When people find out what is really in the health care bill and in cap & tax they are going to abandon the Democrats faster than they did after Clinton's gun ban.

Since the Evangelical Party, not the Republican Party, posted big gains last night I don't see the Republicans doing any better next year either.

I am actually hoping that this shift spawns a legitimate third party, one that represents fiscally conservative, socially liberal Americans.

I do not think necessarily that the Republican Party will make big gains in 2010, but that anyone currently in office should be scared of losing their jobs. Just look at the three closely watched elections from yesterday and compare which party was in office and which one is now in office. NY district 23 went from Republican to Democrat and VA and NJ Governors went from Democrat to Republican. It is now starting. Americans are ticked off at their representatives and starting to vote them all out of office and replace them with the opposite party. Both Democrats and Republicans in office should be scared of 2010. Exit polls in VA showed that about 25% of people interviewed stated that their vote was against Obama's policies, but what about the other 75%?

Yes. Big enough to maintain status quo and keep our country firmly in the 19th century.

Yes we will.

Gay marriage has now lost in all 31 states in which it has been put to a popular vote. The only states where Gay marriage is legal are the states where the politicians shoved it down our throats.

NO MORE!!!!

The Republican, aka Evangelical Party is popular among haters and bigots.
And they are hopefully going away.

It's time for a legitimate third party that truly represents the majority of the people.

My unofficial survey shows it is not the party at issue here. The hopey-changey thing (change for the sake of change due to dissatisfaction with status quo) was put forth in Nov 2008. The public, as described by The Politico and The Washington Post, are no longer in the mood for "Trust me with your vote now, and I will form a plan once in office" or "The other candidate is very bad, yet I don't have anything to offer but my rhetoric" - these jerks hopefully won't get past the primaries next year.
I am glad the electorate is finally putting the incumbents on notice. We don't need one party to dominate the other; I would rather see a competent leader from my opposing party than a smug moron from my own party in office. My evidence is the dramtic shifts of swing voters in the recent elections.

Hope has turned to fear for so many Americans. Hope sounded so good before, but the reality has finally set in for taxpayers that they fear the fiscally irresponsible combination of a socialist president and a liberal congress. That fear will push the incumbents out before more damage can be done. A new hope will win out after all.

I think that there will be gains by the Republican Party but not huge gains. The Republican Party is having an identity crises right now. We saw the outcome of that in the NY election where a democrat hasn't held that seat since the 1800's. Based on credited polls the Republican Party popularity is at an all time low. More Republicans are becoming independents and independents tend to listen to the message. Whoever has the more clear message will have a successful 2010 election.

America needs first aid! First step is to Stop the Bleeding! Get those fiscally irresponsible democrats out of office.

Opposition parties almost always make midterm gains. I doubt the gains in 2010 will be enough to wrest control back in either house, though. A lot can happen in a year...

Not sure if the Republican Party will make big gains next year or not. They will for sure if Congress shoves the "Consumer" (public or government) Option down our throats as well as “Cap and Trade” and do not listen to those they represent. I also, would like to see a third party, but I doubt it will happen after seeing Hoffman (the third party candidate in NY) that forced out the “Moderate” Republican only to have her endorse the Democrat who squeaked out a win last night.

@ NO MORE
But it's OK to shove your hate and intolerance down everybody's throat??!!

democrats may have worn out their welcome in record time.

independents voted republicans out. Now democrats, through crazy spending and government takeover of the economy, have reminded independents why they don't vote d either.

I'm not sure the swing is back to republican, but is there anywhere else to go? Third parties anyone?

Hopefully, NO!

I think a lot of what took place yesterday was a function of very ignorant people looking for Mc-Politics. It's a little more involved than serving up burgers with fries and a Coke.

They gave Obama 10 months in office to undo eight years of mismanagement. TO make things more difficult, Obama has to work within a party that operates like a herd of cats led by idiots like Pelosi, Reid, Waters, Hoyer ... It's tough to make a silk purse out of a sows ear, tougher still to do it in only 10 months.

Big gains? Doubtful. Though modest gains are likely if the GOP can avoid the pitfall of a Tea Bag power grab.

@ Mildly Misanthropic

Let me know when you've identified that fiscally conservative, socially progressive third party. I'll donate to their cause...generously!

Who the heck knows. Virginia and New Jersey went Democrat in 2001 with Bush in office. We should be looking at Hannity and Beck supporting Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman in the 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district.Well he lost. This is what happens when the holier'er than thou a.k.a, the Tea Party, tell the holier than thou what to do. So much for the big tent.

