On Election night, I appeared on FOX 5 News (WTTG) TV and myfoxdc.com with weekend anchor Will Thomas as part of their LIVE Election Night coverage from 8 PM to 12 Midnight.

I also live blogged here on CapitalGig and via Twitter (@almacy). Here’s how it all unfolded…

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2008

6:34 PM CapitalGig: Freedom Isn’t Free, but Coffee and Donuts Are http://tinyurl.com/5czf3e

6:45 PM Heading down to FOX 5 studios here in Washington, DC to participate in their election coverage tonight from 8 PM to 12 Midnight.

6:52 PM Virginia polls officially close in 8 minutes. Maryland and DC close at 8 PM ET.

7:08 PM Former Virginia governor Mark Warner (D) has defeated Jim Gilmore (R) in the Virginia Senate race, AP reports.

7:12 PM Twitter via @almacy: http://twitpic.com/k1mj – The votes are in and the winner is… Duck!

7:22 PM Dark, rainy night in DC. GW Parkway is slick, traffic steady through Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

7:38 PM Duck wins Presidency in local Virginia school kindergarten landslide. http://twitpic.com/k1mj Check out Duck for President, a kids classic!

8:03 PM Sen. Susan Collins (R) has defeated Rep. Tom Allen (D) in the Maine Senate race, AP reports.

8:08 PM CNN projects Obama wins New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut; McCain takes South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee.

8:18 PM Just arrived at FOX 5 studios in DC. Pulling into parking lot now.

8:32 PM First LIVE interview on myfoxdc.com webcast. http://tinyurl.com/6mslxm

8:42 PM Barack Obama has won New Hampshire, AP reports.

8:44 PM CNN projects that Barack Obama wins Pennsylvania. Wow, not super surprising but that’s huge.

8:44 PM Kay Hagan (D) has unseated Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) in North Carolina, AP reports.

8:57 PM First LIVE TV hit on FOX 5. http://www.myfoxdc.com/

9:00 PM Former governor Jeanne Shaheen (D) has defeated Sen. John Sununu (R) in the New Hampshire Senate race, AP reports.

9:10 PM CNN projects McCain wins North Dakota and Wyoming, Obama wins New York, Michigan and Minnesota.

9:17 PM Rep. Tom Udall (D) has defeated Rep. Steve Pearce (R) in the New Mexico Senate race, AP reports.

9:22 PM Twitter via @almacy: Alternating between FOX5 TV and web. LIVE feed here: http://tinyurl.com/fox5web

9:34 PM Twitter via @almacy: FOX just called Pennsylvania and Ohio for Obama.

9:36 PM U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) has defeated Bruce Lunsford (D) in Kentucky, AP reports.

9:36 PM CNN projects Barack Obama the winner of battleground state of Ohio. Path is getting easier for Obama.

9:54 PM Twitter via @almacy: @kholmgren Thanks, Kurt. We are also live streaming: http://tinyurl.com/fox5web

9:57 PM Jim Himes (D) has defeated Rep. Chris Shays (R) in Connecticut’s Fourth District, AP reports.

9:58 PM Twitter via @almacy: @dcconcierge Yup, @epolitics and I are two cubes away. Fun times, hot lights! Colin will be up shortly.

10:03 PM Barack Obama has won Iowa, AP reports.

10:04 PM Twitter via @almacy: @willthomas interviewing Heather Smith, Exec Dir of Rock the Vote. #foxdc http://tinyurl.com/fox5web

10:09 PM John McCain has won West Virginia, AP reports.

10:13 PM Tom Rooney (R) has defeated Rep. Tim Mahoney (D) in Florida’s 16th District, AP reports.

10:14 PM Twitter via @almacy: @epolitics Hey, just saw you and some prairie dog on FOX 5 LIVE web stream http://tinyurl.com/fox5web

10:33 PM Rep. John Murtha (D) has defeated Bill Russell (R) in Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district, AP reports.

10:34 PM Twitter via @almacy: Next FOX 5 TV hit with @willthomas is slated for 10:44 PM. @epolitics Colin Delany and I ready to go. #foxdc

10:39 PM Barack Obama has won New Mexico, AP reports.

