2024 - A Blank Canvas

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

Awesome, I couldn't put that much effort myself

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

November 4, 2024
DeSANTIS PULLS OUT STOPS FOR FINAL CAMPAIGN PUSH; TRUMP APPEARS IN ATLANTA CAMPAIGN FINALE
Continuing to maintain a general lead of just under eight points in most recent polls per an aggregate from RealClearPolitics, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis descended on Pennsylvania Monday where he appeared at a rally alongside U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick in Williamsport, on the same baseball grounds used for the Little League World Series, which the Republican nominee took part in as a youth. "I am blessed to be back here in Williamsport, on grounds as sacred as apple pie, and who better to bring along the trail than Dave McCormick?", the Governor declared as he proceeded to rattle off a number of key campaign talking points, and also asked the audience "Are you ready to correct course, America? I know we are, that's for darned sure!" The campaign appearance was preceded by a video montage that included a key excerpt from DeSantis's closing speech from the final debate last month:

"My fellow Americans, as we close out this final debate to you, the American people, I want you to think long and hard about what's at stake and ask yourself this simple question as Ronald Reagan famously said: "Are you better off than you were four years ago?", or maybe add to it one more counting COVID?

Are you able to earn an honest day's living in a job you love, one that rewards our country with great pride?

And do you have enough to buy what you like at the stores, in the face of higher prices, give to charity, tithe to church, save for a rainy day if not a new house or start a business?

Is your farm as green and as prosperous as it was then? How about the prospects of your children and their education? Maybe your retirement savings or your adult children's job prospects?

Or what about what our allies think of us, in the face of so much strife overseas from Afghanistan to Ukraine to China? What about our veterans and their futures, some missing a few limbs or even all their arms or legs, even the ability to walk?

What about our energy supply and your ability to get around for even basic daily tasks like driving or heating your home?

What about our manufacturing base and the promise of a good-paying job with American pride and without the politics?

Or even the prospect of a cleaner planet and fair trade, one where countries like Russia and China have no choice but to play by the rules instead of getting undeserved carve-outs while Americans put in all the work and lose without a fight?

And lastly, what about our values as a nation? Are they still worth any meaning, from the sanctity of life to the character of our culture to the dignity of seniors? Or are they just simply archaic and "in the past"?

Four years ago, America was on the path to a rebound with Donald Trump after a horrible virus that has killed millions around the world almost sunk it into the ground. And sadly, because some felt overly anxious without a care of sense in this world, they chose a different path that has left us in a more perilous state, in a more atomized sense of life, one that isn't quite secure for us financially, nor in terms of our energy or food supply or our national security.

If you feel that is the direction America should embrace going forward, then it's quite clear who your choice is. But if you feel America is more divided than it was four years ago, that our economy isn't quite cutting it for you, that you worry about whether your life savings, your children's future or the soundness of our finances is safe, that our urban communities still haven't quite recovered while our farmers continue to languish, and that respect in the world has seemingly been traded in for cheap expediency that neither our allies respect nor our enemies fear, then remember there is a choice.

And if you make me that choice, I promise you a New Day for America. It won't be perfect, for as the good Lord reminds us all no one is. But as your next President, I will never stop fighting for you the American people. Because Freedom Matters."

The rally in Williamsport also featured an appearance by singer Lee Greenwood, who sung his signature song "God Bless the U.S.A." at the end of the rally. DeSantis and McCormick also then traveled later in the day to Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, the home pitch of Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union, where they were joined by New Jersey U.S. Senate nominee Dr. Mehmet Öz and Delaware U.S. Senate nominee Ben duPont (the latter of whom is linked by marriage to Öz through his wife) in a "Rally for the (Delaware) Valley" event that filled the entire stadium - both on the field and in the stands. At the rally, DeSantis urged "all of you across Philadelphia - PA, New Jersey, Delaware - please go out there boldly and cast your vote for our great Republican ticket and let's make Freedom Matter once again in this country!"

Endcapping the day was a primetime rally in Atlanta at Truist Park, with DeSantis appearing alongside running mate Nikki Haley at the home diamond of Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves shortly after 10 p.m. as former President Donald Trump and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (the latter making his first face-to-face appearance alongside the former President since the ill-fated 2020 election) joined DeSantis on stage after Trump's commanding speech urging the packed stadium to "go out there and send Krazy Kamala packing to California!" Trump and Kemp had a deliberate falling out following the 2020 election that saw Joe Biden win Georgia's 16 electoral votes, with the refusal of Kemp as well as Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (who was not in attendance) to intervene leading to bad blood that culminated in a failed 2022 attempt by Trump to defeat both incumbents in that year's Republican primary.

In his final speech on the campaign trail, as he is set to retire to Tallahassee overnight in preparation for Election Day tomorrow, DeSantis spoke boldly of "the clarion call for great change to happen in this country, to restore what we lost over these last four years" and urge the crowd to "show the Democrats and the media that bullied this wonderful baseball team in this wonderful stadium against their will, and who routinely bully our institutions into submission, our corporations like Coca-Cola into undue compliance, that their days of bossing your fellow Georgians and Americans around are over, because tomorrow night, America will have a new President that will respect the will of corporations trying to care about their customers and not the fantasies of vocal minorities who wish to divide us and bully them into a 'woke' path that hasn't worked out well when tried". Just as the speech ended, members of the audience began performing the "Tomahawk Chop" long associated with the Braves, as DeSantis and the others on stage in Atlanta joined in.

November 4, 2024
VICE PRESIDENT MAKES LAST PUSH FOR VOTES ACROSS NATION AS BARACK OBAMA RALLIES SUPPORTERS IN ARIZONA
Monday proved to be the most penultimate day for the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, as the Democratic hopeful began her day in Wisconsin where she rallied for Sen. Tammy Baldwin in the latter's bid for a third term against Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, whose most recent polls have indicated a slight tilt for Gallagher. In rallying the crowd, Harris stressed the importance of "a woman's right to choose", "a world free of racial division" and "a cleaner environment that benefits all Wisconsinites" during a rally in Milwaukee. At the rally Baldwin warned "A vote for Ron DeSantis and Mike Gallagher is a vote to put Americans of all varieties, of all colors, back into the closet. We cannot afford that as a country, let alone as a human race", as the openly lesbian Senator called on the packed audience to "turn back the tide and paint Wisconsin blue again!"

The rallies were part of a marathon weekend in which Harris, much like her Republican rival Ron DeSantis, criss-crossed the nation stumping for last-minute votes, primarily in states considered important to the outcome of the election with stops in suburban Seattle, in Dallas, and also in Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Ohio and Richmond, Va. before she arrived in Milwaukee on Monday. After a quick jaunt through Las Vegas (where she campaigned for Sen. Jacky Rosen and the state's slate of Democratic congressional hopefuls, Harris then traveled to Phoenix to campaign for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, urging the audience (especially those on the more progressive end) to "put aside your differences, and help us stop the Republicans from taking over complete control of Washington, because if we allow the other side to define what America is for us, who knows what's going to come of it?" While Sinema more or less has the edge in the final days of her Senate reelection bid, the maverick freshman Senator at one point was "left for dead" after a series of controversial votes that scuttled portions of Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda early in the Biden presidency.

The stage in Phoenix for the rest of the night belonged to Harris, who implored the audience to "get fired up and go out there and cast your vote for the one candidate that will truly fight for the people". She was also joined on stage by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who spent his teenage years and honed the roots of his iconic film career in Phoenix, who then proceeded to energize the audience with a famous quote from his Indiana Jones series: "I think it's time to ask yourself: what do you believe in?", as Spielberg urged the packed audience at Ak-Chin Pavilion to "vote for democracy like your life depends on it". Spielberg then alluded to another one of his works, Schindler's List: "There are generations of Americans who have been inspired by this campaign, so never let the naysayers tell you that you didn't do enough, because you have done so much to get Kamala Harris to where she is, and tomorrow night - it is going to be a beautiful night!"

