There is a shining star, a new US Senator by a landslide, this morning. Democrat Barack Obama, who won the Illinois Senate Race by an overwhelming majority, was elected by a large percentage of Republicans and Conservatives, as well as Democrats. There is also a new day. A new day that brings hope, along a reminder that this is America and we can, and should, move on.

Barack Obama said at the Democratic National Convention:
"Yet even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America—there’s the United States of America. There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation; the belief in things not seen; the belief that there are better days ahead. I believe we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity. I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair. I believe that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us. America!"

Yes, we have a new President who is the same President, but, that doesn't change the face of the nation overnight. There is no change. Everything is as it was.

Our goals, hopes and dreams haven't changed. We are still at a crossroads. We still have choices, challenges and a belief that there are better days ahead - and a chance to make a difference.

My co-workers at our lunch Toastmasters meeting literally looked like somebody had just shot their dog. My heart went out to them. I've been there more times than anybody. I had to keep my W hat in the closet and offer perspective and solace to the inconsolable. Thing is, I know if Kerry had won today than nobody would be consoling me. Been there! Had my nose rubbed in it!

But at home, it's time to PARTY!!!! I passed a big portrait of the W and gave him a huge thumbs up. I came home to email unveiling the W - STILL the President line of items. I think I'll get another hat!

With malice towards none and charity towards all, I just have to sing!

W's Still The One
We've been together since 2000
Sometimes I thought the world would end.
But I want you to know, after 4 tough years
W's still the one who quiets my fears

W's still the one that makes me laugh
W's still the one and Laura's his better half
America stands strong, and W's still the one

W's still the one who keeps us strong
W's still the one I want to follow along
America stands strong and W's still the one

W's still the one with the common touch
W's still the one and I can't get enough
America stands strong, and W's still the one

W's still the one they couldn't ditch
W's still the one and I wouldn't switch
America stands strong, and W's still the one

W's still the one that makes me shout
W's still the one giving me things to dream about
America stands strong and W's still the one.

Ten Reasons Bush Won

1. Terrorism, Terrorism, Terrorism. We were attacked on Sept. 11 and he responded boldly and crushed Al Qaida. We have not been attacked since. We remain vigilant and know it could happen again, that the war on terror must remain the top priority. America best trusts Bush to do that.

2. Hate Isn't Enough. The Bush-haters thought it should be self-evident that Bush is a bad and stupid person and that anybody else is better. But they are a minority of the Democratic Party and the nation. They live in bubbles and only talk to other Bush-haters. They don't speak the same language as the rest of the country. When folks like me have the chance to hear President Bush or see him live, we see through this to the good, charming and intelligent person he is. Meanwhile, John Kerry reportedly lacks the same charisma.

3. Red State America Can't Be Ignored. The Democrats wrote off entire sections of the country, such as the South. They didn't address their issues. They don't speak their language. President Bush does both. The sportsman voting bloc is the fear of everyone in Congress, yet the Dems don't understand them and don't want to.

4. The Moral Majority. Republicans targeted church-goers in their "ground war" to get out the vote. Church-goers overwhelmingly voted for Bush. Marriage amendments on the ballots in 11 states helped with turnout.

5. Betrayal is Worse Than Shirking. I've listened to several rants by otherwise staid veterans who never before discussed politics with me. They remember Kerry's testimony to Congress on Vietnam war crimes. It was a betrayal of loyalty to his fellow servicemen during a war. They will never forgive him for that. In contrast, not showing up for Guard duty is something they understand and shrug off.

6. The Mainstream Media Shows It's True Colors. CBS got caught with the forged documents. Reporters were exposed everywhere for their Democratic and anti-Bush sympathies. It all showed through into news stories. Red State America and those who saw the bias began to believe that only Fox News truly was "fair and balanced" compared to the bubble-boys on the networks. Left wing bloggers were the original darlings, but strong conservative bloggers emerged swiftly as well.

