7:37
I live in Pennsylvania and Senator Obama just called me and told me to drive to every house and call everyone I know to go vote right now. Okay, so it was a robocall. But it was cool anyway. Also, why is David Gregory shouting tonight?
7:39
While many sites on the tubes are running those Drudge exit poll numbers. Big shocker... FOX News Channel is showing the numbers in their lower-third graphic prior to the polls closing.
7:45
Oh, and by way of tradition... My prediction:
7:46
Canvassers on the ground are telling me that they're seeing a perfectly even 50/50 split in terms of support. Personally, I haven't received any mailers or door-hangers from the Clinton campaign even though I'm an elected member of the Democratic Committee here in Berks County (6th Congressional District) and our chairman, Tom Herman, is a Clinton delegate.
7:58
Would someone slip Russert a Dulcolax? He's totally aggro tonight. In fact, everyone on MSNBC -- except Rachel -- is totally full of piss and vinegar.
7:59
I was on the Mike O'Meara Show in Washington, DC this afternoon and predicted that Senator Clinton would stay in the race and run as a Liebercrat. Discuss.
8PM
MSNBC is saying it's too close to call. I don't know what that means. Matthews says "new voters are leaning toward Barack." At least he didn't say "Barama" like always.
8:07
Here in Berks, we vote using Shouptronic electronic voting machines. There have been some complaints about them in Philadelphia, but no massive irregularities here. Oh, and I wrote-in my own name in the uncontested race for the Democratic nomination for the 129th district state general assembly race. Wish me luck! The last time I did that on a whim, I actually won. Democracy is awesome.
8:23
On FOX News, an endless stream of words are magically floating into Brit Hume's head. However it's to no effect -- he's still insanely misinformed. Oh crap... Fortify the intertube firewalls -- Karl Rove just complained that "the Secretary of State's website just crashed."
8:32
Yeah, Karl Rove just said on FOX News that he has the PA Secretary of State's "phone number on his cell phone speed dial." That's never a good thing.
8:37
MSNBC reporting with 0% in:
Clinton 65
Obama 35
This margin will, of course, significantly narrow.
8:43
MSNBC just changed their language to "Too Early To Call: Clinton Has Taken Lead Over Obama."
8:49
MSNBC projects Clinton wins Pennsylvania.
8:51
Clinton 55 - 32,724
Obama 45 - 28, 301
3% reporting
CNN hasn't called a winner yet.
8:54
CNN is reporting:
Obama 52
Clinton 48
8:56
Now it's back to:
Clinton 53
Obama 47
Was MSNBC a little premature?
9:01
Correction -- the 8:54 number above showing Obama ahead was for Philadelphia alone. Sorry about that.
9:03
MSNBC is showing 52-48 now. And... okay... new numbers... 53-47 as I type this. Among Clinton supporters this margin might as well be 20 points. It's going to be defined as a huge victory. Oh, and back to 52-48.
9:13
Clinton 54 - 118,000
Obama 46 - 98,000
Joe Scarborough vs. Harold Ford on MSNBC. Basically, it's this:
JOE: Obama is a loser!
FORD: Yes, you're right.
9:19
Chuck Todd's Mathematical Beard says that based on tonight, Senator Clinton needs to win 80 percent of the rest of the pledged delegates, which is statistically impossible. Todd reports that Clinton might net 14 delegates tonight.
9:24
CNN's popular vote reporting
171,000
151,000
9:28
Canvassers here in Berks County are telling me that seniors were overwhelmingly voting for Senator Obama. Also, it's worth noting that Obama was behind by 16 points and a virtual unknown here. Senator Obama's money was well spent. Also, sources are telling me that my township -- Spring Township -- went for Obama in a big way. It's mostly white, middle class.
9:34
Oh, and how does Pat Buchanan, practically an admitted racist, get to talk about this campaign after he wrote that blacks should be grateful to white people like him -- you know, for the food stamps? Buchanan to Maddow just now: "Quit the Marxist dialect."
9:37
Matthews to Senator McCaskill: "Will what beat Alan Keyes beat John McCain?" Seriously. That's what Chris Matthews was thinking. Also, Senator Clinton is getting ready to make with the talking.
