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Election Day 2009 Results (Updatedx21)

Here, I will update all my readers about the results when they come in.

Polls in Virginia close in one hour at 7pm.

Polls in New Jersey close in two hours at 8pm.

Polls in New York close in three hours at 9pm.

Be sure to check back here when the polls close.


Update: (7:00:11 PM) The polls in Virginia have now closed.

Update 2: (7:17:08 PM) Some exit polls have been released:

From Washington Post:

Exit Polls: Obama as (non) factor?

The early exit polls in Virginia and New Jersey are in (out?) and the most striking thing to us in the data is that a majority of voters in both states said that President Barack Obama was not a factor in their vote and in each state the chief executive's job approval rating was above 50 percent.

While these are early returns -- we CAN'T emphasize that strongly enough -- they do suggest that Obama's role in determining the outcome of either race (for good or bad) may have been overstated (gasp!) in the run-up to today's vote.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/governors/exit-polls-obama-as-non-factor-1.html?wprss=thefix

From CNN:

Posted: November 3rd, 2009 05:59 PM ET

(CNN) - Six in 10 New Jersey voters said Tuesday that President Obama had no effect on their vote in this off-year gubernatorial election, according to early CNN Exit Poll data.

Update 3: (7:27:15 PM) Early results show McDonnell with a 68%-32% lead over Deeds with 4% of the vote in.

Update 4: (7:42:16 PM) It is looking like as expected that McDonnell is going to win. It should be very soon when the race is called in favor of him. With 14% of the vote counted, he leads Deeds 65%-35%

Update 5: (7:49:13 PM) It's the economy stupid and property taxes and corruption in New Jersey:

The first, early exit poll results from NJ and VA are now trickling in from various media outlets.

NJ voters ranked the economy and jobs as their No. 1 issue, with 31% of voters telling pollsters that issue mattered most to them. The No. 2 issue was property taxes (26%), and corruption (20%) was No. 3. Polling has shown the focus on property taxes and corruption are stronger areas for ex-U.S. Atty Chris Christie (R) than for Gov. Jon Corzine (D). Health care was No. 4 with 18%.

In VA, the economy and jobs (46%) far outpaced health care (25%), taxes (14%) and transportation (8%).

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2009/11/exit_polls_its.php

Update 6: (8:14:29 PM) McDonnell is declared the winner of the gubernatorial election in Virginia. The attorney general and lieutenant governor were also won by Republicans. I will post the full results when it becomes finalized.

Update 7: (8:15:18 PM) The polls have closed in New Jersey.

Update 8: (8:42:04 PM) Christie is leading Corzine 55%-38% with 4% of the vote in.


Update 9: (8:44:39 PM) Christie leads among Independents in an early exit poll:

NJ GOV: Christie Crushing Among Indies

According to early exit poll data released by CNN, ex-U.S. Atty Chris Christie (R) leads Gov. Jon Corzine among indie voters, 58-33%. Indies make up 27% of the electorate thus far today.


Update 10: (8:54:48 PM) With 16% of the vote, Christie leads Corzine 54%-40%

Update 11: (9:00:02 PM) Currently, the ballot issue in Maine that asks whether or not to reject same-sex marriage laws is at 54-45 in favor of same sex-sex marriage.

Update 12: (9:02:15 PM) Polls in New York have now closed.

Update 13: (9:17:01 PM) Christie still leads Corzine 52%-42% with 35% in.

Update 14: (9:35:10 PM) Christie leads Corzine 49%-45% with 53% of the vote in.

Update 15: (9:49:40 PM) Doug Hoffman trails Bill Owens in NY-23 53%-42% with 8% in.

Update 16: (10:04:25 PM) Christie still remains in the lead 50%-44% with 71% in.

Update 17: (10:18:46 PM) Chris Christie was just declared the winner in New Jersey.

Update 18: (10:47:45 PM) Owens leads Hoffman 49%-45% with 64% in. Four precincts in St. Lawrence County will not report their totals tonight due to mechanical problems.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20091103/NEWS09/911039947

Update 19: (10:56:30 PM) Rejecting same-sex marriage in Maine is 50.51%-49.49% with 28% in.


Update 20: (11:28:12 PM) Rejecting same-sex marriage in Maine is 51.48%-48.42% with 60% in.


Update 21: (11:53:16 PM) Well, I am off to bed so some final results, even though they are not final, but final for tonight for me to post. In Maine, rejecting same-sex marriage is 51.77%-48.23% with 69% in. In NY-23 Doug Hoffman still trails Bill Owens 49%-45% with 86% in. As I wrote this, the race between Hoffman and Owens was not called, but now it has just been called for Bill Owens (11:57:36 PM).

