Crossposted from SmokeyMonkey.org.
I mailed my ballot, so my voting has been done for a week. I have today nothing but to watch interviews and returns. On MSNBC, they are providing all day coverage. I have watched interviews with Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN), Rick Santorum (R-PA), and now Arlen Specter (R-PA) is on as I write. I am thankful that they are talking more to candidates than offering their own views or those of their "political experts" who are largely idiots.
I'm looking forward to a number of races. I'm going to talk about a few below and why I'm interested. Do not expect this to be expert political analysis. It is simply my opinions as I watch the show, beer in one hand, ham sandwich in the other (not while I'm typing, obviously).
VA-SEN - First on my list to watch is VA-SEN, Democrat Jim Webb against incumbent Republican George Allen. The fact that polls are mostly dead even means that Allen is already smeared in terms of any presidential bid. Jim Webb was a republican at one time, so he has a real opportunity in red Virginia. He seems like an excellent Democrat and so I have no reservations cheering for him. Allen is clearly a racist ass, and taking his seat is the best way to kill any chance he could be a president one day.
PA-SEN - Bob Casey may not be the best Democrat, but anyone, and I do mean anyone, is a better person than Rick Santorum, the incumbent Republican. Santorum is the epitome of a lying, corrupt, neo-conservative idealogue. He would vote for theocracy in a heartbeat, and he will lie his ass off in any given situation if asked the simplest moral question. He is a guiding influence to the K-Street Project, DeLay's counterpart in the other body. Santorum has to go. Casey should win handily, but I will revel in every early result in that race.
AZ-SEN - The race I voted in, this one is a lot closer than most think. I wrote a piece on DailyKos.com urging support of this race and later Kos himself suggested that Jim Pederson has a better chance of unseating incumbent Republican Jon Kyl than Harold Ford, Jr. has to beat Bob Corker. Pederson's ads have nailed it lately even though they have mostly been fending off Kyl's ads. Still, there has always been a response for every Kyl ad, and the last few have been really steady and moderate for Pederson. He really comes off as the professional while Kyl's best ad shows the sheriffs of a few counties like a wild west posse that will find you if you don't vote for Kyl (who is former law enforcement, by the way).
CT-SEN - If Joe Lieberman wins as an independent, and Ned Lamont does not receive a good showing as the Democratic candidate, I think we have a really historic example of voter apathy. It is reprehensible to me that is not illegal to run in a primary and then decide after losing to go ahead and run in the general anyway. I will simply shake my head sadly when the voters of Connecticut vindicate Lieberman for that action. That the Democratic Party could be the third party candidate in a northeastern state is big and really puts a question mark in place of a D or R in what will likely be a balanced Senate.
MT-SEN - Conrad Burns, like Rick Santorum, is simply a prime example of the corruption and greed that is the cesspool of the Republican elite. Jon Tester is a real person and I would trust him to make the right votes, despite the crew cut.
RI-SEN - If Sheldon Whitehouse does oust Lincoln Chafee, the incumbent Republican, we replace a question mark with a D. Coupled with the Connecticut race, this would be a wash.
I have no doubt that House elections will finish with a Democratic majority. The Senate elections are the ones to watch. I hope there are those fighting for every single House seat we can get, but a few more seats in the House may not mean nearly as much as just one more in the Senate.