For all Obama’s professed ability to motivate new voters, it seems that more people turned out for Kerry vs Bush than for McCain vs Obama.
2004 Popular Vote: 121,069,054
Bush 62,040,610 Kerry 59,028,444
2008 Popular Vote: 118,225,016
Obama 62,682,389 McCain 55,543,527
Those figures may be preliminary, but considering the population growth in the past four years and the hype surrounding Obama, it’s interesting what the clear light of November 5th has to say. (For one thing, it’s seems he’s scarcely more popular today than Bush was two years into the Iraq war.)
Related: Short coat tails. Gay marriage bans look to have passed from Florida to California. So much for the end of social conservativism.
More on the numbers here. As commentor Free Thinker points out, considering his “unprecedented half billion dollar war chest, total media subservience, timely stock market panic, celebrity endorsements” (not to mention the massive potential for voter fraud in certain precincts) perhaps the Democrats Chicago machine should be asking themselves what went wrong?
Nov. 6 Update – American University’s Center for the Study of the American Electorate (pdf)

Despite lofty predictions by some academics, pundits, and practitioners that voter turnout would reach levels not seen since the turn of the last century, the percentage of eligible citizens casting ballots in the 2008 presidential election stayed at virtually the same relatively high level as it reached in the polarized election of 2004.

Canada: Suddenly the Conservative Option.

Open Thread as first polls begin to close.
You’re supposed to ignore exit polls, and with good reason, but these are entertaining, nonetheless.
Stephen Taylor is liveblogging with an electoral map as icing.
Update – 8:45 eastern
Well, as indicators stand now (Florida not good, other battlegrounds tight), look at the bright side – the big spending, big government Republicans are getting what they deserve tonight, albeit for all the wrong reasons. The people get the government they deserve, or so it is said, and with the even bigger spending Democrat-led Congress posting 8% approval ratings, maybe it’s more of the same they wanted all along.
Conservative renewal south of the border is long overdue, and my hunch is that the combination of Obama, Pelosi, and Reid are just the folks to pull it off. I only hope our economy can withstand the protectionist winds about to blow our way.
Though, every time the networks compare McCain’s vote totals to Bush ’04, I wonder if they wouldn’t have done better had W. been back on the ticket. I miss him already.
Oh, and I nearly forgot the best part. Tomorrow, the election over and awash in red ink, the slashing at newspapers and networks begins in earnest.
Update: Good pre-postmortem here
Update: A glimmer of hope: Norm Coleman (who led the fight to investigate Oil For Food) has pulled a little ahead of Al Franken in Minnesota with 50% of the polls reporting.
John Derbyshire compares Obama to a different history making politician. And quite rightly.

(Note – Today’s “while they vote” linkfest updates continue here.)

I’ll be following the events of today as best as I can, as I have work demands as well. I recommend you follow the usual hot spots for updates – Drudgereport, Instapundit, and NRO’s The Corner.
Lots at PJM and Hot Air
Just a reminder – beware the exit poll reports. They were intentionally wrong (manipulated and leaked) in 2000, wrong in 2004 and wrong again in 2006.
One I”ll be watching – on behalf of the wrongly accused, and Murtha-convicted Marines of “Haditha”.
Speaking of which – for all the mealy-mouthed Democratic “support” for the troops, why is it always the Republicans doing the suing to ensure military votes are counted
Family Reunion in Chicago
Also, via Free Dominion;

If you are a Canadian and have volunteered on the McCain/Palin ticket, please contact Jeff Semple
jeff.semple@cbc.ca

Update – Voter intimidation in Philadelphia

For what it’s worth – behind the scenes chatter indicates that the McCain campaign genuinely believes they have a chance at pulling out a win, based on the way the polls have been breaking in battleground states.
Drop your own links in the comments. I’ll start a new thread for discussion once actual returns begin to come in.
A Why Vote McCain-Palin argument from one of my favourite states – North Carolina. (With a shout out to my lurking dogshow peeps there!)
Obama – McCain, the younger years. Heh