The US Presidential Election Live from Nigeria Pt. 7

2:06am local time - More loud cheering as the BBC moves their predictions so that Obama is ahead 103 to 34.  The room is definitely thinning out; I'd estimate about 75 people left.  Still mostly Nigerian.  Many of the Senators I met earlier have left, but some are still around.

Now we have no audio.  NTA is showing live feed from Chicago.  I wonder if they actually have reports/cameras there or if it's borrowed from another station.  Interesting side note, broadcasts are actually protected under copyright in Nigeria, instead of as a neighboring right.  Don't know what any of that means?  Look it up! ;)

NTA is also showing live feed from this very room.  That's kind of cool!  Oh, there's a guy I met this weekend at my friend's party, on tv right now.  He works for the embassy.  Now I understand why they turned off the audio.  Wish I could hear what he was saying though.

The Obama cut-out has been moved into this room and is positioned to watch the returns.  Cute.  Poor McCain's been left out in the cold, literally; he's outside, and it's cold.

2:20am local time - NTA's back to the studio.  They've hung paper maps of the US behind the anchors.  It creates an interesting contrast with the fancy White House projected image on the BBC and all the crazy technology on CNN.  The NTA anchors are also sitting on high-backed office chairs and the maps are right behind them and thus much obscured by the chairs.  For some reason, we still don't have audio back here.

Ohp, sound man got the go ahead.  CNN's back.  I wish they were playing the BBC audio.   The BBC's at Morehouse in GA, talking to girls... Hmm... I think they came over from Spellman.  Aljazeera is in Beijing talking about the election.

We're back to NTA, with audio.  They were showing pictures of a sign that said "Arizona."  I can't understand what the anchors are saying.  The volume is too low for their thick accents and my thicker ears.  Apparently other venues in Nigeria have their own McCain and Obama cardboard cutouts.  I wonder where everyone got them from.

2:39am local time - More cheering as CNN declares Pennsylvania for Obama.  BBC and CNN have a one vote difference between each other for Obama.  I wonder why.

3:00am local time - More cheering.  As CNN declares NY for Obama.  People here are yelling out states the way someone might yell numbers at a roulette table or when playing dice.  Cheers for Wisconsin.  I like that :)  And bigger cheers for Michigan.  The room is awfully lively for 3am and no food or drinks.  CNN now has Obama up 174 to 49.  BBC has Obama 171 to 52, nope 58 (Kansas), nope 61 (Wyoming).  BBC upped Obama to 175 (Rhode Island) only sporadic clapping.  Still haven't figured out why BBC and CNN are one off on Obama.

And my friend from the embassy just got to pose for the video camera with a Senator and the Obama cut-out!