According to MSNBC, Obama has enough votes to win the 2008 presidential election. As west coast states closed, according to MSNBC, Obama grabbed the states of California, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii, and ended up with 297 electoral votes. He needed 270 to win the election. The key states for him were Ohio, Iowa, and New Mexico — states that in 2004 went to Bush. He also just took Virginia at this hour.