memeorandum: Live Blogging Election Night (Kate Phillips/The Caucus)

1:25 AM ET, November 4, 2009

Top Items:

HOFFMAN CLOSING ON OWENS — Democrat ahead of Conservative by 2,512 votes — Democrat Bill Owens is leading in the 23rd Congressional District race. — The Plattsburgh attorney has 50,884 votes compared to Conservative Doug Hoffman, a Lake Placid CPA, with 47,166 votes.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Below The Beltway, WSYR-TV, Swampland, Riehl World View, Capitol Confidential, A Blog For All, Open Left, The Hill, the albany project, MyDD, Hotline On Call and Gateway Pundit

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

GOP sweeps gov races, Dem wins in N.Y. — Republican gubernatorial candidates racked up major wins for the GOP in Virginia and New Jersey Tuesday night as Democrats scored a single victory in a special congressional election in upstate New York. — Former Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell …

Discussion: CNN, And So it Goes in Shreveport, Los Angeles Times, Left Coast Rebel, The Western Experience, The Nation, The Reaction, Taylor Marsh and JOSHUAPUNDIT

David Weigel / The Washington Independent:

NY-23: Watertown Mayor: 'It's Over' — SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. - I caught Watertown, N.Y., Mayor Jeff Graham, who endorsed NY-23 Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman this weekend, looking very glum at Hoffman's election party. I asked him what happened in Jefferson County, where Watertown is located …

Discussion: Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's …, Ben Smith's Blog, AMERICAblog News, Hotline On Call and Wonkette

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: Nice Deb, The Other McCain, The Washington Independent, Wonkette, Campaign Trail, Hot Air, Left Coast Rebel, TPMDC, Hotline On Call, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mercury Rising and Right Klik

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, Daily Kos, The Political Carnival, MyDD, The Moderate Voice, New York Magazine and Hullabaloo

Tom Bevan / Real Clear Politics:

Election Night Live Blog — Comment and analysis on tonight's elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York: — 12:02 — FOX declares the race for Owens. With 71% in, Maine looks to be overriding the legislature's decision to allow gay marriage in the state, though it's still too close to call.

Discussion: Power Line, The Fix, JammieWearingFool, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Politics Nation, Swampland and TPMDC

Robert Stacy McCain / The Other McCain:

NY23 Election Results HQ; UPDATE: Team Hoffman predicts ‘close’ victory; UPDATE II: Numbers in the war room; UPDATE III: HOFFMAN CONCEDES — 12:35 a.m. WED. 12/4: “This one was worth the fight,” Doug Hoffman said in his concession speech. “This is only one fight in the battle.”

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Ben Smith's Blog, CANNONFIRE, Talking Points Memo, Swampland, TPM LiveWire, Daily Pundit, Conservatives4Palin.com and The Daley Gator

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: CNN, Hot Air, Real Numbers and Other Musings, Daily Kos, The Hill, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Below The Beltway, Taegan Goddard's …, Shot in the Dark and Don Surber

Ian Urbina / New York Times:

In Virginia, McDonnell Ends Democrats' Streak — RICHMOND, Va. — 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: Washington Post, Guardian, The Page and The New Republic

Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:

'09 Exit Polls: Voters Approve of Obama, Wary of Economy — McDonnell Projected to Win VA; New Jersey Polls Close, Begin Count — Vast economic discontent marked the mood of Tuesday's off-year voters, portending potential trouble for incumbents generally and Democrats in particular in 2010.

Discussion: YID With LID, Big Government, Hullabaloo, Pajamas Media and Daily Pundit

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, Hot Air, Newsweek Blogs and National Review Online

WCBS-TV:
Christie Gives GOP Stunning Win In N.J.

