As we get things started here, I just want to warn folks, that at HUffPo, Michael P. McDonald's piece "Myth-Busting Election Night Coverage" just could deflate any number of expectations, having nothing to do with outcomes so much as how each of us may be used to experienceing election night. The myths:
MYTH 1: Exit Polls Are Used to Call Elections
MYTH 2: Early Exit Polls Provide a Sense How the Election Will Unfold.
MYTH 3. The Speed of Calling a Race is an Indicator of a Close Race.
MYTH 4. The Election Can Be Called Election Night.
Myth 5. The Media Calls Elections Before the Polls Are Closed.
Myth 6. Early Bellwether Races Tell Us How the Election Will Unfold.
p.s. One thing to watch, on MSNBC is Rachel Maddow making a fool exposing the utter foolishness of Chris Matthews. This matters in terms of influencing the Versailles narrative. And it's already happened a couple of times already.
[Update]: 8:35 PM -- NBC calls WV for Manchin. Anything is possible but this makes it damn near impossible for the GOP to take the Senate.
This follows Blumenthal holding off the crazy in CT, not a surprise, really, but if the GOP was going to do blowout well on the Senate side, it would have at least been closer. So, despite GOP pickups in Indiana & Kentucky (oh, and Blanche Lincoln, of course), the Senate seems safe for the Dems tonight. But that's a pretty low bar.
[Update]: 8:57 PM -- Damn. Grayson lost.
[Update]: 9:20 PM -- NBC projecting the GOP taking the House.
Dr. Anonymous is right, the Democracy Now! coverage is awesome. Where else are you going to hear about the history of Nazi/GOP outreach? And Steelwork President Leo Girard putting it succinctly: The House Democrats are paying the price for the Senate's inaction?
If you want a place where serious, reality-based analysis prevails--though not micro-analysis--Democracy Now! is the place to go.
[Update]: 9:50 PM -- Via Free Speech TV, Denver has run out of ballots. Polling places have been ordered to use blank pieces of paper to let people vote.
[Update]: 10:20 PM -- Hickenlooper beats Tancredo. Called by NBC. A little less crazy than might have been.
[Update]: (Dan) 11:26PM - AP's map has CO anti-abortion ballot measure is going down in flames 72-27 with 22% in. Silver linings and all that.
[Update]: 11:50 PM -- LA Times calls it for Boxer, Brown.
We're all traveling today, so an open forum for what's on your mind. I did want to make sure everyone saw the powerful new Servicemembers United ad, though.
There have been a lot of new users over the past 6 months or so at OpenLeft and a broader community folks that have started reading the site. For an interesting OpenLeft evening thread- both for the newbies who haven't read our older stuff, as well as for you longtime readers' interest- I thought I'd put up an evening thread with our most highly-trafficked posts (measured by Google Analytics pageviews) since we launched in July 2007. I left off two that were more quick blips in policy fights- such as breaking news of a Senator coming out in favor of something- than substantive pieces.
Happy reading, and feel free to list some of your own favorites (with links, if possible) in the comments.
This is an open thread.
#1 Republican leader John Boehner demanding the White House post its health care proposal online, then attacking them for doing exactly that.
#2 An e-mail sent to Matt Stoller (an OpenLeft founder and alum), from a very pissed off member of Congress, which he published.
#3 Chris noting how several large traditional media websites refused to admit Obama was 270 electoral votes leading up to the 2008 election
#4 and #5 My live-blogging of election results from the No On 1 boiler room in Portland.
#14 Chris' tips on everything you need to know about parsing daily tracking polls.
#15 Matt Stoller on Obama's praise of Ronald Reagan and the narrative around Reagan in general.
This is different than a "best of" list, which is perhaps even more worth of checking out. For what we think of as our own "best-of" list (as well as some reader suggestions), you can find that in a series of posts here.
As of 11:15 eastern, we are at 170 contributors. We need 400, and we need your help to do it! -- Chris Bowers
****
First of all, I want to give an enormous amount of gratitude for those who have chipped in, asked their friends and family to chip in, shared our fundraiser on social networking websites or blogs, etc. We would never be where we are without you.
Second I want to say that the average contribution has been just over $40, and as Chris wrote earlier this evening, we just broke 100 contributors. While corporate media may have its corporate sugar daddies, it feels great to be owned by you folks :)
We still have a very long way to go to 400. If you haven't contributed, you can do so by clicking here.
