Parties gear up for post-poll gamesmanship
"Go vote! You could be the one that makes the difference."
So says President Barack Obama on , part of his election day push to get supporters to the polls.
He's also giving last-minute interviews to radio stations in an effort to reach the voters who elected him, particularly the young and African Americans, by talking to the likes of Big Boy and Luscious Liz on and the presenter of TV talent show American Idol, .
But this is, I suspect, about softening the blow of defeat, not about winning.
Of course opinion polls can be wrong. For Democratic supporters who want to feel sunny for a few more hours, Republicans backers who like to be cautiously gloomy until it's in the bag, and contrarians of any political persuasion is essential reading.
But when Mr Obama appears before the cameras at around 1pm Washington time on Wednesday it will probably not be to celebrate. I would expect stern stuff, about listening to messages, choices, and an appeal to the Republicans to work with him.
Then there will begin a careful game of positioning - of chess if you like - with traps set and each side attempting to appear more bipartisan than the other.
It is interesting to me that the Democrats' campaign slogan during this election has been "moving the country forward". It is no coincidence they have designed this, when the Tea Party's most famous line is: "Take our country back."
This is how, I imagine, Mr Obama will frame the choice over the next two years, backwards or forwards, towards a better future of a return to a failed past. But first we must await the results. You can follow them all on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã news website's America votes: Live coverage page, where I and many others will be having our say, and on this blog.
I’m Mark Mardell, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's North America editor. These are my reflections on American politics, some thoughts on being a Brit living in the USA, and who knows what else? My 
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