IN FOCUS: STATS

Senate: D 51 - R 46
House: D 184 - R 240
Governor: D 16 - R 29 - I 1

NYT: House Map
Senate Map

HNN Hot Topics: Midterm Elections

• Live Blogging Election Night - NYT, The Caucus, 11-2-10
• Midterm elections live blog 2010 - Yahoo News, 11-2-10
• GOP regains control of House in historic elections: Republicans have seized control of the House for the first time since 2006, riding a wave of voter discontent and economic woes to directly challenge President Barack Obama's agenda.
  House Republicans have captured 220 seats and were leading in 20 other races. Only 218 seats are needed for control of the House.
  Republicans have picked up a net gain of 53 seats and were leading for another 13 Democratic-held seats. If current trend holds, Republicans could record their largest gains in the House in more than 70 years.
  In 1938, the party gained 80 seats during the second term of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.... - AP, 11-3-10
• Republicans Will Take Control of the House: John A. Boehner, the House Republican leader, in an emotional moment during a victory gathering for the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington. More Photos »
  Republicans captured control of the House of Representatives on Tuesday and expanded their voice in the Senate, riding a wave of voter discontent as they dealt a setback to President Obama just two years after his triumphal victory.
  A Republican resurgence, propelled by deep economic worries and a forceful opposition to the Democratic agenda of health care and government spending, delivered defeats to Democrats from the Northeast to the South and across the Midwest. The tide swept aside dozens of Democratic lawmakers, regardless of their seniority or their voting records, upending the balance of power for the second half of Mr. Obama’s term.... -
• Republicans Will Win Control of House: The New York Times is projecting that Republicans will win the 218 seats necessary for control of the House of Representatives after four years of Democratic control of the chamber.
• Democrats keep control of the U.S. Senate: Democrats retain enough seats to hold on to the U.S. Senate, The Washington Post projects.
• As CNN, ABC, MSNBC and other networks are now projecting, though, even if the Democrats lose all 4 of those races, they will still have 50 seats. According to Senate rules, the Vice President breaks a tie, which means Democrats will keep control.
• GOP to grab U.S. House majority; Democrats poised to retain Senate: Republicans rode a wave of voter dissatisfaction with the state of the economy to win majority control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday's midterm elections, while Democrats were poised to retain their majority in the Senate. With results still coming in and voting continuing in Western states, the extent of the Republican takeover of the 435-member House was still to be determined. But CNN projected that Republicans would win at least 52 more House seats than they currently hold to wipe out the Democratic majority of the past four years.... - CNN, 11-2-10
• 2010 election results: media coverage in portions for every appetite: Coverage of the 2010 election results will be provided in more ways than ever before – from centuries-old delivery methods like newspapers to ABC News's iPad application.... - CS Monitor, 11-2-10
• Exit poll: Economy dominates voters' worries: Voters were intensely worried about the future of the economy Tuesday and unhappy with the way President Barack Obama and Congress have been running things. They didn't hold a favorable view of either the Republican or Democratic parties, according to an Associated Press analysis of preliminary exit poll results and pre-election polls. Overwhelmingly, people at the polls were dissatisfied with the way the federal government is working, and a fourth said they're angry about it.... - AP, 11-2-10

THE RESULTS....MIDTERM ELECTIONS 2010

• Michael Bennet (D) defeats Ken Buck (R) in Colorado Senate race: Incumbent Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet has beaten his tea-party-backed challenger, Republican Ken Buck, according to the Associated Press.
• MARIJUANA PROPOSITION: California voters reject legalization of marijuana, AP projects.
• A.P. Projects Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Will Defeat Republican Sharron Angle in Nevada: The Associated Press is projecting that the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, will survive a high-profile re-election campaign in Nevada against Sharron Angle, a Tea Party-backed Republican.
• PA Senate: Pat Toomey Claims Victory in Pa. Senate Race
• The AP has called the California governor race for the former governor, Democrat Jerry Brown: Brown defeated Republican candidate Meg Whitman, the former eBay CEO.
• DEMS KEEP SENATE, GOP WINS HOUSE: AP makes projections on two biggest storylines of the night.
• REID PROJECTED TO SURVIVE: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wins re-election, AP projects.
• NEVADA GOV: AP projects Republican Brian Sandoval
• FORMER OBAMA SEAT NOW RED: AP projects Republican Mark Kirk has defeated the Democrat to take the Illinois Senate seat formerly held by President Barack Obama.
• TWO AP PROJECTIONS: SENATE: -- Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii
  GOVERNOR: -- Susana Martinez, R-N.M.
