Update (6:33 p.m.): Post is closed to commenting. I’m live-blogging at a CNN blog party, and there are no comments on the post. HELP!
Please direct all midterm elections comments to that post. 
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Update II (1:30 p.m.): Check out the blog party virtual headquarters. Not bad.
Well, I’ve done my civic duty. Along with about 20 other people in Washington, D.C., I voted for the Republicans.
Watch out for the bloggers!
Update: A reader reminded me about Durham County’s district attorney race. As you know, current DA and head bungler Mike Nifong is running against Lewis Cheek, who says if elected he’ll allow the governor to appoint a new prosecutor to the Duke case, and a write-in candidate.
Later…If you have a Hot Air password and you’re bored at work, check out the chat room.
About the CNN blog event, subscribe to CNN Pipeline if you want to skip the talking heads. If watching bloggers blog gets you off, tune in!
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I’m going to a CNN blog party tonight (nerds, indeed!), and it’s a shame that I really don’t care about the elections. Well, I care a little, but I’m very jaded.
(I’m looking forward to meeting Lorie Byrd, Betsy Newmark, and John Amato of liberal Crooks and Liars [John and I have exchanged several e-mails through the years, and he’s OK with me], and seeing Kevin Aylward, Ed Morrissey, Scott Johnson, Pat Hynes, and MKH again.)
(Later…Didn’t know James Joyner would be there, too. Met him at a CPAC.)
When it comes to issues I care about, having a Republican Congress hasn’t made much difference. For instance, border security is high on my list, and rounding up and arresting illegal aliens and people who hire them is up there, too. But with an open-borders, Vicente Fox-loving president in the White House who calls himself a conservative, neither of those two things is going to happen. And the so-called border fence is just a farce, an unfunded midterm election ploy that doesn’t fool even the Democrats.
Big spender George Bush may have had his heart in the right place when he created yet another big bloated government agency (Department of Homeland “Security”), but in retrospect, his time and our money would have been better spent coordinating existing agencies and making sure they were properly doing their jobs securing the country, protecting us, and effectively communicating with each other.
Security and protection, blah, blah, blah.
I’ve been less than impressed with national Republicans, and I don’t see a big downside to having a Democratic Congress. That’s how jaded I am. I’ll be surrounded by liberal bloggers tonight, so if Democrats gain control, I’ll have to deal with the gloat factor, which will be unpleasant. Other than that, what’s the difference?
Tonight, I must blog about some aspect of the races, so here are the ones I intend to watch:
Michigan: Voters will decide whether the government may continue discriminating against people in hiring and admissions based on race, despite the frantic efforts of opponents to keep Proposal 06-2 off the ballot. Also see The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative site.
Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina (home, sweet home!), South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin: Voters will decide whether to ban homosexual “marriage.”
Maryland: Will there be two blacks in the Senate? Republican Michael Steele hopes so. Democrat Barack Obama hopes not.
Missouri: Voters will decide whether scientists in that state will be allowed to destroy human embryos to extract stem cells for “research.”
God bless America. 
Conservatives, even if Republicans lose big tonight, be of good cheer. If you don’t believe in the sovereignty of God, now’s a good time to start.
NZ Bear of The Truth Laid Bear has a cool page that will keep track of the races and the balance of Congress. Check it out. See the latest polls and more at RealClearPolitics. Also watch Memeorandum to find out what’s got the blogosphere buzzing.
By the way, the Power Line bloggers redesigned their news site. Check out Power Line News for the latest mainstream media and blog coverage.
Do you care about the midterm elections? If so, tell us which races you’ll be watching.
(Cool charts courtesy of the BBC)
More links below the fold:
- Election info at the Wash Post and Wash Times
- Abortion, gay marriage among many divisive topics in election day referendums
- Voters in 37 States to Decide Ballot Initiatives
- Hot-button issues add drama to elections
- GOP control of Congress is on the line
- For Democrats, Even a Gain May Feel Like a Failure
I enjoy watching all of the news coverage around our elections. I just moved back to MD from TX and so I have spent the last few months really looking into the political scene here. I would never have thought that MD could ever transition from Democratic stronghold to anything else. I’ll be watching to see how things shake out here.
Comment by Carlton — 11.07.06 @ 7:31 am
Watching Michigan because I live here. I’m watching not only the affirmative action ban, but also Proposal 4 which would ban the government taking property for private purposes. The governor’s race is a biggie. Jennifer Granholm has done zilch for the state. Our job market has tanked and our economy is the bottom of the barrel…this with nationwide unemployment very low. It would be nice to get rid of Debbie Stabenow in the Senate too; she just votes the Democratic party line mindlessly. (So does Carl Levin, but he’s entrenched. This is the time to get one of them out.)
