So Indiana's polls close early--at 6pm. *If* they call Indiana for Obama . . . Indiana!

[Lex]

Then we'll know pretty early what the rest of the night's going to shape up like?

Indiana will be a bellwether for things to come, no doubt.

Or am I just wrong on this?

[FVZA_Colonel]

1. I've heard it said that even a 1 to 2 point loss for Obama could be a good sign for the rest of the

country, given many of the assumptions about demographics. But I think we'll pull through their.

[nsd]

2. Polls in southwestern Indiana close at 7 pm ET.

Probably the networks won't call Indian before that no matter what.

[Lex]

7. okay, thanks

Yeah, they'll wait until they all close then.

[FVZA_Colonel]

10. How does that region rank for Obama?

[nsd]

16. It has a Democratic representative (Brad Ellsworth), but is somewhat conservative.

It's doubtful Obama will win in that part of Indiana.

[FVZA_Colonel]

21. I'd hate for a "surge" of late returns to mean Obama loses out.

However, let's hope the people there are as fed up as some conservatives elsewhere seem to be, and are willing to give Obama a chance.

[SuperTrouper]

3. They will say Too Close To Call=McCain is in trouble.

[Lex]

5. that makes sense

because Indiana ought to be in the bank by double digits for McCain

[skooooo]

4. If Obama wins Virginia, it's over...nt

[Lex]

6. I don't think the polls close there at 6pm though.

I'm looking for early info.

[skooooo]

8. Virginia might be the earliest to close....

...I think. :shrug:

[Lex]

18. Parts of Indiana and Kentucky close at 6pm.

However other parts close at 7pm.

[skooooo]

19. Yeah but Indiana splits two time zones..

...so...it will probably be later than the oP was hoping for.

[WI_DEM]

9. A close loss in Indiana is a good sign even, considering Bush won it by over 20 points.

[Clio the Leo]

11. But will Indiana's returns come back fast? NT

[GrizzlyMan]

12. Keep in mind injunctions will likely keep polls open longer

There will be injunctions filed by the campaigns in several states and they are almost always granted. I would look for this to be an issue everywhere, particularly in Ohio and Missouri.

[skooooo]

17. That's true...polls will be open later than scheduled...

...in a lot of places tomorrow I bet.

[democraticinsurgent]

13. Can't wait to find out

I am doing exit polling tomorrow in a heavily Republican Indy suburb (Fishers).

Most of my coworkers from my company office in Fishers were hanging on the "news" as to whether Obama's birth certificate was going to be found invalid by the Hawaii Supreme Court. They seem resigned to having taxes raised, even though most of them aren't in the upper demographic that would qualify for such. They also have convinced themselves that it's going to be a nail-biter like the last two elections.

It will be so interesting to see what the results of my exit poll turn out to me. If Obama is competitive in this district then I'll know he'll win Indiana.

Which, I think he will. ;-)

By the way they probably won't call Indiana until 7pm due to some areas on the Western edge of the state being on Central time...

[Schulzz]

14. Western Indiana polls close at 7 pm.

And it took a few hours to call Indiana in the primaries, I doubt that they will call the state for some time and that will be a very good sign.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

15. I doubt it'll be so in favor of Obama that they'll call it at 6

If they do, however, start popping the corks. There's no way Obama wins Indiana without winning OH and PA. Even if he does lose those two, which seems outrageously unrealistic if Obama wins Indiana, winning IN offsets half of PA, and the other half would be offset by IA and NM (which are both in the bag).

Then, Obama would have to win either:

FL -OR-
VA and NV -OR-
VA and CO -OR-
VA and MO -OR-
MO and NV -OR-
MO and CO -OR-
CO and NV and NE 2nd District

That's seven realistic paths to victory, even with losing IN and PA. That's what I call a firewall, folks.

[Lucy Goosey]

20. An Indiana win would mean a national win, I think, but a loss wouldn't be fatal.

McCain needs Indiana - we don't.

Great position to be in, no?

[SweetieD]

22. I'm a Hoosier at Heart. I hope IN goes Blue! But I'm not holding my breath.