Yes we can!

I’m not really sure how to explain how I’m feeling right now. So many positive and negative emotions that have been built up over the past 8 years just exploded last night. Obama’s win is personal to me because I’ve been there from the beginning. In 2004 I told my friends that this man would be president. I supported him from day one when he announced his campaign. I’ve spent almost two years following the news day after day worrying about poll numbers. I’ve gone through all the ups and downs of the primary campaign and the Hillary drama and the McCain sleaze tactics. I donated a couple hundred bucks, convinced my family members (well, most of them) to get out and vote for the first time in years. The small amount of things I did pale in comparison to the actual campaign workers who flooded states, registered voters, knocked on doors, and got out the vote. But I still feel like I contributed to history. Conservatives will cringe but I really believe in the guy. I honestly think he can better our country. Whether he does or not is a debate for another day. We’ll find out when he gets into office, but right now I’m just incredibly proud, happy, amazed, you name it.

It’s a feeling that I’m sure Republicans had in ’80 when Reagan won. Or even in ’04 when Bush won. It’s the feeling that comes along with the sense that you’ve accomplished something. You’ve achieved what you set out to do. You’ve won. It’s amplified for many Democrats because of the utter disappointments of the 2000 and 2004 elections. It’s just an amazing feeling right now.

Time will tell whether or not President Obama (!) lives up to the hope he’s given to so many people in this country. And there will be a time for criticism. But for now, on a personal level, I’m going to spend as much time as possible enjoying the afterglow.

I guess this means I get to be “anti-establishment” now

But hey, I’m an optimist.

Well, we’re officially 1 day out from the 2008 presidential election. Barring Barack murdering somebody on live television tomorrow, I think it’s safe to come out with final predictions.

Gallup was buzzing today because of these final numbers. I can tell you that the reaction was one of amazement and fear. Amazement that Barack Obama got that sort of number and fear that it can’t possibly be right, can it? Maybe it’s because the last 2 presidential elections have been so close, but getting a double-digit result in the final poll causes even the best pollsters to lose sleep at night. If the poll is right, you get the glory. If it’s wrong, it’ll be a massive embarrasment. Consider this for a moment, John McCain hasn’t led in any single poll since September. Go ahead. Scroll down the list. That’s just mind blowing. Conservative pollsters, liberal pollsters, and independent pollsters all have shown the exact same thing: an Obama win. So if John McCain does indeed pull off a victory on Tuesday night, it will mean that the entire polling industry was wrong. Everybody. And not only was everybody wrong, but they’ve been wrong for the past 2 months. Think about it, there hasn’t even been an outlier that has shown John McCain in front. In other words, if McCain wins, the entire polling industry is going to be thrown into upheaval and there will be a lot of soul searching due to the tattered perceptions of the public (and really, who would ever trust a poll again?)

Which leads me to my predictions. Do I think that Obama is going to win the popular vote? Yes. I don’t think there is any doubt about that. Even in McCain holds all of the “red states” his margin of victory won’t be much and Obama will run up the score in California, Illinois, and New York. Now, do I think he’ll win by double digits? No. For some reason I just can’t believe that is actually going to happen. I see a 3 or 4 point popular vote victory. I’d love to believe the final Gallup poll, and I hope it comes to pass, but it says an awful lot when Gallup people are sort of in disbelief at their own results. They think he’ll win, but 11 points? To put that in perspective, George Bush beat John Kerry by 2%…and won by 3 million votes. An 11 point victory would give Obama a Reagan sized victory. Again, maybe it’ll happen, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

As for the individual states, I think McCain will narrowly win Ohio and Florida. Obama will win Pennsylvania. I’m suspicious of Virgina. I know every poll shows Obama winning, but something doesn’t feel right to me. I’m going to predict a McCain win in Virginia. I think Obama will win it in the west, taking Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. I don’t believe he’s actually close in Montana or North Dakota as those will go to McCain. Georgia is going to McCain. My potential election night surprise is North Carolina. African-American turnout in that state is unreal so far. How great would it be to have a southern state go for the first black candidate?

In the end, I’m predicting a much closer race than everyone else: Obama 273 McCain 265 with a clear popular vote victory for Barack.

So who ya got? Post your predictions.

Also, Just a note for everyone, we will be having a very special Dead Politics Election Night Special. I know that Deejay and I will be there and hopefully a couple of the other Splattercasters as well. We’re going to be using blog talk radio so everyone can call in with their thoughts on the results! You can listen to us at 10 p.m. Central Time Tuesday night right here. Celebrate democracy with Dead Lantern.com!

you know, I can understand that somebody in the Obama campaign thought it would be clever to use robots in a campaign ad with Halloween coming up, but Gort?

There is a twisted irony in the Obama campaign using the image of one of the most beloved science fiction robots ever (probably #2 right after Robby) as the vehicle for anti-Obama robocalls. The Day the Earth Stood Still is considered by many to be the liberal science fiction masterpiece in film and some yahoo in Chicago is using it in a stupid context. Stop tainting Gort! I forgive them because they probably had no idea, but sheesh, use the Terminator or something. Or better yet, how ’bout those robot spiders Gene Simmons created to kill Tom Selleck in Runaway.

This has been a public service announcement brought to you by A Work in Podcast, the best science-fiction cast on the net (when we talk about sci-fi, that is)

p.s. How retarded is it to replay the freaking robocall you’re trying to stop as the only audio in the clip you’re trying to use to get the word out? oy….

Noteworthy because Dead Lantern Films heartthrob Jeremy C. spends lots of time in Azeroth. I think he plays a gnome; I’m not sure.

You guys all pumped up for the big Obama infomercial tonight?

Me neither.

I do suppose it’s significant when a campaign has so much extra cash that they can blow millions on a single one-time advertisement. I think Ross Perot did something similar, but I wasn’t really paying attention back then.

Anyway, I’m skipping this one. I’ll pick up the highlights from the news sites later tonight and, of course, I’m eager to hear how many boxes of tissue Mat goes through as he watches it – if he makes it back from the Black Blood screening in time, that is! (genuine best wishes on the screening, by the way)

I’m sure Mat will post some staggeringly profound analysis of the debate later on tonight. In the meantime, you might check out Cracked’s list of 20 ways they could make the debate worth watching.

I myself may skip the debate, as I want to tune in to Mat & Deejay’s new show, A Work In Podcast, debuting at 9:00pm Central. Maybe Deejay will do some real-time debate coverage?

Also: Transvestite voter fraud. It’s surprising how unsurprising I find this.