7:10 (all times are eastern daylight time)
Fired up, ready to go! I loved turning on MSNBC tonight to see that somehow Senator Clinton is ahead in the popular vote (17,425,810 to 17,428,541) and then to hear Tim Russert suggest that Senator Clinton's bid for the VP slot will be a distraction for the next several weeks.
7:13
Yep. It's going to be one of those nights.
Senator Clinton is going to try to be the center of attention all night, when it ought to be an historical evening for Senator Obama, the United States, democracy and African-Americans. Instead, more of the Clintons shouting "me, me, me!"
7:16Pat Buchanan saying that Senator Obama needs to move to the center in order to win the "working class whites." Or... the only way a black Democrat can win is to become a Republican. Also known as the Clinton Theorem. Yeah, we need more of that.7:21MSNBC... Clinton needs 200 delegates. Obama needs 11. That's not a shocker, but it makes me feel better. Stomach acid dissipating.7:26I wish someone would tell me how MSNBC arrived at their popular vote count. Did they count the caucus states? If not, why not?7:27CNN suggesting that Senator Obama only needs 7 delegates.7:32And, of course, CNN is also talking about Senator Clinton in the the VP slot. I can't underscore how terrible an idea that is. The whole general election will end up being about Clinton, Clinton, Clinton. Then we're treated to McAuliffe, Wolfson and all of the other sycophants who ruined her campaign -- but, in this case, watering down Senator Obama's change message. Awful idea.7:33Carville earning his paycheck with awesome analysis: "Democrats are united in one thing -- we are not Republicans." So wise. So smart.7:36More Carville giving me agita: "She's gonna wanna bring along as many of her people as possible." Oh please can she? That would rule the school and own the phone. I want Ickes' permanent undertaker grin and Wolfson's Gollum face for another five months. More McAuliffe! More everything!7:51Back from eating dinner. Harold Ford: "[McCain] married into a wonderful beer fortune." Matthews nearly snarfed -- hunched over laughing.7:56Wow. Brokaw just scolded Olbermann.BROKAW: "We have two remarkable stories taking shape tonight. It seems to me."OLBERMANN: "And a third one trying to shoehorn her way into the coverage of the first two---"BROKAW: [interrupting] "---Well, I think that's unfair Keith. I don't think she shoehorned her way in when you look at the states that she won, the popular vote that she piled up and the number of delegates that she has on her side. She's got real bargaining power in all this..."8:05Matthews paraphrasing McBush's forthcoming speech: "[McCain's] now declaring war on the media." No more barbeque for the media!8:09Schecter has the first Rove sighting on FOX News. All we need is Alex Castellanos on CNN and we have the cable news trifecta of race-baiters (Rove, Buchanan, Castellanos).8:16CNN says Senator Obama is only 4 delegates away!8:19Gergen on CNN mentioning that it was exactly 200 years ago when the slave trade ended. That's a long, long road.8:22While Chuck Todd discusses McBush's running mate possibilities, here is my prediction for the McBush ticket: McBush-Huckabee. And the super crazy long shot: McBush-Clinton.8:25Chuck Todd: "This is the greatest political upset maybe in the history of American politics."8:26Schecter: "John McCain will be speaking soon. From Louisiana. I wonder if he showed up with that birthday cake he proudly displayed while New Orleans residents were drowining."
Cake from the President! Yummy!8:32Fineman: "Hillary's aides wanted her to quit a month ago." Also (paraphrasing) Obama will only offer the VP slot if... she will refuse it. Fineman also said "kaboobie" instead of kabuki. Huh-huhuhuhuh. Kaboobie.8:36Fineman suggesting that Clinton's posture on the VP is that if it's not her, Obama better not dare pick another woman. If it's true, it's really creepy.8:38McBush is talking now. His smiling is especially fake and random tonight. Also, there are 12 people in the room.8:41Schecter on McBush: "Thanks Hillary on behalf of his daughters. Which is why, I guess he called his wife a four-letter word that rhymes with runt and wants to put another Alito on the Court "8:42This was an awesome line: "Turn challenges and opportunities into opportunities."8:43You know McBush's best asset in this thing? He's white. But not just white-white. He's almost translucent -- like those weird subterranean creatures that live in total darkness.8:45McBush thinks police officers ought to be able to talk to firemen. Awesome!8:46"That's not change we can believe in." (big fake grin) And now he's going off on a long negative rant about Senator Obama. Seriously -- he sounds creepy and sinister. Like a second-rate surrogate delivering an introductory speech for a candidate running for sheriff in Toothlessburg.8:51Rove's underlings have clearly written this speech.8:55I just noticed the slogan on the backdrop. "A leader we can believe in." You know, can anyone name the actual Clinton and McBush slogans? I can only think of the lines they used to mock Obama's branding. Sad little man with a creepy, hissing speaking style.9:00BIG NEWS! CNN breaks away from McBush speech to announce that Senator Obama is the Democratic nominee! To quote Marv Albert: "Do you believe in miracles?! Yes!"9:02Same declaration from MSNBC. Senator Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for President of the United States!9:05Exactly 40 years after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. One step closer to the promised land.9:08The magnitude of this accomplishment can't be exaggerated.9:10Harold Ford: "[McBush's] speech was the best he's given on the campaign trail... A powerful speech by John McCain this evening." I didn't know Ford had such low expectations for public speaking.9:14Weird. Senator Clinton is leading in South Dakota. 