Andrew Romano

McCain's concession speech from the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Ariz. was everything it had to be--a generous, gracious reminder that when the campaign comes to a close what really matters is our shared enterprise as Americans.

Over on Race to the Finish, Howard Fineman writes on the McCain camp's mood: READ THE FULL POST HERE

McCain called Obama at 11 p.m. Eastern. What they said, courtesy of Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs: Senator Obama thanked Senator McCain for his graciousness and said he had waged a tough race.

It's a wrap. Whatever your political affiliation, whomever you supported... I think we can all come together at this moment, as Americans, and agree that the election of the son of a black Kenyan father and a white Kansan mother--an African-American--represents a turning point in the long, imperfect narrative of our nation.

With 91 precincts reporting, both FOX News and the Associated Press call Virginia for Barack Obama. How'd he do it? By slicing into the Bush margins downstate and running up big leads in the heavily populated, transplant-rich ring of suburban counties around Washington D.C.--Arlington (67-32), Loudoun (53-47), Fairfax (59-41) and Prince William (55-44).

Judging by the latest exit polls, young voters (18- to 29-year olds) accounted for roughly the same share of the overall electorate as in 2004--17 percent then vs. 18 percent now.

The networks won't call it for awhile. The winner won't reach 270 for another hour or two. But it just became pretty much impossible for John McCain to win the 2008 election.

It's official.As polls close at 9:00 p.m., the networks call Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin for Barack Obama. This means that John McCain, who has already lost in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania will not--repeat will not--add to George W.

With a quarter of precincts reporting, NBC News calls Georgia for John McCain. No surprise there--the Peach State was probably the reachiest of Barack Obama's reaches.

The AP calls New Hampshire the second the polls close. Despite showing massive Obama leads in recent days, the Granite State was always considered McCain's second-best pick-up possibility.

According to the CBS exit polls, African American turnout in the Peach State is up five points as a share of the electorate since 2004.Why is that important? Because it means that black voters will comprise 30 percent of the electorate there this year.

John McCain's plan to win tonight? Swipe Pennsylvania. Alas, it was not to be. At 8:00 on the dot--the moment the polls closed--the networks called the Keystone State for Obama.

Hey everyone, For the next hour, veteran Democratic consultant Joe Trippi and I will be answering your questions... live and uncensored. Click here to participate.Thanks for reading!

The first results of the 2008 election are trickling in ... from Indiana's Vigo County. That might sound kind of random. But the interesting thing is, Vigo County--home of Terre Haute--has for decades most closely matched the national vote for president of any county in the country.

  The final round of state and national polling is in. It shows Barack Obama widening his average overall lead to 7.6 percent--a 2.5-percent increase from two weeks ago--and topping 52 percent nationwide.

If that's not enough detail for you, be sure to check out Nate Silver's exclusive NEWSWEEK timeline of "what to watch for" this evening. Here's a sneak peek: 6 PM EST.

As part of NEWSWEEK's continuing "Press Box" series, here's my take on Barack Obama's best and worst campaign decisions:Agree? Disagree? The comments, as always, are yours. 

As part of NEWSWEEK's continuing "Press Box" series, here's my take on John McCain's best and worst campaign decisions. (Hint: they're one and the same.) Agree? Disagree? I'd love to hear your thoughts below.

I left the house to vote at 6:30 this morning--and here's what greeted me at the corner of St. John's and Sixth Ave. in Park Slope, Brooklyn. "I've been voting here for 20 years," one guy told me. "Usually, you just walk right in." Another fellow--slightly older--interrupted. "I've been voting here for 30 years," he added. "Never seen anything like this." Now, my neighborhood--a patchwork of aging Bobos, deeply-rooted African-Americans, young creative types, yupster families and lots and lots...

(Alex Brandon / AP)En route last night to Chicago, Barack Obama came to the back of O-Force One to chat with his traveling press corps, which includes reporters who've barely returned home for 21 months.

A round-up of this morning's must-read stories. NOW GO VOTE!AFTER EPIC CAMPAIGN, VOTERS GO TO THE POLLS(Adam Nagourney, New York Times)The 2008 race for the White House that comes to an end on Tuesday fundamentally upended the way presidential campaigns are fought in this country, a legacy that has almost been lost with all the attention being paid to the battle between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama.

(Cheryl Senter / AP) The polls opened shortly after midnight in the tiny, isolated village in northeastern New Hampshire that has cast the first presidential ballots in every election since 1960.

  Barack Obama's 86-year-old grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died from cancer only ten days after the candidate put his campaign on hold to visit her in Hawaii--and only one day before he stands for election to the presidency of the United States.

 November: it's the new October. In a normal election year, the 10th month is the time for surprises--that is, the last-minute slips, blips and/or cataclysmic events with the greatest potential, by virtue of their last-minuteness, to influence the election's outcome.

Ladies and gentlemen, we're now taking bets. Electoral College totals. Popular vote percentages. Democratic pickups in the House and the Senate. I'll post mine here (and add predictions from other New York Newsweekers as they come in).

Twenty-four hours. Thirteen states. And only one of them is typically considered blue. If you want to get a sense of how steep a climb John McCain faces in the final day of the 2008 presidential campaign, forget about the national polls.

As part of NEWSWEEK's continuing "Press Box" series, here's my take on the challenges that face a President McCain--and the questions Democrats will ask themselves--if Barack Obama loses tomorrow's election:Thoughts? Disagreements? Amendments? Ad hominem attacks? The comments, as always, are yours.

As part of NEWSWEEK's continuing "Press Box" series, here's my take on what will happen to the Republican Party if Obama wins tomorrow's election: Thoughts? Disagreements? Amendments? Ad hominem attacks? The comments, as always, are yours.

A round-up of this morning's must-read stories.THE YEAR OF LIVING ON THE EDGE OF OUR SEATS(Frank Bruni, New York Times)Will one candidate win by millions, or lose by thousands?

As a native New Jerseyan, I am duty-bound to post this video of the Boss rallying Cleveland for Obama: Via Richard Wolffe: