articles that question Obama's fitness for office. He will have our support as President of the United States. But we will also be watching him like a hawk over his many promises. We love his message of "WE THE AMERICANS" and together "we can" make changes. We will join in his vision -- but still keep a watchful eye that he isn't simply another politician like Bill Clinton -- full of eloquence and hot air.

Electoral-vote.com, a definitely liberal source, said: What a night. Something for (almost) everyone. For Barack Obama and Joe Biden their long journey ends. Obama will go to the White House as the first black President in history but more the second coming of Jack Kennedy than the second coming of Jesse Jackson. Although Obama won't outsource running the country to him, Joe Biden will surely have a major role advising the new wet-behind-the-ears President. With two wars, an economy in shambles, crumbling infrastructure, and a raging culture war barely subsiding, the two of them will have their hands full. On the positive side, Obama got a real mandate. Assuming he wins North Carolina, where he currently leads by 12,000 votes, he will get at least 364 electoral votes, almost equaling the 379 EVs Bill Clinton got in 1996. His strategy of fighting in red states is also vindicated, as he took Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy, which hasn't voted for a Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964, as well as the Bush states of Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, probably North Carolina and possibly Missouri. He also gets expanded Democratic majorities in both the Senate and House. Of course, now he has to govern and you can't do that by asking a million people on the Internet each to submit one small idea. (Actually you can, but then you get a million small ideas and you still have to govern.

For John McCain it was an unmitigated loss. He gave a gracious concession speech and now has to face a tough reelection fight in Arizona in 2010, most likely against the most popular governor in the country, Janet Napolitano. Worse yet, his reputation is forever sullied due to the nasty campaign he ran. All he did for months was attack Obama: he's too young, he's too inexperienced, he's a socialist, he's a tax-and-spend liberal, he's this, he's that. Hardly a word from the McCain campaign about John McCain.

He made many mistakes but the worst of all was hiring Steve Schmidt to run the campaign (although without the title of campaign manager). Schmidt is a small-bore tactician from the Atwater-Rove school of politics who believes if you win the news cycle every day you win the election. It was Schmidt who dreamed up the attack-before breakfast, attack-before-lunch, and attack-before dinner strategy. McCain has run for public office many times before and never has he run a campaign like this before. In the past, he basically said: "What you see is what you get." He ran as himself and was comfortable in his own skin. He was visibly uncomfortable this year being managed and having to attack all the time. It's not his nature. Remember, this is a man who crafted actual legislation with two of the most liberal members of the Senate, Russ Feingold (on campaign finance reform) and Ted Kennedy (on immigration).

Probably McCain's biggest single mistake, other than choosing Schmidt, was picking Sarah Palin as his running mate, although it is very likely that Schmidt forced him to do this to placate a restive base. Left to his own devices, McCain would probably have chosen his long-time friend Joe Lieberman or former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge, who would have attracted votes in the center and put Pennsylvania in play. Palin was clearly out of her league. While she has about as much experience as Obama and is great at reading somebody else's speeches from the TelePrompTer, she was so woefully prepared for the job that the campaign hid her in plain view for two months. She gave two interviews, both disasters, and held no press conferences. If she were President and Putin, Chavez, Ahmadinejad or somebody else did something crazy, saying: "Oh my gosh, what a nasty man" and pointing her finger just wouldn't cut it. She revved up the base as expected, but Rove's strategy of 50% plus one vote by turning out the base didn't work this time as the country really wanted change. In the end, she was a net liability as independents were repelled by her complete lack of gravitas, far right ideas and the gubernatorial ethics of Spiro Agnew. Being able to field dress a moose gets you only so far (and besides, don't moose normally go around naked? Maybe it is too cold for them in Alaska).

