Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Liveblogging the President's Afghanistan Speech
I'm a USMA grad - class of 94. I've spent a lot of time in Eisenhower hall. It looks like they covered up the orchestra pit to create the thrust stage. That's my theater geek side showing through.
It's 7:01 CDT, so I'll start my comments here...
7:02 - It really looks like he's got a teleprompter problem.
7:03 - Recalling 9/11. A little history to introduce this as the "right" war.
7:04 - Once again defending Islam. Invoking the Congressional use of force. Also invoked Article V of the NATO treaty.
7:05 - I would guess the shots of cadets are intended to keep him from looking like he's playing teleprompter ping-pong.
7:06 - "Bringing the Iraq War to a responsible end." By the way, cadets don't clap at political points. That single clapper you heard was probably part of the entourage.
7:08 - "a fraction of the troops that were in Iraq" - so he's blaming Bush for not properly resourcing Afghanistan. OK.
7:09 - Objectives: kill Taliban/AQ leaders, have an election. Those aren't strategic objectives.
7:10 - First talk of securing the population.
7:11 - Never had an option in front of him to deploy troops before 2010. But, the longer you wait, the further in the future the deployments have to be made. 18- month deployment. Embrace the suck.
7:13 - I have signed letters, I have read letters, I have visited...stay classy, B.
7:14 - Shinseki, Gates, and Clinton. Shinseki is the king of not lowballing troop levels.
7:15 - Goal: disrupt, defeat AQ and Taliban. And other stuff.
7:16 - Rapid deployment, train Afghans, transfer responsibility, then a miracle happens....poof...world peace!
7:17 - Addressing corruption, addressing agriculture. Why am I thinking that I'm not hearing anything else here. There was only 1 reference to securing the population.
7:18 - He's got a 3rd teleprompter in front of the camera riser.
7:21 - He's addressing Pakistan but not listing many specifics, it seems to me.
7:22 - Dismissing the Afghanistan/Vietnam comparison. 1. Coalition fight, 2. Unpopular insurgency, 3. We were attacked from Afghanistan.
7:24 - He wants the Afghans to have a sense of urgency. Good luck with that. Sit down. Have some chai. We'll get to business sometime next week.
7:25 - "Cannot ignore the price of these wars". He's trying to blame the wars for our inability to recover economically. I don't buy it.
7:28 - Damn you Stephen Green!
7:29 - Another promise to close GTMO.
7:30 - Sounds like the wrap up. Recalling America's past achievements.
7:31 - UN, NATO, and the World Bank in the same breath? Really?
7:32 - Once again, cadets don't clap. You can make them laugh, though.
7:33 - If you're wondering why the cadets look so enthused, they should be doing homework right now. Losing 2 hours of homework time for a guest speaker really disrupts a timeline.
Overall, some tough talk. Not a lot of specifics beyond announcing 30,000 troops and an 18 month timeline. I didn't really hear what his vision was, though. He says our resolve is unwavering....we'll see.
It's 7:01 CDT, so I'll start my comments here...
7:02 - It really looks like he's got a teleprompter problem.
7:03 - Recalling 9/11. A little history to introduce this as the "right" war.
7:04 - Once again defending Islam. Invoking the Congressional use of force. Also invoked Article V of the NATO treaty.
7:05 - I would guess the shots of cadets are intended to keep him from looking like he's playing teleprompter ping-pong.
7:06 - "Bringing the Iraq War to a responsible end." By the way, cadets don't clap at political points. That single clapper you heard was probably part of the entourage.
7:08 - "a fraction of the troops that were in Iraq" - so he's blaming Bush for not properly resourcing Afghanistan. OK.
7:09 - Objectives: kill Taliban/AQ leaders, have an election. Those aren't strategic objectives.
7:10 - First talk of securing the population.
7:11 - Never had an option in front of him to deploy troops before 2010. But, the longer you wait, the further in the future the deployments have to be made. 18- month deployment. Embrace the suck.
7:13 - I have signed letters, I have read letters, I have visited...stay classy, B.
