A Quick Thought On Results--and the First Ones

It takes a long time for each individual polling place to process through everyone who has gotten in line before the polls close, to check and double-check its numbers on machines, deal with provisional ballots, call in results to both registrars of voters and local parties. Until those crumbs of numbers add up to slices and loaves (man, is this a silly metaphor, but it's what I got), nothing is for sure. Until then, everything, and I mean the Republican strategist telling Norah O'Donnell that Elizabeth Dole is toast (okay, maybe my bread metaphor will work after all!), the exit polls, and all the random things coming out of TV commentators' mouths is speculation, and heresay, and spin.

That said, MSNBC is calling Kentucky (8 EV) for McCain and Vermont (3 EV) for Obama. And we're off.