55-45.9:22MSNBC is calling South Dakota for Senator Clinton. Oy. Buchanan's first reaction: diminish Senator Obama's nomination.9:22Via Schecter, Jeffrey Toobin on CNN said, "What about that McCain speech. It was awful....A couple hundred people...I think that was one of the worst speeches I've ever seen."9:29Castellanos is on CNN tonight, thus completing the Race-Baiting Trifecta. Goddamn. Why are these networks going out of their way to bring in known race-baiters? Again, for the record, Castellanos created the following ad for known racist Jesse Helms:9:32Senator Clinton getting ready to make with the talking.9:35Senator Clinton's first line was untrue. She said that South Dakota has "the last word" in this election. Montana's polls are still open. I guess Montana doesn't count.9:38She's still claiming she's the stronger candidate to defeat Senator McBush. And now she's making the electoral vote argument against Senator Obama -- followed by the (Xeroxed) "Yes she will" chant. Classy!9:42It sounds like that drunk lady from Jane's RBC video has infiltrated the room.9:47I zoned out there -- trying to win a staring contest against that stone-faced redhead in the background. I lost.9:48Two great Schecter lines: "There are more people behind Hillary Clinton than were in McCain's entire crowd." And, "Somewhere at this very moment, Mitt Romney's hair is combing itself."9:49Senator Clinton: "This has been a long campaign and I will be making no decisions tonight." Of course not. That would be too classy.9:51Someone just shouted out, "Can't vote for Obama!" Of course Senator Clinton could have defused all of this with just ONE nice sentence about Senator Obama's remarkable victory and his historical personal story. That, and a concession.9:53She's invoking 9/11 and choking up now.9:54She's done. What a crock that was. Olbermann just said that no-one there knew that Senator Obama won the nomination because there weren't any TV monitors.9:59Holy crap! She used the Tina Turner "Simply the Best" song to play her off. Which of course is also used at the end of this speech:(Timecode 3:20)10:00Russert says that a top advisor to Clinton says that she wants to be Vice President.10:01MSNBC calling Montana for Senator Obama. Phew.10:06Senator Obama is up to 2,136 delegates.10:07Holy crap! Gloria Borger is a doofus!10:09Senator and Mrs. Obama are taking the stage in St. Paul. HUGE crowd. Makes McBush's little ditty seem cheap and amateurish. Which it was. Now he's talking, so I'm going to stop and enjoy...10:16"I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States."10:18Extended tribute to Senator Clinton...
That is particularly true for the candidate who has traveled further on this journey than anyone else. Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she's a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight.We've certainly had our differences over the last sixteen months. But as someone who's shared a stage with her many times, I can tell you that what gets Hillary Clinton up in the morning - even in the face of tough odds - is exactly what sent her and Bill Clinton to sign up for their first campaign in Texas all those years ago; what sent her to work at the Children's Defense Fund and made her fight for health care as First Lady; what led her to the United States Senate and fueled her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency - an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, no matter how difficult the fight may be.And you can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, she will be central to that victory. When we transform our energy policy and lift our children out of poverty, it will be because she worked to help make it happen. Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Woman hater.10:22McCain "has served this country heroically... I respect his many accomplishments even if he chooses to deny mine." BIGGETY BAM!10:32Hmm. I'm watching Senator Obama's victory speech and I'm wondering... Where are the wacky mock versions of McBush's messaging? Oh. Right. McBush doesn't have a message worth mocking.10:43Olbermann reporting... 17,000 inside. 15,000 outside.10:49On January 30, 2007, the RealClearPolitics polling average was Clinton 37%, Obama 17%.10:53Watching Wolf Blitzer now. Stephanie Miller has a great running bit about Blitzer... His voice sounds like he's constipated. Why? Because his diet consists solely of hard cheese and drywall.10:58Whoa. Jeffrey Toobin to Gloria Borger: "The margin is without dispute... Without the deranged narcissism of the Clintons I don't understand... What does that mean 'it's her night'?" Gergen reacted as if Toobin farted out a skunk corpse filled with spoiled eggs and seafood.11:05Senator Tester on MSNBC announcing his endorsement of Senator Obama.11:06Prediction: Senator Clinton will never deliver an actual concession speech. If she concedes, it'll be through a small announcement. That's... if... she concedes. I'm still clinging to the crazy voice in my head that keeps whispering: "She a Liebercrat. She's gonna run as an independent."11:13Guess what? 26 percent of South Dakota has voted against Senator McBush. Ron Paul 16%, Huckabee 7%, Romney 3%.11:18Senator Obama's delegate count up to 2,141 according to CNN.11:20More from South Dakota... Senator Obama, even though he lost the primary, has more votes than Senator McBush right now. Obama 37,130 - McCain 36,248.11:22Going back to Senator Obama's line: "I respect his many accomplishments even if he chooses to deny mine." This successfully made Senator McBush appear small and petty. Brilliant.11:23Olbermann is saying that Senator Obama will end the night with a total of 2,219 delegates.11:36Pat Buchanan again trying to make this another election about middle America. Scarborough Country, if you will. Goddamn I'm sick of middle America deciding our elections.11:40That's all for me tonight. This is a profound night for the Democratic Party and for American history. Now we'll need to seriously amp up the campaign against Senator McCain. I've been worried that people aren't up for a battle against McCain (based on web traffic and comments on various sites), so we'll see if everyone in the blogotubes can be as ferocious against Senator McCain as we have against Senator Clinton and President Bush. Honestly, I'm worried that the fire isn't there -- despite Senator McCain's roster of awfulness.Let's fire it up and get ready to go!