This edition of
Election Diary Rescue features a collection of
179 diaries.
This is final edition of Election Diary Rescue 2014. It covers rescued down-ticket election diaries published from Sunday, November 2nd through 6:00 pm on Wednesday, November 5th. This was to ensure that we did not miss the last days of pre-election and election day diaries by our intrepid Kossack diarists, and so that we could include some of the wrap-ups that came in once the results were known.
Our tireless miners have been hard at work for 44 straight weeks collecting this election coverage and putting it into a link-list for everyone's convenience. Please give these dedicated Kossacks some love below the fold as they comment on the EDR project and what it has meant to them. This year we rescued 2,370 election diaries
With this diary entered into the EDR archives, we put to bed our 5th general election. Thanks for writing diaries! See you in 2016.
Diaries: (179)
Senate: (35) posts, (12) states
House: (5) posts, (3) states, (4) districts
State and more: (49)
General: (90)
EDR has compiled, described and linked
down ticket election related diaries since 2006.
EDR chronicles the passion, power and effectiveness of political engagement and shines a light on candidates and issues that might be otherwise missed. It gives quick access to races, hopefully inspires people to write about contests that interest them, and has become an archive for thousands of election related diaries over the years.
Archive links
This edition of EDR was made possible by the following miners and editors: Alma, eeff, Doug Tuttle, Joieau, Land of Enchantment, Pucklady, randallt, sylv, suejazz, and turbonerd. Special thanks to Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse.
Land of Enchantment
We ignore the midterms at our peril. Apparently, that lesson was not learned adequately in 2010. We'll all have to suffer the consequences for many years to come. It was horrible to see Clarence Thomas replace Thurgood Marshall; I hate to give voice to my anxieties about the courts going forward. Even here on Daily Kos, where we should know better, way too much attention has gone into the relative merits of Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren, while neglecting these midterms. (I don't like Christmas decorations and "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" before Thanksgiving either.) And so, I've continued with Election Diary Rescue for the downticket races, cycle after cycle. Thanks to the rest of the team. It's been a worthwhile effort working together over the years. I look forward to working together to remind everyone that there's more than the Executive Branch on the ballot in 2016.
Pucklady Well I had fun. I hope you will recruit me again when we get ready to can all those Gopers for good!
Joieau Joieau - Once again, it's been a pleasure as well as a chore to comb through this website for diaries covering downticket races for Congress as well as state and local offices featuring Democratic candidates - and future stars - many of us might not otherwise know about. Thanks to my fellow miners, without whom this project could not even be contemplated, and to all the dedicated citizen journalists and political activists here at Daily Kos who provide this campaign coverage every cycle, because you can and because you care.
Keep on keeping on, and we'll see you all next cycle!
Alma I had a bad feeling about this year and I’m sad to say it lived up to that feeling. But on the plus side I got to work for a wonderful local state candidate, and while he didn’t win the election, he has inspired me and given me hope for future elections.
Sylv I love election season. As I explained to a friend, it's my March Madness and Super Bowl all rolled into one. But this election has been different. I kept reading about how the electorate, especially Democrats weren't interested. They weren't engaged. That was the word even here at DK. I was truly feeling depressed. And then I went to vote. Our two city precincts were more crowded than I ever remember a mid-term. It looked more like a presidential election. I don't know if we'll win. But not engaged, my ass!
eeff LOL I'll be here for 2016 for the same abuse !
I did all I could do to help Kay Hagan.
I have no regrets about that.
Be interesting to see how things go in January !
Thanks to each one of you for being on the EDR team !
43 long weeks !
suejazz
I think running as a liberal in some states really works. As it did in California. In other states maybe not so much but at least we have to try. We have to stand for something. And champion the policies Democrats care about. I think the tell in this election is all the liberal ballot measures that got passed in states where the so called liberals got clobbered. I think it wouldn't feel so bad today if the Democrats went down fighting for liberal or progressive policies. But most candidates don't fight for those policies, they run from them and people see no reason to vote for them.
turbonerd In response to Alma's "I just got through reading a diary on Team Richmonds win. It was one of the bright spots that kept me from despondency this morning." Glad to hear sanity prevailed somewhere. I've got to take confort where I can I guess. Not only was Guv Kasich re-elected, but the rethugs expanded their majority in the state lege to "historic" levels.
Say hello to the Koch-tastic paradise formerly known as Ohio. Ugh.
randallt Thanks to this mighty crew of miners and editors for your tireless dedication to this legacy project here on Daily Kos. Since 2006 our goal has always been to serve this wonderful community by contributing a unique and powerful collection of election diaries. We all hope you enjoyed this year's new weekly format. See you in 2016!
