When did you know in election nights you watched that a candidate was gonna win

[OSR stands with Israel]

While I did watch parts of 2004/2008 with my parents I was way to young to really know so I knew Bush would win 2004/Obama would win 2008 when the election was officially called.


2012: At around 10:45 or so when it was clear Romney wouldnt get both FL and OH

2016: When Florida was called for Trump after he had already won huge in Ohio and was leading by a good amount in Wisconsin

2020: When Biden took the lead in Wisconsin

[Mr. Smith]

2004: California, 7 PM  (Ohio was going for Bush on the TV of my parent's bedroom)

2008: California, 7 PM  (Obama had a huge lead, just got home from X-Country and California was the next hour)

2012: Virginia, 10 PM  (Ohio was going for Obama, I was preparing for bed in my  dorm room)

2016: California, 8 PM (Trump was leading New Hampshire and to my surprise about to flip Pennsylvania, I just got home from work)

2020: Texas, 12:30 AM (Arizona was called by AP, and Nebraska 2 flipped around this point, which is funny because the initial precincts were really Trump heavy)

[Podgy the Bear]

1972     7PM
Living in Nashville--watching with my parents.  It was very obvious by 8PM to this 8 year old that Nixon was going to win easily.

1976     7AM the next morning
Probably the most interesting of Election Nights to me.  Carter went into a very quick lead, and I went to bed thinking he would win easily.  I got up the next morning and realized that he came very closing to losing it all.  The networks finally called it around 330 AM.

1980     6PM
NBC came out of the block and called state after state for Reagan just as soon as polls closed (none of this fake drama they create today).  And they didn't miss anything (even with the close states in the South).

1984     6PM
Only drama was whether Reagan would sweep the 50 states. 

1988     9PM

1992/1996   8PM
Moved to Atlanta by that time.  Clinton came out with big leads for both Election Nights--I thought he was going to exceed 400 EV, just came up short.

2000    midnight
By that time, the trend was definitely with Bush.  He had just won TN and he was on the threshhold to win FL (he was never behind there and was up by 70000 or so).  Plus, he had leads in WI, NM, and OR at the time.

2004   11PM
Bush had won FL by a bigger margin than expected (some polls had Kerry in the lead).  He was leading in OH, and the margins were much tighter in PA and MI than in 2000.

2008/2012  9PM/10PM
Obama was winning OH and FL (easily in 2008, less so in 2012)

2016  11PM
It was becoming clear that Hillary was in serious trouble when the returns were showing her behind in the Rust Belt.  The precursor was Trump's huge run in the counties north of Tampa.

2020  5AM
When Biden pulled ahead in WI.  It was clear he would win in MI, and with his already declared victory in AZ by Fox and AP, Biden would be at 270.


The projection of AZ 2020 was to Trump what TN 2000 was to Gore.  It disrupted their momentum and the perception that they were going to pull it off.

[Minnesota Mike]

1972     7PM
Living in Nashville--watching with my parents.  It was very obvious by 8PM to this 8 year old that Nixon was going to win easily.

1976     7AM the next morning
Probably the most interesting of Election Nights to me.  Carter went into a very quick lead, and I went to bed thinking he would win easily.  I got up the next morning and realized that he came very closing to losing it all.  The networks finally called it around 330 AM.

1980     6PM
NBC came out of the block and called state after state for Reagan just as soon as polls closed (none of this fake drama they create today).  And they didn't miss anything (even with the close states in the South).

1984     6PM
Only drama was whether Reagan would sweep the 50 states.  

1988     9PM

1992/1996   8PM
Moved to Atlanta by that time.  Clinton came out with big leads for both Election Nights--I thought he was going to exceed 400 EV, just came up short.

2000    midnight
By that time, the trend was definitely with Bush.  He had just won TN and he was on the threshhold to win FL (he was never behind there and was up by 70000 or so).  Plus, he had leads in WI, NM, and OR at the time.

2004   11PM
Bush had won FL by a bigger margin than expected (some polls had Kerry in the lead).  He was leading in OH, and the margins were much tighter in PA and MI than in 2000.

2008/2012  9PM/10PM
Obama was winning OH and FL (easily in 2008, less so in 2012)

2016  11PM
It was becoming clear that Hillary was in serious trouble when the returns were showing her behind in the Rust Belt.  The precursor was Trump's huge run in the counties north of Tampa.

2020  5AM
When Biden pulled ahead in WI.  It was clear he would win in MI, and with his already declared victory in AZ by Fox and AP, Biden would be at 270.


The projection of AZ 2020 was to Trump what TN 2000 was to Gore.  It disrupted their momentum and the perception that they were going to pull it off.

Pretty much exactly my recollection although as a 6 year old my memories of 72 are fuzzy. Also in 76 I can't remember checking back in the next day after assuming Carter won because he was way ahead when I went to bed. In 2000 I went to bed assuming Bush won after FL was called for him only to learn the next day it had been uncalled (again). Looking back there really were a lot of landslides in my youth.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

2016 - When I woke up the morning after, I opted to sleep in early. I didn't believe my father when he told me who was president-elect.