Also, please consider sharing that link on Facebook. And if you're on Twitter, you can retweet:
Last, I want to start an open thread because when we had to hold a summer fundraiser last year, we were blown away by the comments- here, on various listservs, and privately over e-mail- on why people were giving to OpenLeft. Folks from all over just chimed in on why they gave. It was pretty amazing.
So, if you've already given (or even if you haven't!), one small contribution you can make is telling others why you gave. Why do you read and support Open Left?
Things are quiet today as Chris, Mike and I are all traveling- ironically, Chris giving a talk about running a blog at the New Organizing Institute- so it's an open forum. Aside from some collaborative organizing efforts we'll be launching at OpenLeft in the next few weeks for which I'm running around, the only thing on my radar currently of note is that my Buffalo Sabres clinched the Northeast Division title last night and are headed back to the playoffs. Not that anyone is aware hockey existed outside one fine Sunday of USA vs. Canada or anything.
Health reform has passed the House. The reconciliation "fix" to the Senate bill, too.
Personal reactions:
I feel relief that the most difficult aspects of this specific fight are over. This was just an utterly grueling fight.
I feel grateful to everyone who participated in this fight, even to those on the left who opposed final passage.
I feel determined, in that this is just a step in the right direction. There is a long way to go before we achieve universal health care in this county.
I feel sad that it came at the cost of throwing reproductive rights under the bus. Any win that means hurting some of your friends is not a full win.
I feel frustrated, because I know we could have won the public option campaign, but it didn't happen.
It feels good that Democrats did something with their majority. I hope it works out well, and provides the benefits its strongest supporters say it will.
This is an open thread. Tomorrow, more fights ensue. Good night.
A very happy birthday to Natasha Chart, who according to Chris via Twitter, generously let him spend all day in DC working on health care reform. No doubt he'll make it up to her!
I traditionally do this loooooooooong drive up to Buffalo with friends on National Get In Your Car and Sit In Traffic Day the day before Thanksgiving, but just could not do it this year. Too burned out. Flights are always too expensive, so I'm going up for Chanukah/Xmas- I haven't been in several years anyway- and staying put this week. Perry flew down to join me. An Indian friend of his from grad school is having some of us over tonight, cooking Indian, and getting destroyed by me and Perry in Taboo. You may gasp at that, but if there is one other cuisine I would rather have than traditional Thanksgiving fare, it would be Indian. Especially since I've already consumed both pumpkin and pecan pie this week, which are really the essential parts, in my view.
Other than that, I'm in the middle of a lazy afternoon sipping chai and reading Barney Frank's biography, which is pretty good.
This is an open Thanksgiving Day thread. Feel free to leave thoughts on where you are, what you're cooking, football, any amusing family political conversations, or whatever else.
Part of the money you've given to support OpenLeft will be used to hire on a new technical consultant who will be working for all of us to make the site better.
We have a list of things we think will help improve the site in terms of design and tech, but since you're our readers and you paid for it, we want to ask you what you like, don't like, and want to see fixed, in terms of technical work.
Spacing? Ways to improve Quick Hits? Formatting in different browsers? Anything you've got, leave it in the comments.
Part of the money you've given to support OpenLeft will be used to hire on a new technical consultant who will be working for all of us to make the site better.
We have a list of things we think will help improve the site in terms of design and tech, but since you're our readers and you paid for it, we want to ask you what you like, don't like, and want to see fixed, in terms of technical work.
Spacing? Ways to improve Quick Hits? Formatting in different browsers? Anything you've got, leave it in the comments.
Part of the money you've given to support OpenLeft will be used to hire on a new technical consultant who will be working for all of us to make the site better.
We have a list of things we think will help improve the site in terms of design and tech, but since you're our readers and you paid for it, we want to ask you what you like, don't like, and want to see fixed, in terms of technical work.
Spacing? Ways to improve Quick Hits? Formatting in different browsers? Anything you've got, leave it in the comments.
If you've left a suggestion last night, no need to repeat it, just a new thread
Part of the money you've given to support OpenLeft will be used to hire on a new technical consultant who will be working for all of us to make the site better.
We have a list of things we think will help improve the site in terms of design and tech, but since you're our readers and you paid for it, we want to ask you what you like, don't like, and want to see fixed, in terms of technical work.
Spacing? Ways to improve Quick Hits? Formatting in different browsers? Anything you've got, leave it in the comments.
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