This may be a very painful night.

[BurtWorm]

It might be a good idea fo brace youdself for the worst, even while hoping for the best. There is an election night tendency to sometimes let our hopes lead only to find them turning around and stabbing us right in the heart. This, unfortunately, is the condition of being a Democrat. Best to take care of your heart.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I learned my lesson after Kerry in '04. Never again!

[enough]

6. Right. That's where I learned the power of wishful thinking to distort one's picture

of what's going on.

[laundry_queen]

20. That was awful

I was devastated, because I was SO sure about that one. In '08 I still was guarded, even after they called it, lol, because of my '04 experience. I'm rigidly braced for impact tonight.

[GreenPartyVoter]

It just blew me away. How was it even possible??

[NAO]

22. Kerry '04 devastated me, shocked me, and left me permanently cynical about outcomes

In fact, Kerry's loss in '04 reminds me that it is possible for horrific, inept, corrupt incumbents to hold office despite massive, unprecedented popular resistance movements.

So there is at least a possibility that the whole "Tea Party '10" will turn out like the "anti-Bush hysteria of '04".

We'll know in a few hours...

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. Yeah. Totally shocked. I was completely numb for hours after they called it.

[BurtWorm]

26. That's what I had in mind.

And the even worse election of 2002. Ouch!

[GreenPartyVoter]

32. Yeah,. We've been burned before. I'm too cynical now to get my hopes up.

[Bumblebee]

2. Wasn't so bad in 2008 -- and may not be so bad again in 2012.

If we keep the senate, and with Obama still the pres, hell, it's SO much better than 2000-08!

[liberalmuse]

3. I expect the worst...

and with the media calling the elections when only a small minority of the vote is in, we're essentially fucked. Why vote? Only 7% of the population need bother if that's where they're calling it at these days. Jesus. I need to start on this beer quick.

[HughMoran]

4. Painful is expected

I have low expectations.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. No matter what happens, we'll survive.

We'll just have to fight harder next time. After all, we got through the Bush years -- we just need motivation. If things don't go well tonight we will have plenty of it.

[WilliamPitt]

7. Here's the deal

The Dems won a whole slew of seats in 2006 and 2008 that, based on history, they had no business winning. The GOP and Bush White House were so outrageously disastrous that the Dems picked up a ton of seats in places where Dem support is scant. Fact: there were 44 House districts in 2008 that elected a Democrat to the House while *simultaneously* going for McCain.

This GOP wave has a lot to do with the economy, but it's also a big fat snap-back, the GOP taking back seats they wouldn't have lost in the first place had Bush and the GOP congress not been such total disasters.

So, yeah. Bad night, but not unexpected.

[mdmc]

13. 1

[Marie Marie]

16. Let's not forget the role of Republican Gerrymandering.

They had 8 years to set up secure Republican districts which are now going back to voting Republican.

[Obamanaut]

17. According to this guarantee, it is unexpected.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8953654

[WilliamPitt]

27. Youthful exuberance.

:P

[Obamanaut]

33. According to the message block in that post, the result may be

uncomfortable.

[OregonBi]

37. Drunkin stupor...

nt

[OregonBi]

36. + 100!!

Ha Ha Ha!

Hey pitt...ya walking bow-legged this morning?
ANALize your writings here and try to understand why Democratic Underground is better than you will ever be.
So sad...you give President Obama a bad name...

[BurtWorm]

28. I know this is not about what geniuses the Repubs and baggers are.

It's why this is probably not going to be quite so painful for me. I was just noticing some irrational exuberance, and I've been there and done that and I know it really, really sucks to have that punctured by reality.

[tigereye]

31. and, it's likely if the economy doesn't improve- those Reps that get in

tonight - will be booted right back out again in 2012.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Nah, this is looking better than reasonably expected

Anyone who believed the pugs would pick up less than 45-50 in the House was not being serious.

In the realm of actual serious expectations things are looking relatively favorable. If we only lose 7-8 in the Senate that's good.

