Values

Here it is, nearly midnight, and it's looking like the whole shebang may be over before long. Florida has been decided. Ohio remains in doubt, but barely. Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan? Too close to call. No one wants to call the national race just yet, but the general discussion has begun the drift from "what's happening" to "what happened." And the word that keeps coming up is "values."

So, what are these "values" of which they speak? What "values" are being deemed to be making the difference on this long election night?

[MSNBC just called Ohio and Alaska for Bush. For the moment, I can't continue writing. I'll revisit this when the dust has settled -- or begins to fly in earnest.]

[Well, the dust has now settled -- and won't fly. Kerry has conceded, the senate races are decided (55-44-1) and now we move on. I'll revisit this post down the road a piece.]

8:45 PM CST

Well, it's now 8:45pm C.S.T. and WSDKAFT.

So, did you figure out the acronym yet?

Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida...

Perhaps the upper Midwest will tell us something we didn't know months ago. Or maybe not.

7:30 PM CST

Here we are, 7:30pm C.S.T. -- and we don't know much.

Positives:

• Virginia too close to call
• North Carolina finally called for Bush -- but it took a while
• Big exit poll numbers for Kerry from the under-30s
• South Carolina Senate seat still up in the air.

Negatives:

• Oklahoma Senate seat -- Coburn is a terrible candidate, but Oklahoma is a tough nut to crack.
• Pennsylvania still too close to call.

And, of course, it all comes down to Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida -- just like we figured months ago.

I've been watching these things since '64 (all right, I wasn't eight yet -- but pretty savvy) and I still find it among the most amazing experiences. Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride.