Snarf!

4:10pm

I just voted...by paper ballot! Take that.

Everyone seems to think it will be complete disaster for the Democrats. Most seats will, as they do every election, not change party hands. The problem is that it doesn't look like Democrats can pick up any senate seat represented by a Republican, unless craziness ensues from the 3 way whackiness in Alaska and Florida. Still, I think they can afford to lose 7, and maybe 8 seats (depending on how Joe Lieberman is feeling) and still be in power.

Nearly everyone sees Blanche Lincoln losing in Arkansas to her challenger. Somehow that would only give Republicans one of the 2 Arkansas senate seats. She's kinda whack anyway. I think Democrats are safe in California, Hawaii, Maryland, New York (x2), Oregon and Vermont (all seats they hold). The close ones are Washington, Colorado, Wisconsin, Nevada, Illinois, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Russ Feingold, the incumbent from Wisconsin, is awesome. He's the only senator to have voted against the Patriot Act at a time when everyone decided to freak out in another case of Republicans overtly pulling some grandiose big government shit. Much to my chagrin, he appears to be trailing.

Joe Sestak (D) seems to have pulled the PA race for Arlen Specter's old seat. Maybe he's not favored, but they always seem to say PA will be close, and then poof. I think Democrats retain PA, lose WI (nooooo!), and edge out dead even contests in WA and CO. Like I said earlier, I believe Angle will lose to Reid.

David Vitter is a total skeezbag, but will probably get re-elected in Louisiana, where views on married guys using escort services are probably not that frowned upon. And the only reason I care about that is because he's just a pious hypocrite. Also Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) will easily get re-elected too I'm sure, despite being maybe the single worst U.S. Senator.

Basically Democrats will lose Arkansas, North Dakota, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Thus, they need

3 out of the following 6 battleground states (and all others currently held) to retain power as is (2 independents caucus with Democrats):

Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois, Colorado, Nevada, Washington

Final Prediction: Republicans pick up 6 Senate seats, not enough to take power.