7:14 - Shinseki, Gates, and Clinton. Shinseki is the king of not lowballing troop levels.
7:15 - Goal: disrupt, defeat AQ and Taliban. And other stuff.
7:16 - Rapid deployment, train Afghans, transfer responsibility, then a miracle happens....poof...world peace!
7:17 - Addressing corruption, addressing agriculture. Why am I thinking that I'm not hearing anything else here. There was only 1 reference to securing the population.
7:18 - He's got a 3rd teleprompter in front of the camera riser.
7:21 - He's addressing Pakistan but not listing many specifics, it seems to me.
7:22 - Dismissing the Afghanistan/Vietnam comparison. 1. Coalition fight, 2. Unpopular insurgency, 3. We were attacked from Afghanistan.
7:24 - He wants the Afghans to have a sense of urgency. Good luck with that. Sit down. Have some chai. We'll get to business sometime next week.
7:25 - "Cannot ignore the price of these wars". He's trying to blame the wars for our inability to recover economically. I don't buy it.
7:28 - Damn you Stephen Green!
7:29 - Another promise to close GTMO.
7:30 - Sounds like the wrap up. Recalling America's past achievements.
7:31 - UN, NATO, and the World Bank in the same breath? Really?
7:32 - Once again, cadets don't clap. You can make them laugh, though.
7:33 - If you're wondering why the cadets look so enthused, they should be doing homework right now. Losing 2 hours of homework time for a guest speaker really disrupts a timeline.
Overall, some tough talk. Not a lot of specifics beyond announcing 30,000 troops and an 18 month timeline. I didn't really hear what his vision was, though. He says our resolve is unwavering....we'll see.
Labels: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, USMA
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Doing the Math
With apologies to Glenn Beck: blood is now shooting out of my eyes.
One note: How do higher CAFE standards lower the price of gas? uuuuuuhhhhhh......waiting. Obama said it would.
$4000 education grant to every student. Let me do the math here:
How many new college students are there every year? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 1.6 million new US college students in 2006.
That's another $6.4 billion a year spent on education. If that all goes for college education, Obama just made a $6.4 billion promise to college administrators across the country. Anyone like to guess how much the cost of a college education will increase?
Don't even get me started with his plan to require public service to get the grant. It would no longer be "public service". It would be bribing young Americans to participate. No volunteering necessary.
One note: How do higher CAFE standards lower the price of gas? uuuuuuhhhhhh......waiting. Obama said it would.
$4000 education grant to every student. Let me do the math here:
How many new college students are there every year? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 1.6 million new US college students in 2006.
That's another $6.4 billion a year spent on education. If that all goes for college education, Obama just made a $6.4 billion promise to college administrators across the country. Anyone like to guess how much the cost of a college education will increase?
Don't even get me started with his plan to require public service to get the grant. It would no longer be "public service". It would be bribing young Americans to participate. No volunteering necessary.
Labels: Barack Obama, Blood shooting out of my eyes
Watching the Wisconsin Numbers Roll In
Well, I joined a little late to see John McCain talking about security. It is definitely his strong suit. With less than 1% reporting, he's got 83% of the GOP vote. Not a shocker. WI is a fairly liberal Republican state.
Obama is breaking out on top with 61% (to 38% by Hillary). But, if previous states are any indicator, that will even out. I'm actually interested in this one.
McCain is on a roll, I like the health care talk "without bankrupting our country". I like that. Vouchers too. It's the finding "clean" alternative sources of energy that bugs me. Cap and Trade anyone? I will say this: he needs practice on holding for applause. His timing with the audience is a little off. Hey, speechwriter, can you highlight the applause lines or something?
9:17pm With a grand total of 1500 votes in, Obama has 54%. Oops, just updated. it is interesting that 2500 voters is less than 1% of the precincts. Does that mean that there will ultimately be around 200k votes on the Dem side?
9:19pm Fox calls it for Obama based on the exit polling (55%/43%). Brit Hume gave it a big caveat. It bears watching. But it's also an indicator of Hillary's lack of momentum.