• Barbara Boxer (D) defeats Carly Fiorina (R) in California Senate race: California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer has won her bid for a fourth term, fending off a tough challenge from former Hewlett Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina (R), the Associated Press projects.
• With Boxer's win in California official, the Democrats are just one win away from maintaining a clear 51-vote majority in the Senate. The competitive races still up in the air: Nevada, Washington, Illinois and Colorado.
• TWO MORE GOVERNOR PROJECTIONS FROM AP: -- Terry Branstad, R-Iowa
  -- Jan Brewer, R-Ariz.
• Nathan Deal (R) defeats Roy Barnes (D) in race for Georgia governor: Former representative Nathan Deal (R) defeated former governor Roy Barnes (D) in the Georgia gubernatorial contest, The Washington Post projects. Deal will succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue.
• TRIO OF GOVERNOR PROJECTIONS FROM AP: -- Jerry Brown, D-Calif.
  -- Nathan Deal, R-Ga.
  -- John Kasich, R-Ohio
• HOUSE: AP projects that Missouri Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton has lost to GOP challenger Vicky Hartzler in the 4th district. Skelton was serving his 17th term in the House.
• Two big Senate calls from AP: Democrat Boxer in CA and Republican Pat Toomey in PA.
• AP is now projecting that the House will definitely take a majority in the House.
• At this point, the GOP has won 43 seats held by Democrats and are leading in two dozen more districts. Democrats have only picked up two Republican seats, hurting their chances of keeping the House. Republicans need to capture 40 seats to win back control of the House that they lost in 2006. -- PBS Newshour
• PA Senate: A.P. Projects Toomey Will Defeat Sestak in Pennsylvania Senate Race
• IOWA GOV: GOP challenger and former Gov. Terry Branstad has unseated Democratic Gov. Chet Culver, ABS and Fox project. That make +9 pickup for Republicans in governor races.
• HOUSE: Fox and CBS project that Democratic Rep. John Spratt has lost his seat after 14 terms in the House to Republican Mick Mulvaney in the 5th district. Spratt was chairman of the House budget committee.
• CA: Fox is calling California for both Democrat Jerry Brown in the governor race and Democrat Barbara Boxer in the Senate race.
• BALANCE OF POWER: Republicans have gained 4 seats in the Senate and 35 in the House (4 away from the net gain of 39 they need), plus 8 gubernatorial seats previously held by Democrats.
• In Ohio's 15th District: Democratic Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy has lost to GOP challenger Steve Stivers, AP projects.
• ILLINOIS SENATE: The margin has narrowed to one point in the still-too-close-to-call Illinois Senate race, pitting Republican Mark Kirk against Democrat Alexi Giannoulias.
• New AP projections:
  SENATE: Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
  GOVERNOR: C.L."Butch" Otter, R-Idaho
• In the Ohio 16 race NewsHour has been watching, CBS and Fox have called is for GOP challenger Jim Renacci That Ohio 16 seat, held for some 60 years by the GOP until 2008... goes back to the GOP.
• WIS GOV: Scott Walker, R-Wis., projected governor by AP. - The Journal Sentinel, 11-3-10
• MA House: Democrat Bill Keating defeated Republican Jeff Perry in the race for the 10th Congressional District.
• SENATE: Fox and ABC are projecting that Republican Ron Johnson will defeat incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold in the Wisconsin Senate race.
  The Associated Press is projecting that Ron Johnson, a Republican newcomer to politics, will defeat Senator Russ Feingold, the incumbent Democrat, in Wisconsin's Senate race. - Business Week, 11-2-10
• BALANCE OF POWER: Here's the latest tally: Republicans have gained 4 seats in the Senate and 19 in the House. They also have won 7 gubernatorial seats that had previously been held by Democrats.
• GOVERNOR: Republican Susana Martinez will be New Mexico's next governor -- the first female Hispanic governor in the history of the United States.
• RANGEL RE-ELECTED: Embattled N.Y. Democrat Charles Rangel has been re-elected, AP projects.
• UTAH PROJECTIONS: AP projects Republicans Mike Lee for Senate and Gary Herbert for governor.
• PA GOV: Republican Tom Corbett has defeated Democrat Dan Onorato in the Pennsylvania governor race, AP projects.
• Two AP projections for Senate: Democrat John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
• MASS GOV: AP projects Deval Patrick, D-Mass., re-elected.
• Two more GOP senators hold onto seats: AP projects: Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and John McCain, R-Ariz.