I will post the final results tomorrow of the final contests. We also still are waiting on the referendum on same-sex marriage from Washington state where its voters only vote by the mail.
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All You Need to Know About Corzine is His Base is the Unions

Corzine enlists union workers to boost voter turnout for N.J. governor's race

By Lisa Fleisher/Statehouse Bureau

November 03, 2009, 2:19PM
BAYONNE -- The arguments have been made, the jokes and insults traded, the presidents, mayors and governors trotted forth -- now it's time to get voters to the booths, campaigners said. "We call it knock and drag," said Jim Williams, general president and director of organizing of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, with about 3,500 members in... Full story »
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Voter Fraud in New Jersey

Chris Christie's Next Case: Who Stole My Election?

Absentee voter fraud may play a significant role in New Jersey's gubernatorial election.

By JOHN FUND

The race for governor in New Jersey is so close in final polls that it may well end up in a recount -- the 1981 election did and was decided by less than 1,800 votes. If there is a recount, you can bet disputes about absentee ballots will loom large. Moreover, if serious allegations of fraud emerge, you can also expect less-than-vigorous investigation by the Obama Justice Department -- which showed just how seriously it takes such allegations when it walked away from an open-and-shut voter intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party in Philadelphia earlier this year.

Plenty of reasons exist for suspecting absentee fraud may play a significant role in tomorrow's Garden State contests. Groups associated with Acorn in neighboring Pennsylvania and New York appear to have moved into the state. An independent candidate for mayor in Camden has already leveled charges that voter fraud is occurring in his city. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party in New Jersey is taking advantage of a new loosely written vote-by-mail law to pressure county clerks not to vigorously use signature checks to evaluate the authenticity of absentee ballots, the only verification procedure allowed.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703932904574511612622116146.html


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Why You Should Pay Attention to Pennsylvania?

Pay Attention to Pennsylvania   [Lowman S. Henry]

Today, Pennsylvania voters will elect a state Supreme Court justice in a race that could have national implications.

The seven-member Pennsylvania Supreme Court is currently evenly divided with three Republicans and three Democrats. The party that prevails on Tuesday will gain control of the panel, which in recent years has been dominated by Republicans.

Pennsylvania is a highly partisan state in which both congressional and legislative redistricting plans have frequently been decided by judicial fiat. With the 2010 redistricting looming, it is likely the state’s Supreme Court will ultimately be called upon to make key decisions affecting the plan.

The race pits two veteran Superior Court judges against each other. The Superior Court is one of two intermediary statewide appellate courts in Pennsylvania. The Republican candidate is Judge Joan Orie Melvin from Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), and the Democratic candidate is Judge Jack Panella of Northampton County (eastern Pennsylvania).

http://www.nationalreview.com/finalcountdown/post/?q=MTlhZWEzMmI3ZTc4NTNiZTk1OGRmNzYxNjU4ZDRlOGI=
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Turnout is Low in New Jersey So Far

As for voter turnout at polling booths, a year has made a big difference, according to officials in counties around the state. While last year, most voting places had lines snaking around corners for the presidential race, the response hasn't nearly been the same, officials said.

"All the feedback I've gotten so far is that not only is it not like last year, but even with the gubernatorial election, we're not getting a big turnout," said Jerry Midgette, the administrator for the Somerset County Board of Elections.

In Middlesex County, officials said they have not heard of any large turnouts or major problems at the poling places -- only a few voters who wanted to know if they could vote despite having forgotten their mail-in ballots. They were told they could using provisional ballots.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/thousands_more_mail-in_ballots.html

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Robocalls for Independent Candidate Chris Daggett in New Jersey are Being Paid for by the Democrats

NJ Dems Admit Robocalls Pushing 3rd Party Candidate

November 02, 2009 7:06 PM

That’s what PolitickerNJ.com is reporting.  Embarrassing for the Dems to get caught trying to talk up  Chris Daggett. 

But not hard to see why they took the risk: The better Daggett does, the better chance Corzine has of keeping his job.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/11/nj-dems-admit-robocalls-pushing-3rd-party-candidate.html



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Hillary Goes Against Obama

Palestinian anger as Hillary Clinton praises 'settlement concessions'




The Palestinian leadership accused the US of caving in over Israeli settlements after Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, praised Israel for making concessions.

