Pre-Election Post-Mortem

With only 2 days remaining until the election, it is hard to watch TV, listen to the radio, talk to coworkers or even drive down a stretch of road without being reminded of how deeply divided an election this promises to be.  It is the job of politicians and pundits to convince voters every two years that this election is the most important election in your lifetime.  Even knowing the game, I'm convinced that this upcoming election is the most important of my lifetime and that the following will be even more significant. 

This election will be conservatives' last chance to defund Obamacare.  RCP shows Republicans with at least a 7 seat lead in the House even if the Democrats win every single toss-up race, and Republicans will likely take most of those, increasing their lead considerably.  RCP also shows the Senate being competitive but likely staying in Democratic hands.  The Senate not reverting control is more a of function of our electoral system than Democrat's popularity, only a third of the Senate is up for election. 

Although much maligned, the Tea Party is worthy of some credit for this wave that threatens to end Obama's agenda.  While we have them to thank for Christine O' Donnell (who believes mice are being cross-bred with humans in secret American laboratories and that they are creating rodents with "fully-functional human brains."), Sharron Angle is in a toss-up race against Reid in Nevada and Rand Paul has a comfortable lead against Conway in Kentucky.  The Tea Party could also be an effective force in gubernatorial and more local races in ways that could be monumental.  Just by installing some leaders to help Paul Ryan turn the party around, the Tea Party's wins could more than make up more their losses.

The 2012 election, of course, would be to remove Obama from the White House.  Most Presidents in modern times have been granted two terms, even those who performed poorly in their first term (ie. Clinton, Eisenhower, and Truman).  The counterexamples, Carter and Bush (41), tend to be disregarded even by members of their own party.  In the bellweather state of Ohio, 50-42 would prefer to have Bush back in the White House rather than Obama.  Of course these polls are done just to make a stark comparison, Bush can't run but who would have predicted polling like that in 2008?

Note to my readers:  On Sept 19, I endorsed Christine O' Donnell for Senator in my Are You A Good Witch Or A Bad Witch? post.  The torrent of background information released on her since then has convinced me that she is truly unfit for the Senate although still not as bad as Joe Biden, who previously held the seat.  I have endorsed a total of two candidates since beginning this blog, both of which either have lost or will lose.  In keeping with that tradition I renounce (or is that "refudiate"?) my endorsement of O' Donnell and endorse Jim Rash (L) for US. Senator from Delaware.