memeorandum: Exit poll: In Virginia, it's all about the economy (CNN)

11:10 PM ET, November 3, 2009

Top Items:

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

GOP sweeps gov races — Republican gubernatorial candidates racked up major wins for the GOP in Virginia and New Jersey Tuesday night, as former Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell and New Jersey prosecutor Chris Christie claimed the governor's offices in both key states.

Discussion: The Nation, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Taegan Goddard's … and JOSHUAPUNDIT

CBS News:

Exit Polls in Va. and N.J.: The Obama (Non) Factor? — As voters in Virginia and New Jersey headed to the polls today to elect their governors, Americans across the country were watching these off-year races for implications about the nation's mood heading into 2010.

Discussion: Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's …, Left Coast Rebel, Below The Beltway, Daily Kos, The Hill, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Shot in the Dark and Don Surber

Ian Urbina / New York Times:

Breaking a Streak, Virginia Elects a Republican Governor — RICHMOND — Robert F. McDonnell, a Republican and a former state attorney general, won a decisive victory in Virginia's governor's race Tuesday, a stark reversal of fortune for Democrats who have held control in Richmond for the past eight years.

Discussion: The New Republic and The Page

Hotline On Call:

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. — For comparison, the latest Monmouth Univ. poll …

Discussion: Associated Press, Talking Points Memo, Sister Toldjah, Real Numbers and Other Musings, Newsweek Blogs, Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's … and National Review Online

CNN:

Exit poll: In Virginia, it's all about the economy — (CNN) - The economy and jobs are the number on issue on the minds of voters in Virginia, according to data from CNN exit polls Tuesday. — Forty-six percent of Virginian voting Tuesday, as Republican Bob McDonnell and Democrat Creigh Deeds faced off …

Discussion: The Opinionator, Associated Press, The Swamp, Weekly Standard, Scared Monkeys, The Daily Dish and The Page

WCBS-TV:

Christie Gives GOP Stunning Win In N.J. — NEW YORK (CBS) ― In the end, all the stumping in the world from the President of the United States wasn't going to stop regime change in New Jersey's highest office. — Republican Chris Christie ended Democrat Jon Corzine's four-year run …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Classical Values, The Corner on National …, NO QUARTER and Confederate Yankee

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

An independent move to GOP — Independent voters are moving strongly to Republican candidates in the New Jersey and Virginia governors races, an ominous sign for Democrats whose gains in 2006 and 2008 were built on heavy support from unaligned voters. — Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie …

Discussion: AMERICAblog News

The Politico:

Gibbs: Obama ‘not watching returns’ — Hours after urging reporters not to draw sweeping conclusions from Tuesday's gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told POLITICO President Barack Obama wasn't even keeping an eye on the results.

Discussion: Washington Post, protein wisdom, Commentary and Big Government

CNN:
Exit polls: In New Jersey, Obama not a major factor

Discussion: msnbc.com and The Political Carnival

Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
'09 Exit Polls: Voters Approve of Obama, Wary of Economy

Discussion: Big Government, Pajamas Media and Daily Pundit

Tom Bevan / Real Clear Politics:
Election Night Live Blog

Discussion: Power Line, The Fix, The Atlantic Politics Channel, JammieWearingFool, Daily Kos, Politics Nation, Swampland and Hot Air

CNN:
Exit polls: Independents may play crucial role

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Real Numbers and Other Musings, Taylor Marsh and TPMDC

Mark Mueller / New Jersey Online:
Chris Christie wins N.J. governor race, defeats Jon Corzine

Discussion: The Star-Ledger Editorial Page and Gothamist

Alan Silverleib / CNN:
CNN projects GOP to sweep governors' races

Discussion: The New Republic, The Reaction, Indecision Forever and A Blog For All

Bob Lewis / Associated Press:
Light turnout in Va. for closely watched gov. race

Discussion: Firedoglake

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Exit Polls: Obama as (non) factor?

Discussion: CNN

Mary Katharine Ham / Weekly Standard:
Tracking Turn-Out in New Jersey and Seeing Some Promise

Discussion: National Review Online, New Jersey Online, msnbc.com, New York Times and Hot Air

Hotline On Call:
Exit Polls: It's Still The Economy

Discussion: msnbc.com, Ben Smith's Blog, National Review and TPMDC

Elizabeth Benjamin / The Daily Politics:

Police Called To NY-23 Polling Sites (Updated) — It's getting ugly out there. — I just got off the phone with former state Democratic Chairwoman June O'Neill, who informed me the police had been called to at least two polling sites in St. Lawrence County due to overzealous electioneering …

Discussion: The Washington Independent, Hot Air, Campaign Trail, Firedoglake, Wonkette, TPMDC, Hotline On Call, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Mercury Rising

David Weigel / The Washington Independent:

NY-23: [UPDATE] Hoffman Accuses Democrats of ‘Stealing the Election’ — PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — At a short press availability in his campaign office here, NY-23 Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman said that a GOTV volunteer's tires had been slashed, and all but blamed Democrats for the dirty trick.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Moderate Voice, MyDD, New York Magazine, The Political Carnival and Hullabaloo

Robert Stacy McCain / The Other McCain:

NY23 Election Results HQ; UPDATE: Team Hoffman predicts ‘close’ victory; UPDATE II: Numbers in the war room — 10:51 p.m.: Clinton County is more than 75% counted, and the numbers there project well for Hoffman. A campaign source just said, “We're doing good in Oneida and St. Lawrence …

