7:00 p.m. At the top of the hour, Georgia is instantly called for Obama, and projections along with first incoming votes indicate a lopsided margin. Obama wins 88 percent of African-American voters and 44 percent or more of white voters. On the Republican side, it is a three-way split, designated by talkers as a "muddle" and projected to spread beyond Georgia.

Actually, it is less a muddle than the very clear divide among the "three legs" of what is euphemized as the Republican coalition: the militaristic pro-war shoot 'em wing (or nuke 'em wing), represented by John McCain; the uber-commercial buy 'em wing, represented by Mitt Romney; and the save 'em wing, represented by Mike Huckabee. That there is an inherent schism separating the first two from the last shd have been apparent 30 years ago, and wd be widely reported if honest reporting on national politics were allowed.

Polls close in nine more states at 8:00. I am pathetically grateful for the existence of aspirin, because this stuff is getting to my back.