But Palin's race is not yet run. She proved to be a strong campaigner and drew big crowds. Her future is uncertain and to a large extent depends on what happens in the Alaska Senate race, which at this moment is still undecided. Despite being convicted on seven felony counts last week, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) leads Anchorage mayor Mark Begich by 3,000 votes in his Senate reelection race with some votes still uncounted. The polls got this one completely wrong. If Stevens wins, there is an excellent chance the Democrats will move to expel him from the Senate. The Republicans will not want to appear to support a convicted criminal and will probably vote for expulsion. If this happens, there will be a special election in Alaska to fill the seat. Very likely, Sarah Palin will run and win, as she is still popular in Alaska. Come 2012, she will have 2 years' experience as governor and four years' experience as a United States senator. She will be well positioned to run for the Republican nomination although she may have to contend with Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and others. But she will actually have to learn something about government in the next four years. You can't run for President while hiding from the press. Her model will be Ronald Reagan, another right-winger who ran (for the Republican nomination) in 1976 and lost (to Jerry Ford), but came back to win a whopping victory in 1980. But Reagan was governor of California for 8 years, arguably the second toughest executive job in the country. But before she runs for President on a platform of inevitability, she should probably have a word with her (soon-to-be?) Senate colleague, the junior senator from New York, Hillary Clinton. (Source: Electoral-vote.com.)

---

Expats Embrace Democrat's Win With Reservation

As with any election, the expatriate community in Korea is divided in their reaction to Barack Obama's election as the 44th president of the United States. But that division was more over enthusiasm for a president, and less over bitterness for the loss suffered by their candidate. Michael Hurt (http://metropolitician.blogs.com/), researcher and photographer, looks forward to the new administration especially in contrast to the outgoing one. ``Now it's time for Obama to get down to work and lead, and show our country and the world the greatness of America, as opposed to Bush having shown the world our worst,'' he said. ``And with the mandate that it looks like he's building, and with the power he'll have in Congress, it's time to do it right.''

Brendon Carr, an American lawyer with law firm Hwangmok Park, worried about the impact Obama's election might have on Korea-U.S. relations. He said, ``The Obama Democratic government could be bad for Korea because they are very much beholden to U.S. labor union interests, and U.S. labor unions have had Korea as a scapegoat since 1988. It's an ill-wind for the FTA and the interests of Korea in the continued favorable access to American markets.''

Expats of the conservative persuasion are not entirely pleased. Said Kurt Mohay, a teacher from Colorado, ``It's a good time for Obama, but a bad time for the country. He talks a good game, but he's way left wing and will divide the country more than he unites it.''

While expressing excitement about the election, Jacqueline Kim, a teacher and writer from Minnesota, pointed to the enthusiasm Obama has sparked. ``I feel Obama has rallied the enthusiasm of Americans in an unprecedented way,'' she said. ``And I'm very optimistic that the world will see positive change.''

At least one Obama supporter had reason for pause, however. Julian Moore, a young American from Connecticut, said, ``I'm glad Obama won, but he's still a largely unknown entity and has built up higher expectations than any other recent political figure and he has a lot of work to do.''

Still, the excitement is palpable. Yalinda Disla from New York put it this way. ``It's about time for me to be proud of who represents my country.''

Pete Brown, animation supervisor at 20th Century Fox, had this to say. ``Obama is definitely going to turn around the American culture of fear mongering which has gone on for too long.''

Dwayne Robertson, a Canadian, gave a third-party opinion, saying, ``As a Canadian citizen, most Americans probably don't care what I think about the election but I would have voted for Obama, if I were an American. ``In my personal opinion, Obama seemed very genuine in his approach. Hopefully, Americans will find a brighter future with this new president.''

Before Senator John McCain's concession speech, Jeff Veroff said, ``No need to wait until 1:30 (KST). It's quite obvious that this race isn't even close.'' (Source: Korea Times: Robert Koehler) (SITE NOTE: Robert Koehler works for the Korea Times and his Marmot's Hole blog is one of the most popular expat blogs in Korea.)

(SITE NOTE: Though I was for McCain, it is time to suck it in and support the President-elect. Campaign is over. However, this does not mean that he will be getting a free ride. 47 percent of the American electorate did NOT vote for Obama -- and they will be watching him like a hawk. I will be one of them. To me there are so many unanswered questions that he no longer can evade. The documents that he has kept from prying eyes will be required sooner or later. The promises that he made during the campaign that everyone knew was simply Democratic politics -- promise everything, and tax everyone to pay the bill -- just wasn't going to fly in the US economic troubles. Even in his acceptance speech, he alluded to not being able to do it all at once. Between now and inauguration day, the conservative press will zero in on Obama -- and his troubles are just starting if he is trying to hide things. He just got a bullseye painted on his back -- not meaning that he is going to be threatened by racist nuts -- but that he has become fair game for everyone. The mainstream media has had a love affair with Obama, but now he has become a valid target for exposes.)

