New polls:  
Dem pickups : (None)
GOP pickups : AK AR CO IA LA MT NC SD WV

News from the Votemaster

Cassidy Defeats Landrieu in Louisiana

As expected, Rep. Bill Cassidy defeated Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) in yesterday's runoff. The margin was 57% to 43%. The Republicans now hold every senate seat in the old South. It is now as solid for the Republicans as it was for the Democrats prior to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Richard Nixon would be pleased with what his "southern strategy" has accomplished for the Republicans.

Election Takeaways from Charlie Cook

The week after any election there is a lot of back seat driving, with all manner of people explaining in retrospect what they generally didn't see in advance. Here is the list from political guru Charlie Cook.

  • Tip O'Neill was wrong: all politics is national
  • Elections are always a referendum on the President
  • The Obama coalition does not work at the congressional level
  • It's the economy, stupid
  • You can't win on turnout if you don't have a message
  • Candidates matter
  • The war on women fell flat as did the war on the rich
  • Midterms rarely have any predictive value for the next presidential election

Election Takeaways from Ezra Klein

Ezra Klein at the Vox also has a list of takeaways.

  • The Democrats lost in Iowa and Colorado and governor's races in blue states. That wasn't due to the map
  • Democrats had a couple of wins on the minimum wage, gun checks, and marijuana
  • Democrats believed all elections henceforth would be like 2012. Nope
  • The Republicans won tough gubernatorial races, which helps RGA chairman, Chris Christie
  • No Democratic star emerged to challenge Hillary Clinton in 2016
  • Republicans got a big boost for 2016, with a lot of senators and governors who will still be there
  • The Senate is about to be even more polarized
  • Congress might actually pass a few laws now, such as trade deals and the Keystone XL pipeline

Election Takeaways from Politico

James Hohmann at Politico has yet another list.

  • The Republican takeover of the South is complete now that it owns Arkansas
  • Democrats failed at distancing themselves from the President
  • Voters crave authenticity and hate phonies (see: Brown, Scott)
  • Republican governors thrived in blue states
  • Mary Landrieu's odds in the runoff have gone up since outside groups won't fund Bill Cassidy so much
  • The war on women fell flat
  • North Carolina is more reddish purple than bluish purple
  • Virginia is a purple state, not a blue one and Ed Gillespie could be the next governor
  • The $60 million Bannock Street project did not live up to the hype
  • Self funders like Bruce Rauner, David Perdue, and Rick Scott had a good night

The End Is Nigh

Well, the end of this election cycle is nigh, so daily updates will stop now. Whether the site will continue and precisely how is currently up in the air. Check back from time to time so see what happens. And thanks for watching.

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---The Votemaster
Nov06 Election Takeaways from Charlie Cook
Nov06 Election Takeaways from Ezra Klein
Nov06 Election Takeaways from Politico
Nov06 The End Is Nigh
Nov05 Republicans Capture the Senate
Nov05 Republicans Also Do Well in Gubernatorial Races
Nov05 How Did We Do?
Nov04 Election Day Is Finally Here
Nov04 Republicans Likely to Win Senate
Nov03 Both Parties See Campaign Looking Favorable for the Republicans
Nov03 Republicans Are Bragging about Their Chances
Nov03 Early Ballots in Colorado Now Favor Democrats, But Possibly Too Little Too Late
Nov03 Nate Silver Gives Republicans a 73 Percent Chance of Capturing the Senate
Nov03 Most Voters Will Use Paper Ballots Tomorrow
Nov03 Romney Says He is Not Running in 2016
Nov03 Cruz Wants to Make the Senate Like the House
Nov02 Many Undecided Voters May Not Vote
Nov02 Good Weather Equals Bad News for Republicans
Nov02 McConnell Campaign Sends Election Violation Notice Mailer to Voters
Nov02 Reid Says Control of the Senate Depends on Iowa
Nov02 No Matter the Outcome, Neither Party Will Have a Mandate
Nov02 Conservatives Freaking Out at a Possible Bush Run in 2016
Nov01 GOP Takeover of the Senate May Be Short Lived
Nov01 The Trend is Towards Single-Party Control of the States
Nov01 Fighting for the Last 1000 Votes in Alaska
Nov01 Landrieu Tells the Truth and Gets Attacked for It
Nov01 Iowa Could Be the Key to Control of the Senate
Nov01 In 2016, the Focus Will Be Blue-state Republicans
Nov01 Biased News Coverage Flourishes as Election Day Approaches
Oct31 Larry Sabato Calls Senate for Republican
Oct31 Democrats Playing the Race Card in the South
Oct31 Legal Battles in Georgia Very Likely
Oct31 Republican Governors Association Donors Get Special Access
Oct30 New Senate Could Have As Many as 27 Women
Oct30 Colorado Senate Race Is All about Birth Control
Oct30 Are There Really Many Moderate Voters?
Oct30 Sometimes Sure-Thing Candidates Fizzle Out
Oct30 Republicans Poised to Make Gains in State Legislatures
Oct30 Obama Hides, Hillary Soars
Oct29 Georgia Judge Rules against Registering Voters
Oct29 Five States That Might Hold Surprises
Oct29 Republicans Close Polling Place To Suppress Student Vote
Oct29 McConnell May Get His Wish--and Regret It
Oct29 Obama Made a Rare Campaign Appearance for Mary Burke
Oct29 Dance for DCCC Chair is in Full Swing
Oct28 Do You Need an ID to Vote?
Oct28 What Name Should a Married Female Candidate Use?
Oct28 Everybody Wants To Be DSCC Chairman in 2016
Oct28 Cheapskate Senators Could Be Hurting the Republicans
Oct28 If Pat Roberts Loses, It is His Own Fault