10:42 PM Twitter via @almacy: Getting set to go LIVE on Fox5 TV. http://tinyurl.com/fox5web

10:47 PM Twitter via @almacy: a slew of states about to be called at 11AM. Race ready to be called for Obama as 44th President of the US.

10:49 PM Twitter via @almacy: Looks like Sen. Hillary Clinton will be boxed out from the White House for the next four to eight years.

10:51 PM Barack Obama has won Virginia, AP reports.

10:54 PM Twitter via @almacy: @acedtect RT: We can now project Will.I.Am as President of Holograms.

10:57 PM Rep. Mark Udall (D) has defeated former Rep. Bob Schaffer (R) in the Colorado Senate race, AP reports.

11:00 PM Barack Obama has won Florida, AP reports.

11:00 PM Twitter via @almacy: @FoxNews is now officially projecting Sen. Obama as the next President of the U.S.

11:01 PM Barack Obama will be the 44th president of the United States of America, AP reports. CNN also projects that Sen. Barack Obama has won election as the next president of the United States.

11:04 PM Twitter via @almacy: Obama is leaving Hyatt around 11:35 PM and is expected to speak at 12 AM. McCain to speak shortly.

11:06 PM Twitter via @almacy: Campaign official says that McCain called Obama to concede.

11:09 PM Beverly Perdue (D) has defeated Pat McCrory (R) and will become North Carolina’s first female governor, AP reports.

11:13 PM Twitter via @almacy: How ironic that this my 1600th tweet on the night that we elect a new US President – as in Pennsylvania Ave. Congrats, Sen. Obama.

11:18 PM Twitter via @almacy: Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin taking the stage.

11:22 PM Twitter via @almacy: Sen. McCain officially concedes, congratulates Sen. Obama on winning an historic election.

11:24 PM Politico: John McCain concedes, says “this is an historic election… I pledge to [Obama] tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.” CNN: John McCain congratulates Barack Obama on his “historic” election as president of “the greatest nation on Earth.”

11:32 PM Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) has defeated John Kennedy (R) in the Louisiana Senate race, AP reports.

11:33 PM Sen. Roger Wicker (R) has defeated former governor Ronnie Musgrove (D) in the Mississippi Senate race, AP reports.

11:47 AM Twitter via @almacy: Top Twitter themes: President OBAMA, President-Elect, United States, Congratulations http://election.twitter.com/

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008

12:00 AM President-elect Barack Obama expected to speak in Chicago.

12:01 AM Twitter via @almacy: Obama takes the stage in Chicago. Quite an impressive scene.

12:02 AM Barack Obama declares victory, says, “If there is anyone out there who still… questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”

12:08 AM Twitter via @almacy: Just flipped through channels, Obama speech being aired on 21 of them. M*A*S*H, Frazier & Tyra fans rest assured, programming uninterrupted.

12:13 AM Barack Obama, in victory speech, tells supporters that his election as president shows that “change has come to America.”

12:16 AM Kathy Dahlkemper (D) has defeated Phil English (R) in Pennsylvania’s Third District, AP reports.

12:22 AM Twitter via @almacy: http://twitpic.com/k49i – @willthomas on the set at Fox5 in Wash, DC on Election Night 2008. #foxdc

12:26 AM Twitter via @almacy: @FoxNews Shepard Smith, “If you’re conservative and angry, get over yourself. We gotta move past this.” FOX 5 newsroom erupts w/ laughter.

12:32 AM “Good job, people!” overheard in FOX 5 Newsroom, received by thunderous applause. That’s a wrap!

12:34 AM Twitter via @almacy: All wrapped here at FOX 5. Thanks @willthomas and myfoxdc.com crew. #foxdc Headed home.

Related

Election 2008 Memento: Live at Fox 5 (Colin Delany, e.politics)

Election Night: E.Politics is Live on Fox5 (Colin Delany, e.politics)

Here we are on the night before Campaign 2008 officially comes to a close. I have listened to the pundits, read the blogs, checked in with Twitter and reviewed all the polls. It indeed seems that all signs point to an Obama victory.