---

Obama Promises 'A New Dawn of American Leadership'
McCain Graciously Concedes to Obama

Barack Obama cruised to victory Tuesday night in an historic triumph that promised change, overcame centuries of prejudice and fulfilled Martin Luther King's dream that a man be judged not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character. Obama, a first-term senator with little experience on the national level, made history by becoming the nation's first black president and defeating Sen. John McCain in a landslide. In his acceptance speech before some 150,000 supporters in Grant Park in Chicago, Obama complimented McCain on a hard-fought campaign and promised that a "new dawn of American leadership is at hand." "It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America," Obama said, echoing a key theme of his campaign.

Looking ahead to an economic crisis and turbulent foreign affairs, he told the sea of supporters, "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face." Obama was joined by his wife, Michelle, and daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, and he again paid tribute to his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who died Monday a day before his historic triumph. He had a special message, however, for his daughters. "Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much," he said, "and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House."

Obama had a special text message for supporters as well, telling them digitally, "We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion to this campaign. All of this happened because of you. Thanks, Barack"

McCain called Obama from Phoenix to concede the election at 10 p.m. in Chicago. Soon after, the Arizona senator went before his supporters to thank them and graciously applaud the man who defeated his ambitions. Acknowledging the momentous moment of a black man winning the White House, McCain said, "We've come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation." "I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us," McCain said. "I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president, and I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair in our present difficulties but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit."

President Bush also called Obama shortly after 11 p.m. to say, "Mr. President-elect, congratulations to you. What an awesome night for you, your family and your supporters." Bush invited Obama to the White House and said to his successor, "I promise to make this a smooth transition. You are about to go on one of the great journeys of life." Obama's history-making victory was fueled by his soaring rhetoric, his themes of change and hope in uncertain economic times, as well as deep dissatisfaction with the last eight years of the Bush administration. Obama's campaign was historic for reasons beyond his skin color. He raised more money than any other candidate in U.S. history, and had to first defeat Sen. Hillary Clinton, who was the party's early favorite to win the Democratic nomination.

Voters from a broad swath of America's diverse ethnic enclaves and economic communities celebrated Obama's win Tuesday night, particularly those in the African-American community. Thousand's flocked to Chicago's Grant Park to await the election results. In Harlem and Times Square in New York, Americans took to the streets to celebrate. There was particular jubilation among black Americans. The Rev. Jesse Jackson was seen crying in Grant Park when election results were announced. African-Americans poured into the streets of Washington, D.C., waving flags, honking car horns and setting off fireworks. "I've been an Obama supporter from the beginning," said Sophie Logothetis, an elementary school history teacher who waited an hour to get into Grant Park, "and I just had to be here." In Harlem, Jeff Mann, a 51-year-old construction worker said, "You can't be anything but joyful. Obama is going to change the world," said Jeff Mann, 51, a construction worker in Harlem.

Crucial to Obama's victory was winning all of the states that Democrat John Kerry won four years ago and the flipping of Ohio, New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia, Iowa, Florida and Nevada, states that all voted Republican in 2004. Obama, 47, the son of a black man from Kenya and white woman from Kansas, served just two years in U.S. Senate before declaring his candidacy and ultimately taking on one of the most experienced politicians in the United States.

A moderate conservative who tried to emphasize his credentials as a maverick and distance himself from an unpopular president, McCain, 72, was unable to motivate his base and overcome his associations with Republican incumbent President Bush. Obama built a coalition grounded on a base of near unanimous support from black voters, who made up 13 percent of the national vote. Obama also won nearly 70 percent of the vote of Hispanics. While John McCain was able to win white voters by 54-44 percent, Obama made inroads with them as well. Voters shifted to the Democratic Party in this election, with Republican turnout falling to its lowest point since 1980.

