First Read: Midterm turnout could shatter records
Dr. Michael McDonald, who tracks election turnout at George Mason University, projects that a record-breaking 90 million people will cast ballots for 2010 candidates, the largest number of voters to date in a midterm election.
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McDonald, who bases his projections on early voting data as well as trends in individual states, calculates that turnout will be about 41.3 percent of the eligible voting population.
That's comparable to the population that turned out in 1994 (41.1 percent of the eligible population) and the highest share since at least 1982.
And now, some irrational optimism. Because if the numbers are that high, it may mean that the Democrats are turning out. And the LV models are wrong. And things will be better than they appear today.
Therefore: No Nate Silver. No TPM poll tracker. No Pollster.
I hereby engage in irrational optimism and fantasize what I'm looking forward to tomorrow as the Republican 'wave' turns out to be about 2 seats high.
- Watching the pundits sputter as they have no prepared speech for a good night for Democrats
- Watching John Boehner congratulate Nancy Pelosi on remaining Speaker
- Watching Pat Toomey's concession speech
- Watching Rand Paul's concession speech
- Imagining Tim "Ladykiller" Profitt watching Rand Paul's concession speech
- Imagining the scene in the Koch mansions
- Clicking over to Faux Noise and watching the Pretties use their frowny faces
- Watching Ken Buck's concession speech
- Watching Tom Tancredo allege that he really won but the illegal immigrant vote turned the tide for Hickenlooper
- Watching as the Colorado political reporters shake their heads at Crazy Tom
- Watching Christine O'Donnell as she loses by 40 points
- Watching David Vitter's concession speech as he gets tossed like a used diaper
- Watching John McCain's concession speech
- Getting the reaction from Sarah Palin as everyone she endorses goes down in flames
- Getting the reaction from the Tea Brained Republicans as they are repudiated beyond any ability to spin
- Watching Sharron Angle allege that she really won but the Asian illegal immigrants turned the tide for Reid
- Watching Harry Reid announce that, although he won, he will not continue as Majority Leader
- Watching Scott McAdam's victory speech
- Watching Joe Miller's goons realize their boss will be in no position to protect them
- Last, but not least - watching President Obama give a press conference and open the biggest can of gloat ever seen on the Washington Press Corps
- BONUS: Please forgive me for forgetting this: Watching Russ Feingold graciously accept another term from the citizens of Wisconsin.
- BONUS #2: Watching Karl Rove get told, once again, "Guess what, Karl. We've just called ..." and once again his dreams are crushed, destroyed, folded, spindled, and mutilated.
You may say I'm a dreamer. But until the polls close tomorrow I can cling to my dreams.