Senate - 35
(AK-Sen) AK-Sen: Alaska Senate Race May Not Be Decided Until Next Week by poopdogcomedy - Republican Dan Sullivan is leading incumbent Mark Begich (D) at this point, but there are still a lot of outstanding ballots to count.
(AK/CO-Gov/Sen) AK-Gov/Sen & CO-Gov/Sen: PPP's Final Poll Shows Tight Races & One Leaning Towards The GOP by poopdogcomedy - Links and cites from Public Policy Poling on the governorship and Senate races in Alaska and Colorado.
(AK-Sen) Internet Voting - Not Ready For Prime Time But Doing It Anyway by Th0rn. Control of the US Senate could fall to the hands of hackers, thanks to Alaska's new online voting system. Security experts warn that it is vulnerable - definitely not ready for prime time.
(AK-Sen) Alaska: Begich Still Alive by diocletian - After Tuesday's vote, Democrat Mark Begich had a nearly 8,000 vote lead over Sullivan (R). That's more of a lead than Ted Stevens (R) had over Begich in 2008. He may squeak out a win.
(CO-Sen) CO-Sen: Quinnipac Now Shows A Tighter Race Between Udall (D) & Gardner (R) by poopdogcomedy - More from the Udall campaign on Q's latest poll.
(CO-Sen) Democratic Ground Game Showing It's Muscle In CO Early Vote. by pollwatcher. The story applies to all the races in Colorado, but since the Senate race has so much riding on it, it's especially germane.
(CO-Sen) Cory Gardner REVEALED: Behind the Smile, Radical Views by ClimateBrad - Diarist offers videos of Mark Udall's Republican opponent giving the keynote address at the Steamboat Institute Freedom Conference last year, headlined by Dick and Liz Cheney. Colorado's in trouble if this guy wins.
(CO-Sen) Walking for Udall, or How America Lost a Big Part of Its Freedom Last Night by RichM - Udall's loss in Colorado signals a significant loss of freedom in this country.
(GA-Sen) Michelle Nunn Demostrates that Republican-lite doesn't win Republican votes by cjo30080 - Georgia voters underlined the truth about Georgia voters on Tuesday. They'll vote for a real Republican over a fake one any day. When will the Democrats figure that out?
(IA-Sen) IA SEN: Braley Camp Responds to DMR Poll !!! by DoctorWho - The Bruce Braley (D) campaign has released a response to the latest DMR/Selzer poll showing Joni Ernst (R) with a +7 lead.
(IA-Sen) Stop the Presses in Iowa - Q says Braley and Ernst are tied at 47% by khyber900 - We finally have 1 nominally mainstream polling organization acknowledging the presence of a Braley surge. If we win Iowa, Dems keep the Senate.
(IA-Sen) Breaking Qunnipiac Poll: Iowa Tied by joelgp - Braley leads 56% to Ernst's 36% among those who have already voted.
(IA-Sen) Quinnipiac Regains Sanity in Final Polls in Desperate Attempt to Avoid Being Worst Pollster of 2014 by schobel94 - Another take on the latest Q polls for both IA and CO.
(IA-Sen) Last IA-Sen Poll: Braley Leads "Actual" Voters By 20% by Reinvented Daddy - Quinnipac has pulled into tie territory with "likely" voters, leads in "actual" voters by 20%.
(IA-Sen) Tom Harkin's line about Michele Bachmann, not Taylor Swift, is what really has Joni Ernst worried by Laura Clawson - Joni Ernst (R) is outraged over what retiring Senator Tom Harkin said about physical appearance - "I don't care if she's as good looking as Taylor Swift or as nice as Mr. Rogers, but if she votes like Michele Bachmann, she's wrong for the state of Iowa."
(KS-Sen) Bill Snyder in Press Conference Post KSU Game Asks Pat Roberts Ads to Come Down.. by tmservo433 - this is a follow-up diary dealing with the fall-out from Senator Pat Robert's (R) campaign refusing to take down ads featuring KSU football coach Bill Snyder.
(KS-Sen) University President Emeritus of Fort Hays State Contends KS-GOP Fraudulently Represented Him by tmservo433 - The Kansas GOP has been rocked by a series of endorsements that turned out to be captured through seeming 'gotcha' videos in violation of Kansas State Ethics laws.
(KY-Sen) “My son has been out at the Ford plant talking to people about Alison” by Carissa Lovelace. The diarist recounts an encouraging exchange with an 80-year-old during GOTV phone banking.
(KY-Sen) Bad News for Mitch! Heavy Voter Turnout Reported in Urban Kentucky by skymed. Good news, even if this race is a long shot.
(KY-Sen) Some News on KY Senate Race by Merlin1963 - Louisville area reporting higher than expected turnout. This could be good.
