Live Updates During Super Tuesday

I'll be watching and reporting what I see on NBC live-coverage of the primaries tonight.

5:44 PM - In a poll of Republicans, the most important issue to them was the economy, followed by immigration. In third place was Iraq, and lastly, with a dismal 15%, was concern for terrorism.

Sounds like talk radio and fox news are much more out of touch with voters than they claim. This being just among republicans, I'm guessing withdrawal from Iraq is much more do-able than the press seems to believe.

Side note: I enjoy noting how many press people complain and talk about "the mainstream press." It seems to be this giant invisible force that seems to piss off everyone not in the mainstream press (i.e., anyone who's ever denounced them, or most news outlets in the country).

6:30 PM - Received alert from Washington Post that Obama has an overwhelming victory in Georgia, carrying black voters 6 to 1. Will await delegate count.

6:42 PM - Democratic polls have shown that twice as many people care about the ability to bring change to Washington D.C. than care about experience. On both the left and the right, the economy is one of the top 2 issues, and will likely be a subject of much debate between Clinton and Obama in the weeks to come.

7:14 PM - A.P. Projects Winners: Obama in Ill.; Clinton in Okla.; McCain in N.J., Ill. and Conn.; Romney in Mass.

Caution: NBC has claimed in the last few minutes that the Oklahoma win for Clinton may not be correct, but Fox News has called Tennessee for Hilary.

Up-to-the minute reports seem to indicate Huckabee is on the road to victory in Georgia and West Virginia, but by a very close margin.

7:22 PM - McCain has won New Jersey, Connecticut, possibly Illinois. Citizens are raucous.

7:35 PM - John McCain has also won Delaware.

7:39 PM - ABC News has begun questioning Hilary Clinton's strength tonight, as she's reported to have been under the weather and had near-uncontrollable bouts of coughing during interviews today. This coupled with her occasionally fragile emotional state has people wondering if she's up to the job. No mention of this from any other source, however.

7:49 PM - As of this minute in Alabama, John McCain is ahead of Mike Huckabee by exactly 19 votes. Not indicative of anything, I just thought interesting.

AND Obama in the same state is crushing Hilary Clinton by over 30 points.

8:14 PM - Hilary is assumed to have won Arkansas, Massachusetts, and New York. This means Hilary is projected to have about a 30-delegate lead with the states thus far.

8:20 PM - Hilary is on the verge of winning New Jersey, while Barack Obama can now claim victory in Delaware. And behind the times, I see Huckabee is projected wins in Alabama and Arkansas, as well as being very close behind John McCain, and well ahead of Romney in several other southern states.

John McCain has won NY and 101 delegates, giving him a commanding lead with nearly 300 delegates, as opposed to Romney's 91.

8:29 PM - In North Dakota, Barack Obama has 55% of the vote with 27% reporting right now. Soon the win will be confirmed by most sources, as Hilary is trailing by at least 6 points.

9:07 PM - In polling democratic voters, it was discovered that Barack Obama is receiving 81% of the black vote, and 44% of the white vote. Hilary has 51% of white voters, but hardly any in the black community. They are now 31 delegates apart.

Obama also has Utah and now officially: North Dakota

9:30 PM - Obama has also picked up Connecticut and Kansas in the last few minutes.

9:42 PM - Huckabee has just won Georgia, bringing him ever closer to catching up with Romney. Also, Barack Obama now trails Hilary Clinton only by 32 delegates.

11:17 PM - The first results have come in from California, with Hilary Clinton ahead 22 points, and with her 55% right now, it has been declared hers. However, not even a quarter of results have come in yet, so perhaps Obama can at least close the gap and make a good fight for delegates. Overall, Hilary's lead has been creeping forward, but the race is nowhere near wide enough for Obama to be considered falling behind.

Analysts expected each candidate to have somewhere close to 800 delegates when all is said and done, so the fact that officially no democrat has been awarded even 200 yet means much remains to be decided and fought over. And this night is far from over.