Harris's concluding rally also dovetailed with the aforementioned "amphitheater tour" of vice presidential running mate Gary Peters, who embarked upon his now-legendary tour since and ended it with a reunion with Harris on the Ak-Chin stage Monday night. Peters' trek across the country also took him to similar amphitheaters including the Blossom Music Center outside Cleveland (alongside Sen. Sherrod Brown), the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion north of Houston (alongside Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Julián Castro) and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre west of Denver (where he was joined by Gov. and former presidential candidate Jared Polis) before reaching Phoenix.

As for the other presidential candidates, Forward nominee Andrew Yang appeared at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, directly across from the Statue of Liberty, as he remained upbeat and "even more proud of all the amazing volunteers in our campaign than ever before" despite his polling numbers continuing to hover around five percent, urging the crowd of some several thousand supporters to "continue moving the country forward tomorrow". Constitution Party nominee Mike Lindell concluded his campaign with a rally at a hockey arena in Duluth, Minnesota where he "urged the crowd to voice their conscience and send a message to the two establishment parties that our values, our patriotism, and our hard work will no longer be taken for granted", while Libertarian nominee Dave Smith appeared alongside podcaster Joe Rogan in a final appeal for votes at a Denver brewery alongside South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Green Party nominee Norman Solomon concluded his campaign in Davis, California - west of Sacramento, where a friend of running mate Katie Roedersheimer, the daughter of activist Erin Brockovich, performed a cover of "Everyday is a Winding Road" - the Sheryl Crow song that was used in the soundtrack for the 2000 film about Roedersheimer's mother (who was portrayed by Julia Roberts in that film), to close out Solomon's rally.

November 4, 2024
BIDEN WISHES "GOOD LUCK" TO CANDIDATES ON EVE OF ELECTION
As the 2024 presidential election winds to a close, President Joe Biden held a primetime address from the Oval Office, where he spoke to the country on the importance of "yet another election in our glorious democracy". In his statements, Biden noted that had prepared "letters of advice" for both his Vice President, Kamala Harris, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in advance, and also alluded to the "great work we have done as a nation, restoring the voters' trust in our democracy, creating millions of good-paying jobs for hardworking Americans, making historic investments in our infrastructure and our climate, and transforming democracy like never before". While Biden acknowledged "the going has never been easy knowing the hurdles we've had to cross together, I know for one that America is stronger than we've ever been, and after this election is over, regardless of who wins, we will be even more united".

The retiring President also issued a standard "good luck" to all of the presidential candidates, while also reiterating his support for Harris: "All things said, I still believe that Kamala Harris represents our greatest chance to keep the progress we've been making these last four years going, and as our first Madam President, Kamala Harris will make Americans proud, most especially the millions of young girls and women who will be inspired to participate in our democracy, to run for public office, to fully achieve their dreams in this country, because of the inspiring and encouraging work that she is going to do as our next President." He then wrapped up his speech by concluding "May God continue to bless this amazing country, for which I have been so honored to serve as your President, and may God continue to bless our people."

Compared to the frenetic pace for which the candidates travailed throughout the last few days, the White House was relatively quiet save for Halloween trick-or-treating last week and the President congratulating the New York Mets on their World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, with Fox baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal noting that the President contacted the team shortly after the Mets' uncorked the champagne in their locker room at Citi Field, while ESPN columnist Jeff Passan noted that "President Biden has invited the Mets to, at his own personal expense, an Acela ride to the White House and lunch as well". The President also watched some movies during the weekend, and also took time out of his schedule to attend mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine back home in Delaware, where he prayed for "a fair and safe election this coming Tuesday".

And, just like that...we have reached this point...

Source: Wikimedia Commons

My Dear Country by Norah Jones

'Twas Halloween and the ghosts were out
And everywhere they'd go, they'd shout
And though I covered my eyes, I knew
They'd go away

But fear's the only thing I saw
And three days later it was clear to all
That nothing is as scary as election day

But the day after is darker
And darker and darker it goes
Who knows, maybe the plans will change
Who knows, maybe he's not deranged

The newsmen know what they know, but they
Know even less than what they say
And I don't know who I can trust
For they come what may

'Cause we believed in our candidate
But even more it's the one we hate
I needed someone I could shake
On election day

But the day after is darker
And deeper and deeper we go
Who knows, maybe it's all a dream
Who knows if I'll wake up and scream

I love the things that you've given me
I cherish you, my dear country
But sometimes I don't understand
The way we play

I love the things that you've given me
And most of all that I am free
To have a song that I can sing
On election day

Next up: ELECTION DAY...

