;)
November 9, 2022
President Biden will hold a press conference at 4:00 pm ET today.
Marie: My thanks to all those Democratic voters, and to those thoughtful independents & Republicans, who took time out of their busy lives to cast their votes for Democrats & for reproductive rights.
Thanks to a friend for sending this our way:
Definitely not a Republican wave, that is for darn sure. -- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
Marie: Sorry, my computer slowly broke down all last night. I'm working on setting up a new laptop, which I just took out of the box. Don't know how that will go. What appears on your computer probably isn't what appears on mine, which is messed up. I believe I'll spend today watching the latest installments of "The Crown."
"Results" are based on AP projections, except where indicated otherwise.
U.S. Senate
The current projected Senate total is 48 Democrats & 49 Republicans.
Alabama: Republican Katy Britt is projected to win.
Alaska: A Republican will win. Two Republicans are running: incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski & her Trump-endorsed opponent Kelly Tshibaka.
Arkansas: Incumbent Republican John Boozman is projected to win re-election.
California: Incumbent Democrat Alex Padilla is projected to win re-election.
Colorado: Incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet is projected to win re-election.
Connecticut: Incumbent Democrat Richard Blumenthal is projected to win re-election.
Florida: Incumbent Republican Marco Rubio is projected to win re-election.
Georgia: NBC News projects this race is headed to a run-off, as neither candidate will reach the 50% threshold. The run-off will take place December 6. MB: Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock is currently leading hopeful-Senator Heisman by about 40,000 votes, but the spoiler is a libertarian, who currently has about 2% of the vote, & libertarian voters tend to vote Republican, if they have no choice.
Hawaii: Incumbent Democrat Brian Schatz is projected to win re-election.
Idaho: Incumbent Republican Mike Crapo is projected to win re-election.
Illinois: Incumbent Democrat Tami Duckworth is projected to win re-election.
Indiana: Incumbent Republican Todd Young is projected to win re-election.
Iowa: Incumbent Republican Chuck Grassley is projected to win re-election.
Kansas: Incumbent Republican Jerry Moran is projected to win re-election.
Kentucky: Incumbent Republican Rand Paul is projected to win re-election.
Maryland: Incumbent Democrat Chris Van Hollen is projected to win.
Missouri: Republican Eric Schmitt is projected to win.
Louisiana. NBC News projects incumbent Republican John Kennedy will will re-election.
New Hampshire: Incumbent Democrat Maggie Hassan is projected to win re-election.
New York: Incumbent Democrat Chuck Schumer is projected to win re-election.
North Carolina. NBC News projects Republican Ted Budd will win. Too bad.
Ohio: NBC News projects incumbent Republican J.D. Vance will win. Very sad news.
Oklahoma: Incumbent Republican James Lankford is projected to win re-election.
Oklahoma Special Election: Republican Markwayne Mullin is projected to win.
Oregon: NBC News projects incumbent Democrat Ron Wyden will win re-election.
Pennsylvania: NBC News projects Democrat John Fetterman will win. Wowza!
North Dakota: Incumbent Republican John Hoeven is projected to win re-election.
South Carolina: Incumbent Republican Tim Scott is projected to win re-election.
South Dakota: Incumbent Republican John Thune is projected to win re-election.
Utah: Incumbent Republican Mike Lee is projected to win re-election.
Vermont: Democrat Peter Welch is projected to win. This was an open seat; Sen. Pat Leahy (D) will retire.
Washington State: NBC News projects incumbent Democrat Patty Murray will win re-election.
Wisconsin: Incumbent Republican Ron Johnson, the Stupidest Senator, is projected to win re-election. Sad.
The New York Times' live updates of election developments are here. The Washington Post's live election updates are here. CNN's live updates are here.
Other Election News
Lisa Lerer of the New York Times: "At the end of a campaign in which the fundamental conditions for Democrats seemed dire -- inflation at a 40-year high, an unpopular president -- Republicans could do no better than to end the evening still scratching here and there for the seats they needed to win control of the House, the minimum they could call a victory. All indications were that they would end up at best with one of the weakest performances in decades by the out-of-power party against a first-term president's party, a stark contrast to Republican gains of 54 House seats against President Bill Clinton in 1994 and 64 seats against President Barack Obama in 2010.... For a third time, after 2018 and 2020, voters displayed the limits of their tolerance for the pernicious strain of Trump-era politics that appears at times to accept or even incite violence and that challenges a core tenet of democracy: Voters cast ballots and politicians accept the results. Some of the figures who benefited most from Mr. Trump's backing -- like Mehmet Oz, the Republican nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano, the Republican candidate for governor in Pennsylvania and Don Bolduc, the party's Senate candidate in New Hampshire -- were defeated. (Others, like J.D. Vance, the Republican Senate candidate in Ohio, won their races.)" ~~~
~~~ Hannah Knowles & Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: "Democrats showed strength in key battleground races Tuesday, potentially defying Republican hopes of sweeping victories in the midterm elections and leaving control of Congress hanging in the balance the morning after millions of Americans went to the polls. Republicans needed to flip five seats to retake the House and remained favored to take the majority after gaining some targeted districts. But the preliminary results reflected a closely divided country, with enthusiastic voters on both sides of the partisan divide. Republican efforts to tap anger over inflation and crime and strike deep into Democratic territory ran up against backlash over new restrictions on abortion and concerns about GOP extremism.... The evenly divided Senate remained up for grabs as both parties held on to competitive states.... 'While many races remain too close to call, it is clear that House Democratic Members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations across the country,' [Nancy Pelosi] said in a statement."
