2010 midterm election predictions

By Rick Morris

Here are my predictions for the midterm elections, starting with my home state and moving on to some of the more competitive races nationally. May I note first: the Republican congressional gains are not necessarily what I am rooting for, my politics notwithstanding. I see the GOP foil for Obama providing him with a second term in office the same way that Newt KingSquish got Bill Clinton re-elected. Barack Obama will play the Orange Goblin and his crew like a fiddle: you heard it here first.

OHIO
Governor: Ted Strickland (in a squeaker, the first in Ohio in more than a generation)
Senator: Rob Portman
Secretary of State: Jon Husted
Attorney General: Richard Cordray
Treasurer: Josh Mandel
Auditor: David Pepper
1st District Congress: Steve Chabot
6th District Congress: Charlie Wilson (the hippies in Athens pull this one out)
13th District Congress: Betty Sutton (false and defamatory ads work, apparently)
15th District Congress: Steve Stivers (because areas other than the Northeast need RINOs, apparently)
16th District Congress: Jim Renacci
18th District Congress: Zack Space (in the classic false "swing district" that is always heavily weighted to the incumbent unless they are truly hated because the district is so grossly gerrymandered that an opponent can never be truly known in all geographical areas)

SENATE
Alaska: Joe Miller (not enough people will correctly spell the name of the sore-loser incumbent)
California: Babs "Ma'am" Boxer
Colorado: Ken Buck
Connecticut: Richard "Blood and Guts" Blumenthal
Illinois: Mark "Squish" Kirk
Pennsylvania: Pat Toomey
Nevada: Harry Reid (no justice in the universe)
Washington: Patty Murray
West Virginia: Joe Manchin
Final Senate Prediction: Democrats 52, Republicans 48 (remember that the GOP needs to get to 51 to take control because of Joe Biden) -- a gain of seven seats for the Republicans (Democrats will hang on in some of the close races due to their superior ground game)

HOUSE
Final House Prediction: Republicans 243, Democrats 192 (counting Bernie Sanders) -- a gain of 65 seats for the Republicans

GOVERNOR RACES
Final Prediction: Republicans 29, Democrats 21 (a gain of 5 seats for the Republicans)