THIS MODERN WORLD

There are still hundreds of thousands of absentee and provisional ballots to be counted.

What Rove knows and Democrats are only now just learning is that the endgame in an election isn’t the final tally; it’s framing the narrative in how the final tally is counted.

There are still hundreds of thousands of absentee and provisional ballots to be counted.

Right this minute — right now, go, seriously — contact the national media, plus every media outlet in the close states that you can find — and demand that they not call any results final until the results are actually final.

There are still hundreds of thousands of absentee and provisional ballots to be counted.

The perception that the uncounted votes aren’t important could congeal in the next 24 hours.

Let’s win the endgame this time.

FAIR’s media contact list is here.

Newslink’s complete media list, indexed by state, is here.

Ohio TV stations. Ohio newspapers. Ohio radio stations.

GOTV is done. Now let’s Get Out The Media.

Don’t blow this, Democrats. There’s too much at stake.

As you undoubtedly recall, those are the immortal words of Diebold’s Warren O’Dell in a fundraising letter sent to Republicans last year.

Well.

It’s finally arrived — the day that defines the next four years. With any luck, we’ll be giving George Bush his walking papers today — and with him, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rove, and the whole rotten crew.

I’ll spare you the lecture on the importance of voting. If you’re visiting this site, there’s probably no need.

We’ve all been focused on this day for so long. Now, the waiting.

…I woke up this morning at 3 a.m. and thought, This is either Christmas morning or the day of a close friend’s funeral. I’ve been awake since then, and I’m still not sure which.

Okay, sure, most every poll you can find has the race neck-and-neck, too close to call, insert your political cliche here…

…but 92% of Bill O’Reilly’s viewers think Bush will win tomorrow.

Bob Kerrey, on Larry King Live (via Tapped):

KERREY: Well, I hope Marc’s right. I hope it doesn’t happen but my guess is and I don’t have any influence over John Kerry and the DNC. My advice to him would be not to litigate.

KING: Not to litigate?

KERREY: Not to litigate. I mean, look, you’ve got an exceptionally difficult period in the history of mankind. I disagree with Marc on why it’s troubled times. I think it’s part troubled because of the way the Iraq War has been conducted but it is a troubled time, a difficult time and not to have a president of the United States inaugurated and a peaceful transition one way or the other (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
…

But I would prefer that I mean if it’s a close — if it’s close and there’s an opportunity to litigate, I would say to John Kerry don’t litigate. Let Bush be the president.

Translation: if the Republicans manage to sow enough doubt and confusion, then for the good of the country, step aside and let Bush have another term.

Lord. I’ve been hoping that Democrats are ready to fight hard, if tomorrow and the days following turn into some sort of repeat of 2000, so I really hope Bob Kerrey’s opinion is not representative. I mean, can you imagine a Republican giving his party’s candidate this advice? If there’s any unpleasantness, just give up and let Kerry win. Sure.