00:20: A fine speech, a wonderful evening. A final note:
23:45: Nevada has been called for Obama. I'm just killing time now - Obama is due to speak at midnight.
23:40: Six states are still outstanding. Of these, Obama is currently leading in North Carolina, Indiana, Montana and Nevada. McCain is leading in Missouri. Alaska's polls are still open until midnight.
23:31: Obama won Florida, incidentally. That and Colorado gives him 333 electoral votes. With 96% reporting, Indiana is still too close to call.
23:28: That was a very gracious speech.
23:18: McCain speaks now. "Though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours".
23:15: McCain should speak soon, then Obama.
23:14: McCain has called Obama to concede.
23:10: History Happens. And I like this, from the National Review:
23:06: Obama won Virginia, incidentally.
23:03: Awesome.
23:00: Make it stop! Polls closing. Obama wins California. Obama wins Washington and we have a winner 273 electoral votes he's done it he's done it yeah yeah yeah. Barack Hussein Obama is the next President of the United States. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
22:58: Wonkette's tremendous vision for the future of the Republican Party:
22:57: Obama is ahead in Montana, albeit with 6% reporting. I would love it - love it - if he won there.
22:54: Fair point from Nate Silver. The networks have been fairly restrained in calling races tonight, which I appreciate.
22:53: Note to self - Be in a better time zone in 2012.
22:51: Obama has just pulled ahead in Indiana with 92% reporting. Squeaky.
22:47: I think we may be heading for a call just after 23:00. Obama is up by 170,000 votes in Florida with 80% reporting, and 60,000 in Virginia with 91% reporting. Could be that they get called when California polls close at 23:00.
22:30: Obama leading 51/49 with 69% reporting in Florida. Same in Virginia with 89%. 50/50 in North Carolina with 82% reporting.50/49 for McCain with 89% reporting in Indiana.
22:25: California closes at 23.00. With 55 electoral votes, that should put Obama over the top.
22:17: Obama has now taken the lead in Virginia with 86% of states reporting.
22:13: Sorry to go on about this, but John Bolton is killing me. He's just a fringe character - don't give him a platform.
22:08: Minnesota called for Obama.
22:04: McCain ahead by 9,000 votes in Indiana with 85% reporting.
22:00: Iowa is called for Obama. That's the third Bush state that Obama has won. Excellent. Utah for McCain.
21:56: McCain has a lead of about 30,000 votes in Indiana, with 76% reporting. This one is impossible to predict.
21:50: There's a lull in the action. Still waiting for calls in some of the battleground state. Would be great if we could knock this off by 23:00 so I could get an hour of sleep.
21:38: New Mexico called for Obama. That's the second Obama pick-up, after Ohio. Texas called for McCain.
21:33: 51/48 for Obama in North Carolina with 46% reporting. These battleground states are still too close to call.
21:32: West Virginia and Louisiana called for McCain. Obama is on 195 electoral votes, McCain has 90.
21:29: Battleground state update. 51/48 for Obama in Florida with 54% reporting. 51/48 for McCain in Indiana with 68% reporting. 50/49 for McCain in Virginia with 71% reporting.
21:24: BBC calls Ohio for Obama. The path to victory for McCain is now very, very, very narrow.
21:22: "Obama's a radical... you don't understand the Republican party... McCain had to pick Palin to rally the base..." It's all garbage, and to think he was Ambassador to the UN. You want a reason to vote for Obama, there's one right there.
21:21: John Bolton is on BBC, being a dick.
21:12: The Senate races are going as expected at this stage. One particularly gratifying result was the defeat of Liddy Dole by Democrat Kay Hagen in North Carolina. Dole came out with a filthy ad, implying that Sunday school teacher Hagen was an athiest. This backfired, and Dole, the wife of 1996 Republican candidate Bob Dole, has been deservedly defeated.
21:08: Fox is making the earliest calls of any networks - they've called New Mexico and Ohio for Obama. Again, let's chill out on these early calls.
21:03: Lots of polls closed. Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin, Rhode Island called for Obama. Wyoming, Kansas, North Dakota for McCain. BBC also calling Georgia for McCain. These last two are a little disappointing; they were both thought of as possible - not probable - Obama pickups. Obama now on 175, McCain on 76 according to the BBC count.
20:58: Obama has won Pinellas County (Tampa, St Petersburg) in Florida, which Bush took in 2004. Fairly big swing to Obama.
20:54: Obama leading 52-48 in Florida with 42% of counties reporting.
20:48: CNN now calls Pennsylvania for Obama. We're still waiting for a real battleground state to be called. Virginia has 46% of precincts reporting, with McCain leading 54-45.
20:42: Some networks called Georgia for McCain. Let's hold fire with that one too.
20:40: Don't want to wee on any campfires, but the very early call of Pennsylvania for Obama is not unanimous - CNN hasn't given it yet.
20:37: Quick break while I make a cup of tea. Time is flying.
20:32: Indiana still too close to call. McCain leading 52% to 47% with 42% of precincts reporting. Only about 16,000 votes in from Lake County, which is Obama's banker.
20:30: Arkansas and Alabama called for McCain.