2020 - I knew Biden was on lock after the race was 243-214 and Trump has very few outs.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

2000: I knew Gore won when FL was called for him. It seemed over when FL was called for Bush. But then I noticed he was up only 50k with most of the outstanding votes from heavily Democratic counties
2004: It was over when OH was called for Bush
2008: I forget which state, but it was over before polls even closed in CA.
2012: I forget which state
2016: When FL was going to be called for Trump
2020: It was looking pretty good for Biden when Fox called AZ for him even though that turned out to be premature.

[OSR stands with Israel]

2012 - When Ohio was called for Obama, because I knew of its reputation as a bellweather state.

Obama winning Ohio put him over 270:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPkGqJ9f9Fo

[Pink Panther]

2012 - My parents didn't even have the coverage on, so I learned from my mom that Obama would win right before I went to bed.

2016 - When Trump took the lead in PA and held his leads in WI and MI. I was getting more confident of his win when OH and FL was called, but I felt Hillary still had a chance with the Rust Belt.

2020 - When I woke up the day after election day and saw that the AP had called AZ, and Biden had taken the lead in WI and was on the verge in MI. I also felt Trump's speech on election night essentially jinxed himself, lol.

[Cokeland Saxton]

2008 - Parents told me the next morning that Obama won

2012 - When Obama swept the Northeast and won FL and all the eastern and midwestern swing states

2016 - I knew Trump had it by bedtime because he took FL, WI, PA, and MI

2020 - Blacked out drunk and woke up the next morning to Biden gaining on Trump in PA, GA, and AZ. Did the math and knew it was gg

[EJ24]

2004: When Kerry's lead in Ohio collapsed. It was basically when all the Republican suburbs started reporting.

2008: As soon as Pennsylvania was immediately called for Obama. McCain campaigned HARD there in the last few weeks, and if it wasn't at least close in PA, it meant Obama was running away with it.

2012: When Obama was way ahead in Virginia and also when Florida started coming in. It was pretty clear Obama had massive turnout in south Florida/Miami-Dade area.

2016: When Trump was keeping it close in Virginia and started closing in the rust belt. I called my Dad and told him we were f***ed.

2020: When Wisconsin was called for Biden the next morning.

[here2view]

2008: I thought Obama winning was a foregone conclusion

2012: I wasn't as invested in politics so I kinda also thought Obama would definitely win. Don't recall a specific point, just remember that Romney's paths to victory gradually eroded as Obama won more and more states.

2016: In the 9:00 hour, when Trump was ahead in Florida and the Rust Belt was closer than expected. Went to bed slightly after midnight when Trump was up 244-209 with leads in Michigan and Wisconsin and closing ground in Pennsylvania.

2020: I felt pretty confident going into election night. Once Fox News called Arizona for Biden I knew he was probably going to win. Went to bed around 1:45 and he was up 238-213 based on the various calls by AP, CNN, Fox, etc. Once Biden took the lead in Michigan and Wisconsin the next morning I knew it was only a matter of time.

[OSR stands with Israel]

2004: When Kerry's lead in Ohio collapsed. It was basically when all the Republican suburbs started reporting.

2008: As soon as Pennsylvania was immediately called for Obama. McCain campaigned HARD there in the last few weeks, and if it wasn't at least close in PA, it meant Obama was running away with it.

2012: When Obama was way ahead in Virginia and also when Florida started coming in. It was pretty clear Obama had massive turnout in south Florida/Miami-Dade area.

2016: When Trump was keeping it close in Virginia and started closing in the rust belt. I called my Dad and told him we were f***ed.

2020: When Wisconsin was called for Biden the next morning.

Obama didnt take the lead in VA until he was already crossed the 270 EV mark and Romney even led in Loudon for a couple hours too.

[Progressive Pessimist]

2012: When Obama won Ohio.

2016: Trump winning Florida and North Carolina fairly quickly and then proceeding to lead in the big three shortly afterwards.

2020: I made the wise decision to insulate myself from all election information as much as I could. So the next day when I saw Biden leading in the big three, and with Arizona called by some outlets, I felt pretty good about his chances, even if it wasn't the blowout I would have hoped. I was more depressed by the House and Senate results.

[dw93]

2004: When I went to bed that night (I was 11 and lived in the Seattle Area at the time) and Bush was too far ahead in the key states and was leading pretty decisively in Florida (might've even been called for him by then).

2008: Obama pulled ahead in the Swing states quickly enough to where pretty early in the night I knew he was gonna win, and I think this came even before anything was declared on the West Coast.

2012: When Obama pulled ahead in Ohio. I knew if he won that, Romney was toast as Republicans never won the Presidency without Ohio and Romney had no path to victory without it.

2016: When Trump was declared the winner in Florida, as by then he was maintaining consistent leads in WI, PA, and MI.

2020: Biden being declared winner in WI as I knew MI would go Biden for sure and even if PA and GA didn't, I was confident AZ and NV, which were declared for Biden by FOX and AP, were gonna be called for Biden by everyone else by the start of the following week, so those would've been enough even without PA and GA.

[E-Dawg]

My gut told me Biden was gonna win once he pulled ahead in Wisconsin.