Legal Commentary

Election Day Morning : Predictions and Thoughts

By Jeralyn

No more polls, it's E-Day. My personal predictions:

• Voter turnout will not be much higher than usual for mid-term elections.

• The Dems will keep the Senate.

• The predictions of huge sweeps and upsets by tea-partiers on a national level, or across the board, won't happen. Any "landslides" will be localized, and more a reflection of the peculiarities of the particular race than a indicator of a trend or a movement. [More...]
  

• Republicans will make gains in the House and they will crow about it until January, but it will be empty posturing. The radical right won't get any serious legislation passed during the next two years. They'll have greater success at being obstructionist and blocking Democratic proposals, just like they've done the past two years, only on a bigger scale. It will backfire on them in 2012. We'll be in worse shape and the voters will rightfully blame them and boot them out.

• Colorado predictions: Sen. Michael Bennet will squeak by Ken Buck. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will have an easier time beating Tom Tancredo for Governor. Democrats Ed Perlmutter, John Salazar and Diana DeGette will keep their House seats. Any seats lost will be in the smaller, more rural areas.

I haven't been particularly invested in this year's elections. Maybe it's because the Democrats (Obama, Reid, Pelosi) didn't fulfill the promise we hoped their combined leadership positions would bring. The health care bill fell short of what was needed, the Supreme Court picks didn't "wow", and there was compromise at every turn, from the crack cocaine penalty changes to commitment to closing Guantanamo to trying the 9/11 defendants in federal courts. Too much backing down and not enough backbone.

But there's no question in my mind that we are much better off than under the reign of Bush. That's one reason it's so important to vote today and do our part to prevent a return to the failed Republican policies of the past. And make no mistake, Republicans represent the failed past. They offer only a regression, nothing good for the future.

Ok, what are your predictions? And will Prop 19 pass or fail?

Full post as published by TalkLeft on November 02, 2010 (boomark / email).