Love the amount of detail

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

UPDATE: Dr. Anthony Fauci is retiring December 20th. He didn't even need a 60 Minutes interview to announce his intentions. He probably will still do that before he retires, but it's fair to say I have nailed it with this call, which I made early in this TL.

Still within the 10:00PM hour, going on 11:00PM...

(Continuing with ABC...)
PIERRE THOMAS: David, the U.S. Attorney's office in Atlanta says that a suspect is in custody charged with the facilitation of a pipe bomb with the aim to disrupt a polling place in Midtown Atlanta. The suspect, a man in his 20s, reportedly targeted the precinct because he suspected that it was a gathering place for mules "to steal the election from Ron DeSantis". Police arrested the man shortly after 9:15PM Eastern, and he is currently being booked in the Fulton County Jail awaiting a judge in the morning.

We also hearing that there have been two additional arrests with regards to voter fraud allegations, one involving a Philadelphia man who attempted to record the absentee votes of several nursing home patients who died after the ballots were postmarked - a violation of Pennsylvania election law that also constitutes a state jail felony, and another involving a woman in Louisiana who attempted to vote a second time in Texas using a fake ID; the woman was later arrested in Shreveport, Louisiana and is currently awaiting an arraignment while out on a personal recognizance bond.

That is the latest development, and there no doubt will be more as results continue to come in and claims of voter disenfranchisement begin to pop up.

DAVID MUIR: Pierre Thomas, thank you for the updates on the legal front with regards to the election process.

(From CNN)
VAN JONES: Kamala Harris had so much promise. An inspiring story growing up in Berkeley, desegregating an elementary school in a forced busing strategy her future partner, Joe Biden, voted against in that same era. Rose up to become a prosecutor in Alameda County, crossed the Bay Bridge to join the DA in San Francisco, then beat him and accomplished even more than her predecessor did. Became California Attorney General..then a Senator...then Vice President. She truly has been the California Dream for so many people.

To waste it all away in this vice presidency, and running for President, really is sad to see happen, especially when you're dealing with a mob of people who want to get angry about the painful changes America needs to thrive for another 250 years. Considering how close we came to losing it all almost four years ago in an insurrection of epic proportions. I seriously hope the Democrats think about what they have done wrong, because to sweep it under the rug is not OK.

ANDERSON COOPER: Very interesting choice of words, Van Jones. Let's go to Jake Tapper now with the latest from the Senate.

JAKE TAPPER: Anderson, we are starting to see the vote totals hit 90 percent in Virginia, where Sen. Tim Kaine is trailing right now against State Sen. Jill Vogel, with Vogel leading 52-46 as Fairfax County hits 50 percent of the vote in, looking at John King's magic wall. Kaine is up in Fairfax, 62-36, matching DeSantis's numbers there as well. Kamala Harris is winning Fairfax with 57 percent.

JOHN KING: Yes, and as you can see, Loudoun and Prince William counties giving pluralities. DeSantis has 47 percent in Loudoun, but the impact of Andrew Yang's candidacy really strong: 7 percent for Yang, leaving Harris with 45 percent. Prince William, 6 percent for Yang, 44 for DeSantis, 48 for Kamala Harris. Of course, Prince William a slightly more Democratic county than Loudoun. Important to note, DeSantis is outperforming Youngkin, but Terry McAuliffe being from Northern Virginia benefited him, even though Youngkin is also from the region.

JAKE TAPPER: Speaking of "the region", the race for Governor of Indiana, looking awfully close now with state Attorney General Todd Rokita even at 49 percent with Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott from "THE Region". What is going on here with that race?