I am slightly relieved, but with fingers crossed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. And I think we will loose less than the 45

we might even keep the house by the narrowest of margins.

It is the high turn out... higher than 2006.

[tigereye]

34. is the turn-out really higher? Wonder how much of that is accounted for

by angry Reps as opposed to GOTV efforts by Dems/ and Obama's 2008 GOTV operation.

[BurtWorm]

30. May yopu be right.

I'm just warding against the evil R.

[K8-EEE]

38. I agree!! nt

[Barack_America]

8. Well, there's always the satisfaction of watching some Blue Dogs die a slow and painful death. nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. It's been a painful 20 years.

The only reason I won't drink is because booze makes me wake up in the middle of the night.
( I could be doing it wrong, tho).
but, projections are not joyful.

[northernlights]

19. I may have stumbled onto the right way to do it

it would wake me up in the middle of the night too. also day after headache.

And then a couple months ago something happened -- I forget what, now, although I wrote about it somewhere around here -- that left me desperate. I forgot headaches. I forgot insomnia. I ransacked my empty cabinet and mixed my medicinal tincture quality, 100 or so proof vodka with some orange juice and downed that.

WOWSERS! Instant relief. Slept like a lump right through the night. NO HANGOVER.

A coworker from Estonia explained to me later that "veeth good Wotka, no headache. no hangover. dat ees GOOT Wotka"


I have since discovered not to do it too often. a few days running or within a week, and I start to get very irritable and snappish. but for emergencies...good to go. :D

[dixiegrrrrl]

23. Hmmm...orange juice- check. Tanqueray-check. Blender-check.

Bottle of Tanqueray has been sitting in the cupboard for almost 3 years.
( Pause here, to let the REAL drinkers shake their head in wonder).

Wonder if it will do as well as vodka?

[otohara]

10. Thanks For Sharing

I'm going to go cut myself now.

[NYC Liberal]

12. After 2000 and 2004, losing one house (and maybe not even)

with a Dem president is nowhere near as painful.

But I hear you, brace for the worst and it can only get better! Or at least go exactly as you expected.

[Taverner]

14. It could go either way - I am not watching it

I know it will just rip me up from the inside out, even if we win

I can't take that kind of 'excitement' any more

[Tesha]

15. It's been a fairly-painful two years; whatever happens tonight, it's just the Party...

...getting its just reward for doing damned little about the many
real problems facing us (and not even complaining very much/
very well about being blocked from doing anything).

Many of us have been grieving since Obama hired his inauguration
entertainers and first announced his cabinet and White House Chief-
of-Staff and we've repeatedly we told anyone who would listen that
this wasn't going to end well for the Party.

Tesha

[stray cat]

18. Unlike 2000-2008 -those were certainly good years- it looks like we may get those leaders back!

[Tesha]

24. Did I say anything like that? Merely that our votes in 2008 still lead to pain. (NT)

[tigereye]

35. yeah, odd that everyone seems to have forgotten how corrupt the previous

Rep dominated congress was... :eyes:

[EmeraldCityGrl]

21. I'm hanging on to Jimmy Carters comments on Bill Maher

last week. He felt Obama has a target now and could use this to his advantage. Carter is a wise man of few words.
For once and for all we'll find out if Obama is playing chess or checkers.

http://www.hbo.com/real-time-with-bill-maher/episodes/0/195-episode/synopsis/quotes.html#/real-time-with-bill-maher/episodes/0/195-episode/video/interview-jimmy-carter.html/eNrjcmbOYM7XLMtMSc13zEvMqSzJTHbOzytJrShhLlTPz0mBCQYkpqf6JeamcjIysjGySSeWluQX5CRW2pYUlaayMQIAVKYXOA==

[K8-EEE]

39. +1 I HOPE EVERYONE HAS SEEN THAT...

Yes everybody should watch this!

[classof56]

25. One of my favorite sayings:

Blessed are those who expect little. They are seldom disappointed.

Peace and blessings!