2014 USA Congressional Elections

certainly Florida Cubans vote Republican, but as many as 40 per cent of Texas Spanish speakers voted GOP under Bush, so I have always doubted this "block" of people from 25 countries, black, white and mestizo, rich and poor, highly educated and not, can be considered an electoral lock for Democrats long-term

Wed, 2014-09-17 13:56

#15

NorthReport

Just what America needs - more right wing politicians.

FiveThirtyEight’s Senate Forecast

Sun, 2014-10-12 11:44

#16

NorthReport

This is not going to help the Democrats

Elizabeth Warren on Barack Obama: “They protected Wall Street. Not families who were losing their homes. Not people who lost their jobs. And it happened over and over and over”

http://www.salon.com/2014/10/12/exclusive_elizabeth_warren_on_barack_oba...

Mon, 2014-10-13 03:26

#17

Red Winnipeg

Come next year, when the winning candidates of November are sworn into office, it won't make one bit of difference if the Republicans or the Democrats control the Senate, which is the only election question in doubt. The USA is going to behave essentially in the same manner as it did before the November elections.

Mon, 2014-10-13 19:06

#18

NorthReport

Not necessarily.

U.S. midterms: Stage may be set for a big vote on Keystone XL pipeline

http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2014/10/13/u-s-midterms-stage-may-be-se...

Fri, 2014-10-31 18:13

#19

NorthReport

Barring some last minute changes, it sure looks like the GOP are going to take control of the Senate. Unfortunate.

Fri, 2014-10-31 18:50

#20

Aristotleded24

NorthReport wrote:
Barring some last minute changes, it sure looks like the GOP are going to take control of the Senate. Unfortunate.

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WztB6HzXxI]This is why[/url]

Fri, 2014-10-31 20:56

#21

Bec.De.Corbin Bec.De.Corbin's picture

I did my part today and voted early after I paid my property tax and vehical registration down at the county annex building.

I tryed but I doubt Texas will turn into a blue state. 8-(

Sun, 2014-11-02 14:25

#22

NorthReport

It's getting worse, and the question now is how big a majority is the GOP going to get?

Senate Update: Democrats’ Chance Of Holding On Continues To Fall

Tue, 2014-11-04 20:06

#23

NorthReport

Nate Silver's website is forecasting a 78% chance for the GOP to take control of the Senate. That's good enough for me. This guy is so accurate you hardly even need to hold the vote.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/liveblog/special-coverage-the-2014-midterms/

Tue, 2014-11-04 20:55

#24

NorthReport

Nate Silver's website now shows the GOP with an 80% chance of taking control (51 seats out of 100) of the US Senate whereas CNN is suggesting there may be an upset win by the Democrats which could keep help the Democrats keep control of the Senate.

Who is correct?

Let's just say that Nate Silver is a statistician whereas CNN want close races to make it exciting and helps to keep their viewers.

I think Silver's forecasts will win handsdown however he has now reduced his forecast for GOP to win Senate control to 74%.

Tue, 2014-11-04 20:58

#25

NorthReport

This evening is going to end badly for the Democrats unfortunately, who have brought this on themselves. I wish it were otherwise. With the nutbar Tea Party out there this should have been a cakewalk for the Democrats. Even organized labour, what little there is left, is not even necessarily supporting the Democrats.

GOP wins first Senate pickup

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/04/politics/election-day-story/index.html?hpt...

Tue, 2014-11-04 21:04

#26

NorthReport

Silver dropped GOP's chances by 1% to 73% to control Senate.

Tue, 2014-11-04 21:15

#27

NorthReport

Republican Scott Brown first person in American history to "lose Senate races to two different women," Maddow says

Tue, 2014-11-04 21:18

#28

NorthReport

GOP retains control of House as expected.

Tue, 2014-11-04 21:23

#29

NorthReport

The Most Drastic Abortion Measure A crowd prays at an anti-abortion rally at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D., on Wednesday, April 17, 2013.

A crowd prays at an anti-abortion rally at the state Capitol in Bismarck, North Dakota, on Wednesday, April 17, 2013.

JAMES MACPHERSON / AP

North Dakota’s Constitutional Measure 1 is the most drastic of the three anti-abortion initiatives on ballots today. It would alter the state’s constitution to define personhood “at any stage of development.” According to the North Dakota Coalition For Privacy in Health Care, a group that favors abortion rights, the measure would ban all abortion services in the state and close the one remaining abortion clinic, the Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo.