Comment by MamaTod — 11.07.06 @ 7:40 am
LaShawn,
Please be very concerned about the demos taking over the house!
[Forgive for editing your comment, Sherry, but I don’t want commenters to get sidetracked by what you mentioned. Let’s keep the focus on the elections and save that discussion for another day. - Admin]
Thanks for all you do.
Sherry in Greensboro
Comment by Sherry — 11.07.06 @ 7:57 am
I’m a Michigan resident. I voted already. Some people never fail to file their tax returns. I never fail to vote. I’m watching the Michigan gubernatorial race, senate race, aff. action and dove hunting. I’m also watching Maryland, Mass. and Missouri senate races. Actually, I’m watching a lot of races across the country.
I am most happy, though, that the political ads and calls are just about done. This has been one of the worst elections ever in terms of annoying ads.
Comment by Leon — 11.07.06 @ 8:05 am
La Shawn,
I don’t believe it’s possible for anyone to have become more jaded or apathetic about politics (and especially politicians) than me. I do my best to avoid feelings and expressions of hate, but in reality, I have come to a point in my life of at least “despising” ALL politicians. Everything that comes from their lieing, condescending mouths either infuriates me (or at the very least) offends my intelligence. If there is a lower form of human indeavor than being a politician, I don’t know what it is.
Comment by Dave in AZ — 11.07.06 @ 8:10 am
I will be watching, and voting YES for, California Prop. 85.
This would mandate parental notification before a minor is allowed to have an abortion.
There is a judicial bypass clause, although deceptive advertising says there isn’t.
Comment by Ed Morrow — 11.07.06 @ 8:10 am
Ohio Republicans Will Lose Big Tomorrow
The prevailing attitude in Ohio is the same that my neigbor, an “Independent”, harbors. I called her this afternoon as I knew she is a faithful voter and would know where our voting precinct moved to (I misplaced our post card notification). Her joki…
Trackback by blogical conclusions — 11.07.06 @ 8:14 am
I wish I cared about politics. I’d like to care. But politicians make it so difficult.
That being said, I did vote today. Go Ken Blackwell!
Comment by Jud — 11.07.06 @ 8:14 am
I’m pretty jaded when it comes to politics, too; but I’m still interested enough to watch a few key races. I live in Tennessee, so I’m definitely watching the senate race here (Corker vs. Ford) and vote on the marriage ban. I’m also interested in the senate races in Maryland and Connecticut.
You have a great site, LaShawn. Keep up the good work!
Comment by Tonya — 11.07.06 @ 8:37 am
I’ll be watching the race for Attorney General in the State of Kansas. The incumbent Phill Kline is being challenged by Paul Morrison and the big issue is that Phill Kline is trying to shut down two large abortion clinics who have allegedly conducted late term abortions because the women are “depressed” and also conducted abortions on children age 10-15. Morrison has allegedly claimed that Kline sought to break medical privacy laws in his pursuit of these clinics and that he (Morrison) will not pursue the abortionists if he is elected. This whole mess has been on the O’Reilly factor both Friday night and also last night. O’Reilly claims to have independent proof that these abortions have been conducted, but that he didn’t get the information from Kline. For further information, please visit the website of Operation Rescue who is covering the entire story.
I will vote for Phill Kline. We must do everything we can to protect innocent unborn children and rape victims.
Comment by dianne — 11.07.06 @ 8:58 am
I’m reduced to simply caring about keeping the more distasteful candidates out of office. I haven’t had anyone to vote for in a long time, and this election is no exception. Once again I voted against Democrats, not for Republicans.
I’ll still be depressed if the Dems don’t regain power, but I’ll be positively suicidal if they do.
This is no way to go through life. I need a trip to Disney World.
Comment by RedBeard — 11.07.06 @ 9:03 am
Voting Day!
Today you have the opportunity to make a difference by making a reasoned and purposeful vote for a candidate who will take a stand for life. To see how your politicians have voted, please see the National Right to Life…
Trackback by ProLifeBlogs — 11.07.06 @ 9:30 am
Praise God! My forebears died for my right to vote, so despite my disenchantment with politics in general I don’t take my responsibility lightly.
GO OUT AND VOTE!!!!!
Comment by Tiffany in Houston — 11.07.06 @ 10:04 am
Liberal California, once Reagan land, should be interesting. I am hoping that in a few elective offices other than Arnold have republicans ending up on the winning side. By the way, I am a confirm independent. Tom McClintock, a fiscal conservative has a chance at Lt. Gov.; same with Steve Poizner against a uninspiring dem political Cruz Bustamente for secretary of state. Get this: we have former dem governor Jerry Brown out to win the attorney general spot who has never tried a case. The present dem holding the position, Bill Lockyer, had no experience in the court either. They are law school graduates who went into politics.