JOHN KING: Well Jake, this looks rather surprising, but McDermott is doing well in his northwest Indiana base, Hammond, of course, is on the state borderline with Illinois in the Chicago area. But, let's take a look at Vigo County, Terre Haute. McDermott is getting 52 percent. DeSantis is winning that county with 55, and Sen. Mike Braun got 54. The county to watch is Vanderburgh, home to Evansville, where McDermott is narrowly ahead by two points. So as you can see, McDermott is winning a lot of DeSantis and Trump voters outside of the Indianapolis area. And that is making this race quite close.

JAKE TAPPER: John, let me interrupt you, we have a couple of projections that Wolf Blitzer would like to make in the presidential race.

(CNN "Key Race Alert"...)

WOLF BLITZER: John, CNN projects that North Carolina will go to Gov. Ron DeSantis with 16 electoral votes. North Carolina has not voted for a Democrat since 2008, when it narrowly voted for Barack Obama, and tonight DeSantis is getting 53 percent, the highest for a Republican since George W. Bush won 56 percent. Obviously a number of factors, Nikki Haley, his running mate, from nearby South Carolina, Andrew Yang's outsized support with Asian Americans in Raleigh and some banking industry professionals in Charlotte potentially concerned about a potential default, not to mention Yang splintering part of the Democratic vote with Harris. These factors all played into our decision to call the state for Ron DeSantis.

Also, CNN projects that Iowa, where DeSantis is getting 53 percent and Kamala Harris is getting 42 percent, will also go to DeSantis. Many of the counties that went for Donald Trump four years ago are going for DeSantis tonight, and he's also gained a few more as well. Six electoral votes.

And this is just in, Ron DeSantis has flipped his second state of the night, in New Hampshire, where he wins four electoral votes. DeSantis is winning 52 percent of the vote, Kamala Harris only getting 42 percent.

There is one more vote that Ron DeSantis is getting as well, and that is the 2nd District in Nebraska, which is Omaha and the surrounding suburbs. It went to Donald Trump in 2016, flipped to Joe Biden four years later, and tonight Ron DeSantis gets it back for the Republicans.

Not all is bad, and there is one bright spot, for the Democrats, where we can now project that Kamala Harris will win the state of Vermont, where DeSantis has been getting 39 percent, but while Andrew Yang has gone over 10 percent here, Kamala Harris will win this state and its three electoral votes with a plurality, right now she stands at 48 percent. But still, this has to be the worst performance for a Democrat in Vermont since the Bill Clinton era.

WOLF BLITZER: OK, we're going to go live now to East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Andrew Yang is set to speak to his supporters from his Forward movement shortly. Let's listen in...

ANDREW YANG: Thank you everyone!

First off, I want to say to everyone, it has been a pleasure being with you, leading a movement to forever change the trajectory of America, with a movement that puts people before politics, and country before party. Adam Kinzinger and I are forever grateful to you, the voters, for standing with truth and decency, and service and gratitude, all of which are sorely missing from our political discourse.

This is about finding bold solutions to the problems that ail our democracy. That foster division between the people. That put corporations before humanity and special interests before families. Problems that require bold solutions that know neither party labels nor income status. Solutions that unite us as a more perfect Union. It's what I have fought for as a lawyer, an entrepreneur, a mentor, a candidate for Mayor of New York City, and as a presidential candidate. And it's what I will continue to fight for!

Mark my words, our movement for a better, more unified America is only getting started!

(Fast forward a bit... >>)

ANDREW YANG: Congratulations to Governor DeSantis, and gratitude to Vice President Harris! I am at peace with the outcome, and I encourage everyone in the room tonight to go forward, boldly, to keep fighting for the America we love and wish to see. Because there is only one direction for America: (audience joins in) Not Left. Not Right. FORWARD!

Thank you all, God bless you, and God bless our amazing and beautiful America!

WOLF BLITZER: OK, Andrew Yang speaking to his supporters at the Hilton Meadowlands near MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. We'll have more from him and his running mate, Adam Kinzinger, later in our broadcast.

But now, just before 11:00PM on the East Coast, with another projection to make in the Senate. Jake Tapper, where we are we predicting?

