McCain chief economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a serious academic economist, has to defend calling Obama a socialist.
A lot of states are still out. But with Pennsylvania, New Mexico and especially Ohio, this race is all but over. Obviously, if the networks projections are wrong in Ohio or PA, all bets are off. But assuming those calls stay in place, it’s virtually impossible to see how McCain wins. He would have to win a big blue state to get back into the race. And I just can’t see one on the map. There aren’t any more available that were even remotely in contention. Things are looking extremely good for Barack Obama.
9:56 PM … They’re way ahead of the curve. But the Rocky Mountain News is calling Colorado for Obama. Let’s wait and see on this one. None of the nets are calling it.
9:58 PM … Chris Shays, last House GOPer in the Northeast concedes defeat.
10:00 PM … Nets call Iowa for Obama. This was definitely expected. But it was a 2004 red state.
10:02 PM … County totals continue to look good for Obama in Florida.
10:17 PM … Here are the numbers to consider. At present, with the called states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Mexico, Obama has 202 electoral votes. If Obama wins California, Oregon and Washington, which have never really been in doubt, he moves to 275. And he wins the presidency.
10:29 PM … Hmmm. Fox withdrawing its call for Wicker in Mississippi.
10:30 PM … Multiple networks calling a Murtha win.
10:40 PM … We may be 20 minutes out from the nets calling the whole thing for Obama.
10:42 PM … Latest from Virginia. With 90% reporting, Obama up 51%-49% in Virginia, a margin of 51,000 votes. And from what I can tell it’s Obama areas still to report. This is starting to look good.
10:44 PM … Fox calls Virginia. But so for only Fox, and they’ve been out ahead on every call.
Why can’t Obama close the deal?
(ed.note: Special co-thinking credit to TPM Reader KB)
It’s over.
Late Update: TPM’s David Kurtz reports from Grant Park just after Obama’s victory is announced …
11:13 PM … AP calling Florida for Obama. But so far only AP.
11: 16 PM … NBC calls FLA too.
11:21 PM … McCain in midst of concession speech. Gracious, invoking historic nature of Obama’s win.
11:27 PM … Nets calling Arizona for McCain.
11:34 PM … AP on McCain’s call to Obama. “Barack Obama has accepted John McCain’s concession and has asked his Republican rival for help in leading the country.”
11:37 PM .. Nets calling Nevada for Obama.
11:41 PM … We’re digging into the Missouri numbers. Reasons for cautious optimism.
11:43 PM … TPM Reader SS reports in from 14th & U Street in DC …
11:50 PM … Starting to look good in NC.
11:51 PM … North Carolina Republican, Robin Hayes, who said liberals hate America, loses his seat.
11:56 PM … Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) reacts …
12:13 PM … TPM’s David Kurtz talks to New Yorker editor David Remnick about the election result from the press room in Grant Park …
12:15 PM … As you know Barack Obama is the first African-American President. What puts it in perspective for me is that he is only the third African-American to be elected to the senate since Reconstruction.
12:20 PM … Not looking good for Virgil Goode.
12:12 PM … I had one moment of doubt. At 9:12 I IM’d my wife: “Getting a touch nervous.”