Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Only 12:55 AM
Ready to move out of the midnight hour and begin hearing faint whispers of results from Indiana. Exit polls numbers should start swirling around within minutes.
Seemingly Unimportant
...but perhaps a bit telling.
Tonight I'm wearing my red and blue Iowa State t-shirt that I purchased at the Iowa Caucus this past January. To me the '08 Caucus stood for two things, John McCain at his strongest and a knockout win for Barack Obama.
A big win for Obama tonight would certainly fit into my t-shirt omen, but I wouldn't count out McCain "coming off strong" tonight, whether it be in pockets of electoral strength around the country or in a dignified response to an Obama victory. McCain may not win but he can certainly take a high road out of this election if he choses to.
Tonight I'm wearing my red and blue Iowa State t-shirt that I purchased at the Iowa Caucus this past January. To me the '08 Caucus stood for two things, John McCain at his strongest and a knockout win for Barack Obama.
A big win for Obama tonight would certainly fit into my t-shirt omen, but I wouldn't count out McCain "coming off strong" tonight, whether it be in pockets of electoral strength around the country or in a dignified response to an Obama victory. McCain may not win but he can certainly take a high road out of this election if he choses to.
The Middle of the Night
Fresh (but still pretty groggy) from a two-hour nap I'm back at the computer thinking ahead to 1:00 AM Central African Time when, should the data start flowing relatively quickly, results from Indiana should begin to trickle in. The arrival of exit poll results at midnight is hardly news, and I won't be seeking out any of those numbers.
2:00 AM brings in Indiana, Virginia, and Georgia, three very interesting states whose results can start to paint the picture for what to expect in traditional Republican strongholds. Though I'm hardly predicting an Obama upset in Georgia, if it comes down to less than 4-5% it could indicate the beginning of an Obama blowout.
3:00 AM will usher in results from the all-important states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida--states that McCain has to win.
3:50-4:15 AM Should everything pan out the way I'm seeing it now, the election should be called by most networks during this time. The clouds should be parting on numbers from Ohio and Pennsylvania. If McCains makes it past the results of VA, OH, NC, PA, and FL he'll be way ahead of expectations and we might be in for a close fight, but it is this 25-30 minute window where I can see the breakpoint falling.
Cheers to a long night!
2:00 AM brings in Indiana, Virginia, and Georgia, three very interesting states whose results can start to paint the picture for what to expect in traditional Republican strongholds. Though I'm hardly predicting an Obama upset in Georgia, if it comes down to less than 4-5% it could indicate the beginning of an Obama blowout.
3:00 AM will usher in results from the all-important states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida--states that McCain has to win.
3:50-4:15 AM Should everything pan out the way I'm seeing it now, the election should be called by most networks during this time. The clouds should be parting on numbers from Ohio and Pennsylvania. If McCains makes it past the results of VA, OH, NC, PA, and FL he'll be way ahead of expectations and we might be in for a close fight, but it is this 25-30 minute window where I can see the breakpoint falling.
Cheers to a long night!
Thank God for Facebook?!
Funny to think that the "Today is Election Day, Get Out and Vote!" banner on Facebook.com will get out more votes than two $500 campaigns...
...off to make a timetable for tonights results...
...off to make a timetable for tonights results...
Here for the Day (and Night)
It's presently 2:54 PM Central African Time. I've been awake for nine hours already, and with the first votes coming in at 6:00 PM EST and Daylight Savings Time now in effect I have another twelve hours to wait before any official results are released.
Thankfully there is no television or radio where I'm staying, so the only access to election results will be through the internet. On top of that I've customized a CNN.com results page with key races to watch and have cropped the window down to prevent me from sneaking a glimpse of the "analysis" that any of the news networks are going to toss around today.
It's all about the numbers tonight.
So as the day continues make sure to return to the Political Courier for some election day insight all the way from lovely the lovely town of The Crags, South Africa!
Thankfully there is no television or radio where I'm staying, so the only access to election results will be through the internet. On top of that I've customized a CNN.com results page with key races to watch and have cropped the window down to prevent me from sneaking a glimpse of the "analysis" that any of the news networks are going to toss around today.
It's all about the numbers tonight.
So as the day continues make sure to return to the Political Courier for some election day insight all the way from lovely the lovely town of The Crags, South Africa!
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Close
One final day.
John McCain and Barack Obama take the mound for their last pitches to the American people.
"Freedom" from John McCain
"Something" from Barack Obama
In true form Obama continues to hammer down "change," "bringing America together," and "one nation, one people." Obama's ad also features the massive crowd displays that have been such a driving force in promoting his public appeal.
McCain contrasts with Obama in emphasizing his career, experience, and values. Sen. McCain also presents voters with a more specific choice in dealing with the problems our country faces--"don't hope for a stronger America, vote for one."
McCain drives home his role as a politician and presidential candidate while Obama presents himself as a movement. No surprises or strategical changes here.
Watching these final television advertisements it's amazing to see just how far this election has come. Not only do all the pieces come together (McCain's crowd footage was taken during the debut of his running mate, Sarah Palin, when many questioned the presence of cinema cameras a the event) in the final days of the campaign, but the full weight of our country's upcoming decision is beginning to set in.
Should America decide not to elect Obama we will have passed on a promising Democratic leader promising long-overdue change to the way business has been handled in Washington, not to mention the failure of a rare political cult figure to capitalize on the biggest, most expensive marketing campaign and cultural movement in history.
Should America choose not to elect John McCain we will have passed on one of the most potentially-moderate, experienced, distinguished, and honorable Republicans to be presented to voters in the coming decades. No Republican candidate with credentials and merit like McCain seems to be coming down the pipeline anytime soon.
A historic choice and a historic 48 hours await us.
John McCain and Barack Obama take the mound for their last pitches to the American people.
"Freedom" from John McCain
"Something" from Barack Obama
In true form Obama continues to hammer down "change," "bringing America together," and "one nation, one people." Obama's ad also features the massive crowd displays that have been such a driving force in promoting his public appeal.
McCain contrasts with Obama in emphasizing his career, experience, and values. Sen. McCain also presents voters with a more specific choice in dealing with the problems our country faces--"don't hope for a stronger America, vote for one."
McCain drives home his role as a politician and presidential candidate while Obama presents himself as a movement. No surprises or strategical changes here.
Watching these final television advertisements it's amazing to see just how far this election has come. Not only do all the pieces come together (McCain's crowd footage was taken during the debut of his running mate, Sarah Palin, when many questioned the presence of cinema cameras a the event) in the final days of the campaign, but the full weight of our country's upcoming decision is beginning to set in.
Should America decide not to elect Obama we will have passed on a promising Democratic leader promising long-overdue change to the way business has been handled in Washington, not to mention the failure of a rare political cult figure to capitalize on the biggest, most expensive marketing campaign and cultural movement in history.
Should America choose not to elect John McCain we will have passed on one of the most potentially-moderate, experienced, distinguished, and honorable Republicans to be presented to voters in the coming decades. No Republican candidate with credentials and merit like McCain seems to be coming down the pipeline anytime soon.
A historic choice and a historic 48 hours await us.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Finally, the Simpler Things in Life
Snapshots of a pre-election weekend in South Africa that feels like anything like a pre-election weekend.
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