• BALANCE OF POWER: Here's where things stand at the moment: Republicans have a net gain of +12 in the House, +3 in the Senate and have also won 4 gubernatorial seats previoiusly held by Democrats. Senate results: Republicans pick up three seats - USA Today, 11-2-10
• Rick Perry (R) defeats Bill White (D) in Texas gubernatorial race: Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) bested former Houston mayor Bill White (D) to win an unprecedented third term in the Lone Star State, the Associated Press projects.
• MA Attorney General Martha Coakley and Secretary of State William F. Galvin were reelected today.
• MD GOV: Maryland Democrat Martin O'Malley re-elected as governor, AP projects.
• MA HOUSE: Democratic Rep. Barney Frank re-elected, AP projects.
• O'Malley defeats Ehrlich in Maryland gubernatorial race: Incumbent Martin O'Malley defeats former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. in Maryland's gubernatorial race, the Associated Press projects.
• HOUSE BALANCE OF POWER: MSNBC, Fox, CBS and CNN are projecting that Republicans will regain control of the House of Representatives, but The Associated Press has yet to make a projection.
• Cuomo Wins New York Governor's Race, Defeating Paladino: Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, has defeated the Republican candidate, Carl P. Paladino, in the New York governor's race. The incumbent, David A. Paterson, a Democrat, was not running for re-election.
  Voters returned Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to Washington for new terms.
• Andrew Cuomo (D) defeats Carl Paladino (R) in New York gubernatorial race: New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) defeated businessman Carl Paladino (R) in the New York gubernatorial contest. Cuomo will succeed outgoing Gov. David Paterson (D), the Associated Press projects.
• Hurt defeats Perriello in Virginia's 5th District: Rep. Tom Perriello (D) has been defeated after one term in central Virginia's 5th District, losing to state Sen. Robert Hurt (R), the Associated Press projects.
• Joe Manchin (D) beats John Raese (R) in West Virginia Senate race: West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) has defeated businessman John Raese (R) in the West Virginia Senate race, holding the seat of the late Sen. Robert Byrd for Democrats after a hard-fought campaign, the Associated Press projects.
• A.P. Projects Wins for Blumenthal in Connecticut and Boozman in Arkansas: The Associated Press is projecting that Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a popular Democrat, has defeated the Republican candidate, the pro-wrestling tycoon Linda McMahon, in the race for a Senate seat from Connecticut. -- AP, 11-2-10
  In Arkansas, The A.P. is projecting that Representative John Boozman, a Republican, will defeat Senator Blanche Lincoln, an incumbent Democrat. -- AP, 11-2-10
• Democrat Christopher Coons Defeats Republican Christine O'Donnell in Delaware Senate Race: Christopher Coons, the Democratic candidate, defeated a dissident Republican and Tea Party candidate, Christine O'Donnell, for a Senate seat from Delaware.
• Rand Paul beats Jack Conway in Kentucky Senate race: Ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) has defeated state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) in the Kentucky Senate race, holding for Republicans the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jim Bunning (R), the Associated Press projects.
• Florida: Republican Marco Rubio defeats Charlie Crist in Senate race - USA Today, 11-2-10
• Tea Party Notches Early Victories With Paul and Rubio: The Tea Party captured its first big victories Tuesday when Marco Rubio won a United States Senate seat in Florida and Rand Paul won his Senate bid in Kentucky. The victories seemed to be a precursor of big gains in Congress for the Republican Party.... - NYT, 11-2-10
• Tea Party Notches First Big Victory With Rand Paul: As the polls closed in a half-dozen eastern states, Kentucky and Indiana on Tuesday night, the Tea Party captured its first big victory when Rand Paul won a United States Senate seat in Kentucky, a victory that seemed to be a precursor of big gains in Congress for the Republican Party.... - NYT, 11-2-10
• Republicans score first key election wins: Republicans scored the first key election wins on Tuesday after a long and bitter campaign that could sweep Democrats from power in Congress and slam the brakes on President Barack Obama's agenda.... - Reutetrs, 11-2-10

THE HEADLINES....MIDTERM ELECTIONS 2010

• Tea time: Republicans locking up House control: Republicans marched toward House control Tuesday night in midterm elections shadowed by recession, locking up enough Democratic seats to install a conservative majority certain to challenge President Barack Obama at virtually every turn. Speaker-in-waiting John Boehner, his voice breaking with emotion, declared to fellow Republicans,"I'll never let you down.".... - AP, 11-3-10
• GOP takes the House, but fall short in Senate: Resurgent Republicans won control of the House early Wednesday in midterm elections shadowed by recession, promising a conservative majority certain to challenge President Barack Obama at every turn. Speaker-in-waiting John Boehner called the results"a repudiation of Washington, a repudiation of big government and a repudiation of politicians who refuse to listen to the people."