“This amendment is intended to present a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade,” the 1973 Supreme Court decision that extended the right to privacy to include abortions, Republican state Sen. Margaret Sitte has said. Opponents of the measure argue that its vague language (it doesn’t mention abortion) could inadvertently affect other areas of health care, such as end-of-life care and pregnancy complications.

A poll from the University of North Dakota College of Business and Public Affairs this month found that 50 percent of respondents favor Measure 1, compared to 33 percent against and 17 percent who were undecided. Polling for a similar personhood initiative on the ballot in Missouri in 2011 showed the majority of voters in support, but themeasure ultimately failed 58 percent to 42 percent. Pollsters have had trouble with ballot measures; Measure 1 could go either way.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/liveblog/special-coverage-the-2014-midterms/

Tue, 2014-11-04 22:06

#30

NorthReport

Nate Silver back up to 74% support for the GOP to win control of Senate.

Many races are incredibly close though.

Tue, 2014-11-04 22:10

#31

NorthReport

Illinois Voters Say ‘Yes’ To Higher Minimum Wage

As we noted last week, five states had ballot initiatives on the minimum wage today. The results are in from the first one: ABC News is projecting that Illinois residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of raising the state’s minimum wage to $10 an hour from $8.25 now.

The Illinois vote, unlike those in other states, is only advisory — the final decision on raising the state’s minimum wage still lies with the state legislature.

That distinction is important because Tuesday’s ballot initiative calls for an overnight $1.75-an-hour increase — a big enough bump that nearly 1 in 5 hourly workers in Illinois would be due a raise. Economists are split over the impact of the minimum wage, but even those who support a higher minimum typically advise a more gradual increase to give employers a chance to adjust. That was also the approach favored by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn in an earlier bill.

If the legislature did push ahead with an all-at-once increase, it would affect close to 600,000 workers, most of them women. Their median age is 29 and more than a quarter are raising children.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/liveblog/special-coverage-the-2014-midterms/

Tue, 2014-11-04 22:22

#32

NorthReport

What’s At Stake For GMOs Tonight A grocery store employee wipes down a soup bar with a display informing customers of organic, GMO-free oils, in Boulder, Colo., Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014.

A grocery store employee wipes down a soup bar with a display informing customers of organic, GMO-free oils, in Boulder, Colo., Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014.

BRENNAN LINSLEY / AP

Voters in Colorado and Oregon today weighed in on Proposition 105and Measure 92, respectively, both of which would require companies and merchants to label foods that qualify as genetically modified organisms.

There’s no scientific evidence that GMOs pose health risks (a highly touted 2012 study suggesting that GMO corn caused tumors in rats was later retracted), but proponents of the measures say that consumers have a right to know how their food was produced and labeling will allow consumers to make informed choices about what they’re eating.

Opponents of the measures say that they will cause unnecessary and costly hassles for producers and could drive up the price of our food supply. They also argue that the labels aren’t meaningful, because the rules provide numerous exceptions (milk and meat from cows that eat GMO feed wouldn’t require labels, nor would food served in restaurants or alcoholic beverages, for instance).

Colorado Public Radio reports that the fight against Proposition 105is backed by donations of $4.7 million from Monsanto and $1 million each from PepsiCo and Kraft, while funding for pro-105 group Right to Know GMO has come from Food Democracy Action ($140,000) and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps at ($25,000).

In Oregon, the No on 92 Coalition has netted more than $18.7 million, mostly from Monsanto, PepsiCo, Mead Johnson and Dow AgroSciences, according to The Oregonian. Meanwhile, Yes on Measure 92 is supported by numerous organic food and farming groups and has raised $7 million.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/liveblog/special-coverage-the-2014-midterms/

Tue, 2014-11-04 22:26

#33

NorthReport

Senate right now

Dem - 43 seats

Rep - 47 seats

For Control - 51 seats required

Tue, 2014-11-04 22:31

#34

NorthReport

Nate Silver - 86% support for GOP to take Senate which is 51 seats

Tue, 2014-11-04 22:33

#35

NorthReport

- from Nate Silver's website

GOP Now At 86 Percent To Take The Senate

We just published a post on the Democrats dodging bullets, but not for long … well one bullet hit. With the Republican Cory Gardner projected to win in Colorado, the GOP now has an 86 percent chance to win Senate control.

MICAH COHEN 10:28 PMDemocrats Are Dodging Bullets — But Probably Not For Long

Democrats have about a 25 percent chance of keeping the Senate based on states that have been called by ABC News so far, according to our live forecast.

