2 1/2 hours before it is 2006 in New York. 5 1/2 hours here in California. I can feel the excitement boiling up in me; the kind of adrenaline rush I only get twice a year: on New Year's Eve and on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November...ELECTION DAY.
Yes, as we all know, there are elections happening on November 7, 2006. How they come out will be crucial to the last two years of this hideous administration, and perhaps to the results of 2008. It's important stuff. Here's hoping more than the usual 35% actually vote!
Read below the fold!...
I figured that it's time to talk turkey. The election isn't a year away anymore, and
primary season begins in just two months!
It's coming so quickly. Illinois has already had its filing deadline. Texas' is on Monday, and West Virginia's and Kentucky's are near the end of the month. The game is on, and we need to be on our toes.
I am not someone who easily falls for "normal people as candidates". The whole Quixote thing is not my bag. So, for those who are like me, here is a handy list of (in my judgment) some the most vulnerable (on both sides) races of 2006:
Governor
Alabama - Riley/Moore (R) vs. Baxley (D)
Arkansas - Hutchinson (R) vs. Beebe (D)
California - Schwarzenegger (R) vs. Angelides/Westly (D)
Colorado - Beauprez (R) vs. Ritter (D)
Florida - Crist/Gallagher (R) vs. Davis (D)
Illinois - Blagojevich (D) vs. Topinka (R)
Iowa - Culver (D) vs. Nussle (R)
Maryland - Ehrlich (R) vs. O'Malley/Duncan (D)
Massachusetts - Healey (R) vs. Reilly/Patrick (D)
New York - Weld/Golisano (R) vs. Spitzer (D)
Ohio - Blackwell (R) vs. Strickland (D)
Pennsylvania - Rendell (D) vs. Swann (R)
Wisconsin - Doyle (D) vs. Green (R)
Senate
Maryland - Cardin/Mfume (D) vs. Steele (R)
Minnesota - Klobuchar (D) vs. Kennedy (R)
Missouri - Talent (R) vs. McCaskill (D)
Montana - Burns (R) vs. Tester/Morrison (D)
New Jersey - Menendez (D) vs. Kean (R)
Ohio - DeWine (R) vs. Brown (D)
Pennsylvania - Santorum (R) vs. Casey (D)
Rhode Island - Chafee/Laffey (R) vs. Whitehouse (D)
Tennessee - Hilleary/Bryant/Corker (R) vs. Ford (D)
House
Arizona 8 - Graf (R) vs. Giffords/Latas (D)
Colorado 7 - O'Donnell/Paschall (R) vs. Perlmutter/Lamm (D)
Connecticut 2 - Simmons (R) vs. Courtney (D)
Connecticut 4 - Shays (R) vs. Farrell (D)
Georgia 8 - Marshall (D) vs. Collins (R)
Illinois 6 - Roskam (R) vs. Duckworth/Cegelis (D)
Illinois 8 - Bean (D) vs. a bunch of Repubs
Indiana 8 - Hostettler (R) vs. Ellsworth (D)
Indiana 9 - Sodrel (R) vs. Hill (D)
Iowa 1 - Dix (R) vs. Braley (D)
Louisiana 3 - Melancon (D) vs. Romero (R)
New Mexico 1 - Wilson (R) vs. Madrid (D)
North Carolina 11 - Taylor (R) vs. Shuler (D)
Ohio 6 - Wilson (D) vs. Blasdel (R)
Pennsylvania 6 - Gerlach (R) vs. Murphy (D)
This is not intended as a "you forgot so-and-so" thread, but rather as a reference list. You may, of course, make predictions or tell me why I'm being a) overly optimistic or b) overly pessimistic.
Go ahead, give your opinion, it's New Year's Eve!