  Republicans fell short in their effort to gain control of the Senate and take full command of Congress, although they picked up at least five seats. They also wrested at least eight governorships from Democrats.
  Obama telephoned Boehner shortly after midnight to congratulate him, a call that underscored the transition to divided government. - AP, 11-3-10
• Democrats lose 6 Senate seats, but keep majority: Democrats retained their Senate majority Tuesday, losing five seats but winning key races in West Virginia and California. Republicans scored big gains, taking Senate seats from Democrats in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arkansas, North Dakota and Indiana. The net gain of 10 they needed for control of the chamber, however, eluded them.
  With Republicans taking over the House, President Barack Obama will need a Democratic-run Senate to champion his legislative agenda.... - AP, 11-3-10
• GOP captures governorships in at least 10 states: Republicans on Tuesday captured from Democrats governorships in at least 10 states, including some prime presidential battlegrounds, and hoped for even more statehouse gains. The same tide sweeping Republicans into office in Congress was leaving its mark on governors' mansions as well, especially in the nation's industrial heartland.
  Lost in the GOP onslaught: governorships now held by Democrats in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Tennessee, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Wyoming.... - AP, 11-3-10
• In Republican Victories, Tide Turns Starkly: Somewhere along the way, the apostle of change became its target, engulfed by the same currents that swept him to the White House two years ago. Now, President Obama must find a way to recalibrate with nothing less than his presidency on the line.
  The verdict delivered by voters on Tuesday effectively put an end to his transformational ambitions and left him searching for a way forward with a more circumscribed horizon of possibilities. Facing a hostile House with subpoena power and a diminished majority in the Senate, he will have to figure out the right blend of conciliation and confrontation to reassert authority and avoid defeat in 2012.
  The most pressing question as Mr. Obama picks through the results on Wednesday morning will be what lessons he takes from the electoral reversals. Was this the natural and unavoidable backlash in a time of historic economic distress, or was it a repudiation of a big-spending activist government? Was it primarily a failure of communications as the White House has suggested lately, or was it a fundamental disconnect with the values and priorities of the American public?... - NYT, 11-3-10
• How the tea party helped GOP find a path to Election Day successes: Victories for tea-party candidates Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Jim DeMint showed the impact of the nascent conservative movement on the GOP's ability to project a winning posture.... - CS Monitor, 11-2-10
• Republicans See Big Gains in House: The Tea Party captured its first big victories Tuesday when Marco Rubio won a United States Senate seat in Florida and Rand Paul won his Senate bid in Kentucky. The victories seemed to be a precursor of big gains in Congress for the Republican Party, as victories in several races suggesting the party could be poised to take control of the House of Representatives. The results, and surveys of voters outside polling places, signaled that the elections would recalibrate the balance of power in Washington and in state houses across the nation, as voters distressed over the lingering economic woes, seemed eager to rebuke President Obama and his fellow Democrats.
  The biggest gains for Republicans were expected in the House, where party leaders said they were confident of reclaiming the majority. Several incumbent Democrats were trailing on Ohio, a key indicator of trouble ahead for Democrats.... - NYT, 11-2-10
• Tea Party Comes to Power on an Unclear Mandate: For all the ways its rank and file despises President Obama, the Tea Party’s powerful insurgency shares this with him: It has been a blank screen on which voters have projected all kinds of hopes and frustrations — not always compatible or realistic.
  As it tries to make the transition from a protest movement to a power on Capitol Hill, the Tea Party faces the challenge of channeling the energy it brought to the election into a governing agenda when it has no clear mandate, a stated distaste for the inevitable compromises of legislating and a wary relationship with Republican leaders in Congress.