9:25pm Exit polling: Hillary lost all of the demographics that she used to win. It's over. Only chicanery (shenanigans!) will get her the nomination.
9:27pm McCain is down to 56% (with 2% reporting). I bet it will stabilize around there. Obama is holding at 56% (with 3% reporting). It looks like a double-digit win for Obama. As Karl Rove said, that will translate into a 6-7 delegate gain for Obama. He continues to extend his lead.
9:29pm For the Record: I am NOT staying up to see the Hawaii returns. I'll catch up on those tomorrow. Did I just hear Hillary walk in to "9 to 5"? That's no way to make a living.
9:33pm Hillary is in OH. Barack is in TX. I'd bet that TX has more delegates. Also, I'd bet that OH has more black voters. She is so going to lose both states. That's my prediction.
9:35pm She said what?!? "Health care is a right, not a privilege." I don't remember anyone ever actually admitting that before? Am I just naive? To whom does she think the check book belongs? It's not the President's, it's the peoples'.
9:39pm Obama is giving a "shout out". Hey! I guess he is an authentic black after all. He just used "in the house" too. I don't want a President that gives "shout out"s, or wonders who is "in the hizzy". He is a joke.
9:43pm With 10% reporting, Obama is maintaining a 10 point lead. That's a shellacking in a white-bread state.
9:44pm Mike Huckabee is still pulling in about 35% of the vote. Those are the hard-core religious conservatives that have concerns about McCain. I just don't think he can pull everybody in from the base. But, I believe he may be able to steal some Dems. I still don't think that will be enough. As I've said before, if Obama is the nominee, I believe he will be president. And a cold chill just went down my back.
9:45pm Ooooooh. Obama is being substantive: money for people that signed up for loans they couldn't afford, end the war, Patriotic Company act (or whatever it's called) yadda, yadda. How many mothers with blind twins have homes? There's a typical case for you. How about actually asking a soldier that is in Iraq if he feels taken care of? Why are re-enlistment rates at an all time high? Hey, at least Obama and Hillary agree - the election is about "you". Yeah, right. The speech is a pig with lipstick. It still has no substance.
9:53pm With 17% in, Obama is up 56%-43%. When, exactly does it become butt-whippin' territory? At 13 point win would be huge. He's pulling away as the numbers come in.
I'm off to bed. Good, Lord, please deliver us from politicians that want us to "get beyond" our positions. Obama, I'm standing over here for a reason: because I don't like where you're going.
Obama is breaking out on top with 61% (to 38% by Hillary). But, if previous states are any indicator, that will even out. I'm actually interested in this one.
McCain is on a roll, I like the health care talk "without bankrupting our country". I like that. Vouchers too. It's the finding "clean" alternative sources of energy that bugs me. Cap and Trade anyone? I will say this: he needs practice on holding for applause. His timing with the audience is a little off. Hey, speechwriter, can you highlight the applause lines or something?
9:17pm With a grand total of 1500 votes in, Obama has 54%. Oops, just updated. it is interesting that 2500 voters is less than 1% of the precincts. Does that mean that there will ultimately be around 200k votes on the Dem side?
9:19pm Fox calls it for Obama based on the exit polling (55%/43%). Brit Hume gave it a big caveat. It bears watching. But it's also an indicator of Hillary's lack of momentum.
9:25pm Exit polling: Hillary lost all of the demographics that she used to win. It's over. Only chicanery (shenanigans!) will get her the nomination.
9:27pm McCain is down to 56% (with 2% reporting). I bet it will stabilize around there. Obama is holding at 56% (with 3% reporting). It looks like a double-digit win for Obama. As Karl Rove said, that will translate into a 6-7 delegate gain for Obama. He continues to extend his lead.
9:29pm For the Record: I am NOT staying up to see the Hawaii returns. I'll catch up on those tomorrow. Did I just hear Hillary walk in to "9 to 5"? That's no way to make a living.
9:33pm Hillary is in OH. Barack is in TX. I'd bet that TX has more delegates. Also, I'd bet that OH has more black voters. She is so going to lose both states. That's my prediction.