7. Overkill on the Iraq War. The anti-war side of the Democratic Party thought the war was a key issue. It is, but Kerry painted it as such a quagmire that the electorate had to think that a guy who flip-flopped on the war would probably be an even worse Commander-in-Chief than Bush. The two thirds of America who believed it was the right war at the right place at the right time didn't like being told they were wrong.

8. The Economy is Better Than Expected. Real economic recovery is underway. Many of us have long enough memories to know that Bush didn't create the recession, he inherited it and 9/11 deepened it.

9. Class War Conflicts with the American Dream. Kerry's constant harping on those evil no-good tax cut hoarders who make over $200,000 a year doesn't resonate well with the vast middle class who hopes to achieve that level of income. That's what we remember from the Clinton years, our friends who hit it big on stocks and options.

10. Trusting Youth and Celebrities. There never has been an election swayed by the youth vote. It's OK to give it a try, but never rely on it. Instead, we saw the senior vote being increasingly important. Having a passel of Hollywood celebrities campaign for you may seem cool, but it distances you even further from talking to the people about issues they care about. Instead, you are talking about the issues Hollywood cares about. You can't win an election by never stepping out of the bubble of NYC, DC, or Hollywood. People figure out that you aren't one of the people, you're one of those plastic people who would snub them in person. Meanwhile, we all know George would join us for a beer (make his non-alcoholic.)

Throughout this campaign I was not always hopeful or optimistic. Towards the end, I started to believe... To believe the positive folks who said this was a watershed year, said that there would be a ground swell of support for John Kerry. Because of what happened in 2000, because of the war, because of the economy, because of jobs, because of more issues than I can count, where things weren't going the right way - the American way.

Because of all those issues, and then some, they said, the vote would get out and get out big. The "cell phone only" young people, the old folks, those who were disenfranchised last time around, those who had enough of death and dying and war for no good reason, those who cared, cared very deeply about this country and wanted a change for the better. They would come out, they said, and vote, and we would get this country back where it belonged. We would get back on the right track with John Kerry at the helm.

Towards the end, then, I believed. As a friend said, we needed to keep a positive vibe going so this would happen. Really happen.

That's what usually pessimistic me gets for being an optimist, for a change. We were wrong. The voters of this country have decided that George Bush should be the next President. So be it. I wish him well, I wish all of us well, and most of all, I wish us peace. I'm hoping for a better tomorrow and hoping that I'll stop feeling scared about what the next four years will bring.

I'll leave you on a brighter note. My husband, who, unlike me, is the eternal optimist, is already talking about Hillary 2008...

11 am ET: Senator John Kerry has called President Bush to concede the race. My hat is off to the Senator. I wish him and Senator John Edwards, and their families, success, health, and happiness.

Wall Street is happy.

President Bush will make a speech at 3 pm ET.

I'm not used to having voted for the winner. But now I am 2 for 7, so I'll have to stop talking about the Curse of Wendy. Looks like the Weekly Reader kids' poll has maintained its spotless record, while the Redskins' Curse of the Incumbent is broken.

Overheard at KE04 HQ, sad singing:
"Say it isn't true....
We didn't turn the Red States,
didn't turn the Red States,
didn't turn the Red States Blue....
We kept some secrets, we told some lies
We gave no reasons, we gave alibis
Don't believe exit pollsters, they just make you cry
We threatened lawsuits, it was all worth a try.
Security moms and Nascar dads
voted for Bush, thought he wasn't so bad.
Say, should we sue?
We didn't turn the Red States,
didn't turn the Red States,
didn't turn the Red States Blue...."

I am happy to await the final counts. First, I am mathematically reassured that President Bush wins in the final count. I would even wager that if every provisional ballot in Ohio was counted, he would win. I won't be sitting on tenterhooks, the only stress will be on increasingly despondent Kerry supporters. Best email spam of the morning: "With 4 more years of Bush coming you need some prozac. Get it here. Trust me, it'll make you feel better."