JAKE TAPPER: Wolf, CNN is now projecting that Sen. Tammy Baldwin has been defeated in Wisconsin. Republican Mike Gallagher, Congressman from the 8th District in Green Bay, Appleton area, has been polling 53-46. Gallagher is winning every county in his congressional district in that corner of Wisconsin, several of which went for Baldwin in 2018, as well as Kenosha and Racine counties south of Milwaukee - both of which favored Baldwin in both of her runs in 2012 and 2018, but also Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.

He is also matching DeSantis's numbers in the Milwaukee suburbs and in northern and western Wisconsin, which are quite similar to the numbers Trump got in both places. Baldwin was hoping that Madison and Milwaukee proper would prevail for her, but the map is looking quite red tonight and there are only absentee ballots left, a number much smaller in proportions than 2020, and not big enough to likely make a difference. Mike Gallagher, Congressman for the 8th District, will defeat Sen. Baldwin, and this is a major loss not only because Baldwin has been a reliable liberal vote for the Democrats, but she was also the first openly LGBT Senator.

Turning to Dana Bash now, Mike Gallagher's rise to the Senate really is like a homecoming of sorts.

DANA BASH: Quite a big loss, indeed, and Gallagher's political rise is quite incredible. Born in Green Bay. Moved to California for high school, became valedictorian. Served as an intelligence officer in the Marines. Became a GOP staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and later advised then-Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on his short-lived presidential campaign shortly before running for Congress, and he won big in a fairly marginal, Republican-leaning district. Married to a Broadway actress, with whom he has a daughter. Also has sounded the alarm about China's threats on Taiwan.

JAKE TAPPER: It really is quite a big rise, and it's fair to say with the way DeSantis has been talking about China, if he wins, which appears inevitable, we're going to be seeing more of him.

DANA BASH: Most certainly we will.

JAKE TAPPER: Meanwhile, in New Jersey, we have Dr. Mehmet Öz up on Sen. Bob Menendez, 52-47, with almost all of Newark and Jersey City in. It's quite similar to the 2021 gubernatorial result, but with Somerset, Bergen, Passaic counties narrowly backing Dr. Öz.

And in Ohio, with Cleveland mostly in now along with much of western Ohio, Jim Jordan is up on Sherrod Brown still, 52-47, with the latter's big margins for Jordan, who himself represents many of those communities between Toledo and Dayton, certainly cancelling out Brown's big numbers in the latter. The drop-off for Brown in the Youngstown and Akron areas, in the Columbus suburbs, as well as around Sandusky, certainly did not help either.

Virginia, where we have Ron DeSantis up still 51-43, Jill Vogel leading Tim Kaine 52-47, 95 percent in, next to no more votes in Fairfax County or Alexandria. Still waiting for Arlington to come in, but most of what's remaining is in the Richmond suburbs, and while those have been leaning towards the Democrats in the Trump era, that area swung to Gov. Youngkin, and if that is what happens tonight, it's over. DeSantis will have won it, just waiting for the call.

Then you have Minnesota, where DeSantis is exceeding Donald Trump's numbers in the Twin Cities suburbs, winning Dakota County, south of the Twin Cities, which has traditionally leaned more Democratic, and which Donald Trump lost twice in both of his runs. DeSantis is also matching the former President outside of the Twin Cities as well. He's up with 47 percent to 42 for Vice President Harris, with Yang at 6 percent and Mike Lindell, himself from Minnesota, the MyPillow guy, getting 3 percent as well. The Senate race is also close, and right now, Michele Tafoya is leading 50-47 over Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, with most of the remaining vote outstanding in northern Minnesota, an area that could swing either way.

DANA BASH: Yes, it's true. A ton of marginal Senate seats that appear to be favoring the GOP, but the presidential race is looking very, very much out of reach for Kamala Harris between DeSantis's numbers that he's getting tonight. Whatever drop-off some expected between Andrew Yang because of Adam Kinzinger and also Mike Lindell, not really doing much to dent DeSantis's chances, especially after the China quip and the news about the debt default possibility.

JAKE TAPPER: Which of course has also shaken the markets recently. Dana Bash, thank you. Back to Wolf Blitzer...