(KY-Sen) Chasing the Redneck Vote Didn't Work for Grimes by Merlin1963 - Comparative numbers between Congressman John Yarmuth’s (D) and Senate candidate Alison Grimes (D).
(LA-Sen) Kochs have already bought Louisiana airtime by Joan McCarter - We still have a runoff to get through people.
(LA-Sen) 2014 Louisiana Senate Race: State-Of-Play and Parish Baselines by Stephen Schmitz - Three-term incumbent Mary Landrieu faces one of the most competitive races in the country. Here's some of her bona fides.
(MI-Sen & Gov) Guess which Michigan candidates had 6,000+ people rally for them yesterday, HINT: it wasn't the GOP by Eclectablog - Images from President Obama's rally for Mark Schauer, Gary Peters and other Democratic candidates contrasted with images from the "big" bus tour featuring every single candidate on the top of the Republican ticket. Look at those photos again. You tell ME which Party has the enthusiasm.
(MN-Sen) Al Franken's Victory Speech by Scan - Video you can watch.
(NC-Sen) We sure do need to vote NOW!!! The Rev. Dr. William Barber's stirring GOTV sermon from 2 years ago by TrueBlueMajority. A revisit to Moral Monday founder Rev. William Barber's stirring 2012 speech about the importance of voting.
(NC-Sen) North Carolina - Candidate Messaging During an Uphill Climb by wbkook - Diarist analyses what's wrong with candidate messaging, which likely cost Kay Hagan her Senate seat.
(NC-Sen) The NC Senate Race--a few thoughts by NCJan - It was a tough night, especially for the many who worked so hard for Kay Hagan. But the terrific ground game made a big difference in the point spread, and helped make blue counties more blue while racking up some important judicial wins. Plus the very hopeful and determined statement from the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II.
(SD-Sen) SD-Sen: Breaking? Weiland petition to replace Harry Reid by emorej a Hong Kong - In an interesting move, Rick Weiland's latest broadside is a petition he circulated Friday to oust Reid as leader and replace him with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Richard Durbin, Sen Bernie Sanders or another member. He is also writing all Democratic Senate candidates to inform them that he believes he has built momentum as a result of opposing the Nevada Democrat.
(Sen-Var) US Senate Forecast: The State by State Path to D-47 R-50 I-3 (Or Better ! ) by Snow Camp - The paths to keeping Democratic control of the Senate are more numerous, and more plausible than much of the media hype would have you believe. Vote, and make lots of calls, and send lots of texts, tweets and emails. We can do this...
(Sen-Var) some updated thoughts on the Senate by teacherken - Polls are samples, and what you are usually given is a margin of error with a 95% confidence interval. That means that 19 times out of 20 the results will be within the margin of error of the poll. So let me offer a more complete review…So I remain optimistic.
(Sen-Var) RCP Final Senate Average History Is On Our Side by schobel94. More weather forecasts.
(Sen-Var) Pathetic Electorate by ProfWriter101 - Partial list of our losses.
(Sen-Gen) Dems Hold Senate, 50 in the Morning! by unabashed liberal - Diarist's final predictions for the Senate.
(Sen-Gen) Silver Lining in GOP Senate Takeover by ktowntennesseedem - We've lost two more years to hopeless gridlock and GOP efforts to burn the nation down. But at least the SCOTUS is safe.
House - 5
(CA-16) Jim Costa, (D-Ca) Ousted, too. by Pointus - Johnny Tacherra (R) defeated incumbent Jim Costa (D).
(CA-17) from the Trail, Getting Out the Vote in CA17 by Glen the Plumber - Canvassing for Mike Honda(D) in his race against Ro Khanna(R). Update: Mike Honda won re-election in this race.
(FL-02) Defeated GOP congressman will now have more time for lingerie showers by Laura Clawson - Gwen Graham (D) narrowly defeats incumbent Steve Southerland (R).
(FL-02) Gloat Diary by Wisdumb - Dems have very little to gloat about this election, so the fact that Gwen Graham (D) beat the socks off Steve Southerland (R) in Florida's 2nd district is good.
(KS-01) Kansas GOP Stalwarts Take Last Second Stab at Huelskamp, Runs Ads throughout Western Kansas by tmservo433 - A conservative Republican CEO endorses the Democrat, Jim Sherrow in this race for Congress against Tim Huelskamp-R-TeaParty).UPDATE: Huelskamp wins by 30 points.
State, local and more - 49
(AR-Var & Navajo Nation) Deschene looks for Shelly Veto override, urges supporters to participate fully in on election day by manyamile - Following a controversial ruling by the Navajo Nation Supreme Court removing him from the ballot for the presidency and postponing that election - splitting it off from the Tuesday election, Chris Deschene has issued a statement. Statement inside the diary.
