And then, on November 5th 2008, AmericaPANIC ended. We won.

I started AmericaPANIC to fight the good fight against what I saw as the forces of evil - namely the hijacked Republican party and the disgusting and cynical McCain/Palin campaign.

That battle is now over. We have triumphed.

It was encouraging to see Senator McCain give a gracious concession speech last night, even though many of his supporters showed their true colors. And I expect only bad things from Sarah Palin and the GOP coming up. I doubt they've learned their lesson.

And I don't expect an apology.

But now, it's time to move on. I'm not a supporter of the Democrats as much as I'm against the Republicans, but I feel it's now possible to see positive change in DC. And I believe the next few days, weeks, months and years will be truly inspiring under President Obama.

I've started a new blog as of today, a work in progress, and I call it "Soot and Ashes". It's at http://sootandashes.blogspot.com or www.sootandashes.com. Call it a think tank for the regular guy. We'll discuss all the good stuff. Or as I say today:

"A centrist blog hitting on all the good stuff: Politics. Economics. Fiscal Policy. Foreign Policy. Moral Issues. Culture. Investments. Religion. Humor. Life."

It's time to dig ourselves out of this mess.

It's time to hope again.

Peace out.

Even though 48% of Americans wanted to keep their country on a course of ruin, the world celebrates Obama's victory

If the world got to vote, Obama would have won 90% of the vote.

And yet 48% of Americans just don't get it.

I wish those 48% would travel beyond the borders of America, which I doubt many of them do. America should be trusted. It should be respected. It should be admired. It should be that shining city on a hill.

George Bush and Dick Cheney and the Republican Party destroyed that trust and goodwill these past eight years. They destroyed the American brand around the world.

And now, in a moment, that trust and goodwill has been restored. Now let's see if Obama can get it back for good.

Obama Victory Sparks Cheers Around the World

Across the globe, in concert halls and ballrooms, in plazas and beach parties and busy streets, the citizens of the world hailed the election of Barack Obama as a stroke for racial equality and voiced hopes his presidency would herald a more balanced, less confrontational America.

Here's President-Elect Obama's victory speech - November 4, 2008

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

Juan Williams on the Obama victory

AmericaPANIC Congratulates President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama. America thankfully chose hope over fear.

The good news for Obama? The bar is set low. Really, really low.

The bad news? George W. Bush, the GOP (and many of Obama's fellow Democrats in Congress) wrecked America, spent all the money and demoralized the nation.

Thanks to Bush's incompetence and corruption, Obama's got his work cut out for him.

But no matter your politics, I think you can be proud to be an American tonight. This was a race for the ages. And the better man, and better campaign, won.

FLASH: EXIT POLLS HAVE OBAMA AND DEMOCRATS IN A LANDSLIDE

I like giving you tomorrow's news today, so figure I'll give you tonight's news tonight. Just a few hours early.

So, did you all vote?

Join the liveblog over at HousingPANIC at 7pm EST / 12am GMT

Should be an interesting night!

Hope doesn't pay the bills. Hope doesn't fix the problems. But it's a start. And unlike fear and negativity espoused by the GOP, it wins elections

Join us over at housingpanic tonight at 7pm as we liveblog the election results and Obama landslide.

Go vote.

Uh, actually, Americans would like a President who has thought about governing

John McCain wanted to be President all his life. He built up a fake personae, he spent the past eight years running, but I don't think he's ever actually planned to govern.

Which is a good thing. I think the American people sensed that. Because a McCain administration would have been a disaster.

The pursuit of power corrupted John McCain. It turned him into an unrecognizable piece of sh*t. He would have been a terrible president.

And the American people, including the members of his own party, told him to go home.

Build your own map and predict the Obama electoral blowout count

In a total blowout, if EVERYTHING goes Obama's way on Tuesday, his max would be 468 to 70. But that would include a few states like MT and ND, where Obama is close or tied but man we'd be in cats sleeping with dogs stage to see states like those vote for Obama. After all, there's more black people on Obama's bus than in Montana.

But these are strange times.

If on the other hand EVERYTHING goes McCain's way on Tuesday, and people lied to the pollsters, I see him still losing 260 to 278. But that's giving McCain all the close states, like OH, FL and MO.