  The Republican sweep looked to be largely a Tea Party sweep, with 4 in 10 voters in exit polls expressing support for the movement.... - NYT, 11-2-10
• West Virginia Senate: a crucial but hollow victory for Democrats?: Gov. Joe Manchin has declared victory in the race for the open West Virginia Senate seat. His win makes it very unlikely that the GOP will control the Senate. But in Washington, Manchin might act more like a Republican than a Democrat.... - CS Monitor, 11-2-10
• For Obama, perils and opportunities ahead: Facing what seems certain to be a vastly more Republican and hostile Congress, President Obama will begin a new chapter in his presidency following today's midterm elections—one filled both with pitfalls and opportunities as he struggles to enact his policies and prepare to run for reelection in two years. These election results will likely leave Obama in a bind. Enacting measures that he hopes to get passed--such as an expansion of health care to include those left uncovered by last year's landmark legislation or an increase in educational benefits through a plan to aid community colleges--will be more difficult. Those proposals will probably have to be re-crafted or abandoned altogether.... - National Journal, 11-2-10
• Tea time: GOP nears House control, piling up wins: House control within reach, Republicans piled up gains Tuesday night in a drive to forge a new conservative majority midway through President Barack Obama's term. They added Senate seats, as well, but seemed likely to fall short of taking over."We've come to take our government back," Sen.-elect Rand Paul declared to cheering supporters at a victory party in Bowling Green, Ky., an early Republican winner on a night filled with them. A Republican majority in the House would usher in a new era of divided government as the nation struggles to emerge from the shadow of the worst recession since the 1930s.... - AP, 11-2-10
• GOP celebrates first fruits of expected big night: Republicans gained a Senate seat in Indiana, and tea party favorite Rand Paul coasted to victory in Kentucky in midterm elections Tuesday night, first fruits of a drive to break the Democrats' grip on power in Congress. Republicans also led for four House seats in Democratic hands and projected confidence they would succeed in winning a majority and installing Rep. John Boehner of Ohio as speaker.... - AP, 11-2-10
• Why Rand Paul's victory is important: Rand Paul's victory provides evidence that the tea party influence is real, and may hold lessons about negative campaigning.... - CS Monitor, 11-2-10
• Long Wait Possible in Alaska: Alaska—The winner of Alaska's Senate race might not be known for weeks, as election officials wrestle with complications created by incumbent Lisa Murkowski's write-in effort as well as thousands of absentee ballots. Alaska voters on Tuesday were choosing among Ms. Murkowski, tea-party-favorite and Republican nominee Joe Miller, and Democrat Scott McAdams, a little-known former mayor. In addition to those votes and others cast early, there are at least 20,000 absentee ballots that won't be counted Tuesday night. Election officials will first tally the number of votes for Mr. Miller and Mr. McAdams, and the number of voters who indicated a write-in choice. Alaskans voting for Ms. Murkowski must darken a bubble on the ballot and write her name on a line. If the number of votes with the write-in bubble filled is far lower than those for another candidate, a winner could become apparent Tuesday night. But if write-ins are in first place—or close to it, election officials must wait for laggard absentee ballots to arrive and be counted before moving beyond counting bubbles to actually tallying the names written in next to them. Any name-counting wouldn't start until Nov. 18, and the election wouldn't be certified until around Nov. 29. Only at that point could a candidate contest the results in court, said Gail Fenumiai, director of the state Division of Elections.... - WSJ, 11-2-10

QUOTES

• STATEMENT FROM RNC CHAIRMAN MICHAEL STEELE ON THE PENNSYLVANIA ELECTIONS: “Tonight, the Keystone State delivered a resounding repudiation of the reckless tax, borrow and spend agenda of Democrats in Washington and in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania voters have chosen principled, fiscally responsible leadership by electing Tom Corbett, Pat Toomey, and five new Republican members of Congress, who will work to help fix the economy and get Pennsylvanians back to work.
  “These Republican wins are proof that the real catalysts for change in this country are the grassroots activists in small towns across the nation and the millions of families looking to earn an honest living and pursue the American dream. Through the tremendous leadership of the Pennsylvania Republican Party and support of an unprecedented Victory effort of twenty-six offices and twenty-seven dedicated staff, we were able to communicate our Party’s message, identify voters, get our supporters to the polls, and deliver Republican victories across the state.
  “I would like to congratulate Pat Toomey, Tom Corbett, and all of our federal and state legislative Republican candidates across Pennsylvania for their successful campaigns for limited government and fiscal responsibility. It is time for our nation and Pennsylvania to get back to work and leaders such as Pat Toomey and Tom Corbett will be on the frontlines to ensure that we do.”
• Details on President Obama's call the House Republican leader John Boehner from the AP: "During what Boehner described as a brief but pleasant midnight conversation, the two discussed working together on priorities for Americans. Boehner says he told the president that the people expect them to cut spending and create jobs."
• House Republican Leader John Boehner is speaking:"Listen, I'll be brief, because we have real work to do ?" and this is not a time for celebration … not when one in 10 of our fellow citizens are out of work ...not when we have buried our children under a mountain of debt … not when our Congress is held in such low esteem.? of our fellow citizens are out of work … not when we have buried our children under a mountain of debt … not when our Congress is held in such low esteem."
• New York Democratic Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo seemed to be speaking to Tea Partiers in his acceptance speech: He said,"You are not going to separate us, you can try that somewhere else, but not in New York." He acknowledged that he and his party had work to do to rebuild trust with voters. But he asserted that"politics were over, we are going to be more united than ever before."
• MARCO RUBIO'S WORD OF CAUTION: Marco Rubio tempered his acceptance speech in the Florida Senate race with a word of caution to his fellow Republicans. He said,"Even now, the stories are being written about what this really means. The House of Representatives will change hands, and a growing number of Republicans will also serve in the Senate. But we will make a grave mistake if we think this is an embrace of the Republican Party." Instead he said, it was"a second chance" for his party"to be what we were meant to be."
• Republican Cantor vows to repeal health reform: Representative Eric Cantor, who is likely to become majority leader in the new Republican-led House of Representatives, vowed on Tuesday to repeal healthcare reform and cut federal spending."We will get to work right away to reduce the deficit by cutting federal spending next year down to 2008 levels. That will save $100 billion in the first year alone," he said, according to prepared remarks.... - Reuters, 11-2-10
• HOUSE Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine said: Democratic loses in the House, especially loses in his home state of Virginia, were"very tough.""We wanted to hold on to both [chambers of Congress] especially because we have had a great Speaker in Speaker Pelosi."Speaking to reporters at Democratic headquarters, Kaine quickly turned to the optimistic view that Democrats will retain control of the Senate."We remain confident we will have a strong showing and keep the majority," he said.Refusing to offer what he called a post-mortem of the night, Kaine said the night's results point to the need for both sides of the aisle to cooperate and listen to the American public."Maybe it is a message from the American public," he said."We have a Democrat in the White House; we'll have maybe a majority of Republican governors; we'll have a Democratic Senate; Republican House: everyone has to work together and that is what I know the president will focus on."
• Christine O'Donnell Concession Speech: In her concession speech, Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell gave no ground in defeat. She said she had just gotten off the phone with her opponent, Democrat Chris Coons."And I warned him that he was now in a position to help the people who are suffering ... I asked him if he would fight to stop the death tax from being reinstated this Jan. 1." She added,"We can only hope and pray that he chooses to go against his party and do what is right for the people of Delaware." She vowed to continue fighting for her positions."Our elected officials will be held accountable to their constituents, like it or not."
• Rand Paul: KY SENATE: In his acceptance speech in Bowling Green, Ky., Republican Rand Paul called his win part of a"Tea Party tidal wave." He said,"The American people are unhappy with what is going on in Washington. Tonight ... we are sending a message to them."
• HOUSE: Rep. Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, was defiantly optimistic about his party's chances to retain control of the house.Speaking to reporters at the Democratic headquarters shortly after 9, he rebuffed NBC News' Norah O'Donnell when she said her network had already called Republicans had won a majority in the House."Well, I think that is a mistake. That is way too early," he said. and again I think that is a mistake and I think what you are seeing right now is voters going to polls and the verdict is out still.""Democratic turnout has been higher than projected," Van Hollen said."Obviously we had a good early vote and we are seeing stronger than projected democratic turnout in races so far. Obviously there are a lot of polls around the country that has not closed yet in the mountain region and the West Coast. but we knew it would be challenging." Moments after he walked out of the room CNN also called control of the House for Republicans. Van Hollen's words seemed to be a final cry for hope:"We remain confident we will have a strong showing and keep the majority."
• Obama says post-election agenda hinges on having allies: President Barack Obama said the fate of his policy agenda would depend on having allies in Congress as he pressed supporters to turn out and vote in a bid to minimize his Democrats' losses in Tuesday's congressional elections."Everybody who is listening: Just remember, the future is yours to shape. But if you don't get involved, somebody is going to shape it for you ... one of the best ways to do that is to vote today," Obama said in an interview on Los Angeles radio station KPWR.
  With the midterm elections shaping up as a referendum on his first two years, Obama insisted his administration had accomplished a lot after taking office in the midst of the worst financial crisis in decades. He cited a return to economic growth -- albeit slow and halting -- plus a sweeping healthcare overhaul and a U.S. troop drawdown in Iraq among his achievements. Obama acknowledged that job growth is slower than it needs to be but said he would keep the focus on reducing unemployment as well as improving education."Across the board, things have gotten better over the last two years. We can only keep it up if I've got some friends and allies in Congress and statehouses," Obama, speaking from the Oval Office, said on the youth-oriented radio station's whose slogan is"Where hip hop lives." Reuters, 11-2-10

HISTORIANS & ANALYSTS' COMMENTS

• A deeply divided government is tasked with building consensus: "There isn’t going to be a candidate around which they can unify all factions of the party," University of New Hampshire political science professor Dante Scala offered. “For all the talk from the Republican elite about unifying, I wonder if it’s already too late."...