9:35pm She said what?!? "Health care is a right, not a privilege." I don't remember anyone ever actually admitting that before? Am I just naive? To whom does she think the check book belongs? It's not the President's, it's the peoples'.
9:39pm Obama is giving a "shout out". Hey! I guess he is an authentic black after all. He just used "in the house" too. I don't want a President that gives "shout out"s, or wonders who is "in the hizzy". He is a joke.
9:43pm With 10% reporting, Obama is maintaining a 10 point lead. That's a shellacking in a white-bread state.
9:44pm Mike Huckabee is still pulling in about 35% of the vote. Those are the hard-core religious conservatives that have concerns about McCain. I just don't think he can pull everybody in from the base. But, I believe he may be able to steal some Dems. I still don't think that will be enough. As I've said before, if Obama is the nominee, I believe he will be president. And a cold chill just went down my back.
9:45pm Ooooooh. Obama is being substantive: money for people that signed up for loans they couldn't afford, end the war, Patriotic Company act (or whatever it's called) yadda, yadda. How many mothers with blind twins have homes? There's a typical case for you. How about actually asking a soldier that is in Iraq if he feels taken care of? Why are re-enlistment rates at an all time high? Hey, at least Obama and Hillary agree - the election is about "you". Yeah, right. The speech is a pig with lipstick. It still has no substance.
9:53pm With 17% in, Obama is up 56%-43%. When, exactly does it become butt-whippin' territory? At 13 point win would be huge. He's pulling away as the numbers come in.
I'm off to bed. Good, Lord, please deliver us from politicians that want us to "get beyond" our positions. Obama, I'm standing over here for a reason: because I don't like where you're going.
Labels: Barack Obama, Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, John McCain
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Super Tuesday
OK, so it's 7:14pm and I just got home. I guess Huckabee has already taken 18 delegates from West Virginia, and Obama got 3 from Samoa. A bunch of polls close at 8pm. I'm watching Fox. At this point, I guess the best I can hope for is a no decision. That is, no clear GOP candidate so Mitt Romney still has a chance in later races. I'll post updates as the results flow in.
I had a thought earlier today: if Obama wins the Democrat nomination, you should get used to saying "President Obama". I really don't think either GOP candidate could keep him from a date with history (infamy?).
7:24pm I'm getting up to speed on the WV GOP shenanigans. And that's exactly what they were, shenanigans. It's obviously a double-team job, McCain and Huck vs. Mitt. That's politics, I guess, but it doesn't do much for Huck's "nice guy" image. It's now official: a vote for Huckabee is a vote for McCain. Look for a McCain/Huckabee ticket. Look for a 3rd party to form.
7:28pm Huckabee has broken out on top in the GA race. But he's only 1% over Romney with 1% reporting. Let's see if the McCain/Huckabee manipulation continues here.
7:30pm With 1% reporting, Fox has declared GA for Obama. It's a smackdown 64%/34%. It'll get closer, but Obama opens with the momentum.
7:40pm Why is Huck breaking out with 33% in GA, while McCain is stuck at 1%? Is there more collusion going on here? This doesn't make much sense. Here are the RCP polls for GA. McCain has about 32%. These numbers are going to change.
7:49pm Whoa, with less than 1% in, Fox calls AL for Huck? What the? Is he going to take all of the Southern states? If he can deliver those, he will be the VP.
7:50pm I'm not sure what's wrong with the Fox ticker, but the percentages don't line up with the vote counts. Obama gets AL with 1 vote on the board.
8:00pm Out of 5 states that Fox has called: McCain wins 3 (IL, CT, NJ), Huck wins 1 (AL), McCain wins MA. I don't think any of those are a surprise. But Huck is leading in GA too. Aargh.
8:03pm Hillary takes TN for the Dems. That surprises me. I'm not sure why, but it does.
8:10pm McCain and Huckabee are splitting GA and TN. Romney is being frozen out. I think Romney is going down the tubes, even if he surprises anyone in CA or MO.