(AZ-SupPublicInst) Here's how bad it is: Check out this little race in Arizona by Mother Mags - Republican Diane Douglas beats out Democrat David Garcia.
(CA-BallotProps) Voters approve fracking bans in San Benito and Mendocino Counties! by Dan Bacher - Voters in San Benito and Mendocino Counties approved ballot measures that will ban fracking and other extreme oil-extraction techniques.
(CA-Local) GOTV: Chevron spending $150 per likely voter to teach Progressives a lesson in Richmond CA by emorej a hong Kong - All about the Richmond California Mayoral and City Council election that Chevron Corporation is trying to buy. UPDATE: In one of the few bright spots in this election, the progressives won every seat on the Richmond City Council AND the mayor's race.
(CA-MinWage) Oakland Will Pass the Maximum Minimum Wage Today. by jpmassar. Oakland, CA is set to ratchet up its minimum wage. There's additional discussion of minimum wage issues in other locations.
(CA-Mt.ViewCityCouncil) A Kossack Gets Elected: Congrats BayAreaKen! by Senor Unoball - Finally something to celebrate. Congrats Ken!
(CA-Prop1) Prop. 1 Passes: The Power of Big Money Overcomes the Power of the People by Dan Bacher - Lot’s of info on this water bond proposal.
(CA-RichmondCityCouncil) Local light: Chevron-targeted Progressives Sweep in Richmond CA by emorej a Hong Kong - Big money doesn’t always win.
(CA-RichmondCityCouncil) Something Wonderful Happened by WinterOfDiscontent - In the midst of all the gloom and doom, something wonderful happened in Richmond, California when the voters reaffirmed ownership of their town over Chevron.
(CA-SD26) My final campaign update - from Sandra Fluke by Sandra Fluke - Sandra Fluke asks for Kossack financial support in her race against Ben Allen for the California State Senate. Update: Sandra Fluke lost to Ben Allen by 20 points.
(CO-Gov) Hickenlooper to Win in CO... Narrowly by weathertop - Another hold for us.
(CO-Gov) UPDATE! HICK WON! Dude, hang on a second! by Colorado is the Shiznit - Yeah, we pulled one out.
(FL-Gov) Rick Scott taps Blind trust..Miami Herald Questions it? by Vetwife - If Rick Scott's (R) trust is blind, how did it know to write the RPOF two checks? Information from the Miami Herald and a link to Charlie Crist's (D) response inside the diary.
(FL-Gov) Last Minute Q-Poll: Charlie Crist 42%, Rick Scott 41% by saintpetersblog - The Florida governor's race goes down to the wire with a slight Dem lead according to Quinnipiac. Libertarian Adrian Wyllie has 7% and 9% say they're still undecided. In early voting Crist leads by 4%.
(FL-Gov) My Theory On Why Charlie Crist Will Win by saintpetersblog. The diarist predicts a win, with analysis as to why. Besides, Florida deserves better than Rick Scott!
(FL-Gov) Why we vote: 'I'm scared I'm going to die before [Medicaid expansion comes.'] by Joan McCarter - The story of a woman who badly needs health care, but can't get it because Rick Scott - among other Republican governors - won't expand Medicaid.
(FL-Gov) My VERY Stupid State. Rick Scott Wins. by SemDem - He didn't even fool you once, you knew he was a criminal. Now he's got full control.
(FL-Gov) Message to Rick Scott ant the Koch Brothers: 10 Reasons Fl Hispanics Are Not This Stupid by SemDem - A diary listing 10 ways that Rick Scott (R) has hurt Hispanics as Governor. Scott's opponent is Charlie Crist (D). Update: Scott was re-elected.
(FL-Gov) The Florida 2014 Election in Numbers by Homer177 - Some numbers to ponder.
(HI-Maui County-GMO) Maui takes on Monsanto and Dow and wins! by Karen from Maui - Some good things did happen on election day.
(IL-Var) IL State Senate and House Supermajorities Likely to Hold by Satya1 - Some good news.
(MA-LtGov) Could Massachusetts really elect a fiercely anti-LGBT lieutenant governor? by Laura Clawson - Charlie Baker (R) is running as a Republican pragmatist as Governor, sharing his ticket with Karyn Polito, who has quite a history as an anti-equality warrior.
(MA-SickLeave) Another million workers to get paid sick leave, thanks to voters by Laura Clawson - Massachusetts voters strongly passed a measure allowing workers at businesses with 11 or more employees to earn up to 40 hours of sick leave a year. California voters passed a measure expanding the statewide sick leave bill too.
(MD-Gov) MD-Gov: It was the turnout by DMK - Comparative results between 2010 and 2014.
