Goood morning Kossacks!
Its looking like the 2010 election isn't going to be a repeat of 1994 as the Republicans were hoping for, not even close.
And 2010 isn't going to bear out the beltway talking heads' sour predictions of a Republican onslaught, not even close.
It appears the 2010 election is shaping up to be much like the 2006 election, according to a study of early voting patterns by Democratic consultants the Atlas Project.
A break in Democratic gloom
The firm told its clients Friday that early ballots in the 17 states where voting has been sufficient to draw historical comparisons show a partisan balance that looks very much like that in 2006, the year Democrats took back the House and the Senate.
"In many states, it even appears that the electorate so far is a little more Democratic than in 2006, although it is still early in the early voting process," reported the firm,
Outside analysts are seeing much the same. "Democrats are not voting at as high rates as they did in 2008, but they are voting at higher rates [than Republicans] in early voting," said Michael McDonald, a George Mason University associate professor who specializes in voter behavior.
This is some very encouraging data as all the speculation winds down and the votes start to come in. Far from disastrous 2006 was a pretty good year for Democrats.
I just thought you early rising Kossacks might like some good news as you get ready for a day of GOTV.
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero
(Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future)
Update More from TPM: Dems Holding Their Own In Early Voting Numbers