9:46
Markos is reporting the following delegate spread with 21 percent reporting;
Clinton 28
Obama 19
If the margin is a net 10 delegates (give or take) for Senator Clinton, any argument she makes to superdelegates will be muted at best.
9:52
Watching John King and his magic-marker fingers on CNN. It looks as if most of PA counties went for Senator Clinton. Too much light blue and not enough dark blue. I suppose a lot of Pennsylvania Democrats want a president who will obliterate Iran with nuclear weapons. I find that remarkable. Who would've thought Democrats would be in favor of a nuclear war in the Middle East.
10:03
Chuck Todd on MSNBC mentioning that many of the suburban Philadelphia counties haven't reported any returns. Chester, Montgomery and Lancaster Counties -- all zero percent reporting.
10:04
So if Senator Obama wins North Carolina by 10-15 points, will he negate Senator Clinton's PA delegate gain? My hunch is yes, most of it.
10:06
I was talking with an older voter today and she told me that while she was voting for Senator Obama, she was concerned that he's not "fast enough on his feet" and she's worried about his leadership skills. Of course my kneejerk reply was... look who's run the better campaign. Senator Obama has won more primary votes and raised more money (from mostly small donors) than any presidential candidate in American history. All of this against two of the most recognizable and popular Democrats in the world (the Clintons). Whether or not you're a supporter, that's significant and speaks to his leadership abilities.
10:16
Senator Clinton speaking now. Nothing yet about nuclear armageddon in the Middle East.
10:20
She's ripping Senator Obama for outspending her. I guess if Senator Obama was a legacy candidate whose spouse is a very popular ex-president, he wouldn't have to.
10:24
To her credit... Her supporters are really enthusiastic tonight.
10:30
And she's not going to quit any time soon. After all, if Senator McCain wins in November, 2012 is her's to lose. She's gone negative several times in her victory speech, so yeah. As I said on the Mike O'Meara Show today, she's in it to win it -- in 2012.
10:34
Olbermann mentioning how Senator Clinton injected some of her usual negative digs at Senator Obama in her speech.
10:35
The popular vote margin for Senator Clinton is around 60,000 votes.
10:39
The delegate spread with 71 percent reporting:
Clinton 37
Obama 31
Also, via Markos, the Clinton-endorsing New York Times editorial board:
Mrs. Clinton did not get the big win in Pennsylvania that she needed to challenge the calculus of the Democratic race. It is true that Senator Barack Obama outspent her 2-to-1. But Mrs. Clinton and her advisers should mainly blame themselves, because, as the political operatives say, they went heavily negative and ended up squandering a good part of what was once a 20-point lead.
10:45
Senator Obama speaking now from Evansville, Indiana. Continuing his call for less bickering. It sounds like it's going to be a big speech.
10:59
Andrew Sullivan:
If Obama thinks he has a right to actually be nominated by the Clinton Democrats because he has won more votes, more states and more delegates, he is sadly mistaken. They will never let such a person win without a death struggle. And that is where the Democrats are now headed.
11:02
"We will change this country... we will change the world... this is our country... let's get to work." Another great Senator Obama address.
11:07
The official PA numbers:
CLINTON, HILLARY (DEM) 962,401 54.0%
OBAMA, BARACK (DEM) 820,382 46.0
11:30
That's all for me tonight. I don't mind so much that it was a disappointing night for Senator Obama in terms of the popular vote spread, but I'm not thrilled with the fact that every day this race continues means a better November for Senator McCain. The cold hard fact is that the delegate spread is only 3, according to Markos. Yet Senator Clinton will continue until at least June -- another two months with Senator Obama dividing his army, so to speak, between Clinton and McCain. And he'll still win Indiana and North Carolina. Here's the current delegate count:
Clinton 40
Obama 37
91 percent reporting
And the official PA popular vote as of 11:34PM EDT:
CLINTON, HILLARY (DEM) 1,019,967 54.4%
OBAMA, BARACK (DEM) 855,971 45.6%
Good night, everyone. At least two more months of Senator Clinton's attempted 2012 presidential campaign. Awesome.
