Quite a day in American politics, I think it's been a larger turn around than most anticipated, particularly after the latest pre-election polls signalled a strenghtening of the GOP's support. The building expectation and optimism of the Democrats over the past number of weeks seemed like it may have been founded in quick sand as was the case in the previous Presedential race.

But not this time. Virginia is left to call at the time of writing, with the Democrat Jim Webb 7,000 odd votes in front in a ballot of 2.3 million plus. I'm not going to be waiting up tonight to see the result of that one. If things fall in Webb's favour, that would really dot the Is and cross the Ts on the Whitewash headlines.

I did watch until about 1a.m. this morning as the polls were closing across the Eastern states. Across Sky News, CNN, MSNBC, FOX and Bloomberg there was one common thread that really struck me. The amount of time spent discussing blogs on all broadcasts (both the actual news coming through the blogs and the more abstract discussion of the increasing role of blogs in politics) was stupendous.

CNN were covering blog parties and talking to people at them as they were blogging. It was just blog mania at literally every turn on every channel. Pundits were claiming that blogs were responsible for increasing voter turnout over the past number of national elections, all sorts of interesting stuff. They spoke about hermetically sealing pollsters away in a room because they didn't want uber-early and incorrect calls going out on the blogs.

I felt I had a good grip on the passion that goes into political blogging in the states and the importance of the role it plays over there, but after last night? Well, certainly the passion blew me away.

I also felt strongly the networks all had a bit of a hump because they subscribe to "higher standards" of reporting, thus the blogs would always be ahead on calling things, so there was a definite air of the blogs taking the networks' thunder.

This evening Mr. Rumsfeld is left to saddle up on the scapegoat and ride off into the sunset. Sorry for your troubles Donnie, hope the shock and awe of it all doesn't pinch too much.

This morning the sun still rose on Texas, and maybe the only truly significant practical change delivered by this election will be the first female leader of the lower house. That in itself must be something to be warmly welcomed. If I could ask Ms. Pelosi a question, I'd borrow a line from Hunter S. Thompson:

What's the score here... What's next?

tags: mid-term elections, rumsfeld