(MN-Gov) Minnesota GOP plays last minute fear-mongering Ebola card by Vega. Minnesota Republicans think they can gain something by using Ebola fear-mongering against incumbent Democratic Governor Mark Dayton. It's a pointless, destructive Hail Mary pass, as Dayton's re-election is widely rated as safe Dem.
(NC-Voting) That's One Vote For Kay by Edge PA. The polls are busy in North Carolina, which the diarist is taking as a good sign.
(NY-Gov) WFP - A Vote For Cuomo Is Really a Protest Vote Against Him . . . Or Something by Phoebe Looseinhouse. "Sometimes that pragmatism thing just doesn't work out, especially if it involves selling your entire reason for existence down the river."
(OH-PutnamCounty) If you're looking for a minor miracle by Anjana - Putnam County's proposed levy for mental health and addiction services won by barely a hundred votes, but it will protect those needed services from the miserly Republicans in state and federal government.
(OR-Var) Amidst the sh*tstorm, there remains one bastion of hope. by rexymeteorite - Lot’s of good news from Oregon.
(PA-Gov) PA-Gov: We Made History Tonight by poopdogcomedy - Tom Wolf (D) beats incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett (R) to be one of our few bright spots of election day.
(RI-Var) DEMs sweep the board in RI by aaraujo - Can we please bottle the secret dem. election sauce?
(TX-Denton-Fracking) Small Victories: Denton, Texas #NoFracking Passes by LieparDestin - Maybe town by town is the way to go right now.
(TX-Denton) Denton, Texas Passes Fracking Ban by FOYI - A tidbit of good news from the Republic of Texas, which passed a ban on fracking. It remains to be seen whether or not the Oil Barons will pay any attention to it.
(TX-Various) Good Morning, Texas. Today is Election Day! by Libby Shaw. Last minute roundup of election-related diaries Texas-style.
(WA-Initiative594) Washington joins half a dozen other states that require universal background checks to buy guns by Meteor Blades - Washington voters Tuesday did what Congress couldn't do - pass the kind of gun legislation that the vast majority of Americans nationwide have said they support.
(WI-Gov) Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's politics: An Objective Review by Wilburhorse - Diarist's take on the state of the state under Walker. Wisconsin voters have a chance to end this awfulness. Let's hope they do.
(WI-Gov) A homemade yard sign says it all by scribeboy. A clever re-work of one of incumbent governor's Scott Walker's yard signs.
(WI-Gov) Lies myths and other made up stories Wisconsin edition by Mark E Andersen - "Wisconsin Republicans are afraid. They know how close this election is. Right now, it all depends on turnout, and the Republicans are using every dirty trick in the book to dampen Democratic turnout." Update: Wisconsin Republicans won most statewide offices.
(WI-Gov) WI Gov Mary Burke Gets BIG Endorsement by Puddytat - The Wisconsin State Journal endorses Mary Burke. Update: Mary Burke was defeated in her race for governor.
(WI-Gov) 50 Reasons to vote for Mary Burke against Scott Walker by Rachel191 - The diarist lists many reasons to vote for the Democrat, Mary Burke against Scott Walker (R). Update: Scott Walker was re-elected.
(WI-Gov) Thank you by Mary Burke - The Democratic challenger to Scott Walker writes a gracious thank you for those who worked so hard and so passionately on the campaign.
(WI-Var) Are Wisconsin Dems in better shape than polls say? Trends, History say yes. by Jake formerly of the LP -Past history shows that the Dems may have some unpolled advantages that could lead them to keep the Senate, and have Mary Burke take over as Governor in Wisconsin.Update: The premise of this diary turned out not to be true. The Dems lost the Senate and Mary Burke lost her race for Wisconsin Governor.
(Var-Gov) Only 15 Democratic Governors?! by The X - I agree with you 100% The X.
(Var-Marijuana) Alaska And Oregon Legalize Marijuana by Lawrence - Pot seems to have been a mostly winning issue.
( Var-Marijuana) Marijuana Reform WINS. Hint, Hint, Dems. by xxdr zombiexx - First Hint of Guam that I’ve seen.
(Var-MinimumWage) Minimum wage wins show the power of organizing by Laura Clawson - 4 states plus pass new minimum wage laws.
(Var-Personhood) Personhood now has a 0-5 win-loss record in elections by Laura Clawson - Thank goodness there still is some sanity out there.
(Var-Props) The Silver Lining by EngineerScotty - Our issues are winners our candidates, not so much.
(Var-Props) Liberal Ideas on Ballot Initatives Win Like Wildfire, Democrats Get Crushed. Explain. by daeros - Links to different ballot initiative winners.
General - 90
Early Voting in NC and GOTV by durhammichael - Diarist reports on canvassing and early voting in North Carolina. While early voting numbers look great, we must remember that the vast majority of votes will probably be cast on election day.
