Fang's Bites

Fox Is Alone With New Mexico

Although not unexpected, New Mexico has been put into the Obama column by Fox News. No other network has made this call.

NBC Says Obama Leads in Colorado

NBC says Colorado where the polls have now closed is too close to call, but Obama leads right now. We’ll see if that Red state flips sometime tonight.

Projections

CNN projects Obama takes RI (4), Michigan (17), Wisconsin (10), Minnesota (10) and New York (31).

McCain takes Wyoming (3), North Dakota (3).

According to its map, CNN says Obama is ahead in the Electoral Vote count of 174-49.

ABC adds Kansas to McCain and says Obama is ahead, 174-61. I throw up my hands on each network.

CNN is Dragging

Thanks to Pollster.com, you can put your mouse over any state on its Election 2008 and check to see which network has made a projection. CNN is noticeably late on each state including Pennsylvania, Alabama, Arkansas and West Virginia. It has been the last network to make a projection, although as I write this, it finally puts Alabama into the McCain column.

Fox Says It’s Close to Projecting Virginia

McCain is leading the popular vote in Virginia. McCain has campaigned there heavily saying he wants to keep Virginia Red.

Fox is showing Shepard Smith while Fox News Channel has Brit Hume. Just simulcast. And make sure Megyn Kelly is on both, ok?

Georgia Is A Bulldog

And it’s in the Red column according to both NBC and Fox News.

Chuck Todd Is Right

Over to MSNBC, Chuck Todd checking his map calls it the Big Five: Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri and Virginia. Right now, the map is falling right into the 2004 results. However, Todd is correct in saying until one of the Big Five flips, we won’t know how this election is going.

It looks good for Obama in Indiana and Florida as he’s ahead in both states and carrying normal Democratic counties by wide margins, but he has to take them by enough to make those flip from Red to Blue.

We’ll see.

We’re approaching 9 p.m on the East Coast and 15 states where the polls are closing. We should get some more trends then.

By the way, Katie Couric is doing a pretty decent job on CBS. Remember last year when the thoughts were that she was going to be fired after November? I think after the Palin interviews, that sentiment changed.

Alabama Is Crimson, Not Quite Red

ABC News is projecting John McCain will win Alabama based on its exit polls. No other network has made that projection, but so far, the states that were Blue in 2004 are staying Blue. The states that were Red in 2004 are remaining in the GOP column.

What Obama needs to do is to turn Red States like Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Missouri Blue. Those are key to his taking the White House.

Trends show Obama ahead in North Carolina and Florida. Still too early for any network to make a call.

And I believe CNN is the last network to make Pennsylvania Blue.

Fox Swallows Hard and Puts Pennsylvannia in the Blue Column

Fox News projects Obama wins Pennsylvania.

However, the network calls Arkansas for McCain as does ABC News.

Its map shows Obama with 102 EV’s, McCain, 45.

Maps! More Maps! I Can’t Follow Each Map!

Over to Electoral-Vote.com and its map puts Virginia and Georgia solidly into McCain’s camp. South Carolina and Texas are not solid Red, but are leaning towards McCain.

However, it also projects Ohio and Florida into Obama’s column.

According to the website, the Electoral Vote tally is McCain 100, Obama 73. What info does this site have to make it much different from the networks?

More Possible Trends

Pollster.com which has a nice running blog tonight, has two more states possibly going into the Obama column. Two battleground states that were both Red in 2000 and 2004.

They’re called Missouri and Florida. If that is true, then it would be very difficult for McCain to win. He would have to sweep the Western states. Still early. No network is calling either state.

CNN shows McCain down 53-47 in Florida with just 3% of the votes counted.

Fox News Puts NC Senate Seat in the Blue

Fox has projected Kay Hagen winning the Senate seat out of North Carolina. That’s another turnover.

Could Obama be spreading his coattails?

Why Are The Tallies Different On Each Network?

ABC News has also put Pennsylvania into Obama’s camp and they have a 102-34 Electoral Vote margin for the Democrat.

CNN says Obama’s ahead, 77-34.

MSNBC says it’s 103-34, Obama.

CBS says 81-39.

Fox has Obama ahead, 77-39.

What is going on here?

More Projections

At 8 p.m. ET, CNN projects eight states to Barack Obama: Massachusetts (12), Illinois (21), Connecticut (7), New Jersey (15), Maine (4, 3 to Obama), Delaware (3), Maryland (10) and District of Columbia (3).

CNN says John McCain will win Oklahoma (7) and Tennessee (11).

The updated map according to CNN, Obama has 77 Electoral Votes with McCain at 34.

NBC puts Pennsylvania and its huge 21 Electoral Votes into Obama’s margin.

CNN Joins Fox, CBS, BBC and NBC with South Carolina

CNN now projects South Carolina as a McCain win.

It has a 16-3 Electoral Vote edge for McCain.

BBC America Has Its Own Fancy Technology

BBC America also calls South Carolina for the McCain camp joining NBC’s call from earlier.

The BBC has its own fancy touchscreen map, not quite as good as CNN’s, but it can give us breakdowns similar to what John King can do on the Magic Wall. We’ll be checking up on BBC America every once in a while.

