Election Night Live Blogging

This will be a constantly updated post, adding to it as the night goes on. Don't look for news flashes here; hey, I'm just a guy in jeans and a Bark Bark Woof Woof t-shirt (get one here) watching TV, reading other people's impressions, and adding my thoughts. (All times Eastern.)

6:51 p.m.: Watching Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann on MSNBC ,and they're running down the exit polls wherein most of the country seems to be really pissed at the Republicans, unhappy with the direction of the country, and seeing this election in national terms. Not a good sign for the party in power.

7:00 p.m.: The first returns are coming in; too early to call in Virginia; Bernie Sanders wins in Vermont. So we have our first Socialist in the Senate.

7:13 p.m.: The New Republic has some exit polling for the Senate that shows the Democrats picking up eight seats. Hmm. Caveat emptor, but it would be nice.

7:31 p.m.: Polls closed in Ohio, and they're calling the governor's race for Ted Strickland (D). Not a big surprise; Strickland beat J. Kenneth Blackwell, the Katherine Harris of the Buckeye State.

8:00 p.m.: This is the zero hour for a lot of states here in the Eastern time zone. MSNBC is projecting Bill Nelson the winner in Florida. Buh-bye Katherine Harris.

8:16 p.m.: Blogger is misbehaving, so this could get to be a problematic evening as far as blogging goes. (If Blogger crashes, Google might as well just join the Republicans hiding under their desk.) Keep your fingers crossed.

8:20 p.m.: Some interesting House results coming in: Ann Northrup (R) in Kentucky is in trouble, as are Chris Chocula (R) and John Hostetler (R) in Indiana. Those are races that the pundits have been saying are indicative of the way the night will go, and it's looking bleak for the GOP if they play out with Democrats winning in these races.

8:27 p.m.: MSNBC calls the Pennsylvania Senate race for Bob Casey, Jr., and we bid farewell to Rick Santorum. Yip Yah! Goodbye, you sanctimonious pompous ass.

8:34 p.m.: Bob Menendez (D) wins in the New Jersey Senate race. That was supposed to be the only Democrat in trouble and he sails through. Hey, this could be an early night.

8:41 p.m.: Sherrod Brown (D) wins in Ohio. Another incumbent senator -- Mike DeWine -- hits the street.

9:01 p.m.: A slew of Democratic senators re-elected: Clinton (NY), Stabenow (MI), Bingaman (NM), Conrad (ND). Corker is ahead in TN, but it's still too close to call, and so is the MO race. So far, everything is shaking out the way some of the most optimistic Democratic prognosticators called them, and so far, no unpleasant surprises. I wonder what they're watching at the White House... "Hey, Laura, what's on Nick at Nite?"

9:22 p.m.: Another Blogger hiccup. Feh. Okay, now we have Ben Cardin (D) winning the Senate in Maryland, and Lieberman (I) winning in Connecticut.

9:33 p.m.: Lincoln Chafee loses in Rhode Island. And the beat goes on.

9:46 p.m.: Now we're getting to the close races; Tennessee, Virgina, and Missouri. Webb and Ford are behind, and they don't have enough votes in Missouri to make it a race yet.

9:50 p.m.: Charlie Crist (R) is being projected as winning here in Florida. So we get a closeted gay, sorta-pro-choice replacement for Jeb.

9:55 p.m.: Chris Chocula (R), one of the "canaries," loses in Indiana, as does Anne Northrup (R) in Kentucky.

10:08 p.m.: Florida House races of interest are still too close to call: Joe Negron, the sub for Mark Foley, is dead even with Democrat Tim Mahoney, and Ron Klein is five points ahead of incumbent Rep. Clay Shaw. Those will be the cliffhangers here.

10:33 p.m.: The Miami Herald says it "appears" that Republican Congressman Clay Shaw has lost to Ron Klein.

10:43 p.m.: Per Atrios, the South Dakota abortion ban is going down to defeat. There's a vote for sanity.

10:45 p.m.: I can't believe that more than 1.5 million people in this state actually voted for Katherine Harris for the Senate. It doesn't matter that she lost practically 2-to-1. That's nuts. Just plain nuts.

10:53 p.m.: MSNBC is calling the vote-for-Mark Foley get-Joe Negron vs. Tim Mahoney race in Florida for Mahoney. That's two pick-ups for the Democrats in the House in Florida.

10:55 p.m.: MSNBC is calling the House for the Democrats with a pick-up of 29 seats. Congratulations to the new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. So, Republicans, how do you like your crow cooked?

11:05 p.m.: Switching over to watch the coverage on The Daily Show. That seems as good a way to wrap up the night. I'm going to call it a night with the races in Virginia, Missouri, and Montana still undecided, but the chances that they will be settled between now and the time I have to get up in the morning are fairly slim. I'll be back first thing in the morning, but I'm going to bed happy. Very happy. Make that ecstatic.