Bush Takes Lead in Florida

With 7% of the vote in, President Bush is leading by 57% to 42%. Martinez is leading his Senate race by seven.
The Democrats I’m hanging out with here aren’t as cocky as they were a few hours ago.
UPDATE: The Florida Secretary of State reports Bush’s lead at 56.6 to 42.5, with 12% of the vote cast.
ANOTHER UPDATE: With 35% of the votes counted, Bush’s lead is 56% to 43%.
Bush also has a surprising (to me, anyway) 57% to 42% lead in the popular vote. Given, especially, that the states counted so far are all in the east.
DEACON adds: Ken Mehlman was just on Fox citing data showing Bush doing significantly better than he did in 2000 in three important areas of Florida and among Hispanic voters. Mehlman was less convincing when making the case for his man in Ohio, citing only the fact that Kerry is doing no better than Gore did with absentee ballots from Cuyahoga County (Cleveland).
FLORIDA UPDATE: With 41% of the precincts reporting, Bush leads 52% to 47%. Broward County is mostly in now, but Miami-Dade hasn’t reported any, nor has Palm Beach. I’ve heard a rumor that with 50% in, it’s tied, but haven’t seen that anywhere.
MORE FLORIDA: With 54% of the precincts reporting, Bush has expanded his lead to 53%-46%. Bad news: Miami-Dade has not begun to report. Good news: the panhandle hasn’t, either.
MORE FLORIDA: With 65% in, Bush leads by 6.
MORE FLORIDA: With 73% in, Bush’s lead is 52% to 47%.
MORE: With 77% in, still five points.

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