@ MM - your comments have much in common with others desiring a third party, hoping to mitigate perceived problems not answered by the incumbent party, with few better options offered by the out party.

I can't see how a third party could emerge and be strong enough to replace one of the two existing parties under our present system under our Constitution. However, I see small shifts in both parties;
- Obama has taken the Dems farther left (not saying that is bad, it is my observation).
- The independent and swing voters moved left in Nov 2008.
- The Reps are split between the strict pro-life, 2d Amendment folks and the rest of their party (again, not saying that is a bad thing).

Therefore, I could see a “new” third party emerge from either of our two major parties:
- The Blue Dogs could be the basis on the Dem side.
- The Log Cabin Republicans and other similar conservative groups could coalesce on the Rep side.

The shifts in political power will depend on the strength of the party whips, the party leader (so, the Dems will follow Obama’s lead for the foreseeable future), and the shifts in attitudes of the local districts where key party figures are elected (see The Washington Post story today about some districts sending signals to their incumbents).

You may just get your wish. I just see it happening as it historically has in America, at a much faster rate. Hopefully, it will only make our great nation stronger.

No way. The Republican party is such a joke. We can't base the Republican's success in VA and NJ on future gains. (The outcome in upper-state New York, shows you next year, the Republicans should be really scared). This was an off-year, sadly there wasn't a large turn out at the booths, especially from the younger generation and the minority population, so the Republicans had it in the bag. And everyone knew the Dems in these states were going to lose-heck even Obama did, that's why he watched the Bulls game. But this does show that the Dems must do as Obama did, and canvass and re-excite the youth and minorities.

MildlyMisanthropic,
How long do you think we should give Obama to clean up this mess? 12 years?

I suspect they will. Nothing is worse for the Democratic party than being in power and having to translate their ideas into practice.

No the Republican Party will not make big gains next year. The Republican party is still a archaic joke. Don't let the outcome of NJ and VA fool you. Besides the Dems had a bigger success with the election of Bill Owens and the narrow win of Bloomberg.-Everyone thought Bloomberg would win by a landslide. This shows people are still tired of the Republican party.

Probably. It all depends on two factors:
1) Will the Republicans learn from what they did right this time and run on the issues voters care about, instead of nattering on endlessly about "morality" and whether we should let fundamentalist preachers decide how we run our lives, and
2) Will the Democrats learn from their mistakes and tell Princess Pelosi and Rahm Emmanuel to cut down on their arrogance and start addressing issues that matter to voters more than to big soft-money donors. As one of the prior contributors noted, politics in this country is a pendulum that is constantly swinging from right to left and back, and the most the parties can hope to control is the extent to which it swings -- which depends on whether or not they learn from their mistakes.

My God I hope we wouldn't be that stupid! That's like burning the house down and going to the store to buy more matches!

greg,
Please show me where Hannity and Beck specifically supported Hoffman because I watch them nightly and I must have somehow missed that special episode. Beck has said do not vote for the incumbent and that is what happened in all threee races last night. The incumbent party lost.
Dawn,
Why doesn't Obama work on his plan for Afghanistan instead of watching the Bulls game and allowing our troops to be slaughtered? Last month was the highest number of deaths in Afghanistan since the "war" started and that is all Obama. Maybe he should roll up his sleves and get to work instead of allowing our troops to die due to lack of support while he watches the bulls.
Dana,
Bloomberg spent $84 million of his own money on his campaign because no one donated to his campaign and he probably paid ACORN to get the vote out so he could win.

Don't know if we will, but last night's results and the growing realization among independents that they were sold a bill of goods a year ago has made me positive that YES WE CAN!

No way..just think how many jobs Obama and his "stimulus" will have saved by then!

Depends whether our nation is led over the next year by President Obama or Candidate Obama. People are clearly not buying what President Obama's selling, but I expect to see a re--emergence of Candidate Obama accompanied by a long line of Eskimos bidding on his vast supply of snow.

Now I've got HOPE!!!!

@ Anonymous , Posted November 4, 2009 10:12 AM

How about four years rather than 10 months.

Legislation doesn't happen in a vacuum or a microwave.

In all likelihood, the answer will depend on what's happening with the economy eleven months from now. And if anyone knows that, they probably have a job that does not allow them to spend time on the Express' Poll Center.

@ Anonymous , 12:30 PM:
Legislation also doesn't happen while drinking a beer and watching an NBA game to feign apathy toward results of elections for which one actively campaigned.

