Go vote

[Soa]

Just voted about an hour ago and I was number 112 for the day. The polling place said turn out thus far was a little lower than they expected, but would probably pick up after 5pm.

I voted for Joe Sestak and I hope he can pull it off (since Toomey is worse than O'Donnell), but I think he'll fall short by about 3 points. The House and Governer race probably won't be too close but I voted Dem anyway.

I'm so looking forward to a grid-locked Congress for the next 2 years, hooray for absolutely nothing getting accomplished until 2013.

[Atreides]

These were the predictions I wrote up last night, I guess we'll see how relevant/correct they are in the coming days/weeks/months, but I wanted to write it all down when it was fresh in my head before bed. Kinda a lot to read, sorry ahead of time:

Spoiler: show

Republicans will take the House but not the Senate, but having control over 1 house of congress means they can no longer stand obstinately in the Democrats way and say no to everything, since along with control comes the responsibility to deliver results, especially for Tea Partiers who may be somewhat wary of Republican leaders they don't trust much more than Democrats since most of them have been in politics for just as long, or suspect (rightly so) that their movement has been shanghaied by establishment candidates and corporate special interests for political expediency.

The fact of the matter is that Sarah Palin (not directly, although I wouldn't be surprised if she gets blamed for this) is more or less responsible for losing the Senate to Democrats, as some of the key races (DE, NV is a lot closer than it should have been) would have easily gone for the Republicans until the Sarah Palin-backed TP candidates unseated their mainstream opposition in the Republican primaries. It's going to be incredibly easy for the Republican leadership to paint her as a person who lost the Senate for the Republicans in 2010, lost the Presidency for the Republicans in 2008, and her vulnerability over quitting the governorship etc makes her wholly unable to win against barack obama. Sarah Palin perhaps represents one of the biggest challenges for the Republicans in the next 2 years, as someone who enjoys extremely strong Tea party support but is ideologically so far to the right that they can't attract moderates and undecided voters in 2012 in enough numbers to challenge Obama's re-election. So yeah, her rising star won't be rising for long.

In the meantime you've got a lot of Republican pickups in the Governorships across the country, mainstream establishment and even corporate republicans who will no longer be able to count on stimulus money to support their ailing economies. This is because in the republicans in the house and senate will do everything in their power to stop the stimulus/obamacare and extend the bush tax cuts, and unless they're able to drastically slash government programs they're going to have to either vote to increase the federal deficit or shut down the government, 2 situations which will have disastrous consequences in 2012.

So yea, the Republicans have been able to ride the Tea Party's anger and anti-obama sentiment to victory but the honeymoon isn't going to last, they are going to have a really tough time translating that into further success in keeping Obama out of office for a 2nd term. Then again the Democrats did a really piss-poor job of selling the country on their accomplishments and the Republicans really did pull of a masterful job of marketing themselves this year, so you never know how the election season will play out. The Democrats unfortunately don't have the luxury of playing the "no compromise" promise that Boehner made (which I don't suspect will last anyway) against them the way the Republicans did in Obama's first 2 years, since the political narrative doesn't seem to favor Democratic foot-dragging and filibustering the same way it does for Republicans.

Still, the reconciliation between Tea Party ideals and the realities of actual governance, the continuing rift in the Republican party, and the search for the next Presidential candidate will definitely be interesting to watch.

[Yabby]

gonna hand in my "legalize marijuana" vote in a few (and of course other votes). Time to get cali to get some good money off that shit.

Was trying to see if the outlook was becoming more clear about this prop, and i see this in my search. I feel dirty going for the same issues as this party lol.

http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/3509...-by-tea-party/

[Altariel]

Then again the Democrats did a really piss-poor job of selling the country on their accomplishments and the Republicans really did pull of a masterful job of marketing themselves this year

This x1000. Hopefully the Democrats will pull their heads out of their asses in the next 2 years and hold the Teabagger's feet to the fire on things like rolling back health insurance and financial reform.

[SwampdonkeyPLD]

What did the Dem's accomplish that's so noteworthy?

