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Welcome to part three of FDL midterm election night liveblog (link to part one and part two). For the most recent list of FDL top 108 House races to watch tonight go here You can also find my list of the twelve House races in early closing states that should give you a sense of how the night will go look here.
The major networks have projected that Democrats will lose control of the House but the picture looks slightly better for them in the Senate, which Democrats are likely to keep control of.
9:35 pm – Barney Frank (D) will keep his seat with no trouble.
9:37 pm – In Texas GOP Gov. Rick Perry won another term. This is a case of a good Democratic challenger running in just the wrong cycle.
9:47 pm – Roy Blunt (R) wins MO Sen race by a wide margin.
9:48 pm – NC-11 Democrat Heath Shuler will keep his seat.
9:51 pm – TX-17 Long term incumbent Chet Edwards (D) lost badly to Bill Flores. This is not a year to be a Democrat in a red district. This election is definitely seeming to push us towards more party line voting.
9:58 pm – In MA Gov Deval Patrick (D) will get another term.
10:00 pm – Polls now closed in AZ, ID, MT, NV, UT
10:06 pm - A possible surprise upset in the marking? In PA Sen race with 64% reporting it is Joe Sestak (D) 52.2 – Pat Toomey 47.8.
10:09 pm – SD medical marijuana ballot measure lose by a wide margin as expect by recent polling.
10:23 pm – Rhodes Island will not change its official name. It remains “Rhode Island and Providence Plantation.”
10:33 pm – Democrat John Hickenlooper wins the CO Gov race and it is possible that Dan Maes (R) might not get 10% costing the Republican party major party status.
10:35 pm – In PA-08 Patrick Murphy (D) loses to Michael Fitzpatrick.
10:40 pm – Sad but expected news. Russ Feingold (D) has lost the WI Sen race to Ron Johnson.
10:47 pm – It seems things in the House have been steadily getting worse for Democrats
10:48 pm – In PA-01 incumbent Dem. Chris Carney falls to GOP Tom Marino.
10:55 pm – Looking at how well the GOP is doing in the House and so poorly in the Senate makes me think Republicans should really shake up the NRSC.
10:58 pm – OH-16 John Boccieri (D) lost badly to Jim Renacci (R).
11:00 pm – Polls are now closed in ID, CA, OR, WA
11: 06 pm – IL-14 Democrat Bill Foster has lost to Randy Hultgren
11:12 pm – FDL election liveblog part four
87 Comments
Turnout at my suburban Philly precinct was reported at 50%. If other Philly precincts deliver those numbers, it could be good news for Sestak.
Absolutely the worst thing that could happen… I mean, ‘Speaker Cheetoh’???… Come on!!!
Welcome to two years of HELL, probably brought about by Obama’s refusal to back the public option and to perpetuate the war in Afghanistan…. not to mention his assault on public education via privatization/charterization, Wall Street ‘reform’ that doesn’t regulate the facilities that brought our economy into the dumpster, and absolutely absurd policies that left jobs and mortgage holders behind while giving free reign to the banks that got us into this mess…
I hope Tim Geithner does NOT sleep well tonight…
I also pray that Nancy Pelosi succeeds ‘Speaker Cheetoh’ in 2012….
We have our work cut out for us…. I welcome the contempt of the GOP and conservatives everywhere…
I’m so bummed on Grayson – the rest I don’t give a flying fuck about.
rmm.
Don’t they have term limits in Texas? Rick Perry is a jerk. Why do they keep re-electing him?
Heath keeping his seat means this isn’t going to be a 70 seat gain for Republicans.
I think the cronyism is pretty thick here. Not to mention the Foxism effect.
oh jeezuz, just looked at the WI numbers Feingold….
A Sestak upset would be the surprise of this election cycle.
Bennet and Reid are also outperforming the forecasts.
I wouldn’t start sweating Feingold yet (although it doesn’t look REAL good). Milwaukee County only has 3% of precincts reporting so far and its still pretty close there, not to mention Eau Claire & La Crosse aren’t reporting anything yet…
So far I’ve seen about 8 to 10 turnovers from Dem to GOP, with one (maybe two, with Wilson/Miller in SC) the other way. Where are the other 30 coming from, exactly?
This kind of premature analysis by the networks can only depress West Coast turnout, which might make it come true.
No term limits…he has now set a record.
Michelle Malkin is bitching that Hickenlooper won in Colorado
Why change your name to “Rhode Island” when you aren’t even an island? They should call it San Jose, since it’s about the size of the city of San Jose.
Short answer – Nope.
The only good thing is Texas governors are relatively powerless, as governors go. The founding fathers of TX in their wisdom gave the Lieutenant Gov. all kinds of powers, like to directlly introduce legislation – that few other governors have.
And, overall, TX is a conservative state with liberal-ish enclaves like (mine) San Antonio, and Austin, that buys into that “small govt., no-taxes-are-good-taxes, lazy good-for-nothings get stuff from govt that I, deserving “middle-class” will-someday-be-rich person, can’t get” etc., etc. And there’s the social conservative religious element, also, too.