We have a ton of initiatives to vote on mostly ones that want more money than they already get from our present high state tax system.
John
Comment by John — 11.07.06 @ 10:04 am
I’ve been less than impressed with national Republicans, and I don’t see a big downside to having a Democratic Congress. That’s how jaded I am.
If you can’t see the downside, then you haven’t thought about it enough. Not only will you have a President who favors open borders, you may also have a House and a Senate that also favors them, and they may well put thru an amnesty bill for the several million illegal aliens already here.
And spending? you actually think the Dems will cut spending? best of luck with that.
Did I say or even imply Dems would cut spending? Already it’s starting. Moderation for you…- Admin
Comment by I R A Darth Aggie — 11.07.06 @ 10:06 am
La Shawn,
Let’s not forget to watch who’s elected for District Attorney in Durham County!
Here’s the latest from WRAL:
http://www.wral.com/news/10261400/detail.html
Comment by Tate — 11.07.06 @ 10:33 am
Like you, I’m disgusted with the GOP in general. If I could vote today, like Redbeard, I would vote against the Dems and not for most GOPs. But I can’t cause I missed the OK registration deadline.
Until now, I thot no big deal because maybe the NRRINOs (Non-Reaganite Republicans In Name Only) could use a spanking for having abandoned the Contract With America. And that in ‘08, the GOP would come back reinvigorated.
But today, Powerline reminded me what could be in stake in a Dem controlled house these next two years — a couple of seats at SCOTUS. We will not see the likes of Alito or Roberts being confirmed. That thot alone trumps any other deficiencies the GOP may have had under Bush.
So for me, it’s a double bummer, cause I don’t even have the option of holding my nose and punching a straight ticket.
So it’s gonna be up to everyone else to save us from the Donks
Comment by Andy — 11.07.06 @ 11:14 am
I told someone the same thing–does it really matter if Dems take over at least the House? Spending has been even higher than past Democratic administrations and they don’t seem to care about our national sovereignty or safety. The reason why they don’t even bother to discuss Illinois is because the party is quite corrupt–the previous Republican governor was one of the most corrupt ever–and he’s just gotten convicted, so he and some of his buddies are going to jail. The Democrats, especially in Chicago, are disgustingly corrupt. It’s a one-party city, so voting Republican on the local level is a vote for diversity. But at the state level, I might write-in someone for Governor.
Comment by mj — 11.07.06 @ 11:14 am
HERE’S A SHOCCKER:
In early voting in Miami-Dade County (a Dem stronghold), Republican Voters are leading by 10,000 votes! Here are the %’s.
Republican - 47%
Democrat - 38%
Independent - 15%
Hmm, what depressed Republican Electorate?
Comment by Bill Mitchell — 11.07.06 @ 11:27 am
I forgot to say something else: what’s bothered me lately is that the conservative media is constantly talking about the importance of voting Republican. They often make it seem that Republicans are good and Democrats are bad. That is such simplistic thinking, and blaming the “evil” Democrats for doing the same thing is hypocritical.
Maybe there are some politicians who clearly define the stereotypical image of whatever each party is supposed to be, but I’ve met politicians and active party members from both sides who are able to think in more complex ways. Today I was in a heavily Democratic area (of course–it’s Chicago) and met some great people who care about working hard and having a safe and clean neighborhood. I’ve met Democrats who don’t like the ignorant attitudes within their party, who are good citizens, who care about their children, etc.
I think that the responsible thing to do is to VOTE, since we’re very lucky to have that right (think of Burma and China and North Korea), then to use our brains to choose people who represent the best values to help our nation remain the best it should be.
Comment by mj — 11.07.06 @ 11:39 am
of course, being from Durham, I am looking forward to the DA race. As I have already posted, look for Nifong to keep his job. Mr Nifong has not spent any money on TV or radio because he knows that he has this election in the bag. It is simple math. He knows he has 90-95% of the black vote, in this county that is about 50-60% of the total vote depending on turnout. He also has some white liberal friends who continue to support him. The anti-Nifong vote is split. Congratulations, Mr Nifong, you get to continue your incompetence!
Comment by conservblack — 11.07.06 @ 11:40 am
It does matter if the Dems win the House! Bush and the Senate Repubs were not good on border security, true, but the House Repubs have been the only barrier to amnesty for 20+ million illegal immigrants AND any immediate family members they might like to bring in with them after amnesty. If the Dems win the House they will pass the Senate amnesty bill, SB2611 and Bush will sign it.
Wish the House Republicans well, please everybody!
