I am listening to Kerry’s concession speech. Very gracious in defeat. Spoke against a protracted legal battle over recounts. Spoke about bringing the nation together. Very nice speech, so far. He sounds very conciliatory, very heart-felt and genuine. If he had been more like this during the campaign, I think he would have fared better.

UPDATE: Cliff May at The Corner agrees with me and has a lead on possible future employment for Senator Kerry when he’s through with the Senate. Jonah Goldberg is less than impressed.

Rush came back on at the end of the speech and complemented Kerry on a “very gracious speech.”

The Hotline has a list of Ratherisms from last night’s coverage. My favorite is “On Bob Schieffer saying OH could be called soon: ‘We used to say if a frog had side pockets, he’d carry a handgun.’”

Kos is calling for Terry McAuliffe to be ousted as DNC Chairman, to be replaced by Howard Dean.

I think this is unlikely for two reasons:

One, I doubt Dean’s ability to manage the party effectively. His Presidential campaign was successful at leveraging the internet for fund-raising and organization, yet it did not translate into a meaningful primary campaign for him. Hard to build a credible case for managing a national party, when he couldn’t manage his own campaign.

Two, I fully expect the Clinton wing of the Democratic party to continue its control over the Democratic party. In a party whose candidates run on star power, Clinton is still the biggest star. McAuliffe might be ousted, but he’ll be replaced with another Clinton apparatchik. The better to secure Hillary’s Presidential ambitions in 2008.

“Congratulations, Mr. President,” Kerry said in the conversation described by sources as lasting less than five minutes. One of the sources was Republican, the other a Democrat.

The Democratic source said Bush called Kerry a worthy, tough and honorable opponent. Kerry told Bush the country was too divided, the source said, and Bush agreed. “We really have to do something about it,” Kerry said according to the Democratic official.

Well said, Senator. Thank you for sparing the country another 2000 election fiasco.

AP and CNN are reporting that Senator Kerry has called President Bush and conceded the election. Good move Senator.

AP and the Miami Herald also report that Castor has conceded to Martinez in the Florida Senate race.

Isn’t it a little early to be thinking about 2008?

John Hillen writes at The Corner:

“If Kerry doesn’t concede by mid-morning, he can only be thinking and being advised one thing: that the Democratic party needs to keep its only centripetal force and organizing principle going….that the Republicans can only rule by illegitimate means. The we-was-robbed-in-2000 zeitgeist generated record fundraising, high-visibility support, and provided an emotional core for the Democratic party that it had been missing since Watergate.”

I think this would be a monumental mistake on the part of the Democrats. Playing the “we-was-robbed” meme may have energized their base, but I think last night’s results show that it may, just as well, have backfired on Kerry and the Democrats. I think that it equally moved the Republican base to turnout: the popular vote in the Presidential race and the GOP gains in the Senate races being the best indicators.

Al Gore was able to hang on desperately in 2000 because he had won the popular vote. Kerry has no such vehicle to hang his hat on this time, and continuing in a refusal to concede in the face of major defeat makes him look, at least to me, extremely small. In the Senate races, the GOP has gained ground, picking up at least three seats, and if Martinez and Murkowski hang on, then add one more for a four point swing in the Republican party’s favor. Granted the Democrats were defending more seats, and in most of them were in Republican territory, but still, the contested races were close, and as things stand now, seem to have all, save Colorado, broken the GOP’s way.

If the Democrats continue down this path, especially in light of such a huge Republican victory, look for the future marginalization of the Democratic party.

Jay Cost has some strong feelings about the MSM.

More on possible MSM bias in reporting election results. (From Instapundit)

UPDATE: More from The Corner.

UPDATE II: More bias data at the Logic Times.

Oh no, not again.

I disagree about John Edwards. I thought he looked goofy with his thumb-side gestures, but, assuming things hold up for Bush, I am sure Edwards will be back for another try at the presidency.

I agree. More from Hugh Hewitt.

Here are the election results for Knox County, TN.