Election Day Live Blog

We're live from the basement in front of the big screen TV as we await the results from the 2006 Elections. We are also having our traditional, all-American meal of hot dogs, french fries and apple pie.

We'll try to live blog this as we keep up with the results as they come in.

6:52: First exit poll results coming in - and they are not good for Bush and the Rep's. 60% in exit polls are making their vote based on national issues; corruption is showing up as one of the top issues on voter's minds. Late deciders are breaking 3-2 (60-40) for the D candidate.

Take this with a grain of salt, based on my last post on exit polls. We'll see.... first significant polls close at 7.

7:02. Oooh! Virginia is in........ and it's too close to call. Really? What a shock.

Brit Hume is explaining the Fox graphics. They have a "balance of power" bar - "Don't eat it!" says Brit, trying to inject some humor. OK, there, Brit.

7:17. Diet Squirt...... yummmmmm

7:21: First real results...our friend Anne Northup - KY Dist 3 - (Louisville) - 53% in - tied 50-50. Hoo boy.

7:35: Is this the night we are going to have? In IN-9, with 17% of the vote in, over 29,000 votes, the Rep leads the Dem by SEVEN votes. (14,761 to 14, 754).

7:49: Allen up 55-45 in VA with 11% in. I have no idea where these votes are coming from. One republican advisor said turnout in SW Virginia was huge and should carry Allen over by 30,000 votes. Who knows.

8:03. 25% in in VA; Webb now leads Allen by 1,500 out of 550,000 votes so far...

8:25. The smartest person in America just got done talking. One big issue that Michael Barone brought up - in IN 9, suburb of Cincinnati, there is a suburb county called Dearborn County.

Turnout is up 27% from 2002. In 02, 57% of the votes went to the Rep - but now, it looks like 53% is going to the Republican.

So the Republicans are turning out the vote -but it may not be voters that will vote for the Reps!

Also - wow, this is amazing - the marriage proposal will PASS in Virginia. Gay marriage will fail in VA by about 58-42.

And if this holds up, traditional marriage winning 58-42 - and Allen loses, well, that will be a blunder by Allen of the BIGGEST proportions.

8:40. Well, both Santorum (in PA) and DeWine (OH) has been called as Democrats wins (Casey and Brown). Ohio will miss DeWine.

8:58: Mort Kondracke and Fred Barnes almost came to blows -Mort pretty much called Fred a liar - "Fred, that's just not so" - about people talking about the Dems taking over the Seante as of 2 weeks ago. The sexual tension there was palpable.

9:15: More polls close, including MD; VA is showing a 7,000 Allen lead with about 66% in. The big question there is wherther the No Va votes have been counted already; according to our guests, Chuck Schumer and Ken Melhman, the answer is " very little" or "a substantial majority"...... Why do we have partisan guests on again?

9:29: OK, first signs of bad news for Republicans.. they say Steele will lose in MD; in fact, they have called it. In the big six house races in IN and KY, already 3 races have been called for the Dems. Not good.

And now RI has been called for the Democrats - Lincoln Chafee loses.

9:44. Fox News has called the MD Governorship for OMalley. Well, good luck there, Maryland. Don't expect to shop at a Wal Mart anytime soon.

9:49: I think everyone is coming to the foregone conculsion that the House will go democratic. The Senate looks like a 3-out-of-5 battle between MO, TN, AZ, VA, and MT.

10:10: All three IN House races that were close - districts 2, 8, and 9 - have gone D. A Connecticut seat has lost as well. However, it looks like a couple of southern seats - FL seats, GA - seems to be in the R column.

Is this is wave, or is this the Northeast/Midwest independents rebelling, but the rest of the R's staying with the party? We will see.

10:20: The northeast massacre of Republicans continue; Jay, you are happy to know that Charlie Bass- NH-2 - has lost. This race wasn't even on the map 3 months ago.

Good news - the Northern Ky Rep - Geoff Davis - has held on. Another piece of evidence that the Rep get out the vote effort works - but works regionally, and certainly not in the NE and Mid-Atlantic.

10:30: Everyone is fascinated by the Va race. Where the hell are the non-reporting precincts? 94% in, Allen by 30,000. I'm sure there will be lawsuits here, no matter what.

Haven't seen any numbers from MO or TN yet - that's just as big.

10:45: Apparently, one of the 16 precincts in Ohio with problems is in Cincinnati, so we won't have results from OH-1 (W. Cincinnati) for a while now. However, OH-2 (Jean Schmidt's and Don Hershey's district) is starting to come in, and Schmidt leads by 4% with about half of the vote reamining. If this changes, then it is free wine for everyone.

10"50: 95% in in VA; still Allen by 28,000 or so. Michael Barone says the outstadning precincts are in both urban (Norfolk) and rural/beach/suburbs. Barone said it is a mix. In the DC Metro area, ALL ARE COUNTED, according to Barone.
36 precincts from Loudon county, 33 precinct from Prince William are still out. Barone says these couties are pretty much 50/50.

Barone is saying this may be headed for a recount. 36 days, plus or minus a week. You heard it here first.

10:51: Now, more news from VA: State Law says that if the result is within 1% (which it looks like it most certainly will), the losing candidate can call for a recount - and there it goes! It's automatic. Hoo boy.

10:57: Two quick notes:

1) Steele HAS NOT conceded yet, according to instapundit and NRO's The Corner. He does not believe the Exit Polls.

2) THERE HAVE BEEN NO VOTES counted in St Louis and Kansas City yet for the MO Senate race. Is this fishy, or what?

More House races fall - Heath Shuler is coming to Washington. Good luck. He beat a R incumbent in NC.

11:10: NEWS FLASH

THE WASHINGTON POST HAS WITHDRAWN THEIR PROJECTION OF CARDIN WINNING THE MARYLAND SENATE RACE

Fox has not, yet.

11:21: Fox has declared the Democrats will take over the House - ironically, by carrying Tom Delay's seat. Welcome Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker.

Still no word on VA - now within 11,000 votes, TN (Corker (r) by 4%) or fraud-laden MO.

11:28: And now the other NH house district - NH 1 - has fallen to the democrats. This is a seat that was not on a radar screen - and is clearly a sign of the regional sweep of this election.

11:35: Barone was on talking about Maryland - and frankly, he can't understand the withdraw. Steele is running well behind Ehrlich's numbers in 02 - he talked about Calvert county (Ehrlich 63%, Steele 52% this year) and PG county. The one wildcard is the black vote - will Steele get substantially more black vote than Ehrlich? WE will see.

11:59: Wow. Brit Hume signs off with the latest VA totals -Webb is now up 2500 out of 2.4 million cast, 99% in. Recount is definite.

12:40: Corker (R) wins in TN. The inner city MO votes are now coming in for McCaskill (D) in MO; she now leads by 1100 with about 70% of the vote in. No one is sure what the hell is going on in Montana right now.

It looks like control of the Senate may - MAY - be held up in the Virginia recounts over the next few weeks.