  "The President may go the Bill Clinton route to build up his centrist credentials," Prof. Scala said."If that’s the case, a lot of [progressive] House Democrats will be put in cold storage for a couple of years."... - The Globe & Mail, 11-2-10
• Julian Zelizer: Le Congrès, acteur central de la politique américaine: C'est dû au pouvoir que le Congrès accorde au «parti perdant au Sénat», explique Julian Zelizer, professeur de science politique à l'université de Princeton. La minorité d'opposition peut en effet décider de bloquer un projet de loi, en se livrant à la pratique de l'obstruction systématique (filibuster). Seule une majorité sénatoriale des deux tiers peut mettre fin au blocage. Le Congrès dispose d'autres «instruments» considérables pour borner et contrôler le pouvoir exécutif, puisqu'il tient les cordons de la bourse et peut décider de limiter le budget, note Zelizer. Il peut enterrer des projets législatifs et dispose aussi d'un rôle d'enquête très important grâce à ses puissantes commissions parlementaires et autres commissions ad hoc. - Le Figaro, 1-2-10
• Stefan Zaklin: Bush Is Back Why Republicans and Democrats alike are about to contract a serious case of Bush nostalgia: Nostalgia is a powerful force in American politics. Consider this year’s midterm elections. Democrats wanted to return to the Clinton years, when budgets were balanced and the economy was booming. Glenn Beck and his Tea Party followers yearned for a time before Woodrow Wilson. And while the rest of the Republican Party didn’t pledge to take the country back quite as far—the 1950s, for example, would do just fine—it still pledged to take the country back. For a lot of people, the past is preferable to the present.
  But is our penchant for political pining expansive enough to encompass someone as seemingly irredeemable as, say, George W. Bush?
  We’re about to find out. When Bush retired in 2009, the near consensus was that he—like the Vietnam War, the Teapot Dome scandal, or Millard Fillmore—was nostalgia-proof. The national debt stood at $11.3 trillion, more than double what it was when he took office. The economy hadn’t been so bad since the Great Depression. Inherited surpluses equal to 2.5 percent of GDP had become deficits equal to 3 percent of GDP. And Americans were still dying in two wars—one neglected, the other inexplicable. In Rolling Stone, historian Sean Wilentz awarded Bush the title of “worst president in history.” Many voters agreed: his final approval ratings hovered around 22 percent, a near-record low.
  What You Missed: Midterm Elections in 7 Minutes Haven't been paying attention this election season? Here's everything you need to know in brief
  Over the next few months, however, the thinking on Bush is likely to be challenged. In fact, some voters—and politicians—might even find themselves longing for a return to the Inauspicious Aughties. In part that’s because the former president is releasing a memoir of his time in office, Decision Points, on Nov. 9. After nearly two years of silence, he’ll headline the Miami Book Fair, appear on Oprah, and enjoy the predictable softening of public sentiment that comes when an embattled figure emerges from the wilderness and starts spending a lot of time to promote his side of the story. But there’s a bigger reason that Bush nostalgia is about to become a very real phenomenon inside and outside the Beltway: the Tea Party. As far-right rookies like Rand Paul, Sharron Angle, and Ken Buck begin to arrive on Capitol Hill, as they’re expected to, both mainstream Republicans and Democrats will realize that, whatever their disagreements with him—real or fabricated—Dubya and his ilk would be far more constructive partners in governing than the new kids on the block.... - Newsweek, 11-2-10
• A Conservative Victory for Now: The date was March 20, 1981 and Ronald Reagan who had taken the oath of office for his first term just three months earlier was addressing a joint meeting of the American Conservative Union, Young Americans for Freedom, the National Review and Human events.
  It was a very different era. Many of the youth in the audience were members of Generation X, born 1965 through 1980, and Reagan would be in office as Generation Y debuted in 1981 through 1995. Spanning those generations was one that would fill out the present demographic of today’s senior citizens, a critical voting bloc; one that can recall Reagan’s values and hopes to see them restored....
  For Reagan, the conservative goal was"to restore to their rightful place in our national consciousness the values of family, work, neighborhood, and religion" and he warned that it will not be achieved"by those who set people against people, class against class, or institution against institution."
  That was and is a perfect description of Barack Obama and a Democratic Party that knows no other way of governing and has no faith in the people.
