The only silver lining in the new governership of Schwarzenegger:

I've been worried that past few days about how ugly it would get if Davis did win, how low his ratings could get before his term ran out--and how far he might drag the party down with him. Or Bustamante winning--apparently he wasn't really up to the job of spokesperson for a big state. We could have just replaced one disaster with another.

That situation is so fucked up, anyone in there is likely to end up unpopular. Hopefully Arnold will be run out of there with his tail between his legs, and the Dems can win it back the next time. Unfortunately, that will be too late to help out Howard Dean or Wesley Clark as they try to defeat Bush next fall.

A lot of power comes with incumbency, but I can only hope Arnold's ratings will already be in the toilet by next November. That may be wildly optimistic, but it may well depend on how the groping scandal plays out.

Yes, assuming the nets are playing it safer after the 2000 Florida debacle, the news is:

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the new governor of California.

And Groper in Chief of the biggest state in the union? He may be governor, but he's not out of the woods on that one.

Based on exit polls, CNN declared a winner just a minute after the polls closed. (After a minute of ridiculous preamble--already trying to stretch, apparently):

Davis will lose the recall by a healthy margin, Schwarzenegger will take his place.

Wow, so much for a long suspensful night. (Or a God out there messing around in things, as Arnold suggested today. Obviously He kept out of it.)

 And apparently other networks have done the same.

Best asswipe quote from a newsmodel two minutes into the proceedings: Candy Crowley: "This cannot come as a surprise to the Gray Davis campaign, but it certainly, I think, still has to come as a shock."

Think about that Candy. The sad part is, she did. That wasn't an offhand line in response to an unexpected question, that was her canned opening of her lead "analysis" just after Wolf announced the winner.

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit.

Soon we may know how the Californial recall turned out.

I'll be monitoring the networks as soon as the polls close at 11 eastern, and keep you posted.

I get so excited on election nights. I can hardly wait.

Polls don't close in CA till 8 p.m. local time, 11 eastern. How annoying.

Good for them, of course, but still annoying.

Not half as annoying as the CNN coverage, though. Particularly twitlike was Tucker Carlson.

Why don't they just say they have absolutely nothing to say, and they'll be back at 11. (One exception: they have Arnold Schwarzenegger's camp touting internal polls that supposedly indicate he will win. For what that's worth.)

See you in four hours.

I'll have updates here all night as news breaks on the California recall results.

Arnold Schwarzenegger shown on CNN saying repeatedly this morning, "It's up to God now" (or the one time, "Up to the God now.")

I just hate that. Look, I believe in God, too, but I think he's leaving this one up to the people of California.

Maybe it's up to you Arnold, and how good a job you did campaigning, and/or groping. Ever think of taking responsibility for your own successes or failures?

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I'll have updates on the California recall results all night as news breaks.

AP is reporting very heavy turnout.

I don't know enough about this race to know whether that is a good or bad sign for stopping Schwarzenegger. If anyone knows, enlighten me in the comments and I'll post it.

And here is the latest polling info from the AP story:

The Davis campaign said its internal tracking polls for the past three nights showed voters almost evenly split on the recall issue with just slightly more than 50 percent in favor. Schwarzenegger's campaign, however, said its tracking poll showed the pro-recall side solidly ahead.

The scary part is the 2.2 million absentee ballots sent in before the disclosures on Arnold's groping.