Election Night 2012 Timeline

[David St. Hubbins II]

I wonder what would have had to happen for Mitt to actually win this big.

Maybe Obama is the one with a hidden camera scandal telling supporters at a dinner that 60% of white voters will never vote for him because they are against diversity and progress so he doesn't have to worry about them.

I think the double-dip recession would be enough to swing the popular vote to Romney, maybe around the same margin that Obama won it by.

[auburntiger]

I wonder if the hypothetical Obama camera scandal combined with a double dip would it be enough for Romney to break through in states like Oregon and Washington? or Minnesota? PLease finish the timeline!

[JRP1994]

At 9:36pm, we have a projection in the state of Illinois - the home state of President Obama. We can project that the state will remain in the Democratic column tonight. This was another must-win state for the President - a state where Romney/Christie actually led in a few pre-election polls. But Illinois will stay in Barack Obama's column tonight.

Governor Romney is at 250, President Obama now at 105.

[JRP1994]

9:54pm - we're coming up on the 10:00 poll closings in the states of Iowa, Montana, Nevada, and Utah. We ....... wait, we have a major projection to make. Governor Romney is the projected winner in the state of New Hampshire.

This is exciting news for the Romney campaign, but devastating news to the Obama campaign. The road to 270 for President Obama just got a lot tougher.

Governor Romney now has 254 electoral votes; President Obama has 105.

[JRP1994]

It's 10:00 EST, and the polls have just closed in 4 states. At this time, we can make the following projections:

In Iowa: Too early to call, but Romney leads
In Montana: Mitt Romney is the projected winner
In Nevada: Too close to call
In Utah: Mitt Romney is the projected winner

We're beginning to get indications from the Obama campaign that the magnitude of this night is beginning to set in for them.

Here is the electoral map at this hour. Governor Romney has 263 electoral votes, President Obama still at 105. Mr. Romney is just 7 votes shy of becoming President-elect.

[emcee0]

Dick Morris would be having an orgasm right now..

This would be an awful election outcome, good thing this only a what-if

[JRP1994]

At 10:29 EST, we can report history.

Mitt Romney is, by our estimation, the President Elect of the United States of America. We are calling, for Governor Romney, the state of Colorado (9 electoral votes).

The crowd in Boston is going wild with excitement.

Mr. Romney now has 272 electoral votes; Mr. Obama has 105.

[JRP1994]

10:43, and we have another major projection. We can now project that Mitt Romney has accomplished what no GOP candidate has since 1988 - he has won the state of Pennsylvania. The Keystone State's 20 electoral votes go into the Republican column, delivering a crippling blow to the Obama campaign.

We have received no word yet as to when we will hear from either Mr. Romney or Mr. Obama. But the victory for the Romney campaign in Pennsylvania suggests that this will be a substantial win for the Republicans tonight.

Mr. Romney now has 292 electoral votes; Mr. Obama still at 105.

[JRP1994]

At 10:49, we have another projection to make - Mitt Romney has won the state of Iowa's 6 electoral votes. This is only the 2nd time that Iowa has voted Republican since 1984.

Mr. Romney is now at 298 electoral votes. Mr. Obama still at 105.

[JRP1994]

We're coming up on the 11:00 poll closings of states on the West Coast, but first, at 10:56pm, we have a projection to make for President Obama - he has won the statewide vote in Maine, picking up the states's 2 "at-large" electoral votes.

We still cannot project a winner in the Second Congressional District, however. Governor Romney started with a large lead in the district, but the gap has narrowed. Mr. Romney holds a slight lead in the raw vote from the 2nd district, with 95% reporting.

Mr. Romney has 298 electoral votes, Mr. Obama now has 107.

[JRP1994]

It's 11:00 EST, and the polls have just closed in 5 states. At this hour, we can make the following projections:

In California: Barack Obama is the projected winner
In Hawaii: Barack Obama is the projected winner
In Idaho: Mitt Romney is the projected winner
In Oregon: Too close to call
In Washington: Too close to call

Here is the electoral map at 11:00. Mr. Romney has 302 electoral votes; Mr. Obama has 166.

[JRP1994]

At 11:04, we can project that Mitt Romney has won the 2nd Congressional District in the state of Maine, thus becoming the first Republican to win an electoral vote from Maine since 1988, and the first republican to ever split Maine's electoral votes.

Mr. Romney now has 303 electoral votes; Mr. Obama still at 166.

[Enderman]

I'd love to see Pres. Romney's Cabinet....SoC Rubio w/SoT Paul Ryan?

[Emperor Charles V]

Yes Romney won!!!!!

I can't wait to see what other states he is going to snatch from Obama!

Also, please after the election, I would love to hear about Romney's first term and his cabinet picks!

One other thing: how are the congressional elections? Do the Republicans manage to win the senate?

[auburntiger]

Just curious, but aren't networks required to wait until polls close on the West Coast, since that could affect  voting in semi-close states like Oregon, Washington? And It's such a sizable portion of the country still voting anyhow.

[emcee0]

As much as I personally despise the results of this timeline, could you please finish this I want to see the end results.

[Harry Hayfield]

Just curious, but aren't networks required to wait until polls close on the West Coast, since that could affect  voting in semi-close states like Oregon, Washington? And It's such a sizable portion of the country still voting anyhow.

See the 1992 and 1996 elections

[auburntiger]

Just curious, but aren't networks required to wait until polls close on the West Coast, since that could affect  voting in semi-close states like Oregon, Washington? And It's such a sizable portion of the country still voting anyhow.

See the 1992 and 1996 elections

I meant to add "since 2000" in the wake of the national chaos that year. Obviously the previous 5 elections to that were landslides electorally,popular vote or both. In 2008, Obama won substantially, yet no one actually called the race until 11:00 EST when CA, OR, WA, ID, and HI had finished voting. I find it interesting.

[JRP1994]

At 11:31, we can now project that Mitt Romney has won the state of Wisconsin, becoming the first GOP candidate to win the state since Ronald Reagan in 1984. The state has voted democratic in the past 6 elections, but it goes into the Republican column tonight.

Mr. Romney is now at 313 electoral votes; Mr. Obama still at 166.

[JRP1994]

At 11:52, we are projecting the state of Nevada for Mitt Romney. Nevada is a presidential bellwether - it voted twice for Ronald Reagan, twice for Bill Clinton, twice for George Bush, and voted for Barack Obama in 2008. But, we can project that Nevada is in the Romney column tonight.

Mr. Romney now has 319 electoral votes; Mr. Obama still at 166.

[JRP1994]

At 12:35, we have a major projection to make. We can now call the state of Minnesota for Mitt Romney, making him the first Republican to win the state since Richard Nixon in 1972. The win in Minnesota shows just how much of a mandate Gov. Romney is going to get tonight. The question is, will Minnesota be his high-water mark, or will he advance further into Democratic territory?

Mr. Romney is at 329, Mr. Obama at 166.

[emcee0]

keep going, finish this up!

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

keep going, finish this up!

I'll make guesses as to who will win the remaining states:

MI - Romney
NM - Romney
OR - Obama
WA - Obama
AK - Romney

[Illiniwek]

Oh my I am relieved this didn't actually happen...

[JRP1994]

It's 12:52, and we can now make a projection in the state of Michigan - we are projecting that Mitt Romney has won the state's 16 electoral votes - the first republican to win Michigan since George H.W. Bush in 1988.

Mr. Romney now has 345 electoral votes; Mr. Obama still at 166.