Here's a fun Fox "News" story: David Rutz & Joseph Wulfsohn of Fox "News": "As the midterm results rolled in Tuesday night, and the 'red wave' long hoped for by Republicans had not materialized, many pundits and journalists across the spectrum pointed their fingers at former President Trump. As several Trump-backed candidates in major races lost or lagged behind other Republicans in their states, a consensus appeared to emerge that Trump had a bad night, although it was still up in the air whether Republicans would re-capture the House and Senate.... In the early hours of Wednesday morning, it still remained unclear if they would even take control of the House, a seemingly unthinkable proposition last week.... 'What I can tell you is the biggest loser tonight is Donald Trump,' [ABC News' Jonathan] Karl said."
Isaac Stanley-Becker & Drew Harwell of the Washington Post: "Misleading videos, recirculated months after they were shot, carried unfounded claims that Republican voters were being barred from the polls. Viral tweets spun early-morning mechanical problems with vote tabulators into elaborate claims of systematic fraud. And users on the pro-Trump extremist forum TheDonald urged armed intervention at ballot counting centers in Georgia, advising, 'If it gets violent, shoot first.'... Encouragement to storm counting sites in Georgia came in response to news that the mail-in ballot deadline had been extended for some voters in Cobb County following a logistical hiccup, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks online extremists.... Election myths built up over the last two years coalesced Tuesday into a torrent of misinformation that fed an alternative online ecosystem where all unfavorable election outcomes are suspect."
Arizona. Stuart Thompson, et al., of the New York Times: A series of technical glitches disrupted ballot counting on Tuesday at about one in four voting centers in Republican-led Maricopa County, Ariz., rekindling embers of baseless voter fraud claims in the right-wing media and politicians.... In the afternoon, the county said it had isolated the problem: printers were not making dark enough markings on the ballots. Bill Gates, chairman of the Maricopa County board of supervisors, and Stephen Richer, the county recorder, both Republicans, said the problems were disappointing but that voters could still cast ballots and that nobody was being denied a vote."
Pennsylvania. John Kruzel of the Hill: "A judge in Pennsylvania agreed to extend voting by two hours in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, after a paper shortage was discovered at polling places. The county's voting deadline was extended from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. under an emergency court order by Judge Lesa S. Gelb of the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas."
Other News
Nastyman. Donald Trump Is Still Donald Trump. Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Several hours before polls opened on Tuesday for Election Day in Florida..., Donald J. Trump warned the state's governor, Ron DeSantis, against mounting a challenge to Mr. Trump's own anticipated presidential candidacy in the 2024 election cycle.... In remarks published on Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal, [Trump said,] 'If he did run, I will tell you things about him that won't be very flattering. I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign.' The former president, preparing to announce a rare candidacy for the White House after a defeat, was thus openly threatening to smear the person who would be considered his leading rival, should he choose to run."
Annie Grayer, et al., of CNN: "The House select committee investigating January 6 on Monday interviewed the driver of ... Donald Trump's presidential vehicle on the day of the US Capitol attack, multiple sources tell CNN. In recent days, the panel has interviewed a growing number of Secret Service agents and officials as part of its investigation, including the one-time head of former Vice President Mike Pence's security detail, Tim Giebels; former Secret Service agent John Gutsmiedl; agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi; and the Secret Service agent who was in the lead car of Trump's motorcade on January 6."
Tom Jackman of the Washington Post: "Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Republican who represented Georgia, is scheduled to appear in a Fairfax County courtroom Wednesday morning to fight a demand that he testify before a Georgia special grand jury investigating possible attempts in that state to manipulate the 2020 presidential election.... The [January 6] committee alleged in a September letter that Gingrich urged Donald Trump and his team to spread false information about supposed election fraud in Georgia, and that he was involved in the scheme to have 'fake electors' submitted to Congress during the electoral college vote to have Trump declared the winner, though Joe Biden was certified as president. Gingrich has agreed to testify Nov. 21 before the committee about his actions. But in Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani T. Willis is also investigating 'criminal disruptions' related to the election in Georgia, through a special grand jury. After seeing the Jan. 6 committee's letter to Gingrich, Willis sought Gingrich's testimony before the Fulton County special grand jury, court records show, and a judge there last month certified the need for the out-of-state witness."
Sheera Frenkel & Adam Satariano of the New York Times: "Meta [-- formerly known as Facebook --] said it was laying off more than 11,000, or about 13 percent of its work force, in what amounted to the company's most significant job cuts. The layoffs were made across departments, though some areas, like recruiting, were affected more than others.... The scale of the cuts -- nearly triple what Twitter announced last week -- represent a stunning fall for a once high-flying company whose ambition and room for growth had seemed limitless."