Having failed to force Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, to meet US demands for a total settlement freeze, Mrs Clinton switched tack during a one-day visit to Jerusalem when she called on both sides to resume peace talks.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6898430.ece



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The More Conservatives the Better

Uncivil War: Conservatives to challenge a dozen GOP candidates


By CHARLES MAHTESIAN & ALEX ISENSTADT | 11/3/09 4:38 AM EST

In what could be a nightmare scenario for Republican Party officials, conservative activists are gearing up to challenge leading GOP candidates in more than a dozen key House and Senate races in 2010.

Conservatives and tea party activists had already set their sights on some of the GOP’s top Senate recruits — a list that includes Gov. Charlie Crist in Florida, former Rep. Rob Simmons in Connecticut and Rep. Mark Kirk in Illinois, among others.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29057.html



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Iran Opposition to Apologize

Iran opposition to apologise to US for embassy siege

Leaders of Iran's opposition movement are to make an unprecedented apology to the US on the 30th anniversary of the storming of the American embassy in Tehran.

By Damien McElroy and Ahmad Vahdat
Published: 9:38PM GMT 02 Nov 2009

In a gesture likely to provoke fury among hardliners in the Tehran regime, they will apologise on Wednesday for the hostage crisis that gripped the world for 444 days and led to a decisive break between Iran and the US, which is now routinely denounced as "the Great Satan".

Organisers of the Green Movement, the umbrella group that seeks to overturn the official result of the June presidential election, plan to use the official commemoration of the take over to make a fresh assault on the revolutionary credentials of Iran's leadership.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/6488799/Iran-opposition-to-apologise-to-US-for-embassy-siege.html



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The Gap is Closing

49% Blame Bush for Economy, 45% Blame Obama

Voters for the first time are blaming President Obama nearly as much as President Bush for the country’s continuing economic problems.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% still blame the economic situation on the recession that began under Bush. But 45% now say the nation’s economic problems are caused more by Obama’s policies.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/october_2009/49_blame_bush_for_economy_45_blame_obama

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Blue Dogs Keep on Fighting

Blue Dog says Dem losses would strengthen centrists' policy positions

By Michael O'Brien - 11/03/09 08:40 AM ET
Centrist Blue Dog Democrats might see their position strengthened if Democrats suffer broader electoral losses, one Blue Dog member suggested Tuesday.

Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) argued that an Election Day rebuke for Democratic candidates across the nation could lead some in the party to rethink their plans on healthcare reform and other issues.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/66041-blue-dog-says-dem-losses-would-strengthen-centrists-position
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Lieberman Will Not Filibuster

Reid reassures left Lieberman on board

By Alexander Bolton - 11/02/09 08:15 PM ET

Sen. Joe Lieberman has reached a private understanding with Majority Leader Harry Reid that he will not block a final vote on healthcare reform, according to two sources briefed on the matter.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/66005-reid-reassures-the-left-lieberman-is-on-board

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Election Day 2009

A year has passed since Barack Obama was elected and let's just say a lot has changed. There are three big racest, even if they aren't votes for president, senate, or the house. The elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia and the special election in NY-23 all are very interesting races. I want to start off what I call the "easy" race and that being the gubernatorial election in Virginia. I call it the "easy" race because it looks like we already know who will win that. Bob McDonnell is so far ahead in mostly every poll that anything but a McDonnell win would be completely shocking. A McDonnell loss would mean that every single poll was wrong and their margins are so off, which I find very hard to believe, even though polls are often wrong. But, a McDonnell loss has to go down in the record books for one of the biggest losses since polling existed in its current form today. Just yesterday, I posted a Survey USA poll that had McDonnell +18 over Deeds. The RealClearPoliticis Average of all the polls gives McDonnell a +14 boost over Deeds.

So, then you move on to the next two races. A race that got no attention until a few weeks ago, the special election in NY-23 is very intriguing. If anybody has been following my blog or the news, you probably know all about Scozzafava and how the Republican "establishment" endorsed her along with Newt "I Now Have No Chance to be President Anymore" Gingrich. She is as liberal as a Republican can get without calling her a Democrat. Scozzafava dropped out over the weekend and endorsed Democrat Candidate Bill Owens. If this endorsement does not tell us all about Scozzafava nothing will do a better job. It now comes between Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman who has received numerous endorsements from Sarah Palin to Tim Pawlenty to Fred Thompson and many more. The polls have shifted a lot since Scozzafava exited and it is looking now like a Hoffman victory. The latest Siena poll coming out of NY-23 gives Hoffman a +5 point edge over Owens.