@ Anonymous 12:09 PM

Here's the link to Beck's fawning interview --and thinly veiled endorsement-- of Doug Hoffman. Warning: This video is excruciatingly, insufferably, mind-numbingly dull! View at your own risk!!!

http://www.thefoxnation.com/glenn-beck/2009/10/26/beck-interviews-surging-tea-party-candidate-doug-hoffman

Anonymous @ 12:30 PM,
No, but it happens behind closed doors. Where is the transparency that we were promised? The only reason Pelosi decided to post the bill for 72 hours this time is because you would have to read a page a minute non-stop for those 72 hours without rest in order to read it all and then it still probably would not be clear. If health care reform does not go into effect until 2013, then why the rush to have it this year? Why do the tax increases start right away, but the plan does not go into effect for 4 more years? If it costs us $1.2 Trillion for 6 years of coverage, what will happen to the cost after 2019?

For those dissatisfied with the results from last night, as well as from Nov 2008, try http://www.israpundit.com/2008/?p=17400

@Wonk
You hit the nail right on the head, brother (or sister - whichever)!!

@ Fridge:
Amen! It further doesn't happen while flying your wife to NY at taxpayer expense, while appearing on multiple late-night comedy shows (and using this forum to mock the disabled), or while wearing mom-jeans and failing to reach the plate with ceremonial first pitches. All hail the Celebrity-In-Chief!

Diogenes,
That was nice and all, but all I saw was an interview. Call it what you will. I am still waiting to see Hannity endorse Hoffman. I guess you could then say that NBC had a "fawning interview --and thinly veiled endorsement" of Limbaugh since the Today Show interviewed him. Oh, paleeeeese.

There are a lot of examples in the short history of the US where the Presidency goes from one party to the next. Congress has the same history. It doesn't matter whether you rant and rave, that is our history.

greg,
Please show me where Hannity and Beck specifically supported Hoffman
By Anonymous , Posted November 4, 2009 12:09 PM
*******************
I see someone already gave you the link. I guess you were asleep when it showed on FOX Nation. And still whining about ACORN. Ever since right-wing conservatives got wind of ACORN's record-setting voter registration drive, their attempts to discredit the work and create an atmosphere of chaos and intimidation have multiplied daily against the organization. Rather than compete for the votes of these new voters, they have resorted to lies and smears to distract voters from the serious issues facing the United States.

Newt warned you about nuts like Palin and Jobba the Hutt Limbaugh. Republicans should be worried about their own divisions. All the energy in the party is in the extreme right, While national Republican leaders endorsed Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman, the district went Democratic for the first time in 150 years. It also should be noted that the Republicans lost Virginia and NJ to the democrats in 2001 but Bush went on to win re-election. So don't wave the checkered flag yet folks.

And of course the exit poll shows this had nothing to do with Obama JUST THE CANDIDATES. Also these are moderate republicans who got independent support.
But the biggest loser is the KKK TEA PARTY!

Here more Anonymous
Beck is gonna ruin your party.

Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity really want Doug Hoffman to win that special congressional election in Upstate New York’s 23rd district. It’s not just because he’s a 3rd party “Conservative” candidate in a race that saw the shunned, moderate Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava drop out and endorse the Democrat, Bill Owens.

It’s because this race is a referendum on town halls, on tea partying, on the 9/12 Project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgJ8hFVFbJg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mevAD95kLs&feature=player_embedded

@ BURN:
Would it have been a better use of the president's time (and our tax dollars) to do late-night comedy shows if he had not made fun of the disabled while doing so? Or if he had thrown a 90 mph, knee-high slider while wearing a pair of form-flattering Diesel jeans?

@ Anonymous 12:09 PM

Not to belabor the point but...oh, forget it, too late. Anyway, I was referring to the video's opening line, in which Beck states, "And eight days from now, voters in the 23rd Congressional District in New York have a choice: they can vote for principles or they can vote for party." Note this interview was taped four days prior to Dede Scozzafava's dropping out of the race. Now, I don't know about you, but to me it sounds like an awful lot like Beck was suggesting voters choose Hoffman.

As for Hannity, I honestly couldn't care less what he thinks nor whom he supports, but here's the link to his interview with Hoffman. You can spare yourself the insufferably torpid lead-in and skip directly to minute 8:29 of the video. It's here where Hannity states, "I think this [23rd District Congressional election] is a referendum on a lot of what's been going on in the country, which is moving radically to the left. And I think this election is going to be watched. I hope I'm on the air this time tomorrow night, and I hope I'll be able to declare you the winner." Not exactly fair and balanced.

http://commonsense2020.com/2009/11/02/video-hannity-inspirational-interview-with-doug-hoffman/