Second, it removes a grounds for another four year grudge by sore losers. I don't think it will shut up my friend Frank - he is given to conspiracy theories. But rational Kerry supporters will concede defeat and begin to work for Hillary in 2008.

The Popular Vote: Frank and others have been bloviating for four years over the 500,000 vote margin for Gore in the 2000 popular vote. I hope those same people respect the 3.5 million (and counting) margin for George W. Bush this year.

The Democrats Had it Their Way: They got high numbers of new registrations and record turnout. They still lost the popular vote, and it was never close all night long. Why? The Republicans used grassroots tactics to mobilize their base. Huge phonebanks. Lots of direct mail. They didn't rely on Bruce Springsteen and Michael Moore to carry their water. Celebrity didn't win it. The people won it.

Exit Polls Lose: Exit polls were off by as much as 10% Why? High numbers of absentee ballots and early voting obviously broke for President Bush, increasing the error in election day exit polls. Newscasters are despondent.

A Bipartisan Joy: Newly minted Senator Barack Obama giving interviews. I just love this guy. Please, Senate, don't corrupt him.

Sad News for Marriage Freedom: Unfortunately, the Marriage Amendments passed in 10 states. As a libertarian, I just don't understand marriage laws more restrictive than the age of consent.

The Kids Weren't Scared Into Voting: The youth vote percentage was the same as in 2000, although numbers were higher in keeping with the overall higher turnout. Kerry's shameful rumormongering about the draft did not change the outcome. While the youth vote broke for Kerry, still many youths vote the same as their parents. There are plenty of Red State youth. In attending Republican rallies and the phonebank, I can attest that there was always a very high number of teens and twenty-somethings in enthusiastic attendance.

Seniors Swung for Bush: CBS News exit polls showed that seniors swayed their states for President Bush. Their top issues were moral values and terrorism. Kerry tried to make inroads on health care and scaring them about Social Security, but that failed. George W. Bush had already provided them with a Medicare drug benefit he promised in 2000. I plan to hold George to his promise to reform Social Security for me and future generations, while maintaining benefits to current retirees.

The W Hat: I am most happy that I can continue to wear my W: The President hat. I love my first initial.

I'm not sure whose wise words I like better at the moment - Wendy's quotes from Abraham Lincoln's inaugural speeches, which are, indeed, very wise words that we should heed well, or "We ain't got us a new president yet." from my elderly neighbor. I'm not sure which candidate got his vote. We walk our dogs together every morning, but, we don't talk politics.

He's right though. We don't have a new president yet. Though I'm presuming that we will in the near future. John Kerry and John Edwards are keeping the promise they made to the "...American people that with this election, every vote would count and every vote would be counted." I'm hoping that every one who wanted to vote, got to, given the six to seven hour wait at some hour polling places in Ohio, so, their vote could be counted.

Blogged in marble on the Lincoln Memorial, "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." First Inaugural, A.L.

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." Second Inaugural, A.L.

Welcome to my semi-liveblog for Election Day. All times are Pacific Time.

10:50: I think it's over enough to go to bed.

10:32: Kerry's gal Mary Beth Cahill is claiming they can still eak out a victory in Ohio. But math suggests they'd have to get over 90% of the as-yet-uncounted ballots to do so. In how many precincts could they hope to have that margin?

10:30 pm: Bush is up a full percentage point now in Iowa. New Mexico is looking good. The lead is maintaining in Ohio. Can I truly hope that this will all be over by morning?

10:10: Bush leads by 17 votes in Iowa. Yep, 17. Now, THAT'S CLOSE. He's been trailing there for a long time, so this is a real positive. Whoops, in the seconds it took to post that, Bush is ahead 1500+

10:00: NBC calls Ohio and Alaska for George W. Bush. That means re-election. Or, for the diehards, election after his prior selection. And for the die harders - he's been winning the popular vote nationwide all night, too.