Finally, I come down to my home state, the dishelveled and broken New Jersey. What an awful time to be a New Jersey resident now. We have the highest income taxes, property taxes, worst roads, corruption is rampant. I could go on and on. Usually, at election time, it seems promising because if you don't like the incumbent, you can vote him/her out and vote for his/her opponent, but with this election it makes it a lot harder. Corzine, the current governor of New Jersey has been dreadful for New Jersey. I'm not saying that because he is a Democrat because Republicans in our current state government and past Republican governors like Christie Todd Whitman's helped the state look like it is today. But, Corzine has took all of Whitman's awful policies and made them much much worse. Unfortunately, Corzine's opponent, Republican Chris Christie is no better. If any of you are dedicated readers of my blog you would know, I truly don't like Christie. I voted against him in the Republican primary because I saw him for what he really was and that is a liar with no plans. During the primaries, it was a battle for who was more conservative, so Christie went to the right, but ever since he won, he has shifted so far to the left. In this election, you also have an Independent candidate that at one point could have played spoiler, but now most are saying that Christopher Daggett will not do that anymore. Something big happened over the weekend that might just push Christie over the top and that was the endorsement and speech supporting Christie by his conservative opponent during the primaries, Steve Lonegan. Many conservatives that were not so sure about voting for Christie have decided that they will in the end vote for Christie. This is why the numbers shifted over the weekend in Christie's favor. The latest poll numbers range from +2 for Corzine from Monmouth/Gannett or +3 for Christie from Survey USA or +2 for Christie from Quinnipiac. The RealClearPolitics Average gives the edge to Christie +1.2. It is still anybody's guess who will win and will be for sure interesting to watch.

Also, in Maine and in Washington state, there is a referendum on gay marriage. Washington state votes only by mail so we won't have the results by tonight.

You can be sure that I will be following the election on this blog and be providing any updates and results.

P.S. I know I have some readers of this blog from Virginia so if you have any information about the election that would be very helpful and I would be putting it up on the blog. Also, I am not home for this election, therefore if I have any New Jersey readers out there that can provide information, I would love to hear from you. And if there are any voters from NY-23, I would also love to hear from you.

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November 3rd in American History

1796 - John Adams was elected the 2nd U.S. President.

November 3, 1948

Newspaper mistakenly declares Dewey president

On this day in 1948, the Chicago Tribune jumps the gun and mistakenly declares New York Governor Thomas Dewey the winner of his presidential race with incumbent Harry S. Truman in a front-page headline: "Dewey Defeats Truman."

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=51994

November 3, 1964

D.C. residents cast first presidential votes

On this day in 1964, residents of the District of Columbia cast their ballots in a presidential election for the first time. The passage of the 23rd Amendment in 1961 gave citizens of the nation's capital the right to vote for a commander in chief and vice president. They went on to help Democrat Lyndon Johnson defeat Republican Barry Goldwater in 1964, the next presidential election.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=VideoArticle&id=52080

November 3, 1964

Johnson defeats Goldwater for presidency

In one of the most crushing victories in the history of U.S. presidential elections, incumbent Lyndon Baines Johnson defeats Republican challenger Barry Goldwater, Sr. With over 60 percent of the popular vote, Johnson turned back the conservative senator from Arizona to secure his first full term in office after succeeding to the presidency after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November 1963.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=2473

November 3, 1986

Iran arms sales revealed

The Lebanese magazine Ash Shiraa reports that the United States has been secretly selling arms to Iran in an effort to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon. The revelation, confirmed by U.S. intelligence sources on November 6, came as a shock to officials outside President Ronald Reagan's inner circle and went against the stated policy of the administration. In addition to violating the U.S. arms embargo against Iran, the arms sales contradicted President Reagan's vow never to negotiate with terrorists.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=7070

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November 2nd in American History

November 2, 1948

Truman defeats Dewey

In the greatest upset in presidential election history, Democratic incumbent Harry S. Truman defeats his Republican challenger, Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York, by just over two million popular votes. In the days preceding the vote, political analysts and polls were so behind Dewey that on election night, long before all the votes were counted, the Chicago Tribune published an early edition with the banner headline "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN."

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=5488


1962 - U.S. President Kennedy announced that the U.S.S.R. was dismantling the missile sites in Cuba.

November 2, 1983

MLK federal holiday declared

President Ronald Reagan signs a bill in the White House Rose Garden designating a federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., to be observed on the third Monday of January.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=5489

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