ON THE OTHER HAND – AT 9:32 A.M. ET:  In contrast to the more somber political news coming out of California, as reported in the post just below, the picture in the Midwest looks entirely different.  From The Politico:

Two years after President Barack Obama swept the Midwest, Democratic fortunes in the region are sagging, with the GOP poised to make big gains by scooping up disaffected independent voters in a wide swath of states hit by job losses, budget woes and political scandal.

From Ohio to Iowa, there’s a yawning stretch of heartland states whose citizens voted for Obama and congressional Democrats in 2008, but who have lost patience waiting for an as-yet undelivered economic revival that was first promised in 2006, and then two years later. Now, they look set to stampede toward the out-of-power party.

“There's little doubt that the Midwest is the Democrats' toughest region this year,” Democratic pollster Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling wrote on the firm’s website Friday, adding that the firm is also finding an enthusiasm gap of about 10 points down from what existed in 2008.

“If the election was today the party would almost certainly lose the Governorships it holds in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. It's also more than likely at this point to lose the Senate seats it has in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Indiana, miss out on a once promising pick up opportunity in Ohio, and quite possibly lose their seat in Illinois as well. And there are too many House seats the party could lose in the region to count,” Jensen noted.

COMMENT:  The Midwest has often been the heartbreaker for one party or the other.  This year it's the Dems' turn to go away weepin' and wailin'.  When you don't deliver what you promise, this is what happens.

For me, the most important Senate races are in Pennsylvania and Illinois.  I don't want Democrat Joe Sestak elected to the Senate from Pennsylvania.  He's a zero, despite his Navy background.  Pat Toomey, the GOP candidate, has substance and is an articulate carrier of the GOP message.  I want to see our side take Obama's Senate seat in Illinois.  Mark Kirk has proved a lesser candidate than we'd hoped – his exaggerations of his service record are not helpful – but he stands skyscrapers above his corrupt opponent, and will be a solid senator.

Some of the Dems possibly heading for defeat are decent people, like Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.  But they're carrying the wrong message this year.

September 26, 2010