Nate Silver (FiveThirtyEight.com) forecast that Obama would beat John McCain back in March.

[Are_grits_groceries]

Finding Fame With a Prescient Call for Obama
At 9:46 p.m., blogging on his site FiveThirtyEight.com, Nate Silver called the presidential election for Barack Obama. The television networks followed suit about an hour and 15 minutes later after most polls in Western states closed.
Of course, Mr. Silver had a head start: he had forecast that Senator Obama would beat Senator John McCain back in March.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10silver.html

He's the one I counted on! Great article too.

[blm]

1. Most every politician and pollster in the country knew 2008 Dem nominee would prevail by Nov 2006.

.

[dysfunctional press]

2. the networks couldn't call it until the west coast polls closed.

most of them called it for obama right at 10pm(central time).