Knocking On CO Doors, Super Impressed With The Operation by pollwatcher - I either work phones or knock on doors for every general election. I worked on CO Senator Bennet's (the father of the Bannock street project) campaign in 2010, and the operation they had this year was FAR more sophisticated.
This election is Turning The Tables in The Culture Wars by Richard Lyon - Except in deep red states, it looks like the politics of a number of social issues is shifting.
SHORT and SWEET Pre-Election Alert by otherwise - The diarist believes we must remain fully alert to is the Republican trick of using biased pollster reports to fill the airwaves with predictions of Republican victories - especially before November the 4th.
How to pick a judge on November 4 by Susan Grigsby - The diarist gives resources in several states to enable a voter to make informed choices in judicial elections.
This weekend in polls by Jeff Singer - The last polls before election day.
An hour by hour guide to election night by Jeff Singer - An hour-by-hour guide to Tuesday's House, Senate, and gubernatorial races.
Five thousand Daily Kos members volunteered to help Save the Senate and this is what they had to say by TealBomb - Comments from a number of DK volunteers making phone calls from home on behalf of Democrats in key races.
Open Letter to Senator Hagan and other Silent Democrats by sunsetlover1013 - The diarist is frustrated that Kay Hagan and other Democratic candidates are not using the accomplishments of the President as an asset in their campaigns.
Lines, Coming to a Polling Place Near You. Yes, Even You. by suzq - If your legislative district is controlled by Republicans, they will do their level best to make sure you will have as difficult a time voting as they can possibly make it. Be ready - bring a folding chair and a book.
North Carolina turns blue (#5, 11/1): Repent! The end is near by DocDawg - Saturday's final day of early voting in North Carolina should have been an anticlimax, with its abbreviated hours and bad weather. What happened instead is that voters continued to turn out in droves, managing to cast 66% as many ballots on Saturday as on this season's best day last Friday. GOP goes into Election Day with a 182,000 vote deficit to make up, compared to its 95,000 vote deficit at this same point in 2010.
A Lawyers Field Day by LaFeminista - The parties are all lawyered up for dozens of tight elections. Voter fraud is not an issue, counting the votes is.
Perhaps the biggest difference between Republicans and Democrats by akadjian - Democrats believe in Democracy. Republicans do not. Here's a good take on how that works.
Flood of new dark money dominates October by Joan McCarter - More than 90 political nonprofits/outside groups didn't spend ANY money until October, and 18 of those didn't even exist in September. Many waited until after the October 15 deadline for reporting to the FEC, so their membership can't be known until after the election. Thanks, SCOTUS.
Survey by Pew Research Center by ej heinemann - Pew says 73% of "consistently conservative" voters are likely to cast a ballot this year, while only 58% of consistent liberals will. Let's prove them wrong.
Daily Kos Elections early voting report: A sign of hope for Colorado Democrats by Taniel - DKE's take on the early voting statistics in various states.
Eligible Voters Turned Away In Connecticut by Ryvr. Voting irregularities are coming to light in Connecticut's state capitol, Hartford.
from a polling place, west georgia by cborgia. A report on what it's like to vote in a mainly Republican suburban area. For one thing: no lines!
Ohio Voting and ticking off Husted DaytonMike. At one polling place, voting machines were being "picky", forcing a good many voters into casting provisional ballots.
Voting While Homeless by Horace Boothroyd III. Some people have bigger obstacles to voting than others.
Voting Problems in NC already by durhammichael and All is Well in NC by NCJim. The first of these diaries was posted a mere 4 minutes before the second. Half empty? Half full? Perhaps they're both right. Either way, there's been some important work in North Carolina this cycle.
A Snapshot of Voting Day in Houston, Texas by TulsaGal. A long-time regular voter ran into some obstacles under the new ID law in the Lone Star State.
Wisconsin Polls Are Open and BUSY! by Puddytat. Anecdotally, polls are busier in Wisconsin than they were in the 2010 midterm. This is good news, hopefully good enough to put Scott Walker out of business.
US DOJ Monitoring for Election Fraud by Cliff Arnebeck. We're not talking about the kind of non-existent fraud Republicans keep yelling about as they pass restrictive voter ID laws.
Facebook GOTV going on right now distraught. This is interesting: A study in 2010 showed that their widget showing friends that voted made a difference in turning out the vote. Back then, it was a study with three possible options. This time, it's available to all as a proven means to encourage people to remember to vote.
Thank You for getting out the Vote Today by Cosette. A brief, heartfelt thank you for everyone who's volunteered this cycle.
You will not BELIEVE how many people forget about Election Day by Paul Hogarth. As Yogi Berra famously said: "It's not over till it's over."
