The Franklin declares Obama winner

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By Eric Bradner, November 4, 2008

At 10 p.m., The Franklin declared Obama the winner because since Obama won Ohio, Iowa and New Mexico – three states that were won by Republican president George W. Bush in 2004 – it is no longer possible for Obama’s Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, to win he presidency.

 

Obama appears poised to win every state that Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry won in 2004. Those Democratic states add up to 252 of the 270 electoral votes it takes to be elected president. After winning several formerly Republican states already, Obama has clinched the election.

 

McCain’s campaign strategy hinged on winning Pennsylvania – a state Obama has won decisively.

 

Obama now appears poised to run up the electoral vote count.

 

In Virginia, the candidates are tied. But Fairfax and Prince William counties – both in the heavily-Democratic northern part of the state – have yet to report their full results. Those vote tallies should give Obama that state.

 

In Indiana, Obama is trailing slightly, but Lake County, which is the second-largest county in the state and one of the most heavily Democratic, has yet to report its full results. Those vote tallies, too, could give Obama the victory in a state that hasn’t voted to elect a Democrat president since 1964.

 

In North Carolina and Florida, two southern states that Bush won handily in 2004, Obama now leads with high percentages of the vote totals already reported.

 

Two more states that went Republican in 2004 – Colorado and Nevada – are likely to add to the Democratic electoral count by the end of the night.

 

A final Republican state, Missouri, appears too close to call.

 

National attention now shifts to U.S. Senate races, where Democrats have already made big gains. The Senate was split 51-49 at the beginning of the night in the Democrats’ favor. But tonight Democrats have won Senate seats in North Carolina, New Hampshire and Virginia, and are near-locks to also win seats in Colorado, New Mexico and Alaska. Democrats also seem likely to win Senate seats in Oregon and Minnesota.