[Atreides]

http://thepragmaticprogressive.blogs...2008-2010.html

I would definitely say that the past 2 years haven't really meant that much to most people, since the substantive impact is somewhat lost on people who still don't have jobs. But if you believed the campaign ads the Dems didn't do anything over the past 2 years but spend money, when in terms of quantity they've gotten quite a bit done. Basically, regardless of whether you think they got a lot done or didn't get a lot done, their problem was selling the public on it. I mean, it's definitely a marketing problem when half of the candidates running for office are running away from their records and one of your senate candidates (Joe Manchin, WV) is shooting a copy of your own party's legislation with a rifle in a campaign ad, lol.

[thetruepandagod]

From the stoners on my facebook.

"We're better off without prop 19 :/"

"You dnt wnt theovernment fckin with our weeed!!

...well i dnt ahaha"

"Made me grama vote NO on 19!..yeee SUCKKKKKKAS."

"I dnt! ahah im fine with illegal weed. kuz if its legal..its gonna be different..idk kant explain it..but i sey N0: im straaaiiight how it is now."

"AND THE GOV MAN IS GONNA PUT CHEMICALS IN IT AND YOU HAVE TO BE 21 MAN FUCK THAT "


Stoners are their own worst enemies i swear, regardless im not registered and going to go walk to the polling office soon and ask for a provisional ballot.

[AoE]

Just got back from the polling place. You guys have no idea how hard it was for me not to vote for the "Rent's 2 damn high" guy.

[Yabby]

Republicans take Indiana Senate seat off the Democrats - it's no surprise - and Fox News are calling Kentucky Senate seat for Rand Paul, again not a great surprise given the polls and the nature of the state.

Regarding Rand Paul - that's the first Tea Party win of the night. But don't forget it was a Republican seat already so no change overall. Indiana though is a +1 for the Republicans in the Senate.


Edit: They call these fast, site says only 10% of the votes counted.

[Zoolander]

Meant to ask this, what kind of chance is there the GOP grabs the senate majority, pretty unlikely? I've been staying pretty out of the domestic politics lately, feel bad compared to how much shit i knew in 2008. Oh well, international affairs 4tw.

[Atreides]

WV is the race to watch for early indicators as to how the night is gonna go. If Raese takes the senate seat for the Repubs it probably means more Democratic losses in the other swing states, and increases the likelihood that the Senate will go Republican too.

Not at all surprised about KY though, kinda bummed because I have a major mancrush on Jack Conway

And Zoo, most analysts predict the Democrats will keep the Senate but only by a VEEEEERY slim majority, maybe 1-2 seats. It may come down to Harry Reid's seat in NV and Patty Murray's seat in WA, both of which will probably be close enough races that we won't find out for possibly a few days

[bigrougabagel]

Voted at 6:30 this morning, fucking 8am classes. Was still asleep and fucked up my ballot, had to get a new one and I apparently got to help the people working the poll figure out the procedures for filling out a new ballot. There was also no one there, as opposed to 2008(which of course there would be more during a pres election) when the line was nearly down the block at 6am. Voted mostly dem except a few local positions and since both district judges were running unopposed, Adam West got a write in vote. No one should run unopposed.

[Max™]

Did you write it in all capital letters, so it said "ADAM WEST!!!!"?

[bigrougabagel]

No, all lower case, so they wouldn't hear him coming.

[Olo401]

Back at last.. 40 minute lines at the polls in Rhode Island?! What the hell?

Also, as of 7:50pm EDT, 37% counted in Kentucky and Rand Paul's lead is 4%, but they've had him declared the winner since the polls closed? GOD our media is fucking horrible.

[Tagus]

Looks like there's gonna be a Dr. Paul in each house.

[Korietsu]

http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/com...senfranchised/

-_-

[bigrougabagel]

He will win, there isnt any way he wont. We've known this for forever.

[kuronosan]

I haven't seen a victory this pronounced since Dewey defeated Truman.

[Rhinox]

Christine O'donnell has lost lulz