As we await the outcome of the most monumental presidential election in ... well, at least the last four years ... let's take a deep breath, relax, and ask ourselves what the next president will do about one of the nation's most serious crime problems: the out-of-control gangs of roving roosters in Benton, Illinois.

[P]olice [in Benton] took a rooster into custody after it allegedly confronted a woman and her child. Police Chief Mike O'Neill said the rooster has been bothering people lately, trying to keep them from getting where they want to go. O'Neill said officers had enough on Monday and took the rooster into custody after what he described as a brief scuffle.

Apparently tasers were not used. And yes, it may have been only one maladapted rooster, but it's only a matter of time before gangs of rogue roosters are terrorizing your community! Let's make sure the next administration isn't soft on roosters.

Statistics-driven sports fans might take some comfort in this:

In 16 of the 17 presidential elections since the Redskins moved to Washington in 1937, the incumbent party has kept the White House if the team won its last home game before the election while the out-of-power party has taken over if the Redskins lost. (The only exception came four years ago, when the Redskins lost to the Green Bay Packers but President Bush won reelection.)

The Packers did their part for good governance four years ago, even if the predictive streak ended. Last night the Pittsburgh Steelers did their best to assure an Obama victory by shutting down the Redskins in a 23-6 victory. Let's hope the streak resumes today.

Voters must know where to turn to if their right to vote is being hampered or outright denied on Tuesday or if they need any assistance:

• For immediate assistance, call the nonpartisan 866-OUR-VOTE hotline

• To report problems to Election Protection’s state teams through Twitter, use these guidelines.

These resources track breaking news as it happens on Election Day:

• OurVoteLive.org – A live map and full database of all the reports received through the hotline
• OurVoteLive Blog Breaking news and analysis on the state of the vote
• 866OurVote Twitter account – Breaking news and reports as they happen

I just saw Sarah Palin interviewed at her polling place. She wouldn't say who she voted for. She said, no matter what happens, she'll "always be Sarah from Alaska."

Please, go vote, so Sarah stays in Alaska and the only time we have to mention her is in connection with a post-mortem analysis of McCain's reckless, selfish failed Hail Mary Pass.

I muted her when she started talking about the Personnel Board Report. Unlike the Legislature, the Personnel Board is an agency of the state's executive branch and its officials can be fired by Palin. Even those appointed by her predecessor. Of course they came out for her on Election Eve, they want to keep their jobs, as TChris wrote here. The Legislative Report found she abused the power of her office. How convenient for her to gloss over that.

Bye, Sarah.

TalkLeft was difficult to access this morning. A lot of the problems have to do with traffic at third party sites. For example, our "twit this" button caused the page not to load, probably because their site is overloaded.

I've stripped the site of widgets, including TalkLeft's and Headline News widgets. I've also removed the affiliate shopping ads.

Hopefully that will solve the problems. Colin, our webmaster, is keeping an eye on things and will solve problems should any more arise.

We also have a backup site, in case we actually go down. Please bookmark it now. If you forget, it's easy to remember -- TalkLeftDenver - at- blogspot.com.

Update:

The same weather pattern was responsible for unusually balmy conditions for voters throughout the Midwest, from Detroit and Minneapolis to Des Moines and St. Louis. Some voters said the favorable weather made the crowds friendlier and the long waits more bearable.

original post:

In Madison, Wisconsin, it is an unseasonably summery day, with sunny skies and a predicted high temperature of 72. Whether this is a happy artifact of global warming or divine intervention, the weather will make it easy to stand in line at the polls if that's what it takes to cast an Obama vote.

Will "Center Right" America choose Socialism? According to John McCain and the polls, they will.

Final polls:

Dkos/R2000 - Obama 51, McCain 46
ABC/WaPo - Obama 53. McCain 44
NBC/WSJ - Obama 51, McCain 43
CBS - Obama 51, McCain 42
Fox - Obama 50, McCain 43
Gallup - Obama 55, McCain 44
IBD/TIPP - Obama 52, McCain 44
CNN - Obama 53, McCain 46
Ipsos/McClatchey, Obama 53, McCain 46
Hotline - Obama 50, McCain 45
Pew, Obama 52, McCain 46
Battleground, Obama 52, McCain 46

My prediction remains the same - Obama 52.5, McCain 46.5.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Hours before the polls open, Sarah Palin hopes to silence questions about her health and ethics. In a two page letter released yesterday, Palin's doctor proclaims her physically fit to do whatever it is that a Vice President Palin would do (shudder). Andrew Sullivan thinks the late disclosure represents "a giant finger to the press."

Palin's ethical fitness is a stickier question. A report conveniently released yesterday by Alaska's Personnel Board found that Sarah Palin violated no ethics rules when she fired the state police commissioner.

Bruce Springstseen for Obama in Cleveland yesterday, singing The Rising. "We are at the crossroads." Below, Jackson Browne and For America [More...]

The New York Times reports that CBS and Slate may call the election before the polls close around the country. I hope they do.

I think it will be an early night and the outcome will be known as soon as Ohio, PA, Florida, Indiana and Virginia are projected. CBS says:

"We can’t be in this position of hiding our heads in the sand when the story is obvious.”

Similarly, the editor of the Web site Slate, David Plotz, said in an e-mail message that “if Obama is winning heavily,” he could see calling the race “sometime between 8 and 9.”

“Our readers are not stupid, and we shouldn’t engage in a weird Kabuki drama that pretends McCain could win California and thus the presidency,” Mr. Plotz wrote. “We will call it when a sensible person — not a TV news anchor who has to engage in a silly pretense about West Coast voters — would call it.”

Why drag it out? Let's begin the celebration early.

Markos of Daily Kos gives his electoral vote predictions. He thinks Obama will win 390 to 148.

It's time for me to give my prediction: Obama either wins 383 to 155 or 356 to 182. My maps are below:

Just heard him say it on ESPN in an interview at halftime of Monday Night football. He is 100% correct. Course that means the SEC would win the national championship every year. That's change we can believe in.

Oh BTW, how about them Gators?

This is an Open Thread.