ELECTION EVE!

Storm Stories:

The long road to recovery from Sandy continues.  New York City subways continue to come back online.  Connecticut, which feared disruptions to the election, has largely restored power and is ready for Election Day.  Meanwhile, New Jersey faces a more arduous path.  By far, the most pressing problem today with falling temperatures is a housing crisis.

…And the World:

The New York Times reports that faith in the European Parliament, an institution designed to bring the EU together appears to be faltering amidst corruption scandals and inaction.

A child sex abuse scandal may be knocking on Prime Minister David Cameron’s door.  According to the Guardian, senior Conservative Party members may be involved and, Cameron, eager to avoid a scandal, has announced not one, but two inquiries.

The Feds:

Nate Silver and his Five Thirty Eight blog on the New York Times website is either reviled or beloved and it is not hard to see why.  His prediction of a Barack Obama win has only gone up in recent weeks and the battleground state polls continued to favor Obama while the national averages slowly swung to the incumbent too.

The Candidates continue to campaign at a frenetic pace.  President Obama campaigned across the Midwest with the Boss, Bruce Springsteen.  Mitt Romney added some stops tomorrow, rather than wrapping up the campaign tonight.  Meanwhile, reporters have to pay to get access to the Romney victory party in Boston.  There are premium charges in Chicago, too, for the president’s campaign, but credentialed journalists still get in for free.

Early voting in Florida remains in chaos as the state’s largest county flip-flops on allowing more and more early voting.  Florida is a must win for Romney, but Obama can afford to lose it.

Bay State of the Race:

Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown enter the last phase of this race that will ultimately come down to turnout.  Secretary of State William Galvin says voter registration is up and he predicts 73% turnout.

Polls show a split between a tie and a Warren lead.  The Boston papers show a tie to a statistically insignificant Brown lead.  Independent pollsters show a small, but notable Warren lead.

The State of Things:

Our endorsements in the competitive races in Hampden County/Greater Springfield.

Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez says that revenues are not meeting expectations raising the specter of mid-year budget cuts.  One reason, the ratcheting down of the state income tax that could happen January 1.  So glad we got the 0.05% tax cut this year.

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse is looking into getting the city a public access television studio for  municipal programming.

Early voting is not permitted in Massachusetts.  Sorta.  State law permits absentee ballots to be filled out at Election Commissions and Town Clerk offices.  If the voter meets the other qualifications for voting absentee ballot they can do so in person and avoid the voting lines.

City Slickers:

City officials claim crime has fallen since the 1 a.m. entertainment restrictions were put in place.  However, many remain incredulous and it may difficult to actually ascribe this to the policy, especially since many downtown facilities have gotten waivers.

The City is preparing to sell two tornado damaged properties, which lie in the footprint of MGM’s proposed casino in the South End.

Twitter Chatter:

We’re all in this together: twitter.com/MichelleObama/…

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 5, 2012

As this campaign closes, we must reflect deeply on the last four years.  While our much delayed endorsement of the president is forthcoming, it should be a surprise to nobody who reads this blog that we support the president for reelection.  The arc of his career has been built by and, if it survives, is due to work that many volunteers have done together with staffers and the man himself.  The same is true of Elizabeth Warren’s campaign here in Massachusetts.  In that, is a parable of how our nation succeeds and remains stronger.  Whether intended or not, First Lady Michelle Obama’s tweet here speaks to both truths, the latter reinforced by the excerpt from her convention speech. The campaign will be won together, but the success of the nation can only be won together, too.  America was not made great by one person, but by a people working together in their communities, in their families, and yes, through their governments.  For capturing the essence of this truth of American history, we award Mrs. Obama the week’s tweet prize!