By almost every quantifiable measure -- from the $640 million Obama raised in the month of October to the nearly $1 billion the campaigns have spent combined to 9 million newly registered voters -- records have been shattered. Yet another record may fall once the number of voters is tallied. Turnout was heavy throughout the day and could surpass previous voting turnout records. The existing records were set in 2004 when more than 122 million Americans went to the polls, and in 1960 when 64 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot. Each of the candidates was a dark horse who pundits predicted would never make it past the first weeks of their parties' respective primaries. Obama ultimately beat out Clinton for the nomination, the first glimmer of future success.

In perhaps the greatest and most calculated flip-flop of his campaign, Obama forwent public financing allowing him to raise hundreds of millions of dollars from donors contributing small amounts of money, proving that he was not just a neophyte who could make good speeches but a scrappy politician from Chicago. McCain, too, changed course. In the final weeks of the campaign, the Arizona senator struck a more negative tone and, along with vice presidential running mate Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, began attacking Obama's relationships and judgment.

In the third and final presidential debate, McCain assailed Obama for his relationship with 1960s radical William Ayers and his campaign began aggressively using auto-dialed calls -- known as robocalls -- to voters to relay negative messages, frequently focusing on the Democrat's experience and readiness for the White House. That strategy didn't seem to achieve the desired effect, with voters responding in polls in the race's final weeks that they were turned off by the negative ads and attack tactics.

The economy is nationally the overwhelming issue for voters who cast their ballots in today's historic presidential election, according to early exit polls. Despite the possibility of Obama becoming the nation's first black president, the turnout of black voters as a percentage of the national vote was 13 percent, just slightly higher than in 2004, according to early exit polls. The economy has long dominated the campaign, and voters' concerns became voters said their family's financial situation was worse than it was four years ago, and eight in 10 are worried the current economic crisis will hurt their family finances over the next year.

McCain Votes and Keeps on Campaigning

In an indication of how intensely fought this campaign had been, both candidates kept holding large rallies and television interviews even as voters swarmed to their polling sites. In the past, presidential candidates have halted their campaigns on Election Day. McCain voted early in Phoenix before heading off for some last-minute get-out-the-vote efforts in New Mexico and Colorado, two states where the GOP presidential pick had trailed but hoped to pull out narrow victories.

"I promise you if I'm elected president, I will never let you down," an energized McCain told a crowd in Colorado. "I think we ought to hear one more time 'drill, baby drill,'" he cheerfully suggested and the crowd obliged with the campaign's chant.

After voting at a Chicago school, Obama spent the morning campaigning in Indiana before returning to Chicago to conduct television interviews broadcast via satellite to the swing states of Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada and Missouri. Obama voted with his two young daughters in Chicago before he plunged into a final round of campaigning in Indiana. "I voted," the Democratic presidential candidate said, holding up the validation slip he was given after turning in a ballot at the Shoesmith School in his Chicago neighborhood. Obama voted at the same polling station as William Ayers, the former 1960s radical who became a flashpoint in the campaign when Palin accused Obama of "palling around" with a domestic terrorist.

Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, voted in her hometown of Wasilla and then joined McCain in Phoenix to watch the results. After voting, Palin noted that the result would be historic, implying that the voters would elect either the country's first black president or the first female vice president. "It bodes so well the progress our country is making," she said. (Source: ABC News.)

Chicago has yet to recoup the $1.74 million cost of President Obama’s victory celebration in Grant Park — despite a burgeoning $50.5 million budget shortfall that threatens more layoffs and union concessions.

“The Democratic National Committee has not yet paid us,” Peter Scales, a spokesman for the city’s Office of Budget and Management, said Thursday after questions from the Chicago Sun-Times. “We’re reaching out to them this week.”

Stacie Paxton, a spokeswoman for the Obama-controlled DNC, explained the reimbursement delay by saying, “We are still looking at various costs and bills.” She would not say whether parts of the bill are disputed.

In late October, Mayor Daley assured that the cash-flush Obama campaign would reimburse the city for every penny spent on the rally. “We have a financial crisis,” he said at the time. “The City of Chicago could not afford $2 million on this because we’re gonna be laying off people, cutting back. That [cost] would really be unfortunate. . . . It’s a huge cost to the City of Chicago.

“This is not a presidential visit. . . . This is a political event, and they’ve agreed to pay for all those services — all the expenses of that. … It’s costly, but they raised quite a bit of money. There’s no [shortage] of money in that campaign.”