NBC Colors South Carolina Red

NBC News projects South Carolina into the McCain column.

According to its map, McCain has 16 Electoral Votes while Obama has 3.

Fox News not made this call.

Are We Seeing A Trend

Pollster.com shows North Carolina quite close, but having Obama eeking it out with a 52-48 percent margin. What about Ohio? That is estimated to be 53-45. Those would be huge for the Democrat and a big blow to McCain’s chances as he has to take those two states to win.

However, NBC News says it’s too early to call based on its exit polls.

We continue to monitor.

Two Southern States for McCain?

Pollster.com which is updating its projected results quite quickly estimates McCain winning Georgia by a 50-48 margin while taking South Carolina a bit more comfortably, but still close, 52-46.

Not a surprise for either state if that holds.

Two networks (CBS and Fox News) still maintain a 13-3 Electoral Vote lead for McCain while the others still hold at 8-3.

It’s still early.

CBS Makes a Projection

CBS News projects West Virginia and its 5 Electoral Votes go to John McCain.

Tally thus far:

McCain: 13 Electoral Votes
Obama: 3 Electoral Votes

EDITED TO ADD: Fox News is also projecting West Virginia as a McCain win.

Virginia Could Turn Blue

Pollster.com is estimating Virginia could go to Obama by a 55-45 margin. That would be quite comfortable. That would be a big win for Obama if that holds.

Silly NBC Gimmick

Turning Rockefeller Plaza into an entire election set for NBC. There are buckets that are going up the GE Building to signify the Electoral Votes for each candidate and on the Rockefeller Plaza ice rink, the map will turn red or blue depending on which state John McCain or Barack Obama win. Just show us the basics. There’s no need for gimmicks.

And just wait until I write about ABC’s Times Square gimmick.

I just may turn on the radio and shut the TV off.

More Silly CNN Technology

Jessica Yellin is appearing on the CNN Election set as a hologram. It’s very strange. She’s talking to Wolf Blitzer and Jessica is quite choppy as she makes her mannerisms talking to Wolfey.

I know this is CNN’s Super Bowl as it would be for Fox News and MSNBC, but it’s ok to have a reporter to talk outside from the scene. It’s not necessary to have a hologram.

She mentioned it was like she was Princess Leia in Star Wars. Yes, true. Carrie Fisher looked better. Help me, Obi Wan. You’re our only hope. Please. Stop the madness.

Early Results

Pollster.com estimates Indiana to go to the Obama camp by a 52-46 margin. If that holds, that would mean a solid Red state would turn Blue and into the Obama column.

We’ll follow that closely.

Three polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia. Those who follow elections closely know how important Ohio is to any presidential election winner.

Quick Check of the Network Anchors

Consider this. Four years ago, Dan Rather anchored CBS’ coverage. Tom Brokaw and Tim Russert helmed NBC’s coverage. And Peter Jennings was heading ABC.

What a difference four years make. Now you have Katie Couric, Brian Williams and Charlie Gibson heading their respective networks’ election coverage.

Having watched NBC Nightly News at 6:30 p.m., Brian Williams can be called an early successor to Dan Rather, showing excitement and some possible moments of going over the top. You knew it was going to be a long night when Dan Rather pulled out his Ratherisms.

Looking at CNN, Wolf Blitzer looks overly excited with his heavy breathing.

Keith Olbermann is still asking loaded questions on MSNBC while Brit Hume and Chris Wallace are helming Fox News coverage and are actually level headed.

First States to Project

CNN and NBC project that Kentucky will go to the McCain column.

Both networks say Vermont goes to Obama.

The other states that closed at 7 p.m. ET, Georgia, Indiana and Virginia are too close to call.

Electoral Votes so far: McCain: 8, Obama: 3.

Virtual Reality

CNN is trying out some virtual technology tonight. Showing a virtual Capitol building and trying to show us the change of power in the Senate and the House.

The lovely Campbell Brown is wary of this technology. My University of Rhode Island homie John King is at the Magic Wall trying to make it work.

Oops, the screen froze and there was a quick glitch. This should be fun to watch.

More Glitches

CNN’s Candy Crowley was live from Grant Park in Chicago and she was having trouble hearing. In addition, every other word was cutting out. There’s something about that area where CNN is stationed as Jessica Yellin was having difficulty there as well.

Maybe CNN should move before the crowd prevents it from doing so.

More glitches to follow.

Polls Have Closed In Parts of Indiana & Kentucky

However, all of the networks won’t be making a call on both of these states until all of the votes are in at 7 p.m. ET.

New exit poll data include:

93% say economy is not so good or poor
6% say it’s good.

But 47% say the economy is going to get better.

People say 70% Obama will raise their taxes.
61% say McCain will raise their taxes.

The Woman In Black

Ann Curry is going over the exit poll data on MSNBC. Dressed in all black. She’s lovely, but its like she’s dressed for a funeral.

No need to add numbers. You’ve seen them here already.

OH NO!!!! Rachel Maddow is having a stroke!!!! Oh, she just talks out of the right side of her mouth. I thought we were seeing her deteriorate right before our eyes.