Discussion: Townhall.com, Daily Pundit, Daily Kos, The Washington Independent, Another Black Conservative and The Daley Gator

Washington Wire:

A Flat Tire Leads to Accusations in NY-23 Race — Anton Troianovski reports on the election in New York's 23rd congressional district. — Until votes are counted tonight, this might be as exciting as it gets in Plattsburgh, N.Y. — Doug Hoffman, the soft-spoken Conservative Party candidate …

Discussion: Wonkette

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
Police called in to NY-23 polling stations because of voter …

Discussion: The Washington Independent, Firedoglake and Hullabaloo

Nice Deb:
As Was Feared: Absentee Voter Fraud is Realized In NJ Governor's Race

Discussion: Election Journal, The Other McCain, Gateway Pundit, Campaign Trail and Crooks and Liars

Watertown Daily Times:
Glitches may delay vote reporting in four St. Lawrence Co. towns

Discussion: The Hill, The Daily Politics, Swing State Project, TPMDC and Hotline On Call

Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:
Hoffman Poll Watcher Has Tires Slashed [updated]

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, TBogg and TPMDC

Michelle Breidenbach / Syracuse Post-Standard:

Dede Scozzafava says ‘hate, lies’ wore her down — When Dede Scozzafava votes today, she will see her name on the Republican line for the 23rd Congressional District. — She plans to pull the lever for her Democratic opponent, then take the rest of the day off to do laundry and take care …

Discussion: TPMDC, Riehl World View, The Caucus, The Other McCain, The Jawa Report and KN@PPSTER

The Politico:
Uncivil War: Conservatives to challenge a dozen GOP candidates

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, Los Angeles Times, NY Daily News, Firedoglake, DownWithTyranny!, The Caucus, Think Progress, Carol's Closet, Left Coast Rebel, Hot Air, Below The Beltway, Riehl World View and Salon

Jude Seymour / Watertown Daily Times:
Hoffman's supporters stage big rally

Discussion: Scorecard's Blog

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
A divided party: Progressives threaten Democratic lawmakers

Discussion: Power Line, Hot Air and race42008.com

Chris Good / The Atlantic Politics Channel:
NY-23: Who Spent What? — New York's 23rd district …

Discussion: Newsweek Blogs

Jon Walker / Firedoglake:
NY-23: The Failure Of Blue Dogging

Discussion: Public Policy Polling, The Hill, Eunomia, Right Wing Nut House and Pajamas Media

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

Turnout high in Maine — Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap told me just now that turnout there is far exceeding his projections — news that would be good news for backers of same-sex marriage. — “We're seeing heavy and very steady turnout,” he said, attributing the surprise to the contested vote on a …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Los Angeles Times, The Politico, Politics Daily, Indecision Forever, TPM LiveWire, The Daily Dish and AMERICAblog Gay

The Huffington Post:
Andy Hertzberg's Marriage Proposal Interrupts D.C.'s Same-Sex …

Discussion: Think Progress and The Moderate Voice

Clemente Lisi / New York Post:

Former presidents to face off in debate — Bubba and Dubya are going to engage in a presidential debate for the ages. — Former President Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will square off on the same stage at Radio City Music Hall in February as part of a series pitting liberal and conservative thinkers.

Discussion: TPM LiveWire, Weasel Zippers, The Page and MyDD

David Saltonstall / NY Daily News:
Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to debate at Radio City

Discussion: Politics Daily, Gothamist, Raw Story and Truthdig

Glenn Garvin / Chicago Tribune:

‘V’ aims at Obamamania — Imagine this. At a time of political turmoil, a charismatic, telegenic new leader arrives virtually out of nowhere. He offers a message of hope and reconciliation based on compromise and promises to marshal technology for a better future that will include universal health care.

Discussion: Gawker, Taylor Marsh, NewsBusters.org, Clayton Cramer's BLOG and Big Hollywood

Jonathan Karl / ABCNEWS:

Top Dems: Obama Won't Get Health Care Bill in 2009 — Senior Congressional Democrats Now Say Reform Before End of Year is Highly Unlikely — Senior Congressional Democrats told ABC News today it is highly unlikely that a health care reform bill will be completed this year …

Discussion: The Foundry, The Daily Dish, AmSpecBlog and Pundit & Pundette

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Reid reassures left Lieberman on board

Discussion: George's Bottom Line, Taylor Marsh, Bloomberg, The Politico, YID With LID, OpenSecrets.org, Chicago Tribune, Washington Monthly, TPMDC, The Plum Line, The Political Carnival, The Page, Politics Daily, The Note, The Mahablog and MyDD

Stage Right / Big Hollywood:

‘Sesame Street’ Trashes Fox News — Add one more soldier to the Left's war on Fox News: Oscar the Grouch. — Last week, in a re-broadcast of an episode that originally aired two years ago, Oscar starts his own news network, GNN (Grouchy News Network). An irate viewer calls in to berate him that the news is not grouchy enough:

Discussion: alicublog and Gateway Pundit

Election Journal:

VIDEO** Terrified Voter says NJ Dems Using Gangbangers for GOTV — How would you like to be a New Jersey police officer and look out your window and see several known criminals, including a man you arrested several weeks ago and another who had just been released from prison for shooting a cop?