112th Congress set to be gridlocked?

"There is no blunter way for voters to send a message. For the third election in a row, Americans kicked a political party out of power. . .

Incumbency is no longer the protection it once was, particularly in districts where the balance between the two parties is close. Among the hardest-hit in Tuesday's election were first- and second-term House Democrats whose elections two and four years ago were heralded as the beginning of a new era for the party. "

Read more here:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A21V520101103?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a49:g43:r5:c0.034091:b38966776:z0

And here about what may have been another "Change Election."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/02/AR2010110207118.html?nav=hcmoduletmv

Also Democrat, Republican or Independent, who is to blame or credit for the shift in the balance of power?

This from the Washington Post blog:

It happened. For the third election in a row, Americans kicked a political party out of power. Now that the 2010 midterms are over and Democrats have lost control of the House of Representatives and a handful of Senate seats, we have to ask:
Tweet

How did this campaign season influence the way you voted in the election? And who should the Democrats blame for their losses? Answer in the comments, by using the poll below or by tweeting us your answer using #electionrecap.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/11/user-poll-who-should-democrats.html

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/11/user-poll-who-should-democrats.html

Congressional Timeline: How does the 111th or how will the 112th stack up?

The Dirksen Congressional Center has put together a Congressional Timeline that tracks historic legislation from the 73rd Congress (1933-35) to the now lame-duck 111th.

How will the new 112th stack up? With possible divided government will there be more gridlock, or needed compromise?

The timeline features session dates, partisan composition, the presidential administration, a list of congressional leaders, and notable legislation passed.

This first version only addresses legislative output, not non-legislative events such as the impeachment of President Clinton or internal congressional processes or congressional politics. We plan to leave room for expansion to include such elements as a timeline of notable, non-congressional events and selections from our historical collections.

Check it out at: http://www.congressionaltimeline.org/

Midterm Projections

The October issue of PS Political Science & Politics included forecasts for the midterm election. The projections were used to create this graph. Blog your projections here before the polls close Tuesday at 7 pm. Maybe a prize for the closest pick to where the seats of power fall in the House and Senate. (Example: GOP +40 to gain control of House; Senate 51 D, 47 R, 2 I). Republicans need to gain 9 Senate seats to gain the majority.

Also, look at the bottom chart to follow the money of the record-setting mid-term campaign finance year here.

Machine Politics

This timeline shows the history of modern voting technology from the first use of uniform paper
ballots in 1856 through the Direct Recording Electronic Voting Machines in use today.

Starting with the 1856 Australian Secret Ballot, which was the first state to use uniform official ballot that listed all candidates and issues in a fixed order, to the 2009 sale Diebold, Inc. voting machines to Election Systems and Software Inc., which now will control over three-quarters of the voting machine market.

After the Presidential Election in "Nov. 2000... many Americans first recognized that their electoral system had serious problems with flawed voter registration lists, obsolete voting machines, poorly designed ballots, and inadequate procedures for interpreting disputed votes." Half of the listings in the timeline have come following the Florida 2000 debacle.

Is there a technological way we can do it better? Despite the advances, voter turnout in the U.S. still stays in the mid-50-percent rage for Presidential elections. Any ideas. Also post your pick for voter turnout in Illinois for the Nov. mid-terms.

votingmachines.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000273

How to Read a Poll

In its traditional media role of scorekeeper, we will see more and more polls reported between now and midterm election day in Nov. These days, it seems there's a poll for everything. In this episode of Congress.org's D.C. Decoder, host Craig Crawford shows you how to tell if a poll's results are legitimate.

www.rollcall.com/cqpolitics/dc_decoder/48423-1.html

One Man, One Vote?

Did the Supremes decision in the Citizens United case, unsettle the democratic principle of 'One man, One vote?' Or, should corporations have a voice like everyone else?

Really? Haven't you heard money talks.....very loudly. In the 2006 midterms, $16 million dropped in election spending. So far for the 2010 cycle, $80 million.

Click on the link for more:

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#39510761

Here's the Washington Post article talked about in the video.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/03/AR2010100303664.html

Why America Hates the Press (or does it?)

Why, exactly, has the media establishment become so unpopular with so many people? Here are just a few examples of what provokes American anger. They suggest that the public has good reason to think that the news media are not doing their job.

Browse the pieces of the PBS Frontline Website on an episode they did on, "Why America Hates the Press." Make sure you read the Fallows article (linked) for discussion and a possible quiz.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/press/