How to be the smart one at your election party

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WASHINGTON - How do you prepare for your election night party?

Buy the snacks, chill the drinks, tidy up the living room — and start studying!

That is, if you want to be the smartest person in the room on Nov. 4.

Here's your official guide to key races and key results — a cheat sheet of sorts — guaranteed to give you the political know-how, plus a few factoids, to impress family and friends on election night.

It's around 7 p.m. and...
Your first chance for playing political pundit comes early in the night, perhaps soon after the first round of polls close at 7 p.m. ET. (To simplify things, in this story all times are Eastern Time.)

Six states' polls close at this time, but you should pay particular attention to Indiana and Virginia.

Here's why: You can posit to the party-goers that they are in for a Democratic “wave” if NBC News projects that Sen. Barack Obama has won Indiana and Virginia.

Even if Obama wins Virginia while losing Indiana (and later, Florida), it will suggest a pretty tough road to 270 electoral votes for Sen. John McCain. (And if you are reading this, you already know the magic number is 270.)

much more at link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27397701/

Of course, everyone here will already be the smartest in the room, but this is a handy guide to watch for the early indicators of the night.