Pick one.

Celebrate good Obama, come on!

Watch the full episode, “About Last Night”, on South Park Zone.

Before I state the reason why John McCain lost the Presidency, I would like everyone to read the following column.

The Decency of George W. Bush

by Michael Gershon

Washington Post

Election Day 2008 must have been filled with rueful paradoxes for the sitting president. Iraq — the issue that dominated George W. Bush’s presidency for 5 1/2 bitter, controversial years — is on the verge of a miraculous peace. And yet this accomplishment did little to revive Bush’s political standing — or to prevent his party from relegating him to a silent role.

The achievement is historic. In 2006, Iraq had descended into a sectarian killing spree that seemed likely to stop only when the supply of victims was exhausted. Showing Truman-like stubbornness, Bush pushed to escalate a war that most Americans — and some at the Pentagon — had already mentally abandoned.

The result? A Sunni tribal revolt against their al-Qaeda oppressors, an effective campaign against Shiite militias in Baghdad and Basra, and the flight of jihadists from Iraq to less deadly battlefields. In a more stable atmosphere, Iraq’s politicians have made dramatic political progress. Iraqi military and police forces have grown in size and effectiveness and now fully control 13 of Iraq’s 18 provinces. And in the month before Election Day, American combat deaths matched the lowest monthly total of the entire war.

For years, critics of the Iraq war asked the mocking question: “What would victory look like?” If progress continues, it might look something like what we’ve seen.

But Air Force One — normally seen swooping into battleground states for rallies during presidential elections — was mainly parked during this campaign. President Bush appeared with John McCain in public a total of three times — and appeared in McCain’s rhetoric as a foil far more often than that.

This seems to be Bush’s current fate: Even success brings no praise. And the reasons probably concern Iraq. The absence of stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction in the aftermath of the war was a massive blow. The early conduct of the Iraq occupation was terribly ineffective. Hopes that the war had turned a corner — repeatedly raised by Iraqis voting with purple fingers and approving a constitution — were dashed too many times, until many Americans became unwilling to believe anymore.

Initial failures in Iraq acted like a solar eclipse, blocking the light on every other achievement. But those achievements, with the eclipse finally passing, are considerable by the measure of any presidency. Because of the passage of Medicare Part D, nearly 10 million low-income seniors are receiving prescription drugs at little or no cost. No Child Left Behind education reform has helped raise the average reading scores of fourth-graders to their highest level in 15 years and narrowed the achievement gap between white and African American children. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has helped provide treatment for more than 1.7 million people and compassionate care for at least 2.7 million orphans and vulnerable children. And the decision to pursue the surge in Iraq will be studied as a model of presidential leadership.

These achievements, it is true, have limited constituencies to praise them. Many conservatives view Medicare, education reform and foreign assistance as heresies. Many liberals refuse to concede Bush’s humanity, much less his achievements.

But that humanity is precisely what I will remember. I have seen President Bush show more loyalty than he has been given, more generosity than he has received. I have seen his buoyancy under the weight of malice and his forgiveness of faithless friends. Again and again, I have seen the natural tug of his pride swiftly overcome by a deeper decency — a decency that is privately engaging and publicly consequential.

Before the Group of Eight summit in 2005, the White House senior staff overwhelmingly opposed a new initiative to fight malaria in Africa for reasons of cost and ideology — a measure designed to save hundreds of thousands of lives, mainly of children under 5. In the crucial policy meeting, one person supported it: the president of the United States, shutting off debate with a moral certitude that others have criticized. I saw how this moral framework led him to an immediate identification with the dying African child, the Chinese dissident, the Sudanese former slave, the Burmese women’s advocate. It is one reason I will never be cynical about government — or about President Bush.

For some, this image of Bush is so detached from their own conception that it must be rejected. That is, perhaps, understandable. But it means little to me. Because I have seen the decency of George W. Bush.

Again, just like the “Why I’ll Miss President Bush” article, this article speaks volumes to President Bush’s heart. These are his accomplishments and they are felt the world over. Victory in Iraq, victory over AIDS in Africa, freedom and better living conditions for hundreds of millions of people (perhaps a billion people) around the world, and better, more affordable medicine for American seniors, and a higher literacy rate for American children. If that is not success, what is?

All of this leads me to the reason why John McCain lost the Presidency. And it is the same reason why Al Gore lost the Presidency. They both failed to capitalize on a popular President. Yes, President Clinton was a popular President. And yes, President Bush is a popular President - among Conservatives.

Think about it. If John McCain listed President Bush’s accomplishments during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, and brought President Bush on stage with him, John McCain would be our new President. Perhaps Conservatives would not have foolishly stayed away from the voting booth if John McCain gave President Bush credit for his accomplishments.

Even though America is still a Center-Right-Conservative nation, we are stuck with a Marxist-Socialist for the next 4 years. And that is NOT President Bush’s fault.

Hat Tip: Hot Air Headlines

Always honorable - John McCain. Country First.

Also, President Bush congratulated President-elect Barack Obama.

breitbart.com

US President George W. Bush late Tuesday telephoned his apparent successor, Democrat Barack Obama, to congratulate him on his “awesome night,” according to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.

“Mr President-elect, congratulations to you. What an awesome night for you, your family and your supporters. Laura and I called to congratulate you and your good bride,” she quoted Bush as telling Obama.

“I promise to make this a smooth transition. You are about to go on one of the great journeys of life. Congratulations and go enjoy yourself,” Bush told Obama, she said.

