Election Day Viewing Guide

Now that Election Day has arrived, here are some suggestions for how to optimize your viewing experience.

1. Timing. The earliest poll closings will be in early evening on the east coast. You can safely wait until 4 p.m. EDT to turn on your device. So go outside and breathe the fresh air.

2. President. There are only a handful of states where the outcome of the presidential election is in doubt. Watch Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia in particular.

3. Outcome. The polls don't always get it right, but this time, Biden should win by a substantial margin (two to one) in the Electoral College. The major networks and the AP will be cautious but we should know by very late tonight or tomorrow morning.

4. Senate. It currently is 53-47 Republicans over Democrats. Odds are it will flip to Democratic control. We may not know tonight.

5. House. It will remain solidly in Democratic control.

6. Popular Vote. Biden will win the popular vote, but by how much? Probably about 6 million, twice as much as Clinton won by in 2016.

7. Size of Turnout. A big turnout favors Democrats; expect at least 150 million.

8. Violence. I believe the likelihood is small and is being somewhat overhyped by media reports. expect sporadic incidents of caravan-type events.

9. Fireworks. When Biden wins our major cities will erupt in joy with fireworks.

10. Food & Drink. Comfort food for sure and if you must drink, just sip. You don't want to miss this one.

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Here's the news:

*  Final Forecast On Who Wins Presidential Race: Biden 89%, Trump 10%. (538) 

* TRUMP'S LAST-DITCH PITCH: I'LL CHEAT President Donald Trump headed into Election Day with a brazen pledge: that he will cheat by not counting all the ballots. “It’s a terrible thing when people or states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over because it can only lead to one thing, and that’s very bad,” Trump said as he repeated his desire to end all vote counting on Tuesday night. “As soon as that election is over, we’re going in with our lawyers.” Trump’s campaign put out an ominous statement Monday, making clear that it is going to fight to make sure every vote will not be counted. [HuffPost]

* Hillary Clinton Was Right to Warn Us -- She grasped the danger posed by the “vast right-wing conspiracy,” Russian interference and Trump. (NYT)

* Officials prepare for the unpredictable as a tense Election Day arrives (WashPo)

* Stocks Rise as U.S. Voters Head to Polls -- Investors are betting on a Democratic sweep of the White House and Congress, which could result in a generous fiscal stimulus package (WSJ)

* As Voting Nears End, Battle Intensifies Over Which Ballots Will Count -- President Trump and his allies say they intend an aggressive challenge to how the votes are counted in key states, and Democrats are mobilizing to meet it. (NYT)

*  Democrats are favored to take control of the Senate in the 2020 elections by 75%-25%. (538)

* As Election Day Arrives, Trump Shifts Between Combativeness and Grievance  -- The president is sounding notes of bravado and exasperation at the end of a divisive campaign. But he may have severed himself from the political realities of a country in crisis. (NYT)

* Top White House adviser Birx bluntly contradicts Trump on virus threat, urging all-out response (WashPo)

* Caravans of Trump supporters have taken over highways, bridges and city streets in recent days in aggressive displays of support for the president. One convoy drove through Marin City, California, and shouted racial epithets at children. In Louisville, Kentucky, a “Trump Train” member directed traffic with a gun at a high school. These events, and dozens more in nearly every state in the U.S., were coordinated online by “MAGA Drag the Interstate,” a self-described “assemblage of patriots.” [HuffPost]

* National Guard Readies for Election Day Deployment (NYT)

* In a Hot Election, the Cool-Headed Associated Press Takes Center Stage (NYT)

 

* Trump signals chaotic stretch after election (WashPo)

* PELOSI: 'WE'RE READY' IF TRUMP TRIES TO CREATE CHAOS On the eve of an election in which the president of the United States is signaling he’ll do anything to win, including promoting violence and cheating, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says she’s been preparing for months for Trump to try to steal the election and is confident Americans’ votes will be fairly counted in the end. “We’re ready for it all,” Pelosi told HuffPost. “I would just like him to know it ain’t going to happen for him at the end of the day.” [HuffPost]

* Vienna Terrorist Attack Leaves at Least 4 Dead and Many Wounded -- A gunman killed by the police was an Islamic State “sympathizer,” Austria’s interior minister said. The police were searching for possible accomplices on Tuesday morning. (NYT)

* Almost Like Clockwork, Talk of a Military Coup Follows Thai Protests (NYT)

* Deutsche Bank AG is looking for ways to end its relationship with President Donald Trump after the U.S. elections, as it tires of the negative publicity stemming from the ties, according to three senior bank officials with direct knowledge of the matter. (Reuters)

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O say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

-- Francis Scott Key

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