Or do they? There are some less traditional ways to predict Presidential elections, as well. Let’s take a look at a couple, as well as some ideas for what to do after you vote.

Unofficial Virginia Yard Sign Poll
Speaking of signs, I was driving in to work after dropping off my daughter at school last week and noticed that there were quite a few yard signs in my Alexandria, Virginia neighborhood. So, just for kicks, I decided to actually count them today.

Some yards had more than one sign. Others had signs that were torn (likely vandalized) and patched up with tape. Still others were missing. A wire frame was all that was left of a McCain-Palin sign that I saw in a neighbor’s frontyard on Halloween. According to him, that was the second sign he had placed there because the first had been stolen last week.

Whatever the case, the final tally according to my count was Obama-Biden 21, McCain-Palin 20. Margin of error is +/- 3 since my 5 year-old assisted with the counting and we may have missed some.

Washington Redskins at Home
Gotta love Monday Night Football, especially on Election Eve. There was much discussion about how the outcome of tonight’s game might compare with tomorrow’s election results. CBS News reported it this way:

If the Washington Redskins win their last home game before election, it means the incumbent party will get to stay in the White House. Since 1936, except for 2004, the outcome of that game has correctly predicted the winner of the race.

Well, as you can see from the graphic above, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Skins soundly by a score of 23 to 6. More good news for Senator Obama – and my Fantasy Football team which improved to 5-4 thanks to a decent performance from Washington’s defense.

Scholastic Presidential Election Poll
In mid-October, 250,000 students from grades 1-12 voted in a nationwide mock election both via paper ballots and online. Senator Obama defeated Senator McCain 57 percent to 39 percent. Yeah, but what are the odds that they are right? From the article:

Since 1940, the results of the student vote have mirrored the outcome of the general election all but twice: In 1948, kids voted for Thomas E. Dewey over Harry S. Truman. In 1960, more students voted for Richard M. Nixon than for John F. Kennedy. In 2000, a majority of student voters chose George W. Bush, mirroring the Electoral College result, but not the result of the popular vote.

7-Election
7-11 convenience stores used their coffee sales this year to help gauge the pulse (most likely rapid given the caffeine rush) of the American voter.

Customers chose different color coffee cups, RED for McCain, BLUE for Obama. The national result is currently sitting at 60% for Obama and 40% for McCain. Similarly, 61% in my swing state of Virginia chose Obama and McCain received 39% of the beans.

Free Coffee and Donuts After You Vote
Growing up, I was never much of a coffee drinker, except for the occasional all nighters studying for college mid-terms and finals. Then, a few years later, along came Starbucks and I was hooked. This year, those who vote get a free cup of Starbucks coffee on November 4th. Their ad originally aired during this past weekend’s Saturday Night Live and if 262,000 views are any indication, there will be long lines at the voting booth and your local coffee shop.

When your caffeine buzz and sugar rush wear off, you might want to check out these “Election Day Freebies and Discounts.”

See you at the polls!

One week to go until Election Day! After almost two long years of campaigning, we are finally in the home stretch and these days everyone is a political pundit and prognosticator. If you believe the latest polls, we will all be heading to bed early on November 4th with an Obama-Biden landslide victory while McCain-Palin and the GOP receive another “thumpin’” akin to the 2006 midterm election.

What do you think? Want to play pollster? A friend of mine sent a link to PredictNovember.com via Facebook which gives users an opportunity to predict the outcome via their own electoral map. Will swing states like Virginia, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida go RED or BLUE? You make the call!

The debates seem like a distant memory. Not sure they helped either candidate, but in my view the real winners were Joe the Plumber (aka Joe Wurzelbacher) and Twitter. In fact, Joe is still making news and is eviently considering launching a Congressional bid of his own vs. Democrat Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur for Ohio’s 9th District U.S. House seat.