9:42: Fox just calls Ohio for Bush. That means, barring a stunning upset in Alaska, George W. Bush gets four more years. I'm still really happy with the C-SPAN map - easy to read the continuing totals. Brit Hume should be happy that New Hampshire, formerly red, has gone blue.

9:30: Brit Hume looks so depressed every time he says that no red state has gone blue or blue state has gone red. Guess what, Brit? Bush has been ahead in the popular vote continuously, too. If Kerry manages to pull an of an electoral win, I want to see all of those Democrats still pouting about 2000 eat their shorts.

8:53: CBS calls Florida for Bush. With 97% counted and a lead maintained for hours, this is looking very good for the President.

8:40: Kos reports that the MSNBC exit polls show that the youth vote failed to materialize. "The 18-29 bracket voted the same this year as in 2000, while 30-44 group was down." But they mean percentage-wise. The overall turnout is very high, showing that all age groups participated. But if you double the youth vote while mobilizing everybody else double, there is no net gain for youth.

8:30: Local political science professor Russ Dondero says on the Oregonian blog about the nationwide results: "the high turnout didn't end up favoring Kerry, but instead magnified the classic urban/rural split, with Kerry getting the majority of urban votes and Bush getting the rural votes." Read more...

Most of us are on pins and needles waiting for election results. For those who, like me, can't help themselves and need to check for updates every minute or two, here are some good places to start looking for election results.

Electoral-Vote.com, which has been one of my favorite places to check throughout the campaign, is going to be updated throughout the night. It will be a good place to check the outcome from an electoral vote perspective, which is the perspective that counts. While you're there take a moment or two to read why Andrew Tanebaum took the time to create this site. It's a powerful read.

The Daily Kos is providing results, including exit polls, as they come in. So, put it on your "keep checking" list of sites as well. Slate has also posted exit poll information.

All the major networks and cable television stations, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, MTV and BET will carry live prime time election coverage on Tuesday evening. However, in order to prevent a fiasco like 2000 when Al Gore was declared the winner in Florida, then declared the loser, giving Florida and the win to George Bush, everyone will be really cautious about calling this election one way, or the other.

The polls are opening. I started here as the Undecided Voter. Why did I decide to vote for George W. Bush?

On Sept. 11, 2001 I had the exact same reaction as Mayor Rudy Giuliani, "Thank God George Bush is our President," is what he told Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik. Most of the country did, even reportedly Al Gore. I had the same reaction when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, although I had voted for Dukakis - thank God George Bush is our President.

We need a president who does not go into "paralysis by analysis," as my beloved Jimmy Carter did. George W. Bush went into Afghanistan, cleared out Al Qaida and chopped the head from the beast. Today, the women of Afghanistan vote in free elections and Osama bin Laden is reduced to quoting Michael Moore and begging the red states to vote blue or he'll taunt us again.

Unfortunately, many from either side who have profiled John Kerry show he has a lifetime record of failing to take decisive, actionable stands on issues. Democrat-friendly writer after writer say his friends and staff members know he has great difficulty in forming and holding a decisive positions.

In peacetime, that would mean simply an ineffectual presidency where Congress rules the government (good news for the Republicans!) In time of war and terror, this is a grave deficiency in the Commander in Chief. My peacenik heart quailed in fear when Bush went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, but I believe that history will prove those the correct actions.

Without a strong president unafraid to take bold action, we leave the world without a superpower. The US could have just "turtled" after 9/11, closed our borders, thrown up the barbed wire, and told the rest of the world to fend for themselves. But that would have been wrong, and Al Qaida would have had free reign. With George W. Bush, that did not happen. With John Kerry beholden to the peace wing of his voting bloc, it is a strong possibility he would make that choice.

Whatever philosophy or faith you hold, please pray or meditate today for the wisdom of the electorate.