Senate Majority-Will they make it magic 60?

52 Senate seats called now. First Democratic majority for a while. If they get 60 life will be a lot easier for Obama. Hopefully they'll get there.

The Potomac night-Yes he will again

The night of the states around the Potomac area has started well with Obama cruising to a clear win by the look of it-he's on 61% to Clinton's 38% so far. CNN now saying it'as 1,164 to 1,159 delegated but the lead of only 5 is down to her lead in Super-delegates. He's won 19 to 14 states so far, and as he says it's 'coast to caost, sea to shining sea'. Dsitrict of Columbia with no exit polls and only a tiny amount of votes in.

CNN saying McCain just barely winning Virginia.

It's just happened he's pulled ahead by 2 delegates-including the Super delegates. In fact he's 1,104 to 834 ahead on the pledged delegates. That's almost 20% ahead. Great quote from Donna Brazille on CNN- "he's moved from the Starbucks latte types to the Dunkin' Donuts types".

Here come's Hilary-looks a bit rattled to me. Hammering the vets support, and now the young democrats. She's in El Paso-the real one now, not Dundalk.

'All hat, no cattle', is she off again on inexperience? Trying to answer the charges of having done little in early life. Kept it relatively clean so far, I think not for long though!

Here it goes-he's taken Maryland as well, as we expected. And McCain for republicans. It's beginning to feel like we might be looking at these faces until November. Once again it's a state where Obama's overturned a big Clinton poll lead.

And now DC (75% to 23%!!!) as well-his line is great- we have won DC but we won't stop till we have real change in Washington DC.

He's taking the battle direct to McCain now-that's what I call confidence, and what a crowd. Tonight he decidedly looks like the real deal!

A $4,000 tuition grant but only for students who commit to community and voluntary service. I wonder how that would play with the gang in the student bars tonight.

Past the 4,000-Keep Visiting

Great news for the ohargain blog. You and your like-minded or equally inquisitive spirits have brought the visitor figures to this site to 4,000. Just as interesting is where you're coming from. The past week for instance have seen 54 visitors from Ireland(Hi to my Borough Council colleagues who drop in occasionally!), 15 from the US, doubtless because of the Obama blogs, and 11 from the UK. Further afield there are 2 each from France, Canada and New Zealand, while my South American regular visitor seems to be in Argentina these days!

Anyway thanks to all for visiting, and 'tar ar ais go minic', come back regularly please.

Change in the air-Obama does it in Iowa

This politics thing is insane. Here I am, back from the Kingdom, having had a politics free fortnight and a great time with Mar and the kids and my parents. Yet here I am at almost three in the morning, watching the intrigue of politics three thousand miles away. From the day three years ago when I picked up Barack Obama's book in an airport in San Francicso, I've been hugely excited by this extraordinary young African American Democrat. I have believed that he can give Hilary Clinton a real run for her money in the Democratic primaries.

In the last ten minutes it's becoming a reality. Both CNN and our beloved Fox News have just called the state for Obama, with an astonishing 7% lead over John Edwards and Clinton. He now has 37%, to 30% each for the others. The turnout is huge, and a real indication of hope is that the number of young people turing out is the best in years.

On RTE's Primetime programme tonight, Samantha Power, that magical Irish woman who packed St. Canice's Cathedral in August called it like this. The infectious enthisiasm she had then and now may just prove right. For those of us enthusiastic about how new ideas and a lack of sticking with the old ways of doing things in politics, a guy who has only been a Senator for three years but who's now threateningfto become the US' first ever black President breathes life into politics. Roll on New Hampshire!

Addicted to Politics

Hi, my name is Seán and I'm addicted to politics! I've just been proclaimed mad by my wife who's witnessing me following the inner workings of the US House and Senate elections late into the night. The fact that we can get excited by exit polls from Virginia, Alaska and Vermont shows how much of an influence this country's politics has on all our lives. Hopefully it will be a good night for the Democrats, and Bush will lose control of both houses. This will see the start hopefully of a push to see the Presidency return to the Democrats in 2008.

My favourite candidate is Illinois Senator Barack Obama, whose star is on the rise in the party and the country and who is a good bet for America's first black President. His book, 'Dreams from my Father' is one of the best reads I have ever had, and he may just make up a dream ticket with Hillary Clinton, with her becoming the first woman VP hopefully.

One of the interesting things about US politics thesee days is the impact of the net and blogging in particular. I'm now watching Howard Dean on MSNBC, a man who made huge use of blogging in the run-up to the last Presidential election. Blogging parties are all the rage tonight including one hosted by CNN-how about it RTÉ during next summer's election? We wouldn't mind sipping a few glasses of vino in Donnybrook- I'm actually enjoying Los Robles, a wonderful Fair Trade wine from Chilé as we speak-God Bless Superquinn!

By the way have a look at one of the better US blogs I've seen, which amazingly is called Crooks and Liars- Nothing to do with politics surely!