Bill White had a better chance than any other Dem challenger in recent memory, but that wasn’t a very good chance. And I think much of Obama’s 2008 coaliton just stayed home.
Bachman was like a pull-string doll.
Dayam. MSNBC projecting Feingold losing in WI. Sad, sad, sad.
Grayson was in a Red(neck) West Orlando District. Grayson rode in on Obama’s coattails. Obama failed him. D Congress members needed real solid progressive policy to back them up for re-election.
They got Bob Dole Insurance Plan and TARP, HAMP and QE2 instead. It was as if Obama had thrown them all an anvil.
Anyonw who believes Obama cares one iota about core Democratic ideals would do well to consider WHY he could care less if Blanche Lincoln lost to a Republican as long as she beat back her Democratic Primary challenger. Obama is a DISGRACE & he is SOLELY responsible for the beatings the Democratic Party is taking tonight!
Isn’t she always? I mean, she can be wild-eyed and shrill, but I always get the feeling she’s a real “live” Stepford wife. Especially, of course, since what comes out of her mouth so rarely makes sense.
The numbers in SC-02 have not gone in Miller’s favor. For most of the reporting, they were neck-and-neck, but then late reporting precincts turned it solidly to “You Lie” Wilson.
Just checked: Wilson won.
How many of the house democrats that signed the letter saying thay would not vote for a Health Care bill without a Public Opption lost there jobes?
Feingols is sad, you’re right. He had a GREAT run, why did he toss it away so readily?
Terrible loss for us. I really like him.
She is probably heavily medicated. She needs to be removed from the limelight, for her own safety.
A lot of panelists on Free Speech TV live stream are not Obama supporters.
And they’re also reporting Feingold’s loss. Sh*t.
Yeah, I just saw that as well. He’d be a good choice for 2012 Pres. primary, IMHO.
Just how exactly did Russ throw it?
I’m hoping mine did. Early indications are that he’s in trouble.
CO SEN [18.1%] Bennet 50.2, Buck 44.7
IL SEN [71.8%] Giannoulias 47.9, Kirk 46.6
PA SEN [87.8] Sestak 50.1, Toomey 49.9
I’m beginning to feel seriously concerned about Prop 19.
So, we have Feingold and Grayson for our new party, who else?
Hot dayum that’s close.
Maybe sestak.
Watched a bit of the Frontline program on right now, “Obama’s Deal.” It was of course, about the deal with pharma and insurance that resulted in teh well-known piece of crap health bill.
Being a faithful fdl and blogosphere reader, there was nothing I didn’t know, and it was just too depressing to keep watching. But at least it’s being recognized in the wider world.
Listening to all the voters being exit-interviewed saying “O and Congress ‘did nothing’ to help them, “only made things worse,” etc., etc. made it so clear that they don’t even know they got a tax cut (because the admin failed miserably at making it known), and that a health insurance bill that only delivers the majority of the benefits it does have four years from now, was a really bad idea.
Yeah, so great, Rahm (who does get credit/blame on Frontline) to get “a bill”, any bill, instead of fighting and working to get a decent lawe that ordinary voters could recognize as benefiting them, turned out to be just as terrible an idea as some of us tried to tell you. And look at what thou hath wrought.
Can’t stand any more, I’m going to bed.
Sleestak is a forced birther.
Now Feingold is free to officially challenge the impostor in the WH.
Dean
Its like someone punched me in the stomach. This is a huge hit for progressives. Huge.
from his website:
My only consolation is that all of the people who did this to us by electing these nutjobs will suffer. Unfortunately, so will we. It is going to be an ugly couple of years.
Good night, all…
Don’t let the bed bugs bite. No, really, don’t let them bite.
Grayson has plenty of company in the “Obama failed him” department.
Grijalva?
S’cuse me? You’re saying Feingold himself “readily” threw away his seat?
Where’ve you been? He’s been fighting tooth and nail to hold on.
Olbermann just said that the Chamber of Commerce put in nearly a million dollars for his opponent, who is wealthy enough to have spent more than 8 million dollars of his own money!
Right! Feingold, Grayson, Dean. Looking good so far…
Both Kirk and Toomey move into the lead.
Yes he does. All of them. Obama sacrificed Congressional D’s on the altar of the Military Industrial Complex.
I bet that depends on who’s paying him.
I’m wondering where my restraint is coming from – I’m wanting to make about 200 troll/naysayer rebuttals.
And to compound the injury, my (cough, spit) Congressrat, Lamar Smith, will now likely become the Chair of, god help us all, the Judiciary Committee.
Obama will really regret not putting up his nominees for all those vacant federal judgeships. Nothing will get out that committee, nothing. At least nothing that Dems want.
That’s a pretty good field for ’12. Let’s get started.
37% say they’re casting their vote to oppose Barack Obama. Fuck.
Local news here in Chi … senate race tied as of now with 78% counted.
IL SEN [79.5%] Giannoulias 46.9, Kirk 47.6
PA SEN [92.1%] Sestak 49.8, Toomey 50.2
It may be wiser to conclude that Obama kept them vacant so the Republicans can fill them. Bipartisanship.