Tomorrow's Headlines TODAY! by Crashing Vor. A little wishful thinking.
Obligatory Final 2014 Prediections (Plus LA-SEN Parish Benchmarks) by ArkDem14. We shall see how these predictions hold up, keeping in mind that Nate Silver launched his career as a political prognosticator right here on Daily Kos as poblano.
Voting Machine Irregularities in SC by bryancamp - Diarist encountered an 'irregularity' in his voting machine - the usual vote-flipping. Why don't we all have paper ballots?
We are GOTV in NC today! by durhammichael - Lunch break report from on the ground canvasser. Turnout very high in NC urban areas, maybe a good sign?
Surprise, 60,000 Arkansans Newly Registered to Vote by jsamuel - Diarist offers information on new voter registrations in Arkansas.
2014 Election Predictions by Stephen Schmitz - Diarist's predictions across the board.
Tips for voters & new voters -- IA and CO have same-day Register-and-vote by joan reports - Diarist offers details on ID required to same-day register in these states.
I Voted. Democratic, Of Course! by rebel ga - Diarist makes voting report from New Hampshire.
Win or Lose: MSNBC is Right About This by HamptonRoadsProgressive - Stop. Running. From. The. Democratic. President.
Republicans don't believe in democracy by teacherken - They do not believe everyone should vote.
I helped my Mom go vote today by Rosebuddear - The difference between helping people to vote, and trying to prevent them from voting. It's graphic.
My Illinois Polling Place Turnout by Liberal Granny - Report from Illinois and a precinct where there are many more voters this election than in 2010. Perhaps a good sign?
8:15pm Sandy Springs, Ga: People are still voting. Polls not closed by pravin - The lines were very long, the waits more than an hour, and the polls had to remain open long past when the poll workers wanted to go home.
Prediction of the results 2014 by abgin - Diarists' final predictions.
update from Latino Decisions by teacherken - Not very promising for the final results, but the Latino vote is going strongly Democratic.
Who will the Voters Blame for this Coverage Gap? by jamess - Millions of Americans left without health care coverage due to states' refusal to expand Medicaid hang their hopes on the governor's races.
Baja Arizona Kossacks Election Liveblog by Azazello - A meaty live blog for Baja region Kossacks.
MD - Mostly good news by rb608 - Report on various Maryland results.
Dear America - You Have No Idea What You Bought on Tuesday by Zadatz - Though we will find out soon enough. Quite depressing.
WFP hosed itself about 80% votes counted by Mannie - New York States' Working Families Party got less votes than the Greens. That's what they get for selling out to Cuomo.
Election day takeaway: economic justice wins! by madler - Minimum wage hikes in Arkansas and Illinois have passed, and may pass in Nebraska, South Dakota and Alaska.
We have a 1% problem. And it's not what you're thinking. A Rant. by mdmslle - There is something drastically wrong with the Democratic Party is this country. Way too much money goes to the high profile races, none at all to the bench races in the states. It's time to rethink everything.
Post-Election Rant by Angie in WA State - Diarist's scenario on where things go from here. It's not pretty.
Moving Forward From Here: A Non-Downer Diary by bosdcla14 - Diarist lists and explains a plan for moving the Democratic Party forward.
Has the 2014 election made the Democratic Party yet another party of false consciousness by annieli - This election shows us how people don't see things as they are. Diarist thinks this can change.
Keep Out The Vote by TheCat67 - Another take on lousy campaigning from Democrats this election and damage done.
Give Them Something to Vote for by jhannon - The reality is a serious slap in the face.
ForAll the Marbles: My Final Race Ratings of 2014 by jncca - The diarist predicted the Democrats would lose 7 in the Senate; Democrats would gain 3 governorships and Democrats would lose 6 in the House.Update: The Dems lost 7 seats in the Senate with 2 races outstanding. They lost 14 seats in the House. At this writing the complete outcome of the governors' races is unclear.
Congratulations by Jaxpagan - This diary gave me a few much needed laughs. Don’t know if it was supposed to or not, but it did. Thanks Jaxpagan.
Things That I Am Grateful For by walterhpdx - Bright spots in an otherwise night of horrors.
Seriously, the Democrats have lost their minds by icebergslim - Did running away from Pres. Obama destroy our democratic candidates?
Texas Voter ID Open Thread for Election Observations by mikeconwell - A Texas Election Judge weigh’s in and asks others to do so as well.
12 Ugly Truths that everyone needs to read by SmallTownHick - If you're bummed about the election, this won't make you feel any better. All about why Democrats can't win, and why if they do they govern like Republicans.
We Got Our Donkey Whooped by the Elephant$ in the Room, Now Get Up!! by CIndyCasella - Or not. Doesn't seem much worth the effort.