Comment by Mary — 11.07.06 @ 11:46 am
CNN’s E-lection Nite Blog Party
I’ll be blogging from a DC coffee house starting around 4 Eastern as part of a CNN’s “E-lection Nite Blog Party.” (See how they have the clever homage to the kids there with the intentional misspelling of “night” an…
Trackback by Outside The Beltway | OTB — 11.07.06 @ 11:47 am
As a strong Republican, I care if the House changes……but for an odd reason. I think the Republi-pros in the House and the Senate need to have a Come to Jesus meeting about why they are there and what matters besides their own pompous rear ends.
Thus, if the House is shaken up, perhaps Hagel and Stevens and other Senate plutocrats will get an ice-water wake up call.
In fact, the House has done fairly well with Republican issues. It is the Senate Republicans that have ridden off in all directions at once.
If the Republicans squeak it out in the House it will deny us the lunatic antics of Pelosi, Conyers, Wrangle, Hastings and the other inmates.
Comment by Heliotrope — 11.07.06 @ 11:56 am
Understood, Mary
Comment by mj — 11.07.06 @ 12:09 pm
All you folks in New Orleans: Please, anyone but Jefferson.
Comment by Stella! — 11.07.06 @ 12:37 pm
I too was so jaded that I was intentionally not going to vote then something hit my conscious two days ago and I felt less jaded - why I have no idea. It was only 7 years ago that I realized I was no longer a democrat. When I found the Conservative Brotherhood which led me to LaShawn’s Corner I was proud to state I was a Black American Conservative and I thought it was safe to vote Republican. Led by Pres. Bush, followed up by the Republican Congress’ hypocrisy had left me with a cynical perspective of politics. Geez, perhaps my problem is I actually never read the GOP platform - hmmm, either the GOP platform has changed under this administration or it never was what I thought it was. AND one other thing (thanks, LaShawn for allowing us a forum to share/vent)at least most of you don’t live in LA, CA where being a Conservative truly feels like treading in enemy territory.
Nevertheless,
Phil 2:14-16
Comment by ZIPLA — 11.07.06 @ 12:44 pm
Did Precious have an agenda?
LINK
Comment by Belle — 11.07.06 @ 1:01 pm
I do care. I sincerely hope that Steele, Allen and Santorum win their elections. It doesn’t look too hot for the first and last of those three, yet I think Allen will hold on.
Of course… I’m one of those nasty conservatives that thinks a loss now means a win in 08…
Comment by Jewels — 11.07.06 @ 1:02 pm
Seeing that Obama has been to Maryland twice within a month should say something. Democrats trying to paint Steele as a Bush loving, war mongering, anti stem cell supporting, boogey man didn’t work. Bill”finger shaking” was here yesterday, big yawn on that. Back to Obama, I’m not impressed with him. He’s whole claim to fame is that he gave a good liberal speech at the Democrat National Convention. I’m very curious to see the voting results out of Baltimore City, Howard County, and Prince Georges County. Keep your fingers crossed.
Comment by tyrone — 11.07.06 @ 1:13 pm
Decision Day
So, we’ll finally find out whether the months of mudslinging and vitriol will make any difference in the makeup of the House and Senate. Will the Democrats crack the GOP hold on the House or will they fall short? Can the GOP hold the Senate? I’m bett…
Trackback by A Blog For All — 11.07.06 @ 1:28 pm
Just got back from voting in my little town of about 5,000 near Kansas City and according to the election workers, heavy turnout. Really surprised me, especially in Kansas where we don’t have any close races. Hmmm wonder what that says?
Comment by dianne — 11.07.06 @ 1:42 pm
Very heavy turnout here too. Bad for conservatives. It means the people voting are desperate. Looking at the two parties, the only desperate voters would be the liberals.
We have the marriage amendment on the ballot here in VA- ohhh that would be sooooo bad if that didn’t pass.
Comment by Jewels — 11.07.06 @ 1:54 pm
I’ll be watching the California State races. DiFi will probably win as our Senator, but the rest of them are rather interesting–our local MSM have split on endorsements and are actually endorsing some Republicans!
And then there are the always interesting Propositions, including 85 & 87. But there are so many more that sound good–but are they?
Comment by March Hare — 11.07.06 @ 1:57 pm
By the 2008 election, I’ll be living in Virginia and commuting into D.C. daily! Won’t THAT be fun for all of us! Whoohoo!
(Okay - I got up an hour early this morning so I could vote almost as soon as the polls open and I’m getting just a TAD punchy by this point in the day!)
Comment by Gayle Miller — 11.07.06 @ 2:49 pm
LaShawn, in the event that I forget tomorrow, I wanted to wish you a “Happy Blogoversary.” Keep up the great work. Here’s to three more years…
All the Best,
Andi
Comment by andi — 11.07.06 @ 3:37 pm
Lashawn Barber
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