>We still have the final weekend push to get through but I think we're close enough to start the fun. ;)
>
>Right now my official prediction is :
>Pop : Romney-51% Obama 48%
>EC : Romney-296 Obama-242.
>
>I see Romney's peak EC potential at 362, but this would require an exceptional election day turnout which, while not out of the realm of possibility, is tough to predict.
>
>As for the Congress I'm much more in the mainstream. I predict the House remains Republican and the Senate remains Democrat. The top of the ticket will determine the number of Senate seats that change. If Obama wins or Romney wins by a closer margin than I currently see, the Reps will either stay the same or pick up 1-2 seats. Of course if the top of the ticket goes Romney in a rout then the Senate will change hands.

Yeah, yeah, yeah ;-)

The local elections are irritating my life much more than the big one. If anyone doubts the seismic impact of Citizens United, just be near my phone between 6 and 7 p.m. or turn on the TV just about any time of day. Both parties have so much money they can hardly figure out how to spend it. The money has slimed its way down to local races in an effort to preserve the GOP edge in the House of Representatives, and even further to Illinois House races. 80% of it is sponsored by conservative PACs, according to a Tribune study.

The next time you see a political ad, check the required boilerplate at the end. It almost makes you nostalgic for "I'm Joe Blow and I approved this ad." It is much more likely to say it has no formal affiliation with any political campaign.