8:13pm The Barone take on GA: McCain wins near military bases, Huckabee wins rural areas, Romney is winning in the burbs. These numbers could change.
8:15pm Karl Rove on Fox News. McCain's winner take all strategy is working. Romney gets an "incomplete". Huckabee gets kudos for his Bible Belt strategy.
8:23pm Fox reviews some early reporting, and Romney appears in 3rd place again and again. This doesn't look good. It might have been his strategy, but it sure doesn't build confidence.
8:30pm AK goes for Hillary and Huck. No surprise.
8:33pm Romney is gaining in GA. He's only behind by 6K votes. It'll be worth watching.
8:35pm DE for McCain. Boy, all these calls for McCain are discouraging.
8:38pm Karl Rove says Huckabee won't solve McCain's image problems with conservatives. He's right. But he doesn't pick anyone that would help. Chris Wallace mentions someone from SC. But I didn't catch the name.
8:52pm Fox calls MA for Hillary. So it starts to look like she will win the big states she expected. This is a big stick in the eye for Teddy.
8:54pm Laura Ingraham says she will back the GOP candidate, no matter who. But, she says she is worried about Conservatism. Amen to that. McCain will have to make a hell of a speech at CPAC to win over conservatives.
9:00pm Bunch of polls close, and Fox calls NY for Hillary. Arizona is too close for the GOP. That's a good sign for Romney.
9:04pm Hi, I'm in.....Delaware. And I went for Barack Obama.
9:10pm NJ goes for Hillary. Once again, her big state strategy is continuing. This will lessen the Obama surge today.
9:15pm Mary Katherine Ham is in the background on Fox (heavy sigh). If I was younger (and more talented) I might have a shot.
9:18pm NY for McCain. Not a shocker. But unfortunate.
9:25pm Watching the Montana results is funny. With 26% of precincts reporting, there are about 100 votes in. Now that's turnout!
9:28pm AL for Obama. He's doing well in the Southern states.
Pause for snack break
10:04pm So I come back and OK has gone for McCain. TN is lost to Romney (Huck's in the lead). And Huck is in the lead in GA. Romney needs an upset somewhere (AZ?).
10:08pm Huck is on Fox and....well he sounds so self-righteous that I can't listen. He has a reason to be happy, but damn he reminds me of Billy Jeff.
10:10pm I think after tonight, we may be able to clearly identify the factions in the Republican party: 1. The Northeastern Liberals. 2. Bible Belt Evangelicals, and 3. Western Conservatives.
10:27pm With 2% reporting, Romney takes Utah. There's a shocker.
10:29pm Huckabee still leades in GA. I think he'll take that one too with 78% reporting.
10:30pm Romney takes ND. One for the Western Conservatives. ND for Obama too.
10:33pm AZ breaks big for McCain. 51% with about 20% reporting. What's up with the exit polls that showed a 4% difference with Romney? Don't believe exit polls. Fox calls it for McCain. That really leaves CA, MO, and CO for Romney to make a splash.
10:35pm Good news for Mitt in MN. With 18% in, he leads by about 5%. I hope it keeps going that way. He needs to add a few more states to the tally.
10:37pm TN has gone for Huckabee. Oh, Lord. Will it ever end? I may develop a nervous twitch at this rate.
10:39pm Good speech by Mitt Romney. I like the fire and the emotion. He says he's going to carry on. I hope he finds a way to counter the McHucksters.
10:41pm GA for Huckabee. Argh. Is he the Perot of the primary? It looks like he's going to take MO too. Romney needs a big showing in CA and needs to steal a state. Any state. CO?
10:50pm Not going to listen to Hillary. Too. Painful. Grates. Ears. Seriously, how can anyone think of sending this family back to White House?
10:56pm With 28% in, Romney is leading McCain in MN 36%-28%. This looks like it is going to hold. Romney is winning smaller states, and this could keep him viable in the campaign. But, you basically have to add Huckabee's delegates to McCain's, and that gives McCain a huge advantage.