The president also invited Obama and his family “to visit the White House soon, at their convenience,” Perino said.

Bush was also to reach out to Obama’s defeated rival, Republican John McCain, who conceded the fight shortly after 11:00 pm.

And to look a bit into the future, I hope Sarah Palin makes a run at the White House.

She is very popular and has the fire, passion, wisdom, knowledge, and experience to lead.

Hat Tip: Hot Air

But…

No actual votes have been counted!

Count the votes!

Fox News shows Barack Obama with 103 Electoral College votes and John McCain with 54 Electoral College votes.

Even if Pennsylvania does go to Barack Obama, John McCain can still win with a near sweep of all of the states President Bush won in 2004.

According to Fox News…

Barack Obama has 81 Electoral College votes.

John McCain has 39 Electoral College votes.

The Senate Balance of Power shows 42 Democrats and 31 Republicans.

This is still early folks. I keep saying this, but there is nothing else to say. The results will change throughout the night.

Thank you for tuning to Scoop This. We’ll keep you updated.

elections.foxnews.com

Barack Obama has won Vermont and John McCain has won Kentucky, splitting expected victories as polls began to close in a handful of states Tuesday evening.

Obama appears to have a lead in Virginia and Indiana, while McCain has an advantage in Georgia and South Carolina. All are too early to call. Indiana and Virginia are two Republican states Obama is hoping to turn blue this year.

Voters continued to cast their ballots in dozens of others states, after a frenzied day campaigning that brought the historic and sprawling 2008 presidential race to a close.

Both candidates took their campaigns well into Election Day, as each battled for votes at the 11th hour.

McCain, facing an uphill road to attaining the 270 electoral votes needed to win, first flew into Colorado for his final rally. Then he visited dozens of volunteers at a New Mexico phone bank, before finally heading home to Phoenix, Ariz., to watch returns.

On his campaign plane to Phoenix, Ariz., McCain told reporters he was “feeling confident.”

McCain currently has 8 Electoral College votes.

Obama currently has 3 Electoral College votes.

This is still early, folks.

Keep voting, Conservatives!

UPDATE 1:

McCain wins West Virginia! Obama wins Delaware!

McCain currently has 13 Electoral College votes.

Obama currently has 6 Electoral College votes.

Again, this is still early, folks.

Keep voting, Conservatives! Keep voting in Florida’s panhandle, Conservatives!

Don’t believe it!

Keep voting!

From Drudge Report:

EXIT POLLS CLAIM ‘OBAMA +15′ IN PA… DEVELOPING…

TOO CLOSE TO CALL AT CLOSE: FL, IN, OH…

MCCAIN KEEPING AZ… DEVELOPING…

SENATE: DEMS SEE 58 SEATS

EXIT POLLS SHOW OBAMA BIG

I just voted in Florida for both Mavericks.

Conservatives, keep voting in Pennsylvania, Florida, Indiana, and Ohio!

Have faith! We will win!

UPDATE 1: ACE OF SPADES HQ

Promising numbers, but do not believe them!

PA: -4 McCain

VA: -2 McCain

NC: +2 McCain

FL: -1 McCain

OH: -1 McCain

Keep voting, Conservatives!

This is within our grasp!

UPDATE 2: Ace is saying that the Gawker numbers for McCain and Obama are wider!

Again, keep voting Conservatives! We will win!

Just keep voting!

Not to be outdone, the McCain camp is watching North Carolina and Virginia, too.

First Read

McCain-RNC political director Mike DuHaime gave a peek into what the campaign will be watching tonight.

In Pennsylvania, he will be watching the Democratic margin in Philadelphia, he told NBC’s Chuck Todd on MSNBC today. Kerry won the city by about 412,000 votes. DuHaime said he’ll be watching to see if Obama gets to a 500,000 margin, as Democrats hope. If he doesn’t, he thinks it could be a good sign for McCain camp and may signify a long night of counting the vote in the Keystone State.

He’s also watching the margins in the Eastern Pennsylvania Philadelphia suburbs, where Democrats hope to do better than Kerry’s margins.

Kerry got the third most votes out of any county from Montgomery, northwest of Philadelphia.

DuHaime said the campaign expects to do well in rural counties. It will be interesting to see if McCain can beat Bush’s margins in the so-called T and if he shrinks margins in or flip Western PA counties won by Kerry, like Fayette, Beaver and Washington.

McCain’s team will also be watching Florida and Virginia on the East Coast and Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada in the West, DuHaime said.

Duhaime stressed that 8% of the vote came out of the Republican stronghold of the Central Time Zone Panhandle. And they’ll be watching the swing counties around Tampa as well as the margins in the I-4 corridor.

John McCain must win the following 3 of 4 states to have a legitimate shot at winning the entire election.

These states are: Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia.

President Bush won all four states in 2004.

If Indiana trends towards and votes for Barack Obama, then that will be a bad omen for John McCain. However, President Bush did win Indiana in 2004 and 2000.

Vote! Vote! Vote!

When you look at what’s happened in the polls in Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida- They believe that they’ve strengthened. Essentially, the conservative districts in those states are now secured. That they still have a little bit of work to do particularly in the much vaunted GOP ground game; knocking on doors, making phone calls, lots of emails to shore them up entirely. But, most of the Red States they think they’re now safe in… In places like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Missouri expect a late night. No quick calls tomorrow.

Will the Conservative “Silent Majority” raise their voices high and make their presence felt?

Or will we sell out America to Socialism?

Hey, at least you get free coffee. Is that socialist?

Hat Tip: Hot Air