A top Democratic Party official, speaking on background, said Democrats’ ability to hold onto the House and Senate will rely on Republicans being saddled with some seriously flawed primary winners (think: DE Sen nominee Christine O’Donnell) and getting lucky with several rightwing third party or independent candidates splitting the right-leaning vote. NY-23 was supposed to be an example of where Democrats got “lucky,” thanks to Hoffman, in what should be a top GOP target.

The Republican Party has engaged in a decades-long project to portray any Democratic electoral gains as fraudulent, chipping away at the legitimacy of any Democratic politician. A new poll by a Democratic firm shows that these efforts have paid off.

Last night, despite the efforts of Sarah Palin, the Club for Growth, Fred Thompson, Dick Armey and various teabaggers, NY-23 went Democratic for the first time since the 19th century. The wingnut reaction to this calamity? We’ve always been at war with Eurasia.

• Oh noes! The teabaggers lose again!!!
• So did Sarah Palin.
• GOP takes back VA; wins in NJ.
• Democrat wins GOP district in CA.
• Bloomberg back in NYC.
• Gay marriage repealed in Maine.
• But wins in Washington.
• Nate has the analysis.

Polls in New Jersey and Maine are now closed. Leaked exit polls show New Jersey to be basically a tie, FWIW. There are no exit polls out of Maine. Virginia remains too early to call, which shocks me. The networks are being ultra-cautious. The latest numbers: 26.19% reporting McDonnell (R) 62.86% Deeds (D) 37.03% Deeds [...]

A win by ultra-rightwing Doug Hoffman in NY-23 should challenge the notion held by some Democrats that winning right-wing districts requires a move towards the center-right.

Via John Amato, the teabagger activists in NY-23 are illegally intimidating local residents at the polls. I just got off the phone with former state Democratic Chairwoman June O’Neill, who informed me the police had been called to at least two polling sites in St. Lawrence County due to overzealous electioneering (O’Neill called it “voter [...]

Today in upstate New York, either a Democrat will be elected to Congress for the first time since the Civil War, or Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin will officially take over the Republican party.

This guy is dangerously out of touch. . . . Super nervous, very creepy, super crazy. This was only two weeks ago. Here is the first 42 seconds: Cap and trade started out just like almost everything does, to have a good purpose. To save our environment. Unfortunately, by the time it was passed it [...]

• It’s Karzai.
• Good thing the Democrats control the Senate.
• It was too small.
• GOP about to get the full teabag.
• Palin wants Virginians to vote for quitting, lying.
• What are these ‘moderate Republicans’ they speak of?