Election Night Observations

6:00 PM – Bush 34, Kerry 3. I’m amazed by how quickly the pundits can call states. Granted, these are the states we all knew would go one color or the other – no swing states in this batch. I’m going to make a crazy prediction here: Obama will win the Senate race in Illinois.

6:30 – Bush 39, Kerry 3. Apparently, Ohio is the new Florida. I think Jon Stewart told me that last night, too. Personally, I prefer him to Wolf Blitzer.

7:00 – Kerry 77, Bush 66. I like the map now – it’s much more blue. Still, no swing states reporting yet. I switched from CNN to NBC just in time to hear that the Democrats told Kerry that had he dropped out, he could have been Dean’s Secretary of State. Somehow, I’m glad he didn’t.

7:30 – Bush 89, Kerry 77. The above electoral vote prediction is from NBC – CNN still has the same tally they did at seven o’clock. The difference is that NBC is calling North and South Carolina for Bush. By now, everybody in my suite is crowded around their televisions, but I think I’m being louder than most, seeing as how I curse loudly whenever a state is called for Bush.

8:00 – Bush 156, Kerry 112 This would be really depressing, but polls have only been closed for two hours, and the results thus far match the poll results on Zogby.com, which predicts a Kerry win. The depressing part is, though, that Florida looks like it may be a Bush state.

9:00 – Bush 175, Kerry 112. My favorite pundit, Jon Stewart, has just started his live coverage. This is obviously going to be the best hour of the night, and the only time I can actually laugh, especially because Ohio and Florida are starting to appear rather red.

9:30 – Bush 193, Kerry 112. I would be so much happier if the count on Kerry’s side would actually go up. It’s been the same for the last hour and a half. Bush has won Utah, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Missouri. Being from the St. Louis area (albeit on the Illinois side of the river), I’m rather surprised at that last one. On the bright side, I’m currently watching Al Sharpton antagonize the former governor of Massachusetts.

10:00 – Bush 197, Kerry 188. At least Kerry’s catching up. Personally, I am remaining optimistic, even though MSNBC has Bush at 207 to Kerry’s 199. I’m calling it a night and hoping that we’ll have a winner by the end of the term.

The next day – Bush 279, Kerry 252. Well, here we are. Kerry's officially conceded with 150,000 votes left to count in Ohio. Part of me admires him for eliminating the month-long debacle we went through in 2000, but part of me wanted to see him fight the system, kicking and screaming till the very end.

The fight has gone out of the Democratic Party, and it's going to be a long four years of rebuilding and redefining. However, I have faith in our ability to rise from the ashes and to regain control of this country. Hope is on the way - I just don't know when it will get here.