Firming up...and melting down

3.07am The BBC's coverage has just lost all its sound. so it's a bizarre parade of talking heads without the sound.

2.52 This is a great election for the City of Chicago. It certainly bolsters the odds of Chicago hosting the 2014 Olympics, and boosts its standing as a great world city.

2.50 with 61% of precincts declared, Obama is at 51% in Florida.

2.49 "a new america is about to be born tonight" says one ex-republican stockbroker convert to Obama

2.43 Huffington Post reporting that it's really tight in Virgina - Obama might edge it but McCain thus far is marginally ahead.

2.41 Despite being massively ahead in electoral college votes, Obama only leads in the popular vote by 1%. Very interesting how the system works. Certainly will bode for a difficult re-election in 4 years time.

2.34am John Bolton is such a boneheaded idiot. GIves good value as a combative panelist but he's a paranoid reactionary and it's interesting how out of touch he sounds.

2.31am Arizona is tied - if Obama defeats McCain in his home state then it's more than a wipeout or a rout, it's a gaping pit of destruction.