America Is Waiting

2010's Key Battleground States

Senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield analyzes the country's most important battlegrounds and outlines the key states to watch this 2010 mid-term election night.


Video: CBS

Host Scott Simon talked to NPR political editor Ken Rudin about the tight races for U.S. Senate in West Virginia, Illinois and Nevada and predictions for the outcome of races in the House.

A Conservative Headcount of Coming Congressional Changes Audio Embed: Weekend Edition Saturday 10/30/10.

NPR's On The Media spent an entire program examining the impact of campaign ads, and asked if secret sponsors can buy elections.

Here’s When All The Polls Close

Compiled with comments by Steve Krakauer of Mediaite.com:

We’ve already laid out which of the media’s favorite candidates have a chance of actually winning today – but when will we find out if the media’s dreams come true?

What to watch as the clock winds down.

7:00pmET: Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, Virgin Islands

• Races to watch – Can Alvin Greene pull of the upset?! No. But Rand Paul certainly can win in Kentucky.

7:30pmET: North Carolina, Ohio, West Virgina

• Races to watch – The Ohio Governor race featuring former media member John Kasich against incumbent Ted Strickland will be big. Also, our favorite Nazi re-enactor Rich Iott has a congressional race in Ohio. In West Virginia, it’s a tight race for Senate – Joe Manchin vs. John Raese.

8:00pmET: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee

• Races to watch – All eyes will be on Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, but three other big races are going on in this time slot. Check out Florida, for Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist, Illinois for the fight between Alexi Giannoulias and Mark Kirk and Pennsylvania where Joe Sestak and Pat Toomey have battled down to the wire. Also, can Alan Grayson keep his seat?

8:30pmET: Arkansas

• Races to watch – Hmm. Christine O’Donnell hangover.

9:00pmET: Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming

• Races to watch – This seems like the hour we part ways with Carl Paladino (and Jimmy McMillan). Also check out Wisconsin, where Ron Johnson looks to upset Russ Feingold.

10:00pmET: Arizona, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, Utah

• Races to watch – This should be fun. How many of the trio of Ben Quayle, Jan Brewer and, of course, Sharron Angle, pull off the GOP victories?

11pmET: California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

• Races to watch – Of course there’s the two California races: whether Carly Fiorina or Meg Whitman can win it for the GOP. But also, Washington looms, and the tight Senate race between Dino Rossi and incumbent Democrat Patty Murray.

12amET: Hawaii

• Races to watch – Man, Alaska’s far away…

1amET: Alaska

• Races to watch – Joe Miller! Lisa Murkowski! Sarah Palin! Battledome!

David Byrne & Brian Eno, from My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981)