Tue, February 12, 2008 - 9:50 PM

McCain is introduced. Crowd is cheering... louder now.

Music is playing. The second effort is better than the first, apparently.

Here he goes.

9:37 p.m.

John McCain was introduced by a hidden announcer, while the song "Right Now" played, but McCain never entered the room.

The announcer said, due to the consideration of another network's programming, McCain's entrance would be delayed.

The crowd chanted, "John Mc-Cain, John Mc-Cain," until they realized McCain would not be coming out just then.

Obama was on the air at the time (and still is, at least on CNN). When the TV screens showed Obama on TV, the Alexandria crowd booed loudly.

It didn't seem like the McCain backers were booing Obama personally -- more that the McCain supporters were booing Obama for delaying McCain's appearance.

--Neil H. Simon

9:31 p.m.

Another round of shouts from the party room in Alexandria as CNN calls Maryland for McCain.

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., is now floating around singing McCain's praises to reporters and others.

Former Sen. George Allen says McCain won by "a field goal, but it's a win."

McCain is due at the mic any minute now.

--Neil H. Simon

8:45 p.m.

Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., just came out to announce Sen. McCain will speak at 9:30 p.m.

And yes, the crowd went wild. Then Davis told them, "Party on."

Now country music is playing, but not a rock concert decibel level or anything. This party is not that raucous.

--Neil H. Simon

The McCain room erupted as CNN projected the Arizona senator will win the Virginia primary.

In winner-takes-all Virginia, McCain will get all 60 delegates the Virginia Republican Party ties to tonight's results.

8:07 p.m.

The crowd gave a couple "woops" and light applause as CNN showed McCain with a slim lead with 25 percent of the Virginia precincts reporting.

McCain supporters had been quietly watching the big screen TV screens in each corner of the ballroom. Some milled around aimlessly. But after seeing big McCain margins in returns from Arlington and Alexandria so far, the group started clapping here for the first time.

One baby is sleeping on a man's shoulder. There are a few families here now, a good number of 20-somethings, and very few minorities.

The main stage is still set and lit, but there has been no host stepping to the mic or addressing the gathered in any way.

--Neil H. Simon

7:49 p.m.
No long faces here. In fact, the only sourness I saw was an eight-year-old boy's candy -- Twizzlers Sours (those are good).

Matt Fluker's parents are scouting out a spot in the front row to hear from McCain later tonight. Dad, Dave is active duty in the Navy. Mom, Maria, is a corporate securities attorney.

Looking at early returns, Maria said, "I'm surprised. I was expecting what polls were predicting and that was a blowout for McCain."

There are at least 100 McCain supporters now in the ballroom.

--Neil H. Simon

7:28 p.m.

CNN's latest exit poll shows just why Virginia is expected to be tight between McCain and Huckabee:

Seniors: McCain 49%, Huckabee 45%

Veterans: McCain: 46%, Huckabee 44%

Conservatives: Huckabee 55%, McCain 32%

Born-again Christians/Evangelicals: Huckabee 66%, McCain 26%

Stay tuned.

--Neil H. Simon

7:11 p.m.

Virginia results aside, the Clinton campaign has cancelled its Baltimore watch party "due to inclement weather." Clinton supporters are still invited to attend watch parties in D.C., Arlington, Charlottesville, Richmond, and Virginia Beach.

--Neil H. Simon

The minute polls closed, CNN projected Barack Obama the winner of the Virginia Democratic primary.

John McCain and Mike Huckabee are in a competitive race on the Republican side.

--Neil H. Simon

6:50 p.m. Polls close in ten minutes, but don't rush to get your vote in.

Drivers report icy roads, and I can attest to some extremely slick sidewalks. (Yes, I just had a near fall.)
Better to be safe than democratic. If you rushing to vote means causing a ten-car pile-up, stay home.

--Neil H. Simon

6:05 PM
It’s after 6 p.m. and nobody’s here -- few regular people anyway. I just counted at least forty members of the news media, about four McCain staffers and another handful of security

They just dropped the food, and I say dropped because the caterers just literally threw out the SunChips, Doritos, Pringles, Chex Mix and Snyder’s pretzels (including those honey mustard “nibblers” – I love those, but won’t eat them here.) There is a cash bar now open as well. Wine and mixed drinks are $5 each. Beer goes for $4, imported beers are $5.

--Neil H. Simon

5:35 p.m.
CNN just flashed a couple exit polls on their air showing Republican voters who frequently listen to talk radio broke for Mike Huckabee nearly two to one (42 percent to 23 percent for McCain). The exit poll also suggests evangelicals continued the national pattern of supporting Huckabee, a former Baptist minister. Among evangelical voters, 64 percent voted for Huckabee and 32 percent backed McCain, according to CNN’s exit poll.

5:26 p.m.

Welcome to the Holiday Inn of historic Alexandria, Va. With Virginia polls closing at 7 p.m., John McCain’s campaign is getting all set for another night of celebrating election returns. We’ll be here through the results, blogging the night away. Doors open at six. They've got the room until 10 according to signs around the hotel.

The “Commonwealth Ballroom” is all set with two stages for TV cameras and a McCain stage that I’m told will be filled later tonight with about 20 McCain supporters. A campaign aide says to expect former Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore and former Sen. George Allen in the crowd, but cross-over Democrat McCain endorser Sen. Joe Lieberman is not expected.

There’s already one McCain supporter here. He’s 82, and he’s walking around his 13-month old puppy. Strange? Yes. Stranger? He said was leaning toward Hillary Clinton before deciding this week to vote for McCain.

--Neil H. Simon

Before I left the University of Virginia yesterday, I asked two students what they thought of Hillary Clinton after they saw her speak during Larry Sabato’s class.

Unfortunately, we couldn't get it to you sooner. But here’s a video clip of Olivia Sealander and Rick Eberstadt. Both are 18-year-old freshmen at the university from Washington, D.C.

Also check out the coverage of Clinton's visit, including a video, from The Daily Progress, a Media General paper.

-- Amy Dominello