In the veep race, Sen. Biden’s warning to “Gird your loins” in preparation for a major international crisis under an untested President Obama raised the ire of political opponents. At the same time, SNL’s Tina Fey had a little fun with Gov. Palin in a doppelganger appearance that seemed to entertain, but didn’t have the desired affect on moving the poll numbers. The Amy Poehler Palin rap was also one that will surely land in the SNL political skit Hall of Fame.

The MSM continues to pile on Palin regarding the RNC’s $150,000 clothing spree for her and her family, failing to mention that she will return or donate them post-election. News also broke recently about McCain campaign insiders who have been calling her a “diva” and a “whack job.” Sheesh!

Sen. McCain is attempting to hammer home the idea that Obama would govern like a socialist by spreading the wealth around, and potentially use the Supreme Court to redistribute it. Today, during a campaign event at Widener University (my alma mater) in Chester, Pa., Sen. Obama hit back saying that spreading the wealth is not socialism, but rather opportunity which is as “American as apple pie.” He continued with his Bush third term narrative and his tired “eight years of failed Bush policies” line. However, I have always believed that politics is more about the future rather than the past. Obama has purchased 30 minutes of television in primetime tomorrow night where he will get one last chance to appear before a national audience to make his case.

Meanwhile, early voting is experiencing huge numbers in 31 states across the country. Some people in North Carolina, Indiana and Florida have been standing in four to five hour lines to cast their vote and some polls are narrowing.

Also, in the waning days, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the “Digital Road to the White House.” Here’s a video that I pulled together for an event that Waggener Edstrom co-hosted with Politico.com at the National Press Club over a year ago.

Last night, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain participated in a forum on volunteerism and public service in conjuction with the ServiceNation summit at Columbia University in New York. Clearly, given McCain’s military service and Obama’s background as a community organizer, it should be no surprise to anyone that both presidential candidates were in agreement on the importance community service.

Yesterday was also the seventh anniversary of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks that forever changed the lives of so many Americans. Earlier in the day, the two presidential candidates visited Ground Zero along with New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. McCain’s wife, Cindy. It was entirely appropriate and refreshing that both campaigns put politics aside in a brief moment of unity to pay their respects and honor the fallen.

President Bush observed a moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House, then participated in the dedication ceremony of the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. In a taped message this week (below), President Bush took the opportunity to reflect upon America’s strength, courage and grace in the wake of the attacks. He discussed the intent behind the creation of USA Freedom Corps: to connect Americans with opportunities to serve our country and to foster a culture of citizenship, responsibility and service.

I was actually in New York briefly myself yesterday. On my way back home from business travel in Seattle, I had a couple hours layover at JFK Airport before arriving at Dulles late last night. Honestly, I was a little nervous a couple weeks back when making travel plans and I realized that I would be flying from the west coast back east on 9/11.

In many ways, it felt like any other typical travel day. I got up, packed, checked out of my hotel and headed off to SEA-TAC. I shuffled through both the check-in counter and security line like an old pro, hunted down the closest Starbucks and made my way to the gate. Since I flew on JetBlue, I was able to watch some of the 9/11 coverage including some History Channel programming via my in-flight television – but the world still churned along and people continued to go about their business as usual.

I was in Washington, DC on 9/11/01 and will never forget the panic, fear and gravity of emotions I felt after the tragic events we all witnessed on that horrific day. Seven years later, it’s still difficult for me to comprehend the meaning of it all. Although I was quite pensive yesterday, it wasn’t until I boarded my plane in New York (JFK) en route to Dulles (IAD) that it truly hit me.

Just after we took off, I looked out my plane window and in the distance, I could see the twin World Trade Center spotlights shining from where the towers once stood. As I stared at the lights that brightly pierced the darkness and boldly beamed into the night sky, a profound sense of both sadness and hope came over me.

Although some wounds will never fully heal, our great nation has come a long way since that fateful day and we got through it … together.

As President Bush said:

The terrorists who attacked America on 9/11 underestimated our character. Evil may crush concrete and twist steel, but it can never break the spirit of the American people.

Indeed, setting politics aside to focus on service to country was a perfect way to commemorate the true essence of what it means to be an American and to remember the heroes who served, fought and died to defend and protect it. Never forget!