11:02pm MO is close. McCain just took a 1K vote lead (less than 1%). 78% reporting. Gonna have to watch that one still.
11:05pm Some encouraging news for Romney: He breaks out on top in CO with 5% reporting. And he's up to 30% in GA. He's winning MT too. But that's not going to help much on the delegate count.
11:09pm MT for Romney - with 511 votes. WhooHoo!
11:13pm CO for Obama. He's keeping pace. But he'll need a big state. The proportional split of delegates on the Dem side will keep him close.
11:14pm First report from CA. 1% reporting and Romney has 46%. It would be great if that would hold, but it'll drop.
11:16pm ID for Obama. Well, he's not an Eastern Liberal. So I'm not surprised he's hitting it big out West. It'll be interesting to see how he plays in CA.
11:22pm McCain and Huckabee are neck and neck in MO. Romney is 19K votes back. He lost this one. But is it proportional? I don't have a good resource for that one.
11:25pm With 2% in now, McCain doubles up Romney. I hope that shifts soon. On the other hand, Romney looks solid in CO and MN.
I had a thought earlier today: if Obama wins the Democrat nomination, you should get used to saying "President Obama". I really don't think either GOP candidate could keep him from a date with history (infamy?).
7:24pm I'm getting up to speed on the WV GOP shenanigans. And that's exactly what they were, shenanigans. It's obviously a double-team job, McCain and Huck vs. Mitt. That's politics, I guess, but it doesn't do much for Huck's "nice guy" image. It's now official: a vote for Huckabee is a vote for McCain. Look for a McCain/Huckabee ticket. Look for a 3rd party to form.
7:28pm Huckabee has broken out on top in the GA race. But he's only 1% over Romney with 1% reporting. Let's see if the McCain/Huckabee manipulation continues here.
7:30pm With 1% reporting, Fox has declared GA for Obama. It's a smackdown 64%/34%. It'll get closer, but Obama opens with the momentum.
7:40pm Why is Huck breaking out with 33% in GA, while McCain is stuck at 1%? Is there more collusion going on here? This doesn't make much sense. Here are the RCP polls for GA. McCain has about 32%. These numbers are going to change.
7:49pm Whoa, with less than 1% in, Fox calls AL for Huck? What the? Is he going to take all of the Southern states? If he can deliver those, he will be the VP.
7:50pm I'm not sure what's wrong with the Fox ticker, but the percentages don't line up with the vote counts. Obama gets AL with 1 vote on the board.
8:00pm Out of 5 states that Fox has called: McCain wins 3 (IL, CT, NJ), Huck wins 1 (AL), McCain wins MA. I don't think any of those are a surprise. But Huck is leading in GA too. Aargh.
8:03pm Hillary takes TN for the Dems. That surprises me. I'm not sure why, but it does.
8:10pm McCain and Huckabee are splitting GA and TN. Romney is being frozen out. I think Romney is going down the tubes, even if he surprises anyone in CA or MO.
8:13pm The Barone take on GA: McCain wins near military bases, Huckabee wins rural areas, Romney is winning in the burbs. These numbers could change.
8:15pm Karl Rove on Fox News. McCain's winner take all strategy is working. Romney gets an "incomplete". Huckabee gets kudos for his Bible Belt strategy.
8:23pm Fox reviews some early reporting, and Romney appears in 3rd place again and again. This doesn't look good. It might have been his strategy, but it sure doesn't build confidence.
8:30pm AK goes for Hillary and Huck. No surprise.
8:33pm Romney is gaining in GA. He's only behind by 6K votes. It'll be worth watching.
8:35pm DE for McCain. Boy, all these calls for McCain are discouraging.
8:38pm Karl Rove says Huckabee won't solve McCain's image problems with conservatives. He's right. But he doesn't pick anyone that would help. Chris Wallace mentions someone from SC. But I didn't catch the name.
8:52pm Fox calls MA for Hillary. So it starts to look like she will win the big states she expected. This is a big stick in the eye for Teddy.
