US Election - McCain vs Obama

[WestCoastJoe]

Tally as of 5:50 pm PST ...

Obama 102 McCain 34

Looking good for Obama so far.

270 Electoral College votes needed to win.
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updated at 6:00 pm

Obama 174 McCain 49
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[crburrows]

Also, watch the Senate.

If the Democrats get to 60, they can invoke "cloture" to stop any filibusters.

They're at 52, now.

The Democrats were the key movers behind trying to put tarrifs on softwood lumber, so this could be a worry for us.

[WestCoastJoe]

6:36 pm update

Obama 194 McCain 69

Obama just won Ohio.

That will pretty much seal the overall victory for Obama. No Republican (except Abraham Lincoln) has ever won the White House without winning the state of Ohio.

These are CNN projections, but they have learned to be rather accurate with them.
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As Don Meredith used to sing on Monday Night Football: "Turn out the lights, the party's over ... "

[MacNews]

It is fascinating how close the vote spread always is:

Obama: 21,914,412 (50%)

McCain: 21,300,560 (49%)

And how that translates to Electoral College votes:

Obama: 199

McCain: 78

[prairielion]

Really too bad to see how things have played out. I hope that the Americans are happy with who they have elected. Really makes Mr. Harper look very good now.

[Jason Jiménez]

Really too bad to see how things have played out. I hope that the Americans are happy with who they have elected. Really makes Mr. Harper look very good now.

Yes, I'm quite happy with our selection in POTUS, thank you very much. Obama makes Harper look good now? Explain please.

[bclions16]

Well, I didn't want Obama to win, he being of the far left of the Democratic party; he's no centrist like Bill Clinton. But a change is needed. Hope is a very good thing, and something needed here in the US today.
God bless President-Elect Obama.

[WestCoastJoe]

For my part, and many other Canadians, I am very happy to see the election of Barack Obama. He is a self-made man, understands the issues, is moderate and has prepared and worked all his adult life in service to the community.

I hope and expect he will be an exceptional President.

[TheLionKing]

Never could figure out this electoral college thing. I prefer the 50% + 1

[Tighthead]

McCain would have been a good choice in 2000. I tend to be right of centre, but I'm pleased to see Obama elected, particularly in view of McCain's age/health and choice of VP.

[bclions16]

Never could figure out this electoral college thing. I prefer the 50% + 1

Not much different than how in Canada the party with the most seats wins, regardless of pop vote. EC votes are given to states for each house seat (based on pop. like a CDN riding) and each senate seat (2 for each state). So it balances regional representation with the national vote, but the national vote.

[bclions16]

McCain would have been a good choice in 2000. I tend to be right of centre, but I'm pleased to see Obama elected, particularly in view of McCain's age/health and choice of VP.

I'm a right of centre guy too, and yes I wish McCain was elected 8 years ago. I think even Democrats can agree he would have been a much better choice than W. Bush.

[MacNews]

Well, I didn't want Obama to win, he being of the far left of the Democratic party; he's no centrist like Bill Clinton. But a change is needed. Hope is a very good thing, and something needed here in the US today.
God bless President-Elect Obama.

It allows the GOP to re-build, something that is needed. I just hope Obama does not become too symptathetic to the protectionist elements of the Democratic party.

[CatsEyes]

So being somewhat of a political naif insofar as US politics goes, how does this bode for Canada? I asked this question of others, and I'm curious as to what those here think. For example, how will this affect trade, NAFTA, and the auto industry for starters?

[bclions16]

So being somewhat of a political naif insofar as US politics goes, how does this bode for Canada? I asked this question of others, and I'm curious as to what those here think. For example, how will this affect trade, NAFTA, and the auto industry for starters?

Obama is a left leaning Democrat populist. So he's going to have to please unions and "working" people. So when there is a battle vs Canada for jobs, he's not going to give it up. So in the big picture a good US economy is good for Canada, but he might be a tougher fight for things such as manufacturing jobs or a softwood lumber type situation.