CO SEN [21.8%] Bennet 49.9 Buck 44.9
Rahm and Obama are features, not bugs. Fully bought and paid for, and they have delivered for the corporate fascist overlords with legislation and with tonight.
Dig in and hold on, it’s gonna get MUCH worse before it collapses and we the people have a chance to rebuild.
“Looking at how well the GOP is doing in the House and so poorly in the Senate makes me think Republicans should really shake up the NRSC”
In 2012 Dems have to defend 22 seats versus 9 relatively safe seats for the GOP. So I don’t think Republicans are too worried whether they pick up 5 or 8 tonight.
On the other hand, the SF Giants won the World Series, it was great pitching and baseball, so, I’m kinda not caring much about the worsening upon us, it’s been coming for decades.
A Giants World Series win, not so much.
*G*
Vamos Gigantes!
West Coast closed.
Let it out hoss . . . you KNOW it’s not good to hold it in . . . ;-)
SI! Verdad! (don’t know the shift/lock commands for foreign accents/punctuation)
Unless Reid loses by 90% or so, look for the Angle mob to screech uncontrollably about “voter fraud”.
Actually, they’ll probably do that anyway.
One thing that I’m hoping is that his race is tied up in recounts until after they choose a new Majority Leader.
No, he isn’t.
Oregon called for Wyden
This might help.
Could be. In any event it appears turnout was better than expected. Apparently still people in line in Elko and LV (polls closed @ 7pm, but all in-line can vote).
Good riddance to New Jersey’s John Adler. In a state with 3 D seats at risk, Pallone, Holt, and Adler, the only one who lost was sellout John Adler who played the act like “Republican Lite” game and lost. He deserved it.
I talked to 2 persons in the hotel industry in the last 4 days. Diverse genderwise, but under 32. They ordinariy would be democrats, but were totally informed on the ways this administration is failing thr American people. I was shocked. Not good for Dems near the top of the ticket.
Good luck, since voting in Nevada is 100% unverifiable.
Link.
Hey Kelly!
Smooches! Moving to the LateNight thread
There’s plenty of minority voters in that district. That’s how Obaama’s coatails helped. Grayson outspent Webster like a million to one and had unions with him. His style just rubbed too many people the wrong way.
I nominate Alan Grayson to replace Tim Kaine as head of the DNC. Has there ever been a more invisible or ineffective Chairman than Kaine?
I’m sure you can fine more honorable people than Feingold and loud mouth lier Grason.
Did you see how bad Grason was beat.Grason defeat was as much grason as obama.One lies the other follows.
I have great respect and I largely agree with the views of progressives and those on the left (most especially bloggers and posters here in the FDL community).
But I have a few gripes:
1) I’m listening to independent liberal media’s coverage of the elections and a lot of the guests speak like professors lecturing to PhDs in political science. If the left wants to gain more electoral success, they need to simplify their message — and the simple message involves JOBS and STOPPING FORECLOSURE effectively, without compromise, and without selling out to corporate interests. And the left needs to be obvious about it instead of resorting to nuances and backroom deals.
2) There’s an underlying tone in which some on the left are scapegoating people who are not voting. It follows the message of scorn for some Tea Party members. Many in the Tea Party and many who are staying at home really are suffering through unemployment and foreclosure. Scapegoating them is NOT going to win their votes.
Just answer this one simple question, what has been the only issue in the USA the last 20 months? Jobs
Obama the trojan horse and the corporate dems ignored this issue, to pursue the interest of their corporate bosses
the left, never had a chance, we all got con by OBAMA.
at this moment money from that tarp program and obamacare, both republican ideas is being used to end the careers of democrat politicians all around the USA
Obama sorta stab a lot of Dems in the back today!
A below average real democrat could have kept the GOP on side line for years.
A real democratic president probably would have just focus on jobs and the middle class.
Second a real democratic president would have followed the FDR blue print.
If Democrats had a real democrat in the WHITE HOUSE, the Dems would be gaining seats tonite in the house and the senate.
It wasn’t that Russ blew it. Russ got more votes per dollar than his opponent did. What happened is that his Republican opponent *didn’t* blow it, and he had lots of money to define Feingold adversely. Besides, the whole Wisconsin Democratic party is on the ropes this year, and Feingold got only weak support from the DNC.
Bob in AZ
True that! Alan Grayson is a GREAT American!
Emptywheel put up a post on Kaine over at the Wheel House.
Bob in AZ
If Feingold were an unknown quantity in WI, that might fly.
Who cares? They never did anything with House anyway.
If you’re referring to the Democrats, you’re flat out wrong. There are something like 200 bills passed in the House that the Senate is sitting on.
Bob in AZ
There’s great commentary still coming out from Free Speech TV until 2am and you can see it live on freespeech.org.
This is a great clip with Amy Goodman and Michael Moore and that jerk face, John Boehner, giving his acceptance speech. Ugh.
http://www.livestream.com/freespeechtv/video?clipId=flv_17cf5623-2976-4e52-a601-593f09e25ccf