Midterm elections

[Chris]

I hope the President nominates the most Liberal Supreme Court Justice possible...and let the Repubs filibuster. Keep nominating Liberals until the GOP throws in the towel. They can't stay awake but so long.
We must get a Liberal-leaning Supreme Court soon or the USA is going to Hell.

[Sandy]

[Stephen Fox]

My reading just this last week of El-Faizy on McClaren, Sandy, takes issue with your take aways:

Old Guard still controls the agenda, thus Thomas Powers has something for you and Thornton to learn about Pressler's legacy with the Takeover:

https://www.overdrive.com/media/464113/god-and-country

[Stephen Fox]

I let it fly in my blog here that I have linked on Deacon Bama Gov Facebook wall as well as Megyn Kelly's wall with fox News; and NPR www.drshow.org


http://foxofbama.blogspot.com/2014/10/m ... fundy.html

[William Thornton]

Michelle Nunn, daughter of the highly respected retired Democratic senator Sam Nunn, is fading. Frankly, she would be far behind if not for the instant street cred provided by her last name. Other than that, I have no idea what she would do. The GOP guy isn't exactly scintillating but has a record of creating jobs (and, as a corporate executive, outsourced some as well).

I'll vote for the GOP guy tomorrow. DEms have poured tons of cash into this race thinking Nunn has a good chance. Looks less likely now, though GA requires a majority and I'm not sure Perdue can come up with 50% + 1 votes, meaning we would have another 2 months of mailbox stuffing.

For the first time in decades I'm going democratic for governor on the principle that our current ethics challenged guvnor doesn't deserve my vote. Let the chips fall where they may.

[Dave Roberts]

[Sandy]

It's looking like Pennsylvania will oust its current Republican governor, Tom Corbett, in favor of Democrat Tom Wolf, the owner of a large, and successful manufacturing plant in an area that's been economically depressed, but bounced back due to Obama administration initiatives. Also looks like the legislature, at least the Senate, will change from GOP to Democrat.

Not sure that the GOP will win "everywhere", especially since their job approval is lower than the Dems, and the "generic ballot" polling has had the Dems up by a slim margin, 1%, for the past two weeks. In 2010, the GOP had a +13 on the generic ballot. The GOP is billing this as a "referendum on the Obama administration" but actually, its more of a turnout driven money spending contest. Hard to say what the turnout will be, though the Democrats seem very happy with early voting totals in the key states that are almost at 2012 levels.

But, of course, polls don't vote. Even if Obama's job approval is at 40% (actually 45% in Gallup), their ground game can turn out enough votes to win. Their turnout and votes outpaced the polls in 2012 by 5-6%. So we shall see.

Don't see much of the news related to the campaigns in Georgia or Kentucky, but I bet one of those states produces a surprise Democratic senate winner.

[William Thornton]

Yessir, just cast my electronic, touchscreen ballot for Truth, Justice, and the American Way.

Voted for several Democrats...first time in years. I'll vote for any democrat who doesn't stink as much as their republican opponent...and there were several in that situation.

[Sandy]

[Haruo]

Mrs H and I voted by mail (Washington has done away with "polling places") yesterday. Not much really here, either. An initiative to force smaller class sizes in schools. Two meaningless "advisory votes" where we tell the legislature what we think of things they've already done and that our disapproval has no effect on. A bunch of judgeships, almost all uncontested. We voted for the Dem for state senate, but I (not sure about her) voted for a non-partisan realtor against the Dem incumbent for state representative, more or less on the grounds William had for voting for Dems. There were more interesting and maybe more important things on the ballot in Seattle, but we're outside the city limits so couldn't vote on them, but since our Zip Code is partly within the city limits, we got lots of junk mail about them.

[Sandy]

Forgot we had a congressional race. Not much of a campaign here, since the district is so gerrymandered, it's almost not worth it for the opposition to put up a candidate, but since the current congressman doesn't even show up half the time for votes, I voted for his opponent.

[ET]

[Sandy]

[KeithE]

[ET]

[KeithE]

Looks like the .

Looks like more gridlock w/o enough votes to override Obama vetoes. And that means the economy will be worse (no new jobs programs) and the Republicans will of course blame Obama.

Also there will be no campaign finance or lobby reform because of both the Republicans and Democrats want it that way for the next election cycle.

Pray for our country.

[David Flick]

[Dave Roberts]

Voter turnout seems not to have been much of a factor. If anything, the Republican ground game to keep people from voting seems to have kept the turnout low. In VA yesterday, you had to produce a photo ID, and the DMV charges $10 for a non-license id. There was a way to get one made by an in-person appearance at the registrar's offices, some of which required two trips, one to have your picture made and one to pick it up a day later after lamination which the registrars had to contract out. Not a good system, and the DMV charge smacks of a poll tax.

[William Thornton]

The GOP senate candidate had no difficulty with daughter-of-Sam Nunn, no runoff. Our ethically challenged Baptist GOP governor, the one I have never voted for, easily dispensed with grandson-of-Jimmy (Carter).

I would not have my mod/lib friends despair. Obama may have his hands tied legislatively but he can still wield the grand presidential fiat and act like a king. No sense in letting the Constitution slow you down if you are the Anointed One. At least he hasn't tried to put in a SCOTUS justice without senate confirmation...yet.

[Dave Roberts]

The GOP ran on saying we will repeal Obamacare. Last night I heard some admissions that they won't have the 66 votes in the Senate it would take to do it. Truth in advertising???????

[Tim Bonney]

[Dave Roberts]

One question challenging the GOP this morning is whether Mitch McConnell can lead a positive agenda. His only purpose for the past six year has been to oppose Obama. In 2009, he declared his sole purpose was insure Obama's defeat in 2012. From 2012 to 2014, he declared his purpose was to make sure the GOP took back the Senate. Last night he announced that they were ready to "take America back?" What positive hope is he offering for the nation in this?

[Tim Bonney]

[Dave Roberts]

Our Senate race in VA has not yet been called. It's sad that Koch and Rove money could put someone like Ed Gillespie, chief lobbyist for Enron, who has never held an elective office anywhere, in the running for a Senate seat. He barely lives in VA at all and doesn't have any VA roots. He is from the DC circle, and just happens to be on the VA side. The whole campaign was against Obama paining Warner as an Obama surrogate. Turnout appears to have been abysmal in this state since most House seats are gerrymandered to make them non-competitive.

[Haruo]