I tracked the vote call on the internet most of the night. Often running the tallies directly from the Secretary of State offices in individual states instead of through the news services.

It was not just my imagination that there was a tendency to call states for Kerry much more easily than for Bush. That hadn't changed since 2000. I don't know the exact formulas each network uses. I just saw what I saw.

They didn't call Florida for Bush until 97 percent of the precincts were in and Bush was still five points ahead. He had been ahead all damn night.

I knew that there was no way the provisionals would outcount the existing margin long before the Democrats and media reluctantly came to the same conclusion. I've got a calculator here.

California was called for Kerry on CNN five minutes after the polls closed.

The CNN map on their website still has Iowa and New Mexico as undecided. Childish.

The fact is that those who are the source of news for many people was pulling for one candidate on election night. Just listening to Dan Rather and some others would be evidence enough for most people. Maybe that doesn't bother you.