"I adore all the news agencies declaring #wirecall being too close to call. DUH! Did we expect anything else?!? #madvote" — a typical entry...

... on the Isthmus "live-blog" that came at 8:31p.m. last night. Isthmus is our local "alternative" newspaper, and the readership over there pervasively left-liberal — Madison style (which is to say they are people steeped in the cloying belief that they are the good people, the people who care about people... and loathe anything tinged with conservatism).

Isthmus had one of those "CoverItLive" gadgets embedded, and it picked up a steady stream, including lots of stuff redirected from Twitter, with more than one post per minute. The polls had closed at 8, at which point the news media had declared — based on exit polling — that it was too close to call. But at 9 pm, all the news media called it for Walker. Between 8:31 and 9:00, the actual vote was coming in, and we were seeing — in stark contrast to the exit poll — that Walker was getting 15 or 16 percentage points ahead of Barrett. So let's dip into the Isthmus feed and see how the confrontation with reality played out. I'm excerpting from the copious flow:

fivethirtyeight: Exit polls show a tie, but Walker's numbers look pretty decent so far in rural Wisconsin. Dems will need huge Milwaukee/Madison turnout. [via Twitter]

8:32...

isthmustdplive: RT @DrosWSJ: Early results are starting to trickle in. Time for everyone to speculate about vote trends that aren't there. #wivote #wirecall [via Twitter]

8:34....

teddynykiel: Large crowd growing in front of the Capitol chanting "People united will never be defeated." #madvote #WIrecall [via Twitter]

8:35...

andymoorewpt: "2 months ago if someone told me it was going to be a coin flip tonight, I wouldn't have believed them." ~Sen. Jon Erpenbach [via Twitter]

8:43...

jjoyce: RT @deborahziff: Fox News getting harrassed on square. "Hey FOX News, we hate you get outta here!" someone just yelled. #wirecall http: ... [via Twitter]

8:46...

WORTnews: On-air analysis: early returns are mostly rural areas, can't really start reading trends till more than 40% of results are in. #wirecall [via Twitter]

8:50...

sgirard9: The room quieted when Rachel Maddow called it for Walker. But many say it's too early to call #wirecall #madvote [via Twitter]

8:52...

MissPronouncer: Crowd cheers at results on big screen. Boo when they see Rep. Barca and fmr Sen Feingold interviewed at Barrett camp. #WiRecall [via Twitter]

8:53...

WORTnews: We have no idea how NBC came up with their projection of Walker winning #wirecall [via Twitter]

8:54...

andymoorewpt: Steam escaping here with Barrett.Room growing quiet. [via Twitter]

8:55...

News3David: There is a 'no way, we don't believe it' mood in conversations I'm overhearing right now at Barrett camp. #wirecall [via Twitter]...

8:59...

WKOW: CNN Projects Walker to Win Historic Recall Election. [via Twitter]

9:00...

news3jessica: Crowd chanting Hey hey goodbye song at Walker HQ #WIrecall [via Twitter]

9:00....

andymoorewpt: Surreal here with Barrett. Half the room laughing, partying, oblivious to other half watching TV with Walker projected winner. [via Twitter]

9:00...

millbot: Somewhat more subdued rendition of "Solidarity Forever" being sung on the square. #wirecall [via Twitter]

9:02...

IsthmusTDP: RT @zschultzWPT: Republican faithful try to start "this is what democracy looks like" chant. It didn't catch on. #wirecall [via Twitter]

9:05...

News3David: .@itsandychoi reporting live right now that there is a growing crowd on Madison's Capitol Square, some chanting 'Our House'. #wirecall [via Twitter]

9:06...

News3David: RT @jamiedupree: Madison Ward 41 goes 2,081 votes for Barrett to 95 votes for Walker [via Twitter]

9:08...

millbot: Well, it sure will be fun when the governor gets indicted, won't it? #wirecall [via Twitter]

9:10...

teddynykiel: Overheard one wide-eyed woman worried bc MSNBC called the race for Walker. She was contemplating going home. #madvote [via Twitter]

9:11...

deanrobbins: Rachel Maddow thinks this isn't a bad night for Obama, says he'll still easily take Wisconsin. #madvote [via Twitter]

9:14...

MSpicuzzaWSJ: Sen Jon Erpenbach says people in Milwaukee & Racine are still voting, adds that it is going to be a long night. [via Twitter]

9:14...

deanrobbins: Sarah Palin gloating on Fox News. Ick. #madvote [via Twitter]

9:17...

itsandychoi: Gathering by Lady Forward. Police say about 1,000 out protesting by square. #wirecall

9:18...

JackCraver: I discovered this in Waunakee last month: There are OBAMA/WALKER voters. They exist: http://bit.ly/Lp6xsZ [via Twitter]

9:21...