(Now for a little wrap around from some other figures, starting with The Young Turks...)

CENK UYGUR: Tonight is actually looking fairly decent for progressives, because tonight's result show that the pro-corporate, special interest-backed Democratic Party is dead. D. E. A. D. Dead! There's no going back now, it's time for Democrats to stop chasing after whiny Karens complaining on their Nextdoor, clutching their pearls about folks smoking weed to help with their blindness and epilepsy. Stop complaining about ing single-payer healthcare, which most every other developed country has. Stop worrying about the shallow executive suite that only cares about platitudes instead of principles, and start governing like freaking principled progressives who want to actually make the country better!

That's right Kamala, maybe you should have governed like Chesa Boudin after all...instead of chasing after all these pearl-clutching rich people who don't care about the common man, while throwing people of color - your fellow Black lives and also homeless people - under the bus!

ANA KASPARIAN: Also, no more pearl clutching on women's rights! You should have passed the freaking ERA already and codified marriage and trans rights, too! Who cares about freaking Iowa? They never really liked Kamala anyway...

(And InfoWars...)
ALEX JONES: We don't necessarily agree with Ron DeSantis but, ding dong, the witch is dead! Kamala Harris, bye-bye! The military-industrial-media complex that pulled levers and broke necks for Kamala - they ain't recovering from this result! Hell yes! Also, thank God for Andrew Yang, for Mike Lindell and his cushy pillows I sleep like a baby on...oh it feels good to beat Kamala, even better than beating Hillary!

(Mike Lindell...)
MIKE LINDELL: I want to thank everyone here tonight, for putting your trust in me to make a fantastic choice to improve the sanctity of our elections and the sanity of our nation. God bless every one of you, and may we all thrive and prosper together as a movement!

And also, my hearty congratulations to Ron DeSantis. Sure, we had disagreements, but because of our campaign and our supporters all here tonight in Minnesota, Ron DeSantis got the message, and I pray to God he listens to us and does what's right for America, just like he has done in Florida.

(Dave Smith...)
DAVE SMITH: We may not have been the flashiest, but most certainly we have had more fun than the other candidates running. And shout out to Porcupine Nation for all your help!

I just want to say to, whoever the winner is tonight, we are not going away, and we are going to trust that you will do the right thing for America and stand on the side of liberty! Because there's nothing funny about Lady Liberty without her golden torch...

(Norman Solomon...)
NORMAN SOLOMON: The message tonight is clear: Americans do not want more of the same failed wishy-washy progressivism out of fear that raw, unadulterated progressive change will drive Americans away. Barack Obama sure as hell didn't pander for votes, and neither did I. Because it's not over-the-top stunts about how bad your biggest opponent is that gets people to the polls, it's good old-fashioned progressive values - the kind where you put the all-natural, gluten-free and organic jam on the bottom shelf so the little guy can reach it - that wins.

Let that be a lesson to Democrats everywhere as they seek to move on from Kamala Harris. Fail in doing so, and you can kiss a future free of economic inequality, cultural bigotry and environmental ruin goodbye!

(And...back to CNN...)

WOLF BLITZER: This is CNN's coverage of Election Night in America. I'm Wolf Blitzer, welcoming our viewers here in the United States and around the world, including on the Armed Forces Network, as we continue to count the votes nationally with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis up with 50 percent to 42 percent for Vice President Kamala Harris and six percent for Andrew Yang and his Forward movement, who just spoke to his supporters in New Jersey just now.

We are now coming up on 11:00PM in Washington, and 8:00PM in San Francisco, where voters across California and four other states are set to close their polls. Washington, almost all of Oregon save for where they already closed in the Boise TV market, and in the Idaho Panhandle - Coeur d'Alene, Moscow, those areas in the Spokane TV market. Will California be Kamala Harris's saving grace? Plus, a lot of marginal states close to being called, it's about to get really hot and heavy with the lower 48 now counting in their entirety. We have a projection or two to make, stand by...

Next: What happens after the West Coast closes? Find out...

Ronald Dion DeSantis is all but elected