BlakeHuggins.com

See below for realtime updates (CST):

5:45 PM CST: Still a few hours until the polls close, but it’s already starting.  Clinton has all but explicitly conceded what has been over for at least a month and a half earlier today when she said that she would be open to being Obama’s VP.  The Associated Press has already declared that Obama has clinched the nomination.  The delegate countdown is literally changing by the minute as the superdelegates have been rolling out like nobody’s business all day.  As it stands now, according to Chuck Todd on MSNBC, Barack Obama is only 10 11 delegates away from officially clinching the nomination. 

6:22 PM CST: About 2 hours before the first polls close in South Dakota.  Three hours until Montana.  It looks like former President Carter will endorse Obama tonight.  And John McCain plays to acknowledge Obama as his November opponent tonight in New Orleans while trying to distance himself from Bush. 

6:59 PM CST: A leaked excerpt of McCain’s speech is on the Drudge Report and the full leaked transcript of Obama’s victory speech is on The News Wire.

7:03 PM CST: Oklahoma superdelegate goes Obama.  9 until nomination.

7:27 PM CST: McCain to speak at 7:30 CST, Obama at 9:00 CST, Clinton somewhere in between, MSNBC reports.

7:28 PM CST: Word from the Clinton camp: she will not officially concede tonight, thus the strategic placement of her speech between McCain and Obama.  

7:31 PM CST: Quote from leaked Obama speech: “I will be the Democratic nominee.”

7:34 PM CST: How crazy is this? Word from the pundits on MSNBC, “Obama will offer Clinton the VP slot under the stipulation that she not accept it.” I don’t really get the point of the charade and lip service in the name of healing the party.  I don’t think we’re that dumb.

7:39 PM CST: McCain has begun speaking to supporters in New Orleans. “The general election campaign has begun.”

7:40 PM CST: McCain: “Senator Obama will be my opponent and he will be a formidable one.”

7:46 PM CST: McCain: “I’m surprised that a young man (Obama) has bought into so many failed policies ideas.”

7:47 PM CST: McCain: “The American people didn’t get to know me yesterday, as they’re just getting to know Sen. Obama.”

7:53 PM CST: Is it really that hard to read from a tele-prompter?

7:57 PM CST: I am happy that McCain is in favor of alternative energy and climate change mitigation.  That’s something to look forward to either way.

7:59 PM CST: Apparently repeating “That’s not change we can believe in” enough times in a dry, monotonous voice is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

8:02 PM CST: The polls have just closed in South Dakota, networks interrupt McCain’s yawner to project that Barack Obama is the presumptive nominee for the Democratic party. 

8:10 PM CST: Numbers from SD: 11% reporting, Clinton leads 56% to 44%.  Obama will get at least 6 delegates with those numbers, thus the projections from the networks (CNN, NBC).  No official word from the campaign yet.

8:13 PM CST: Word from the Clinton camp in NY: “There is a real sense of finality in this gym in Manhattan.”

8:14 PM CST: McCain thinks he’s an agent of change now too.  He used the word 32 times (according to Tim Russert) in his speech before was interrupted by the networks!

8:20 PM CST: From the Obama camp: “Sen Clinton is a very formidable opponent. This is a hugely gratifying evening for us.”

8:24 PM CST: Sen. Clinton wins the South Dakota primary NBC projects.  She will address supporters in NY any minute.

8:31 PM CST: Sen. Clinton steps to the mic in NYC.  The big question: will she concede?

8:34 PM CST: NPR: What does Obama v. McCain look like?

8:35 PM CST: WTF?

8:36 PM CST: Clinton: “I want to start tonight by congratulating Senator Obama and his supporters on the extraordinary race they have run.”

8:39 PM CST: Clinton: “We won the swing states necessary to receive 270 electoral votes.” Supporters chant: “Yes, she will.” Too bad this doesn’t matter.

8:41 PM CST: Clinton: “I felt that each of your votes was a prayer for our nation…I’m so glad we stayed the course together. “

8:50 PM CST: Clinton: “I will be making no decisions tonight.” Dammit! Come on! Just say it!

8:54 PM CST: She basically conceding, but is to proud to say it (yet) and apparently she wants everyone to go to her website and leave her a message.  Are we in 2nd grade? 

8:55 PM CST: And I’m sorry, but ending every speech with “..and God bless America” makes me throw up in my mouth a little.  That goes for everyone.

8:57 PM CST: Montana polls closes in a few minutes.  Interesting venue choice on Clinton’s part.  Not monitors, no cell service.  Almost as if they didn’t want people to know everything that happened…you know…in reality.

9:00 PM CST: No real numbers in, but NBC projects Obama the winner in Montana. 

9:06 PM CST: Obama to speak soon to supporters in St. Paul, Minnesota, the site of the Republican convention.

9:08 PM CST: Obama is making his way to the stage.

9:09 PM CST: Obama is trying to start his speech.

9:13 PM CST: Just realized that this might end with enough time for me to watch the Daily Show and the Colbert Report.

9:15 PM CST: Obama: “The primary season is finally over…because of you I can stand here and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America.”

9:17 PM CST: Obama: “Our party but forth the most qualified, talented field of persons to ever run for this office.”

9:20 PM CST: Obama: “Our party and our country are better off because of Hillary Clinton.”

9:22 PM CST: Obama: “You can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, she [Clinton] will be central to that victory”

9:24 PM CST: Obama: “I respect his [McCain] many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine.” Nice.

9:26 PM CST: Obama: “There are many words to describe John McCain’s attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush’s policies as bipartisan and new. But change is not one of them.” 

9:27 PM CST: Obama: “Change is realizing that meeting today’s threats requires not just our firepower, but the power of our diplomacy.” What? No automatic deference to the myth of redemptive violence?

9:32 PM CST: This is getting really good. I mean, really good. Obama: “The chance to get a college education should not be a privilege for the wealthy few, but the birthright of every American.” Supporters chanting: “YES! WE! CAN!”

9:34 PM CST: Obama: “The other side will come here in September and offer a very different set of policies and positions, and that is a debate I look forward to. It is a debate the American people deserve. But what you don’t deserve is another election that’s governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. What you won’t hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon — that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize. Because we may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first. We are always Americans first.”

9:35 PM CST: Obama: “Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people, united by common challenges and common hopes. And every so often, there are moments which call on that fundamental goodness to make this country great again.”

9:36 PM CST: Obama supporter in the crowd: Si, se puede!”

9:37 PM CST: Obama: “America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.”

9:41 PM CST: This last paragraph of Obama’s speech: “The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when…we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals.” Wow. I think I’ll end it with that.  On to november. Yes. We. Can.

9:48 PM CST: Ok, last one. Seriously. I couldn’t resist. Tom Brokaw: “He [Obama] has now moved from ‘Yes we can’ to ‘Here’s how.’”