Democrats Failed To Tell Their Story by Michael Lux - The era of either political party surviving a tough cycle by localizing elections and grinding victories out race by race through good targeting or clever ads and tactics is long over. What they need to have is a narrative to tell voters that voters believe. They don't have one now.
Dear Democrats . . . Two Words: Play. Hardball. by delphine - Now that Dems have had their asses handed to them, will they move even further to the right and openly attack democratic principals, or play hardball? Odds aren't good on this one.
I'm Not Ready To 'Get On With It.' I Need A Moment To Reflect by Leslie Salzillo - Cheers to the people ready to 'get back to work', but the diarist needs a little time to process the situation.
All The "What We Need to Do" Stuff is OK, but ... by A Southerner in Yankeeland - Fox News and Hate Radio won the election. Democrats did not.
SMILE: GOP Will Regret Winning Senate In '14 by Reinvented Daddy - Diarist isn't happy about the election, but the regime needed a good shake-up. Harry Reid wasn't going to get anything accomplished in the next two years anyway, and this might light a fire under Obama. What's he got to lose that he hasn't already lost?
The Second-Term Midterm (Almost) Always Sucks by Phoenix Woman - Diarist explains midterm history for us.
How Green Was My Party-A 50-State Guide for the Politically Disenfranchised by The Poet Deploreate - Howard Dean was right. The Democratic Party power brokers were wrong.
America Surrenders by Thutmose V - America surrendered their freedoms, their franchise, their security and their future to the oligarchy and its hate-machine on Tuesday. We may never get them back.
When We Do Not Excite The Base.... WE LOSE!! by Kalislin - The Democratic Party has abandoned its base and platform while courting Independents. So the base stayed home.
An Open Letter to Kos by DisappointedDem - Diarist uses the sweeping losses on Tuesday as a platform on which to advocate changes in DKos policy going forward.
The States Matter: Dems Hit Hundred Year Low in States by ManfromMiddletown - Dems are now at a hundred year low for representation in the states. Check out these maps.
How do pandering Blue Dogs do? They lose by jeremybloom - Here's the list of 19 Blue Dogs left this morning, down from 54 in 2008. There will be only 11 come January.
WHY THE DEMOCRATS LOST by rgantibully - The Democrats lost because of that for which the Democratic Party no longer stands. A look at the things it should be standing for.
Dear Dem Candidates: They voted for progressive policies but against you by txprogressive12 - Take away from Tuesday: Progressive ideas are popular among voters in red states. Dem politicians are not.
Democrats Got The Thumping They Deserved by The Gay Blade - Diarist knew Democrats were in trouble when he found a poll worker asleep outside city hall. The polling places in Florida were largely empty.
A brief note on self-fulfilling prophecies by The Termite - You have to hand it to the DCCC. They were right all along.
Don't you think Voter Suppression played a role in this hellish midterm election? by TBug - Diarist wonders why voter suppression efforts aren't discussed as a reason for Dem defeat, and why the party isn't rallying to fight back.
VA Election results: A few thoughts and observations by restondem - After an electoral disaster is a good time to take a look at where we are and where we go from here.
Taking advice from Harry Truman by DCBlue - Harry Truman gave the Democratic Party a roadmap to victory. All we have to do is read it and speak the truth.
"People do not think the recovery has affected them": Greg Sargent on what really went wrong by andrewj54 - Sargent opines that the Democrat's failure to articulate a vision of how ordinary Americans will begin to feel some of the fruits of this recovery is a major factor in Tuesday's red tide.
How the Kansas Democratic Party Drove Itself to Near Extinction (Pt 1) by tmservo433 - Diarist's post-mortem on what's wrong with Kansas' Democratic Party.
2014 Election Lesson: Politics Is About Delivering For Your Constituents by davej - Underneath it all, this election was a statement by the people against an economy that is not working for them. Point by point.
The 1,000th post mortem diary by JeffSCinNY - What happened? This diarist's take.
Elephino by TexasLibertine - Texas poll worker offers observations on who voted and how 'excited' they were or weren't in Texas on Tuesday.
Holy mackerel, were the polls ever wrong! by dreaminonempty - As in, really really wrong, like nothing we've seen in the past decade. Diarist offers graphs to illustrate.
Democrats Needed to Lose This Election!! by joelgp - Diarist points out that Dem candidates were cowards who would not stand on Democratic policies or accomplishments. Losing is what they deserved.
The Democrats Deserved to Lose! by mcgoverngreatpatriot - Diarist explains some political history and lessons Democrats should have learned from it. We did not,we lost. Simple as that.
Here's what I saw in Texas last night by plok - Diarist explains some important wins in Texas that indicates things there may not be as hopelessly crazy as we tend to believe.