  Reagan never lost faith in the American people even though, for a while, they have been forgetful of the past, backsliding from the goals set by the Founding Fathers, robbed and wronged, but who are ready to rise again and restore America.... - Canada Free Press, 11-1-10
• History Lessons: Midterms as Political Referendum: BEVERLY GAGE, professor, Yale University: Well, midterm elections, historically, are almost always overshadowed by presidential elections. We tend to think in terms of presidents. But they have played really critical roles at some really key moments in American history. And the moments where they have been most important have largely been when two things happened. The first is when either the Senate or the House or both of them have changed hands from one party to another, most often, because it's a midterm election, from the president's party to the opposite.
  And the second is when these party changes happen at moments where really critical issues are at stake. A couple of examples that come to mind, 1918, you see a switch in the Senate in particular under Woodrow Wilson. They scotch his plans for the League of Nations.
  Another significant midterm election, 1946, Harry Truman has just become president. You begin to get real Republican pushback against New Deal policies and against Harry Truman's domestic agenda.....
  Woodrow Wilson notoriously handled it incredibly poorly. By the time he's at the end of World War I, he's had a stroke.
  But he also, in particular, took this Republican repudiation deeply personally. He refused to work with them. And it really ruined a lot of his plans. Presidents who can step back a little bit, take it a little bit less personally, and try to negotiate some sort of compromise tend to do a little bit better in those sorts of scenarios.
  I do think the 1934 election is an interesting parallel to look at. It's, on the one hand, quite exceptional, because the Democrats, under Franklin Roosevelt, actually pick up so many seats that year.
  But, given that Obama was in fact being so roundly compared to Franklin Roosevelt when he was elected -- we were going to have another New Deal in the midst of economic crisis -- I do think it's worth asking why the repudiation of Obama has been quite as severe as it is, and why he couldn't capitalize, like Roosevelt did in 1934.
  We said, it's an exceptional moment, certainly, but, given all of those earlier comparisons, I think it's worth thinking about. - PBS Newshour, 10-27-10
• History Lessons: Midterms as Political Referendum: RICHARD NORTON SMITH, scholar in residence, George Mason University: I would add, it certainly is a historical trend. In the last 100 years, only twice, has a president, his party in power added seats in...
  The first -- in the two years, halfway through the first term, in 1934, FDR at the height of the New Deal. And then, in 2002, George W. Bush defied the odds in the wake of 9/11, and Republicans actually picked up seats.
  Now, the real curse in American party politics is the six-year curse. Six years into a president's term, it's Katy bar the door. But the fact is, two years... He's a lame duck. He's probably intellectually spent....
  It is increasingly so (a referendum), I think particularly in the modern media age. I mean, one of the interesting things is, for 40 years, the Democrats had the House, from early '50s until '94. The Republicans then took the House and held on to it for 12 years. The Democrats took the House back in 2006. If they lose it on Tuesday, they will have had it for four years.
  There's something going on here. The period of one-party dominance has been shrinking measurably. And I think that's in part because of the emphasis we place on the executive. We have personalized these elections. They're not localized. This is -- for lots of people, this is a referendum on Barack Obama.
  And it's not just the angry anti-Obama forces. If you're on the left, and you are disappointed in this administration for whatever reason, you can express your disappointment by not voting. And that is a significant fact. That's the source of the enthusiasm gap, I think, that we have heard about all year....
  And, if you have lost your job, you're depressed. There's no doubt that there are lots people in this country who are hurting. More than that, there is this pervasive -- I think pervasive fear that the future may not be what Americans traditionally have assumed it to be.
  There's a clear fear of China. There's a sense that this is a country and a culture that may be in the decline. But, in terms of 1934, it was an affirmation of, in a sense, the radicalization that was in 1932. FDR took government places that no president had before. And, by 1934, people felt, psychologically at least, whatever the economic indices were, things were getting better. And so they endorsed him.
  This time around, we didn't go over the cliff."It could have been worse" is not a banner that millions of people are going to march behind to the polls. But, in effect, that's the Obama argument. The argument is, if you listen to the economists, eight million jobs were not lost because of the hated bailouts and TARP and all the other stuff, many of which are Bush initiatives....
  And I think it complicates -- it's a very difficult message that Obama has to deliver...
  I would say he has company, yes. The conventional wisdom is, Bill Clinton brilliantly stole Republican clothes.
  He actually turned this to his advantage by co-opting the center and by waiting for the Republicans to overreach, the shutdown of the government, and et cetera.
  But, I mean, he moved to a balanced budget. He signed the welfare reform package. And so, by '96....
  Republican ideas. He basically shut the door on Bob Dole or any Republican candidate. The question is whether Barack Obama, in today's media climate, with the left on the blogosphere holding his feet to the fire, whether he has as much latitude if he wants to move to the center that Bill Clinton had. PBS Newshour, 10-27-10