Way Beyond the Beltway
Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Wednesday are here: "WNBA star Brittney Griner is being transferred to a Russian penal colony, her lawyers said Wednesday, after a Russian court rejected an appeal of her 9½-year prison sentence. She has been detained in Russia on drug charges since February.... President Biden has directed his administration to 'prevail on her Russian captors' to improve her treatment and 'the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony,' the White House said Wednesday. The statement said the United States was seeking to resolve 'the unacceptable and wrongful detentions' of Griner and ex-security consultant Paul Whelan, an American serving a 16-year sentence in Russia.... U.S. and Russian officials will resume meeting 'in the near future' under a critical nuclear arms control treaty, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday. The meetings are intended to facilitate inspections of nuclear sites in each country.... 'Brutal' battles were raging across the front lines, especially in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, [President] Zelensky said. Russian forces, he said, have suffered 'large-scale losses' in the region but remain in control of swaths of territory."
News Ledes
The New York Times is live-updating developments of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Nicole, which is approaching Florida's east coast & is expected to land there today as a Category 1 hurricane. A Washington Post story is here.~~~
~~~ Washington Post: "Nicole intensified into a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday evening, as it churned ever closer to Florida's Atlantic coast. Conditions were deteriorating as the storm approached, with the worst expected overnight into early Thursday morning." The article also lists warnings & evacuations. MB: The article should be a freebie, but there's no indication that it is. ~~~
~~~ The Weather Channel, which is free to access, has live updates on Nicole here.
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Reader Comments (9)
The paradox of this election is that voters have so despaired of the status quo. And yet something very much like the status quo is what the voters will, in the end, have delivered. I especially despair of Beto's loss–--Texas actually voted for a governor that continues to screw them––-it's an amazing thing!
Not very satisfying to take "it cudda been worse" as solace...but this morning I'll take it. A far cry from the ecstasy I would prefer, however, for it means that half the nation's voters are still nuts.
" A far cry from the ecstasy I would prefer, however, for it means that half the nation's voters are still nuts." Thanks Ken, for my first laugh of the day.
Marie: Sorry that you are having a trial with your new lap top; Joe, too, had one hell of a time getting his new lap top together.
Ok. The ballots have been cast. Now indict the former guy bastard.
@NiskyGuy: I'll go along with that.
@Ken Winkes: Aren't you glad I didn't inundate you with a lot of poll results & doom-and-gloom prognostications? I think I did my job. More or less. As I think I've mentioned before, I learned my lesson when I was in college. Toward the end of the term, I never had time to read the newspaper, so I'd pile up the papers to read when papers were turned in & exams were over. This ended up saving me a lot of time because I didn't have to read all those stories about what might happen in the future (not all to do with politics, by any means).
Am super happy we aren't getting a Christian nationalist as governor (Josh has impressed everyone nationally), and Fetterman squeaked through and Oz can go back to New Jersey, but the amount of incumbents being re-elected really is disturbing, as they include all the people I despise. Almost no election denier already elected before yesterday lost... Bright side: people we thought might be in trouble have pulled through, Like Michael Bennet, Patty Murray, Maggie Hassan. Jacqueline Benson, the embattled MI AG was re-elected and I'm hoping for Katie Hobbs of course. And others. Upset over the fact that some NY races of House may go to Rs and snatch the House for themselves.
I guess we know what to think about Floriduh.
@Marie. Yes, thank you...
It's not the polls so much--most, read closely, predicted close races--as the red-shaded opinionating hacks on capitalism's payroll--who are paid to spin self-fulfilling prophecies. The same ilk that have been downgrading or ignoring the Biden administration's accomplishments from the beginning.
Most annoyingly, those pieces are often presented as news.
I avoid most of them, but read enough to keep my tank of dudgeon half full.
Nice to see so many of the MAGA Republicans go down in flames last night. Though we still need to find a way to wake up many of the voters to the fact that there is little difference between the MAGA Republicans and everyday Republican politicians. It wouold also be a whole lot easier if much of the right wing court system wasn't actively suppressing democracy every chance they get.
So definitely a mixed bag of results, although not nearly as bad as it could have been. Except, apparently, in Michigan, where the results seem far too good to be true. According to NPR a few hours ago, the Democrats ran the board this election: Whitmer, Benson and Nessel all reelected with solid margins, and for the first time in *forty years* the Democrats will hold both houses in the state legislature. It's Democrats all the way down.
Not to mention the three ballot proposals which all passed: transparency in government; expansion of voting access; and Prop 3, which codifies the right to abortion in the Michigan state constitution.
Good news, if it's for real, but I'm still glad I decided to renew my passport earlier this year. I'm still on the wrong side of Lake Huron.
@Jeanne: Yes, we do know what to think about Floriduh. My daughter, two of her three adult children and one of my five great-grandchildren live in Florida; I have never understood why.