In the end, Obama will win it and his electoral count will be between 333 and 366.

This race is not even close, no matter what Fox News and Dick Morris would have you believe.

So play around with the map yourselves, and get on record with your prediction.

Besides their own incompetence, incoherence and corruption, there were two big things that destroyed the Republican Party forever.

1) The Internet: Which allowed the Democrats, the party of the people chipping in $25 at a time, to significantly outraise the Republicans - the party of the rich and business

2) Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail: Which allowed poor and middle class working people who couldn't take four hours off on election day to vote (including some poor old people too)

The Republicans successfully restricted voting for decades, since they knew if the masses were allowed to vote they'd never win another election again. And I don't think they ever saw the internet, and internet fundraising, coming. Millions of people giving $10 beat a much smaller group of lobbyists, rich people and companies giving $1000 any day.

The genie is out of the bottle.

And the GOP, unless they radically reform, is dead.

John McCain is going to get destroyed at the polls on Tuesday, and he knows it by now. So will he go out with class and honor, or not?

It's all over now for McCain.

He ruined his reputation. He destroyed his party. And he ran the most cynical, negative and disgusting campaign for the presidency in US history.

So, will he lose with honor, dignity and class, or will he be the mean, spiteful, cynical, negative prick we've had in our living rooms the past few months?

And same for Sarah Palin. It'll be interesting to hear her concession speech, since she really has only one thing on her mind.

2012.

Two days until the election. How about those medical records, Sarah Palin. What? Got something to hide?

[UPDATE - THEY LIED. WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE RECORDS. PRETTY AMAZING, HUH?]

Here's Rick Davis, the piece of sh*t lobbyist who ran John McCain's campaign into the ground, explaining why Sarah Palin would not face the press

If you want to know why the GOP will not win a general election for a generation, just look at Rick Davis.

Mean
Arrogant
Corrupt
Stupid
Closed-minded
Ignorant
Afraid
Negative

Why John McCain put an idiot like this in charge of his campaign, I'll never understand.

But I'm sure glad he did.

Serious candidates for President and VP go on Meet the Press. They hold press conferences. They're not afraid to be interviewed by a free press.

And then there's the sad and pathetic case of Sarah Palin.

And Fox News.

This kind of crap should disgust you. Male and female. Left and right. It's wrong. It's un-American. And as of Tuesday, it will not stand. America deserves better. This is a joke.

John McCain should be ashamed of himself, and of his campaign. And Sarah Palin? Well, I think she's simply too stupid to understand.

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

Special AmericaPANIC Video Montage - The Downfall of the GOP (and America) 2001 - 2008

America will recover, slowly.

The GOP will not.

Here's an awesome Saturday Night Live sketch with Bill O'Reilly. Oh, wait, hang on. What was that? Huh? You mean this was REAL?

Here's another Saturday Night Live sketch, this one on California's Prop 8 marriage act. Oh, wait, huh? You mean THIS ONE is REAL too?

It is kinda funny that a nation with a 50% divorce rate is going on and on about protecting marriage.

Hypocrites much?

I did enjoy this ad though. Reminded me of the ones for the WWF. Or monster truck pulls. Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!!

Anyone seen George Bush? Maybe at a McCain rally? Or one of the House or Senate races? What, nobody's seen him? Gee, why do you suppose that is?

Oh, that's right, when you and your party wreck a country and devastate the world, I guess it's best to stay out of sight and out of mind.

You do realize that John McCain is running as the REPUBLICAN candidate for president though, right? You know, the party headed for the past eight years by GEORGE W. BUSH. And supported 100% by the likes of SEAN HANNITY and RUSH LIMBAUGH, with its own broadcast news network FOX NEWS.

Come on America. Wake the f*ck up. Show this party the door.

A Presidential Vanishing Act, by Design

WASHINGTON — It’s the week before Election Day. Do you know where your president is?

Probably not, and that is by design. With Senator John McCain lagging behind in the polls and many other Republicans fighting for their political lives, the nation’s top Republican — President Bush — is intentionally lying low this week, and is likely to do so until after Americans cast their ballots to pick his successor.