But the qualifier in that sentence is key. While the major states to have been called so far haven’t been disastrous for Democrats — they won New Hampshire, and they were expected to lose in Arkansas and Kentucky — the situation in just about every uncalled state looks bad for them:

Mark Warner is still in a real fight in Virginia.
So is Kay Hagan in North Carolina.
Mark Udall is trailing Cory Gardner in Colorado so far, and some networks have already called the race against him.
Michelle Nunn may not be able to prevent Republican David Perdue from getting to 50 percent of the vote tonight in Georgia.
Greg Orman, an independent who could caucus with the Democrats, trails so far in Kansas.

As we said at the start of the night, our election-night model is just based on called states — the W’s and L’s. But Harry Enten and I think the Democrats’ chances of holding the Senate are much lower than 25 percent.

Tue, 2014-11-04 23:03

#36

NorthReport

Nate Silver - 95% for a GOP controlled Senate

Tue, 2014-11-04 23:44

#37

JKR

NorthReport wrote:

Nate Silver - 95% for a GOP controlled Senate

Wolf Blitzer - 100% for a GOP controlled Senate

Tue, 2014-11-04 23:49

#38

Unionist

I'm hoping against hope for a Democrat victory, so that the U.S. can stay out of Iraq and close Guantanamo.

Wed, 2014-11-05 00:08

#39

NorthReport

As usual Nate Silver forecast a GOP controlled Senate a long time long before it was popular to do so.

They seriously need another political party in the US - where is Ralph Nadar when you need him?

Wed, 2014-11-05 00:11

#40

NorthReport

The Democrats keep saying things will different in 2016.

They are correct in that they may well lose the Presidency as well as the Congress. Just follow Nate Silver's forecasts and you will get accurate results long before anyone else.

Wed, 2014-11-05 03:32

#41

JKR

Unionist wrote:

I'm hoping against hope for a Democrat victory, so that the U.S. can stay out of Iraq and close Guantanamo.

The Democrats can be disappointing but at least they appoint people like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court instead of people like Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia.

Wed, 2014-11-05 09:57

#42

MegB

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/11/05/what_the_us_election_results_mean_for_canada.html

Wed, 2014-11-05 16:05

#43

wage zombie

Unionist wrote:

I'm hoping against hope for a Democrat victory, so that the U.S. can stay out of Iraq and close Guantanamo.

That seems like a much different take than your "Anybody But Harper" stance for elections here.

Wed, 2014-11-05 16:47

#44

Michael Moriarity

wage zombie wrote:

Unionist wrote:

I'm hoping against hope for a Democrat victory, so that the U.S. can stay out of Iraq and close Guantanamo.

That seems like a much different take than your "Anybody But Harper" stance for elections here.

I suggest turning on your irony detector.

Wed, 2014-11-05 18:31

#45

epaulo13

..from the common dreams site there were several important grassroots struggles won in spite of the election results. this is where hope lies.

'We Will Only Get Louder': Dozens of Communities Vote to Boot Big Money from Politics

Citizens in dozens of communities voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday for their legislators to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, which opened the door for the super-rich and corporations to trample democracy....

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/11/05/we-will-only-get-louder-doze...

....

Voters Reject Oil Titan Chevron, Elect Progressive Bloc in Richmond, California

A slew of progressive candidates were elected in Richmond, California on Tuesday night in a resounding defeat of corporate power, after a multi-million-dollar opposition campaign funded by Chevron brought national attention to the race but failed to take control of City Hall....

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/11/05/voters-reject-oil-titan-chev...

....

Hawaiians Win Community GMO Victory Over Monsanto

Residents of Maui County in Hawaii, frequently referred to as 'GMO Ground Zero,' claimed a victory Tuesday evening when a measure to ban the planting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) passed with 50.2 percent....

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/11/05/hawaiians-win-community-gmo-...

....

'Just the Beginning': Communities Across Nation Ban Fracking

Opponents of fracking scored a handful of victories Tuesday, with voters choosing bans on the extraction process in communities in Texas, Ohio and California.

One of these wins was in the birthplace of fracking—Denton, Texas....

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/11/05/just-beginning-communities-a...

....

California Voters Pass 'Historic' Mass Incarceration Reform

A California public safety measure to reclassify low-level crimes, including drug possession, won a clear victory on Tuesday, as voters paved the way for thousands of non-violent offenders to be resentenced and potentially released from the state's notoriously overcrowded prison system....

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/11/05/california-voters-pass-histo...