Most of the battleground states are in the Eastern Time Zone (plus a few like New Jersey that shouldn't be in play for Bush, but somehow still are). We have Florida (except the panhandle, of course), Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and we should know what has happened in Maine and New Hampshire, all before most of the rest of the nation is home to see the results on the tube.
New York could even be surprisingly close, but should go to Kerry. If Bush wins even half of these, and Republican senatorial candidates in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida are cruising, it might be over for Kerry much earlier than anyone suspects. I know Florida could run late as last time, when the Democratic bastions in South Florida wait to turn in vote totals, so they know how many votes they need to manufacture, but it may be out of their reach.
An hour later that evening will have Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota done. If the late (after work) voters there hear that Bush is winning states in the Eastern Time Zone that he shouldn't, then we could pick up some late undecideds who "just want to vote for the winner", which could tip all those states to Bush. If that happens, everything west of the Central Time Zone will be academic.
I seem to recall discussion of prohibiting networks from revealing numbers till the west coast polls close. Is that still on the table?
Pensacola and Jax better hold out their tallies until those SOBs in Miami have reported. If Florida goes to Kerry I'm not going back. That'll be all she wrote for that state.
Hell, I'm already p'oed they'd consider that witch Castor for Senator. What a battleaxe.
Give `em hell, MEL!
just tell me since you seem to be well-informed.....by 8 pm EST, what states does W have to have won in order to be elected?.......