VOTE 2010

It's election night, and I will attend a polling event at the embassy starting midnight. A lot is at stake, and Obama and his cohort Democrats are facing a humiliating setback. All 435 Congressional seats are up for grabs, and my prediction is that the current Democrat majority of 39 will turn into a Republican majority of 15-20.

In the Senate 37 of the 100 seats are contested. The current 9-seat majority of the Democrats will - according to this expert - melt into a one-seat edge as the Rep's pick up 8 seats tonight. Watch the current majority leader Harry Reid (D, NV) lose his seat...

Finally there are 37 gubernatorial and State House races, with California as the top prize. I hope for, but don't expect, that the successor of Arnold Schwarzenegger will be a Republican: the resurfaced 1980's governor Jerry Brown could prove too popular and with great name recognition to be beaten.

UPDATE [10:03AM]
Republicans swept the House, capturing a comfortable majority. The Senate remains in Democratic hands with a reduced margin of 51:47 (from 57:40), plus 2 Independent but Democratic leaning senators. 37 Senate seats were contested, 19 from the Dem's and 18 from the Rep's. Republicans won the seats in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Illinois (seat previously held by Barack Obama), Utah, Arkansas, Indiana and North Dakota. Disappointing is the re-election of Sen Harry Reid (NV), who will remain Senate Majority Leader.

All 435 Congressional seats have been up for election and the current Republican gains of 60 seats (10 more seats are subject to recount) to secure a 239:185 majority constitute a landslide victory. The much behated Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been re-elected in her seat, but will be ousted as Speaker of the House. President Obama loses a close, albeit incompetent power base in Congress.

Notable in the 37 Gubernatorial races is the election of Jumpin' Jack Jerry Brown in California (D, 54%), the election of Scott (R, 48.8%) in Florida and the election of dago Andrew Cuomo (D, 61.5%), son of previous Gov Mario Cuomo, in New York.

Of the many Propositions nation-wide the one in California to legalize the "recreational" marijuana use failed by 54-46 per cent.