all this is that election day and night posts on Facebook and Twitter

By Pablo Fanque, Mona Goldwater, and Jack Brummet

For my part, I could have lived with a Romney presidency, but I just don't think they ever let the real Mitt emerge (just a hunch).  I don't know if he broke back to the center too late or if it was just the fractured demographics.  I think the post mortems and finger pointing will be interesting to follow, and I suspect the GOP may come roaring back in the mid-terms (and of course they will if the economy is still moribund).
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From November 2008...Jack gets nostalgic about going to the election polls for the last time (Wash. went to mail ballots after this election).  http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com/2012/11/atit-reheated-end-of-polling-place.html
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If everything else breaks the way it looks like it might (and it has so far), my home state becomes the Bluest of The Blue. After the General Strike, Seattle (and Wash.) acquired a rep. In 1936, James Farley, a Postmaster under FDR, said "there are 47 states in the Union, and the Soviet of Washington." It looks like we're back.

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On top of news that Christie was Gov. Romney's first choice for Veep... /Pablo http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/83104.html

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If you don't vote, you can't beef. A lot of states have referendums and initiatives that may be more important than your President, Governor, Wardheeler, or Congressman. When people tell you that there is no difference between the two candidates or parties, don't believe them. Check it out and commit! xoxo /Pablo F/Mona G/Jack B

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Tim Eyman - How did we let him slip past us one more time? If we beat this guy, he's gone. But if not, he has a job for life, bullyragging and hectoring us for fun and profit.

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Paul Ryan returns to The House, probably as the budget chairman...

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Proud of Washington State tonight...this state broke ground today.

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But I want those 538 numbers--313 electoral votes. To vindicate Nate Silver.

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Nate Silver=92% likelihood now. No longer a nail biter? "Obama’s most likely margin of victory to be two or three percentage points,"

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Interesting Oregon resoundingly defeated their marijuana referendum after wins in other states. The PDX votes don't dominate the state?

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for three days mindless partisanship slumbered. . .

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I'm kind of sad we won't have Todd Akin to kick around anymore. Well, not really.

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"No question now that he's rapidly reaching the point where he's got his back to the wall, his shirttails on fire and the bill collector's at the door." - Dan Rather

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Remembrance of elections past. This is a shot of President Ford and his good friend "Joe" Garagiola on the '76 election night when the President was beaten by Jimmy Carter.

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In stark opposition to Nate Silver, Karl Rove's prognostications. He's no dummy, but it feels like he's whistling past the graveyard here or has been away from the news for a couple weeks...

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Chris Christie finally gets to meet his musical hero (and get a Jersey bear hug). /Mona G - ATIT Bi-partisanship Editor   http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bruce-springsteen-and-chris-christie-connect-through-hurricane-sandy-20121105

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KARL ROVE'S FINAL CALL : "Without twelve toss 

up states (MN, NV, CO, IA, WI, MI, OH, PA, NH, VA, NC, AND FL), Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are tied at 191 each. I predict Mr. Romney will win FL (29), NC (15), VA (13), NH (4), OH (18), IA (6), CO (9) and Mr. Obama will get MN (10), NV (6), WI (10), MI (16), PA (20). This brings Mr. Romney to 285 Electoral College votes and Mr. Obama to 253. These are just my base predictions and I still think several of these states are too close to call. For example, while I put them in Mr. Obama's column, I still believe NV, WI, and PA are in play and very winnable for Mr. Romney. If crowds at his recent stops in these states are any indication of his supporters' enthusiasm, Mr. Romney will likely be able to claim victory in these states as well." www.rove.com/election

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One thing we won't hear tonight are classic Dan Ratherisms. Daniel Kurtzman compiled this AMAZING list of Quotes from CBS Anchor Dan Rather on Election Night 2004. Just one night! this is only about 20% of what he said (you can find the whole list here...http://bit.ly/UvauBw).

"You hear that knocking? President Bush's re-election is at the door. ... This race is hotter than a Times Square Rolex. ... If you had to bet the double-wide, you'd have to bet that he'd win. ... This race is humming along like Ray Charles. ... This race is shakier than cafeteria Jell-O. ... Turn the lights down, the party just got wilder. ... This race is tight like a too-small bathing suit on a too-long ride home from the beach. ... Only votes talk. Everything else walks. ... Spandex tight. ...

"Tight as the rusted lug nuts on a '55 Ford. ... Smelling salts for all Democrats, please. ... When the going gets weird, anchor men punt. ... Florida is the whole deal, the real deal, a big deal. ... hotter than a Laredo parking lot. ... This will have the people in Austin standing up like they got stuck with hat pins. ... The big burrito out there in California. ... None of this television mumbo jumbo: Let's get in there and count the votes. ... We've lived by the crystal ball. We're eating so much broken glass, we're in critical condition.'

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 short, sweet concession speech for Romney. He made it clear that this election is over. And that was the right thing to do. Props. #fb

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“@thehill: Washington becomes 1st state to legalize #marijuanahttp://bit.ly/RTPfZp  --> this should be an interesting battle/court fig

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“@thinkprogress: Chris Wallace helpfully reminds Karl Rove he wasted 325 million on this election”

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Where does The Tea Party go from tonight? They're kind of receiving a big time swirly. #fb

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McCaskill and Warren. Sweet.

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Remembrance of elections past 3. Harry Truman beats Dewey. The most famous American election photo of all time.

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Remembrance of elections past: George W. Bush (another two term President) and Karl Rove. pic.twitter.com/S6ALUMNP

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At one point we were heading down the road of public financing (remember the $1 campaign checkoff on your income taxes?), and I still think we should go there. I don't think it's really any more fair that Bloomberg, Forbes, Pelosi, Cantwell or Suzan Del Bene can dump millions into their own campaigns. What we do is we give the Presidential candidates $10 million each. Senators get $100K and representatives $50K. And they can do with it what they will. Hire a few staffers, take a few polls, print up some yard signs and bumper stickers and buy a bus to travel around the country. Sure, it's an incursion into the first amendment, but so is not yelling fire in a theatre or muzzling hate speech. Sure, we'll need to work out some of the kinks, and maybe amend the constitution. . .

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