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

Washington Wire:
A Flat Tire Leads to Accusations in NY-23 Race

Discussion: Wonkette and Ben Smith's Blog

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

Discussion: The Fix, Hotline On Call, The Politico, msnbc.com and The Political Carnival

The Politico:
Gibbs: Obama ‘not watching returns’

Discussion: protein wisdom, Commentary and Big Government

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Christie Unseats Corzine in New Jersey; Conservative Concedes New York Race

Discussion: The Hill, The Confluence and Truthdig

Michael Patrick Leahy / TCOT REPORT 2009©:
Hoffman Barnstorms NY 23 in Plane

Discussion: Townhall.com

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

Discussion: TBogg, Talking Points Memo and TPMDC

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

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

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Gubernatorial contests serve as warning to Democrats

Discussion: New York Magazine

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
An independent move to GOP

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere

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

Discussion: Firedoglake, Hullabaloo, The Washington Independent and The Mahablog

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

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

CNN:
Analysis: Anger, frustration fuel Election Day 2009

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, Scared Monkeys, Doug Ross, Pajamas Media, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Associated Press, Sweetness & Light, Virginia Politics and Christian Science Monitor

Daniel Stone / Newsweek Blogs:
Why Creigh Deeds Lost Virginia

Discussion: Associated Press, Macsmind and msnbc.com

Karl Vick / Washington Post: In New Jersey, Christie beats incumbent Corzine in governor's race

Glenn Harlan Reynolds / New York Post:

The Obama magic has faded — All politics is local, they say, and Tuesday's off-off-year elections certainly had their local angles. Jon Corzine has been a terrible governor even by the undemanding standards of terribly governed New Jersey. Creigh Deeds, though he looked …

Michelle Breidenbach / Syracuse Post-Standard:
Dede Scozzafava says ‘hate, lies’ wore her down

Discussion: Riehl World View, TPMDC, The Hill, The Other McCain, Connecting.the.Dots, The Jawa Report and KN@PPSTER

Kate Phillips / The Caucus:
Live Blogging Election Night

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Indecision Forever

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: Erick's blog, Public Policy Polling, Right Klik, Eunomia, Right Wing Nut House and Pajamas Media

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:

NBC reverses Bloomberg call — Wow: This is looking to be a very long night for the billionaire-incumbent-front- runner in New York. — With more than a third of the votes in, it's a 1-point race. NBC called it for Bloomberg — but just reversed that call. The New York Times continues to indicate that Bloomberg has won.

New York Times:

Mayor Beats Thompson, but the Margin Is Close — Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg pulled out a narrow re-election victory on Tuesday, as voters angry over his maneuver to undo the city's term limits law and his extravagant campaign spending provided an unexpected lift to his vastly underfinanced challenger, William C. Thompson Jr.

Discussion: Michael Calderone's Blog, Indecision Forever, The Daily Politics, The Confluence, The Page and New York Magazine

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, The Page, Weasel Zippers and MyDD

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

Discussion: Gothamist, Politics Daily, Truthdig, Raw Story and New York Magazine

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, Big Hollywood and Clayton Cramer's BLOG

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: The Huffington Post, Politics Daily, The Politico, Los Angeles Times, ABCNEWS, The Moderate Voice, Indecision Forever, TPM LiveWire, The Daily Dish, AMERICAblog Gay and The Political Carnival

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, George's Bottom Line, The Daily Dish, The Hill and Pundit & Pundette

The Huffington Post: As GOP Holds Up Unemployment Extension, Nearly 200,000 Lose Their Benefits

CNN:

Louisiana justice who refused interracial marriage resigns — (CNN) — A Louisiana justice of the peace who drew criticism for refusing to marry an interracial couple has resigned, the secretary of state's office said Tuesday. — Keith Bardwell resigned in person at the Louisiana secretary …

Discussion: Raw Story, Opinion L.A. and Think Progress

Michelle Malkin:

Corzine pays homage to Big Labor, adds obligatory plug for Obamacare — Losing corruptocrat NJ Gov. Jon Corzine just wrapped up his concession speech. He made a special effort to single out Big Labor several times for their support — and also made an obligatory plug for the Dems' government health care takeover plans in Washington.

Discussion: GayPatriot and New Jersey Online