8:54pm Laura Ingraham says she will back the GOP candidate, no matter who. But, she says she is worried about Conservatism. Amen to that. McCain will have to make a hell of a speech at CPAC to win over conservatives.
9:00pm Bunch of polls close, and Fox calls NY for Hillary. Arizona is too close for the GOP. That's a good sign for Romney.
9:04pm Hi, I'm in.....Delaware. And I went for Barack Obama.
9:10pm NJ goes for Hillary. Once again, her big state strategy is continuing. This will lessen the Obama surge today.
9:15pm Mary Katherine Ham is in the background on Fox (heavy sigh). If I was younger (and more talented) I might have a shot.
9:18pm NY for McCain. Not a shocker. But unfortunate.
9:25pm Watching the Montana results is funny. With 26% of precincts reporting, there are about 100 votes in. Now that's turnout!
9:28pm AL for Obama. He's doing well in the Southern states.
Pause for snack break
10:04pm So I come back and OK has gone for McCain. TN is lost to Romney (Huck's in the lead). And Huck is in the lead in GA. Romney needs an upset somewhere (AZ?).
10:08pm Huck is on Fox and....well he sounds so self-righteous that I can't listen. He has a reason to be happy, but damn he reminds me of Billy Jeff.
10:10pm I think after tonight, we may be able to clearly identify the factions in the Republican party: 1. The Northeastern Liberals. 2. Bible Belt Evangelicals, and 3. Western Conservatives.
10:27pm With 2% reporting, Romney takes Utah. There's a shocker.
10:29pm Huckabee still leades in GA. I think he'll take that one too with 78% reporting.
10:30pm Romney takes ND. One for the Western Conservatives. ND for Obama too.
10:33pm AZ breaks big for McCain. 51% with about 20% reporting. What's up with the exit polls that showed a 4% difference with Romney? Don't believe exit polls. Fox calls it for McCain. That really leaves CA, MO, and CO for Romney to make a splash.
10:35pm Good news for Mitt in MN. With 18% in, he leads by about 5%. I hope it keeps going that way. He needs to add a few more states to the tally.
10:37pm TN has gone for Huckabee. Oh, Lord. Will it ever end? I may develop a nervous twitch at this rate.
10:39pm Good speech by Mitt Romney. I like the fire and the emotion. He says he's going to carry on. I hope he finds a way to counter the McHucksters.
10:41pm GA for Huckabee. Argh. Is he the Perot of the primary? It looks like he's going to take MO too. Romney needs a big showing in CA and needs to steal a state. Any state. CO?
10:50pm Not going to listen to Hillary. Too. Painful. Grates. Ears. Seriously, how can anyone think of sending this family back to White House?
10:56pm With 28% in, Romney is leading McCain in MN 36%-28%. This looks like it is going to hold. Romney is winning smaller states, and this could keep him viable in the campaign. But, you basically have to add Huckabee's delegates to McCain's, and that gives McCain a huge advantage.
11:02pm MO is close. McCain just took a 1K vote lead (less than 1%). 78% reporting. Gonna have to watch that one still.
11:05pm Some encouraging news for Romney: He breaks out on top in CO with 5% reporting. And he's up to 30% in GA. He's winning MT too. But that's not going to help much on the delegate count.
11:09pm MT for Romney - with 511 votes. WhooHoo!
11:13pm CO for Obama. He's keeping pace. But he'll need a big state. The proportional split of delegates on the Dem side will keep him close.
11:14pm First report from CA. 1% reporting and Romney has 46%. It would be great if that would hold, but it'll drop.
11:16pm ID for Obama. Well, he's not an Eastern Liberal. So I'm not surprised he's hitting it big out West. It'll be interesting to see how he plays in CA.
11:22pm McCain and Huckabee are neck and neck in MO. Romney is 19K votes back. He lost this one. But is it proportional? I don't have a good resource for that one.
11:25pm With 2% in now, McCain doubles up Romney. I hope that shifts soon. On the other hand, Romney looks solid in CO and MN.
Labels: Barack Obama, Election 2008, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney
